Hanabi da Cha
Fireworks and Tea
Have you ever met someone who was perfect - absolutely perfect? No, I don't mean perfect except for when they do this or that; I mean completely flawless, always possessing a sort of unnatural grace and almost noble beauty? I don't suppose you have. People like that are unimaginably rare. Most times they are declared "genius" and whisked away into unsociability. A normal person would be shocked and honored to meet such a person on the street, which in my opinion, is a tragedy.
Now, I'm not a normal person. Don't go thinking that I'm just like you, because I'm not. I hope you're not like me. I pity you if you are. I am the most ungraceful, unlucky person ever born. Now, you may laugh and say that it couldn't possibly be that bad, but you're wrong. When I was eight, I burned down my first temple. Yes, only my first. There have been two other temples, eight sacred trees, and six roadside shrines. Through a twist of fate, I was never blamed, but it really was my fault. My bad luck tends to run in the form of red, hot flame; which is why the line of work I've ended up in is ridiculous. I'm a pyrotechnic. I'm actually quite good at it, if you ignore the occasional accidents . . .
In fact, one of those accidents was where I first met her - the person I was talking about at the beginning of this, Lorelei. You see, Lorelei is a reporter. She works at the local news station. The television executives wanted a small fireworks display for their story on the traditional New Year's celebration. This was no problem, except that they wanted me to use traditional fireworks. Looking back, I don't know why that thought bamboo wouldn't catch fire. I told them it was dangerous and that they should find someone specifically trained in the area. But the viewers had to be satisfied, and there wasn't enough time to find someone else. So naturally, there was a fire.
I tried to put it out, really I did. I wasn't very big, but everyone began to panic and yell, and nothing was done to stop the flames. In the end, it only burnt one of the props, but it still had to be put out. I was so busy trying to help extinguish the flames that I didn't see Lorelei coming until she had already slapped me. Of course, I was knocked down due to my terrible balance. I sat on the ground, shocked and staring up at the fuming reporter above me.
She was wearing a red kimono with a pattern of small black flowers. The red of the cloth reflected into her hazel eyes, giving them the look of some sort of sacred inner fire. The highlights in her deep brown hair suddenly gave me the impression of blond fire spilling down from the top of her head. Her lips were tight and her fists were clenched. Apparently she realized that this was my fault.
"Sanada Ryo?" she hissed. I dumbly nodded.
"What the HELL are you doing?!!" she began to harangue me.
I sighed, breaking my thought and leaning back on the couch. I looked out the window and watch the sheets of rain pour down. Thunder rumbled as I raised my cup and drank the bitter green tea inside. I was glad it had rained today. Shin, Shu, Touma, and Seiji, my other roommates, were gone for the day. Shin had insisted on taking everyone down to learn to sail in the Shinjuku Bay. I didn't go because I was supposed to have a show tonight, and Lorelei had no interest in boats. My show was obviously canceled now, and the other weren't back. Knowing Shin, he would make them sail anyway. So for the whole day, I could watch Lorelei.
The only thing to ever make Lorelei upset was lightning, and even then, she was perfect. She had been gracing every room in the house today in her agitated state, and I fell even more deeply in love with her each time she passed me on her way to another distraction. I wanted to get up and follow her every time she came past. I wanted to follow after her, watching her wring her hands and cast dark looks towards the windows whenever thunder rumbled. Or I would have to suppress the urge to reach out and run my fingers through the dark hair that fell to her waist every time she got close enough. But every time she would pass by, just like every other time before this, just smile at her and sit still; just like always.
After the first time I met her, Lorelei began to follow me. Not in an obsessed, psychotic way, but like I was some strange animal she has to learn about. First she started showing up at all my fireworks shows. She would never even glance in my direction, but every time I got ready for a display, I knew she would be there. The one day, the television station contacted me again. They wanted to do a feature on my line of work. I was far from surprised when I was told that Lorelei was going to do the interview. So for one whole day, Lorelei followed me around. She watched what I was doing with a sort of skeptical, half-amused look as she took notes in almost complete kanji.
About two' o clock that afternoon, Lorelei lowered her dignity to speak to me. "Don't you ever eat lunch?" she asked. In surprise from her suggestion and her sudden decision to speak to me, I stared at her once again as I blushed furiously. I'd also forgotten the match in my hand. Naturally I burned my fingers. You see what I mean when I say unlucky?
Now Lorelei lived in my house. Through many twists and turns, I ended up burning down Lorelei's apartment complex, so she informed me that I owed it to her to find a place for her to live now. Shu suggested our house since we had some extra room. Of course, I didn't mind. After the day of the interview, Lorelei and I kept running into each other. Eventually we became friends, which was very surprising to me. Lorelei quickly learned to step out of my way as I tripped and not talk to me when I had fire in my hands. And I quickly learned that no matter what I did, I could never make Lorelei look even halfway foolish. Her grace only accented my clumsiness. Even her anger was beautiful, and I had seen a lot of that.
