They stepped out of the room together. Back in the seating area, both of them seems to forgot how to act at each other's.
The dust was mostly gone now, replaced by the faint smell of old wood and sun.
Renji rolled his shoulders, then stretched his arms upward with a long sigh, forcing some energy back into himself almost theatrically while taking off the makeshift mask out of the cloth around his face.
"—Oookay… just a bit more…"
Reika glanced at him, catching the way he tried to sound normal, and chose not to call it out. Instead, her gaze drifted toward the living room, where the stacks of boxes labeled with her tidy, and Renji's crude handwriting.
"…Do you plan to take those with you?" she asked, gesturing lightly toward them, while taking off the cloth around her face too.
Renji looked at them for a second too long before shaking his head.
"…No… I thought for some of these… we should send for otakiage (お焚き上げ)"
"I see… I agree…"
"We'll—oh wait, how about this place rent?"
"Tetsuo-san owned this property outright… I already transferred the ownership under KHX to let this place stay this way…"
"Then… for now... let's leave all his belonging here…thank you… Reika-sama…"
"It's fine… don't make it sound like I'm doing something noble… I'm just doing what supposed to be done." Her gaze softened slightly.
"Still, thanks all the same…"
Renji let out a small, awkward laugh, then turned his attention toward the front area near the entrance. A small cabinet and hangar stood there—A delivery bag. A spare helmet. Scooter tools neatly tucked into a metal box. A pair of old shoes resting on the rack below.
Then he picked up the yellow delivery jacket he always wore before, feeling it on his hands, looking at the matching yellow chicken helmet sitting above the shelf.
"Heh, it's been a while since I last saw you wearing that uniform…"
"What, you want me to wear this while driving you guys around?" Renji held up the jacket he'd just pulled from the hangar and stretched it in front of his torso. "I don't mind, but if Shira-san sees me in this, I might be expecting a bruise or two on my face…"
A faint laugh slipped from Reika. "Might be a funny sight for sure."
"That was a joke ma'am, please don't actually order me to wear it."
She only let a small, knowing smile lingers before gathered the rest of leftover stuff around the entrance, and turning back to the boxes.
Renji reached for the scooter key instead, then goes outside, the spring air had cooled, typical late afternoon leaning toward evening. The hand-painted yellow scooter sat where it had been left, dulled by time but still holding together out of sheer stubbornness.
He swung a leg over and turned the ignition key, the engine coughed once. Then nothing.
"…Come on… don't tell me you died too…"
He tried again. And again. The machine resisted like it had something to prove—until, with one hard kick, it finally sputtered to life.
Ohhhh!
The engine rattled awake, uneven at first, then settling into a low, persistent hum. Renji let out a breath, patting the handle lightly.
…What a resilient guy…
He leaned forward, giving it a quick once-over around the scooter.
Up close, it was worse than he remembered. Rust and scratches along the body, worn grips, a seat patched more than once. And yet, beneath all that, the frame held firm. Not some cheap delivery scooter, but a proper 300cc two-seater with more power to it than it let on.
"…What the hell were you, old man… don't tell me you used to actually race with this thing in your prime…"
The thought starts light, then sank heavy.
…Again… should've asked earlier…
His grip tightened around the throttle.
Memories slipped in without asking. Delivery routes he could ride with his eyes closed, familiar doors, familiar faces. The mundane exchanges. The regulars who always waited. And after all of that, he goes back and Tetsuo greeted him with leftover food for the day.
"…Yeah… all of his faithful patrons too…"
Checking the time on his phone—5.48 pm.
Odd hour indeed, but well… if they're not there, I'll just move on…
He let the engine on and stepped off to walk back inside.
Reika was still at the table, sealing the last of the boxes with the tape, cutting clean across it, while drinking the water Renji offered earlier.
"Reika-sama… is it alright if you wait here for a bit?"
"Hmm? Where are you going?"
"…I figured… I should tell some of his regulars. About… what happened."
"Oh…Is it far?" Her gaze lingered on him gently.
"Hmm, few stops around the neighborhood, I promise I'll be quick, maybe just an hour."
Reika looked around the room, pondering about something.
"You're going with the scooter?"
"That's the plan, figured it'll be faster, I need to take it for a spin too… Oh yeah, if you don't want to wait, you can just drive the car back on your own—"
"Not that. Can I come along with you?"
"…Come with me? What for…?"
"…I want to see."
That was all she said. Renji held her gaze for a second, then let out a quiet breath. "…Oh…"
"So? Your answer, driver-kun…?"
"…Yeah, we could… then—" Renji about to grab the car key FOB on the counter, as Reika stepped quickly behind him.
"—Let's go with the scooter, Renji."
"Eh…? Why?"
"I want to~"
"…It's not exactly comfy… this scooter is old and the cushion is practically gone—"
"Hehe, it's fine, it's fine~"
Renji stared at her, then gave up with a small, amused exhale.
