Physical Attributes
One eye slowly opened, blinked, and shut abruptly again. Too much sun. Shigure sighed and tried again. The same eye opened, blinked a couple times and finally adjusted itself. The second eye followed the same procedure. He smacked his lips together and realized he had a smoky taste in his mouth. That's what you get for smoking for six hours straight, he thought and dragged himself off the couch.
Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot..
Shigure looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. That's the life of a novelist, he thought and poured some water over his toothbrush. He poked his face as he brushed his teeth and realized that the bags under his eyes aren't very attractive. He spit the toothpaste into the sink and washed his mouth out with water.
He crawled over to the bathtub and almost collapsed on top of it. He picked himself up and wondered how long he's slept. He hoped that Mit-chan hadn't been knocking at his door all morning. Obviously, it wasn't that early since Yuki, Kyou and Tohru seemed to have excused themselves to school already.
Shigure let the warm water run into the tub. The thought of a nice bath seemed heavenly to him. While the tub filled itself up, he made his way to the kitchen with dreams of a nice cup of tea. The kitchen was a disaster. He'd have to get Yuki and Kyou to start cleaning up their own mess. He sighed and picked up the kettle off the floor. He ran the water into the kettle which suddenly reminded him of the bathtub. He ran into the bathroom and was pleased that he made it just in time before the water spilled over the rim.
He settled himself in the water, leaned back and closed his eyes. Mit- chan's angry face popped up in his mind and he immediately resolved that no more eye-closing will be done for the rest of that day. As if to snap him out of his happy place, he heard a knock on the front door. He sighed, got out of the tub and pulled on his robe.
Shigure stood on the other side of the door, manuscript in hand, doing breathing exercises. He decided that the image of an angry Mit-chan in his mind was nothing compared to the real thing and closed his eyes. He swung open the door before he lost his courage.
"It's finished! Gomen!" He held out the manuscript, his body bowed slightly, and his eyes shut as if there was no tomorrow.
"Uh.. good.. but I'm actually here to tell you that the deadline has been postponed."
Shigure let one of his eyes open slightly. If he had ever been embarrassed before in his life, this was definitely the time. He laughed nervously at the sight of the confused woman in front of him.
"Where's Mit-chan?" He asked, probably more confused than she was. Thoughts of Mit-chan jumping off a tall bridge because of him crept into his mind.
"She took the next three days off," the girl smiled gently and added, "Something about rather having to die than to see you again." She laughed.
Shigure chuckled, a bit nervous. "Come in," he said and held the door open for her. She took a step forward and he suddenly remembered the kitchen. "On second thought," he rushed her out the door, "how about we have breakfast somewhere else?"
"That's a nice idea.." she started, "but it's afternoon already."
"Then we'll go out for lunch!" Shigure grinned and dragged her behind him.
"Aren't you going to get dressed?" She asked, following him down the street.
"I am dressed, silly!" He laughed and twirled around in his "writer's kimono".
She laughed at his pathetic ballet skills. "Alright, if you say so."
"By the way, I didn't catch your name?" Shigure seemed to have calmed down a bit as they both walked together towards town.
"Akane," she said simply, not bothering to add in a last name.
"Akane-kun!" Shigure called, making a song out of her name. "And of course you must know that I am the infamous Sohma Shigure."
Akane smiled. "I simply can't imagine why Mit-chan so desperately warned me about you." She giggled a sarcastic little giggle and began skipping down the road, ahead of Shigure. He looked up at her and took some time to admit to himself that she was a very attractive woman. He also momentarily entertained the thought that he had met her somewhere before but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"What are you talking about? Mit-chan loves me!" He caught up to her and grabbed her hand for her to match pace with him.
"I got a distinctly different impression," Akane informed him without bothering to let go of his hand. They arrived at a nearby diner and made themselves comfortable at a table. A waitress came around to get their orders.
"Just tea for me, thanks." Shigure told her, remembering his failed attempt back at home. "What about you, Akane?"
