It was becoming almost routine for Chihiro to stare at her blank sheet music for an hour on a morning before eventually giving up once again. She stayed at the piano and tinkered away at the keys for a little while, creating a small and silly, entirely new piece with tapping, single note chords that sounded like raindrops on window panes. It wasn't exactly the kind of sound she was going for with her first piece, but she scribbled down the notes for it on a separate sheet before she gave up on the piano entirely.

Now what to do today? It was the dance class at the Lucky Cat Café for tonight. Although she was tempted - even if she wouldn't admit to herself why - it was far too early to head there yet. It wasn't even midday. Instead, she decided to wait until the lunchtime period, so that she could go and visit Tatsu at the restaurant to see how things had been going. She'd missed talking to her.

She put on a navy sweater dress, her favourite lace-up dolly shoes and headed out. She was pleased to see that it had stopped raining overnight. The ground was still wet and there were puddles to avoid, but the air was fairly warm and the scent of fresh rain hung heavy around her. She'd always loved that smell. It was like the smell of a tropical summer. She wondered absently if there was a name for it.

The restaurant was pretty quiet when she got there, as the lunchtime period was just starting up. Tatsu was delighted to see her. "Hey there, stranger. Come over and sit down for a bit."

Chihiro followed her to a table in the corner. "How's the restaurant been doing? Not missing me too much, I hope?"

"Actually, I think the San Fransokyo Drifters have been enjoying the extra shifts. They've accumulated quite the fan club on an evening," Tatsu laughed. "I've got Minagi acting as deputy manager whilst Ichiru's case is still ongoing. She really likes having the responsibilities."

"Do you think it's likely they'll allow him back?" Chihiro asked, concerned by the idea.

"We haven't heard anything about it, but they really keep that kind of thing under wraps," Tatsu explained. "Surely they wouldn't let him back after what he did though. Plus the restaurant has been thriving way more without him."

"It's clearly your amazing supervision," Chihiro commended. "When you're not slacking off like you are now, of course."

Tatsu pretended to whip her with the rag she'd been using to clean the bar. "Hey, hey, this is clearly a staff meeting," she grinned. "Anyway, enough about the restaurant... Check out you and all that natural glow you've got going on. Is that what being away from this place does to you?"

"Glow?" Chihiro repeated, bemused.

"Yeah, look at you! You look positively happy, by your standards," Tatsu teased. "Not even a hint of that resting sad face."

"You need to stop using that, because I won't be happy if it catches on," Chihiro warned, though she didn't really mind. It was okay when it was Tatsu. She never meant it as an insult.

"I'm serious though. Something's different," Tatsu insisted, playfully making a show of inspecting her face. "Wait a second, I think I recognise that glow... Is this about a boy, Chihiro?"

Chihiro immediately felt her face colour. "What? Why would you think that?"

Her reaction gave her away. Tatsu looked delighted."It is! You've met someone!"

"Wait a minute; I didn't even say anything!" Chihiro protested.

"You're telling me you're not thinking about a boy right now?" Tatsu pressed.

Chihiro's face grew even hotter. She was currently trying really hard not to think about anything, especially last night. Even though it was actually the only thing that had been on her mind all morning.

"Ha! I knew it!" said Tatsu triumphantly. "Come on, you already know I can read you like an open book. Plus I've seen plenty of young girls in the early stages of love to recognise that look anywhere."

"Whoa, you're the only one who's throwing the word 'love' around," Chihiro chimed in hastily.

"So who is he?" Tatsu continued, ignoring her. "Tell me all the details."

"There's no details," Chihiro objected. "I haven't 'met' anyone in the sense that you're talking about. I just know him from the café."

"So there is a him you have in mind," Tatsu grinned. Chihiro grimaced at her own admission. "So do you like him?"

"I don't know..." Chihiro hedged uncomfortably.

"That means yes."

"What?"

"You either like someone or you don't," Tatsu said simply. "Saying you don't know means you do; you're just not ready to admit it yet."

Wow. Her logic was scarily accurate sometimes. "Who made you relationship expert?"

"Chihiro! I'm on the edge of my seat here," Tatsu pleaded, laughing. "The whole time I've known you, you've never shown even an inkling of interest in a guy. You've gotta give me something. Does he work at the café?"

Chihiro hesitated. She really hadn't been prepared to admit anything to herself yet; let alone anyone else, despite how much the scooter ride had kept trying to creep back into her thoughts. But Tatsu seemed really insistent on fast forwarding that process. Eventually, she allowed herself a little acceptance. "He lives above it. His aunt's the owner; she was the one who hired me."

"Wait..." Tatsu looked concerned. "Surely you don't mean the boy she was in here with."

