Here's chapter 1! Enjoy! Please leave reviews, I would really appreciate it! (^_^)
Haruka took a sip from the beautifully decorated ornate coffee cup. She felt the steam of her coffee on the bridge of her nose to her forehead as she contemplated her next move. That is, if she had any moves left. After all, she's spent almost 15 years trying to convince her dad to let her take robotics. Ever since her mother died when she was 6, it's all she's ever done. But her dad wouldn't have any of it; he just kept throwing in more piano lessons, violin lessons, singing lessons, etiquette lessons, fashion lessons, almost any kind of lesson he could think of except for the one lesson, the one thing, she had ever wanted to learn. It saddened her just thinking about it.
Haruka just didn't understand any of it. Her dad does robotics. Heck, he's the founder of one of the most influential tech companies in the whole San Fransokyo; Hayakawa Inc. They produced almost everything; carbon fiber materials, steel and iron wires, electrical circuits, digital phones, kitchenware, computers, holographic displays, and even nanny robots. And yet, the esteemed Mr. Kazuo Hayakawa wouldn't even let his own daughter join the robotics and technology empire. Why? Because she was a girl. It's chauvinistic/sexist, brutish, and completely narrow-minded behavior, but hey, that's her dad. He firmly believed that women need to know the finer things in life, like music and manners and beauty and all that. Brains was an optional thing, and for his daughter, whom he raised in what he believed and referred to as "an extremely privileged and comfortable life", he believed that she should uphold the feminine practices and traditions that all the other women in the family had done.
And yet...she knew nothing about her mom. Only the smell of her lemony perfume and the feel of her soft silk dress, and how Haruka would play with the little tassels at the edges and would trace the intricate flower patterns that were embroidered in so many different colors. She also remembered her mothers lilting laugh, and her smooth silky black hair, which she often tied into a neat, simple yet elegant bun. But when it came to her mother's interests, hopes, dreams, job, and aspirations, both for herself and her family, she hadn't a clue. Did her mother like robotics too? Had she wanted Haruka to take music like her father claimed, or was there something more? Something her wasn't telling her? Could you blame her? She was so young, and when your a child, you tend to forget about the things that seem so far away and complicated. All she had cared about was that her mother was there, and that she would always be there.
How very wrong she was.
Haruka stared at her reflection in the cafe's window. It wasn't much, just a vague image, but enough to make out her features. So much like her mother's, except for her honey brown eyes, much like her father's. She had a pale white elegant shaped face framed with bangs on her forehead and jet black hair like that of a raven's feathers running down just a little past her shoulders. She continued staring at her reflection, and it was only for a moment, but she saw a flash of flames appear in the window's glass, a burst of yellow, hot searing pain and a cry from a woman.
Haruka gasped, almost letting go of the cup in her hands. Her heart was beating fast, and she could hear her pulse pumping, the sound roaring through her ears.
"Excuse me? Are you alright miss?" Haruka raised her head to find a middle aged woman standing in front of her. She looked a bit concerned but had a gentle, caring smile and eyes filled with laughter lines. Her hair was styled in a brown bob like cut, flecked with strands of graying hair.
It took a moment for Haruka to respond. She took a deep breath and swallowed; "Uh, yeah. Yes. I'm fine. Thank you for asking. Sorry if I worried you a bit, it just...I um...scare easily."
"Really? What were you scared of?" the woman asked, her gentle smile never wavering.
"Uh...my...reflection." Haruka answered.
"Your...reflection? Oh. Um, well, we all have our little fears huh? Personally, I get real jittery when Mrs. Matsuda's around," the woman gestures to an elderly lady sitting in the other side of the cafe. She was wearing clothes that Haruka though best not to describe.
"By the way, I forgot to introduce myself," the woman continued, "I'm Cass. Cass Hamada. Owner of this little cafe. And you are?"
Haruka smiled. "Oh, I'm Haruka. It's very nice to meet you. You're cafe is lovely." she replied sheepishly. The woman named Cass smiled.
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Thank you!" Just then, there was a customer calling for her attention. "oh dear. Well, I best go back to business. It was really nice meeting you Haruka dear! Please come back when you have the time!" she said, and with that final remark, she walked away to attend to the other customers. Haruka smiled, amused and delighted to have met a new friend. She took a few more sips and finished the rest of her coffee, leaving a good amount of tip on the table. She grabbed her satchel and books and made her way out of the cafe door.
She didn't notice the tall, lean, well dressed young man in a SFIT cap come in the same time as when she left. And she wouldn't have known him had she decided not to ditch piano class.
Just in case you're all wondering, this story takes place before Tadashi's death. (T-T)