"I ate. Nothing for me," she replied simply and waved away the request.
The waitress looked strangely at Shigure. "..Right.." She said. "So.. only tea?"
Shigure nodded at her and turned his attention back to Akane. "She looked at me as if I had an extra eyeball on my forehead."
"Maybe they don't get many people here wearing robes." She perched an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand.
"Akane-kun, please understand. It's a 'writer's kimono', all the great novelists wear them."
"If you say so," she smiled and glanced out the window next to them. The waitress came around to them and placed a cup of tea on the table.
Shigure glanced back over at Akane and focused his attention on the way her light hair reflected the rays of the sun. He was soon so mesmerized by it that he hadn't even realized she was speaking to him.
"Your tea will get cold," she said.
"It'll be fine," he assured her but took a sip anyway.
"Well, I suppose since you're already finished with the manuscript then I can take it in anyway," Akane remarked, changing the subject.
"Actually, I was rather glad to have that extra three days. It can't hurt to look over my writing since I did it in such a hurry last night."
"How much.. exactly did you write last night?" She wondered.
"The entire ending," Shigure answered, grinning sheepishly.
Akane sighed. "Then maybe it might be a good idea to proofread it, after all. I'd be glad to help if you need it."
"How generous of you! Why don't you stop by tomorrow at around the same time. The kids should be at school by then and it'll give me enough time to clean up after them."
"You.. have kids?" Akane asked, puzzled that she hasn't heard about this before.
"Iie! Not my kids! They just live with me and eat my food." Shigure waved the idea away.
"Oh," she said and smiled at him, her green eyes tracing his face.. or were they blue? He couldn't exactly make up his mind.
After a couple more pleasant, casual conversations in the diner, Shigure and Akane parted to go their separate ways. Shigure watched her walk up the opposing side of the street before he eventually started on his own way. He whistled and kicked a couple of rocks around as he retreated back to the house.
One eye slowly opened, blinked, and shut abruptly again. Too much sun. Shigure sighed and tried again. The same eye opened, blinked a couple times and finally adjusted itself. The second eye followed the same procedure. He smacked his lips together and realized he had a smoky taste in his mouth. That's what you get for smoking for six hours straight, he thought and dragged himself off the couch.
Left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot..
Shigure looked at himself in the bathroom mirror. That's the life of a novelist, he thought and poured some water over his toothbrush. He poked his face as he brushed his teeth and realized that the bags under his eyes aren't very attractive. He spit the toothpaste into the sink and washed his mouth out with water.
He crawled over to the bathtub and almost collapsed on top of it. He picked himself up and wondered how long he's slept. He hoped that Mit-chan hadn't been knocking at his door all morning. Obviously, it wasn't that early since Yuki, Kyou and Tohru seemed to have excused themselves to school already.
Shigure let the warm water run into the tub. The thought of a nice bath seemed heavenly to him. While the tub filled itself up, he made his way to the kitchen with dreams of a nice cup of tea. The kitchen was a disaster. He'd have to get Yuki and Kyou to start cleaning up their own mess. He sighed and picked up the kettle off the floor. He ran the water into the kettle which suddenly reminded him of the bathtub. He ran into the bathroom and was pleased that he made it just in time before the water spilled over the rim.
He settled himself in the water, leaned back and closed his eyes. Mit- chan's angry face popped up in his mind and he immediately resolved that no more eye-closing will be done for the rest of that day. As if to snap him out of his happy place, he heard a knock on the front door. He sighed, got out of the tub and pulled on his robe.
Shigure stood on the other side of the door, manuscript in hand, doing breathing exercises. He decided that the image of an angry Mit-chan in his mind was nothing compared to the real thing and closed his eyes. He swung open the door before he lost his courage.
"It's finished! Gomen!" He held out the manuscript, his body bowed slightly, and his eyes shut as if there was no tomorrow.
