He put on a shirt and a pair of sweatpants, then sat down at his desk to do his homework.

It was all too confusing. What was his relationship with Himiko? He felt as if he had known her for years, whereas she had only met him several days ago.

‘We don’t have a level playing field. She doesn’t know anything about me.’ He stared down at his homework. ‘I also get the feeling that I'm forgetting something very important.’

“Kajai?” Himiko stood in the doorway.

“Something the matter?” He looked back at her, closing his notebook.

“When are we having dinner?”

“Ah. I’ll make something after I finish this. It won't take long.”

Himiko walked into the room and stood behind him. She peered over his shoulder. “What is this?”

“Mathematics.”

Himiko rolled her eyes at him. “Clearly. But what are you using it for? Synthesis?”

“Synthesis?”

“Like...for example, in alchemy.”

“We don’t use alchemy in this realm anymore. It was practiced hundreds of years ago, but now we use science.”

Himiko frowned. “Alchemy is science.”

Kajai rubbed the back of his head. “Maa, I suppose so. But without magic, it wouldn’t work here. No one believes in magic.”

Himiko scowled at the book. “Mortals always want to discredit us. You don’t need magic for alchemy, you just need the right tools. You can do it too. In fact, you have done it. Cooking is alchemy.”

“Really? How so?”

“In alchemy, you use a formula to convert ingredients into something else. That's what cooking is.”

“Hahhh?” Kajai smiled. “That makes it sound more...formulated. Cooking: the science of sustenance. But cooking allows for a lot of deviation.”

“Yeah, like potions! Sometimes substitution leads to something new!”

“Right. If you add sugar or salt to a sauce it can improve the flavor, or changing an herb will change the aroma.”

“Exactly!” Himiko’s stomach rumbled and she deflated slightly. “Hwaa…I want to eat now! I don’t think I can wait much longer!”

“.....” Kajai looked at the clock. Time was moving forward and he wasn’t sure what to cook. “Do you want to go out to eat?”

“Out where?” Himiko asked, rubbing her stomach.

“Into town. There's a cafe and a restaurant.”

“That sounds great!” Himiko looked down at her dress. “....”

“Something wrong?”

“My clothes are different,” Himiko replied, still looking at her attire. “I don’t look like anyone else.”

“That’s not a bad thing,” Kajai replied.

“It isn’t, but this is my travel outfit. I need to acquire mortal things if I’m going to stay here...Hwa, but I want to go out now!”

“We’ll eat out today, and go into the city to find you something tomorrow. How’s that?”

Himiko pouted. “I don’t have anything to trade with.”

“We don’t trade here." Kajai explained. "You need local currency.”

“I have gold and spell jewels.” Himiko held up her pouch. “But that's it.”

Kajai crossed his arms, "Hm...I’ve been meaning to ask about those. Can I see one?”

“Fine.” She plucked one from her pouch. The jewel was around 8mm in diameter. Kajai held the tiny sparkling gem up with his pointer and thumb, squinting at it with one eye. “Amazing. It looks like cubic zirconium or even a diamond!”

“Is it worth anything?”

“It could be. Can I have this appraised?” 

Himiko shrugged. “Go ahead.”

“Thanks. In exchange, I'll buy your first set of clothes here.”

Himiko smiled. “You have a deal! Guuuh, but now I seriously need dinner.”

“Just let me get these problems out of the way.”

Himiko glanced towards the closet. “...”

“You can wear something of mine today, if you want.”
“Great!” Once again, she went for his favorite grey hoodie. He wasn’t sure why she would want such a worn piece of clothing, but she seemed to already be attached to it, so he let it go. Once again she bound her hair into a short ponytail. He thought it looked nice, but couldn't muster the courage to say so just then.

Kajai finished up and they met downstairs where Petalbroom met them at the door.

“Where are we going, Milady?”

Himiko bent down to the broom’s level. “I can't take you along Petalbroom. We’ll go flying again later.”

As Kajai put on his shoes, he remembered what Himiko said earlier. He closed the front door behind them. “Himiko?” 

”Yes?”

“Why is it no one sees you or other witches  flying around?”

