The Date Game

Kento was out with the guys in the town. Exhausted and thirsty, he decided to enter a restaurant. The smells that came out of the door as he opened it caused Kento's stomach to grumble. "Easy! Easy! Don't you know where we are stupid?" He said as he grabbed the skin over his stomach with his hand. Upon entering he found a sign that said "Seat Yourself". "Cool! No waiting for a seat!" He looked around to find a small table.

His eyes stopped as he thought he saw something familiar. Kento gazed back a bit until he saw it again. There, sitting at a small table was a man. He sat with some food on the table and was sipping at a cup of something. Kento almost missed his face as the man, once again, picked up a book and started reading. The man, absently, took one hand off the bottom of the book and grabbed some food in his chopsticks. Then he ate it behind his book. Behind the book was still plainly seen his tell tale curly white hair.

Feeling daring and curious, Kento walked up to the table to stand on the opposite side. The man lowered the book for a minute in order to see his cup and grab it for another sip. As he felt a shadow over him, he looked up and a familiar grin graced his face. "Fancy meeting you here." He commented as he sipped from his cup and placed it down again.

"Suddenly getting interested in a town you nearly destroyed are we Dais?" Kento couldn't miss the opportunity to tease the Warlord.

He raised the book again in front of his face. "There you go again, blaming me for everything." Dais reached for some more food and continue to not look at the Ronin again. "Now you seem to blame me for everything that goes wrong in your life. Next you'll say I'm the reason why you don't have a girlfriend." He put down the book to look and motion that Kento was standing alone.

The Ronin stood more upright. "Oh and may I say hello to your girlfriend!" He leaned to the empty chair next to the Warlord. "Hello there cute stuff. How's Dais treating you?"

"Oh I am so hurt. You are always so mean to me. If you don't stop you'll make me cry." The Warlord said with a voice loaded in sarcasm.

"Not much of a companion is he? I hope he's paying for the bill."

"Would you like to take her out on a date?" He teased back.

"Sticks that nose too much in that book. Not giving you much attention is he? And offering you off like you're an item that's up for trade! What do you see in him?"

"She thinks I look hot with this eye patch. That and my blue eye always sparkles." Dais ate more of his food, though he still smirked at the Ronin.

"Do you mind if I join you two?"

"You actually want to .."

"GREAT! See?! Your girlfriend is so nice to agree!" He leaned to whisper to Dais. "I think she's coming on to me. And boy does she look HOT! Guess a Warlord has been out of it too much to know what women want."

"I suppose you know better?"

"Of course!" He snapped back.

"Sure. Right." He mumbled while sipping some more of his drink.

Kento looked around. "Well how 'bout a bet? I betcha I can get a date before you can!"

"HA! Yeah right. Don't make me die laughing Kento."

"Then let's bet on it if you are so sure." The Ronin leaned forward. "Unless, of course, you're afraid you'll lose."

"I'm not sure I want to have these nice ladies here at this restaurant put through the distraught of dealing with you."

Kento softly made chicken noises.

"Oh I'm so scared. I guess I'm going to have to give in now." He teased again sarcastically. His voice quickly changed. "Oh. Or are you doing an imitation of yourself?"

The Ronin sat upright. "Hey!" He lowered his voice. "I think someone is a afraid of me for once."

"HAH!"

"Go ahead laugh. Hide behind that wall of yours where you seem so comfortable. Meanwhile I'll have a date before the night is through!"

Dais wiped his lips with a napkin after he finished his food and drink. "You sure you can do this on an empty stomach?"

"Oh watch." He raised a hand for a waiter. "I want two of whatever he had." Kento motioned to Dais.

"Will that be two cups of hot tea as well?" The waiter asked unbelieving.

"Sure, why not." Kento grinned at the Warlord after the waiter left.

"I'll just relax until you finish eating then." Dais teased as he returned to his book.

When the food came, Kento naturally devoured through it.

"Oh that's sure to turn a woman on." The Warlord commented as he turned a page.

"I just want to get this done and over with. I'd hate to see you suffer long." Kento finally finished the food and wiped his face. He sighed deeply. "Ahh. There we go."

"I hope you pay for that."

"Just to see your pride sink to new low levels, sure."

"Well since you are so confident, you go first."

Kento stood up straight. "Fine. Be prepared to lose!"

"Whatever." He mumbled as he watched Kento walk over to a woman who was sitting alone.

"Hello there beautiful. I was wondering what someone like you is doing here alone like this?"

"I'm waiting for my boyfriend." She replied angrily.

"Not much of a boyfriend to make you wait."

Suddenly a noise of someone clearing their throat came from behind. "Is this guy bothering you?"

Kento looked behind him in shock. "My boyfriend." The woman said simply. The man looked down at Kento.

