Her Case to Solve

     “So let me get this straight,” was not a phrase that Himari was particularly pleased to hear, especially not under the current circumstances. Her mind, swimming in alcohol, was trying hard to hyper-analyze the situation. This was her case to solve, and these were the facts:

     The place– Penguin Snipper, a luxury entertainment longue in Kichijoji. Most popular with suits looking to destress and young people looking to set loose. In one way or another, Himari felt her current self a valid member of either category.

     The reason– Running her mouth was a good way to summarize it all. Over the last twenty minutes tipping on thirty Himari had been talking nonstop. About her work, about her past, about the perpetrator of her latest, self-assigned case: A woman so fierce, so pretty, she had been inhabiting Himari's mind these past few days. The conversation was partially about the lady. Mostly about the lady. It was all about the lady.

     Himari was being judged.

     That was worst of all, the judge reviewing the case– Teruo Nakamura, who had stood there, quietly reviewing each set of evidence for the Takahashi case. He had no degree in law,  but he did have one-on drunken hearts to-hearts. As a barista, he was taken the stand, and Himari was forced to wait on the jury.

     “You spent a week in her apartment,” he continued, with the poise and confidence of a seasoned judge in his courtroom.

     “Yeah,” Himari mumbled, toying with her drink.

     “You cooked for her every single day– made her bentos for work, for fuck’s sake.”

     “That’s right,” she pretended to take a sip. There was no alcohol left, only melted ice.

     “You slept in her bed after the third night because the couch was uncomfortable. She was the one who suggested it, and you took her up on it.”

     “Mhm,” she drank the water anyways, desperate for an excuse to avoid interaction.

     “And you come into my bar,” Teruo leaned in, obsidian gaze weighing heavy on her amber, “And have the audacity to tell me that– without a shadow of a doubt– there’s no way she’s a lesbian.”

     “... objection?” Himari croaked out.

     “You guys just need to bone,” he declared, case closed.

     Himari tried her best to defend herself regardless, “Teru, you don’t understand. She’s not– I’m not– neither of us is looking for a relationship right now.”

     “So that’s the main issue?” He wasn’t having it, “If you’re not looking for a relationship, you don’t need one. Go make out in a broom closet, I’m sure that’ll kill the tension.”

     “I don’t wanna make out on a broom closet,” she whined, hiding his face in her arms, cheek flat against the table.

     “So you do want a relationship,” The man offered, smiling like the cat that got the cream. His expression denoted him gloating, and hers, apparently, denoted absolute defeat– Whatever face she made only helped solidify his case, “Well, glad we’re on the same page. Do you think she’s a flowers or chocolate type gal?”

     “Chocolate,” Himari said against her better judgment, trying to cope with the decisions that had brought her here today. Coping, she knew a way to do that– her hand reached for her drink but found the table empty. Himari let out a noise in protest, and finally looked back up to see Teruo emptying the remnants of her drink onto the sink, “Hey, I paid for that,” she whined.

     Seeing Teruo manage his bar was quite a mesmerizing experience. The man knew exactly what went where, when what went where, and where what was in case of any particular whens and other  happenings. The bar was filled with so many compartments and similar-looking bottles that just thinking about the logistics of it made Himari’s head spin– or maybe it was the alcohol. She didn’t know, she didn’t care.

     “First of all,” Teruo started, taking off his apron for the evening. Penguin Snipper’s crowd had slowed down a while ago, and it seemed they would be the last two out the door. “You haven’t. And you don’t need to pay for it– I don’t mind comping drunks' bills when they got drunk out of a margarita and a half.”

     Himari let out a sound that sounded pathetic, even to her own, intoxicated state.

     “Second, we can continue this conversation in the morning. I need to close up for the night, but I’m taking you to my place so you can rest up. No need to try and catch the last train, you hear me? I can drive you to work in the morning.”

     “Bless being an adult,” Himari mumbled, “it means that my friends have cars and can take me places.”

     Teruo reached out to hand her her jacket, and the woman put it on. It was bound to be a bit chilly on their way to the parking garage, so she was thankful she planned ahead. If it proved to be too cold though, she knew Teruo would not mind sharing a coat of his own.

     “I don’t know about that,” Teruo rolled his eyes, ever his signature move. But he was smiling, “Being an adult sucks.”

     Himari let out a chuckle, “It does, doesn’t it?”

     As they made their way out, finding themselves in casual conversation, Himari made sure to archive this case in the back of her mind. Hopefully, Teruo wouldn’t bring Sae back up tomorrow.

     At the end of the day, this was her case to solve.