One
"Life is a bowl of cherries!"
With the rotten parts eating
The good
Continuously.
June, 20-- Tokyo
In the inner heart of the city, there was a street that ran in both directions. It was saturated with skyscrapers, corporations, firms, and the general gist of an affluent, well-developed metropolis. And walking down this street was a woman speaking. She spoke in abrupt sentences, like she couldn't get the words out properly (or didn't know how). Her face was pretty and appealing, but she could not have been called beautiful. Too short, too bony to be healthy, the woman's face was alabaster with eyes a pale, fiery shade of cinnamon brown.
Soft, silky black hair fanned around her face, a bit bristled from the sultry air. But her skin was tingled with electricity and rage. She snarled into the phone, a voice pitted in rancor and not her own. Still, she kept a calm face and even sardonically sweet smile, despite the tension in her thin neck. "I see. 'No, it's not you, it's me,'" she mocked mercilessly.
"Of course, of course. You have your reasons. Just like I have mine. I—"
A pause.
"Okay. If that's how you feel."
"Guess this is goodbye, huh?"
She laughed.
"That's okay. All good things must come to an end. What was that saying you're so fond of? Oh yeah, life is a bowl of cherries. Well, we're just chewing our way through the bad ones right now. Yeah, yeah, sure. Okay. Bye."
And she hung up the phone, squared her small shoulders, and for a minute, looked twelve feet tall.
Rin arrived home from work on a dismal, rainy Wednesday evening. Her feet were soaked, drenched, and bruised beyond grief. There were new sores spreading on the old, and together, made up an impossible mess that never seemed to heal. She sighed and plunged deep into the soft cushions of her sofa and resolved to go headlong into a long, long sleep. But her stomach had another think coming and grumbled in protest.
"Ugh, shut up, will you?" she told herself, "Alright, alright, I'll go eat something."
Slowly, she rose from the brief comfort and stumbled into the kitchen. Outside the tiny window from her miniature, dollhouse-size kitchen, Rin saw the sun dying in a bed of crimson and gold, and saw all the clouds swirling around it—rejoicing. At this, she smiled bitterly. Dusk was a beautiful, memorable, time for her. Brought back seconds in her life flashing past and riding fast, like a dusty cloak of stars and in each star, their was a piece of her heart—gone forever.
She knew she should cry, be devastated and immerse herself in misery. But she didn't do either. It just didn't feel…right for some reason. She had never been the sentimental person, not when her best friend was stood up at the altar. Not when she cradled him in her arms and ranted about what a bitch his fiancée was. Not when…
"No, I'm not going to think of that now. I'll think of it later…or not at all, if I can help it," she declared resolutely.
There was a heavy malice in her tone, as if by simply saying something out loud she could will it to be true (and usually did).
The phone rang again, sudden and a crashing call resonating, piercing her mind. Rin jolted and grabbed it before it could start. "Hello," she barked into it, out of breath from the momentary startle.
"Rin!" a breathy voice filtered from the phone.
"Kagome."
"Are you alright? You don't sound…like yourself."
"I'm fine. What's up?"
"Hey, could you do me a big favor?"
"Um, sure, I think. What is it?"
"I reserved Aristotle's Book of Poetics at the bookstore 'round your corner. And it's the last copy around, and I can't get off work today till eight, and I was wondering…if you'd…"
Rin laughed. Her friend was always so impulsive and carefree. Doing one thing this second, and dropping it the next to move on to something else. "Sure," she agreed happily, "Book of…Poetics, right?"
"Yeah."
"Alright. I'll go pick it up right now and drop it off by your place tonight, as usual. How does that sound?"
"Great! I'll see you later then."
"Okay, bye-bye."
She hung up, took a long swig of brandy, and went in search of her keys. A minute later, Rin locked her door and made her way down the winding flight of stairs and into the bustling streets outside. The afternoon was now gone, leaving only a soft blanket of muted, fiery air behind with dark strips of indigo and navy blue bringing the night through. Rin adjusted her sandals and continued walking.
"Aristotle...book, poetry, okay," she repeated quietly to herself.
The small bookstore Kagome mentioned was a little ways away from her apartment complex. It was a quaint place—for lack of better words—with large, cushioned chairs scattered in the adjoining café. She often went there herself, when she wasn't busy, and sat for hours reading. A regular old bookworm, she smiled.
