Chapter 2: Sakura's Shock
Note: 1000 yen = ? US Dollars. I don't know the equivalent so could someone tell me? I think it a bit higher than a 10 dollar bill.
I sighed as I lifted the boxes out the delivery truck and into the small market place. It's been about 3 days after Ken and I left America for Japan, looking for my first job. We spent two days looking for a job that fitted my personality. . . Unfortunately he couldn't help the feeling that being the muscle of a delivery business wasn't exactly what I looking for. I had to make do, though. At least the work was easy (since I've been used to weightlifting during my training when I used to fight) and the pay was pretty up there for a job of this caliber. Hey, maybe if I keep it up I could get promoted. . .
As I finished up the last of the boxes, the store manager met up with me and pulled me to the side. By the looks of it, it seemed as if he was actually pleased to talk with me.
"Uh, listen. . . uh. . ." he started and I finished.
"Ryu."
"Oh. Yeah, Ryu. Listen. . . I have been getting my store groceries from your company for years and never. . . and I mean never, has any of guys delivered the boxes so fast as you did. You didn't even need to use the pick up. Here. . . It's a tip."
The manager handed me a 1000 yen in my hands, and even I knew that was a bit much for just a tip. I stared at him for a quick second before remembering my manners.
"Thanks."
"No prob. You work hard, so you need a reward. Just keep it up."
I nodded and started to leave. As soon as I walked out, someone from my right ran into me and fell back, startled. I stopped and looked that way, about to apologize, before I stopped. There was a young teen girl on the ground, staring at me with a surprised look on her face. I laid eyes on what she was wearing. . . and immediately identified it: a school fuku. . .
{Oh, boy. . . It's Sakura} I thought inside my head as she got up. She looked at me a little more before speaking.
"R. . . Ryu?" she asked, shakily. I only nodded. She still stared at me with a huge look of disbelief on her face. After a long silence she spoke again.
"Uh. . . wow. I really, REALLY wasn't expecting to run into you so abruptly, but knowing you, you're ready to fight no matter what. You think you can have a quick spar with me?"
I cringed. I honestly didn't have the time to stop for her. . . and the hard part was that how do I let her know that I gave up fighting? She looks up to me because of my fighting skills. . . but what would she do if I told her. I decided not to even try, not willing to find out the answer to that question.
"Uh, Sakura, you caught me at a bad time," I replied. "I'm sort of busy right now."
"Busy? Doing what?"
I paused. I didn't have anything to counter that response. Just then, one of my co-workers that drove the truck popped up from behind me.
"Ryu! Come on! We gotta deliver the rest of this stuff before 3. We only got 2 more stops so let's get it over with. I'd like to head home and relax."
"Sure. . ." I responded and he went back towards the truck. I turned back to Sakura. . . and was surprised to see that her eyes were wide.
"Ryu. . . You mean to tell me. . . that you have a. . . a. . . JOB?!?"
I sweatdropped. "Uh. . . uh. . . yes. . ."
"So that's why you can't fight now. . ." she said, her excitement dropping. She looked at the ground a bit more before looking back at me and asked, "Well, this doesn't mean that you gave up street fighting, right?"
Now I was really nervous. I didn't notice how Sakura could get the heart of a problem so fast. I couldn't lie to her. I sighed and answered. . .
"Uh, actually. . . it does. . ."
I think I broke her heart right then and there. She stared at me even harder, taking this seriously.
"But. . . why, Ryu!? I thought that you said that. . ."
"I'm sorry, Sakura. . ." I cut her off bluntly. "I just had to go on. . . If you understand why I gave it up, then. . ."
"Then tell me why," she interrupted me.
"I. . . I just felt that I needed to something else with my life. Fighting isn't as good as it used to be. . ."
Sakura was about to talk again but shut herself up. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily.
"Okay, Ryu. . ."
I just realized that I must have insulted her by saying that fighting wasn't exciting anymore. To her, me saying that meant my opponents weren't exiting me. . . including her. Before I could apologize she walked by me and without stopping she said, "I guess. . . I'll see ya later. Good luck on your new life." A pause as she stopped, looked behind her back, and forced a smile.
"Just make sure you visit me, okay?"
"Sure."
As Sakura left I just headed back to the truck, feeling sort of guilty. I didn't mean to hurt her like that. . . I got on the delivery truck and went on to my next location.
End of Chapter 2. R&R to see if you liked it.
