Chapter Text
"LOVE BLOSSOM"
[a Shuann Week 2020 series]
Episode 1: The Parade of Wishes
PROMPT OF THE DAY: Night Out
~ Shira Valley
Train Station ~
Near the centre of Japan's mainland lied the mountainous prefecture of Gifu, home to the peaceful region of Shira Valley located in the north. Within its rolling hills and expansive meadows stood a quiet village called Yama Town, The town itself was hidden away from the metropolitan cities surrounding the outside of the valley – which made it the perfect place for anyone looking to escape the stresses of life.
On this particular day, Yama Town would welcome its two newest residents.
Ren Amamiya took his first steps off the train, having endured a four hour commute via the JR Limited Express line. Being the only passenger to get off on the stop, Ren took a moment to stretch out his legs, before rolling his suitcase across the station's concrete floors to grasp the beautiful landscape around him. The green of mother nature seemed to extend beyond the horizon as Ren marveled at the lush foliage, clear blue sky and rocky mountains that peaked out from the far distance.
Looking down to his letter in hand, Ren re-read his grandfather's last words to remind him of his purpose coming all the way out to the countryside.
...
Dear Amamiya-san,
If you're reading this, you must be in dire need of a change.
The same thing happened to me, long ago. I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature. So I dropped everything and moved to the place where I truly belong.
I've enclosed the deed to that place… the pride and joy of my farm in Shira Valley, just north of the Gifu region. It's the perfect place to start your new life.
This was my most precious gift of all, and now it's yours. I know you'll honor the family name, my son. Good luck.
Love, Grandpa.
...
This was Ren's chance at a new beginning. An opportunity for him to run away from the monotony of life and to breathe in new purpose for himself. One that his soul desperately needed.
Walking along the cobblestone pathway connected to the train station, Ren followed the appropriate signs that led him to his grandfather's farm. It took him almost a good fifteen minutes to arrive at his location, seeing that the piece of land was a bit out of the way from the main population of Yama Town. Finally arriving at the farm, Ren took a moment to look around the dilapidated area – noting the lone building that stood out from the growing shrubs and weeds around the fields.
"Well, I knew not to expect a five-star hotel out here." Ren commented to himself. Grabbing the handles to his rolling suitcase, Ren made his way to the front steps of the farm home, noting that its roof seemed to be in shape of two praying hands held together.
Entering the house, Ren was surprised to find the floorboards and walls perfectly intact, regardless of being abandoned for so many years. Taking a moment to explore the kitchen, dining room and bathroom, Ren eventually made his way upstairs to his grandfather's old bedroom. Setting aside his luggage, Ren practically jumped into the bed as the springs creaked from his weight, glad to finally have a place to rest after hours of travel.
Ren stared up to the old ceiling, reflecting on his own journey to arrive at this point. After being exhausted of years in the office at work, Ren decided to abandoned the comforts of his robotic routine and move out into the country side. All of this wouldn't have been possible hadn't his loving grandfather given him his gift days before he peacefully passed away in his bed.
His grandfather's final words echoed into his mind.
"Now, listen close Amamiya-san… There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life… and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my boy, you'll be ready for this gift I have for you. Now… let grandpa rest."
Initially, Ren was surprised that his grandfather's gift was the inheritance to his old land. At first he was unsure if he'd even use it in the first place, but as years passed and life slowly became meaningless to Ren, he remembered the gift his grandfather had given to him.
Fortunately, Ren's parents supported his decision as they had a close relationship with his grandfather. After putting in his two-week's notice, Ren packed up all his belongings, said goodbye to his family for the time being, and took the first train in the morning out of Tokyo to this new, unexplored land for Ren to know.
"I hope I find what I'm looking for out here." Ren breathed out. If the stability of his 9 to 5 job hadn't given him the satisfaction of life, then what could it possibly be?
Ren was here to find out.
*knock knock knock*
A visitor? Ren wasn't expecting anyone to come, let alone thinking that someone knew he was here. Ren stood up from his bed and hurried downstairs to answer the door. Before opening it, he decided to peek into the peephole, surprised to find a girl with a red ponytail patiently waiting on the front porch. Curiosity got the best of Ren as he opened the door to acquaint himself with
"Hi! You probably weren't expecting to see a new face on your first day here. I'm Kasumi Yoshizawa!" the red-haired girl enthusiastically greeted herself, taking a moment to raise a hand for Ren to shake.
"Yeah, I didn't know anyone had any idea that I was coming. I'm Ren Amamiya." he answered whilst shaking Kasumi's hand.
"Oh don't worry, I know who you are! I work closely with the mayor of Yama Town – you could even call me his personal assistant!" Kasumi explained with a jolt of peppiness in her delivery. "You know the town is only a half hour walk from here, right? He heard that a new guy was coming to take over this lovely piece of land, so he asked me to extend our welcome to you! Look! We even got a little basket prepared full of goodies and treats all wrapped up for you!"
