So I was busy with classes and I’m currently working on my first novel and some short stories and then I was/am abroad (going back in two days!) for the past three weeks and also for the past two months I’ve been deep in a love affair/obsession/special interest with KinnPorsche but I’ve briefly awoken from all these projects for my nostalgic (hehe) fave to participate in TakaRitsu week! @takaritsuweek notice me senpai
Day 1: Cherry Blossoms
Cherry blossoms hold a special place in Ritsu’s heart.
They represent new beginnings, that breath taking moment of youth as a first love ignites with a maiden’s heart.
Or maybe Ritsu just reads too much shoujo manga for his own good
But it’s still one of his favorite scenes, a timeless and simple trope that just makes an audience swoon as the heroine has a chance encounter, a heartfelt confession, or even just a realization. It’s a perfect moment for any high school romance, and those are always one of the most popular chapters.
Were the cherry blossoms in bloom when he fell in love with Saga-Senpai?
But cherry blossoms were always perfect to represent a shift in the story, the signal of a different start, a different time, a different life.
There are no cherry blossoms when he’s transferred to Emerald, there’s no magical moment signaling the start of a new era for him, away from the grasp of his parents.
But it’s not even that time if the year, spring passed and all cherry blossoms long gone, shriveled away with the coming warmth of summer, when he transfers to a new world.
What will the shoujo department here be like, Ritsu had mused on his first day. Will it be a more traditional looking office? Or will they try to capture the spirit of it all with stuffed animals and pink and lace and flowers?
He never gets to learn the answer though, as he quickly finds himself in the most boring looking office in existence in the literature department of all things.
There are no cherry blossoms to be found here, no appreciation for their symbolic meaning, their role in an innocent first love, just eerily relaxed coworkers. Maybe it’s early in the cycle? Books do tend to take a bit longer, so maybe it results in a longer one?
It’s not that Ritsu doesn't love books- he’s always been an avid reader and holds respect for the editors helping works become truly great-but shoujo was his, and it’s been plucked away from him.
It has nothing to do with Saga-senpai, that’d be ridiculous, Ritsu is an adult who’s moved on from his foolish first love.
Kisa might have some fondness for cherry blossoms, given the man’s penchant for editing romance novels, but the others? The chances are slim to none.
His boss Takano, that annoying, gruff man, definitely has no appreciation for cherry blossoms. Ritsu may have been the demon of the shoujo department, but Takano could give him a run for his money with his ruthless cynicism and the way he barks order.He’s awful and insensitive and is actually Saga-senpai and holds this idiotic idea that he’ll make Ritsu love him again with a confession Ritsu definitely didn’t get flustered over.
It was just similar to some of the stuff he’s edited, that’s it!
But despite all that, Ritsu does hold some respect for the man and wants to learn at least something from him. He’s in literature now and Ritsu doesn’t half ass his work, no matter what people would say.
It’s after watching Takano give critics and praise to an author’s manuscript, Ritsu gets the courage to ask the question that’s been lingering in his mind this past week. Between the unexpected department and Saga-senpai being his boss and his boss living next door, he feels like he’s been all over the place, completely out of his depth.
“Takano-san, do you think maybe I could one day be a good literary editor?” Ritsu murmurs. He braces himself for the hard truth. He’s barely even started,how arrogant can he be? Ritsu would be laughed out of the shoujo department if he’d asked this in his first week.
But watching Takano, shadowing him in hopes of figuring out what he’s even supposed to do-Ritsu needs to know if it’s even worth the risk of him trying a completely new department.
Takano stops walking for a second, and turns around to look at him. Ritsu feels like his eyes are glaring into his soul.
“You’re on the right path, Onodera. Stop worrying so much.” Takano says, making a mess of Ritsu’s hair, and then just wandering off like he’s always done these past couple of days after saying something that takes Ritsu completely off guard.
There are no cherry blossoms falling as Takano walks away from him, but all Ritsu can think of at this moment is Takano’s hand ruffling in his hair, making his cheeks grow warm.
Shit.
360 days until Onodera Ritsu falls in love.