Owen. Even though he's kind, he hides something troubling behind his smile. I wonder... just what it is?

Pushing into Souffle Farm, Akari stepped across the dark, lacquered floor and greeted Ruth– who was attending the register as usual.

Since Akari had failed planting her first crop, she had been meaning to ask Ruth or Craig advice about it– as well as to buy some seeds from them. Picking them out, she discussed her issues with Ruth.

"So, you planted your potatoes in a block formation?" The woman asked.

Akari nodded.

"Well, that's a rather... traditional method," Ruth said, frowning slightly. "Since the soil on this island is no good anymore, you actually have to plant your crops in rows... Craig must've failed to explain that to you..."

Though Akari nodded her head in understanding, the blank look on her face told otherwise.

"In rows," Ruth repeated; "For irrigation."

"I-I see," Akari said, fighting back the urge to bite her nails. "I had no idea." I was completely unaware that were different methods! she thought. I'm such a novice... no wonder my potato crop didn't grow right. I just assumed that Mama's block planting method worked everywhere. "I'll try again," she said aloud, selecting more seeds.

After Ruth tallied up Akari's purchases, Anissa peeked out from the back hallway's doorframe. "Akari," she greeted delightedly, her sensitive eyes sparkling, "you came back."

Turning around, Akari waived happily. "Good afternoon," she replied.

"It's nice to see you again," Anissa declared, suddenly noticing that her mom was busy with the cash register; "Oh, I'm sorry." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I'll be in the kitchen, so come join me afterwards... I just made some hot tea and herb cookies."

"Really?" Akari exclaimed. "I'll be right in there!" As soon as she settled her purchases with Ruth, she gathered her seed pouches and hurried to the back of the house.

Standing behind the kitchen counter, Anissa sorted colorful herbs– which she had an impressive collection of– before turning away and pulling out an entire tea platter. "Akari, lets go sit at the table," she said. "You alright?"

"Huh? I-I think so." Akari panicked. "Why?" The tea platter was set on the table with a graceful clank.

"You just look a little pekid, is all... How's the farm coming along?"

Akari looked up. "Well it's... getting there." She laughed nervously. "I'm still learning from my mistakes... I make a lot of them!"

"That's ok. Just do what you can. You'll figure things out eventually," Anissa said, worriedly patting Akari's pale hand. "Just don't exhaust yourself too much. A woman needs to take care of her body... after all, she has more at stake than a man does."

"Does she?" Akari mumbled, uncertain of why. Man, woman, or Kappa– she didn't know which was more at risk. Everything was always so complicated. And life was just so short.

Anissa chuckled lightly. "I think she does. She looks very tired, and in need of a good snack. Right?"

Taking this as an offer to dig in, Akari hungrily stuffed her mouth full of cookies and nodded her head, shakily stirring honey into her tea cup.

"There. Your fatigue seems to be going away." Anissa smiled pleasantly. "But it looks like something is troubling you...?"

Chewing and swallowing, Akari cleared her mouth before speaking again. "I don't think I have many troubles. I mean, I just came to this island. It'd be ridiculous if I made enemies so fast." She gulped. "And... how could anyone stay troubled for long here?"

Nodding, Anissa slowly sipped her tea. "You'd be surprised," she said.

"Huh?"

Anissa narrowed her eyes. As soon as her comment came into question– a dark cloud blocked the sun outside, dimming the window. "You'd be surprised to know," she explained, "how everyone on this island suffers from a broken heart."

Akari clutched her cup tightly, thinking that this was a strange thing to discuss. "Then does that mean," she asked, "that you have a broken heart, too?"

Anissa smiled warmly once again. "Some people are born with a hole in their heart, one that prevents them from being happy," she rambled on. "Most people, though, contract one just from shouldering the troubles of life. It all depends on who you choose to be, Akari. I'm still choosing, myself. So." She paused. "Is anything, or anyone, troubling you?"

Feeling exposed by Anissa's almost magical awareness, Akari found herself unable to put off her question any longer. "No... not really for me, per say," Akari hesitated. "I guess. I'm just a bit contemplative about the blacksmith, Owen. And the doctor, Jin. Not that they give me too many reasons for being such... I just wish I knew what their deals were..."

"Owen and Jin." Anissa nodded her head. "Those two surely occupy themselves with their work, don't they?" She poured herself more tea. "What is it, I wonder, that they're trying to escape from...?"

"Do you know?" Akari piped hopefully.

"I know the most about Owen," Anissa confessed. "He came to this island when he was very young... To live with his grandfather– since both his parents, ranchers, were lost in a blizzard. It's hard to believe it now, but Owen used to be at odds with his grandfather back then. They fought all the time."

"Hmm." Akari fidgeted. She wondered why they didn't get along back then– did Owen simply not accept his grandfather yet? It was hard to tell, since now they both seemed to get along fine.

"And Jin," Anissa mentioned. "It seems he had many lives before he came to this island... Curious, since he seems so young." Hunching in closer to speak suddenly, she switched to a more gossipy tone. "Say, you've seen him at the clinic a lot, haven't you? I want your opinion. Don't you think that he seems quite emotional?"

