Chapter 8
After leaving the hotel, Sana looked up at the clock tower as it chimed 12:30. Remembering her promise with Naozumi, she headed toward the sheriff's office. As she walked,several thoughts went through her head. Like where Akito and Tsuyoshi went,and where Naozumi and her were going to have lunch.
She was busy thinking,she hadn't realized she had passed the sheriff's office. She backtracked up to the porch and stepped up onto it. She knocked on the door,and when no one answered,she went inside.
The inside of the sheriff's office was divided into three rooms. The first room when you first walk in is where the sheriff's deputies sit behind their desks when they're not out. Straight back from there is a door that leads to the holding cells. On the right wall of the first room,there is a door that leads into Naozumi's own private office.
A couple of the deputies greeted her when she walked in. Sana walked over to Naozumi's door,which had the word SHERIFF written on it,and knocked three times. It opened,and Naozumi stood in the doorway. "Hey." he said.
"Hey." Sana echoed. "Are you ready for lunch?"
"Yeah." Naozumi said. "Just give me a second." Naozumi walked over to his desk and grabbed a folder. After placing the folder in a drawer,he smiled at Sana. "Okay,let's go."
After locking his office door, Naozumi and Sana walked out into the blazing afternoon sun. The number of people walking had doubled since that morning. Sana and Naozumi walked a few steps before Naozumi asked "Where would you like to eat,Sana?"
"You're asking me?" Sana said. "I thought you had this all planned."
"I'm sorry." Naozumi said.
"Don't be." Sana said,lightly punching Naozumi's arm. "I'm only messing with you." Sana considered all the restaurants in town. "I think the restaurant from yesterday is out,don't you?"
"Yeah." Naozumi simply said. "Guess so."
The two of them talked as they looked for a place to eat. They almost lapped the entire town town,before Sana just chose the closest place. Even hungrier then when they met up,Sana and Naozumi sat down at the table nearest them. The waiter took their orders and left the two of them alone. They sat in silence until the waiter brought them their drinks.
Completely tired of the continued awkward silence, Naozumi tried to start up a conversation. "What do you plan on doing after this?"
"No idea." Sana said. "Whatever comes up I guess."
"Oh." Naozumi replied,hoping for the talk to last longer. "Listen,-"
"Naozumi," Sana interrupted. "Is this as awkward for you as it is for me?"
He sat their,taken aback by Sana's sudden question. Then he held up his hand,holding his thumb and forefinger half an inch from one another. "Just a little."
"Why do you think it's like this?" Sana asked.
"Maybe the stars are ill-aligned." Naozumi suggested.
Sana laughed skeptically. "You know I don't believe in Astrology."
Naozumi held his hands up in defeat,smiling. "I know,I know. I'm only messing with ya."
"Whatever."
Just then,the waiter came back and took their orders. They talked more about what one liked and the other didn't,or what one believed or didn't. They laughed at each others differences. Even when their food came,they talked and laughed more then they ate. Nobody would believe that not twenty minutes ago those two were sitting in awkward silence.
After paying the bill,Sana and Naozumi left the restaurant. They walked a half a block when Sana looked in a shop window.
"Would you like to go in and look around?" Naozumi asked. Sana nodded and they went inside.
It was a small shop that shared the building with two other shops. They were in the last shop on the right side. It was a small clothing store. Every article of clothing was beautifully hand stitched,woven,sewed or knitted.
"Wow." Sana exclaimed,looking around. "Everything looks beautiful. I've never been in here before."
"Neither have I." said Naozumi,following Sana around the store. "I wonder when this place opened."
"No idea." Sana agreed. Picking up a white colored blouse, Sana pressed it against her face. "So soft." she quietly murmured. Naozumi stared at her as she did so,smiling. 'She is so cute.' Naozumi thought. Finally noticing Naozumi's stare, Sana blushed and put the blouse back where she got it.
"S-sorry." she said nervously.
"Oh,it's nothing. Don't worry." Naozumi replied. "Have you seen anything you liked?"
