In The Fine Weather | Haikyuu

Chapter 1

November was a beautiful month in Kobe. The exquisite sight of autumn foliage around the city and suburbs was appreciated by locals and tourists alike. Quickly the weather cooled as the season approached winter; thin jackets were replaced with thicker sweaters, some sensitive to the cold already donning scarves and gloves. But the temperature was still comfortable enough for the neighborhood folk to admire the changing environment around them.

Seventeen year-old Kimoto Mako stood on the main street on her way to Inarizaki High School where she attended. Her hazel eyes, big and bright, absorbed the rapidly changing colors of the trees in the area, sooner rather than later expecting them to decorate the suburb in varying tones of beige. Her sandy hair swayed lightly over her shoulders with the cool winds of November, bangs irritatingly too long now that her line of sight was disturbed.

Mako physically had to force herself to snap out of her trance by taking a step forward to proceed with her morning routine. She wished she had more time to admire the beautiful season around her, but her breakfast wasn't going to buy itself.

She checked her watch that read 8:00 AM. Inarizaki was barely a ten minute walk from where she stood so she would still make it on time after her usual detour at Aiko Cafe.

There was nothing more satisfying to Mako than entering Aiko Cafe first thing in the morning every single day. The branch was quite old, one of the longest standing branches in Japan, but they had renovated the interior into a more modern, yet homey vibe that could attract the high schoolers in the area.

The cafe wasn't always quite busy. In fact, it was very quaint and quiet most of the time. And Mako enjoyed this trait, reveling in its peacefulness each morning she came by before school.

But besides that, Mako came for one thing the most. When she entered and made a beeline for the counter, she giddily leaned against the glass that showcased the freshest batch of cheese tarts for the day. The smell of freshly baked anything boosted her serotonin levels tenfold, but the cheese tarts of Aiko Cafe were a different level.

The kind cashier didn't hesitate to greet her, already familiar with her most frequent customer.

"Mako-chan, welcome back!"

She ripped her eyes away from the cheese tarts and grinned at the cashier, Tajima Yumi, a pretty university student who worked part-time at the cafe.

Mako had met her personally through her sister with whom Tajima was classmates at university.

"'Morning, Tajima-san!" Mako greeted back, looking positively vibrant.

"Just the one cheese tart then, as usual?" Tajima said as she already began preparing her order.

Mako thought about it briefly then added, "Could you add a box of four with that too? And a small cup of coffee on the go?"

"A big order today, eh?" Tajima commented as she punched the order in.

"Nari's not here yet," Mako said, turning her head around the shop to search for any sign of curly brown hair. "Might as well order for her if she can't make it today."

Mako often met Asano Nari, a fellow second year student and her best friend, in the cafe before heading to class. But she assumed the girl had slept in today and went straight to school. It wasn't uncommon since she lived in the neighborhood close by.

"I always wonder why you still come here to buy our tarts all the time," Tajima shared as she accepted Mako's payment. "You and Miyoko-chan could probably bake better cheese tarts together at home."

"Miyoko and I don't really get along in the kitchen," Mako admitted with a light shrug. "She's the worst at cleaning and never puts the ingredients back in place. Besides, I like Aiko's cheese tarts."