Here goes my first Diaya fanfic! I'm always nervous as hell to post a new piece, but I'm amped from the announcement of the third season (!) and the storyline in general (! ! !) hahha so this twenty chapter journey is happening. I think the pace is faster than my other fics, but yous can be the judge. Each chapter is supposed to be around 4000 words, though this first one barely made it. This is my safe place to escape the BS of real life so buckle up for some fluff with a bit of drama and a touch of spice. It'll all be first person, mainly Sawamura's POV, and will update every Monday until it's finished. If you aren't into first person, maybe give this a chance? I didn't always enjoy that POV, either, but it doesn't hurt to try different things XD Ready? Let's do this, yo.

When I was a little kid, I spent most of the year waiting for autumn to roll around. I couldn't wait to see the leaves turn from green to yellow and orange and red, shaking in every breeze until they fell to the ground. It was my job to rake them up, but I always had to do it twice 'cause I scattered them all over the place from jumping in the piles. I loved to sit out in the fields when the sun set each evening, the hour making the wind a little colder but not cold enough to chase me inside. The bright colors of the sky were a treat to look at, fading into star-speckled darkness with the glowing moon. It was also fun to play with the chickens or climb up into my treehouse whenever I wanted, but my absolute favorite thing to do was help my dad and grandpa check on the crops. There was no feeling like the one I got during harvest season! We would watch out for an invasion of weeds near the bean bushes or lift sweet potato vines from the soil, and I felt like I really was a part of the farm and not just a little kid playing farmer.

Now that I'm older, my duties have changed quite a bit. Downtime doesn't come around as often anymore, most hours dedicated to fixing or digging or maintaining something on the farm. I help harvest and cure the potatoes, taking small batches of them with our other crops and eggs to sell at the market stand. I get to meet people and talk with familiar faces about produce and the weather and share my family's homegrown food with them. Some good friends of mine work there, too, making music and selling flowers and handmade jewelry next to my stand. A less common part of my job is when I have to discuss the state of our crops with Dad and Grandpa so we can plan for upcoming seasons, which isn't really exciting or entertaining, but it has to be done. I wish it was all fun all the time, but even work has its dull moments. The most boring thing I have to do around here is sort paperwork, which only happens when everyone else who's more qualified isn't available. Well, that and make phone calls when my mom is too busy with the chickens to do it. If it involves dumb indoor tasks where I have nobody to talk to, I want no part in it. That's why I'm not happy about having to run this errand today instead of helping at the market stand. I'm missing out on time with my friends and time doing something fun. While I'm waiting to be told what to do, I call my best friend to tell her that I'm too busy today to work the market, mentioning that it won't be me at my family's stand next to hers. I swing my legs off the edge of the porch and sigh into the phone yet again. "Our delivery guy can't make it today. I mean, it is his day off, but this buyer went and threw everything out of order anyway."

"So you won't make it at all?" Wakana asks in that tone of hers. She's used it since we were kids. It means she's concerned, I think.

A small gust of wind rattles the chimes by the door. I unroll the sleeves of my flannel and stare out at the rows of the green field. "No, not even for a second! I have to drive to the city just for one shipment." The city is a maze of tall buildings surrounded by air that feels weird in my lungs. The sidewalks are swarming with folks that never seem to be in the mood to spare a smile back at me. Nobody ever stops walking and they all drink fancy coffees. "It's at the restaurant where a couple friends of mine work, but they'll probably be too busy to hang out." When I realized where I'd be making the delivery, I got excited to see my friends. When I remembered that they'll be working and aren't prepared for me to make a visit, I got bummed out all over again. It'd be nice to see them more often, even though I know our schedules don't really allow that. Hoping doesn't hurt, right?

Wakana sighs quietly, probably so I don't hear it. "That's too bad. I wanted to show you the new necklace style I came up with." She takes polished stones and gems and stuff and makes them into jewelry. She actually made the bracelet I'm wearing, an amber stone knotted in a brown leather braid. "I guess it can wait."

Well, if she does wait for me, I'll be able to see what her hard work has created, but I don't want to be selfish and make her wait just 'cause I'm busy. I don't think that'd be very fair of me to stand in the way of her art. "No, don't wait. Send me a picture, though, so I can see." Ugh, I really do hate missing out! Just as I'm about to say this to Wakana, something smacks the back of my head, almost making me drop my phone over the side of the porch. "Ow!" I shout, rubbing at the sore spot and turning around to see who hit me. The culprit looms over the step I'm sitting on, not happy at all. "Why?!" My grandpa glares at me without any sign of apology for randomly slapping me upside the head, leaving me to fix my ball cap in confusion.

