"My mom's cooking used to have lots of elegance and flavour and taste and I don't know what ambiance is, but it probably had that too. And there was definitely an atmosphere when eating." Actually, unlike the rest of the atmosphere in the house, when they were eating dinner, it was always pretty nice, especially when Katou's dad was on a business trip, or when Katou kept his eyes on his food and didn't look up or try to engage in conversation. His dad would talk about work, and ask Sae about school, and maybe even crack a joke or two if he was in an especially good mood. "And the ingredients probably weren't as cheap as most people's food, but I never had to pay a yen for it."

He smiled then. "But I guess if we ever get outta here, you'll have to take me out for dinner sometime."