"You got to wear helmet y'know…"
"Of course I know that… I'm not that clueless…"
"No… I mean, your perfectly styled hair will get crushed under the helmet… it can be quite damp—"
"Come one, what do you take me for. I would never stress about something like that."
"Well... You're woman and all... So, I thought..."
"I said it's fine, Renji. You should be more worried about your driving skill."
"Hey, I can drive just fine… though whether this poor thing can carry the weight without collapsing is another story…"
He didn't realize, but when he did, Reika was already staring at him coldly.
"…Are you saying I'm heavy?"
"What? No!! I mean the scooter's old—look at it—gah!! Screw it. Don't complain later if the ride's rough."
"I won't. My, you worry too much."
Renji took a screwdriver to take off the thermal delivery box, the bolts resisted like they had grown roots into the frame, but after a few minutes of coaxing, he managed to loosen them. The metal slides off from its rust as the box finally came free, and he lifted the whole rig off, carrying it inside before returning with two helmets on his hands.
By then, Reika had already taken it upon herself to wipe down the seat, brushing away the dust as if it were second nature.
"...You want to wear the yellow one, or normal one, ma'am…?"
She glanced at the bright, absurd chicken-headed helmet, then back at him with a teasing smile. "The normal one please. I'm not worthy to wear the crown."
"…Figured…"
He handed her the plain white helmet and slipped the yellow one over his own head, tugging it into place along with his worn-out delivery jacket.
"Hehe… It really suits you, delivery-kun."
"Oh, shut up…"
He shrugged off his normal jacket and pushed it toward her. "Here. Wear this. Your fancy tuxedo isn't exactly made for riding."
"…Alright…" She slipped it on, the fabric a little loose on her frame, then lifted the helmet into place.
Looking at the way she wears the gear loosely, Renji stepped closer before she could step back.
"Hey—hold still." His hands reached up almost without thinking, fingers brushing lightly under her chin as he fastened it securely. "You gotta strap it properly…"
Reika's body stiffened for a heartbeat at the proximity, her eyes widening just slightly as she looked at his nonchalant eyes in surprise.
"…T-thanks…"
"Okie-dokie, you ready to go" He tapped her helmet lightly "...Can you lock the door, Reika-sama?"
"Sure."
While she slid the door shut and secured the lock, Renji circled the scooter, giving it another once-over—tires, lights, fuel.
Everything held together, barely.
He gave the handle a light pat. "Let's take you for an evening stroll, buddy…"
He swung onto the seat carefully. As soon as he let his full weight fall above, the scooter answered with a long, complaining creak.
"Wh-waoo!!"
…This might actually be a bad idea… let's switch to car, yes—
Reika returned just then, keys in hand, pausing beside him with excited and innocent look.
"…So? Can I get on, now?"
"…Uhhh… probably… I think so…" He tilted the scooter slightly to give her easier time.
She grabbed on his shoulder to steady herself.
"—!" The contact made his back straightened instinctively.
"Mmm…?" Behind him, Reika shifted and groaned, trying to figure out how to sit without toppling over.
"…N-never been on one before, ma'am?"
"No… That's why I wanted to try at least once…" After she adjusted herself on the seat. There was a brief pause. Then, softer—almost thoughtful as she just realized it. "Haha… ha… we're quite close like this… aren't we?"
"T-that's… kind of how this works… it's not too late to switch to car…"
"…No… This is fine." She shifted forward slightly—
"R-Reika-sama!"
—The sudden movement pressed herself slightly against his back, enough to make him feel the unmistakable warmth.
"S-sorry," she murmured, her voice a touch shy while minding her distance again. "I feel like I'm going to fall if I lean backward too much… this is… a bit frightening…"
"…Yeah, that's because this is a bad idea—Let's switch to the car—"
He reached for the ignition to turn it off, but before he could do it, her palm rest stubbornly around his waist to stop him.
"I said it's fine! Just drive already!"
"…Ghh—alright, alright…"
"Seriously, you're really—Ahh!"
He twisted the throttle. The scooter lurched forward, Reika jolted with the motion, her fingers clamping tight on instinct around his waist.
"H-hey! Reika-sama!! that tickles—don't squeeze that hard!" The handlebars wobbled under his hands.
"You—! Can you at least give me a warning?!" She shot back sharply, a light smack landing against his back as complaint. "I almost fall, idiot!"
"You're the one telling me to go! And seriously, don't grab me like that!" He's still trying his best to steady the scooter.
"Fine, fine!" One of her hands shifted upward, gripping his shoulder instead, though the other one still pinching the jacket around his waist. "T-this is okay… right? I'm not used to this…"
"J-just… don't grab on me suddenly like earlier…"
They fumbled like that for a few seconds longer—adjusting, shifting, trying to find some kind of balance before the scooter finally steadied beneath them.
By the time they merged onto the main road, both of them had gone quiet as their face flushed with a hint of red.
Under the WaraGyo canopy, a presence in the quiet shop watched them go with a gentle, happy smile—like a father who had seen them off and found no need to say anything more.
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