"What're you still doing here, idiot?" Grandpa asks with a deep frown.

"Wakana, I have to go." I hang up and get to my feet, straightening my shirt out. "I'm waiting for further instruction on the delivery."

"You mean the one we put you in charge of?"

"Yes, sir! That's the one."

Grandpa sighs with his hands on his hips. "You were supposed to be on the road by now."

"That sounds like new information."

He rolls his eyes. "Eijun, it's really not. Remember? On the road right after noon. You're already late."

"…Are you sure?"

He shakes his head and points towards the front door. "Why're you still standing here? Get the package and hurry up!"

I don't need to be told twice. Before he can swat at me again, I rush into the house and find one of our farmhands inspecting a crate on the counter. He lifts an eyebrow at me, almost amused if he didn't have that scowl on his face. "We all thought you left. What happened?" Kanemaru sometimes forgets that I'm a well-rounded worker around here, but I don't mind reassuring him every time he doubts my abilities on this farm.

"Okay, don't worry, alright?" I tuck the box under my arm. "There was a miscommunication, but I am going to leave now and there's no need for concern any further. Don't panic!"

Kanemaru rolls his eyes, starting to walk away. "I'm not panicking."

All is well, then! My shoulders relax as I start to smile. "Good! 'Cause I'm on my way an—"

"You don't sound like you're on your way." He mutters over his shoulder.

A glance at a nearby clock proves that I definitely need to hurry if I want to get there before they open. I nod, even though he can't see me, and turn on my heel. "Right! I'll be back soon. Don't let anyone touch the curing crops, okay? I'm trying something out!" One of my customers at the market claimed that a sweet potato will taste better if it's cured longer than it's stored, but I aim to prove them wrong. I already moved most of them to the storage room and I'll keep an eye on the others as long as everyone stays away from my experiment. Kanemaru doesn't respond with more than a grunt as I make my way down the porch steps and to the pickup truck. "If I go fast, I can get there just after three." The restaurant is mainly a bar for people to get drinks after work, serving something called 'small plates,' so they open at four. "Plenty of time!" I encourage myself and start the eternal drive to the city. It isn't long before my phone starts to ring and I answer it with speaker. "Can you hear me? You're on speaker!" I tell my friend in slow, loud words in case I sound weird on the dirt road.

A laugh is the first part of his response. "Course I can hear you!" Raichi tells me. "What're you doing if you're not here? Today's one of your days to work."

"I know! Wakana didn't tell you? I have to deliver something in the city."

"But that sounds boring." Like me and Wakana, Raichi grew up out here where there are no tall buildings or coffee shops, or even a hospital. We all agree that the city just doesn't suit us and typically stay away from it when possible. "Why couldn't somebody else go?"

I had this conversation with my dad and grandpa and it didn't last very long, ending with a glare and a threat. "I guess it's needed experience. I haven't mastered this part of the business yet."

"So you'll be able to do everything on the farm! You're so lucky." Raichi laughs again.

"You really think so?"

"Yes! My dad still doesn't trust me with pruning or feeding the flowers." His dad has greenhouses and puts Raichi in charge of making small arrangements to sell at the market. His stand is across from mine and always has a line. "I guess I get to do the best part, anyway! You'll be back at the market tomorrow, right? The honey guy's supposed to bring the new flavors to test out and I don't think you'll want to miss that."

The honey guy always has something new at the start of every season. Last year he sold a cinnamon apple honey that I ate a whole jar of before I even got home. "Already?! I'll definitely be there! As long as nothing random comes up, anyway."

"Good! Are you almost in the city?"

I glance at the map on my phone only to find I'm not even close to my destination. "Nope."

For some reason this makes Raichi laugh a little. "Try to do something fun there! You don't visit every day."

Fair point, but I don't know what future-me will feel like doing. "Maybe."

"Yeah, you can say hi to your friends from school. It's probably been, what: months? Since you've seen them in person, I mean. They probably miss you!" Raichi mutters something I don't understand, talking to someone on his end, I think. "Well, I gotta go. There's a line and nothing sells without me! Have a good time, okay? I'll see you tomorrow!" Raichi hangs up before I can even get a word in. As he said, he's a vital part of his family's business so I understand his urgency. Now I'm left with the road silence and the static on the radio. I sigh as the dirt road transitions to freeway pavement, the weirdly clean sound under the tires bothering my ears.

