Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never have, never will.
A/N: It was great hearing from you guys last time! (: Thank you so much. This is the second installment. A bit shorter than that last one, sorry. And I know most of you were expecting to see Van meet Hitomi again later in the story, but I'm doing it this way because I have the plot in mind already. Hope you guys like it! Read and Review, yeah? (: Thanks and enjoy.
You
Chapter Two
Hitomi got up on Monday morning and went through her morning routine quite reluctantly. After a weekend to think, she had finally come to the decision that losing her job wasn't quite worth it; after all, she still had some bills to pay. She wasn't about to go crawling back to her parents asking for money. After four years of independence, taking responsibility for her own life was a given.
A fourth-year college student, she lived by herself in her apartment. Yukari, her best friend had offered to room with her, but Hitomi had refused. Hitomi was used to solitude, and it was simply easier for her just to live that way.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. She smoothed out her black pencil skirt and straightened her untucked white button-up dress shirt. This was her usual work attire for her job at the coffee shop, and she actually liked her uniform. She always felt much more focused when she was dressed that way. Hitomi ran a hand through her short, honey-colored hair and after a few more moments of self-scrutiny, grabbed her purse, and left her apartment.
The sky was sunny for a Monday morning, and these streets, as usual, lacked the bustle of students that showed up during the school year. Hitomi looked up at the clouds, sighing softly as a cool breeze passed over her, ruffling her hair a bit before going on its way. If all days could be like this…
After ten more minutes of walking, Hitomi reached the coffee shop, and was immediately greeted with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Yukari was already fixing up a latte for a customer, and looked up when Hitomi walked in.
"Hey! So you did show up!" Yukari cheered as she placed a lid onto the cup she had just filled. "Gerie's looking for you."
Hitomi nodded, and walked into the back room. Gerie was the owner of the coffee shop, and had hired Hitomi at Yukari's recommendation. Already well into her forties, she was a very understanding employer and genuinely cared about her employees. Her boss, who was sitting at a table looking over some paperwork, looked up when Hitomi walked in.
"Hey Gerie." Hitomi smiled weakly.
Gerie looked up at her over her glasses, and smiled. "You feeling better?"
Hitomi nodded. "Sorry I didn't call."
"It's fine. Yukari told me." Gerie assured her. "I actually have something I want you do for me. Saya's out sick for the week. Poor girl, I think something's going around. Anyways, she usually does the local deliveries, and I was wondering if you minded covering for her."
Hitomi flushed guiltily, knowing that she herself hadn't actually been sick at all. She readily agreed to the task, figuring that at least this way, she could make up for ditching work. She walked back into the shop, and Yukari motioned to the tray of beverages on the counter.
"The addresses are attached to them. If Allen shows up, at least you'll be gone. But if you come back, check through the window. If he's here, just come around through the back."
Hitomi nodded, and grabbed the tray, glancing at the address. "1504 Main Street," She read, and went immediately on her way. She knew the streets pretty well after living here for a few years, and it wasn't long before she reached her destination.
The door jingled as she opened it, and she walked inside to find herself in a flower shop. Oh god, she was surrounded. Roses, roses everywhere, and flowers of every kind. Cheery daffodils waved merrily, and birds of paradises stretched their majestic petals skywards. Hiding her discomfort, she placed the tray on the front counter, looking for any sign that someone was there.
"Hello?" She called. "Anyone there?"
"I'll be there in a second," A female voice called back. Hitomi heard rustling and the sounds of falling objects before a slightly ruffled young woman came out to greet her.
"Sorry. Ooh! You brought the coffees!" The woman exclaimed. "How much will it be?"
"Twenty-eight fifty." Hitomi said, and the young woman opened the cash register, counting out the payment.
The door jingled behind her, and Hitomi heard someone walk in. She resisted the urge to turn around, afraid that it could be Allen. After all, he'd been purchasing those bouquets from this very shop.
"I'm back, Merle." A male voice said, and Hitomi felt herself release the breath that she didn't even know she had been holding. That wasn't Allen's voice.
She turned around to glance at the man who had just entered, and frowned.
The man noticed the look on her face. "What?"
"You look familiar…" Hitomi trailed off. She knew she had seen him somewhere but she just couldn't place where…
The man grinned. "I'm the delivery guy, remember? Miss I-hate-flowers?"
Hitomi bristled at the nickname. "Oh," she replied frostily, "that guy."
"I'm Van Fanel." The man said, pretending not to notice her tone of voice. He extended a hand towards her for a handshake. "And you are…?"
