meitanteiosaka:

Heiji looked confused at the statement. “Wha? No, I don’ think yer a stupid foreigner. I think yer a stuck-up, annoyin’ prat with an attitude problem, but I don’ think yer stupid.“ Ah, his dish was done, and he dug into it, savoring the bite. Delicious, as always. “This ain’t about th’ Detective Koushien case, is it? That was an easy mistake ta make. Anyone coulda done the same. That doesn’t make ya stupid.” It just makes me smarter than ya, he wisely refrained from saying. He didn’t think that statement would go over too well in their current conversation.

Another bite. Oh-so-good. He’d missed this place. Hadn’t been here in far too long. “An’ yer a Half, right? That doesn’t really make ya a foreigner.“ He leaned back and frowned slightly. “Unless ya don’t consider Japan yer home?”

There had been the smallest spark of hope at the beginning of Hattori’s response. The, ‘no I don’t think’ part, but then, as he continued to speak, the hope was crushed. More like it was poisoned, strangled, stabbed in the back, and drowned in the waters of that odd combination of first and second hand embarrassment.

Hakuba clenched his fists in his pockets, listening to the Osakan ramble on near unintelligibly, expression even and stone.  He’d admitted his failure in the Koushien then and there. Why was there any reason at all to bring it up again? It wasn’t as if Hattori were any more a detective than he was. In fact, he’d looked at the data himself, and knew that he was more accomplished than Hattori. With all of the infractions that the god damned brute had committed, he shouldn’t have even been allowed to participate. He didn’t have the right to call himself a detective. And as the son of the Superintendent Supervisor, he should be ashamed for his behavior. 

He wanted to get up and leave right then and there. But with food already ordered, it would be rude to the restaurant owner to do so. Nevertheless, the bitterness never went further than the white knuckled grip inside of his pockets and the silence that he so tangibly gave. 

The question, however, was addressed after another moment of quiet contemplation. 

“I am a ‘halfer,’ yes,” Hakuba said at first, briefly wondering if Hattori had any idea just how insulting the term was. “I have dual nationality so I am technically a citizen, but Japan is ‘home’ only in that my father is here." 

Food was delivered, set before him. He offered his thanks, then looked at it with a stab of painful regret. It looked delicious, certainly, but he’d very much lost his appetite.  Hakuba reached for chopsticks, not wishing to offend.

Let Hattori talk his mouth off. He didn’t care. 

meitanteiosaka:

“Not jus’ food. I know all th’ best places ta go here. Just ask Kudo! Er, if ya see ‘im, that is.” It was pretty neat, that the detective was praising him instead of putting him down and calling him ‘childish.’

…Wait a second.

Heiji blinked in confusion. Hakuba wasn’t just being polite, he was also offering to pay for lunch? Suspicious…

He leaned in, scrutinizing the other detective. “Oi, are ya okay? Yer bein’…nice.“ Not that that was a bad thing, but considering the terms they had last left on, and Hakuba’s constant criticisms of him, he found it pretty strange of the Brit.

"Ah… I’m… usually nice, Hattori-san.” Hakuba frowned. “Most people find my company to be quite agreeable. If, ah, that’s not…" 

It was difficult to control his temper. How could he be expected to stay calm with insinuations like that? 

"All you have to say is no. I appreciate your help.” Huff. 

He turned to leave, at least in the direction of where the train station was.

meitanteiosaka:

He sniggered. “Yeah, Osaka can be pretty confusin’ fer first-timers.“ He practically lit up when Hakuba asked him about food, though. “Oh, there’re some great places ‘round here! There’s this great okonomiyaki restaurant a li’l ways away. ‘Course, they don’t have coffee, but their toasted green tea’s pretty good.”

“I’ve, ah, been here before…”  Hakuba said quietly to correct the error, but abandoned it in favor of the Osakan’s new enthusiasm. He blinked. Took a breath to steel himself, then nodded.

“Ah, green tea is just fine. More than adequate, actually. Okonomiyaki… is like a Japanese pancake, right? Seafood?” He looked skyward, thoughtfully. “I… think I’ve had that before. And it’s, ah, good stuff, huh?”

meitanteiosaka:

Heiji stared at Hakuba’s befuddlement, not expecting that. He’d expected a condescending greeting, or just flat-out ignoring, but a polite request? Especially after their last run-in? It really threw him for a loop.

“Er, no. It’s in th’ complete opposite direction an’,” he called up a mental map of Osaka, which only took him a few seconds, “I think ya got off two stations too late. Ya’ll wanna take th’ subway back ta…" He continued on, giving Hakuba directions to the library with no animosity attached. Later, he’d probably look back on this meeting with even more confusion.

More frowning. Hakuba nodded as he listened to Heiji’s directions, taking mental notes of where he would need to go in order to get where he needed to be. 

“Huh. I’m… really not sure how I got so turned around. Thank you, Hattori-san." 

He looked toward the direction of where he should be headed, then rubbed the side of his face with a hand, tiredly.

"Ah, Hattori-san, if I could trouble you again… before I head out that way, could you point me in the direction of somewhere nearby to get some food?  And coffee, perhaps. I’d meant to stop by a cafe on the way there, but still have a ways to go it seems."