Sweetened Memories [Invite/Cont]

Two weeks after her visit, Momo was sitting once more at her desk in her office, sighing. Two weeks! It shouldn’t have taken more than a couple of hours to deliver a basket of amanatto, but Arashi still hadn’t gotten back to her.

Did he forget? Was he just busy? Did Captain Hirako send him on a mission without informing her?

…She paused to consider the probability of the last one, before shaking her head. No no, he always told her. There was nothing for it but to be patient.

But as the scratching of her pen was the only sound in her room, she was once more dragged into a daydream. Her wandering thoughts included what Toshiro was up to, what Arashi was up to, but perhaps most of all whether she should inquire her captain about installing a music box of some kind in her office. Whilst she was rather appreciative of nature’s sounds from the veranda to her right, it might be worth knowing what her captain enjoyed.

Scritch scratch scratch she went, endlessly trying to distract herself from her possessive thoughts.

"Hey, Momo, I took the package to the captain.”

She squeaked a little in surprise at the sudden address and nearly jogged her pen, before the memory of the voice's owner surfaced.

"Byakurai-kun!" she said with some relief, raising her head. Her subordinate appeared to be well as he was in an outfit of leisure, a blue kimono like garb. But he didn't seem to be injured at the very least...but it was difficult to tell.

But then she huffed a cheek, pouting. He could've knocked! Not to mention he was seeing his lieutenant without his uniform on.

"N-Next time could you knock please?" she mumbled, disliking reprimanding him, before remembering he said he visited Toshiro. "B-But thank you for visiting him!"

She glanced to the aside worriedly as she thought about the white-haired captain, her lip wobbled.

"Was he...okay?" she asked hesitantly, big brown eyes looking uneasily up to Arashi.

Arashi walked up to her desk at her question, and he lowered his voice. Glancing behind him Momo saw the door was open, but she appreciated the secrecy.

"So, he was a bit cold, yet understandable. We had a little discussion and he was grateful for the gift. He sure seemed depressed, any idea why?”

"Depressed?" repeated Momo, eyes wide. Her shock was geniune, why on earth would Toshiro be that way? Sure, they hadn't spoken a lot lately, but he knew she was well now surely? That meant it couldn't be about her, so was something else troubling him? "I have no idea...I'm worried."

She began fiddling with her fingers anxiously.

"Being a bit cold is just like him though," she managed an awkward laugh.

But she bowed her head, staring at her hands.

"What should I do..." she mumbled, more to herself than anything.