"Huh, that's really nice of you to do. Thanks." Ren said, taking the gift basket that Kasumi handed over to him.
"No problem! We just want to make sure that every living soul is taken care of in Shira Valley!" Kasumi answered. "Oh! By the way, if you're not busy tonight, our town is actually holding a parade later on! I suggest you come along so you can get to know the other villagers. We wouldn't want you feeling lonely out here in this little farmhouse of yours!"
"Thanks. Yeah, I'll definitely check it out." Ren answered.
"Well! I better get going! It's a long way back to town and I gotta help coordinate some final plans for the parade tonight. Hope to see you there!" Kasumi waved as she began making her way towards the direction of town.
Saying his farewell to Kasumi, Ren reconvened into the kitchen with his gift basket, taking out the assortment of sweets, food and even bottle of wine out onto the table. Along with the treats was a flower pot with a blooming cherry blossom planted in it. A letter was attached near the base of the plant's roots. Ren read the note.
Welcome to the valley of Shira! Don't be a stranger to us in Yama Town!
~ from Mayor Yoshida.
A small smile found its way onto Ren's face. Not even an hour had passed since his initial arrival in Shira Valley and already Ren was feeling at home. Putting away his gifts, Ren began to make his way upstairs to prepare himself for the late night's parade.
"I'm hoping the hot water still works in this place." Ren prayed to himself.
~ Shira Valley
Okumura Ranch ~
About a fifteen minute walk south from Ren's farm home was the Okumaru Ranch, which was currently filled with many farm animals happily roaming around in the peaceful paradise. Cows and horses were free to explore within the wide open fenced fields, while chickens and pigs lived comfortably near the centre of the ranches in their respective coops.
In the middle of the ranch was a large home with its sole occupant. Haru Okumaru awaited patiently in the kitchen for her new guest to arrive. It was a surprise imparted by her father a few weeks ago, who simply explained that a close business partner of his would be sending in a client who required - in a sense – rehabilitation. Haru, curious to what this case was about, was more than welcome to open her doors for the possibility of making a new friend. She took the time to cook up a grand feast for her guest as she prepared a healthy vegetable casserole with freshly squeezed peach juice on the side.
Eventually, the doorbell to Haru's front door rang.
"Coming!" Haru yelled from the kitchen. She hastily put away her oven mitts after taking out her vegetable casserole out from the oven and rushed to the front door. Passing through the living room, Haru noted a white limousine parked outside her front gates. Wondering who this fancy client might be, Haru eventually made it to the front door and opened it up.
"Haru Okumaru?, is it?" a tall, muscular man in a suit with with shades asked, presumably one of the bodyguards sent with the client.
"Yes! That's me." Haru answered with a smile.
"Good. We're here to drop off your guest for the next year – I'm sure your father has told you a little bit about Ann Takamaki."
The bodyguard directed Haru's attention to the blonde girl standing at the bottom of the front stairway, her arms folded as she looked away with a disinterested look upon her face. Ann's attire – although glamorous – was definitely unfit for the environment around the ranch, which consisted of fancy skin tight white jeans, a black blouse, red heels and design shades propped on top of her forehead.
"Hi there! It's nice to finally meet you, Ann Takamaki." Haru greeted with a small wave of her hand. She received no answer from Ann as she continued to ignore her.
"Excuse Takamaki-san. It wouldn't hurt to at least say hello to the generous lady offering her home for you to stay in." the bodyguard commented over to Ann. Receiving no response, he sighed as he readjusted his glasses, returning his attention back to Haru. "May I pray that you find strength to cope with this one."
"Huh? Why would you say that?" Haru asked with concern.
"You'll see." the bodyguard simply responded. Giving a quick nod over to Haru, he turned over to give his final remarks to Ann. "I'll contact your parents to let them know you've arrived safely. If there is an emergency, inform Okumaru-san of the contact number. And please, do your best to behave. We would not like a repeat of what happened last time, you hear me?"
"Whatever." Ann simply scoffed, keeping her glance away from her bodyguard.
Haru watched as the bodyguard drove the limousine out from her ranch. She looked over and noticed the cold shoulder Ann continued giving to her. Clearing her throat, she attempted to introduce herself in order to break the awkward silence between them. "Hey! I'm sure you've already been told this, but I'm Haru Okumura - the humble owner of this ranch! It's truly a pleasure to have you around, Takamaki-san."
"Just bring my bags inside, got it?" Ann spoke, not even giving Haru the time of day as she walked past her carer and swiftly marched into the ranch house.
