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Mikhail turned his head to watch the florist exit Town Hall. She was small, probably just over 5 feet, and cute; innocent was probably the best way to describe the way she looked, the exact opposite of his 'type', for lack of a better word. She had shoulder-length ashy brown tresses that framed her pale, heart-shaped face. Her lips, like two pink petals, had curved into a pretty little smile when she introduced herself. However, he remained for the most part uninterested until the moment he noticed her eyes.
They were purple, or amethyst, rather. No, cold stones couldn't do her eyes justice. They were…the color of the sky just before it darkened to black: deep, mysterious, and most of all, alluring. Just with those eyes, his entire opinion of her changed. She had piqued his interest, and without a second thought, he had done his best to make sure he would see her again, and soon.
"Mikhail, are you here?" asked a firm feminine voice. It was a lot like the blare of a trumpet: strong, clear, and independent, much like the woman herself.
"Ah, Ina, I was just admiring your collection of books. It is quite impressive," Mikhail noted.
Ina nodded curtly. "Of course. I work hard to keep this town in the best shape it can be in, and that includes offering my villagers as many resources as we can afford," she said, her voice filled with pride for Konohana, "I'm sorry I had to leave you in the middle of your tour. I had some urgent business to attend to, but now we can continue."
"Thank you very much," said Mikhail politely.
Ina walked briskly out of Town Hall, motioning for him to follow. He did as he was told and got so caught up in admiring the beauty of the town that he almost ran into Ina. She had stopped abruptly in front of wooden fence. Inside the fenced in area there were many delicious looking vegetables and fruits growing. A small plump man in a bamboo hat was in the middle of sowing seeds in a patch of loamy soil.
"Good afternoon Gombe," said Ina with a friendly smile.
The man, Gombe, looked up and gave her a smile in return, wiping his hands on his pants and walking towards his mayor. "To what do I owe the pleasure Mayor Ina?" he asked pleasantly before his eyes drifted over to Mikhail.
Ina noted the old man's slight confusion at Mikhail's presence and quickly explained, "this is Mikhail. He has just moved into town hall. Mikhail, this is-
"I'm Gombe," the old man interrupted cheerily, sticking out a pudgy little hand for Mikhail to shake, "I own this farm."
Mikhail gave him a polite smile and shook his hand, "I am Mikhail. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Gombe nodded excitedly, "Stay here, you ought to meet my granddaughter!" The little man ran inside of his picturesque farmhouse with as much energy as six-year old.
Ina smiled faintly, "Gombe's a great farmer and very wise, he just doesn't act it. It's actually a bit of a trend with the old men in this village." Right on cue, another old man walked by, giving a respectful nod to both Ina and Mikhail before continuing on his way. The serious greeting seemed out of place, considering the fact he was dressed in a full body panda suit. "That's Sheng, the blacksmith. He's a bit odd, but he means well."
Mikhail didn't mind. He traveled the world and had seen plenty of strange things. Yes, maybe an old man in a panda suit was up there on the list, but it wasn't completely out of the ordinary…
The violinist's thoughts were interrupted by Ina's sharp voice, "what's wrong Gombe?"
Gombe sighed, clearly disappointed, "I'm sorry mayor; I forgot that Nori went out to lunch with her friends. I didn't mean to waste your time."
"You did not waste our time in the least! Don't worry, I'm sure we'll run into your granddaughter somewhere along the way," Ina reassured him. Gombe perked right up at her words.
"You're right, you're right, I was being silly. It was nice meeting you Mikhail, but now, duty calls!" he said, turning on his heel and continuing to sow his seeds with renewed vigor.
Ina continued his tour. He met Hiro and Ayame in the clinic, quickly learning he was in good hands if an accident ever were to occur; then she led him to Raul's store, where he was introduced to the shop's poncho-clad owner; after that, they ran into Mako, an orchard owner who was just making his way to the mountain. They were all quite nice, and Mikhail was fairly certain he would enjoy his time in Konohana after meeting them all.
Ina stopped again, motioning to a quaint building with bright red paper lanterns hanging on the corners that gave off a warm, inviting glow. "This is Yun's Tea House. Yun is our village's best cook, so if you're ever hungry, I highly recommend paying her a visit." Ina walked up the steps and pushed back the heavy crimson cloth embroidered with an intricate design that hung in the doorway.
Mikhail followed her into the house and glanced around. An old lady stood behind a counter with many delicious looking dishes spread out in front of her. His eyes lingered for a second on an especially tempting looking cup of steaming oolong tea before he turned his attention back to the mayor.
"This is Yun. She lives here with her granddaughter Ying. She and my son Rahi play together a lot, I'm sure you'll run into those two little rascals sooner or later," said Ina, smiling at the thought of her beloved son.
Mikhail and the old woman exchanged greetings before his eyes caught sight of two women around his age sitting at one of the tables, chatting happily. Ina noticed them as well and called them over.
"Nori, Reina, this is Mikhail," said Ina for about the tenth time that day.
The woman with sleek, shiny black hair smiled brightly, flashing her pure white teeth, "I'm Nori, that's Reina." She wore a fitted dress made of many different shades of pink with delicate flowers sown on to the bottoms of the sleeves. She gave off a mature air, which Mikhail appreciated.
The other woman nodded slightly at the mention of her name but said nothing. She had one of the oddest hairstyles he had ever seen. Her dark brown hair seemed to be short and wavy in the back but long braids poked through the curls and fell down her back.
They didn't talk long, for Ina seemed to be getting tired of showing Mikhail around and wished to finish up quickly.
"Ina, if you have other duties to attend to, I am sure I can find my way around at this point," said Mikhail.
Ina gave him a grateful look but still asked, "Are you sure? It's my job as the mayor to show the new residents around…"
"I have had a wonderful tour; you certainly have a lovely town here," Mikhail assured honestly.
"Alright, well, the only people I didn't introduce you to were Kana, our horse expert, Dirk, our messenger, and Lillian, our farmer, or rather, florist," said Ina.
Mikhail's ears perked up at the mention of the violet-eyed girl he had met earlier that day. "I met her briefly earlier today," Mikhail mentioned without much thought.
"Well that's one less person you need to introduce yourself to then. Lillian's a nice girl, hard worker too, but she's a bit odd. Not in a bad way, she just has an uncommon perception of the world around her. She's always lost in her flowers," said Ina, shaking her head slightly, "I'll never understand how one can see such beauty in something so useless. Anyway, I must be on my way, I hope you enjoy your stay in Konohana." With one last nod at Mikhail, the dedicated mayor turned on her heel and marched of to wherever her duty led her, leaving Mikhail alone with his thoughts.
Ina's description of the woman he had met earlier that day only heightened his interest in her. After all, he was a man who appreciated people that knew how to enjoy the simpler things in life.
As he walked back to his room in Town Hall he hummed a small tune, already anxious to see what new discoveries could be made, especially involving the delightfully intriguing florist.