Summer 2

Sleep did not come easy her first night. How much time has passed since Kotone last stepped foot in the Kirijo mansion? The fact that she's now living here is almost like a dream. How ironic that she who strived for independence is now reliant on her cousin, the only family she has left in this world, whom she loves more than anything.

She decided the moment Mitsuru persuaded her to take the offer of moving in that she would repay all the kindness that was shown to her. She would buy her own food and even pay rent. Shiomi Kotone refuses to be a mooch.

First things first: she needs a job.

Now, as far as skills go, she would humbly admit she doesn't really excel at anything, well aside from the violin. Growing up, she had constant recitals one after another. It wasn't a surprise that she got admission to the prestiges Gekkoukan High School. Years have gone by since she no longer has the passion for it. She attended Music Club but her heart wasn't really in it.

The only other thing she could think of was cooking and she was only okay at it. At least better than Fuuka anyway.

Fuuka… her thoughts began to trail back to her dear friends and what they are doing right now. They all discussed their after graduation goals and she wishes with all her heart that they are well on their way to be able to achieve them. Whenever they next meet, she will be sure to hound each one of them for all the details about their new adult lives. Right now however is not the time to be dwelling on such things. Such lonesome thoughts would only bring down her mood.

Unraveling from the thin, pink covers that cocooned her throughout the night, she let her toes sink into the plush carpet. The room was much larger than she would have ever expected, hosting a closet that dwarfed her old dorm by comparison. Despite the open space she felt it was overwhelmingly suffocating.

On any other day the promise to sleep in would be most welcome, but the desire to to get a move on was just a tad bit stronger.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes shortly followed by an unrestrained yawn, she walked to the window to draw the curtains. Through the tiny crack, the pleasant warmth of the morning greeted her with a gentle caress on her face. Birds chirping and cicadas buzzing, all signs of summer.

Having a vanity was not a luxury Kotone has ever known. Instead of standing in front of a bathroom mirror, being careful not to drop a hair pin down the sink drain, she is able to tie her hair and pin it down while sitting on a comfortable chair.

To her it didn't matter if not every russet strand was in a proper place. Her hair tied up was always on the little messy side, one might dare to call it frizzy, but so long as it was out of the way and not in her face she didn't really mind… or that is something she tells herself and the actual truth is that her after numerous attempts she's given up on trying to tame her wild locks.

Once satisfied with her work, a picture caught her attention. Maybe she was too tired from yesterday to notice it. Displayed in a dark oak frame was a family portrait featuring a very young girl whom Kotone immediately recognized from red hair to be Mitsuru. Even at that age her cousin was the epitome of perfection, carmine silk done up beautifully in curly twin tails. It was never jealousy Kotone felt for her but always a strong sense of admiration and pride. They've always been close, the picture did well to show that fact. Rather than looking straight ahead, Mitsuru's attention was on a small bundle wrapped in the arms of a woman.

Her mother.

How? And her father as well? She was positive after the accident that there were no photographs of her deceased parents. How did Mitsuru come across this?

Standing in the shadows, barely noticeable at first glance, a stern man with a eyepatch stood. Kotone couldn't fight the chill that crept down her spine. The late Kirijo Takeharu, Mitsuru's father. He was the only person not smiling. Kotone didn't know much about him but compared to the current head of Kirijo he was very much an intimidating sight.

She would have to thank Mitsuru for the photograph, but as she left her room she caught sight of a note on the outside of the door.

Sorry, I won't be around for the rest of the day. I need to attend to some urgent matters at work. Here's Akihiko's number. Be sure to give him a call.

It was to be expected. Kotone couldn't deny she felt a little disappointed, but on the bright side it gave her an opportunity to get her plans in action. Mitsuru would probably insist that she take more time to settle before looking for work.

She could call Akihiko and get some tips about where was hiring. That would however interrupt his day off. No. Kotone can handle this herself.

She downloaded an app that would point to available places and navigate her in the right direction. She could handle it. Even with all the confusing street names that twisted and winded in all sorts of paths, it's better to get a feel for her new surroundings sooner than later.

