Monochromatic: Haikyuu Fanfic

Chapter 24: Shoppe

AN: Thank you, to all those kind comments. I'm really glad that there's still some people who enjoy my works. I will continue to write, however, I will take it slower. Everything's still a bit overwhelming.

I'm truly grateful for all your support. I will keep on doing what I love and strive for improvement.

**

The rest of her day in Tokyo isn't all that exciting. It composed mainly of sweats, videogames, and ice cream. However, she wasn't able to leave without some criticism from her Aunt about how she should learn how to cook 'real foods' also known as greasy tempura shrimps, pork curries, and beef stew.

The change in her diet in the past six months has been exident.It's been taking a toll on her body, which is quite lean (a bit in the underweight side for her height) without all the protein she needs. She's quite scrawny.

"What have you been eating in the past half of the year!?" Her aunt said in horror.

She thinked for a bit, "... uh... mostly just steamed vegetables and noodles... Those are easiest to cook without risking to burn down the house..."

Her point in eating is simply: microwave, steamer, and rice cooker are her only friends.

That's pretty much how it went, and she came back to Miyagi with a cooking book. Although she's quite certain it will just gather dust in her cabinet. She will not risk a home fire like this, she thinks to herself.

Miyagi is the same as always: still and quiet. The air is lighter, with trace of smoke like in the suburbs of Miyagi. The breeze is light, suprisingly warm despite the start of fall.

Mondays are truly the best days of planning - or as Fukui like to call it: Operation-Make-Ayame-Fall-In-Love-With-Oikawa. Even Oikawa finds it ridiculous, but he did not want to lower her enthusiasm about the subject. It's pretty amusing for his part anyways.

Of course, Fukui thinks, you can't win someone over without flowers. With their last failed attempt to find a florist nearby, they headed for the market.

The two are on their way to the town, and they're having light chatter on the way.

"How's you and Ayame?"

"Good~ I found some good cheesy pick up lines, so I've been calling her and texting it to her," Oikawa says with a dorky grin.

"Like what?"

"Well, I plan on telling her this next: are you a fruit? 'cause you're a fine-apple."

Fukui pauses for a bit, her face is like steel, deadpanned, "yeah, you should probably just let the flowers do all the talking next time you see her."

"Gah! You're so mean! Aya-chan would appreciate the thought and corniness of it!" Oikawa says indignantly.

"Not really, no."

"Hmph!" Oikawa keeps quiet this time, and there is a string of silence that followed. Soon he he grows to dislike the silence, so he says,

"How's everything back in Tokyo? Is your mother doing well?"

Fukui bites her lip. She could go on about:

1. She didn't really have a proper conversation with her,

2. Her mother's hours of work made her stay up all night, but of no success,

3. How much she's been paranoid about her mother's well-being. How she cried on impulse because of her uncanny ability to be selfless.

With all that, Fukui flashes him a reassuring smile.

"Everything's great. She's doing just fine."

Oikawa doesn't catch it, and he smiles back, "that's good."

The town isn't much crowded, because it's a Monday. There's still thin crowds dispersed in some places, mostly of adults or young children goofing around - there's light chatter here and there.

And there it is - a tiny botique squeezed in between a cupcake store and an antique shoppe. Even with its tiny space, it popped out the most. The shop glows with bright colors, yellow-tipped green bushes adorn the front. It smelled of freshly mowed grass, and small white flowers looks as if they were sprinkled on top of the bushes generously much like powdered sugar.

Fukui's eyes catch a tiny sign by the window:

Now Hiring: Assistant. No experience necessary.

When Fukui and Oikawa entered through the glass doors, the bell above them rings. It's surprisingly much roomier on the inside, pots of flowers lined together, sorted by hues and types. The rows are of blooming gradients - white, to mustard yellow, light pink - you name it.

The store is vacant of costumers, empty except for one person. The lady has hair tied to the side on a low ponytail, and she seems to be somewhere in her early twenties. She wears a faded apron, dusting her hands on it before turning greeting us with an enthusiastic smile.

"Hello, welcome to my shop! Please take the time to look around!"

Fukui turns to whisper to Oikawa, "I told you there's a florist somewhere in this town. There has to be. Or else every guy in this town would be single and die a sad old man."

"Wh-But I didn't know -!!" He protests with a defensive whisper.

"What a loveley couple," the lady compliments to Oikawa, "I suppose you're finding a flower for your special someone?"

At this the room grows silent. The lady still wears her signature smile and blinked in confusion with both Fukui and Oikawa, who is also doing the same back to her. Both are just... staring blankly - awkwardly.

"Pfffft..." Fukui breaks the silence with a snort of laughter, "we're not a couple..."

Oikawa just shyly rubs the back of his net as he apologizes respectfully to the woman, "oh no, sorry if it looked like that. It's not like that at all!"

"Oh! I apologize for assuming...!" The woman slaps a hand to her cheeks in horror, "to think I would be so disrespectful to my first costumers -!!"

"D -Don't worry about it!" Fukui reassures, "my friend's just here to see if you carry some red roses? Are those available for all seasons?"

The woman, purely embarassed makes out a shaky response, "y-yeah..! We carry roses of of many different colors, in fact! They should be somewhere here..."

She scrambles around and heads towards one corner of the store, where all the roses are. They stood firm and proud on their pots.

"See, Oikawa? Now you won't have to worry about flowers on your next date with Ayame-chan!"

"Yes! I'm one step closer to winning her heart!" Oikawa says triumphantly.

"Now," she turns to the storeowner with interest. Jabbing her thumb at the entrance, she asks, "how do I apply for the job?"