A/N: If you haven't already noticed, I like to take things slow. Yes, this story is in the romance category. Almost every(Almost! The word "almost" was mentioned!) story on this site skips what makes or breaks a love story: Falling in love. So, I hope you'll forgive me if I don't load Rei into a bazooka and aim her at one of the guys' hearts.
That's another thing. If you put who ends up with who in the description, yes it will help people find your story, but it takes(almost) all the fun out of the story. I'll leave you that to chew on.
Savor it,
Kannari23
Spirit Mirror- Chapter Three
As if I didn't already have enough problems...
I blinked against the light that threatened my slumber. Tugging the sheets up over my head, I attempted to reenter the world my unconscious mind had created. It unfortunately stayed out of my mind's reach. Too bad. I had hoped to dream a bit longer before facing reality.
Finally giving into the light, the covers were flung from my body, landed in a crumpled heap on the floor, and I greeted the morning with... and annoyed grumble. Stumbling a little as I stand and stretch, I groggily made my way to the bathroom. My hands went straight for the shower faucet. I brushed out my hair and undressed as I waited for the water to heat up. Quickly adjusting the temperature, I stepped into the onslaught of falling water. The steam swirled around me as water traveled down my body. A blissful ten minutes ended as I cut the water off and grabbed the ever-patient towel off its rack.
I rubbed my hair with it before drying the rest of my body. Wrapping myself with the now slightly damp piece of cloth, I took the side of my hand to wipe away the fog from the mirror. I was met with tired brown eyes and a mouth that refused to smile this early in the morning. I grabbed my earrings off of the counter and stuck them through the holes left to me by my mother. She thought getting her six-month-old's ears pierced would stop people from mistaking it for a baby boy. It didn't. I quickly brushed my teeth, only straight after years of corrective dental work, and exited the bathroom to find a suitable outfit for the day. I settled on a mid-thigh length shirt with three-quarter sleeves paired with white and grey ombre leggings. I grabbed a hair-tie off my dresser and pulled the still damp mess of brown into a sloppy bun. My bangs threatened to fall out of it as I leaned down to get my bag.
Leaving my bedroom, I heard the kitchen calling to me, begging for me to use some of the groceries I had bought. I felt an odd look form on my face when the thought crossed my mind. Had so much really happened yesterday afternoon? Normally I don't dwell on the past, but something about the people I "met" didn't sit right with me. If I had to describe it, it would be like living in a world drawn by a team of three-year-olds. Instead of being a jumbled mess of colorful body parts and clothes- the punk, the man with the pompadour, the poor guy I knocked down in my daze, and even the silhouette on the rooftops, all seemed to stand out with immeasurable clarity. To put it simply: It seemed like they didn't belong.
I blinked out of my daze of ideas, only to find my feeble attempt at breakfast extra-super crispy. I let out a sigh, dumping the poor egg in the garbage bin. Note to self: Never cook on a full mind.
After food has been successfully administered:
I quickly slid on my black flats as I headed out the door. Making sure I locked my apartment, I slid my key into my bag and set off down three flights of stairs. Only when I reached the bottom did I realize: It's my day off.
Damn.
I could go back upstairs and ponder the enormity of the universe, but then actually getting out of bed at all would have been a wasted effort. I would call up a friend or two, but... well, you know. I mulled over my options for a good five or six minutes(I don't really have anywhere to be anytime soon.) until I settled on the most appealing option: Wandering.
Taking into account that Sarayashiki probably isn't the best town for such an activity, there really wasn't anything better to do. At least, that's what I told myself as I wandered through the streets. This is definitely a foot traffic town. The number of cars I've seen since moving here is pathetic. Apparently I didn't need to stay home to contemplate the universe in all it's complexity. I could do that just as well on my feet. Well, I could until a growl from my stomach interrupted my locomotive of thought. I glared at the unwelcome sound, but quickly realized that I was in luck. A near heavenly smell wafted down a side street I would have missed had I not been hungry. I trod slowly, trying to isolate the source of the odor. My quest came to an end as I entered an establishment with a familiar name: Yukimura Noodle Shop.
It looked to be a small, family owned restaurant and had obviously gained a certain popularity in Sarayashiki. The lunchtime crowd had been filing out of the place as the hour passed. I took a seat at the counter since it left enough space around me to not feel boxed in. To me, that is one of the worst feelings: Being trapped.
A cheery, "What can I get you?" pulled my attention back to the matter at hand: Food.
"Whatever the special is will be fine," I told the somehow familiar waitress. I'm not picky about food.
"I'll get that to you soon!" She said, turning to give my order to the chef.
I watched her work for a while, trying to remember where I've seen her. It had to have been recently. I snapped out of my trance when she brought me a steaming bowl of beef udon.
"This is great," I said unintentionally after swallowing my first bite of the dish.
"I'm glad you like it!" She replied, staring at me with large brown eyes. Her long, brown hair flew around her as she whipped around, back to her work. Then it clicked.
"Hey, aren't you-"
"Keiko!" A certain male voice cut in. "Be a doll and bring me the usual?"
"Why should I? I'm still mad at you." She answered him defiantly, a vein pulsing in her forehead.
"Oh, wait," He said, turning to me. One of my eyebrows raised when he held up what looked like a girl's compact mirror next to my face. Looking back and forth between it and me, it seemed as if he was making a comparison. "Huh, so you're her. Here I thought I was gonna have to walk all over town. Keiko, put that order on hold, I've got a case."
"What?" I'm confused.