"Oh… Well please, make yourself at home." Haru said as politely as she could. Looking over to the side of her front porch, Haru was surprised to find a mountain of luggage propped up. Haru sighed and began to carry each bag one by one into her living room – at the same time wondering how one person could go around with this many bags. What the heck was this diva girl carrying anyway – a whole shopping mall in her luggage?
As Haru took a moment to catch her breath from all the luggage she had carried, a distressed shriek suddenly emitted from the kitchen. Haru rushed over to the sound of distress and found Ann standing on top of one of the dining chair in fear.
"Hey! What's going on?" Haru demanded to know.
"I was trying to find the washroom when this pink abomination came out of no where and started licking my feet!" Ann hollered as she pointed down to the floor. Watching the terrified girl innocently was one of Haru's adult ranch pigs that found its way inside the kitchen. It continued to snort excitedly, unaware of the distress it had caused for Ann.
"Oh! Don't worry! That's just Hamm for you! He always loves to greet new people!" Haru giggled. She kneeled down and called Wilbur over as she began to pet him. "Wilbur is such a mischievous one though. One time I was taking a shower and he managed to knock down the bathroom door! What a surprise that was at the time."
"Ewww! You let animals just run around here like they own the place? That's just horrific!" Ann yelled in further disgust. "J-Just tell me where the washroom is! I need to clean my feet from that pig's germs!"
Haru sighed, beginning to understand the warning from Ann's bodyguard earlier. She pointed down the hallway connecting to the kitchen. "The guest bathroom near the living room. It's the first doorway to your left."
Without hesitation, Ann hurried over to the home's washroom to cleanse her feet. In the meantime, Haru led Hamm out to his pen where the rest of the pigs were located, tended to their needs and went back inside to finish up dinner preparations. As she got the plates and utensils set up, Haru noted that Ann hadn't come out of the bathroom for quite some time. Giving her another twenty minutes, Haru waited patiently for Ann to finish up.
"Where is that girl?" Haru groaned as she began to lose her patience. At this rate, the casserole feast she had made would end up frozen by the time they ate. Haru quickly went over to the washroom and found Ann mindlessly combing her hair as she lost herself in the mirror. "Takamaki-san! What have you been doing for the past half hour? I've been waiting on you to eat."
"Oh, I was just fixing up my hair before dinner." Ann explained as she maintained her focus in the mirror while brushing through her hair.
"What!? W-Who fixes their hair right before dinner?" Haru complained. She suddenly noticed the familiar hair brush in Ann's hand. "And is that my brush that you're using without my permission?"
"I mean, it was just laying there on top of the sink. And besides, your brush should be blessed that it gets to comb such marvelous hair like mine." Ann flaunted as she flipped her hair, proud of the style she had combed it into.
"...J-Just get to the dinner table and eat." Haru sighed as she mustered up all the strength in her body not to lose her patience with Ann.
Eventually making their way to the dinner table, the two girls sat down as they got ready to eat. To Ann's surprise, Haru began to bow her head as she clasped her hands together, which confused the model.
"What are you doing? Aren't you going to serve me?" Ann demanded.
"I'm praying. It's a way for me to show gratitude for the blessings granted from the valley for the food we're about to eat." Haru answered, finishing up the prayer in her mind. She began to grab herself a piece of casserole and started eating, only to look over to Ann with a dumbfounded look as she seemed to hold out her plate towards Haru - as if requesting to be served. "Takamaki-san, you have hands. I'm positive that you're able to grab yourself a slice of casserole."
"Ugh... All of this is stupid. Don't you know how much money my parents paid you to watch over me?" Ann grumbled as took the serving spoon from the casserole dish in an annoyed manner. "What kind of worker are you not even to serve me? Who the heck even prays anymore?"
"It's a tradition that this valley has done in order to give their gratitude." Haru answered in regards to Ann's question about prayer. Taking a bite from her vegetable casserole, Haru reminded Ann about the agreement she and her father made with taking Ann in. "And I didn't agree to babysit you. Our plan was for me to simply provide you residency while you take the time to reflect on your actions for the next year."
"Hmph… some vacation this is going to be." Ann muttered as she crossed her arms in her chair. She stared at the slice of vegetable casserole she had placed on her plate – noting the "Do you at least have a television here that I can use? A phone maybe so I can call up my modelling agency?"
"Actually, I do have both of those. But with all the ranch work I'll be providing for you to do, I doubt you'll have time to relax."
"Huh?! Y-You don't have the authority to do that to me!" Ann yelled in shock.
"I do, actually. Would you like me to give a call to your parents and have them remind you of the agreement we made?" Haru warned as she calmly took another bite of her casserole. She didn't want to show it, but Haru felt the satisfaction of bringing back all the comeuppance back to Ann after all the petty complaining the model had done throughout the short time she was in her home.
Ann hesitated before shaking her head in defeat. The last thing she wanted to do was talk to her parents again – especially after they had forced her into this entire situation on the ranch. Ann's parents just wouldn't understand her anyway.
