—kobayashi & quiche (have returned ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡ ))

[miss kobayashi]

the pounding of his head was soon followed by a sickening taste in his mouth. nao wasn't one to vomit──although he doubted a poor boy like taiyo would even care because he assumed they'd be subjected to experiences like that on the daily. nao was ready to make it back to his bedroom to sleep the day away when poor boy spoke up once more. for someone who was supposedly indebted to him, he sure was asking for a lot of favors. nao glanced over at the other, fatigue slowly taking over his originally stern overtone.

ah, that's right. often, poor people didn't have the correct nutrition to provide for themselves in the day. nao was ready to chastise the other for taking advantage of his genorosity──giving him a place to stay, a job to pay his debts──and now wanting food? he might as well hand the other a wad of cash and tell him to 'go wild'. nao narrowed his eyes, taking in a heavy inhale and about to let the other have it, when a painful twinge in his gut caught him off guard. he reached for his stomach with a stifled grunt, and instead only let out a heavy sigh. what did it matter, anyways? " whatever. " was all he finally muttered out, crossing past taiyo and very carefully making his way to his room, so he could finally rest after a wretched night.

[quiche cat!]

when nao stiffled a highly expected rage-fueled retort and instead murmured a curt, lifeless affirmation, a red flag immediately went up in taiyo's head. maybe he should be worried... but probably not? mr. rich had hosted a party just hours before, after all; he was bound to have drank something alcoholic, so a hangover wasn't out of the question. and as much as he wanted to follow after the man to try and comfort him, or figure out a way to ease his apparent pain—he'd grabbed his stomach, after all—taiyo knew that the other would just get even more pissed because a poor boy was trying to look after a rich, responsible, independent, grown man. for now, he'd forget he ever saw anything. "ah... goodnight." he called after the man, watching him vanish into one of the hallways.

and forget, he did! although he'd asked for more from nao than he'd ever be willing to ask from anyone, ever, and he felt a bit shameful for asking to use the kitchen on top of getting a place to sleep for free, taiyo believed that food made everything better. with that line of thinking, maybe he could make nao feel better. he, very carefully, searched the cabinets and shelves to get an idea of what he had to work with, his exhaustion evaporating as soon as he started to cook. time didn't seem to exist when he absorbed himself in his kitchen work, so whether ten minutes or three hours went by was unbeknownst to him. all he knew was that by the time he'd finished making two servings of his special chicken noodle soup made with love, he'd fallen asleep to sunlight streaming through the windows, huddled over in a chair with his forehead resting atop his arms, which in turn rested on the counter.

[miss kobayashi]

nao had barely made it to his bedroom when he collapsed onto his bed, his head ringing with pain but still softly resting on one of his pillows. he hadn't bothered to change out of his clothes or even get under his covers when he forced his eyes tightly shut and ignored the growing nausea. it didn't go away, however, and he spent the rest of the time tossing and turning until the light sifting through the curtains made it impossible for him to even try to rest. wonderful. why he was being punished for throwing a grand party and letting a commoner live with him was beyond his understanding.

as soon as he sat up, he was hit with a wave of dizziness and had to prop his head up with a hand to provide a little relief. at that point, he was able to steady himself onto his feet, and feebly moved into the hallway. he hadn't a clue how to help sickness or a hangover, so hopefully a cigarette could ease his pain even in the slightest. with a new plan set in his mind, he started to make his way to the balcony──his typical smoking spot──but paused when a familiar figure caught his attention from the kitchen. even after nao had offered him a room, he would instead sleep on the counter?

if he had been himself, he probably would've scolded the boy for sleeping in plain sight, but instead found himself inadvertantly watching taiyo as he slept on the counter. this stranger... who broke his favorite compass... who was dear friends with mukami...who was nothing more than a poor boy, and yet, was still here. he had made a mess in the kitchen, unsurprisingly, as he assumed poor people didn't really know proper manners in the kitchen. when nao was more up to it, he would relay to taiyo the importance of keeping composure and maintaining apperances despite physical condition. after dutifully making a note, he quietly moved to his balcony, leaning weakly on the railing and pulling a cigarette from his pocket. a prompt motion of his thumb flicked on the lighter, and he steadily lit the cigarette before carefully placing it between his lips. perhaps this time could give him a moment to reflect, maybe even regret, but instead of delving deep into his thoughts at the moment, he was still burdened with an aching head.

