Chapter 28 • The Silence After the Storm

The weather has changed slightly. The rain gradually eased off until it stopped altogether.

Pedestrians, once carrying umbrellas, now walked more freely, without worrying about the rain.

The city lights, with their post-rain touch and the subtle sparkles of water reflected by the lights, provided a somewhat romantic contrast for a date or even for a lonely person who wanted to walk aimlessly, filling the void with the scenery that nature had brought to the city.

In the midst of the passers-by, a charming pair walked shoulder to shoulder.

She, from distant origins, stood out as a beautiful figure with her long blonde hair and emerald eyes, adorned in a dark green dress with a white collar and shades of light green, complemented by a crucifix resting against her neck.

His remarkable stature, standing at 190 cm, not only gave him an air of authority, but also made him seem the natural protector of his companion from distant origins, whose shorter height only enhanced her delicacy in contrast to his own robustness.

Together, they formed an unusually harmonious pair in the eyes of observers.

Suddenly, the foreign girl stopped her walk.

The curious thing was that not only the boy next to her stopped walking...

Other pedestrians, visibly embarrassed, resumed their steps, while the young man turned his attention to the girl.

"What's the matter, Asia-chan?" he asked. "Is something bothering you?"

The young blonde's expression was one of confusion as she turned to the boy.

"Light-sama, just now..." She began, hesitantly. "I noticed something unusual about that billboard."

Asia's index finger pointed at the billboard, which to Light was a mere advertisement for apples.

Although it appeared to be just an ordinary advertisement to Light, he didn't question Asia's assertion.

"What exactly did you see that struck you as so unusual, Asia-chan?" he asked gently.

"It was as if it was written in thick, black ink, typical of Japanese calligraphy; I recognized it from the film I saw on TV recently..." she explained. "The lettering was beautiful, which caught my eye, and it was peculiar to see how the ink seemed to flow..."

She was still trying to process the feeling it had given her.

"It was like, 'I can't believe you were able to kill that monster. It seems I've been wrong about you once again...'"

Hearing this, Light raised an eyebrow.

If he had seen such a message, he would have found it bizarre too. Asia's reaction was not surprising. However, it shouldn't have any relevance to them, should it?

However, the idea kept running through his head and he followed his thoughts until they resumed their walk, stopping in front of the restaurant located near Asia's apartment.

"Are you worried about what you saw?" Light asked, noticing her unusual stillness.

"No, I'm just intrigued," she replied almost on impulse.

Asia then stared at him and asked: "Light-sama, do you believe what I said I saw? Am I imagining things?"

"I trust you," Light assured her, holding and squeezing her hand gently. "Don't think too much about it, it must have been some ayakashi up to mischief..."

As he spoke these reassuring words, a shadow crossed Light's countenance for an imperceptible instant...

"Could this have something to do with me?" wondered Light inwardly.

It was feasible for him to think so, after all, he had eliminated Ayakashi, Tsubasa-Kage, that very day...

Asia didn't catch the fleeting glimmer in Light's eyes, which faded as quickly as it had appeared. Comforted by his words, she sighed with relief that he believed her. Then, as she became aware that her delicate hand was still being held by Light's large one as they entered the restaurant, her cheeks took on a rosy hue.

With her head down and her cheeks flushed, she felt as if she had sipped a hot broth, the warmth spreading across her face...

"Welcome to Worduke!" said a cheerful voice as they entered the restaurant.

Immediately, a waitress bowed in welcome.

She was a young woman in her early twenties, with black hair tied up in a high ponytail, wearing a waitress uniform in a combination of salmon and white, adorned with ruffles, a short skirt and long white stockings.

"A table for two?" asked the waitress, almost formally.

With their hands intertwined, it would be unusual to ask for separate tables.

"Yes," confirmed Light, keeping his composure.

"I'm Maya, and I'll be serving you today," the waitress introduced herself in a sweet voice, gesturing for them to follow her. "Please come with me."

"Thank you," replied Light.

"Thank you," echoed the soft voice of Asia, who was still leaning her head down with red cheeks.

Watching the scene, Maya thought to herself, 'What a lovely young couple~'.

Arriving at the table Maya had indicated, Light gently let go of Asia's hand.

Feeling the warmth of Light's hand fade, Asia looked up.

It was only at this moment that she realized that they had arrived at the place designated by Maya.

Taking a seat opposite Light at the table reserved for two, Asia unconsciously flexed the hand that until then had shared the warmth of Light's, feeling a strange emptiness, although she didn't fully understand this sensation.

She was distracted from these thoughts when the menu was placed in front of her.

"Choose what you like," said Maya, as she poured a glass of water for each of them. "Just ring the bell in the center of the table when you're ready to order."

"Mm," murmured Light, nodding.

"Okay," agreed Asia.

At Maya's departure, a smile formed on Light's lips.

"Ask for whatever you want, Asia-chan," he encouraged. "No need to be shy, I'll pay for anything you want to try."

Asia gave him a sweet, shy smile back, saying, "Thank you..."

Light let out a soft laugh, not bothered by Asia's sudden shyness.

He knew it was too early for her to feel completely at ease and behave uninhibitedly in his presence.

Light's light laugh made Asia blush even more. She took cover behind the open menu, hiding her face as she thought that, if the situation persisted, her head would seem to boil so hot!

After a few moments of consulting the menu amid murmurs and discreet giggles, Light reached out and gently rang the bell in the center of the table, sending a clear signal to Maya that they were ready to order.

Maya approached with a warm smile and a notepad in hand, ready to record their choices.

"Have you decided what you want?" she asked, pen in hand.

Light nodded, glancing at the menu one last time before closing it decisively. "We'll have two portions of gyudon, please, and we'd also like to try the mixed tempura."

Asia, who had finally regained her composure, added with a smile, "And two portions of onigiri, one salmon and one umeboshi."

"Excellent choice," Maya jotted down the orders with a fluent flick of her pen. "Something to drink?"

"Two green waters will be fine," replied Light, referring to the refreshing green tea.

"Right, I'll bring your orders in shortly," said Maya, before retreating to the kitchen.

With their orders placed, Light and Asia settled into their chairs, waiting for their meals while enjoying the pleasant atmosphere of the restaurant.

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