I got up off the couch as Lorelei passed me again. Once again I smiled at her and tried to look at ease. Lorelei gave me a glance and quick grin before she moved on in her quick, graceful steps. I went into the kitchen to get more tea.
I sighed with content as I stood over the stove and looked out the window. It was still raining. The trees outside were whipped by a gust of wind and turned over their leaves as if giving praise to the great force that moved them. The thunder announced it's grumbling disapproval of the sun that would eventually return again. I turned back to the small gray teakettle and refilled my cup. The stream from the dark tea rose around my hands as I poured, surrounding me with its relaxing warmth. With a sudden bolt of inspiration, I put down my own cup and reached into the cabinet for another. Filling that cup as well, I picked them both up and embarked on my journey to find Lorelei.
It wasn't hard to find her. I could hear her light humming as soon as I was across the living room. Watching the tea-filled cups with care, I made my way up the steps and into the doorway of Lorelei's room.
Lorelei was sitting on her bed, shuffling through some papers about the next story she was supposed to do for the news station. But I could tell from the way she flipped through them so carelessly that she wasn't really looking at what was written. She was trying to get her mind off the storm.
"I brought you some tea." I announced. Lorelei looked up in a brief moment of classic surprise. Then her dark eyes widened even further as I brought the cup over to her.
"Sanada!" she gasped. "You brought this all the way from the kitchen?" Bewildered, I nodded. "And you didn't spill it? You didn't break the cup? Or the teakettle? Or spill it on yourself?" She raised her hand in dramatic shock. "What's wrong with you?!"
I laughed and shrugged. "Maybe the curse is broken," I joked. Lorelei smiled back. A genuine, flawless smile devoid of the stress her anxiety caused her. I warmed me more thoroughly then the hot tea. I smiled back and turned to go back watching blessed rain on the couch.
"Sanada, wait," said Lorelei before I could get out of her sight. I turned and was greeted with another easy smile. "I'll come sit with you." I stared at her. She had never offered to do anything like that before. It was very out of character for her. But I quickly recovered.
"Sure." I smiled, and headed back down the steps with Lorelei behind me.
The two of us sat that way for the rest of the day, watching the storm slowly lessen until the thunder left and only a steady drizzle of rain was left. We didn't say much to one another, but we didn't need to. After all, the best friendship is found in silence. And who knows where it can go from there?
Have you ever met someone who was perfect - absolutely perfect? No, I don't mean perfect except for when they do this or that; I mean completely flawless, always possessing a sort of unnatural grace and almost noble beauty? I don't suppose you have. People like that are unimaginably rare. Most times they are declared "genius" and whisked away into unsociability. A normal person would be shocked and honored to meet such a person on the street, which in my opinion, is a tragedy.
Now, I'm not a normal person. Don't go thinking that I'm just like you, because I'm not. I hope you're not like me. I pity you if you are. I am the most ungraceful, unlucky person ever born. Now, you may laugh and say that it couldn't possibly be that bad, but you're wrong. When I was eight, I burned down my first temple. Yes, only my first. There have been two other temples, eight sacred trees, and six roadside shrines. Through a twist of fate, I was never blamed, but it really was my fault. My bad luck tends to run in the form of red, hot flame; which is why the line of work I've ended up in is ridiculous. I'm a pyrotechnic. I'm actually quite good at it, if you ignore the occasional accidents . . .
In fact, one of those accidents was where I first met her - the person I was talking about at the beginning of this, Lorelei. You see, Lorelei is a reporter. She works at the local news station. The television executives wanted a small fireworks display for their story on the traditional New Year's celebration. This was no problem, except that they wanted me to use traditional fireworks. Looking back, I don't know why that thought bamboo wouldn't catch fire. I told them it was dangerous and that they should find someone specifically trained in the area. But the viewers had to be satisfied, and there wasn't enough time to find someone else. So naturally, there was a fire.
I tried to put it out, really I did. I wasn't very big, but everyone began to panic and yell, and nothing was done to stop the flames. In the end, it only burnt one of the props, but it still had to be put out. I was so busy trying to help extinguish the flames that I didn't see Lorelei coming until she had already slapped me. Of course, I was knocked down due to my terrible balance. I sat on the ground, shocked and staring up at the fuming reporter above me.
She was wearing a red kimono with a pattern of small black flowers. The red of the cloth reflected into her hazel eyes, giving them the look of some sort of sacred inner fire. The highlights in her deep brown hair suddenly gave me the impression of blond fire spilling down from the top of her head. Her lips were tight and her fists were clenched. Apparently she realized that this was my fault.
"Sanada Ryo?" she hissed. I dumbly nodded.
"What the HELL are you doing?!!" she began to harangue me.