Not like they would listen to their daughter after the incident Ann apparently caused during one of their biggest fashion shows of the year. If only Mika hadn't messed everything up for Ann.
"Takamaki-san?"
"Huh?" Ann's mind reverted back to reality as she noticed Haru looking over to her with a look of concern.
"Something on your mind? I noticed you blanked out." Haru asked with genuine curiosity.
"Nothing. Not that you would care anyway." Ann stated, taking her fork as she began to poke around her vegetable casserole.
Haru sighed. Maybe it was simply because they just met today, but Ann was being very uncooperative as her guest. Still, Haru only knew bits and pieces to why Ann was forced to come down to her ranch in the first place. Something about trouble with her work? What exactly kind of drama would an up-and-coming model get involved into?
Regardless, if they were going to live together for the next year, then Haru needed to come up with something to break the ice between them.
"Hey! I know you just arrived here, but there's a really nice parade going on in town tonight. I feel it would be a great for us to get to know each other more!" Haru suggested with excitement.
"You wanna hang out? Oh please. You just said you wanted to put me under hard labour earlier." Ann reminded her. "Why would I wanna chill with someone who'd push me into a form of torture like that?"
"Takamaki-san, first of all, I was over exaggerating. The work around the ranch isn't that strenuous anyway. Your parents told me to help you improve on positive work ethic, not make you wish you were dead," Haru began to clarify with her. "And secondly, whether you want to believe it or not - I'm not purposely after you at all."
Ann looked over with a slight expression of surprise. At initial glance, Haru appeared to be one of those soft farm girls, but listening to how assertive she was at the moment caught Ann's attention.
"Listen Takamaki-san, I don't know what kind of drama you were involved that made your parents force you to come here, but that's completely irrelevant to me. I simply want to get a chance to get to know a new person and possibly be friends with – along with helping them to improve their character." Haru laid on the table for Ann to process.
Ann stared over to Haru for a moment, attempting to discern if the girl across the table was telling the truth or not. In Ann's case, she was never able to tell if anyone was telling the truth or not. People always seemed to put up a persona towards her in order to get what she wanted due to her parents' fortune in fashion design.
But something about Haru's attitude seemed… different to Ann.
"Well, since you said that I can't use your television or phone for a while, I might as well get out of this prison that you call a home and do something fun." Ann answered as she finally took her first bite out from the vegetable casserole – noting how delicious it tasted compared to the other foods she had eaten.
"Splendid! We'll leave right after dinner!" Haru exclaimed, doing a little clap in celebration. "I better get one of my horses ready. Walking there would take us forever! Plus, I think your feet would die walking in those fancy heels of yours, Takamaki-san."
"H-Horse? Y-You mean, we're going to ride on a horse there?" Ann stuttered. Knowing she'd be on a ranch for the next year, Ann had hoped that there was at least some sort of automobile like a tractor or truck to get around. But to be told she'd be riding on a horse? To rely her own life on a living creature that had complete control over her mobility once on it?
"Oh, don't worry, Takamaki-san! My horses aren't all that bad!" Haru assured her. "Although, some of them have been known to throw you off if they were grumpy. I had to learn it the hard way, heheh."
"Ugh… I already miss the luxury leather of my limousine." Ann sighed as she slid down in her seat, watching as Haru made her way outside to the horse stables. Looking over to her cellphone, Ann noted no bars whatsoever on her signal. It would be impossible for her to contact anyone on her own accord, or to keep up on the modelling news in her social media feeds.
This life on the ranch was going to take awhile for Ann to get used to.
~ Shira Valley
Yama Town ~
Night fell upon Yama Town as the area lit up with activity. Villagers came out as preparations for the Parade of Wishes was about to commence. Across the small streets were various vendors selling delicious street food such as takoyaki, gyoza and tomorokoshi. The streets themselves were decorated with strings of light that provided a vibrant, warm atmosphere throughout the night. In the background, old-fashioned drums, harps and flutes were playing to give the night a very festive feeling.
Near the centre of Yama Town was the well known Sakura Square – an entire area filled with cherry blossom trees. The area was considered the heart of the town and a staple for tourists to visit as they passed through. Around the square itself were rows of ornate floats crafted from wood and decorated with traditional lanterns that brightened up the area. Some floats even had marionettes that were displayed in order to provide more life to the carts.
Ren had arrived just as the parade went underway. Walking through the streets of Yama Town for the first time, he was surprised at how much life it contained. As Ren was distracted by all the activity around him, he didn't notice another person walking straight into his path and the two ended up bumping into each other by the forehead.
"Bruh! Hey! Watch where you're going." the voice of the other boy groaned. The blonde boy took a moment to rub his head as he looked over to Ren with a curious look. "Whoah, I haven't seen your face around town before. You a newbie or something?"
