“The Tokyo Skytree?” Nanami stared at the spire jutting into the night sky in front of her, mouth agape in wonder. “Seriously? Who did you kill to nab a reservation at the Skytree on Valentine’s Day?”

“Do you like the restaurant at the Skytree?” Koemi asked, feeling smugger by the second.

“How in the hell should I know?” Nanami breathed. “An appetizer there’s what I make in a year.”

“Well, I’ve only eaten here once, and the food was tasty so I figured it might be fun.”

“Who are you?” Nanami turned her gaze to Koemi and scowled. “Are you Yakuza? I mean, you seem nice and all, but I really don’t need to be sucked into the underworld. I just cannot fit breaking kneecaps into my busy schedule.”

“I promise! I’m not Yakuza! Oh!” Koemi looked down at her watch. “We need to hurry, or we’ll be late!” The pair reached the elevator in decent time and before they knew it the doors had opened, and they were quickly whisked to their table. The lights of Tokyo spread out beyond the window, a million fireflies against the black tapestry of the mid-February night.

“I’m glad I’m not scared of heights,” Nanami mumbled, peeking through the window at the ground far below where they sat.

“Right? That would have been unfortunate,” Koemi agreed, opening the menu and glancing through it.

“I can’t even pronounce half of this stuff is,” Nanami scowled. “Poisson? Who would willingly order something they plainly have warned you is dangerous?” Koemi giggled.

“Well, at least they warn you, right? If they tell you and you still order it, I think you get what you deserve.”

“You have a decent point,” Nanami nodded. The waitress appeared as if by magic at the side of the table and Nanami jumped slightly at her sudden appearance.

“Good evening, Miss Tanaka,” the waitress bowed nearly perpendicular to the table and both Nanami and Koemi shrunk back slightly in alarm. “Can I get you something to drink to start out?”

“I have promised not to drink alcohol tonight so I will have a carafe of the Green Tea,” Koemi smiled at the woman.

“And for you, ma’am?” The waitress turned the full glare of her deep red lipstick on Nanami who looked for a moment like a deer caught in headlights.

“Juice?” Nanami mumbled.

“Very good, we have Sicilian Orange, Apple, Wine Grape and Appletiser.”

“Sicilian…orange?”

“Thank you, I’ll be right back with your drinks.” Like a wind on a summer day she was gone, leaving a slightly shell-shocked Nanami to stare after her.

“I need to learn that trick,” Nanami wondered. “How do you suppose she just appears like that?”

“She may be a vampire or something,” Koemi tapped her lips with her finger thoughtfully. “I hear they can turn to mist.”

“Maybe she’s like a new type of vampire who lives off Wine Grape juice or something.”

“A kinder, gentler vampire,” Koemi nodded in agreement. “A vampire for a new age.”

“An eco-friendly vegan vampire.”

“We could call them coffee shop vampires to differentiate them from your classic blood sucking ones.”

“I like it. She will be the-Wah!” As if summoned the waitress reappeared suddenly at their table with a tray.

“Your tea, Miss Tanaka. And the Sicilian Orange Juice for you, Miss. Are you ready to order or do you need more time?”

“I think I’m ready,” Koemi mused, glancing over the menu one last time. “I’ll have the entrée froide, Nagasaki beef sirloin smoked truffle and wagyu sirloin and Neige. Go ahead and skip the petit four if you will, I’m not feeling it.”

“As you wish,” the waitress’ hand barely seemed to move before she turned her attention to Nanami.

“Uh…I’ll have the same thing,” Nanami said.

“I’ll bring the appetizers very soon,” the waitress turned on a brilliant smile and was gone.

“What, uh, did I just order?”

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing nasty, I promise.” Koemi grinned, pouring herself a cup of tea from the carafe. “What do you think?”

“I think I’m scared I’m going to get garden slugs with red sauce and bits of crabgrass on the side,” Nanami shook her head. “I should have read the menu more carefully. Or, you know, at all.”

“Nah, no garden slugs. The crabgrass, though, is wholly optional. You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to.”

“This is amazing,” Nanami breathed, turning her gaze back to the bank of windows staring out over the city. “Kind of overwhelming, really.”

“I know what you mean,” Koemi turned her eyes to the city spread out around them. “I’ve seen a lot of places but there’s nowhere quite like Tokyo.”

“Excuse me,” a small voice came from behind them. They turned to find a girl no older than probably twelve standing nervously at the table, shifting slightly from foot to foot. “Are you Koemi?”

“That I am!” Koemi grinned.

“Oh my God! No way!” the girl breathed excitedly.

“Yes, way, indeed!” Koemi smiled, taking the girl’s hand in greeting.

“I knew it! I’m sorry for interrupting, but can I get your autograph?”

“Sure, what’s your name, honey?”

“Akari!” The girl straightened proudly.

“Ah! I know another Akari, too!”

“I knowwwww!” The girl squealed softly, barely containing her glee.

“You’re the prettier Akari, though,” Koemi winked at her conspiratorially. “But don’t tell her I said that!”

“No way! Akari is…Akari!” Koemi chuckled as she signed the paper the girl had given her.

“Don’t sell yourself short!” Koemi handed back the paper and pen.

“No one at school is going to believe this! This is incredible!” The young girl stared at the paper in her hand as if afraid it would vanish into thin air.

