[Kaori's phone lights up and buzzes in her bag for a little while before she pulls it out. They agreed to meet in a cafe today, so she already knew what this was about. Letting him know that she's just five minutes away from their meeting spot would be polite and most likely appreciated, but it'll make surprising him way more difficult.

That's the reason why her phone ends up back in her back bag. It's not like he can't wait a while, right?

Meeting him again during one of her recitals...to say that it was unexpected would be a lie. They made a promise, after all. Of course, she couldn't have known when their paths would cross again, but Kaori was sure that it's going to happen either sooner or later. And she wasn't wrong. They couldn't talk properly and had to keep their conversation short back then, but today is going to be different.

Actually, she arrives at the cafe much earlier than she anticipated. Kaori might not have noticed that she's been almost running instead of walking, but it's something that she realizes while standing in front of the cafe. Well, it's not her fault that she's curious what Tokiya has been up to!

If her plan was to sneak up on him, it's doomed to failure once she opens the front door and puts a bit too much energy into it, making some people inside turn their eyes to her. Not that she cares about that—the girl simply storms across the room and stops a few steps away from the table he's sitting at.]

Hey! What are we going to eat? I've always wanted to try their waffles!

[Kaori's idea of reunion after years...it might be a bit different from his. Listen, she's excited to see Tokiya after all this time, but she's also hungry.]

[And she tried to start with a bang...not that she didn't succeed, but Kaori expected a proper reaction and by proper she means something more lively than, well, this. On the other hand, it's Tokiya. And it's certainly good to see that some things don't change.]

Okay! Waffles and tea, I'll be back in a minute.

[In the end, a minute becomes ten minutes because Kaori takes her sweet time by the counter trying to decide what should she get. Thinking that just waffles would be enough was a miscalculation on her part.

Four plates and two cups filled with tea. Kaori knows she can do it, but it's still somewhat difficult holding all these dishes and walking...thankfully, she reaches her destination with a wide smile and serves Tokiya his waffles and tea.]

I'm still surprised that you didn't want some salad, you know? So...how are you doing these days?

[Choosing waffles over salad, that's a character development Kaori's glad to see (even if this means less waffles for her). Of course, it's not just that she's happy about, but she can already tell that he's not as stiff as he used to be.

And has it been a trace of smugness in his voice, she wonders. It seems like it, so she squints...but that's all. Surprisingly, no comments from Kaori Miyazono this time.]

You tell me. It's really tough out there...it's way beyond what I expected. But you forget about all that when you're on stage. The stage always reminds us that it's worth it.

[She's been giving it a lot of thought, apparently.]

I'm doing pretty good myself. Thankfully, some people appreciate unconventional approach towards classical music. I had to stick to the rules for a while and it was the absolute worst.