"Y-Yeah. I actually just moved into the old farm outside of town earlier today." Ren explained as he held a hand out towards the blond boy. "I'm Ren Amamiya, by the way."
"Ahhh, so you're the new farm boy everyone has been talking about." the blonde boy responded, taking Ren's hand as he shook it. "The name's Ryuji Sakamoto."
"Nice to meet you. Sorry for bumping into you. Guess I wasn't paying attention." Ren began to apologize.
"Eh, it's nothing dude. I've experienced much worse." Ryuji affirmed him. He pointed towards one of his legs. "I do a lot of sports and ended up spraining my ankle while I was jogging one morning. I've been walking around with this limp for quite some time."
"Ohh.. I'm sorry to hear that man."
"No biggie! I've still got a lot of energy for me even with this injury. Nothing is going to stop me from hitting it big in a marathon one day!" Ryuji said with a burst of positive energy. He nodded over for Ren to follow him. "Come on, dude! Since you're new, I might as well show you around town for a bit and get some people to meet you."
Ren nodded. To his relief, he'd manage to make a quick acquaintance with someone – a concern that bothered him throughout his entire walk to the town. Ren wasn't sure how he would be able to talk to anyone – being the new stranger.
But fortunately for Ren, Ryuji's openness provided him an avenue to familiarize himself with the other villagers of Yama Town. Ren made a few short introductions with some of the town's people – including the fortune teller Chihaya Mifune, local teacher Sadayo Kawakami and the blacksmith Munehisa Iwai. For such a small town, Ren was surprised at the diversity of people he was meeting. All of them seemed to be welcome to Ren with open arms, much to his gratitude as he began to open up from his shy shell that he had hid himself momentarily.
"Huh, you seem to be making friendly with everyone already. It's like you've got some hidden charm underneath you bro." Ryuji stated as he handed Ren his share of takoyaki that he bought for the both of them.
"I'm fortunate that you were willing to introduce me to everyone. I really appreciate it, Sakamoto-san." Ren expressed, taking one takoyaki and biting into it.
"So, you said you were taking over that old farm a couple miles away from here, huh?" Ryuji brought up as the duo continued walking through the town. "What makes a city boy like you wanna ditch everything and live a boring farm life?"
"Let's say I've realized that there's more to life than always going to a routine job " Ren told him. "I'm hoping that whatever I'm looking for will be realized during my stay here. And I've always read that farming is a good way to get your mind off things."
"Yeah, but have you ever farmed before?" Ryuji brought up. "You know there's more to the whole farming gig than just planting seeds and strumming your guitar on the front porch, right?"
Ren nodded, agreeing with Ryuji's claims. In all honesty, Ren had no idea on what the farming life would entail. Ren began to wonder if he should have done more studying before leaving. Then again, Ren had hoped that his grandfather's intuition would naturally come to him as he learned through practical experience.
Suddenly, a loud outburst pierced into the bright atmosphere of the parade.
"WAAAAAH! SLOW DOWN, WILL YOU?" the shriek of a girl's voice suddenly pierced through the parade music. Ren and Ryuji - along with everyone else – turned around to watch in confusion as a horse carrying two girls galloped near Sakura Square, causing everyone in their path to disperse in order to prevent getting run over.
"Whoah! Epona!" the horse's rider – an auburn-haired girl commanded as the horse slowed down to a rough stop. She turned over to her passenger hold tightly behind her. "See? I told you we'd make it in no time, Takamaki-san!"
"Oh my gosh! Okumaru-san! I could've died just now! Can't you control your horse any better?" the blonde girl began to complain as she hastily jumped off the horse.
"I had complete control, Takamaki-san! That's just the way how Epona rides. She tends to play rough sometimes." the auburn-haired girl defended herself. She took a moment to climb off her horse as she tied it to a nearby wooden post.
"Ugh… Maybe I'll just walk home when we're done. That horse is such a monster at steering." the blonde girl continued to complain. She suddenly noticed that everyone around the town square was looking at her. "What's up with you all? Don't you know that staring is impolite? Sheesh!"
"Guess the diva queen has finally arrived to town. Woohoo." Ryuji said with a tone of sarcasm. Although, he couldn't help but be amused by the whole show she was presenting to everyone.
"Diva queen? Who is she?" Ren asked, raising a brow to his new friend.
"Just like I've known that a new farm boy was coming to town, rumors quickly spread around town that an international model would be joining our little community too." Ryuji began to explain. "Apparently she goes by the name Ann Takamaki. Her parents seem to be really famous in the fashion industry. Which means that a super rich girl like her is bound to catch some eyes from this little town of ours."
"What would a model be doing in a small town like this then?" Ren asked.