Himiko looked forward. “How do I put it? I think that if mortals aren’t aware of magic by a certain age, you can’t accept it when it happens. Long ago, when more casters lived in this world, mortals accepted our existence. As we were removed and eventually left of our volition, magic went with us. And even though the occasional caster appears here and uses magic, it's always excused as mysterious phenomena or not seen at all. Your eyes can only see what your mind accepts as possible. But there are some of you I’m sure, on occasion see us and accept that we exist. ”

“I’m glad,” Kajai replied. “Considering how we treated casters in the past and the way our world is now, it's best that the existence of magic isn’t mainstream knowledge. It would probably be used for war or something.”

Himiko opened the door. “I saw that on the television. I don’t understand why your world has conflict. None of you are different. You’re all human.”

“There are differences. Tiny ones, built up to a dramatic level. Even so, that doesn't justify all the fighting and destruction.”

The sun had already set, and the path to town was lost in darkness.

“I should really have lights installed on the path.” Kajai mused.

“No need.” Himiko pointed ahead at the town. “There’s enough light that we can borrow some.”

“Borrow light?” 

Himiko pointed at the town with one eye closed. She wagged her finger back and forth until the distant lights flickered, and opened her palm.

Kajai watched as a ball of light grew in her hand to the size of a baseball. It illuminated the space around them with a soft glow. Something about the sight of Himiko holding the sphere seemed oddly familiar. ‘Where have I seen this before?’

They walked down the path.

She doused the light just before they walked into town. The streets were dimly lit and many of the shops had already closed, but the streets were not empty.  They walked towards the bay. The border between land and sea disappeared in the dark. Himiko and Kajai stopped at a small building, it's exterior decorated with icicle lights. A slanted hand-painted sign that read ‘Puerto’ was hung over the entrance.

 The interior was small. They passed the shopkeeper at the entrance, where he sat at a desk and read a newspaper with mild interest. “Welcome.” He nodded at them.

There were only four tables, two square and two round, each featuring two chairs and two menus. When he realized Himiko was waiting for something, Kajai pulled her chair out for her. Enka was playing from a radio in the corner. The only other guests were a pair of old men playing cards and chatting. Kajai looked up at them. Himiko had her back to them, and was intently studying the limited menu.

‘Neapolitan, curry rice, omurice, hotcakes?’ With no descriptions or pictures to aid her, Himiko could only speculate.

After he had made his decision he looked up. One of the card players was giving him a knowing grin and a thumbs up.

‘What is that about? Wait. This calm atmosphere, a late night outing...Is this considered a date?’ Kajai ignored the sensation to panic and shook his head. ‘Calm down Kajai, you know that's not what this is.’ He didn’t find his inner monologue reassuring at all. It was all so ... rose-colored. 

“Kajai, what is Neapolitan? Is it ice cream or cake?”

“Neither. It's pasta.”

“Pasta!?”

“Yeah. It's a common cafe staple. Though I've heard most foreigners have never eaten it before visiting Japan…”

“Suspicious.” Himiko narrowed her eyes at the word on the menu. “What kind of pasta? Tri-colored?”

“No. It's just spaghetti with sausage, onions, and ketchup! Why would it be tri-colored pasta?”

“Because Neapolitan ice cream is a block of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream. Neapolitan cake is three layered cake usually done with pink, green, and white. Why wouldn’t the pasta work the same way? It's an impostor!”

“Well, I suppose…But then, it's also called “Napolitan’...”

“Ready?” The middle-aged owner stood over them.

“Nn.” Kajai put his menu down. “Omu rice and green tea please.”

“I'll have the mysterious pasta and green tea.”

“She means the Neapolitan.”

The shopkeeper disappeared beyond an old red curtain.

“He didn’t take our menus…”

 Kajai nodded. “He never brought us water either. I guess he forgot.”

They sat in silence for a moment.

A woman hurried into the shop. Kajai recognized her as the shopkeeper’s wife. ‘She must have just closed the flower shop.’ She too disappeared beyond the curtain before coming to their table with a pitcher and two glasses. After pouring ice water into their glasses and giving a polite bow, she disappeared behind the curtain as well.

Himiko sipped her water. “Are the hotcakes on the menu pancakes?”