"What? No," Akari vehemently denied; "Quite the opposite! He doesn't seem to have any emotion at ALL."

"Well. Not the bright and showy type, at least. I guess I meant the more sentimental kind."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Akari nearly tilted her head in confusion, but stopped. Fortunately! To her embarrassment, though, keeping up with all this gossip was proving difficult for her.

Anissa chuckled amusedly at this. "You're a wonderful girl, Akari." She patted the farmer's gourd-like head. "I think you're exactly what this island needed. You'll open a lot of hearts."

"I... ah... thanks?" Akari's face burned lightly.

"Just remember," Anissa said; "To come back to entertain me from time to time... I get very bored."

Evening, and closing time, fell upon the Town Hall like sickle. Filing the last of his ledgers and reports, Gill turned to Elli and stared sternly. "Did you write up that bulletin for the Flower Festival?" he asked.

"It was done three days ago," she answered; "Not that anyone needs a reminder... Ah. Though I suppose that new farmer does."

Grabbing his diary out from the black hole of his pocket, Gill flipped it open and dashed a quill over it. "I don't get you," he said. "With you, everything I say leads back to THAT farmer."

Tidying some papers on the counter, Elli smiled. "With me?" she responded. "If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who's always scrutinizing and theorizing about her."

"And for good reason," Gill declared. "How suspicious is it? Really?"

"How suspicious is WHAT?"

"For a young girl to move all by herself– to the middle of nowhere– just for some worthless land and a life of harsh, menial labor." He scribbled hurriedly throughout his explanation, almost as if he were copying it down. "Don't you think that she's hiding some kind of horrible secret, like a criminal record or familial shame? Or perhaps–" He raised his quill and pointed it. "–She's intentionally trying to attract special attention."

"Quite possible enough." Elli nodded. "She got yours, didn't she?"

Having dealt with Elli's little comments all day, Gill remained unaffected. "I'm simply alert," he explained. "Alert and skeptical, which is something that any intelligent person should be–" The large front doors shoved opened, cutting his proclamation short and provoking him to hide away his diary.

Walking in was none other than the subject of discussion– Akari– a dirty farmer who had never made her profession too obvious until now. For on this night, right before the well-groomed Gill, she appeared. Shamelessly she stood– covered in dust, dried weeds, dandelion fluff, cobwebs, sap, and mud– which had been smeared across her forehead, right below her unruly head of hair. So filthy was Akari's appearance, that not even the admirability of her hard-working nature could be respected.

The audacity! Gill thought indigently. No girl should ever show herself like this! Not when others take such painstaking care in their appearances–

"–Eh? Is something on my face?" Akari stammered, quickly rubbing her forehead and making the mess only worse. Thinking that she had taken care of her problem, she walked up to the counter. "Good evening," she greeted politely. Even though she acted quite cordial, Gill still gaped at her as if she were some sort of golem or earth sprite.

"Evening." Elli waived normally. Gill was certain that she was only pretending.

Maybe, this is all part of the farmer's plan, he thought. A conspiracy supported by Elli. He considered the possibility that Akari was a mastermind trying usurp control over the town and the mayor's properties.

–By marrying into wealth!

As soon as he formed this unsound theory, Akari glanced at him. "May I look at the resident directory?" she asked.

"It's right there in front of you." He brusquely pointed to the thin, wide book sitting on the counter before her.

"Oh. Thank you." Quickly opening it, she flipped through the pages with the intensity of a squirrel– her eyes wide and arms jumping with movement.

What is this! Who is she looking up? Gill pondered, feeling that the girl was acting suspiciously– and with THAT book. A book which kept data on every current island resident. Their names, addresses, birth dates, traits, and likes... quite notoriously, it was used by the young for spouse selection. If she's looking me up, then...

Though Akari perused the book privately, Gill had to spy a glimpse at it. He had to– because the page she was transfixed on had her smiling like a cat receiving an ENTIRE salmon. Leaning in slightly he glanced down.

Owen.

Akari clenched her fists delightedly when she read that Owen liked drinks. She had been agonizing over what to give him for some time, so such a solution was relieving. Should I go to the bar tonight to buy some? She held her chin in contemplation. And is such a gift really ok? As a gift from a friend, that is...

Closing the directory, she turned and walked away, uneventfully pushing through the front doors and leaving.

Gill– as soon as the doors closed shut– lunged for the directory and pulled it to his face. Though he had the book completely memorized, he still scrutinized the same page that Akari had glanced at, all while trying to figure out why she was so interested in Owen.

I don't get it. Is it the muscles? he wondered, glancing down at his own a moment in silence, contemplating his unimpressive scrawniness, he snapped in outrage– violently shaking the book, almost as if he expected it to apologize.

"You... should go home early today," Elli said, unnerved by the spectacle he was making. "I'll lock up instead."

Childishly ignoring her suggestion, Gill went back to work– defiantly acting as if nothing had ever happened.

Elli didn't push the idea any further. She already knew that Gill was the kind of boy who would rather lay down and die than leave work early.