"Not that nephew," Chihiro said hurriedly. "His older brother."

Tatsu seemed ecstatic now that she was finally divulging information. "Oooh, how old?"

Chihiro realised she hadn't actually asked. "Twenty maybe? He's working at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology."

"Wow. So he's smart," Tatsu concluded.

Chihiro nodded. "Very smart."

"So what else? What's his name?" Tatsu pressed on. She could see the blush returning to Chihiro's cheeks again. "Come on, Chihiro, don't freak out just yet."

"You're talking to me like I'm an animal you don't want to spook," Chihiro protested.

"Well, that's because you're acting like one," Tatsu laughed. "Whether it's your first crush or not, this is all completely natural. What are you so embarrassed about?"

"I don't know..." Chihiro mumbled. "I guess this is just new to me. It feels weird; I've only actually known him for three days."

"So what? Sometimes just three minutes is all it takes to know you like someone," Tatsu pointed out.

She was so on point that Chihiro couldn't help but laugh. "Actually, I think you might be right there."

"I'm always right," Tatsu claimed, amused. "Now, tell me more."

"Okay, okay..." Chihiro tried to think of what the older woman might find interesting. "His name's Tadashi. He works in robotics at the university. Oh, he drives a scooter. I'm still not sure I liked that part."

"Wait, are you saying you've been on this scooter already?" Tatsu demanded.

"Um... He gave me a ride home last night."

Tatsu looked positively thrilled by the idea. "How was it?"

"Well, scary," Chihiro admitted. "Or embarrassing, more than anything, I guess. I was worried I might fall off, so I was holding onto him kind of tight." She could feel her face flushing again just thinking about it.

Tatsu giggled. "Oh, Chihiro, you're so adorable. I'm sure he didn't mind at all. So what else happened?"

"Erm, that was it really." Chihiro decided not to mention the speed date. It would probably sound more juicy than it actually was, seeing as it had only really been for a joke.

Tatsu was disappointed. "Well, you're going to have to keep looking out for signs then."

"I'm not sure what signs even are."

"Giving you a ride home is a sign," Tatsu pointed out. "Joking, bantering and flirting are all signs too."

"I'm not sure how to recognise flirting either," Chihiro confessed.

"Am I going to have to come down to this café myself and play watchdog?"

"Dear god, please, no," Chihiro said hastily. She could only imagine how much Tatsu would embarrass her.

Tatsu laughed at her reaction. "Didn't think so. Are you going to be seeing him tonight?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure," said Chihiro. She tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach that were fluttering at the very idea. She still didn't understand how all of this had come on so fast. "He tries to steer clear of the events so that his aunt doesn't rope him into joining in, but he popped by after everything had finished last night."

"What's the event tonight?" Tatsu asked.

Chihiro's face fell when she remembered. "A dance class. Which reminds me I should probably get home to practice more. I'm really not so used to this upbeat music Cass wants me to play."

"So you're not going to be partaking in any dancing yourself?" Tatsu grinned as Chihiro got to her feet. "Even with a partner of your choice?"

"I can't play the piano and dance too," Chihiro replied exasperatedly. "How many limbs do you think I have?"

"Just the right amount," Tatsu smiled. "Anyway, thanks for stopping by, Chihiro. It was nice to see you. You'll have to let me know about any updates on the boy front."

Chihiro rolled her eyes, even though the idea made her feel nervous again. "If there are any."

XXX

After spending the rest of the day practicing, Chihiro felt a lot better about playing for the dance class. As it turned out, nobody who turned up had any previous dance experience - Chihiro strongly suspected that Cass hadn't either, even though she was the one trying to teach it - and the class never furthered past basic waltzes. That was definitely within Chihiro's comfort zone. She spent the evening playing and watching the class's progress in amusement, happy she certainly wouldn't have to participate with this one.

She glanced around the room every now and then, all the while telling herself that she was just observing and not looking for anyone in particular. Though halfway into the second half of the class, she was suddenly distinctly aware that Tadashi was back, no doubt finished at the university for the night. When she caught his eye across the room, he smiled and waved. Chihiro tried not to blush, remembered to smile back and hastily dropped her gaze back to her music.

Tatsu had been sure that his giving her a ride home and bantering and joking with her were all positive signs, but Chihiro wasn't so sure. At least not in the way that Tatsu meant. She was sure that Tadashi was just a nice guy. Getting caught up in what Tatsu was saying would only lead her to start seeing things that weren't really there. She'd be best to forget the whole conversation and just continue acting as normal. Well, normal for her.

She did notice that, although he'd turned up whilst the dance class was still in session, Tadashi somehow managed to avoid getting dragged into participating by Cass. He simply stood at one edge of the room and watched the class in amusement. Chihiro glanced towards where he was standing a few times, but mostly made sure she concentrated on her music and nothing else.

