Bzzzt...
Bzzzt...
Bzzzt...
A phone alarm continued, a muffled hum under the pillow. Jin reached up, blindly searching for it on his bed, knocking it to the floor with a thud, and he leaned over toward the sound with a slight groan. Searching with his eyes still half closed, he reached for the blinding light in his view, the phone now making a rumbling clatter as it vibrated along the wood floor.
"It's 8 o'clock already?" He sighed softly, alcohol still on his breath from the night before. "I really should've taken it easy last night."
He stood up carefully, leaning on the wall with his hand to steady his balance, and made his way to the bathroom. His hands ached as he balled them into fists, quickly running the water in the sink, hoping the warmth would help the pain. Placing his phone down on the edge of the sink, he turned for his wash cloth hanging on the rack, soaking it under the hot water, giving his hands a moment to thaw.
"How is it so cold this morning?" he twisted the towel, squeezing out the excess water and bringing it to his face, "Catching the train is going to be a journey. I can already feel it."
Jin was a bright and hopeful chef, running his own small corner cafe. He was an attractive twenty-something that had little time for relationships and dating. If it did not involve running his cafe, he was hardly interested in it. Not to say he did not want a relationship, he is just the type of person to spend his time running his cafe, then the few hours outside of it hanging out with his two best friends; Akira and Yumi.
Jin finished washing up, doing his best to rid the previous night from his breath and face. Making his way back to his room, he got himself dressed in his usual; wearing a solid color button up with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of skinny denim jeans that stopped right at his ankles, and his favorite all-white high-tops which were also the only pair of shoes he had to begin with. Spraying himself a few times with cologne, he aired himself out effortlessly as he threw on a coat and beanie, locking up his apartment and making his way downstairs.
It was a cold winter morning. Snow had just begun falling the night before, but nothing too heavy. Most surfaces freezing over rather than covered in snow, which made it stressful anytime he touched a railing. It was Tuesday, which meant he needed to head to the market and grab some fresh stock and fill up on bulk items for the rest of the week. Briskly walking to the city market square hoping inspiration for specials to serve back at his cafe.
"Morning Jin," an old lady called out to him as he made his way into the building, "I've got some fresh fruit I was saving just for you, young man!"
Jin smiled softly, making his way over to her stand, looking over her fruit. She waved him over closer to her, away from the stock on display, and handed him a bag. He peaked inside. An assortment of fresh strawberries, melons, and apples were all inside.
"How much did you want, Mrs. Saki?" he asked, still looking inside the bag. "I could make some decent jams out of these. These apples would be perfect for tarts as well."
The old lady smiled warmly and pushed his hands close to his chest, "Don't worry about it, maybe just bring me back something you make out of it when you close this evening."
At first he insisted, but she gave him a stern look and he let it go. She had been friends with his parents before they had passed away, fancying herself as his adopted grandmother ever since he was little. She ran the local fruit farm that stretched outside the city and every morning, with the help of her own son and grandson, ran their stall all week. Jin bowed graciously and continued deeper into the market, hoping to stay ahead of the increasing onslaught of shoppers. He grabbed some fresh vegetables, spices, and an assortment of beef and chicken pieces.
Checking the time on his phone, he saw it was already 10:30. He hustled his way out of the market and began making his way to his cafe, which was just a few blocks down from the market. Stopping at the light, he noticed a frantic woman pacing back and forth on the other side of the crosswalk. She was short and curvy, with long brunette hair and black highlights. Her face was very soft, with eyes that were a piercing bright orange. He had never seen a woman with such distinct features, especially ones that were so intense from such a distance.
The light turned and the few people on each side began crossing, the woman still pacing back and forth before realizing people were now crossing and she scuttled across the street. Jin kept his eyes on her, unable to look away as he crossed the street, but quickly averting his gaze as she came closer. Without a second to move away, however, she ran into him and knocked one of his bags loose, an apple rolling from the top of the stock. The woman made a muffled noise; her face planted firmly in his chest and she jumped as if it were a delayed reaction just now realizing she had run into him.
"I'm sorry," the words almost instinctively leaving Jin's mouth.
