As you start reading this, you'll probably notice that this is slightly different from where I left off. Every other chapter I plan it to be a separate one-shot that relates to the storyline, but just focuses on one characters, like below. These one-shots will probably be a bit more serious than the main chapters.
This first one is centering on Kagura and an experience shared at the restaurant.
Disclaimer: I do not own any characters mentioned in this story. They belong to Kiyohiko Azuma and ADV Films.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
She met the woman in one of the earliest days of the restaurant, one of our first customers. The woman was a cheery one, somewhere along her early to mid fifties, soft wrinkles adorning her chalky white face that seemed hardly noticeable despite her young age. Her hair had only seemed to begin to lose its color, always tied back neatly in a bun or tight ponytail. She was petite, only a few inches shorter than her with always the nicest clothes on. The smile towards her was always warm and welcoming.
Kagura wasn't sure how Yukari attracted someone as welcoming as her. The first time she had spotted her at one of the booths, she thought for a moment that this was her aunt or something sitting there. The relative seemed to be able to put up with the combined rowdiness of her and her father decently enough and with Yukari barking out orders that could be heard through the roof, it was no wonder how anyone managed to squeeze into the restaurant.
Nonetheless, she kept her questions to herself and smiled at the woman as welcoming as she could, greeting, "Hi, could I start you with a drink today?" just as she spoke to any other customer that managed to pass through the doors. The woman had shocked her however, with a gracious smile and a nod of the head.
"Oh just some tea, dearie, thank you," suddenly, she began thinking that maybe she was more of a grandmother than her aunt. It was such a gentle tone, soft, and quiet. She tried to keep herself from thinking about it too much, but came to ordering the food, the woman seemed to have only opened up to her even more. "What's your name?"
The college student glanced up curiously, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Kagura," she muttered after a moment. It was just an old woman; she didn't think it would hurt just giving her name. The stranger seemed satisfied with this, a nice nod of the head as she sipped at her hot tea.
It didn't take long before the woman came again, sitting at the same spot as before. Each time, Kagura felt compelled to speak more to her and soon enough, they were conversing to the regular, just after a week. It was always the same: "Hey, how've you been? The dog hasn't torn up the yard too much, has it?" She had a nice dog, one that she looked over on the woman's cellphone on one of her visits. It was a golden retriever, fur a bright gold and an equally warm face as his owner. His name was "Taiyou(1)," a strange name, but was fitting for the dog.
It was such a surprise the amount she knew about the woman within a few weeks. She was a good encouragement in the sports field she was going into, a former swimmer in her prime. She mentioned that she was going to go into pro if it weren't for an accident, something that the woman didn't specifically describe. Her life seemed full, but as Kagura noted, her regular seemed awfully alone. She never came in with anyone else. The brunette would've asked, but it seemed so out of place for her to speak.
So, for the time being, she provided company for her regular, even as there was one thing she never knew. She never knew the woman's name. It was a strange thing to just suddenly realize one day as she absent-mindedly washed the dishes, trying to occupy herself for the slow day. The faucet water was warm under her tan skin and for the moment, she kept her thoughts centering on that.
Until she heard the kitchen doors flap open. Her head shot up for a moment, glancing into the blue eyes of her friend, Sakaki. "Yo!" As usual, the girl nodded in response until the swimmer heard the pattering of feet, tiny paws on the tile floor. Her gaze fell lower and spotted golden fur of a dog that she had seen so many times before. "Huh?"
"A man came today," Sakaki began to explain. She could hear almost a hint of sadness in her tone, something that didn't sound so good right now for the poor dog. "Said he was looking for you, but you were running an errand. Apparently, Ieyasu-san died yesterday…"
"Who?" she asked blankly, cocking her head to the side as she removed her hands from the sink.
"… I'm… not sure, but the man said that you were to keep the dog." Sakaki patted the retriever's head with a small smile, but Kagura couldn't share her sentiments. Instead, she knelt down to the dog's level as he wagged his tail, as if knowing that she would be responsible for the dog now.
With a sigh, she scratched Taiyou's ear, the dog's head leaning in to her touch happily. She seemed to smile better towards him. "Hello Taiyou."
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
(1): Meaning "Sun."