Fate of Pandora - Book I

A Common Day

The sun rose in the sky and began a new day in Tokyo. Sleeping in her futon, Ayame rolled over in an attempt to escape the light shining through her window. It was time to wake up, but she wanted to stay asleep a little longer. Not a minute had passed, though, before she felt something weigh on her shoulder and cast a shadow upon her face. Without opening her eyes, she knew very well who it was.

"I know, Kairi, I know... I'm already awake," the girl said in a sleepy tone and sat up, rubbing her eyes as they adjusted to the light. She had dreamt something that didn't let her rest well, but what was it again? It felt like a memory but she wasn't sure herself. She didn't like forgetting a dream the moment she woke up but maybe it was better to set this one aside. All that was left was an unpleasant feeling, and she didn't want that to ruin her day.

She looked to her side and found the one she called Kairi: the black cat with big green eyes was sitting beside her and watching her wake up. The girl smiled and petted her head. "You really won't let me sleep even for five more minutes, uh?" The cat only purred in response.

Ayame finally stood up and stretched. She liked to start the morning slowly and take her time to prepare for a new day of work. Ayame was now seventeen-years-old, a very typical Japanese girl who had always lived in Tokyo. She was now living on her own in a small apartment, content in being able to work, earn her money, and start her independent life. She didn't earn much yet, but she had big expectations to gain experience and prove that she was a hard worker. With those goals in mind, she could easily smile and face each new day.

Almost her entire apartment consisted of this one room. She rolled her futon to gain space and transition from bedroom to living room. Then she prepared a good breakfast for herself and Kairi, brushed her teeth, and showered. After she had put on her work-clothes, she put her hair up in a simple braid. It was easier to control that way. With one last look in the mirror, she faced her own black eyes and smiled.

"Let's go!" she said and grabbed her purse, with the small cat following her steps and heading out to the streets beside her.

- Commercial street – 8 am -

Ayame was on her way to work, walking calmly since she was right on time. Her feline companion followed her everywhere except for one area, her working place, since a cat wouldn't be well received in a restaurant. Every time Ayame entered the worker's entrance, Kairi would stay in the surrounding bushes, waiting for her.

The day in the restaurant always began early in the morning. Ayame greeted the chef and asked him what she could help with while they prepared the food and organized everything before lunchtime. While other workers appeared and took their stations, the girl began slicing some veggies as thin as she could, but stopped when someone entered the kitchen in a rush.

Ayame was one of the youngest workers there, but she wasn't alone. A young boy rushed from the kitchen's entrance, quickly apologized to the chef, and jumped to the girl's side to help her chop everything.

"I'm sorry I was a late," he murmured to her, skillfully managing the knife. In just a few moments he had doubled the number of chopped vegetables on the board while she watched.

"No need to hurry. The clients wouldn't like to have a finger mixed with their food," Ayame tried to calm him down. "You weren't that late; you've had worse times."

Her attempt to comfort him made the boy sigh. "Agh, thanks. It's just a little complicated at my sister's home. Everyone is busy at the same time... it's a mess."