The woman gathered herself quickly, not stopping her walk as he moved out of her way and she cleared the street to the other side. Jin was still a little stunned, slightly annoyed now at how rude she was and noticing there was an apple rolling in the street. His arms were already full, and pressing for time, so he turned back around and hurried himself to his storefront, leaving the apple behind.
"The hell was that about?" he muttered to himself, still visibly baffled and annoyed by the run in. "Couldn't even apologize?"
Jin ran into a small corner cafe. It had been his dream to work in the restaurant business. Ever since he was little, he had been interesting in cooking and creating unique and creative dishes for friends and family to eat. Having found an opportunity after the passing of his parents, he had taken what money he had and poured it into buying a small vacant cafe and renovated it slightly to fit more of his aesthetic. He served the usual coffee and tea, however, his cafe known to have a revolving menu. All fresh ingredients and always tasty. He had secured himself as a small staple within circles who would become regulars for his place.
Finishing opening up, he flipped the sign on the door and went to turn the neon sign on; "Jin's Kitchen" it glowed a soft white in the large window pane. Quickly getting two pots of coffee running and preparing his espresso machines, he was open for business. Heading into the back kitchen, he went to turn his stove burners on. The previous evening's soup warming up and boiling eggs for a dish he was brewing up in his head. As he made his way back out onto the main floor, he climbed atop his back counter, kneeling on it as he heard the chime of the store door opening. He grabbed some chalk, dusting away "Caesar Chicken Wraps" and replacing it with "Hard Boiled Double Egg Salad Sandwich".
"Hey," a voice called out right before the sound of a crunching bite audibly filled the air. It was a voice Jin hadn't recognized, but he took his time all the same, getting down from his counter.
"One minute, sorry," he replied, dusting himself off before turning around.
It was her, the woman from earlier, only she was sitting on the counter next to his register with one leg tucked in next to her, the other swinging down freely. She had a bright red apple in her hand and she was taking another bite out of it, a wild smirk flashing across her face as they locked eyes.
"This is a good apple. I love apples," she continued to smirk, the playfulness in her eyes almost making them look as if they were glowing, "Do you like apples?"
Jin was partially stunned, both at seeing her again and her brazen disregard for his property. He made his way to the counter she was sitting on, her eyes following him as he got closer. Still not having answered her question and her eyes narrowed slightly, frustrated.
"Hello, I said-"
Right before she could finish talking, without caution, Jin pushed her off the counter and she landed on all fours, the apple secured in her mouth.
"Ah, w-what?!" she exclaimed, completely taken aback by his demeanor. "How cold one must be to catch one such as myself off guard!"
Jin wiped the counter top clean and peered over it, looking at her with slight annoyance, "This isn't a jungle gym, there are plenty of chairs for you to sit on." he scoffed slightly toward her, the frustration from their earlier encounter bubbling back to the surface.
The woman stood up, fixing her jacket and huffing. Her hood was now up over her head and back, facing him while she brushed her knees off. Turning around, she took the apple out of her mouth and pointed her finger toward him, turning it over and gesturing him to come to her.
"You," she demanded, "You smell nice. I like you."
Jin narrowed his eyes, already confused by the last hour of his time all involving this woman now, and continued to go back to wiping down the rest of the counters again. The woman realized he was ignoring her now and stepped quietly along the counter, following his movements from behind the counter.
"Don't you ignore me? Is this how you treat a goddess?" she barked at him, trying to get his attention so he'd look at her.
"A goddess?" he scoffed once again, realizing she's just a woman who was full of herself, "Look if you're not here to buy anything, could you just leave I don't have time for this." He sighed quietly, turning to face her.
She stood up straight and locking eyes with him again and instantly making the hairs on the back of his neck stand. She gripped the apple in her palm carefully and pulled back her hood, dropping it behind her and out two black furry ears stood on top of her head. At first Jin thought nothing of it, but as one twitched slightly, he shook his head in slight disbelief.
"What," his mouth twisted as he tried to comprehend what he was seeing, "Those are real?" he exclaimed as he blinked a few times.
She tilted her head, confused for a moment, then followed his eyes with hers, reaching up on top of her head. Freezing as she felt along her ears, her eyes grew wide for a moment, and then she leaned against the counter with a smug look on her face.
"Never seen a fox goddess before?" once again, her smirk stretched across her face. "Now you understand, human!"
