The wild cacophony of blaring bumbling bastards crashed and smashed about him. The unholy destruction of his blessed peace and quiet... tarnished. What fresh new hell was this that he would be cursed with such a crowd as this? People ambled about often with no purpose, no plan. Momochi could not begin to fathom such a vapid existence.
"How do these people survive being idiots every day..."
He phrased it like a question, but stated it rhetorically, not even bothering to lower his voice from a conversational level. No one could possibly hear him through the violent din anyhow. His stomach rumbled a little. He felt the whisper of steal vibrating in his skin. Beckoning to him with the undeniability of a woman's hunger. Or a man's hunger. He passed a cart and his nose flared with the sickly sweetness of dumplings in a tart strawberry sauce. He hadn't had strawberry's in weeks. He was quite addicted since trying them for the first time nearly two months ago, but their season had run out all too quickly and now his stomach writhed in the cruel agony of pauper's syndrome.
grererern
His empty stomach reared itself in his chest squealing like a balloon intent on dying before a child could let it drift away into the blue void. Even in all the wild chaos of the market street, people nearby managed to hear it. That was it. He needed to slake his hunger... he needed to gorge. He marched into the nearest building that looked populated enough to be a restaurant. He only realized his mistake immediately as he crossed the threshold and looked at the host. She was bright-eyed and bushy tailed with a knock-out body and clothes that covered less than his while costing 10 times more.
"I think I'm in the wrong-" he began, attempting to turn on his heel for a speedy exit. He surely would've made it too if the small woman hadn't grabbed hold of his arm with surprising and strength and began dragging him inside.
"Greetings sir thank you for visiting the Lady's Maid we're so glad of your patronage would you like your usual table?" she spoke with practiced sincerity in a voice too quick to fully understand in one sitting.
"Usual table? I've never even been here bef-"
"But of course sir, don't worry I won't tell." she smiled with a suggestive wink as she thrust him into a booth.
He was too smart to try walking out now. He knew if that girl was any indication, trying to leave would produce several of her compatriots who would either shame his meager funds out of him or beat it out of him. He looked over the menu, resisting the urge to overburden his stomach even though it begged him to do so. Everything on the menu had a fancy name that meant something else in another language and cost 3 full days pay. Beating or begging he wasn't going to bother wasting his time in a place this fancy with girls who expected to be tipped twice what you paid for your food. Not to mention all their outfits were... suggestive... and he could barely afford the food, let alone what else they served in this dim lit joint. But then he caught a block of small print on the menu near the bottom. He squinted and mumbled the words aloud.
"...all patrons once seated must pay 1,400 yen gratuity each, which will be included in their check...
WHAT?"
with uncanny speed, the hostess reappears!
"Are you alright sir? Are you ready to order?" she said, her voice full of the warmth and sweetness you wanted to come home to. She sat on his side of the booth, edging closer till she was nearly ontop of him, leaning her head over his shoulder as she reached down grazing his knee with her hand. "...or did you want more of what you had last week...? she said a teasing seductiveness in her voice.
Momochi leapt from his seat in the booth his face flush and his eyes huge. No girl had ever touched him like that and he was, to say the least, overwhelmed.
"I see what you're doing you're trying to rob me!
It was this moment that a normal person might have realized they were about to cause a dramatic scene in a public place, but Momochi was not over-burdened with an abundance of manners or empathy. All he knew at this moment was that a girl had gotten very close to him, had touched his kneecap intimately, and he had no idea how to handle this situation quietly.
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