Temptation of the Breeze ~ Have You Never Been Mellow, Part 1
1257 Words
Today's Saturday.
No classes, thank goodness.
But that doesn't mean I'll be slacking off on that homework of mine, which will be submitted this Monday.
So, what am I gonna do now?
I'm pretty sure Harumi has her own business to take care of, so I won't disturb her peace.
Ah yes.
Yesterday, I officially ran out of my stock of food, so I had to resort to a take-out to fill in that gap.
Today's the perfect time for grocery shopping.
Good thing my parents from Hokkaido sent me a month's worth of allowance to fulfill everything on my end, from rent (which is affordable) to everyday expenses.
I bathe, have my change of clothes, lock the door to my unit, and then head out.
I'll be eating breakfast outside, by the way.
As usual, I'm walking along the length of the waterway pavement, which actually has a name.
The Sango-minato Shiokaze Trail.
Here lies the rub.
I'm still in a depressive funk due to Noemi's passing, and my studies should have been sidetracked as a result of my grief.
Or it should be the other way around, where I'm drowning myself in my studies in order to get the pain out of my heart and forget it for all eternity.
But now, there's Harumi, the self-proclaimed incarnation of Noemi.
I can't say if she's mucking up my life, but I believe she may be the key for me to properly move on.
Moving on.
There is a pop-up farmer's market that only shows up every weekend at Sango-minato's northern plaza.
Townspeople can buy fresh produce directly from the farmers living in this town as well as surrounding areas, and this method helps the farmers a lot.
Yup, perfect time for me to directly support the farmers while getting only the best ingredients for the week ahead.
And before one asks, I'm a capable cook.
I can cook curry, I can stir-fry stuff, and even roast a whole chicken.
This is out of necessity, as I'm living alone and I can't depend on eating out all the time.
After a filling breakfast consisting of blueberry pancakes at a hole-in-the wall eatery near the central plaza, I go to town on the ingredients I'll need.
An equal mix of meat, vegetables, and fish.
Ten minutes later, I'm now back at the walkway, carrying two paper bags in each hand.
And then...
I can feel a breeze that is stronger than the usual gentle morning breeze.
Fortunately, that breeze is not a destructive gust.
After feeling the whole fifteen seconds of that breeze...
I see her.
Harumi.
It's as if the breeze invited her to come to my side, in a somewhat tempting way.
“Morning, Gunpei! Boy, you sure carry a lot of stuff.”
“Yup, I've just bought food enough for a whole week.”
“As for me, I just buy my groceries with an app.”
“Technology sure makes life much more convenient, huh.”
“And before you ask, the six o'clock storytelling hour only applies to weekdays. That means... we can afford a weekend's worth of freedom of shooting the breeze. I've just had breakfast, so we can talk as much as we like... right here in this scenic place.”
“Yeah. In fact, this was the very place where I first met Noemi.”
“Uh-huh. And I still remember the details of that first meeting.”
“Go on, tell me. Even though I know it by heart, anyway.”
***
It was a Saturday morning, five years ago.
I was still in high school.
The day before was chock-full of homework and preparations for the coming week's exams.
Needless to say, I was so cooped up in my studies.
To the detriment of my overall physical appearance.
In fact, that was the first time I stayed awake past midnight, and that was also the first time I'm developing eye bags.
I then slept at 1 am, which meant that I only had five hours of sleep.
Once I woke up at 6, I felt so groggy.
At least I'm done with what I should do, so I should take the time to relax.
Never mind that I last ate at midnight, and for some absurd reason, I was not in the mood for breakfast.
As I let my body rest itself within the confines of a bench within the walkway...
I felt a breeze.
A breeze that felt so... tempting, as if it was introducing me to someone I've never met before.
And I was right.
A girl suddenly showed up in the empty space of the bench that is next to mine.
She had long, swaying pink hair and emerald green eyes.
She wore an outfit consisting of a knitted cardigan over a one-piece dress, as well as a straw hat.
“Looks like you've had one too many, huh? But not of alcohol.”
I was about to exhibit an adverse reaction to her sudden appearance, but her looks are so disarming.
She never strayed from her smile.
“Ah, yes. I stayed up all night for my studies.”
“I see. And before you ask, I also come here to relax. It just so happens that you're sitting in my favorite bench.”
“Oh, sorry. I didn't know I was invading your domain.”
“No worries. This entire walkway is the property of the town government, and not of a single person like me.”
“Hah. Well anyway, I want to know you better. Because... I have a hunch I'll be stumbling upon you more often here.”
“That's good. I just moved here with my parents. We now live in a modest bungalow right on the northern side of town.”
“And I live on the southern side. How convenient.”
“Now then... I'm Noemi Kuroyanagi.”
“And I'm Gunpei Imahara.”
“Our names sound so pleasant, right? Just like the breeze?”
“Tee hee. Yes.”
“But your voice right now... ain't that pleasant. It's hoarse. Like it's belonging to a horse.”
“Ain't that obvious?”
“Well, I was like you. Always getting serious in doing things. But that was then. Now... I try to take it easy and don't stress myself out. Try to find more efficient ways of doing things.”
“I'll try.”
“Words won't cut it. Why not... take the time to lay back, kick your shoes off, and close your eyes? Look. We're in a place best-suited for relaxation and respite from the typical everyday blues.”
“Yeah, I try to do that... but being mired in my studies... I find myself running around in a hurry as I do, with my head up in the clouds. I... I just couldn't.”
“Hey, Mr. Stressed-out High School Boy, I don't mean to make you frown. I just want you... to slow down.”
Yeah, she's right. My body was just slouching in this very bench... so why wouldn't I subject my mind to the same treatment?
As per her recommendation...
I slowly arched my back on the bench to maximize my comfort, took my shoes off and let my feet feel the crisp air, and slowly closed my eyes and let the four other senses savor the refreshing breeze.
“That's it! This is the way!”
I could sense the honest cheerfulness in her voice.
No sooner did she hum a song from a respected Australian singer.
Since we're both Japanese, we couldn't comprehend the English-language title or lyrics.
But what we could comprehend is the voice and the instrumentation that made the song a relaxing one.
Three and a half minutes have passed, and she's done with her humming.
I slowly opened my eyes, and...
“Looks like you're off to dreamland, Gunpei.”
“Because you're like one of them creatures from whatever mythology that put people to sleep.”
“But I'm a good-aligned one, see?”
And out of the blue...
She easily snatched my right hand, forcing me out of my slacking off on the bench.
“Aw, come on! You know I haven't worn my shoes yet!”
“Ah-ah-ah! You're relapsing into serious mode again! Come on, try to be mellow for once!”
Mellow, huh?
Everything about that girl, Noemi, is mellow.
From her looks to her personality.
She might even be the goddess of being mellow.
- Writer
