Clanging bells caught Kagura's, Ragna's fellow tattoo artist, attention as he finished off his customer. She requested a multi-colored arrangement of butterflies going down her arm, and the result pleased her greatly. She gave him cougar eyes and their conversation ended with dinner plans. Kagura couldn't help but notice the jovial expression on Ragna's face. "Something good happen while you were out?" he inquired.
"I could ask the same." Ragna set his groceries on the counter. "Got another one?" He was used to Kagura's antics. Whenever a female customer came in Kagura rushed over to her, got her number, and did his thing. Ragna had berated him for using his shop as his own personal dating service, but it just kept happening so he let it fly.
Kagura sat on the black leather stool wearing a player's grin. "Of course. But this isn't about me. You don't smile often, so I know something happened. Finally met a girl?"
"You could say that."
"That right?" came the voice of Kokonoe, their head artist. She emerged from the back of the parlor sporting a grin, hand on her hip. "Thought you weren't interested in that kinda thing?"
"I'm not. You got it all wrong." Ragna leaned against the counter. "Ran into an old friend I haven't seen since high school. Talked a little. She hasn't changed a bit." Rachel's eyes were still bright and alluring, her fresh scent remained the same, and he never wanted to let go of her lithe body after hugging her. Her staple ribbons that made her look like a rabbit hadn't changed either. He wondered if those were the same ones he bought for her all those years ago and blushed at the thought.
"She single?" Kagura leaned forward with interest and laughed when Ragna gave him the silent treatment.
Kokonoe changed subjects before Ragna threw a punch. "By the way, I finished compiling the bill for this month. We're all good on expenses. We barely managed to scrape by."
"Means we need to come up with some new ideas, fast." Ragna rummaged through one of the bags and tossed her a soda.
Kokonoe groaned. "Orange? Couldn't have gotten me cherry?"
"If you don't want it, I'll drink it." Ragna tossed Kagura another and took the last for himself.
"Thanks." Kagura set his bottle of pineapple soda down for later, far more intrigued by Ragna's possibly-changing relationship status. "High school friend, huh?"
Ragna groaned. "Drop it, would ya?"
"Can you blame me for being interested? Getting you to crack a smile is about as hard as getting Kokonoe to eat healthy."
"Don't make this about me. Besides, I eat healthy enough," Kokonoe said.
"Enough, she says…" Kagura chuckled.
"You need to gain some weight, Kokonoe," Ragna chimed in. "Chips and crap won't help. I need to cook you a carb-filled meal to help fill you out."
"Piss off." Kokonoe flipped them the bird and looked at the clock. "Well, about time I headed home."
Ragna's brow knit. "How come? A little earlier than usual, ain't it?"
"I got to clean my place up since my mom is coming to visit."
"Finally going to bury the hatchet?" he asked.
"None of your business." Kokonoe didn't speak another word, grabbing her coat and waving as she left.
"Feisty, isn't she? Anyway..." Kagura gave Ragna his full attention, smirking, "tell me about this friend and how she's got you smiling like an idiot. Long lost crush?"
"Don't you have to go, too?" Ragna returned.
"Me? Why… Oh shit!" Kagura sprang to his feet. He fetched his things and burst out the door like a tornado, toppling a few things Ragna had to pick up.
Ragna took a seat and awaited any more customers. In the next hour and a half before closing time three people walked in, regulars who appreciated his work and came anytime he added a new piece to the menu. Had to thank Kokonoe for that. Her artistic talents allowed their ideas to really shine. Bidding farewell to his final customer of the night, Ragna turned the sign from opened to closed. He checked around the store to ensure no one had forgotten anything. There was always one guy who left his phone or wallet and accused them of stealing. Scummy bastards around this city, but if Ragna had learned anything from his delinquent days, these pussies were spineless. The moment he took a step forward, they took eighteen back.
Ragna reminisced on his chat with Rachel. Reminded him of old times, but it wasn't like his youth had been that grand. Something he kept to himself. No family to speak of, tossed around foster homes until he ended up with a family where he spent years in what he considered hell. Mother and father fought constantly while putting him in the middle of it, and they had an equally vile son.
Ragna couldn't have been happier when he got out of that hellhole, but living alone was tough. At the age of thirteen no place would hire him. He had to work off the books, but if he got hurt, expenses were on him and he couldn't risk that for too long. Constantly switching jobs and absences from school got him a decent reputation and police record after high school. He never went to college, saw it as a waste of time. He didn't want to be a doctor, a lawyer, or anything like that. Shit, he didn't know what he wanted to be for a long time and was content to live as a troublemaker. Now, more than ever, was he glad he met Jubei.
He locked up and headed home, his bachelor pad about ten blocks from the shop. Kagutsuchi didn't have high mortgages and he'd gotten the single-story home for a steal. Of course, he had to take out a sizable loan but dutifully paid it off. His home wasn't extravagant. The living and dining rooms were joined together, the kitchen was separated from them by a wall, and the bedrooms were down a hallway leading off the dining room.
He couldn't have stayed in Akitsu anymore. Ragna always meant to move out but wished he had under lighter circumstances. He wanted to expand his horizons, not because living in the same place as the one who saved him hurt so much. Ragna sighed and took out a cup of noodles, too lazy to fix up anything more than that. He poured freshly boiled water from the kettle and ate on the couch.
Ragna's thoughts again returned to Rachel. He pictured her bored expression, how it had transformed into a genuine happy-to-see-you-too smile. He couldn't forget how she felt in his arms. Warm and perfect, just like how her lips looked. Heat bubbled in his belly, not from the cup noodles. He had envisioned a fantasy or two during their short conversation, imagining Rachel in his bed. He felt like a smitten teenager all over again.
The two of them were best friends in high school. Ragna would head over to her place on weekends and they'd watch movies, eat, talk and just hang out. He would confide in her anytime he made it through an entire day. Thinking back on it, he'd been a real piece of work. Cutting class, getting into fights with students and teachers alike. He wholly regretted how he acted. Secretly, Ragna always felt like shit when he met Rachel toward the end of those days, disappointment clear in her eyes. He wanted to change, he did, but didn't know how. She hadn't known his circumstances and he wanted to keep it that way.
After graduation, an event Ragna never thought he would see, he lost all contact with Rachel. Most of the fault lay with him. He wanted space, to find himself and figure out what he wanted to do. Hearing her speak of her personal ambitions, Ragna felt a little jealous. There he was, fumbling around unsure of what the hell he wanted to do in life, and she had everything planned out. She really was amazing.
Rachel worked hard and tried to help him along the way, too. He couldn't forget the all-nighters she pulled with him over the phone in preparation for their finals. Only now could he truly appreciate what she did for him. But what kind of circumstances had brought someone with such a bright future to Kagutsuchi?
Shoutout to Wild Blue Sonder. She beta-read my entire story.