Hitomi saw his hand, but made no move to grasp it. "Sorry, I'm not interested", she said bluntly, and swiftly turned back to the woman at the counter.
Van was caught by surprise before her rudeness dawned on him. "Wait. Excuse me?"
"You're excused." Hitomi shot back, not even bothering to face him as she said this.
"I never said-", Van began to protest, but he was suddenly cut off by Merle.
"BEHAVE, children." The woman scolded. Hitomi and Van both fell silent. After a pause, Van was the first to make a move.
"Whatever..." He mumbled, briskly walking past her to the back of the shop, and up the stairs.
The woman sighed, and handed the money over to Hitomi. Hitomi bit her lip as she accepted the payment. Maybe she shouldn't of been so harsh. A wave of guilt washed over her. 'Too late now,' she thought.
"You know, I've heard about you." The woman mentioned suddenly.
"Oh?" Hitomi raised an eyebrow. "What did you hear?"
"That you're the girl that's been receiving all those bouquets from our shop." The woman said, giggling. "He didn't come back to order any more after Saturday's delivery, though. Van told me that he helped you passed along a note."
Hitomi smiled weakly. "That's me."
"What did the note say? Just out of curiosity. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Though I heard that your man got pretty angry…"
Hitomi smirked. "I told him to fuck off. I think it worked."
The woman laughed. "Well, it may have worked this time, but be careful next time. It could get pretty ugly if you try pulling the same trick on someone else who, say, might not take it as lightly. You could get hurt."
"I'll keep that in mind. Well, it was nice meeting you. Merle, was it?"
"Yes. And you're Hitomi, am I correct?"
Hitomi nodded. "See you around." She turned to leave.
"Oh wait. I have something I want to ask you." Merle called out.
Hitomi turned back to face her. "Yes?"
"Well, if you don't mind me asking…why did Van say that you hated flowers?" Merle asked carefully.
Hitomi stiffened. "I have to go." She mumbled, and hurried out the door before Merle could say anything more.
Yukari was waiting for her when she returned. "Welcome back! How was your first local run?"
"It was alright." Hitomi said as she walked behind the counter. She grabbed her apron, and put it on. "I'm guessing Allen didn't show up?"
"Nope. But trust me when I say that he's moved on."
Hitomi looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean? How do you know?"
"Well. A customer was still counting out her money, so I happened to glance at the window, and I saw Allen walking by with a girl latched on to his arm." Yukari said, watching her friend's face.
Hitomi was silent for a moment. "Well," she finally said, "he never was the type to wait around." She walked back around the counter towards the tables with a washcloth and a small bin of warm water in hand. For a while, neither of them spoke. The sounds of the seated customers filled the silence, as Hitomi began wiping off the tables of the customers that had just left. She thought about what her friend had just said. Was she sad? Was she angry? Even jealous? But she felt nothing, not even a flicker of happiness for him. One year of being emotionally confused had taken its toll on her, and she couldn't bring herself to feel anything towards any news about Allen. Even if he had found someone new, it had nothing to do with her anyways.
Hitomi finished cleaning the tables, and brought the bin and washcloth back around the counter. She dumped out the contents of the bin, rinsed out the cloth, and began to wash her hands.
"Are you okay?" Yukari finally asked her friend, concern in her eyes.
Hitomi turned and looked at Yukari. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She dried off her hands, and Yukari handed her a ticket with the next orders on it. Hitomi proceeded to prepare the drinks, and Yukari decided to let the subject drop.
Later that evening, Hitomi was the last one to leave the shop. Gerie had left early due to a headache, and left Hitomi specific instructions on how to lock up. Yukari had left even earlier; her shift had ended much earlier than Hitomi's.
After balancing the cash register, locking the money up in the safe and shutting off the lights. Hitomi grabbed her bag, keys in hand, and stepped outside. It was only ten in the evening, and the sky was already dark. The only lights that illuminated the snow-covered streets were the street lights and bright signs from stores that closed much later than the coffee shop did. Hitomi exhaled, and a cloud of her warm breath floated away from her. Wishing that she had at least made herself a hot chocolate before she left, she locked up the doors. After giving the handle a pull to make sure that it was really locked, she turned to leave, but stopped.
She turned slowly towards the sidewalk. There was a man standing there, a few feet away from her. The poor illumination from the street light did not fall upon his face, and it was difficult for her to make out who he was. But her breath caught in her throat once her eyes recognized his face.
"Good evening, Hitomi." He said.