After Hanamikoji we hit Nishiki Market. Walking the 390-meter market is walking 400 years of history the website said — the atmosphere lived up to it. Kyoto’s Pantry was packed. We were sampling our way through.
“Today’s calorie intake is going to be catastrophic.”
“Everything looks delicious — what can you do.”
“I’m worried about weight gain.”
“I don’t gain weight.”
“You just made enemies of a lot of people.”
We were eating wagyu seared sushi.
“Hey — I know a great way to burn calories together, pleasurably. After this?”
”…The method?”
“We start with a hotel-with-love-in-the-name.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Aw — sex burns serious calories. Great idea.”
(True — 30 minutes is like 15 minutes of running — but for non-couples, problematic.)
“That’s a post-dating activity.”
“Oh — so post-dating, fine?”
“P-post-dating only.”
“Got it — small patience.”
(In her mental model dating-Yuito was a near-future certainty.) We continued.
“Soft serve next.”
“Lots of flavors. Pick.”
She got honey, I got kuromame kinako (black soybean + roasted soybean flour).
“Cold and sweet on a hot day — perfect.”
“Recharged.”
Walking and eating, she made a move.
“That looks good too — bite?”
“H-hey.”
She’d taken a significant bite off mine.
“Mm, good.”
“Half a cone is a lot.”
“Sorry — half of mine in trade.”
She offered her honey one. I took a bite without thinking — sweet honey, very good.
“Heh — indirect kiss, no resistance now?”
“We did one yesterday. After getting unilaterally declared your fiancée, this is nothing.”
“True.”
(My calibration is off by this point. Not going to interrogate.)
“Want to try a deeper kiss right now?”
“That is not the same thing.”
“Boring.”
(Mid-daylight public kissing — not even regular couples do that.) We continued. End of day approached.
“Time check.”
“Two days flew.”
“Could still play more.”
“You are too energetic.”
(Above-average male stamina and I was wrung out — she was unbothered. Inhuman.)
We took subways to Kyoto Station for family souvenirs. (She picked actual Osaka ones for cover.)
I bought Shinkansen tickets at the Green Window with student discount and we headed for the platform.
“Next Kyoto visit we bring the kid as promised.”
“Right — wait, naturally premise me as your husband.”
“Boy and girl — I want both. Work hard.”
“Don’t talk this graphically.”
(A part of me actually thought that future would be fun. Couldn’t say it.) The two-day Kyoto trip ended.