Grabbing her bag, and one last glance at her parents, she ventured out into the world.

Shinjiro had to admit that there were sure far worse places to earn a living. A little diner called Persimmon managed by an elderly couple too weak to do manual labor in an unknown back alley.

He struggled to maintain a job when he got out of high school. Jumping from place to place. There was no place he belonged.

One day he stumbled across the diner. He ordered a simple coffee to wake him from staying up all night, but the shaky hands that served him ended up spilling the hot drink all over his lap. He was guided to the back room to clean up and next thing he knew he was the one helping them with making the food. It was painful watching them not being able to crack an egg without dropping the shell into the pan. He's worked here ever since.

It was up to him to take orders, cook, clean, and restock pretty much all by himself. Any normal person would have complained and quit ages ago. Shinjiro wasn't a normal person. Maybe a 27 year old should have better ambitions. He didn't care. Business was slow, tips pretty much nonexistent. His own little quiet getaway; not only from the hustle of the city but keeping somewhat busy helped keep the dark inner workings of his own mind at bay. Having no co-workers, to him, was a blessing.

Or in hindsight, he might have quit if he knew who was going to walk into his life that day.

The ringing of the bell signaled to him from the kitchen of a customer. Petite and young. Here to eat out with friends perhaps? Whatever. It didn't matter to him. He grabbed a menu and went out to greet her. With the headphones on, he didn't make an attempt to speak as he approached.

"Uh, no, sorry! I'm not here to eat!" Why was she apologizing? "I'm actually looking for a job."

"Not hiring."

"Wait!" She forced her way in front of him, preventing him from walking away. "I've tried so many places already… please give me a chance. A trial run maybe?" Her eyes did most of the pleading. Life is tough. With no job experience, no one wants to hire. It's a shame.

"Not my problem." Mr. and Mrs. Kitamura barely had enough to pay him and keep the shop running. She's better off finding someplace she can grow and make a career.

It was that moment that Mitsuko, followed closely by Bunkichi, made their appearance. "Shinji-kun, dearie, are you making decisions on our behalf again?" The old woman was sweet with no indication of anger in her question. Shinjiro scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment. It wasn't too often they came down to check on things. The poor fools trusted him to run things and not run off. "Now what was this about needing a job?"

Minutes passed as the girl explained her situation. Shinjiro stopped listening and went back to counting stock. Thinking of working beside someone else did not play the most ideal scenarios in his head. She's young, probably hasn't worked a day in her pretty little life. Training her would fall on his lap.

"Well, little one, we cannot offer much in the way of pay, but you can eat for free." Which by that they meant Shinjiro would cook for her.

Part of him prayed that once the girl saw how little she would be making, she'd decline and look somewhere else. The old couple always had their heart in the right place, but they weren't the brightest. He always chucked it up to be them being senile. Hell, they hired him. They should know better though. The strain of a new employee would likely break them financially. Not to mention the sweet gig he enjoyed up to now would be over.

In one second her response caused him to lose count. "I accept!" The girl was an idiot. If she tried even a little harder she'd find a better job eventually. She must be really desperate.

"Oh wonderful!" Mitsuko patted her on the arm. The old woman looked to her husband. "You hear that, Bunkichi? Now we don't have to worry about Shinji-kun being lonely."

Bunkichi took a puff of his pipe and adjusted his glasses. He nodded. "Yes, quite right. Thank you for being willing to help us old folks out. When do you think you can start working here, uh what was your name again?"

Two fingers came to the bridge of Shinjiro's nose as he felt a headache coming on. They never even asked in the first place. They don't know anything about their new employee. She may look innocent but she could very well be a criminal. No background check. Idiots. He couldn't believe how naive they were.

"Shiomi Kotone. Thank you for the opportunity."

Was it karma because he refused to go greet her at the airport or cruel chance that it would be Mitsuru's little cousin? A shared name perhaps? No, that would be too much of a coincidence.