“Eh, yeah…” Kajai stared at her. “Himiko...san.”

“I have a question.”

“Yes?”

He glanced past her. The two men at the other table were engrossed in their card game. “Uh...that is…” He looked down at the table. “When you asked me..t-to run away with you...what exactly did you mean?”

Himiko blinked. “What did I mean? This.” She pointed at the table. 

“This?” He repeated the gesture. “What does ‘this’ mean?”

“This means this.”

Kajai took a sip of his water. “Can you explain it a little?”

“Explain what? We ran away already.”

“Okay, but what are we doing now?”

“Waiting for our orders?”

He found the puzzled look on her face to be both endearing and frustrating. ‘Great, now I’m the one not being clear. Let’s try this.’ “So I understand that we’re engaged somehow, and we left your home unannounced, but what does that mean for our... relationship? What are we doing?” He was surprised he had mustered up the courage to say that out loud. Just saying the word relationship had left him embarrassed.

“Who knows?” She shrugged, tilting her head to the side.

“Hah?”

“I don’t know what we’re doing.” Himiko traced the rim of the glass with her finger. The water inside it seemed to follow slowly. “Mr.Bortlemunn said the words of Thoth are fated to come true--But as of right now we’re sitting here waiting for our food. I don't have any answers.” She looked up.”I don’t have any expectations. I am simply letting things happen. Maybe we’ll find a way to break the engagement. Maybe not. Only one thing is certain.”

“What’s that?” He asked, nervous.

Himiko leaned forward beckoning him with a finger. Kajai leaned closer and waited for her to speak.

 “The food is here.” She whispered.

He almost fell out of his chair.

The shopkeeper placed their plates down with care, returned with their tea, and resumed his post by the entrance.

Himiko stared at her order. “Kajai.”

“Yes?”
“There’s an egg in it.” A large sunny side up egg sat in the middle of her steaming, adequately portioned pasta.“Is there supposed to be an egg? You didn’t say anything about an egg.”

Kajai looked at it. “If you don’t want the egg, I’ll take it.”

“But you already have that omelette. That is an omelette, right?”

“Yeah, but another egg won’t kill me.”

“....” Himiko shook her head. “No, I’ll eat it! But, how do I eat it?”

Kajai ate a spoonful of his omurice. “Break the yolk and mix it into the pasta maybe? Or eat the egg by itself. There’s no wrong way to do it.”

Himiko split the egg gently as if she were a trained surgeon operating on a patient.

‘If only she were as serious about our engagement.’

She mixed the yolk evenly into the pasta.

‘Well, at least she's trying something new.’ 

When she made no further comments, he assumed it was safe to eat without interruption. Despite her comments about the ‘impostor’ pasta, Himiko seemed to be enjoying it.

“It tasted better than I expected.” She admitted when the meal was over. As they walked back, she yawned repeatedly. “I’m too tired to fly tonight...Maybe in the morning.”

Kajai watched as the light orb illuminated their path home. “Do you always go flying at night?”

“No, I've gone twice. I like the city lights. I want to see more of them.”

“How far do you go?”

“Hm...Not very far...I saw the towers...the red one and the tree thing. The towers in Tokyo, I think? I’ve seen them on the television. There was a big thing with pillars and a market too...”

“A big thing?”

“It was a wide place with these sets of gates with really big lanterns. Oh, and it wasn’t far from the grey tower. There was water nearby, and a large gold thing.”

“Gold thing? Where was this?”

“On a building. It looked like a cloud, but it didn’t move.”

“A gold thing...and water…” Kajai crossed his arms. “And the tower. I’m guessing the grey tower was the Skytree, which means... Asakusa! The wide place must be Sensoji temple!”

“Have you been there before?”

“Mn...It's really great if you go early. People come from around the world to see it, so the crowds can be huge during the day.”

“Let’s go!” Her eyes shone like amethyst jewels in the dark.

“S-Sure!” Kajai couldn’t meet her display of enthusiasm physically, but he loved the idea. He felt a little guilty about leaving her alone during the day. Being alone in a different world had to be scary. Considering how the mortals once treated her people, he was surprised she wanted anything to do with his world. “We should go this weekend.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”