"Beats me. All I've heard is that she got into some deep shit with another model. That apparently blew up and now she's getting sent here for some sort of rehabilitation." Ryuji answered to the best of his knowledge. "To be honest, I don't care what kind of attitude she has. As long as she's got some smokin' hot looks, then you won't see me complaining."
"Huh… Interesting." Ren responded. He could only imagine how a girl from such a privileged background would be able to adapt to the country life. Then again, Ren could somewhat relate with his decision to let go of his prior city life and learn his ways of becoming a farmer. Even so, the mindset would be much different from someone who chose this life versus being forced into it.
"Hey, who knows. Maybe if you're lucky, you could have a shot at asking her out, huh?" Ryuji teased, gently nudging Ren.
"No thanks. I don't think being a relationship is what I'm looking for when I moved here." Ren chuckled.
"Eh, suit yourself, bro." Ryuji shrugged his shoulders as they resumed their walk around town. "Just saying, it's not everyday you get a chance at scoring with some hot model. This is your chance to live a little, farm boy!"
...
Meanwhile, Ann found herself getting a stern lecture from Haru as the two girls made their way through town. As much as she tried to ignore Haru, Ann found herself acknowledging the points her carer was bringing up.
"Takamaki-san. Just letting you know, you can't just make a scene out of everything, okay? The whole world doesn't necessarily focus on you." Haru started lecturing Ann in the politest tone she could use.
"Why not? Don't I have a right to express myself?" Ann argued back, remaining in her stride as she kept her gaze away from Haru.
"Please listen to me. If one of your outbursts ended up getting you in trouble with the town, then I'm going to have no choice but to inform your parents of your misdemeanour." Haru warned. "Then, and I quote this from your parents, you can say goodbye to your whole modelling career."
Ann froze in her tracks, uncertain if she had heard Haru's words correctly. Were her parents that tyrannical that they would threaten Ann's status as a model? How could they even think about doing that in the first place? They were the ones who motivated her into the modelling lifestyle in the first place! They had absolutely no right to take everything she had worked for away from Ann.
Still, Ann didn't want to test them. She knew that poking at their patience would result in the worse circumstances for her. Ann did end up getting shipped to Shira Valley when she didn't believe her own parent's warnings.
"Ann? Are you good?" Haru asked, noticing the same look of distress wash over Ann's face just like earlier. "I hope I didn't come off so strongly. I thought you knew about the warning your parents gave to me."
"It's fine… Let's not talk about it anymore." Ann insisted.
Suddenly, the parade music stopped as the voice of an older man echoed throughout the town's square. Ann and Haru turned to see a man with slicked-back black hair standing on top of a wooden crate, wearing a black kimono with white lining and a megaphone in one hand. Beside him was what appeared to be his assistant – a red-haired girl dressed in a dark-pink kimono with cherry blossoms decorated around it, carrying her own potted cherry blossom in both hands.
"Ladies and gentleman – I, your mayor, Yoshida, would like to give a big thank you to all who have provided their efforts into creating yet another successful and lively parade this year! It is through the combined efforts of our humble community that we are blessed to have such " Mayor Yoshida spoke through the megaphone with a triumphant tone. "Now, without further ado – let us begin our parade of wishes!"
"And please! Before you leave the parade, ensure that you get your very own cherry blossom sapling that you may plant in your own garden!" Kasumi added as she held up her potted cherry blossom sapling. "As you may all know, it is our tradition to plant a new cherry blossom in the beginning of spring as it symbolizes each of our own wishes that we hope to come true."
"Right! As my reliable assistant Yoshizawa just stated, please obtain your own cherry blossom to plant!" Yoshida reminded the crowd. "As you nurture the cherry throughout the year, we hope that it imparts a desire for you to grow and work towards a new wish that you come up with for the rest of the year!"
The crowd around the town cheered as the musicians resumed the music, signalling the parade to begin. Streams of lights sprinkled out from their canisters as the kimono dancers began their choreography, dancing alongside the parade floats as they started their trek around town. The crowd enthusiastically watched as the Parade of Wishes commenced, with the whole town springing into life to correlate the eventful night.
"I'm going to get some cherry blossoms for us to plant!" Haru told Ann as she began making her way over to the vendor handing out the potted plants.
"Hmph… I don't need a stupid plant to grant me my wishes. That's what my money is for." Ann grumbled, crossing her arms as she shifted over to the side of the street, having no interest in any of the parade festivities around her.
"Please Ann, I really suggest keeping an open mind while you're here. You never know what kind of blessings you may find." Haru called over to her after hearing her initial comment.
"Ugh… I swear, that girl just doesn't understand me." Ann rolled her eyes. She looked around, noting how everyone was engrossed with the light show emitting from the energetic parade floats. Seeing the lights beam out from the parade, Ann couldn't help but be reminded by the glamorous spotlights that used to shine down on her as she walked down the runway, or the numerous cameras flashing their pictures at her while she posed extravagantly in the latest outfits of the season.
