At the restaurant, it was apparent that Kiri was obviously a frequent and well known customer. The host greeted them effusively and suggested slyly to Kiri, "This one is different, you will treat her well and keep her?"

Kiri gave an embarrassed nod and shrugged apologetically to Hikaru as they followed the man through the restaurant.

They were seated on cushions on either side of a low table in a secluded dining partition that could be entirely closed off. Hikaru fiddled nervously with the place setting in front of her. "You come here a lot?" she asked.

"Yes, several times a month," he replied. He watched her for a moment. "Hikaru?" he asked.

She looked up at him.

"Come sit next to me and tell me what's wrong?" he suggested.

She picked up her seat cushion and crawled over to his side. He helped settle her so that she was tucked up against him with his arm around her.

"I'm just behaving like a child," she confessed.

He looked at her oddly and hugged her against him. "What happened?" he asked again.

"I agreed to work until 11 tomorrow. The band that was supposed to play cancelled, and the owner was desperate. He gives me work regularly, so I agreed," she explained.

"OK?" Kiri replied.

"Izumi-san got mad and said I'm only following the curfew when it's convenient," Hikaru said miserably, "so I am childishly proving him right."

Kiri raised an eyebrow.

"I yelled that if I'm only following it when it's convenient then I would leave, and left," she admitted. "I'm completely acting like a rebellious little kid," she said ruefully.

Kiri laughed quietly. "Hikaru," he dropped a kiss on her cheek, "anyone would be tempted to respond that way, not just a child," he said reassuringly.

"I'm so angry with him," Hikaru complained. "I know I'm being unreasonable, that of course he'd be upset that I agreed to work so much later than his curfew, but when he said that I just got so angry," she added unhappily.

Kiri held her and tried to think of something helpful to say. Finally he simply replied, "Well, I am very glad to be able to see you after all."

She looked at him and nodded, "Me too." She leaned against him. He ran his hand up and down her arm and held her.

Their host arrived with a stack of plates. Hikaru sat up to move and he waved her back. "No no, stay there, I'll move the setting," he said quickly. "Will you share a plate?" he asked.

Kiri turned the question to Hikaru, "Do you mind sharing a plate with me?"

She shook her head.

Everything was quickly arranged and their host left them, pulling the folding doors shut as he went. Kiri dished up some food from each of the dishes.

Hikaru asked curiously, "He never asked what we wanted to eat?"

Kiri chuckled and said, "He never does anymore, he just brings whatever he thinks I ought to eat, I suspect. It's always good, and always includes several vegetable dishes." He picked up a tidbit in his chopsticks, dipped it lightly in one of the sauces and offered it to Hikaru.

She shyly accepted it, and Kiri watched her eat the bite with amusement. Hesitantly she chose something and offered it in return. Kiri leaned forward and took the offering in his mouth.

"Kiri?" she asked uncertainly.

"Yes?" he replied.

"Can we feed ourselves?" She was blushing fiercely with embarrassment.

"It's not as much fun, but we can if you like," he replied agreeably.

After a they'd been eating a few minutes he asked, "Why do you find it so embarrassing?"

"I could feel your mouth move, even through the chopsticks," Hikaru replied blushing all over again.

He laughed.

After a little bit Hikaru asked, "Is everything OK with your work, since you were called in on Sunday? I forgot to ask last night."

Kiri's amusement faded and he replied, "Overall, yes, everything is fine. But that was a mess." A bit grimly he explained, "It was a continuation of the mess before. We've had to terminate their contract. One of their guys showed up to the filming completely drunk, and caused an incident. Then he jumped off a balcony while trying to evade security. He's currently hospitalized with nothing worse than a broken arm and a concussion."

"Wow," said Hikaru.

Kiri said, "We have really strict policies on substance abuse, so the company doesn't take a direct loss, but it's such a waste."

"Why?" Hikaru asked.

"If his friends hadn't tried to cover for him, or if he'd cleaned himself up after the last incident, they could have continued with us. Apart from the one guy's problem, they're a good group that I think could have done well. And the company that was doing the filming will be more reluctant to work with us in the future. Trying to smooth things over is a lot of what I was called in for."

"Oh, I'm sorry," she said sympathetically.

"It's OK," he replied. Hikaru leaned close and he wrapped his arm back around her. 

Kiri swapped their plate for the dessert plate. He picked up a piece of the dessert with his fingers and said, "You don't use chopsticks with this." He demonstrated how to dip it into the butter and then roll it in the powdered sugar.

Hikaru copied him, and then shyly offered her piece to him. He smiled at her and took it from her fingers, letting his tongue brush her fingertips and his lips close over her fingers.

She blushed, but didn't withdraw, and took the piece he fed her. He kissed her for awhile. They ate the dessert very slowly.

When they'd finished it Kiri ran his hand down her back and said regretfully, "I don't suppose I get to take you home with me now?"

Hikaru looked at him with wide eyes and said, "Um, no, I should go home. I usually try to go to bed about 10 on school nights."

Kiri leaned in and kissed her again. "OK," he agreed, "I'll take you home then."

Hikaru was silent on the drive back. Her grip on the belt was tight, and her back tense. "Are you going to be OK?" he asked, concerned.

She nodded, but didn't relax. When they arrived she got out immediately, but then waited as he came around the car.

"Hikaru?" Kiri asked hesitantly.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Are you afraid you'll be hit again?" he asked.

"No," she replied immediately and without hesitation. "I'm embarrassed about responding so childishly though," she added.

"OK" he replied, relieved. "But really, I don't think you behaved all that childishly," he said and reached out to touch her cheek lightly. 

He took her hand and explained as they walked slowly to her door, "I think you responded responsibly to your work obligation. And that anyone who is told they aren't following some restriction when they have been working very hard to follow it, will be tempted to stop following it."

Hikaru grinned at him and leaned in to kiss him again. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"Since you're working so much later tomorrow, I'll definitely be done in time to come see the end of it at least, can I bring you home tomorrow?" he asked.

She nodded.

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply for a minute, then released her. "You better go in before I decide to take you home with me after all," he whispered.

She went in.

Fortunately her mother and Izumi had already gone up to bed. Hikaru breathed a quiet word of thanks and quietly prepared her lunch box in the kitchen. Then she checked that her homework was ready, turned off the lights and went to bed herself.