Anniversary Night

Tohru was not going to like this. Kobayashi-san looked at her watch again just to be sure, but it was definitely twenty past ten. The nondescript young woman adjusted her glasses and sighed heavily. There was less than two hours left in the day and today was important. With grim determination, Kobayashi marched through the hallway that led to a pair of otherwise unremarkable elevators. Today, however, those elevator doors looked more like a gateway to salvation. Takiya, Kobayashi’s long-time friend and coworker, stepped quickly to keep up with her pace.

“In a bit of a hurry?” he asked, full-well knowing the answer.

“I’m running late, again,” Kobayashi replied, her flat affect belying her anxiety.

“What do you expect? We’ve been working overtime every night for the past two weeks to get this project finished. The code is coming along, but the front-end still needs work and we have to make sure it’s done by next Friday for the review,” Takiya said with that annoyingly placid expression he wore most of the time. “I’m sure Tohru-san will understand.”

“Not tonight. Tonight’s special.” Kobayashi punched the down button on the elevator and tapped her foot impatiently.

“Did you call home to let her know you would be late?” Takiya inquired.

“I forgot. I was so wrapped up in debugging the sort scripts that I lost track of time,” admitted Kobayashi. “I can’t believe I didn’t set an alarm.”

After what felt like an interminable wait, the elevator dinged its arrival and the doors opened, revealing a very average elevator car with plain brown walls and a stainless steel handrail circuiting the perimeter. The pair stepped inside and Takiya placed a reassuring hand on Kobayashi’s shoulder as she pressed the button for the ground floor.

“Look, whatever importance today has, I’m sure that Tohru-san knows how hard you work every day. She’s a smart girl!”

The elevator hummed quietly as it lowered them to street level and Kobayashi’s anxiety was beginning to stifle the air of the car, making Takiya feel claustrophobic. He took a breath and then asked, “What did you think of the Victorian-era special exhibit at Hibiiya? They had some amazing representations of maid attire!”

A sparkling glint shone in Kobayashi’s eyes as she turned toward Takiya with a small smile. “I know what you’re trying to do. I’m sorry. I know I’m not very good company when I get worked up.”

“Nonsense! I just wanted to have a discussion of the finer points of the duties of a parlor maid versus those of a house maid!” Takiya countered, donning his thick glasses that made his eyes seem tinier than they were.

Kobayashi leaned back against the wall of the elevator and let her shoulders drop, feeling the tension run out of her. “This may be the only time in my life I’ve ever thought about something more than general maid practices.”

Takiya reeled back in exaggerated shock, his glasses somehow staying on his face despite the sudden movement. There was a moment of stunned silence before Kobayashi laughed, more forcefully than before, putting the back of one hand to her mouth to quiet the sound.

DING!

The doors opened on the brightly-lit lobby of the Jigokumeguri office building and the petite redhead squinted her hazel-brown eyes against the light. Takiya, facing away from the doors, was not immediately affected - and it was debatable how much light actually got through those glasses of his, anyway.

The two made their way in comfortable silence to the exit of the building, pausing on the streets of the Chuo Ward to take in the late-night air. It was the smells of Tokyo - vehicle exhaust, mixing aromas of different restaurants, and the overwhelming odor of concrete - that filled their lungs. It was a familiar smell. The smell of freedom for the night.

Takiya gestured over his shoulder. “I’m going to meet Fafnir-san for some ramen before we log in for a dungeon raid. You’re welcome to come!”

“If I’m out any later, I’ll miss the last train. I need to get home as quickly as I can,” said Kobayashi as she started walking toward Higashi-Nihombashi Station. They waved at each other and set off in opposite directions.

Kobayashi hurried, knowing that the next train would get her home in time to still be “today.” That’s what was important. That’s all that mattered.

Several blocks from her office building, she saw a shadow lurking just out of the illumination created by the street light. Kobayashi took a breath, unsure what to make of the form. Just as she was about to call out, the figure stepped into the light. It was Tohru, her arms behind her back and her red-gold eyes glinting under the glare of the LED street light. For someone who was normally so transparent when it came to her feelings, Tohru’s expression was unreadable. Kobayashi felt a lump in her throat as she swallowed, uncertain what to say.

It was Tohru who broke the silence. “You didn’t call,” she said, her voice failing to hint at her emotional state. “You didn’t call, so I came to meet you. Did you forget what today is?”

Kobayashi shook her head vigorously, denying the question. “No, I remember! I was on my way home. I’ve been working late all week, and I lost track of time.”

Tohru suddenly smiled. “I thought you might, which is why I came to meet you!” From behind her back, she produced a large green bottle with the word Dragonslayer written on it. Kobayashi smiled at the memory that bottle evoked.

“It’s been one year since the day we met up in the mountains. One year since you saved me,” Tohru said, proffering the bottle to Kobayashi.

Kobayashi took the bottle, staring at it for a few moments before saying, “I didn’t do anything special. I just helped someone who looked like they needed it.”

Tohru lunged forward, wrapping her arms around the smaller woman, rubbing her cheek to Kobayashi’s cheek with a huge grin with her long blonde twintails swinging about. “Yes, and that saved me! You don’t need to be so humble. I wuv yoooouuuuu!”

A warm redness spread across Kobayashi’s face as her glasses shifted askew from Tohru’s rubbing. Stealing a look around the street, she pushed Tohru away.  “I have an idea,” she began, feeling embarrassed but wanting to show her gratitude for Tohru’s presence in her life. “How about we re-enact that night… Let’s head up where we met and split this bottle.”

Tohru’s wings burst out from her back and she lifted Kobayashi up into the night sky. With a smile so bright it could outshine the moon, Tohru laughed and said, “I thought you’d never ask!”