It’s just after noon when her shift ends and she steps outside of Meido no Hitsuji into the autumn sunlight. The breeze rushes by – tousling her hair and caressing her upturned face. The forecast that morning threatened the possibility of chillier weather later in the evening, but her warm cardigan and thick leggings are enough to keep her comfortable for the time-being. And if it’s up to her, she’ll already be safely tucked inside in the arms of the man she loves after sunset when the temperature is expected to drop.
For a week day, she finds it surprisingly busy as, more than once, she has to navigate around people standing in the middle of the walkway or avoid running into strangers who aren’t quite watching where they are going. One unfortunate collision could be disastrous for the bentou she has clutched in her hands; most of the food would be fine, but Waka gave her a container of freshly-made custard pudding just in case the man who is waiting for her at the park is the rougher side of her boyfriend. She smiles thinking about him – how someone so terse can easily be appeased with sweets.
She wonders what kind of greeting will be waiting for her when she finally reaches the park where they agreed to meet for their date. Will he rush up to her with loving words spilling out of his mouth faster than he can actually speak, or will he cast a sulky glare in her direction with halfhearted complaints about how she is late? Both scenarios appeal to her, and her excitement at seeing which side of Ukyo is waiting for her only urges her feet to move faster.
When she reaches the edge of the park, the sound of laughing children meet her ears; naturally, parents with little ones not yet in school would want to take advantage of the nice weather while they can. She finds the noise pleasant and absently begins smiling to herself as her mind momentarily wanders ahead to thoughts of the future. Will they one day be able to count themselves among the parents who visit this very park with their own children? As warm as the idea makes her heart feel, she lightly scolds herself. She’s still in university and she and Ukyo don’t even live together yet; they have a long way to go before their life is blessed with the pitter-patter of baby feet.
Right now, she has a lunch date to keep with her boyfriend, so she slows her pace and glances around to see if she can spot him in the immediate area. In the distance, she thinks she catches a glimpse of striking green hair and she hurries toward it. What happens next is so humiliating, so mortifying, so…unfortunate.
She doesn’t see the toy in her path until it’s too late and she is airborne for several seconds before landing face-first in a soft patch of grass about a meter away. Frantically, she reaches behind her to adjust her skirt for modesty’s sake even though she’s perfectly clothed thanks to the leggings beneath it.
And then it dawns on her. Her hands are empty.
Her hands are empty!
The lunch she had lovingly made and protected had flown out of her hands when she tripped and was probably who-knows-where by now. If ever the earth felt so inclined to open up and swallow someone, now would have been a pretty good time.
[ @distortedjoker ]