I sighed, breaking my thought and leaning back on the couch. I looked out the window and watch the sheets of rain pour down. Thunder rumbled as I raised my cup and drank the bitter green tea inside. I was glad it had rained today. Shin, Shu, Touma, and Seiji, my other roommates, were gone for the day. Shin had insisted on taking everyone down to learn to sail in the Shinjuku Bay. I didn't go because I was supposed to have a show tonight, and Lorelei had no interest in boats. My show was obviously canceled now, and the other weren't back. Knowing Shin, he would make them sail anyway. So for the whole day, I could watch Lorelei.
The only thing to ever make Lorelei upset was lightning, and even then, she was perfect. She had been gracing every room in the house today in her agitated state, and I fell even more deeply in love with her each time she passed me on her way to another distraction. I wanted to get up and follow her every time she came past. I wanted to follow after her, watching her wring her hands and cast dark looks towards the windows whenever thunder rumbled. Or I would have to suppress the urge to reach out and run my fingers through the dark hair that fell to her waist every time she got close enough. But every time she would pass by, just like every other time before this, just smile at her and sit still; just like always.
After the first time I met her, Lorelei began to follow me. Not in an obsessed, psychotic way, but like I was some strange animal she has to learn about. First she started showing up at all my fireworks shows. She would never even glance in my direction, but every time I got ready for a display, I knew she would be there. The one day, the television station contacted me again. They wanted to do a feature on my line of work. I was far from surprised when I was told that Lorelei was going to do the interview. So for one whole day, Lorelei followed me around. She watched what I was doing with a sort of skeptical, half-amused look as she took notes in almost complete kanji.
About two' o clock that afternoon, Lorelei lowered her dignity to speak to me. "Don't you ever eat lunch?" she asked. In surprise from her suggestion and her sudden decision to speak to me, I stared at her once again as I blushed furiously. I'd also forgotten the match in my hand. Naturally I burned my fingers. You see what I mean when I say unlucky?
Now Lorelei lived in my house. Through many twists and turns, I ended up burning down Lorelei's apartment complex, so she informed me that I owed it to her to find a place for her to live now. Shu suggested our house since we had some extra room. Of course, I didn't mind. After the day of the interview, Lorelei and I kept running into each other. Eventually we became friends, which was very surprising to me. Lorelei quickly learned to step out of my way as I tripped and not talk to me when I had fire in my hands. And I quickly learned that no matter what I did, I could never make Lorelei look even halfway foolish. Her grace only accented my clumsiness. Even her anger was beautiful, and I had seen a lot of that.
I got up off the couch as Lorelei passed me again. Once again I smiled at her and tried to look at ease. Lorelei gave me a glance and quick grin before she moved on in her quick, graceful steps. I went into the kitchen to get more tea.
I sighed with content as I stood over the stove and looked out the window. It was still raining. The trees outside were whipped by a gust of wind and turned over their leaves as if giving praise to the great force that moved them. The thunder announced it's grumbling disapproval of the sun that would eventually return again. I turned back to the small gray teakettle and refilled my cup. The stream from the dark tea rose around my hands as I poured, surrounding me with its relaxing warmth. With a sudden bolt of inspiration, I put down my own cup and reached into the cabinet for another. Filling that cup as well, I picked them both up and embarked on my journey to find Lorelei.
It wasn't hard to find her. I could hear her light humming as soon as I was across the living room. Watching the tea-filled cups with care, I made my way up the steps and into the doorway of Lorelei's room.
Lorelei was sitting on her bed, shuffling through some papers about the next story she was supposed to do for the news station. But I could tell from the way she flipped through them so carelessly that she wasn't really looking at what was written. She was trying to get her mind off the storm.
"I brought you some tea." I announced. Lorelei looked up in a brief moment of classic surprise. Then her dark eyes widened even further as I brought the cup over to her.
"Sanada!" she gasped. "You brought this all the way from the kitchen?" Bewildered, I nodded. "And you didn't spill it? You didn't break the cup? Or the teakettle? Or spill it on yourself?" She raised her hand in dramatic shock. "What's wrong with you?!"
I laughed and shrugged. "Maybe the curse is broken," I joked. Lorelei smiled back. A genuine, flawless smile devoid of the stress her anxiety caused her. I warmed me more thoroughly then the hot tea. I smiled back and turned to go back watching blessed rain on the couch.
"Sanada, wait," said Lorelei before I could get out of her sight. I turned and was greeted with another easy smile. "I'll come sit with you." I stared at her. She had never offered to do anything like that before. It was very out of character for her. But I quickly recovered.
"Sure." I smiled, and headed back down the steps with Lorelei behind me.
The two of us sat that way for the rest of the day, watching the storm slowly lessen until the thunder left and only a steady drizzle of rain was left. We didn't say much to one another, but we didn't need to. After all, the best friendship is found in silence. And who knows where it can go from there?