The dance class ran late, past the café's normal closing time. Without the usual wind-down after the Golden Week events, everyone left once the class was finished and Cass promptly brought out a mop and bucket to start going over the floor, which was covered in a mess of footprints from the still wet ground outside. Chihiro began moving chairs back into places where Cass had already cleaned, as all of the furniture had been pushed up against the far wall during the dance class, whilst Tadashi helped with the tables. Just like the first night, Chihiro couldn't help but think.

"I really liked that last waltz you played," Tadashi told her, as they rearranged the furniture. "What was it called?"

Chihiro felt herself blush right down to the roots of her hair. She was starting to get a little more used to people commending her playing, but she still wasn't used to anyone asking more invested questions about it. Particularly as that last piece had been one of her own works. "Um, actually, it's never had a title. I couldn't think of anything suitable at the time, so I just left it untitled."

"Wow. You're telling me you composed that yourself?" Tadashi asked, impressed.

Chihiro kept her gaze on the bit of floor space she was sliding a chair into, her face still hot. "It was actually the first piece I ever composed. Waltzes are the easiest, because they follow such a simple structure."

"Hey, don't sell yourself short. I couldn't even play a note," Tadashi claimed.

"A note's just one key," Chihiro couldn't help but point out. "I'm sure you could press a key."

Tadashi chuckled. "Okay; I could play a note, but I wouldn't be able to tell you what note it is."

Chihiro smiled. Her cheeks still felt very warm, so she hastily tried to move the conversation along, although she was secretly pleased that he'd specifically liked her own composition. "So I notice how you still managed to avoid participating. I thought you were going to stay away just to be on the safe side."

"Well, I figured I'd be okay for tonight. Aunt Cass knows better than to try and encourage me to dance," Tadashi joked. "She already knows I have two left knees."

Chihiro laughed. "I'm not sure that's exactly how the phrase goes."

"I know," Tadashi grinned. "But it made you laugh, didn't it?"

The idea that he could be purposely trying to make her laugh made her heart start beating at a different rhythm. She tried to pass it off casually. "It did. Contrary to popular belief, I'm not actually as miserable as I look."

"Miserable? Now I wouldn't believe that for a second."

Chihiro had to look away again. She was going to end up looking like a tomato by the end of the night. She hastily looked to change the subject. "So has your project been going well? You haven't pulled any more all-nighters this week."

"I haven't needed to. I've finally got most of it worked out," said Tadashi, pleased. "I just have a few more tests to run."

"Really? That's great!" Chihiro enthused.

"And maybe now he can stop harassing the cat," Cass chimed in, as she swept past them with the mop.

Chihiro shot Tadashi a bewildered look at that, who laughed. "I promise it's not as weird as it sounds. In fact..." He slid the last table into place and straightened up. "Come on. I wouldn't want you to think I've been torturing the cat, so I'll show you what I've been working on."

"Err..." Chihiro looked towards Cass, as if asking for permission.

"I'm not paying you to clean and move furniture, Chihiro," she assured. "Go ahead. I can take care of the rest."

"Um, okay. Thanks."

Chihiro nervously followed Tadashi upstairs. She'd already seen the kitchen before on that first day when she'd had to wash up after tuning the piano, but now he was leading her up the next flight of stairs. She didn't even know what she was nervous about. Just more that was out of her comfort zone, she guessed. Even in school, she'd never had friends to have ever gone round to their houses. She'd always just kept to herself. Her whole family was very good at that.

The bedroom on the second floor was wide and spacious. Chihiro was guessing from the two beds that the room must be shared by Tadashi and Hiro. The two sections of the room were separated by a sliding room divider, clearly so that they had the option for more privacy if they needed it. Judging by the mix of tools and toys along the desk, it looked like they both happily shared the work space.

"So, um, where's Hiro?" Chihiro asked awkwardly, looking for something to say.

"No doubt out causing trouble somewhere." Tadashi rolled his eyes. "One of these days, he's gonna end up getting himself arrested."

"Arrested?" Chihiro repeated in alarm. Just how much trouble could a thirteen-year-old get up to?

Tadashi laughed at the look on her face. "It's nothing that bad, I guess. Just gambling. It's a shame he lets all that brainpower go to waste."

"Huh." Gambling still sounded beyond the capability of anyone Hiro's age, but from what Chihiro had heard, she guessed Hiro wasn't exactly your average teenager.

"Anyway, this is my latest project." Tadashi produced what looked like a red pet's collar from a box that sat on top of the desk. It had a slim electronic screen on one side.

"What does it do?" Chihiro asked curiously. It didn't look like a normal collar.

