Espousal

no pressure, no diamonds

"Going away won't change anything if you're running from yourself." 

Asagao had spent the better part of the last two days enrolling Izana and Kakucho into her jurisdiction's school. It was difficult since she had to head to the local government building for Izana and Kakucho's personal information that the matron failed to have, in order to properly enroll either of them. It was exhausting, but rewarding, work since now her brothers will have a proper education, something they weren't getting at the orphanage. 

Kakucho's seventh birthday was soon which meant he was going to be attending second elementary and Izana, being nine, would attend fourth elementary. It was as simple as that... if they were properly educated. Since they hadn't been going to school at the orphanage, it was up to Asagao to fill in the gaps in their education before the second semester started in April.

It was a few months off, which should be plenty of time for the kids to grasp the fundamentals of both their grade and lower education. Asa was intelligent, so this wouldn't be an issue. She would teach the boys mostly over lunch, in small doses in order to not overwhelm the two. She had a meeting with a member of staff at the Negishi school board in order to arrange a syllabus and educational materials. That was in three days and for now, she would just have some fun with the boys.

Asa sighed to herself as she entered the flower shop, exhausted. Her shoulders hurt from carrying the groceries home for the next two days. It was the weekend and the shop would be open for three hours longer than weekdays, so she decided to buy some easier dishes while she got used to this new weighty responsibility.

The young woman never knew that at nineteen she would adopt two children and own a business. She didn't mind it, but she sometimes wondered what it would be like to just be carefree. To have no responsibility. To have fun.

Then she would cast off those worthless thoughts and get back to work. Thoughts for another time, she supposed. She knew she would have some form of fun when she performed her duties to her family and that had to be enough for her. She paused and smiled to herself, he would savor her new family, she should never complain because this was the best life she could live.

She brushed past all her plants, the new purple and pink azaleas she purchased catching her eyes near the back as she shimmied past the palm ferns and dodged around Musobu, her white cat, who was quick to dart in her path at the most inconvenient time.

She made it to the stairs and resigned herself to the trek upwards with the heavy food. "Tadaima," she shouted as she kicked off her cozy winter boots, snow coating the mat at the foot of the stairs.

"OKAERRRRIIIIIIIIII--" Came a child's excited shout and Asa watched as Kakucho came running, his impaired vision caused him to misjudge his depth perception and he slid on his socks into the half wall and fell at the top stair.

"Kakucho!" Asa shouted, the weight of the bags forgotten as she rushed to help Kakucho up, "Are you okay baby?" She worried over the dizzy child, dropping the bags and gently grasping Kakucho's scrapped knee to look.

"Owch," he mumbled, embarrassed, his eyes watering slightly.