A/N: Nice to see people enjoying this. BTW I love the shock from everyone that Nozomi is the tattoo artist ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Disclaimer: Don't own anything, all rights go to the respectful owners.

With a click of the button, the alarm was disabled, and Nozomi could set up her shop.

Lily White wasn't overly big: there were only three stations, and two small rooms at the back of the store were for piercings and breaks.

The smell of sanitary products backhanded the artist in the face, but she was used to it by now: her shop was the cleanest in all of Tokyo, and she prided herself on being as sanitary as a hospital.

Nozomi made her way to the break room and turned on the lights, which reflected off the tiled floor and framed artwork on the walls.

"Umi-chan and Rin-chan should be here soon," she thought to herself while she sat down at her desk and took out her sketchbook. Nozomi was caught up in her mp3 player on the bus and totally forgot to continue the sketches.

The time was 10:50, and the doors would open at 11. Normally Rin would show up at 11, and Umi, being a piercer, would come in at 11:30.

Sure enough, as Nozomi finished a leaf on the stem, the door clinked, and her apprentice skipped into the parlour.

"Good morning, Nozomi-senpai!"

The bundle of energy, and her apprentice, Rin Hoshizora, bounded into the break room with a large smile on her face. Nozomi looked up from her sketchbook and smiled.

"Good mornin', Rin. Nice to see you a little earlier than usual."

Rin smiled and placed her back in her pigeon hole. She took off her jacket and ruffled her short, orange hair…that seemed shorter than usual.

"Did you cut your hair?" Nozomi put down the sketchbook entirely and smiled at the buzzed orange sides.

Rin smiled, "Yep! Kayo-chin gave me an undercut as per my request! Whatdaya think?"

"It suits you," Nozomi's compliment made Rin all giddy, even as her boss pulled out the notebook from her desk draw.

"I'm just going to write up our plan for the day. In the meantime, how about you set up the first station?"

"You got it!" The girl rolled up her sleeves to expose her own tattoos, then jogged out onto the floor.

"Rin-chan!" Nozomi called back, and the girl skidded to a halt to look at her boss.

"Nya?" Her eyebrows raised, making the piercing in her left one glint in the light.

"Remember how we talked about no running in the parlour?"

"Oh, r-right. Sorry, Senpai," Rin bowed an apology, the power walked over to set up the stations.

Nozomi smiled at her young apprentice. She was only 23, and full of unlimited energy. Rin always put a lot of effort into her drawings, but she still needed to face her Achilles heel, which Nozomi was hoping to tackle today.

The door opened at 11:29, and in walked the body piercer, Umi.

"Umi-senpai! Hello!" Rin looked up from the station she was currently preparing for Nozomi, and smiled.

"Hello, Rin," Umi smiled back and took off her coat. She sniffled, and fixed her nose jewellery.

"Winter is seriously the worst time to have piercings, I swear."

"Really?" Rin was curious. Umi nodded, "Yes, because sometimes you get the sniffles, and it's very uncomfortable."

"Hmm, today I learned," Rin grinned, then went back to her cleaning.

"Nozomi is outside having a smoke before her client shows up."

"She's got some nerve in this weather," Umi sighed, then headed into the break room to put her bag down.

True to Rin's word, Umi found Nozomi out the back alleyway with a cigarette between her lips and sketchbook in hand.

"Are you stumped?" Umi asked, walking up next to her boss with a light smile.

"Good day, Umi-chan," Nozomi smiled, not looking up from her sketchbook. The gardenia had a silver chain that coiled around the stem, and a silver bird charm on the end.

"It looks good," Umi patted Nozomi on the back.

"Let's hope she likes it," Nozomi closed her eyes and took another drag from the cigarette. Umi snorted lightly, then turned to head back inside.

"Kotori loves your work, so you have nothing to worry about. Now get back inside, it's freezing!"

"Maki," Eli sighed, putting down her clipboard for the umpteenth time that day.

"Remember the rule? It's light to dark, not dark to light, especially with funeral bouquets."

"Oh, right…I knew that."

"If you did, then why did you do it the opposite way?" Eli grinned, she wasn't going to be harsh on Maki, she knew the girl was just weak to admitting her mistakes.

"I thought it was a wedding bouquet."

"That's fine, just readjust them gently and there's no harm done," Eli instructed as her phone in her pocket vibrated.

She left the redhead to fix her mistake, and moved her blue apron aside to get her phone out. Smiling at the number, she went into the backroom and swiped to answer.

"Hello?"

"Eli-chan! It's Honoka,"

"Hello, how are you today?"

"Cold! So very cold!"

Eli chuckled, the younger girl did speak the truth.

"How is the daycare centre?"

"A few children have gotten a cold, so it's rather quiet. How about you?"

"Surprisingly busy, but for that very reason."

"Hmm…interesting."

"Was there something I can help you with?" Eli leaned against the wall and folded her arm across her waist.

"Have you heard from Umi-chan at all lately?"

"No, I haven't," Eli responded, knowing exactly what this was about.

"Is Kotori still worried about her?"

"Very much so, apparently she's gone quiet, even more so than usual."

"Well, why don't you call Nozomi? She has Kotori for an appointment today, after all," Eli slowly suggested, knowing Nozomi didn't particularly like to get personal calls when at work.

"I would but you of all people know what she's li-"

"I know, but maybe call her after work? She finishes at 6 today,"

"That could work…" Honoka went silent, and Eli checked her phone to see if the call had been cut. She smiled at the name on her screen and let out a giggle.

"H-Hey, what's so funny?"

"Nothing, don't worry, Honoka," the blonde had to force her friend's name out.

"A-anyway, nap time is nearly over, I'll speak with you tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure thing, see you"

"Bye Eli-chan!"

When the daycare owner hung up, Eli stared down at her phone again. She chuckled again at the name in her phone: Honkers.

Each chapter name is just a song on shuffle tbh.

valkyriemusic . tumblr . com