"Uh.. good.. but I'm actually here to tell you that the deadline has been postponed."
Shigure let one of his eyes open slightly. If he had ever been embarrassed before in his life, this was definitely the time. He laughed nervously at the sight of the confused woman in front of him.
"Where's Mit-chan?" He asked, probably more confused than she was. Thoughts of Mit-chan jumping off a tall bridge because of him crept into his mind.
"She took the next three days off," the girl smiled gently and added, "Something about rather having to die than to see you again." She laughed.
Shigure chuckled, a bit nervous. "Come in," he said and held the door open for her. She took a step forward and he suddenly remembered the kitchen. "On second thought," he rushed her out the door, "how about we have breakfast somewhere else?"
"That's a nice idea.." she started, "but it's afternoon already."
"Then we'll go out for lunch!" Shigure grinned and dragged her behind him.
"Aren't you going to get dressed?" She asked, following him down the street.
"I am dressed, silly!" He laughed and twirled around in his "writer's kimono".
She laughed at his pathetic ballet skills. "Alright, if you say so."
"By the way, I didn't catch your name?" Shigure seemed to have calmed down a bit as they both walked together towards town.
"Akane," she said simply, not bothering to add in a last name.
"Akane-kun!" Shigure called, making a song out of her name. "And of course you must know that I am the infamous Sohma Shigure."
Akane smiled. "I simply can't imagine why Mit-chan so desperately warned me about you." She giggled a sarcastic little giggle and began skipping down the road, ahead of Shigure. He looked up at her and took some time to admit to himself that she was a very attractive woman. He also momentarily entertained the thought that he had met her somewhere before but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"What are you talking about? Mit-chan loves me!" He caught up to her and grabbed her hand for her to match pace with him.
"I got a distinctly different impression," Akane informed him without bothering to let go of his hand. They arrived at a nearby diner and made themselves comfortable at a table. A waitress came around to get their orders.
"Just tea for me, thanks." Shigure told her, remembering his failed attempt back at home. "What about you, Akane?"
"I ate. Nothing for me," she replied simply and waved away the request.
The waitress looked strangely at Shigure. "..Right.." She said. "So.. only tea?"
Shigure nodded at her and turned his attention back to Akane. "She looked at me as if I had an extra eyeball on my forehead."
"Maybe they don't get many people here wearing robes." She perched an elbow on the table and rested her chin on her hand.
"Akane-kun, please understand. It's a 'writer's kimono', all the great novelists wear them."
"If you say so," she smiled and glanced out the window next to them. The waitress came around to them and placed a cup of tea on the table.
Shigure glanced back over at Akane and focused his attention on the way her light hair reflected the rays of the sun. He was soon so mesmerized by it that he hadn't even realized she was speaking to him.
"Your tea will get cold," she said.
"It'll be fine," he assured her but took a sip anyway.
"Well, I suppose since you're already finished with the manuscript then I can take it in anyway," Akane remarked, changing the subject.
"Actually, I was rather glad to have that extra three days. It can't hurt to look over my writing since I did it in such a hurry last night."
"How much.. exactly did you write last night?" She wondered.
"The entire ending," Shigure answered, grinning sheepishly.
Akane sighed. "Then maybe it might be a good idea to proofread it, after all. I'd be glad to help if you need it."
"How generous of you! Why don't you stop by tomorrow at around the same time. The kids should be at school by then and it'll give me enough time to clean up after them."
"You.. have kids?" Akane asked, puzzled that she hasn't heard about this before.
"Iie! Not my kids! They just live with me and eat my food." Shigure waved the idea away.
"Oh," she said and smiled at him, her green eyes tracing his face.. or were they blue? He couldn't exactly make up his mind.
After a couple more pleasant, casual conversations in the diner, Shigure and Akane parted to go their separate ways. Shigure watched her walk up the opposing side of the street before he eventually started on his own way. He whistled and kicked a couple of rocks around as he retreated back to the house.