[quiche cat!]

a small beam of sunlight insistently shone on taiyo's face, urging the boy awake with its fierce brightness. reluctantly answering this call to awakening, a small groan escaped his lips as his eyes gradually fluttered open, squinting through the sunshine before he pulled his head up to escape the sun's wrath. as his eyes adjusted he rubbed the drool off his face, glancing around the unfamiliar kitchen in confusion until he remembered where he was. that's right: nao's mansion! thinking about it now, after a decent night's sleep, made it seem completely bizarre. his mind was significantly less foggy, and with clear thoughts, taiyo couldn't believe he'd become indebted to—and was now living with—the nao maruyada, in one measly night. the! nao! maruyada!!! this was insane! ohhh, yeah, it's fine, some poor dude was just... living with a super rich and famous guy! the boy covered his face in agony, almost ashamed to ever show his face again. as much as he wanted to blame it on the alcohol, he knew he had just been hell-bent on repaying the older man for the broken heirloom, and probably said he would do anything to fix it.

thankfully, even though he was now pretty much sober—he was a lightweight and his body was pretty efficient at cleaning his system out quickly—he remained unwavering in his intent to make matters right. giving a short nod to signify his renewed determination, taiyo stood abruptly from the chair he had pulled over beside the counter, nearly knocking over the bowls of soup in the process. oh, no! the soup! it was bound to be cooled by now, considering the length of time that must have passed while he was fast asleep. well, at least he could easily heat it back up again; taiyo popped the bowls into the microwave until they were steaming, a smile spreading his lips at the blissful, familiar scent that wafted from the broth. but there was something else there... smoke, perhaps? upon realization he was petrified, convinced that he and his clumsiness had burned down something in the kitchen, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary... except for the mess! hopefully nao hadn't seen the state of this room! deciding fulfilling his duty as the maid was more important than eating—although his growling stomach begged to differ—he began to clean, and in a jiffy he was done. now he could fill his empty stomach with a yummy, homemade meal!

as much as he didn't want to show his face to nao, he knew he had to do it at some point, and set out to find him with a bowl of soup in tow. he'd left his own bowl in the kitchen because, well, the rich man would probably say something along the lines of, "I don't eat with poor people." no worries, he could eat alone! following the smell of smoke, which grew more intense the closer he walked to the balcony, he found the other leaning against the railing. "ah, na-- mr. maruyada," taiyo chirped, suddenly feeling bashful. just saying that famed family name made him regret his life's decisions. he halted a little ways away from the other, proffering the soup with a small smile. the man looked horrible... but handsome? taiyo most likely looked the same way—minus the handsome part. "are you hungry?"

[miss kobayashi]

a voice caused nao to look over, peering carefully at the figure coming closer to him. he was having a hard time adjusting to the sunlight, espeically after being up all night, it didn't take long for the figure to come into view. taiyo──poor boy, who else could it be──looking just as disheveled as nao himself had the guts to talk to him once more. nao hadn't anticipated taiyo to still be so cordial──especially after their interaction the other day. he figured the other would avoid him for the time being, scamper when he came into a room, avoid any confrontation, things like that. poor boy had caught him off guard instead, offering nao a bowl of soup. soup? soup, if anything, was a starter, not an entree of any kind. soup was also a commoner food, as it was easy to fill a bowl with any type of cheap ingredients and lukewarm water and serve it as a 'meal.' there was no way he was going to eat a poor boy's commoner meal, as he might as well throw his palate in the garbage. it was strange, though, he felt an odd pressure on his chest from the second he realized that taiyo had made the meal for him.

" no. " although he was attempting to be curt in his reply, it came out more muted than anything else. another lie, he hadn't eaten in about a day now, and was probably yet another reason his current condition was miserable. the more he thought about it, and the more the smell wafted towards his nose, the less he cared that it was a soup that the poor boy had made. maybe, just a little bit... instead of letting his temptations get the best of him, he decided to change the subject " if i offer you a bed i expect you to sleep in it at night. i don't know how people like you usually sleep── " he inturrupted himself to let out a weak cough, pulling the cigarette up to his lips and taking a short puff. " but it's not good etiquette to sleep wherever you please. " nao finally stated, returning his gaze to the view over the balcony.