"Maybe the drive will go by fast?" I think out loud. There's nobody who can hear me except me but sitting in silence is torture! Even when I'm alone on the farm, I never feel lonely. The sounds of nearby birds and crickets are far from silence. "I can enjoy the change of scenery, I guess." The clouds dim the brightness of the grass on either side of the road to a dull, gloomy green. The sky might be threatening rain up ahead, dark and dreary in the distance. "It's not that nice out here." I mumble when I pass an abandoned farm. How one could pick up and leave a great piece of land with such potential is crazy to me. I wonder if the soil was bad, or if they just didn't have it in them for farm life. It takes a special kind of person to farm fulltime. On the other side of the road, a long stretch of grazing field is empty since it isn't spring or summer. Any cows will be on the other side of the property near the barns where they can stay warm. "So lonely out here. Not a single cow." I sigh, turning back to the path ahead of me. Only a few trucks pass the other direction, but no cars are in front or behind. When I fiddle with the radio, I only get different types of static and choppy bits of what I think is a talk show. After what feels like an hour, I give up with a pout. "Why did I get stuck with such a boring job today?" I mean, I'm pretty sure Kanemaru could've done it, or even Toujou. Technically, it's not either of their jobs, but we all pitch in where we need to. Well, like I told Raichi, it's one part of the business I haven't had much experience in, so I guess it's good to learn as much as I can about the farm's functions. Still, couldn't it have been on a day where I wasn't scheduled at the market?

Right now, Wakana is surely setting up her new necklaces on her velvet boards. She likes to display the newest stuff right by the things that aren't selling too well, which are front and center so more people will see them. I once picked something up to look at and put it back in a different place. I wasn't prepared for how scary she looked! I felt quite threatened. She's been making jewelry for as long as I can remember, taking great pride in every item. Sometimes she'll display the pieces she's made for herself on a special stand that goes in a glass case. I learned the hard way that that case is never to be touched. Wakana always takes her time setting up with gentle hands and a light touch.

Raichi is less delicate in his craft. He handles his flowers with care, but doesn't act like they're made of glass. He even encourages customers to pick up the ones on display so they can smell them and get a feel for them. Every flower not set out for browsing is stored behind and under the counters in surprisingly heavy containers. He'll randomly start arranging bouquets however he feels, mixing colors and kinds and wrapping them in paper. He doesn't mind when customers have a specific vision in mind, happy to just play with his plants. If he's not busy organizing everything and setting up, he must be styling an arrangement right now.

My stomach growls when I think of the other stands near mine: the honey one that never has any actual bees, the bakery near the entrance that always has a line around the outside, the stand where they sell chocolates in funny shapes like fish and pumpkins. I should've eaten before I left. Maybe I can get something at the bar. My two friends who work there say the food is good. Well, Haruichi says it's amazing and Furuya just nods in agreement, but I know he likes it, too! If they aren't super busy, I'd like to say hello and plan another fishing trip before it gets too cold. Sometimes I'm so overloaded with work, I almost forget to miss them. I know Haruichi is working more now to make up for someone who recently quit. I feel bad that he's serving both food and drinks now instead of only making drinks, but he says he needs the hours. Furuya is always trying to study so he can be a veterinarian, squeezing school between shifts when he can. They're busy, I know, but maybe they'll have time for me today.

As the trees start to decrease in numbers, the radio picks up more than garbled words and weird noises. At this point, I don't bother trying to find a decent station and focus on the directions so I don't miss the exit. Last time I made this trip, I was so distracted by the music options that I passed by the turn and wasted an extra minute or twenty. I'm a whole journey wiser now and won't make that same mistake twice! "Here we go." I announce to no one. No matter how many times I come here, I don't think I'll ever get used to so much…visual noise? There's just so much going on! Lights on the buildings, the signs flash, people walk too close, cars shine under signals and it all glows. The setting sun has made the sky dark, contrasting with the neon colors on all sides. It's so overwhelming that I kind of miss a turn. "Crap!" Definitely missed it. "Seriously?!" This street doesn't look familiar. It's unclear if I can even turn here. Last time I didn't have this issue, but I wasn't going to make a delivery then. I was meeting my friends near the restaurant at a bookstore 'cause Furuya forgot to buy one for some university class. Nobody is around to stop me from driving this direction and I take that as the okay to make what may be an illegal turn down the next street. According to my map, I should be able to find the restaurant near here. Why don't I see it, then? "Am I missing something?" My voice practically gets lost in the sounds of the radio, my rumbling stomach, the other cars, the people yelling at me. It's possible that this lane isn't for me, or for a car at all. I mean, people don't shout and frown like that for nothing! I roll the window down and lean over, pointing at the map on my phone. "Can anyone help me get to this bar?" My request receives more glares, but nobody wants to help me. Looks like I'm on my own, which is fine. A street sign I swear I already passed guides me south when I should be headed north. I don't know why things have to be so complicated here. It would make more sense to have things labeled and in plain sight, like back home. We even have signs with arrows for the market and the clinic and stuff so nobody gets lost. I'll have to keep a sharp eye out while I'm here, I guess. When I finally go down the right road, I nearly miss the alley with tiny parking spaces nestled next to my destination. Will my truck fit? Probably not, but I don't see another option. Just as my truck crawls into the parking, a car cuts me off while somehow squeezing into the empty space. "What the hell?!" I shout to apparently myself since the person getting out of the car doesn't seem to have heard. I lean out my window for a second try. "You took my spot! What do you think you're doing? I'm here for important business!"