"My name is Bunkichi and this is my wife, Mitsuko. Shinji-kun get out here and introduce yourself." He wanted to ignore the demand. Reluctantly he came back out, head low and hands in his pocket. He was greeted with a smack on the shin by the old man's cane. "Sorry about him, he's a bit shy."

Taking in an in breath, he gave his name. "Aragaki Shinjiro." He didn't miss the way that her eyes widened. Yup. It was definitely the girl he was told about.

"A-Aragaki-san!?" He scratched the back of his head. Did she have to be this annoying already?

"Oh," came Mitsuko's raspy voice. "You two know each other."

"No." A sharp response. A declaration that he did not want to get to know her. She was deaf to this underlying fact.

He noticed she still hadn't taken her headphones this whole time. Part of him wanted to reprimand her for not showing respect to her elders, but he bit back his tongue. It would be hypocritical of him at this point. And the couple didn't seem bothered by it in the slightest.

"He's a friend of my cousin." She smiled. A genuine smile. There was no reason to be so happy. "I was a little nervous, but I'm glad someone I can trust will be here guiding me."

She didn't even know him. The only reason she says this is because of Mitsuru. He half expected her to warn Kotone of him.

Bunkichi nodded. Whatever he was going to say will never be known because Mitsuko spoke first. "Oh my, would you look at the time. We're going to miss our program if we don't hurry back upstairs."

"Wait!" Kotone caught them before they could completely retreat. "When did you want me to start exactly?"

"Now would be nice." Bunkichi didn't elaborate any further and went out of sight.

"Eh?" Kotone's expression in any other situation might have been amusing. Just as he always thought, his employers were senile old bats. Every part of mind screamed to toss his apron and walk out. Leave the girl to handle things by herself.

He sighed. "You ever work in a kitchen before?"

She blinked, coming back from her confused state. "No. But, I was part of my school's cooking club with my friend, Fuuka. She, uh, wasn't the best. Oh! But don't worry about it! I can cook just fine!"

All this yapping. She seriously talked way too much. He didn't ask for a life story. "You can take orders from customers, I guess"

"Yessir!" Fighting off the need to roll his eyes after she gave a little a salute, he left her to own devices. But not before reprimanding her. "And take those damn earphones off."

Akihiko was sure to get a kick out of this. He could see that smug face of his now. Bad luck had a tendency to follow Shinjiro's every move.

The rest of the day went by painfully slower than usual. As much as he tried, her presence could not be ignored. First there was the issue of a uniform. They had some spares but they were all his size. She would look like a damn potato sack if wore one. Looking over the budget, he cringed internally. He wasn't sure how he could fit an order in for her.

"Excuse me." Whatever solutions he was thinking of were instantly lost at her interruption. The only acknowledgement that would indicate to her that he was listening was a slight shift of his head in her direction. She went on. "There aren't any customers."

Of course there wasn't. Nobody comes into this alley unless they have very specific reasons. Shinjiro was surprised she came across it. It's only been one day since she's been here.

"They'll come eventually." She stood there for far too long for his comfort until it became clear he had no more words to offer to her.

Only then when she was gone did he realize he didn't even ask what size she wore. It wasn't worth calling her back or going after her for a trifling matter. With a frame like hers he took a guess and wrote down the smallest available. The cost of it will be coming from her paycheck.

Speaking of, Mitsuru was loaded. A girl like Kotone shouldn't need to be working, let alone in a dump like this. She is bound to have cash stashed somewhere just by being even partially related to the Kirijo name.

Soft and pleasant humming came from the serving area. Kotone was playing music again. Straightening up from being hunched over the table, he made his way to tell her off.

It wasn't her phone the music was coming from but Kotone herself. Sitting on a table, patiently looking at the door for someone to come in, she was singing.

A familiar melody from long ago. Both a bitter and a hopeful tune. For a brief time, he felt unable to turn away. Her voice, he found, was mesmerizing.

Only when he needed to take the time to blink did her siren spell end.