"I have someone who can demonstrate." Tadashi proceeded to coax out a very big cat from half underneath one of the beds, who'd been so still that Chihiro hadn't even noticed him. "This is Mochi."

Chihiro had never been entirely fond of cats. Although this one seemed quite fat and lazy and not at all like the neighbour's cat that had always tried to swipe at her shins whenever she'd walked past the hedge it hid in and had once shredded her school bag when she'd attempted to bat it away. Chihiro watched as Tadashi attached the collar around the cat's neck. As he did, two little icons flashed up on the little electronic screen. One was shaped like a fish and the other looked like a pillow.

"What do those little pictures mean?" she asked, pointing to the display.

"There's a variety that can show up. They tell you what your pet currently wants," Tadashi explained.

"Really? How does that even work?"

"When an animal needs something, the brain releases different signals around the body," Tadashi explained. "The collar picks up those signals, analyses them and identifies what it is the animal wants, conveying it through the icons that show up on the display."

Chihiro eyed the cartoon-like little symbols on the electronic collar. "Like a Tamagotchi." As soon as she said it, she realised she probably shouldn't be comparing his project to a kid's toy. "I mean..."

Tadashi just laughed. "Exactly like a Tamagotchi. I designed the icons to be really basic, so that even a child could understand them, if need be."

"That's really cool." Chihiro couldn't even begin to imagine how something like that worked. Her knowledge of science really was fundamental at best. "I can see why you needed to work through the night - it sounds complicated."

Tadashi chuckled. "Actually, I thought there was something wrong with the circuits for ages, because those same two icons kept coming up all the time, no matter what I did. Eventually, I realised that was actually down to my test subject. Mochi just happens to want food and sleep all of the time." He tickled the fat cat fondly behind the ears. Mochi purred with all the volume of a helicopter coming in to land.

Chihiro couldn't help but smile. Tadashi really was something else. He was funny and he was genuinely a good guy, right to his core. It was no wonder he'd so easily slipped past the usual guards she put up against outsiders. Because she realised now that was exactly what had happened. And she didn't mind in the slightest. She'd had far more to do with Tadashi in the last few days than she had with most people in her life. The strangest thing was that she'd thoroughly enjoyed every exchange they shared and she'd even started looking forward to the next one. Her conversation with Tatsu earlier had proved that.

"I'd like to introduce something similar for babies too," Tadashi continued. "Not as a collar, obviously, but maybe a wristband instead. I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't agree with the idea, as it's not exactly natural, but I think it could really help out new mothers. As well as owners of difficult pets." He playfully chucked Mochi under the chin. "Babies and pets can let us know if there's something wrong, but they can't actually tell us what the problem is, so I'd like to think it could be useful."

"It would be," Chihiro insisted. "It would be really useful. I'm sure there's so many people out there who'd give anything to know what's wrong with their babies - or their pets - when they know they're not happy. It's a brilliant idea. It could help so many people and save them on so much stress..." She trailed off, feeling her face go red again, as she realised she was coming across as overly enthusiastic.

Thankfully, Tadashi just smiled. He had such a nice smile. "Thanks, Chihiro. But it'll all depend on it someone wants the idea taken up at the think tank. This is just a prototype really."

"You mentioned that before," said Chihiro. "What exactly is a think tank?"

"It's sort of like group presentations," Tadashi explained. "All of us at the university have been told to each come up with a unique idea for possible marketing, which will then be presented to some entrepreneurs that are coming in for it. If there's any concepts that they like, they can fund the university to start producing more than just prototypes or they can negotiate to buy the idea so that they can work with it themselves. They generally like quite out of the box ideas, but they also want inventions that are going to be useful to the public."

"Then I'm sure they'll definitely want yours," Chihiro claimed adamantly.

"I'm hoping so," Tadashi smiled. He then laughed. "You have to stop me if any of this gets too boring, by the way, because I do tend to get carried away."

"Oh, no, I don't think it's boring at all," Chihiro assured hastily. "I actually think it's really interesting. Do you know anything about what other concepts are gonna be presented at the think tank?"

"Actually, I know quite a bit about some of them," said Tadashi. "If you're interested in seeing more, then I could take you to the university tomorrow and show you around the labs?"

"Really?" Seeing more inventions like Tadashi's sounded interesting enough, but the idea of spending time together away from the café...

"Sure," Tadashi beamed. "If you swing by the café in the morning, I can give you a ride there and then give you the grand tour. If you are interested, that is."

He seemed like he wanted to be sure that she was up for it. Personally, Chihiro hadn't felt so sure of anything before. The idea of going on Tadashi's scooter again was suddenly a lot more appealing than it had been the first time. But then that had been before she'd spoken to Tatsu. "I'd love to!"