This time, the man hears me. I can tell from the way he's staring over his shoulder while taking his headphones off, grabbing a bag out from the backseat. "Is that so?"

That's what I said, isn't it? This guy must be really dumb if he didn't understand that. "Yes! And I can't go about my business with you in the way. I need to park here, so you go find another place or something. I'm already running late." I point at the time on my phone in case he doesn't understand how time works, or his glasses aren't doing their job.

"That's unfortunate, but I'm not moving. I think you'll have to go find another place." He leans against his car, bag over his shoulder. The bastard even has the nerve to smirk at me. "Or something."

I don't have time for this! "But I have a delivery to make! You're standing in the way of this restaurant's success for tonight."

He quirks an eyebrow. "Vendor deliveries are through the back, genius."

"What?"

"Deliveries go to the back door." His words are slow and end with a vague gesture down the alley. "You're on the wrong side of the building. Can't you read the signs?" Another stupid smirk. "Can you read at all?"

Wow, how rude. "Shut up! Of course I can." I just don't know what signs he's talking about.

"If you say so, country boy." Is it that obvious I'm not from around here? He turns to leave without another word.

"Good riddance." I mumble not so quietly. Figuring a way back out of this alley is much more involved than I expected. I don't think I'll be driving to the city again anytime soon and, frankly, I don't know how anyone around here does it. Back home, there really aren't any alleys and certainly no tiny parking spaces. Also, every street has lanes to go both directions. I don't know who thought one-way traffic would work in such a busy area. "The other side, he said." The rude stranger didn't give me much to work with. He did give me a great deal of sass, though, that's for sure. Once out of the alley, I make my way around the corner and finally see a useful sign near a wide door: RECEIVING. "Found it!" My shoulders relax a bit now that I'm right where I'm supposed to be. I park near the door and let out a long sigh of relief, taking my hat off to run a hand through my hair. The time on my phone even says I'm not completely late. Job well done! Now, there was a list of items that went with the box. It's somewhere around here, but not on the floor or between the seats. "Is it in the package?" A quick peek confirms it! "Delivery time!" I sing to myself as I walk the delivery up to the door. There's no bell to ring, so I knock. Then I knock several more times 'cause no one's answering. "Hello?"

Finally, the door opens. The familiar face behind all that pink hair looks more confused than excited to see me. "Eijun? Why are you making so much noise?" Haruichi asks from the doorway. He looks funny in all black and a pinstriped vest, but that's the uniform here. I told him he should be allowed to wear another color now and then. He said it's not up to him.

"I'm trying to make the delivery, but you guys wouldn't answer the door. Are you busy?"

His smile is so slight, visible only to those who know him well. "Sort of. We're trying to get things set up for the after work rush. It'll be hectic." Haruichi nods at the crate in my hands. "Next time, call when you get here so someone can meet you. You know, instead of being disruptive."

That's a pretty clever idea, actually. I smile at my friend. "Thanks for the advice! But I don't think I'm gonna be making any more deliveries."

"No?"

I shake my head with conviction. "No way! It's way too boring, and being in the city makes me feel weird. There's too much all at once and strangers aren't very nice."

He laughs at this. "Not like where you live."

"At all! Why do people like to live here?"

"It's not for everyone." Haruichi takes the package from me, gesturing towards the building. "Come in for a minute if you'd like. I can't hang out for too long, but we can catch up a little while you take a break from all that driving."

Sounds like a plan to me. "You're the best, Harucchi!" I follow him inside, grateful to be out of the brisk air and away from the constant noise of the city.

Oh, I almost forgot to include a note about their ages: since this starts in September, Sawamura and Miyuki are both 26 and the rest of the cast is aged up accordingly. While this is primarily a Misawa fic, other characters do have their own stuff going on in the background; that's just how I write hahha Thank you in advance for any follows, favourites, kudos and comments! I write for my soul, but I always appreciate kindness from my readers :3 Be well and I'll catch y'all later~