A Cause For Celebration
Cast:
Fujita Akane – age 26
Hamura Kaneda – age 25
June, 2007
The sky is clear and blue. Although it is after 7pm, the proximity of the solstice means that the Sun is only just beginning to sink below the horizon. The Tako Cafe truck is parked at the edge of the grass near some picnic tables, but the only person still at the tables is a brown-haired man with an uneven goatee.
The owner of the truck sets a platter of takoyaki on the table, then sits down across from him.
"Here... eat up."
Up to this point, the man has been sketching in a large sketchbook. He puts it down, and sees that the woman has already eaten some from the plate.
"Say, Akane... Wasn't there a saying about partaking of your own supply?" He says with a smile.
"Bad advice, is what that is. Since I only serve the one thing, you'd better believe it's my favorite food!"
"Hey, I'm not complaining! It means I get to share a meal with you, after all. Although... I do worry you don't take enough breaks."
"It's fine, Kaneda. I can get by."
"If you say so. What happened to that cousin of yours?"
"Hikari's in her third year of middle school now. Any time she can spare should be spent preparing for the entrance exams."
The man lifts his gaze from the food to look Akane in the eyes. "What if I were to help?"
Akane crosses her arms. "Hamura Kaneda, if you take on a second job, you are never going to have time for your paintings!"
"Oh, that won't be a problem. I'm quitting the Mag. Put in my two weeks notice and everything."
"Really now?" Akane raises an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to stay there until your paintings start to sell."
The man grins. "I sold a painting."
"Kaneda, that's great!"
"No need to tell me that! I already spent the money, though."
"What, all of it? How could you be so reckless?"
"I needed to buy something worth about a month's wages, so I figured my first painting should be about equal to that."
He pulls a small box from his pocket and sets it on the table in front of her.
Inside the box is a diamond ring.