Title: Kennichan
Koneko no Sumu Ie.
Megumi looks at her pink wristwatch and it the hands are pointed 2:30 p.m. She realizes that she has been sitting in the diner across the flower shop for the past three hours. At times like these it was easy to work up an appetite but then she had been feeling wildly agitated that food was the remotest thing in her head right now. She could even barely finish the lemon pie. Her tall glass of mango shake half drunk.
It was now or never. She had to accomplish what she came for. There was no point in turning back. She has gone this far. She cannot give up now. The friggin shop is right across the street.
This will be swift and painless as possible, she muttered to herself.
She gestured for the waitress for her bill. She barely noticed the waitress's sullen look upon looking at her half-eaten pie and half-drunk shake. Three hours. Very nice.
She grabs her leather backpack and gets out of the diner. She goes to the corner of the diner where she parked her motorbike.
Damn rain!
She sat for three hours in the diner and the rain starts pouring in as soon as she gets out like on cue. She runs with her motorbike and parked it at the corner of the flower shop.
Dammit!
She rushes inside the flower shop. The clanking of the wind chime was so loud it ringed in her ears.
Other than the wind chime, the whole shop was quiet, which only further added to her already-increasing anxiety.
Oh God! Did I get the address right? This has to be the correct one. She cannot be mistaken. It's a flower shop. Flowers. Those girls from the subway train even confirmed the address. In fact, a whole bunch of schoolgirls and even boys confirmed this place. Quite popular hangout.
One girl even told her that if she ever got to meet any of the shopkeepers, she would just die.
I hope not.
I don't think so.
The shop smelled so good. Well, what do you expect in a place like this? It lives up to its name. A flowershop.
Koneko no Sumu Ie.
Funny name.
Kitty in the House Flower Shop.
Cute though.
Why would anyone name such a place for a cat?
She could not help but look around. The place was so neat. A long and large wooden table. A counter on the side with other trinkets beside the cash register. Small cards. Miniature balloons. Small teddy bears. Candy packets. The left side of the shop was a showcase of suggested arrangements and ribbons of various colors. She then laid her backpack on the wooden table.
Where is everybody?
She looked out from the window and the rain was still pouring hard. Oh this is just perfect! Maybe, I'll just sit here for awhile and wait for the shopkeeper. Oh dear, I hope no customers suddenly show up at a time like this.
She motioned for a seat by the wooden table....suddenly....
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!"
The sudden sensation that brushed upon her legs made her shriek and stood on top of the chair.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT???"
Megumi was absolutely unaware that there was a door just behind the table, which opened behind her.
She shrieked again and nearly fell from the chair if it were not for the quick reflexes of the arms that supported her fall.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! THE CAT! THE CAT!!! YOU'LL HIT THE CAT!!!!" She was screaming. She was clutching at the arms that held her while her savior in a moment of panic suddenly jumped to avoid the cat and nearly knocked one of the vases on display.
The cat scampered away and gave a shriek.
"Gomen nasai!!!" They chorused.
"Daijoubu?" They chorused again.
The man that held her broke into a chuckle.
"I think I'll go first." He smiled again.
Megumi suddenly realized the awkwardness of her position. She was practically clutching at his whole body out of sheer fright. Her thighs were embracing his slim waist tightly.
"A...a....anou....." She could only stutter. The man carefully put her down and she quickly pulled away from him. She felt her whole body warm up. This is so sick.
No I am sick. This is so embarrassing. I hate! I hate! I hate! I hate me!
Megumi could barely push her chin to look up at the man. She kept staring at her feet instead and nervously playing with her fingers from her back.
"Are you okay?" He peered. His smile remained.
She could only nod. She wished she could disappear. Never had she had an encounter like this, much more with a stranger. Much more with a man. And a damn good looking one too.
She continued to curse herself under her breath.
"Would you like to have a seat?" He offered her the same seat she was about to have earlier had it not for the excitement that happened.
He picked up the yellow cat which was now curled up in a corner. The rain from outside has given the shop a cool temperature now. Dammit! Her cheeks still felt like fire.
"I believe you have just met the kitty in the house." He looked at her as he stroked the chubby yellow cat in his arms as it purred contentedly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten it. I thought....I was alone....place....quiet...so..."
She could practically hear herself stutter madly again. This is not good. She was not making any sense. She didn't know why she still fidgeted. Was it the cat? The shock? Or.....
This man?
"When you get to meet any of the shopkeepers....you will die."
The words from that schoolgirl she met at the subway train echoed loudly in her ears.