What she would do to desperately get back into the spotlight once again.
But Ann was trapped in this town. All alone. With no one in the world seeming to understand her.
"Pretty exciting night, huh?" a voice suddenly interrupted Ann's thoughts.
"I told you, Okumura-san. I don't want one of those stupid cherry blossoms." Ann grumbled, turning around to the source of the voice. She was surprised not to find Haru next to her, but a lone young man standing beside her – seemingly in a relaxed state with his hands in his pockets as he kept his attention towards the parade going on in front of them. Ann gave him a short glare before making a comment at him. "Uhm… excuse me, but you mind giving a girl some space?"
"Sorry, I didn't intend to intrude or anything." Ren affirmed her. He pointed down to Ann's jeans. "But… I had to let you know that the back of your pants are completely dirty."
"H-Huh? Wait, my jeans?" Ann's face turned red as she turned around. Sure enough, her pants had been completely covered by dirt around her bottoms, presumably from the horse saddle that she had sat upon. At a glance, one may have assumed that Ann had hadn't been able to make it to the washroom on time. Ann immediately freaked out as she began to smack the dirt off her jeans. "GAAH! H-How long has that been there? Urgh! That's so embarrassing! These are my favorite jeans too!"
"Probably wasn't the best idea to wear the most expensive designer jeans out here." Ren commented.
"Oh please! Like do you even know who I am?" Ann groaned as she continued to dust off the dirt from her pants.
"Ann Takamaki, I presume?" Ren stated. To his amusement, Ann looked up to him with a surprised look, knowing that she probably wasn't expecting anyone in this small town to recognize here immediately upon her first day.
"Hmph, you must be another one of those creepy stalkers that follow around celebrities. Well don't expect me to sign anything for you. I've got a lot more important things to deal with." Ann as she removed the last of the dirt off her pant bottoms.
"Don't worry. The last thing I want to do was get on the nerves of some famous super model during my first day in this town." Ren assured her.
"First day?" Ann noted his comment. She turned back over to him with curiosity. "So wait… did you also get forced to come here too? What kind of trouble did you get into?"
"Heheh, actually, it was my choice to come here." Ren started to explain his story. "I got tired of the boring city life. So I decided to move out here and hopefully find a peace of mind in these mountains."
"You chose to move here on your own free will? Huh, you're weird." Ann replied. Although, Ren's explanation somewhat intrigued Ann. From her perspective, who in their right mind would want to abandon the comfortable city life and move out to the rural side of the country, with practically no wifi or social media?
"How about you? The last thing I'd expect was for girl like you to be hanging out around these parts. It's definitely a big jump from the runway." Ren asked, genuinely intrigued to know Ann's story. He didn't realize that his comment would end up offending Ann immediately.
"What the heck is that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm not fit for the country life?" Ann gave him a confronting look.
"I mean, the whole town - including myself, just saw you call a poor horse a monster earlier. Talk about someone with anger management issues, right?" Ren brought up without processing his words. He ended up getting pushed from the side by Ann as she began to defend herself.
"You don't know me! I'm Ann Takamaki! I'm supposed to be the fiercest model of this day and age! And don't you dare tell me that I have anger management issues! You seriously don't understand me!" Ann suddenly blurted out with confidence, causing many of the villagers around them to look at her with perplexed looks. Ignoring their glares, Ann crossed her arms as she turned away from Ren. "Uggh… Just.. don't talk to me anymore. I'm tired of people always having to lecture me twenty-four seven."
A lingering silence stood between them as the parade continued. Ren immediately realized that his words had stung Ann more than he had expected. Did he seriously have this natural act for belittling people so easily?
Maybe that's why he had felt so alone in the city. Being in an office job that catered to perfection and putting yourself above others without thinking about the well-being of your own team. Ren realized that he never took the chance to establish a true relationship with others in his prior work environment. He only focused so much to get to the top, only to leave behind others that attempted to work together with him.
Did his old routine really numb Ren's sense of being empathetic?
The words of his grandfather's letter echoed back to him…
"I'd lost sight of what mattered most in life… real connections with other people and nature… There will come a day when you feel crushed by the burden of modern life… and your bright spirit will fade before a growing emptiness. When that happens, my boy, you'll be ready for this gift I have for you."
Maybe that was what Ren was missing beforehand? Real close connections with others.
Ren looked back over to Ann, who remain unmoved from her position. She had her head held downwards and eyes closed, as if attempting to muffle out the sounds of celebration going on around her as the parade continued throughout the night.
For a super model who stated they had a fierce heart - Ann appeared to be the exact opposite, scared and hopeless.
Taking his grandpa's words to heart, Ren decided to open up to Ann.