[quiche cat!]

"no."

honestly, what else was he supposed to expect? a sudden genuine agreement with taking—and consuming—something that a stranger had made? and a poor one, at that. taiyo suppressed a disheartened sigh, making sure not to let a pout puff out his lips. he felt that if he showed any unnecessary emotion, he'd be kicked out and left to pay off the debt of his own accord. that was definitely not an option. deciding not to push it, the boy pulled the bowl back towards his chest, hoping that he was hungry enough to finish two servings himself. wasting food was never okay for taiyo!

bracing himself against the welcoming, yet chilly, breeze, taiyo forced himself to stay composed as he breathed in a whiff of the smoke, the smell familiar yet disgusting. he was never really one to smoke, since all he could think about was his poor lungs suffering, and he associated it with stress and depression—it was during those times that he braved the harmful chemicals and lit up a cigarette. by chance, was something troubling nao? "if i offer you a bed i expect you to sleep in it at night. i don't know how people like you usually sleep──but it's not good etiquette to sleep wherever you please." now he felt a bit ashamed of his actions. even though he didn't know "proper etiquette", he suddenly felt like he should. the boy freed one of his hands and waved it about, ready to defend himself when he realized... he wasn't good at doing that. it honestly had been rude of him to sleep in the kitchen, after all.

"no-- thank you so much for offering me a bed. I'll sleep in it!" he insisted, deciding not to make any promises because, well, he was bound to fall asleep somewhere random again. with a small bow he excused himself, feeling like it was rude to just leave without a word. after all, wasn't this kind of like a master-servant kind of situation? in a weird way? after returning to the kitchen and practically inhaling both bowls of soup—the faster you eat, the more you can shovel in—taiyo promptly got to work. since nao wasn't in his room at the moment, he decided that's where he would start, so he made his way to where he'd seen nao disappear into last night.

[miss kobayashi]

nao stood in silence as taiyo responded, waiting until he was completely gone to move his arms to rest on the balcony railing. god, he was exhausted. and the talk and smell of food only made him hungrier. hungry... it was too much effort to leave the house, and he couldn't risk anyone who saw him obviously hungover──he knew that information would go straight to his dad. and who knows what kind of trouble he would get into if his dad found out about another party? it didn't matter anyways, his dad didn't care about nao's safety but rather his image. a dysfunctional party boy didn't exactly set the tone his father had represented. no, to his father, he was a sophisticated young boy who was to follow in the footsteps of his family line. whatever that really meant.

stifling another cough, nao finished his cigarette with one last puff, snuffing the remains on the railing. he liked his view, as conventional as it was, his balcony was one of the highlights of his entire house──despite knowing far more disturbing and tiresome memories than good ones. at the point, he was sure that poor boy had begun his duties, as this was a similar time that his old maid would start. his old maid, he remembered, was a fair and tall woman, and her uniform apired well with her stature. should he get poor boy a uniform? anything's bound to be better than what he owns, besides the sweater that paired well with the boy. it almost reminded him of mukami, and his bright and colorful apperance, and how easy it was for him to stand out in a crowd... nao interrupted his thoughts with a quick shake of his head. not now. he told himself, drooping his head and allowing his shoulders a little relief.

[quiche cat!]

taiyo made sure to knock on the door before entering—for good measure—and after gaping at nao's magnificent bedroom, had gotten to work right away. he'd eventually come upon the bed and lowered himself on his hands and knees to reach underneath it, stretching his arm out as far as it would go and receiving quite the surprise: his knuckles grazed something cool and solid, and as curiousity habitually got the best of him, the boy strained to grasp at the object and pull it into the light. he'd sat up to inspect it, brows furrowed as he did so. it was a basic little box, though beat up as it was, it had a certain charm to it. but, before giving in and peeking into the box, taiyo scanned his surroundings for any sign of nao, and when the coast was clear, he huddled over and popped open the lid.

the faces that smiled up at him puzzled him completely. "...mukami?" the banished name escaped from taiyo's lips as a whisper, his fingers delicately brushing the dust off the picture he now held gingerly in his hand. a younger, yet equally as handsome, nao grinned beside him. so nao and mukami did have a past!! not that it was any of taiyo's business... but mukami never mentioned being close to nao, let alone a maruyada. it kind of hurt; a dull throbbing started up in his chest as he stared at the image. after all, him and taiyo were pretty close. how could he forget to mention something like this? unsettled by this newfound information, taiyo shook his head to rid of depressing thoughts and returned his gaze to the box, finding a crumpled letter and a ring.