This was the very reason he didn't want to meet her. She's a distraction. A child in a world she doesn't understand.

She could have gotten a job back in Gekkoukan City. There's better opportunities there for young kids getting out of school. Iwatodai is unforgiving in comparison.

The air of innocence she brought with her is suffocating.

An image of a little girl, nose dripping and eyes filled to the brim with tears flashed in his mind. He needed relief.

He shut the bathroom door with a little too much force. He never did this duringhis shift before, but right now he needed to get the edge off. From his pocket he took out two unlabeled bottles. The contents inside known only to him. He did not hesitate to pop a pill from each into his mouth and swallow.

Mitsuru has been hurt by him enough already. He knew full well her asking him to be a friend for her sister was pure coincidence. She didn't expect him to be home. It was a request for Akihiko, only offered to him to keep up appearances that their friendship hadn't met its end already.

The reality being that the moment Mitsuru discovers where she's going to be spending her days comes to light, things are going to fall apart even more than they already did. Whatever bond the two once shared lays completely shattered.

What shitty luck, he thought looking at the mess that was himself in the mirror.

On the other side of the door, Kotone looked on with a bewildered look about her. They only met today and it's almost as though he completely hates her. Her time here was brief and she doesn't recall saying anything particularly rude. Is there a chance that she offended him in the past?

Then again, the bags under his eyes were incredibly dark and his posture made her own spine sore from looking at how hunched over he was. A light bulb went off. He must be grumpy from a lack of sleep. If he was someone to be wary of Mitsuru would have surely mentioned it. In fact, Shinjiro was hardly ever brought up recently and nothing worth mentioning was better then something negative.

So it's decided that Kotone would do her utmost to help him out. From how the actual people who own the diner so willingly left the two of them alone it's probably safe to assume that they don't do much at all.

She did find it odd how they hired her on the spot without much thought. At least they gave her the time of day. Everywhere else barely took a glance at her resume and wrote her off. She had part-time jobs before when she lived in Gekkoukan since junior year but nothing serious. She probably comes across as trying to make quick cash.

Come to think of it, this whole thing is bizarre. She begins to question the sanity of the old man and woman.

What if their serial killers and this diner was for show and they chop and serve their victims? And Shinjiro's in on it?

Oh God! Am I gonna die!? Clutching her head, horrible visions of being bound and gag and the three of them held knives while a pot boiled nearby. Once her imagination took hold there was no turning back.

Ting-a-ling. The ringing of a bell woke from her stupor. The entrance was open a fraction of the way. Brown eyes peered back at her. A customer?

"Wel-... come?" As soon as the words left her mouth the door snapped back shut.

But not too much long after did someone actually come in. A tall man in a suit. The person she saw though was much smaller, almost resembling more to a small child.

"Oh, good afternoon. You wouldn't happen to know if Kitamura-san is in? Or his wife?" Such a sauve voice to match his formal presence.

Kotone shook her head. "They went upstairs sometime ago. But I just started working here so allow me to help you with any of your needs." With a tilt of her head and a smile. Since first impressions are everything she cannot afford to mess up her first order.

"Oh, if that's the case I'll have the house special." Racking her brain, Kotone doesn't recall a house special when she looked over the menu. And how she could she know what the tiny establishment was known for in the measly amount of time she's been here.

The gentleman kept staring at her with the strange grin on his face. Every millisecond that passed it became less friendly and like the Devil himself was looking at her with malicious intent.

"Fuck off, Tanaka." A gruff and deep voice interrupted them; a complete contrast to the silver tongue businessman. "You know damn well there ain't such a thing."

"Ah, Aragaki-san. I guess you'll do." Tanaka attempted to put his hand on Shinjiro's shoulder. The gesture was not welcomed and Shinjro yanked away from the touch. "You know this is exactly the reason this place is in ruins. No hospitality. Not to mention the ones who are supposed to actually be running the show never make an appearance."

"Get to the point."

