He took a deep breath, and panted weakly, as the young woman he just scared
stood up, rubbing her palms against her kimono, smoothing out the wrinkles.
She was panting as well, and smiling weakly. The small porcelain cup
cradling the soft color of her pant had been tipped over in the scare, and
was now flooding over her painting. Looking back down at the mess, she
gasped again, but this time, not gasping out of fear, but disappointment.
"Oh no..." she sighed, kneeling back down, and picking up the small empty cup.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry..!!" he said, running his fingers through his bushy bangs. He watched her frantically try to clean up the yellow color off her picture, mostly of greens, purples, and blues. It looked mostly like a mess now with all the colors running together.
"It's alright." she sighed, smiling weakly at him from over her shoulder. Quickly, he knelled down next to her, and their hands kept reaching for the same cups and brushes, bumping into each other, desperately trying to clean up, and avoid each other's eyes. Shin blushed terribly. She sighed with frustration.
"I... really am, terribly sorry..." he sighed again, and used his sleeve to wipe up the paint off the floor.
"It wasn't a good painting anyway..." she smiled faintly again. She stood up, and held all the cups and brushes on her hands. He stood up with her, and smiled nervously.
"I bet it was pretty, I... um.. Saw them outside, they are very beautiful." he held the 'ruined' painting in his shaking hands, and looked down. He could tell what the picture was now... A samurai leaning against a tree in his armor, his helmet was off and he looked very sad. It was beautiful, the colors made beautiful shapes, but the whole thing was now blotched. But he still liked it. She smiled brightly, and looked much more happy and excited.
"Are you a customer? Are you interested in buying one of my paintings??" she looked very optimistic as she smiled at him. He blushed, feeling bad of what to tell her, and he knew he would take that beautiful smile off her face...
"Um... No, I'm not a customer..." he was right, her pretty smile did fade. "But, I could be one if you'd like." the red faded a bit from his cheeks, and he smiled confidently. "I'd love to buy one of your paintings."
"That's so sweet of you." she smiled.
"It's the least I could do." he sighed, and slowly, his cheeks turned redder, as the awkward silence added on to the tension. But the soft voice of his mother broke it.
"Hiryuu! I need your help, can you come here please??" he sighed, and he watched her set down all of her supplies on the table, and walk swiftly to the door. He had to do something, he didn't want to stop talking, and he wanted more.
"Wait..!" she stopped, and smiled at him. "What, should I do with this?" he held up the paper that was her former masterpiece.
"Oh, you can keep that, if you'd like." she pushed some of her hair behind her ear.
"Arigato... My name is Shin." he felt like an idiot.
"You're welcome, Shin..." Again, the awkward silence.
"Hiryuu!! I need you!" They sighed at the same time. They exchanged goodbyes, and she left him, standing there, slightly embarrassed, shocked, and confused. Walking out of the room, he same more strangers hanging around the shop, looking at his mothers flowers, and he sighed, looking down at his new picture. The samurai in the picture reminded him of himself... Alone, and sad... Sad because he was alone. He needed someone...
Suddenly, he felt eyes on him. He looked up, and he saw his mother give him that look. Oh right, he had work to do...
"Oh no..." she sighed, kneeling back down, and picking up the small empty cup.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry..!!" he said, running his fingers through his bushy bangs. He watched her frantically try to clean up the yellow color off her picture, mostly of greens, purples, and blues. It looked mostly like a mess now with all the colors running together.
"It's alright." she sighed, smiling weakly at him from over her shoulder. Quickly, he knelled down next to her, and their hands kept reaching for the same cups and brushes, bumping into each other, desperately trying to clean up, and avoid each other's eyes. Shin blushed terribly. She sighed with frustration.
"I... really am, terribly sorry..." he sighed again, and used his sleeve to wipe up the paint off the floor.
"It wasn't a good painting anyway..." she smiled faintly again. She stood up, and held all the cups and brushes on her hands. He stood up with her, and smiled nervously.
"I bet it was pretty, I... um.. Saw them outside, they are very beautiful." he held the 'ruined' painting in his shaking hands, and looked down. He could tell what the picture was now... A samurai leaning against a tree in his armor, his helmet was off and he looked very sad. It was beautiful, the colors made beautiful shapes, but the whole thing was now blotched. But he still liked it. She smiled brightly, and looked much more happy and excited.
"Are you a customer? Are you interested in buying one of my paintings??" she looked very optimistic as she smiled at him. He blushed, feeling bad of what to tell her, and he knew he would take that beautiful smile off her face...
"Um... No, I'm not a customer..." he was right, her pretty smile did fade. "But, I could be one if you'd like." the red faded a bit from his cheeks, and he smiled confidently. "I'd love to buy one of your paintings."
"That's so sweet of you." she smiled.
"It's the least I could do." he sighed, and slowly, his cheeks turned redder, as the awkward silence added on to the tension. But the soft voice of his mother broke it.
"Hiryuu! I need your help, can you come here please??" he sighed, and he watched her set down all of her supplies on the table, and walk swiftly to the door. He had to do something, he didn't want to stop talking, and he wanted more.
"Wait..!" she stopped, and smiled at him. "What, should I do with this?" he held up the paper that was her former masterpiece.
"Oh, you can keep that, if you'd like." she pushed some of her hair behind her ear.
"Arigato... My name is Shin." he felt like an idiot.
"You're welcome, Shin..." Again, the awkward silence.
"Hiryuu!! I need you!" They sighed at the same time. They exchanged goodbyes, and she left him, standing there, slightly embarrassed, shocked, and confused. Walking out of the room, he same more strangers hanging around the shop, looking at his mothers flowers, and he sighed, looking down at his new picture. The samurai in the picture reminded him of himself... Alone, and sad... Sad because he was alone. He needed someone...
Suddenly, he felt eyes on him. He looked up, and he saw his mother give him that look. Oh right, he had work to do...