Ah, it's Monday again.
Suzuki Yuka strolled along the concrete pavement leading to the main road, reminiscing the comforts of her bed. She left home earlier than usual today (a little too early, in fact) and decided to slow down her path on the way to work, admiring the numerous buds on the trees which would soon mature into beautiful cherry blossoms.
The girl lived a simple life. As the only child brought up by a single parent (her mother) who worked long hours for their livelihood, she spent the past 21 years of her life in partial solitary. She was not a loner, but the number of close friends she have could be counted using the fingers on one hand. Suzuki was not one of those geniuses who got things easy. She fought hard to stay ahead of her peers and even so, barely met the expectations which she set for herself. Nevertheless, today, she works for the most prestigious corporation in Japan, a feat which Suzuki prides herself in.
As she watched a sparrow dancing freely in the sky, a memory of her late mother surfaced in her mind.
It was March, about the same time in the year as now, when Suzuki pushed the wheelchair into the fresh open air away from the hospital. Her mother's shoulders rose and fell visibly, a clear indication that she was taking in her surroundings. They stopped near a tree to admire the nature and the birds flying cheerfully in the blue horizons.
"Yuka."
"Hmm?"
"Promise me."
Suzuki pulled her eyes away from the bright sky, and re-focused her sight on the woman before her. It came as a surprise to her.
She was not ready. Suzuki was not ready to see the beautiful eyes of her mother crinkling, her dainty mouth slightly gasping for air, and her face tainted with tears. It was uncharacteristic of her mother to cry. She was (and still is) the strongest and most willed person that Suzuki has ever known. She did not know what to say.
"Promise me," she paused, "that you will live well. You will not shed a single tear after my funeral."
The pair has never had such a sensitive talk. Whilst the both of them shared a very close and warm relationship, it was never in her mother's personality to discuss about emotional and delicate topics. Suzuki is very similar to her mother in many aspects, particularly this. They watched the sun set, and gradually the sky turned into the deepest hue of blue. Suzuki brought her mother back to the ward and kissed her goodnight. As she walked out of the white, wretched building, she pondered on the words spoken earlier in the afternoon.
It would never be possible to accede to her mother's request. After all, while the younger lady possesses a tough character, she only has one mother who would do anything in the world to ensure her well-being. It has even crossed Suzuki's mind that one day, if her mother has to leave first, she would follow suit and join her in the promised land.
However, as she witnessed the pearls running down her mother's cheeks, she knew what she had to do. Suzuki gazed at the moon. The lustre calming her senses. But suddenly, very suddenly, the lustre turned into a piercing glare.
As Suzuki re-gained her senses, it was too late. The last thing she saw was a black vehicle charging towards her, probably only metres away, as the illumination blinded her.
"Yes, mother."
Fortunately, Suzuki felt herself being pulled away from the vehicle that narrowly raced past her body. She was shaking, terribly.
"Hey, hey, you alright?"
She was whipped around, to find herself facing a young man that could not possibly be any older than her. When she did not reply in time, he frowned, with his hands still tightly squeezing her shoulders.
"Hello? Miss? You okay?"
Suzuki's voice finally found its way back into her throat, and she managed to say "I'm okay", although it probably sounded like a whimper to him.
"You were so close to getting knocked over by the car, miss! What were you thinking?! It is dangerous to walk onto the streets without checking your surroundings! You were walking like a zombie, like in a zombie apocalypse, so - ", the young man paused, realising that he has blabbered too much. To someone who has not recovered from the whole situation.
"Err, I mean, are you really okay?" He smiled.
"I- I'm okay. Th-Thank you."
The both of them stood in silence for a while, as Suzuki composed herself and tried to slow her thumping heart.
"Thank you." She managed to say again.
"You're welcome! Just look out for cars next time, will you? Say, where are you heading to? I don't think you'd be able to walk straight now with such a frightening experience. Your legs are trembling!" He exclaimed, with (untimely) cheerfulness.
Suzuki tried to comprehend the situation. She has nearly gotten into a car accident. She was saved by a young man with blonde hair, who talks a lot. "I'm on the way to work."
"Really? Where?"
"Akashi Corporation."
"Oh, I can bri- wait, WHAT?" He stared at her, incredulous.
"What?" Suzuki asked, confused.
"I WORK IN AKASHI CORPORATION TOO. OH MY GOD, HOW COME WE'VE NEVER MET? WHAT? WHAT IS THIS SITUATION? I JUST SAVED A COLLEAGUE! WOW THIS-" Once again, he paused halfway in his sentence, this time to the repetitive pleas of Suzuki to get him to soften down.
He gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I got a little too excited. Let's head there together! What a surprise to meet a colleague here. I just came into this neighbourhood to pick up something from a nearby bakery."
Suzuki nodded in response.
"What's your name?" He beamed.
"I'm Suzuki Yuka. How about you?"
"Hayama Kotarou! Nice to meet you!" He grinned.
A/N: Hello! Thank you for clicking into my story. I have just started writing on this platform, so I would appreciate it if you could take some time to leave me some reviews, on grammar, style and anything which could help me improve on it!
The first chapter is a little boring, I admit, and THE Akashi Seijurou has not made an entrance. BUT don't worry, he'll appear soon enough ;-) and there's Kotarou to make up for it, so hopefully you'll stay to see how my story will turn out!
Thank you once again!