It Started With Study
The four friends had been sitting in Run's room having a study session on a cloudy but dry spring morning, the clouds creating a forgettable pastel of greys outside Run's bedroom window. Studying was perhaps a strong word by the time we enter the scene, as they had been there for a few hours. Run's digital clock showed it was 4.46pm as each engaged in a separate activity: Run doodling; Nagi working her way through the problems; Tooru reading manga (having tried and failed to motivate Run to continue studying more) and Yuuko flagging, fidgeting with her clothes, hair and trying to work out what Run was drawing.
It was a mixture of boredom and curiosity that eventually made her ask:
"What are you drawing, Run?" Run was seated opposite her around the kotatsu; Tooru to her left and Nagi to her right. All were wearing their school uniform, albeit Tooru still had her 'comfort jumper' over hers with the sleeves flopping about.
Run glanced up with a wide eyed look that indicated she's been disturbed mid-flow and was working out how to react, blinking twice as Tooru put down her manga and moved over to stare at her exercise book. Even Nagi put down her pencil and seemed relieved to have something more exciting to focus on.
"Hmmm, guess!" Run said with a grin as she spun the book round for Yuuko to see.
Yuuko, Tooru and Nagi gazed at the page for a good number of seconds trying to work out what it was.
Ummm well I know she likes animals right? Yuuko thought, and it does sorts look like there's an eye at the top of this thing…and maybe that's a tongue? Geez! It looks like a constipated snake on legs. Umm I suppose I could just say snake right? Yuuko glanced at Tooru and Nagi anxiously.
Tooru's concentrated stare lasted a couple of seconds longer then she sat back with a smile. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt she knew. Yuuko was relieved to see Nagi looking even more bemused than she did, a frown deeper than when she was struggling with her high level maths homework wrinkling her brow. The pause lasted some time. Eventually Nagi hazarded a guess,
"Err, um, a jack in the box?" Ruun pouted and shook her head. Tooru hid a smile behind her droopy sleeve. Yuuko frowned,
Not even close then…I bet it's an animal. What else has that shape? Maybe it's not standing up but crawling? A caterpillar? Oh well…
"A caterpillar?" she hazarded.
Tooru didn't bother to hide her grin this time and Run looked glum.
"It's an ice cream sundae isn't it?" Tooru volunteered, Run perking up at once.
"Yes!" Run exclaimed happily.
"WHAT?" Nagi and Yuuko exclaimed in unison before Nagi proceeded to subject Run to an inquisition.
"But what about the eye here?"
"Chocolate button."
And these tiny legs along the body…I mean scoops"
"Hundreds and thousands."
And these giant leg like things at the bottom?"
"The ice cream stand."
Nagi slumped back defeated.
Squinting and blurring the lines did make it more like an ice cream sundae, Yuuko thought, recalling Tooru's previous advice about Run's drawings being, 'don't overthink them'. Maybe that's the secret. Remove too much analysis, make it blurry and pretend a 5 year old was drawing it.
"Hmm I'm hungry!" Run suddenly declared. There was a short pause as she thought about what she wanted to eat. No-one was protesting at the idea of food although Tooru appeared to be monitoring the situation closely. "I want to make a cake!" Run declared, "a sponge cake!"
Nagi started, "but what about the main bit of dinner?"
Run bit her lip looking vexed, "hmmm…"
"Do you know how to make a sponge cake Run?" Yuuko asked carefully. The last few times Run had attempted to make something had not been a huge success.
Run shook her head and then stared straight at Yuuko hopefully. "No, but I was hoping maybe you could teach me Yuuko?"
Yuuko sighed. She couldn't refuse Run when she gave her that sort of look. And although a disaster in the making cooking with Run was, it had to be said, kinda fun and exciting. You really weren't sure what would happen next.
"Then Nagi and I will go get stuff for dinner then,"" Tooru said with determination. It was a standard routine by now on the odd occasion when Run wanted to cook. Tooru would buy alternatives and backup supplies, Yuuko would attempt to teach Run, who to be fair had improved a little from her first attempts (sometimes the food was just about edible) and Nagi would help Tooru carry the shopping (being the strongest of the four).
"Ous!" declared Run happily, punching the air with her right fist. "Then studying is postponed for operation cake-ee!"
"I think you postponed studying some time ago Run," Nagi added with a grin. Tooru nodded in support. Run simply chuckled and scratched the back of her head.
"Ehh, well it'll be fine! I'll be more fired up when full!"
And so they left the room, assigned to their tasks: Bags and schoolbooks largely left scattered (except in Tooru's case neatly stacked) about the room awaiting their return.