"Huh?" Sana said,looking up from another shelf. "What?"
"Have you seen anything you like?" Naozumi repeated slower and slightly louder,laughing a little as he did so.
"Oh. Yeah,a few things." Sana answered.
"Like that blouse you were cuddling?" Naozumi said with a grin.
"Sh-shut up!" Sana yelped,a slight embarrassed blush forming on her face. "It was really soft,that's all!" Sana stared angrily at Naozumi for a moment, then the two friends started laughing.
"Was that it?" Naozumi asked. "Or was there more?"
"Hmm." Sana thought. "Let's look around some more. Okay?" Sana asked smiling.
"A-alright." Naozumi said. 'That smile. So beautiful.'
Aisle after aisle,Sana and Naozumi walked around the little store. Several times Sana would pick something up to feel it. She was careful not to 'cuddle' anything else. Naozumi didn't take notice of any of the store's merchandise,just followed Sana around the store.
Finally,after twelve minutes had passed since they entered they shop,Sana and Naozumi walked up to the counter at the back of the store. Their was no one behind the counter,so Sana rang the little bell sitting on top of it. A minute later,the back door opened and an elderly woman walked to the counter. She had short,curly,graying hair. She wore a dark purple knitted shawl around her shoulders that covered her blouse. She smiled at the two of them when she looked up.
"Hello." she said in a soft,cheery voice. "Good afternoon young lady." she said to Sana. "And to you young man." she said,turning to Naozumi.
"Good afternoon to you too,ma'am." Naozumi replied.
"Are you looking to buy those?" the woman asked, gesturing to the articles of clothing Sana was holding.
"Oh,yes please." Sana said. She laid on the counter the soft white blouse and a smaller brown shawl. Naozumi had picked out a few things for himself. He put several cotton scarves of different colors on the counter.
"Why are you getting those?" Sana asked him. "Those are to many for just you. And It's not cold enough for a scarf."
"Oh." Naozumi said. "Well,I have a few friends up near New York. It gets cold in New York,and they like getting packages from me. I'm going to send these to them."
"Really?" Sana said. Naozumi didn't talk much about his life when he lived in New York. From what Sana knew,Naozumi was born there and moved here when he was four. He then met her soon after. She didn't relieve that he still remembered his friends from all those years ago.
"I think that's sweet." said the woman. "Friends are very important."
"Excuse me." Naozumi said. "I was wondering. How long has this store been here,ma'am?"
"It hasn't been very long. Just a month and a half I think." the woman answered. She placed Sana and Naozumi's clothes in a bag and handed them over to Sana. "Me and my grandson moved here from a few couple towns up north and started this little shop. Most of these clothes you see here were made by him. He really took after his grandmother,hehehe."
"That's an amazing story." Sana said.
"Thank you,dear." the woman said,putting the money Naozumi had just paid her in the register. "You two come back whenever you like."
"Thank you." Sana and Naozumi said together as they walked to the front door. Stepping outside into the sun, Sana looked at Naozumi. "She was a nice woman,wasn't she?"
"Yes she was." Naozumi said. "So what would you like to do now?"
"I don't know. How about we-" Sana began,but was interrupted by a loud commotion from up the street.
"What the hell?" Naozumi said,walking toward the source. After only taking two steps, Naozumi and Sana saw the crowd suddenly jump aside to either side of the street. With the crowd cleared,the two of them saw two horses charging down the street at full gallop. A white horse in front looked like it was carrying two people,one riding normally, the other person looked like they were slumped over the side. Behind them was a brown horse galloping just as fast.
"Get back!" Naozumi yelled as the horses approached. As fast as they were going, Sana was still able to make out the two people riding the white one. She recognized the dirty blond hair and the serious look on the face of the young man riding normally. Sana also recognized the young man slouched over the side, his brown hair completely messed up,the glasses on his face askew. And the right arm of his long-sleeved shirt, which had been white this morning,was now completely red from the shoulder down.