A Chance Encounter [Johnny & Minori]
knuddelmausi:
On days like today, Johnny daydreamed of air conditioning.
When one moved to the country to avoid the hustle and bustle of “modern living”, one certainly did so with the understanding that they’d be giving up a few conveniences. Johnny had known this going into his decision, had made it knowing full well what he’d be giving up– had even considered it a fair trade for what he’d be getting in return. Some of these sacrifices (let’s say, having an indoor bathroom in his home) had been a little more difficult to get by without - and air conditioning was definitely among them in Oak Tree’s summer months.
So add to the process of learning how to be a farmer, how to grow things, how to manage his money, how to feed himself every day on a budget– add to all of these things the need to learn how to simply not overheat. Needless to say, his wardrobe had taken a nosedive - the crisply manicured outfits he’d often worn in the city discarded for rolled up pants and sweaty hair.
He was not looking his best today especially, and he’d just begun entertaining the thought of jumping into the river (with all of his clothes on, of course) when he caught a half-familiar voice calling his name. He hadn’t noticed the woman earlier, too busy with his daydreams– and when he glanced around, prepared to greet one of the locals, he had to stop short when he didn’t right away recognize the face attached to the voice.
“Oh–” he began, blinking. The young woman carried that air of familiarity he couldn’t quite tie down to start - and as he came closer, he tilted his head curiously. How did he know her? Did he know her name? Did it start with an “M”, maybe? He couldn’t quite pin it down.
“Hey– you call me?”
Wait, Minori probably should have thought that out before hand. Just yelling out a name to a possible stranger wasn’t a good idea. She should have ran after him and tried to see if he was who she thought he was.
But she didn’t. And now she was standing in front of the blond man, but he didn’t seem to remember who she was... Then again, it had been just a few years since she had seen the mentioned Johnny and he did kind of resemble him... Minus the farming clothes that didn’t match the image of the one she knew.
Maybe the heat was getting to her and she was just imagining they were the same person? That was probably it.
“You’re name is Johnny right?” She asked for confirmation, moving her arms to be across her chest. He looked kind of like the one she knew by the same name in the city. How many people were named Johnny anyway? Was it popular name even in the country side?
A frown stayed on her face, as she tilted her head. Squinting her eyes, she tried to see if he was the same kid she knew in high school... And, well, he did look familiar and he did answer to Johnny. But, people can look different after only a few years. And she should know. After all, now she didn’t look the same she did while she was in school.
“Listen, this is going to be a weird question but-” She trailed off, trying to find the correct words to say. Maybe it was best to be blunt in this kind of situation. “Did you come from the city”