"Uh. I'm not bothering really. I just wanted to know the time. Haha. Stupid me, forgot my watch again. Haha." He shrank back. "I'll just let you two be alone. Sorry if I offended you."

Dais clapped softly when Kento sat back down again. "Bravo. Well done Kento. I'm sure she was impressed, and so was her boyfriend."

"Let's see you do better!"

"Oh I was thinking of having you go again. Don't want to end this game too early. Besides, I want to see how many times you can strike out." Dais mused.

"Scared?"

"No."

"Then go ahead!"

"Fine!" Dais looked around the restaurant for a few moments.

"Well?"

"Give me a minute or two."

"Oh so we got this down to a science huh Dais?"

"We'll see who's laughing in the end." He replied as he got up and grab his book. Kento grinned as he watched Dais walk up to a woman sitting in the corner of the restaurant. "Is this seat taken?"

The woman looked up. "Uh. No. Go ahead."

"Thanks." He pulled out the chair and sat down. He looked at the woman carefully, but not so much so as to appear to stare. He noticed something and decided to go with it. "Are you all right? You seem so sad."

The woman nodded. "My so called best friend left me the other day."

"Oh I'm so sorry. If I'm making you feel worse, I'll leave right now."

Kento grinned as he saw that Dais was starting to stand up and leave the table. HAH! Now who can't get a date?!

"No please stay! I haven't had anyone to talk with." She laid her hand over Dais' right hand. The Warlord slowly sat back down, which brought much confusion and a frown to Kento. "I haven't had anyone to talk to since she left. My family is all over the place and they are so busy lately that no one seems to have the time to call me yet. I feel that if I don't share some of this with someone first, I'll brake down. I don't want to go to a shrink about this. They'll think I'm crazy!" She looked at Dais sternly. "You're not one of those are you?"

"Me? No. Let me introduce myself. My name is Dais."

"Hello Dais, I'm Kate."

"American?"

"Yeah. Makes it that much worse. Lost with no friend in a country I'm unfamiliar with."

"I've never been to America."

"I suppose it's nice." She shrugged.

"Do you like Japan better?"

"I don't know. After what happened..."

"You shouldn't let that ruin the experience of this place for you." He paused for a moment. "Are you on vacation?"

"Yeah. Still have a week left. I was about to get rid of my ticket for an earlier flight back. Home may not be the greatest right now, but I don't want to stay where I feel miserable."

"Well I could show you around maybe. It might make you feel better. That's if you still want to stay the length of this vacation."

She looked face to face with Dais. "I think I would like that."

"Really?" He sounded surprised. Suddenly his face went serious. "Now don't think I'm going to take advantage of you, because I don't do that. I just think it's awful that you are having such a bad time. And since I've lived here all my life, I know all the beautiful spots. A tour may just cheer you up."

"Oh I wasn't thinking about you taking advantage of me, although maybe I should have." The last comment brought a frown to Dais' face. She placed her hands over the Warlord's. "I think I'll take you up on that tour. It would be a shame to throw away that vacation time I set aside and return to work early." She stood up.

"Oh whenever you are ready. Don't want to rush you." He commented to her as she put on her pocketbook.

"That's sweet of you. I was ready to leave anyway."

"Here let me help you with that." He stood and helped her into her coat.

"Thanks." She took her bill and fumbled through her wallet.

"May I take care of that?" Dais pulled out his wallet and some bills.

"Thank-you. You know you are really sweet Dais!"

He blushed for a moment. "Just trying to cheer you up." He replied as they walked together to the register. "Here you go. He handed the bill and the money." Suddenly a thought struck him. "Oh and the man sitting over there at that table.," he motioned to Kento, ".. agreed to pay for my bill so..."

"No problem." The cashier replied as he gave back the change.

Dais handed the money to Kate. "Here."

"I couldn't!"

"You'll need the money more than I will." He said with a shrug.

"Thank you again Dais!" She happily took his arm in hers. "Where shall we go first?"

"Well how about.."

At that moment the other Ronins entered the restaurant. "Hey Dais! Have you seen..? Oh there he is!"

A waiter was at the table taking the money for the bill. "Cash or charge?"

"Cash." Kento grumbled as he pulled out his wallet and gave him the money. The Ronins rushed up to Kento.

"I see you got something to eat. Was it better than my cooking?" Cye teased lightly.

"Oh please, I've had enough of that today."

"What's wrong?" Ryo asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh and Kento!" They all looked as Dais was about to walk out the door. "Thanks for that offer you gave. Maybe next time, I'll let you not have to pay." He turned back to Kate as they walked out. "Now as I was saying..."

The Ronins all turned to Kento who was grumbling and trying to sink down into the chair. They all burst out in laughter as they realized what happened.

"Dais got you again huh Kento?"

"Shut up Rowen. Just shut up all of you." He grumbled, but they continued to laugh as they walked out of the restaurant with Kento sulking behind.

The End