wait, a ring?!

a small gasp rung out into the room as he dropped the box, watching with horror as the ring bounced out of its home and skidded under the large bed. oh, no. oh no oh no oh no!!! taiyo squatted closer to the floor, scrambling after the ring to try and catch it. where had it gone?? was it still even under the bed?! the boys mouth went dry as he dove under the bed, army crawling until all that could be seen from above was a pair of small feet. he was going to be killed if nao found out the ring was damaged or worse—that it was missing!! never mind the fact that he was snooping, since that in itself was a complete and utter sin!

[miss kobayashi]

after what was a mix of hunger and pain from his stomach and head, nao decided it would probably be best if he just returned to bed to sleep the rest of the hangover (and hunger) over until he would be able to think a little bit more. with that, he returned back into his bedroom, to probably the last thing he would've expected. sure, the new housekeeper could've decided to work on his room, which wasn't too much of a surprise, but... what in the hell was he doing? nao raised an eyebrow as soon as he took one step into his bedroom, and expression mixed with confusion and exhaustion. the poor boy had very 'surreptitiously' crawled under his bed, to supposedly clean? luckily for taiyo, and unbeknownst to nao, the box had been misplaced for some time, he hadn't a clue what taiyo was doing──that, and the fact that he could now barely stand on two feet.

at this point, it was starting to get a little ridiculous. was this how all poor people were? or did mukami happen to make friends from someone who disappeared from the madhouse? his old maid would have never have done this, and there was nothing or so he thought under the bed. at the same time, it was a little humorous. living his whole life around only wealthy people meant that everyone valued each and every step they took and never accounted for embarassing moments. nao might never admit that, but it reminded him of a dog or a cat hiding from a storm. nevertheless, at the time, he wouldn't have found it to be that annoying──more that it just was odd.

" typically, when cleaning, housekeepers don't try to hide under the bed. " nao muttered, his voice more clearly directed towards apathy, with borderline scolding. " i'm starting to wonder if you're a poor boy because you just don't know how to do anything. " ok. that sounded a little bit meaner, but he didn't want taiyo to think he was being let off the hook after being caught doing, well, whatever the hell it was he was doing. without another word, or bothering to wait for taiyo to come out or say anything in response, he shuffled into the room. he had already forgotten about his second rule for the most part, flopping onto his bed with a quiet groan and resting a wrist on his forehead to ease the pounding of his head.

[quiche cat!]

taiyo wasn't really a crybaby, but at the same time, he totally was. when he heard the soul-shattering sound of the door creaking open, his heart plummeted into his stomach and a familiar prickling itched at his eyes. it was only when nao started talking that the waterworks actually began, completely devastated that he'd just lost another personal item—not his, but nao's! maybe he was a poor boy because he couldn't do anything. that would make the most sense, anyways, because he didn't have one hell of a clue as to why he always put himself into predicaments like these. nao was right to assume he was incompetent, and if he also thought the boy was completely insane, maybe that wasn't too far off either! deciding that camping out under the bed wasn't the greatest idea, now that his master—employer? guy-he-was-indebted-to? master was a little too much—had graced the maid with his presence.

taiyo had begun to wipe vigorously at his damp eyes as he squirmed backwards, out from under the bed, when he felt the force of something fall on top of him—err, not him, but the bed...? sniffling to clear his stuffy nostrils, the boy sat upright and was surprised to see nao splayed out a couple feet in front of him. what-- what about rule two?! he turned his face away as quickly as possible, trying in vain to hide his reddened eyes, and gulped down the lump that had settled in his throat. he wasn't going to be kicked, out, right? technically nao had entered the room after him, so he wasn't really at fault, but he felt at fault anyways. at least he'd swiped the box under the bed to prevent any rage—for now. "i-- sorry. should i continue later?" taiyo cleared his throat, hoping his voice didn't sound strained, and gestured towards the door before hurriedly making his way towards it. god, this sucked. he couldn't believe he'd made another mistake, especially in such a short span of time.