Books lined up neatly against the windows, inviting gazers inside to the warm atmosphere. Past the windows, there were rows and rows of books, quite a few considering how small the building actually was. The small isles in between each shelf were brightly lit, and a sweet aroma (vanilla) permeated throughout. Rin went inside and inhaled the scent.
"May I help you, Miss?" the store clerk called out.
She smiled luminously at him. "Souta, you devil. It's just me. And yes, you can help me this time. I'm looking for the Book of Poetics by Aristotle."
Souta's eyes widened immediately. "As a matter of fact, we do. Kagome called in earlier this morning."
"Yes, I know. I'm picking it up for her, actually."
"Okay then, this way, Miss Sato."
"Seriously, don't call me that."
He laughed. "If you insist."
He led her to a section on the north corner of the store before being called away by another customer. "It's somewhere around here. Just shout if you can't find it."
"Thank you."
"No prob. Say! Are you coming over tonight? Mom's making something really good."
"Yeah, of course."
Rin stooped down after Souta left and began searching. The one thing that annoyed her about this place was that, unlike bigger stores she frequented, the organization was not quite up to par. Sometimes, she had to search for hours before finding a particular novel, and it would be located somewhere completely irrelevant. Like art in science.
She sighed, exasperated and exhausted, and was about to leave until she caught the elusive title out of the corner of her eye. "There you are," she mumbled.
But before she could grab it, another hand came and snatched it from her.
"Hey!" Rin cried indignantly, "I was about to get that."
The man looked up from the book and stared at her. His piercing, cold, gold eyes sneered. "I had no idea, but seeing as how I got to the book first, it is rightfully mine."
"But my friend called this morning and reserved it—the book is for her—so, technically, it's rightfully hers."
"If your friend had already reserved it, then why isn't it up front?"
"Because…because," Rin blushed, "the management here is pretty scatterbrained." Forgive me, Souta, she thought.
"Ah, then that is not problem, is it? So, if you'll excuse me, human girl, I'll be leaving…with my book."
"Wait!"
The man turned around and looked down at her imperiously. "If you are so persistent about this, then let's have a little debate. If you win, the book is yours."
"Okay. What type of debate did you have in mind?"
"The topic of laughter. Should it be feared or appreciated?"
Rin gawked at him blankly. Laughter feared or appreciated? Was this man serious! What sort of question was that. Laughter was a good thing in the world. But it was also a source of ridicule and contempt. And…
"Appreciated."
"Why?"
"Because without laughter, life isn't really worth living, is it? I mean, if you can't laugh, then there is no real joy by association."
"You forget that laughter in its essence is something facetious, worthless. It serves no purpose than to make a racket."
"But you're wrong. Its medicinal…in a way. Haven't you ever heard of laughter as healing?"
"Haven'tyou heard of destruction by laughing?"
"No, I can't say I have. That would just be ridiculous."
"Then, I suggest you catch up on your history. As for now, good evening to you."
He turned to leave, but Rin wasn't finished yet. "Hang on. This isn't over yet."
"Oh? As the arbitrator, I say it is."
"No. My friend needs that book for her philosophy class. Please."
"For a friend. I thought as much. You don't seem like the type to know the difference between Plato and Aristotle, much less admire and understand their works.'
Rin was incensed by his words. Not understand! The indignation of it all. She practically grew up with her grandfather and philosophy. But she quelled her anger for the moment and replied coolly, "I do know the difference. I'm studying philosophy myself."
At this, his attention returned. "Really, where?"
"At the University, this fall."
"Do you still want this book?"
"Yes!"
"Fine. Answer me this, it's the one of the most basic and famous platitudes: What is the sound of one hand clapping?"
Rin squirmed inwards. It wasn't just that the question completely confused her. She had heard it before, but never reached a conclusion the sufficiently answered it. "I…I'm not sure."
The stranger's eyes flashed brilliantly, and a slow smile reached his icy face. "Then, I'm afraid you'll not be getting this book."
"But—"
"Until you can answer that, I'll be keeping it safe for you."
"You! But I don't even know who you are and—"
"You'll be seeing my soon enough."
Like that, he left. Rin stood there bewildered and her heart fluttering. What had me meant by they'll be seeing each other shortly? Who was he (aside from being a youkai, that was obvious enough)?