Tanaka lifted his hands and shook his head. "See? Now this is why I like you, always keeping things moving. Now, as I mentioned before I only wish to save this place. I can offer enough for the old bags- I mean the lovely couple to allow them to retire comfortably. And you can keep your job. You just need to help me push them in the right direction."

"And like I told you, they have no desire to sell." The burning question of whether Shinjinro hated her at last dissipated. This was how he sounded when he hated someone. There was no doubt from the venom laced in his voice.

"Fine." Tanaka no longer saw a point with the stubborn Shinjiro on the scene. "But should things get too dire, you have my number." He pulled a card from the pocket of his shirt, handing it to Kotone. "Here you are, little lady. Maybe once you know how things are around here you'll be more willing to help me out than this buffoon."

An awkward silence fell about the room. It was deafening to Kotone. Opening her mouth to speak she instead heard Shinjiro. "You need to watch out for people like him. Even those who come across as wanting to be your friend very well might want to take advantage of you."

He bit the inside of his cheek, looking down at his feet. Kotone, who can't begin to wonder what caused Shinjiro to look so pained, tentatively reached out to his arm. The touch caused him to slightly jolt.

"Oy. What do you think you're doing?" At his outburst, she pulled her hand away. She overstepped their boundaries. His relationship with Mitsuru did not make them friends by association. Dumb luck being the only thing that brought them together today.

As for Shinjiro, a tinge guilt crept over him. None of what occurred today was by her design. Snapping at her would not bring about any solution. Damn that Tanaka.

"Listen. Just because it seems slow now, past noon we are gonna pick up. I won't hesitate kicking your ass out if you slack off." The dejected expression on her face was gone and his words. Replacing it with one of determination and willingness to succeed.

"Yessir!" And he instantly regrets giving her a warning and would rather go their separate ways now. He didn't deserve the respect she showed him. It's unnerving.

Kotone, meanwhile, was positively overjoyed. The rough start from the earlier is a forgotten, unimportant memory.

True to what Shinjiro said, things picked up just as the bright summer sun dulled. With the day coming to a close the bell rang with the comings and goings of those looking to get a break from their own hectic work or school life.

One such person was a boy not much younger than Kotone. More on the round side, cheeks as round as a full moon, still dressed in his school uniform, he spoke with a mouth full of pie to the reasons he enjoyed coming to Persimmon. While most of his peers enjoyed the excitement the city had to offer he preferred the solitary atmosphere.

"But the best part is the food." By how he never once stopped to swallow before continuing speaking, Kotone didn't doubt his words in the slightest. She made a mental note to be sure to try Shinjiro's cooking when she's given the chance. When they become better acquainted that is. At this rate, however, that chance might never come to pass.

Things go slow enough to allow a semblance of free time between orders yet it did not look like Shinjiro had much more to say to her beyond work related tasks.

When all fell back into silence and the last bill paid, did he directly acknowledge her presence since the afternoon. "That should do it. You can go home now." He hung up his apron and untied his hair. His shaggy mane of hair, rivalling her own unruly locks, fell past his shoulders.

"Thank you. For giving me a chance." She stood outside with him as he locked the shop up. Bunkichi and Mistuko probably are fast asleep despite it being still early evening.

"Thank you." The gratitude didn't appear sarcastic in nature, but Shinjiro couldn't recall deserving it.

The real thing that bothered him was this whole day seemed too convenient to be just a chance. "How did you even find this place?" His own curiosity couldn't help this nagging question.

All too eager to give him an answer, she pulled out her phone On the display was a help wanted ad. When was it posted? And why? He never heard anything about it. Whatever. Not bothering to say any goodbyes, he hopped on his motorbike that sat just outside the alley.

Kotone stood still looking down at her phone. There was no indication she was going to move anytime soon. He opened his mouth to ask if she had a way back to Mitsuru's. He put on his helmet, figuring that she got here on own and that she has some means of getting around.

The engine came to life and he drove off into the opposite direction of his apartment without saying a word.

A/N: Thank you to anyone who takes time to read this incoherent mess.