Koneko no Sumu Ie.
Megumi looks at her pink wristwatch and it the hands are pointed 2:30 p.m. She realizes that she has been sitting in the diner across the flower shop for the past three hours. At times like these it was easy to work up an appetite but then she had been feeling wildly agitated that food was the remotest thing in her head right now. She could even barely finish the lemon pie. Her tall glass of mango shake half drunk.
It was now or never. She had to accomplish what she came for. There was no point in turning back. She has gone this far. She cannot give up now. The friggin shop is right across the street.
This will be swift and painless as possible, she muttered to herself.
She gestured for the waitress for her bill. She barely noticed the waitress's sullen look upon looking at her half-eaten pie and half-drunk shake. Three hours. Very nice.
She grabs her leather backpack and gets out of the diner. She goes to the corner of the diner where she parked her motorbike.
Damn rain!
She sat for three hours in the diner and the rain starts pouring in as soon as she gets out like on cue. She runs with her motorbike and parked it at the corner of the flower shop.
Dammit!
She rushes inside the flower shop. The clanking of the wind chime was so loud it ringed in her ears.
Other than the wind chime, the whole shop was quiet, which only further added to her already-increasing anxiety.
Oh God! Did I get the address right? This has to be the correct one. She cannot be mistaken. It's a flower shop. Flowers. Those girls from the subway train even confirmed the address. In fact, a whole bunch of schoolgirls and even boys confirmed this place. Quite popular hangout.
One girl even told her that if she ever got to meet any of the shopkeepers, she would just die.
I hope not.
I don't think so.
The shop smelled so good. Well, what do you expect in a place like this? It lives up to its name. A flowershop.
Koneko no Sumu Ie.
Funny name.
Kitty in the House Flower Shop.
Cute though.
Why would anyone name such a place for a cat?
She could not help but look around. The place was so neat. A long and large wooden table. A counter on the side with other trinkets beside the cash register. Small cards. Miniature balloons. Small teddy bears. Candy packets. The left side of the shop was a showcase of suggested arrangements and ribbons of various colors. She then laid her backpack on the wooden table.
Where is everybody?
She looked out from the window and the rain was still pouring hard. Oh this is just perfect! Maybe, I'll just sit here for awhile and wait for the shopkeeper. Oh dear, I hope no customers suddenly show up at a time like this.
She motioned for a seat by the wooden table....suddenly....
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCKKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!"
The sudden sensation that brushed upon her legs made her shriek and stood on top of the chair.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT???"
Megumi was absolutely unaware that there was a door just behind the table, which opened behind her.
She shrieked again and nearly fell from the chair if it were not for the quick reflexes of the arms that supported her fall.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!! THE CAT! THE CAT!!! YOU'LL HIT THE CAT!!!!" She was screaming. She was clutching at the arms that held her while her savior in a moment of panic suddenly jumped to avoid the cat and nearly knocked one of the vases on display.
The cat scampered away and gave a shriek.
"Gomen nasai!!!" They chorused.
"Daijoubu?" They chorused again.
The man that held her broke into a chuckle.
"I think I'll go first." He smiled again.
Megumi suddenly realized the awkwardness of her position. She was practically clutching at his whole body out of sheer fright. Her thighs were embracing his slim waist tightly.
"A...a....anou....." She could only stutter. The man carefully put her down and she quickly pulled away from him. She felt her whole body warm up. This is so sick.
No I am sick. This is so embarrassing. I hate! I hate! I hate! I hate me!
Megumi could barely push her chin to look up at the man. She kept staring at her feet instead and nervously playing with her fingers from her back.
"Are you okay?" He peered. His smile remained.
She could only nod. She wished she could disappear. Never had she had an encounter like this, much more with a stranger. Much more with a man. And a damn good looking one too.
She continued to curse herself under her breath.
"Would you like to have a seat?" He offered her the same seat she was about to have earlier had it not for the excitement that happened.
He picked up the yellow cat which was now curled up in a corner. The rain from outside has given the shop a cool temperature now. Dammit! Her cheeks still felt like fire.
"I believe you have just met the kitty in the house." He looked at her as he stroked the chubby yellow cat in his arms as it purred contentedly.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to frighten it. I thought....I was alone....place....quiet...so..."
She could practically hear herself stutter madly again. This is not good. She was not making any sense. She didn't know why she still fidgeted. Was it the cat? The shock? Or.....
This man?
"When you get to meet any of the shopkeepers....you will die."
The words from that schoolgirl she met at the subway train echoed loudly in her ears.