Note: 1000 yen = ? US Dollars. I don't know the equivalent so could someone tell me? I think it a bit higher than a 10 dollar bill.
I sighed as I lifted the boxes out the delivery truck and into the small market place. It's been about 3 days after Ken and I left America for Japan, looking for my first job. We spent two days looking for a job that fitted my personality. . . Unfortunately he couldn't help the feeling that being the muscle of a delivery business wasn't exactly what I looking for. I had to make do, though. At least the work was easy (since I've been used to weightlifting during my training when I used to fight) and the pay was pretty up there for a job of this caliber. Hey, maybe if I keep it up I could get promoted. . .
As I finished up the last of the boxes, the store manager met up with me and pulled me to the side. By the looks of it, it seemed as if he was actually pleased to talk with me.
"Uh, listen. . . uh. . ." he started and I finished.
"Ryu."
"Oh. Yeah, Ryu. Listen. . . I have been getting my store groceries from your company for years and never. . . and I mean never, has any of guys delivered the boxes so fast as you did. You didn't even need to use the pick up. Here. . . It's a tip."
The manager handed me a 1000 yen in my hands, and even I knew that was a bit much for just a tip. I stared at him for a quick second before remembering my manners.
"Thanks."
"No prob. You work hard, so you need a reward. Just keep it up."
I nodded and started to leave. As soon as I walked out, someone from my right ran into me and fell back, startled. I stopped and looked that way, about to apologize, before I stopped. There was a young teen girl on the ground, staring at me with a surprised look on her face. I laid eyes on what she was wearing. . . and immediately identified it: a school fuku. . .
{Oh, boy. . . It's Sakura} I thought inside my head as she got up. She looked at me a little more before speaking.
"R. . . Ryu?" she asked, shakily. I only nodded. She still stared at me with a huge look of disbelief on her face. After a long silence she spoke again.
"Uh. . . wow. I really, REALLY wasn't expecting to run into you so abruptly, but knowing you, you're ready to fight no matter what. You think you can have a quick spar with me?"
I cringed. I honestly didn't have the time to stop for her. . . and the hard part was that how do I let her know that I gave up fighting? She looks up to me because of my fighting skills. . . but what would she do if I told her. I decided not to even try, not willing to find out the answer to that question.
"Uh, Sakura, you caught me at a bad time," I replied. "I'm sort of busy right now."
"Busy? Doing what?"
I paused. I didn't have anything to counter that response. Just then, one of my co-workers that drove the truck popped up from behind me.
"Ryu! Come on! We gotta deliver the rest of this stuff before 3. We only got 2 more stops so let's get it over with. I'd like to head home and relax."
"Sure. . ." I responded and he went back towards the truck. I turned back to Sakura. . . and was surprised to see that her eyes were wide.
"Ryu. . . You mean to tell me. . . that you have a. . . a. . . JOB?!?"
I sweatdropped. "Uh. . . uh. . . yes. . ."
"So that's why you can't fight now. . ." she said, her excitement dropping. She looked at the ground a bit more before looking back at me and asked, "Well, this doesn't mean that you gave up street fighting, right?"
Now I was really nervous. I didn't notice how Sakura could get the heart of a problem so fast. I couldn't lie to her. I sighed and answered. . .
"Uh, actually. . . it does. . ."
I think I broke her heart right then and there. She stared at me even harder, taking this seriously.
"But. . . why, Ryu!? I thought that you said that. . ."
"I'm sorry, Sakura. . ." I cut her off bluntly. "I just had to go on. . . If you understand why I gave it up, then. . ."
"Then tell me why," she interrupted me.
"I. . . I just felt that I needed to something else with my life. Fighting isn't as good as it used to be. . ."
Sakura was about to talk again but shut herself up. She closed her eyes and sighed heavily.
"Okay, Ryu. . ."
I just realized that I must have insulted her by saying that fighting wasn't exciting anymore. To her, me saying that meant my opponents weren't exiting me. . . including her. Before I could apologize she walked by me and without stopping she said, "I guess. . . I'll see ya later. Good luck on your new life." A pause as she stopped, looked behind her back, and forced a smile.
"Just make sure you visit me, okay?"
"Sure."
As Sakura left I just headed back to the truck, feeling sort of guilty. I didn't mean to hurt her like that. . . I got on the delivery truck and went on to my next location.
End of Chapter 2. R&R to see if you liked it.