“Well, do you have a phone?” Koemi asked. The girl nodded her head enthusiastically. “How about we take a selfie, then? You’ll have irrefutable proof!”

“No way!” the girl repeatedly, looking like she may hyperventilate. “Really?”

“Sure!” Koemi grinned. Koemi threw up a peace sign as she moved her head in next to the girl’s. The girl took the picture and, bowing and thanking Koemi over and over retreated from the table.

“Ok, seriously. I get the mysterious bit and normally I respect that sort of thing, but you can’t keep me in the dark anymore. Who in the hell are you?” Nanami hissed.

“I’m in Kunoichi,” Koemi sighed.

“You’re a ninja?” Nanami cocked her head to the side. Koemi nearly spit her tea out as she laughed. Finally regaining her composure and managing to swallow her tea she shook her head.

“No, not yet anyway. It’s a band.” Koemi shrugged.

“So, you’re a musician?”

“Well, I play the piano, so I guess I am, sort of. I’m more like a singer and dancer,” Koemi shrugged. “Akari’s more the actual musician.”

“So, you’re like an idol or something?” Nanami asked.

“Yeah,” Koemi nodded. “Something like that.”

“That’s kind of cool. I’ve seen anime about them,” Nanami nodded. “You’re famous and stuff, then?”

“Obviously not that famous since you’ve never heard of me,” Koemi pouted at her.

“Oh, never judge anything by whether I’ve heard of it or not. I’m oblivious to things,” Nanami waved her hand dismissively. “Still, I’ve never met anyone famous before. That’s kind of cool. I’ll have to tell Kasumi I met an idol. She’ll love it. Not to mention being an idol’s better than being Yakuza.”

“Fewer tattoos, too,” Koemi nodded as the waitress reappeared once more as if summoned from the ether and dropped off two plates with a small disk of what appeared to be pudding with lemon rinds attached in the center of each.

“It’s…” Nanami trailed off, trying to figure out how best to describe it. “Small.” She finished.

“Yeah,” Koemi prodded hers with her spoon and delighted in the ripple the spoon created. “I guess…itadakimasu!” With a single deft motion Koemi scooped the pudding up and popped it into her mouth, chewing delicately before swallowing. “Whew!” Koemi leaned back sighed dramatically. “Well, I’m full. How about you?”

“Stuffed!” Nanami agreed, running her hand over her belly dramatically. “I can’t eat another bite.”

“Almost seems a waste to use a whole plate for it,” Koemi stared down at the plate sadly.

“Well, fancy food requires a lot of plates, you know,” Nanami shrugged. “It makes you feel like you’ve eaten a lot when you see the lines of plates.”

“Ah, the psychology of fanciness,” Koemi nodded her head in agreement. “I see, I see.”

“So, you just sing and dance and stuff?”

“In a nutshell,” Koemi shrugged. “I mean, we’re given a lot more freedom than some groups thanks to our management, so we write and produce our own songs. I say we but I don’t do much. Akari does most of the writing and my sister does the producing. I do some of the choreography and write some of the keyboard sections but that’s about it.”

“I’ve always been fascinated by creative people,” Nanami admitted. “I’m just an uneducated slave to the food-going masses.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. What you do is far harder than what I do. You put up with some real jackholes every day. You have to remember things I could never hope to and you are constantly on your feet. I admire what you do, even if the others in the food-going masses don’t.”

“I see you are a woman of culture,” Nanami blushed at the compliments. “Are you trying to charm me, madam?”

“That depends,” Koemi shrugged.

“Depends on what?”

“Whether or not it’s working.”

“Well, you’re not the only one who can be mysterious,” Nanami grinned.

“Oh, you are a sly one!” Koemi laughed. “Well played!”

“Your entrée froide,” The waitress reappeared again and set the plates in front of them, whisking the others away. “Is everything acceptable thus far?”

“Yes, thank you,” Koemi nodded. The waitress bowed low one more time and disappeared. “I hope you like fish.”

“Oh! Fish! Yeah.” Nanami exclaimed, looking less suspicious. “Is that a prawn?”

“Ummm… yes, yes it is,” Koemi poked at the curled pink item on her plate.

“It’s…staring at me,” Nanami peered closely at it.

“Don’t give in!” Koemi cheered her on. “It’s trying to guilt trip you! Don’t let it play prawn mind games with you. You have to show dominance.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“I have no idea. Just pretend you’re a dog?”

“What am I supposed to do? Hump it?” Koemi had to put a hand over her mouth quickly to stifle a laugh.

“You’d better not! You’re my date tonight! Let the prawn get its own date.” Koemi finally managed.

“How presumptuous the madam is!” Nanami affected a disapproving stare. “Besides, this prawn’s dating days are well behind it, I think.” Koemi picked the prawn off her plate and placed it carefully beside Nanami’s.

“There, even the prawns are getting into the Valentine’s Day spirit.”

“Aww, aren’t they adorable? They’re…hugging. Damn that’s creepy. I mean…really creepy. But adorable. Prawn love.”

“Now that prawn can keep it’s beady black eyes on its own date and stop eyeballing mine.”

“Agreed. Besides, they look like they’re getting on well.” Nanami picked up a piece of fish and brought it to her lips.

“What about us?” Koemi asked slyly. “Do we look like we’re getting on well?”

“Hmm,” Nanami chewed the fish thoughtfully. “Yes. I think it looks like we’re getting on pretty well.”