She stood up on her toes so she could better see behind the counter before crawling up on it to sit down. A tail slowly unfurled itself from underneath her jacket and swayed side to side along the tabletop. Jin stepped back, completely in disbelief.
"What is going on?" He stammered, confused at what he was looking at. "You're a cosplayer?"
She spun to her side and put her foot back up on the counter, assuming the same pose, and continue to eat her apple. Her face still sporting her annoying shit-eating grin, she took another large bite out of her apple.
"You ran into me earlier. That's pretty rude, you know," she said, her voice dripping with a level of coyness that automatically annoyed Jin.
"Me? You ran right into me and now you're eating the apple you caused me to drop, didn't even apologize!"
"Apologize? This apple is a tax for your carelessness," she shot him a nasty glare, "And why would I apologize when you are the one rude enough to run into me?"
She removed her jacket carefully, still sitting confidently on the countertop. Her hair slowly falling down her back as she sat up straight, the brown and what now revealed orange highlights hidden behind her jet black hair, cascading between layers of hair. She had relaxed her face slightly, no longer glaring at him but her eyes still focused on him. They were definitely unlike any eye color he had seen, such a vibrant and clear orange. Her tail, continuing to sway back and forth on the counter, brushing up against utensils that were set below the countertop.
Jin reached out and grabbed her tail, his irritation with this woman reaching a boiling point. A yelp broke out and her tail stiffened in his hand, her ears perking straight up and her body lurching forward. She kicked her feet in protest and, with his other hand, he once again shoved her off the counter. Whatever creature this woman was proving to be, Jin, whilst surprised, did not care in the slightest.
"Look, I don't know what tricks you're pulling to do any of this, but I don't want any part of this nonsense," he grumbled under his breath, "Take your games and attitude out of my cafe please, I don't have time for any of this."
Once again, the small fox looking woman picked herself off the ground, this time much more flustered. She slammed her hand on the table without looking and dropped the apple she had been eating there. Snatching her jacket up and slinging it over her shoulder, she made her way to the door. For a moment, she stood blocking the doorway as a couple had approached the cafe's doors.
"Jin Sasaki," she paused and turned to look at him, "You will revere your goddess. I will see you later!"
"Please, I hope not," he groaned and then quickly fixed his expression, noticing the couple waiting to enter the cafe.
Jin continued the rest of his afternoon and evening unbothered by the strange encounter with the strange fox like woman. His regulars showed up as usual. He had turned the strawberries he had received into a jam he'd use with apples to make a tart. Brewing coffee well into the last customer he had to serve minutes before closing, checking the clock on the wall, 5:55 P.M. It was time to get ready to close up for the night.
"Thank you," Jin smiled softly, bowing politely as he followed the guest he had just finished serving, "Morning aside, this has been a pretty good day." He flipped the open sign and turned off the cafe sign.
As he cleaned up, he put together a small take home box to drop off at the market on the way home. He placed a few tarts inside and wrapped an egg salad sandwich. He had finished washing up the last few bit of dishes he had left and grabbed his things, closing up his shop for the night and began walking home.
Jin made his way toward the market, thinking of picking up some fish for dinner tonight. It had been a while since he had a nice salmon dinner and he wasn't in the mood to do anything extra for himself. The previous night of drinking still weighing itself on his mind like a consequential form of PTSD. As he crossed the street, he could feel the hair on his neck stand on end once again. Reaching for the back of his neck, he rubbed it and looked behind him, feeling as if someone was watching him. There was no one that stood out. Everyone was just leaving work like him, just people trying to head home.
"Hey, Mrs. Saki, I didn't forget about you," he smiled politely toward her as he handed off the food and walked toward the fish side of the market.
Once again, the hair on his neck stood on end and he looked around, only to find the same woman from earlier walking alongside him. Her jacket tied around her waist, her ears and tail visibly missing this time. She remained quiet, but she had quickly grabbed his hand as he noticed her. He tried to let go of her hand, but she laced her fingers with his and was squeezing his hand in hers.
"Why are you bothering me?" his voice came out flat and quiet, not trying to make a scene.
The woman just kept her hand down by her side, still squeezing his hand possessively. "I told you, you smell nice."