Year 2021+ Essays

Owl Coffee

        "Akaashi Keiji was a simple man. He had almost everything he could ever want. From working in a small coffee shop to being a part time novelist, Akaashi was constantly inspired by people and their individually unique behaviors. This interest began about four months into his job as a barista. A female about the same age as him, came to the shop every day. Each time she would appear in front of his downcast gaze, asking for his own opinion on what to get. Usually Akaashi would spot an owl charm hooked on her bag, so he took it upon himself to make sure their regular's orders had owl shaped things or decorations.
         A few months of consistently seeing her, she asked for his phone number. Akaashi found it strange that this owl-like girl had asked for this, until she had explained she had wanted to try making coffee like Akaashi. Both the girl and Akaashi spent the next day in and day out together, laughing and joking like normal friends would. Akaashi learnt from the black and white haired female that she was actually the captain for a volleyball team. This peaked the raveonettes' interest due to seeing how the girl had major mood swings and 'emo modes.'
        After all that time spent together, Akaashi felt as though he was only just starting to see the world through her golden, beautiful eyes. From the people surrounding his everyday life to the now frosty winter breeze. It was only 6 months ago they had met, but these close friends were already starting to catch feelings. Akaashi spent his whole life dreaming of what the feeling of love was, finding it's pure truth through a toothy grin and owl coffee. If only those carefree moments could have lasted forever. Coffee in the backyard, bundled in blankets, hiding away from the world. It's too bad the world finds people no matter who or where they are. Akaashi came to this realization through brutal force, which knocked his views off their hinges completely.
        Akaashi set the owl-charm in the casket. That owl-charm which had brought so much color into his life was fading quickly. Tears cascaded down his face without his consent as he stared at the girl he had once loved so adamantly. Family members and friends filtered away from him, sensing his will to break down. "We were so happy together.." he croaked out, his breath catching in his throat. "I loved you..so much.." The tears continued to flow steadily until Akaashi excused himself and left, not able to bear a second more of the sympathetic smiles and melancholy tension.
        Once out of earshot of the wretched building, in the safety of his car, everything crashed down on the young male. Akaashi broke, letting out the depths of his sorrows with no care for appearance. 'Why did you have to be in that place at that time?' he thought, resenting everything that had happened to his best friend. "Why did you have to be gone that one day?" He cried out, "Why did you have to get killed?" The tears subdued with time, and Akaashi was left with no choice but to continue with his life without the daily,  "What should I try?" or, "You're so cool Akaashi!" Akaashi was left an empty shell with nothing to help recover other than time."Keiji concluded, looking at the TV broadcaster.
        The whole room shook with applause as questions arose from random people throughout. "What encouraged you to make this story, and why does the main character share the same name as you?" "Was the girl someone you knew or just someone random?" "How come the girl's name was never said?" The crowd eagerly awaited the answers from the famous Novelist. Keiji took a deep breath before replying, "Someone I once knew a long time ago had a major impact on how I saw the world and myself as a whole. They told me to always believe that there was a bright side to every dark side...Then again they also told me an owl's favorite food is rice balls."Keiji paused to chuckle lightly before continuing,  "I felt I should put the main character's name as my own because I myself felt an emotional connection to this story. Though it is one of my shorter ones, I would argue it's my favorite one. The girl was in fact based on that same someone I knew a long time ago. I chose not to tell her name to provide a broader image on people's imaginations." Keiji thought for a second. "I guess you could call her my owl coffee."

[2021-Creative Writing]