"Hey… Takamaki-san? Sorry for being so rude upfront. I'm… still going through a few things myself." Ren immediately apologized, catching Ann off-guard for the second time. Ann turned to listen to his apology. "Truth is, I may have chosen to come here, but deep down, I'm really uncertain to what will come in the future. To be suddenly at the top of the world, only to realize that it wasn't what I truly wanted. I just… feel like I'm back to square one with my life."
Listening to Ren suddenly lay down his feelings was something Ann never expected – let alone with a complete stranger she just met not only five minutes ago. Why was he being so open to her all of a sudden? This encounter was going to places she hadn't experienced before.
"I… know we just met. But I get that you're feeling alone, as if the world doesn't hear your voice. But… just like how I chose to figure out things out here, I believe you'll discover what you're missing too." Ren assured her, giving a gentle look as he nodded.
"Ohh…. Uhm… Yeah. Thanks." Ann could only come up with, unsure of how to respond to his words. She had no idea who this man was, but for some odd reason, Ann felt comfort from Ren's statement.
For a moment, the excitement of the parade disappeared as Ren and Ann were momentarily lost in their own bubble.
"Yeah… A-Anyway, I should get back home. It's getting a bit late and my farmhouse is a bit far from town." Ren coughed, trying to ease his way out of the awkward atmosphere between them. "I'll… see you around, Takamaki-san?"
"S-Sure..." Ann remained speechless as she processed Ren's thoughts. She kept an eye on Ren as he eventually disappeared into the crowd, walking off into the night as he made his journey back to his new home. Ann took a moment to compose herself. What exactly was his deal anyway? To just come up and talk to her like that. Was he trying to get something from Ann?
"Hey Takamaki-san, are you okay?" Haru's voiced interrupted Ann's train of thoughts. In her hands happened to be a potted cherry blossom sapling as she handed it over to Ann. "Here, I brought your very own cherry blossom! I was hoping maybe you could plant it around the ranch when we get back? I'm no professional farmer or anything, but I do know how to nurture plants!"
"Y-Yeah… for sure." Ann agreed, taking the potted plant without protest. She was still thinking about the mysterious boy she had met just a few seconds ago.
"By the way, who was that boy you were talking to?" Haru asked, peering off into the distance as she attempted to locate the shaggy-haired individual. "I've never seen his face around Yama Town before. Do you happen to know him?"
"Oh him? Oh… uhm… shoot I didn't get his name." Ann answered, realizing that the boy she had met didn't mention his name once in their conversation. She simply shrugged her shoulders. "Don't mind him though. He just moved here today so he's not anyone important."
"Awww… he looks like a nice gentleman. Did you happen to get his number?" Haru teased.
"WHAT- NO! I don't even have connection on my phone if I even wanted to call anyone." Ann grumbled, feeling disgruntled with the reminder that she had no escape plan out of the valley. Quickly diverting her mind to another topic, Ann looked over to the potted cherry blossom sapling she was holding. "Uhmm, so why did you give me this?"
"It's for when you make your wish." Haru answered.
"Wish? The heck do you mean?" Ann repeated in confusion.
"Right.. This is your first Parade of Wishes in the valley," Haru said, taking the time to explain the symbolism to their cherry blossoms. "You see, every year our town holds this parade as we spring into the new season. We take this opportunity to reflect on what areas in our life we desire to improve – then make a wish. Our initiative in making that wish becomes a seed that will eventually grow until it comes true."
"Uhm.. Okay I think I'm getting it." Ann said. She held up her potted cherry blossom. "But what about these things? Do they magically make our wishes come true?"
"Heheh, well yes and no." Haru replied, continued her explanation about the town's tradition. "The cherry blossoms we have right now symbolize the progress into making our wishes become a reality. Hopefully by the time your cherry blossom completes its growth – your wish will be fulfilled. Although, those two things will only be possible with the right amount of nurturance and dedication you put in."
"Ohh… I see." Ann was genuinely intrigued by the concept. She looked down to cherry blossom sapling and began to wonder what she would wish for.
"I wish… I wish.. mmh.. I- I don't know what to wish for." Ann sighed out. This moment made her realize that she didn't have any real direction in life. She may have grown up to become a model, but why did she become a model in the first place? Her whole career had been fabricated by her parents – and Ann just followed along with their orders.
Then again – was her modelling career even a reality anymore? Ann was thrown into the country life due to her mistake and possibly costing her entire life's work. Was there any point in returning, knowing that she would become a laughing stock among her coworkers for her mistakes? Would she even be accepted by her agency again after the stupidity she had displayed?
It was if being thrown into Shira Valley brought her back to square one in life.
"What… Do I wish for? What is my purpose?" Ann said, sighing to herself.
Hopefully, Ann would have an answer to the true desires of her heart.
~ Shira Valley
Amamiya Farm ~
Ren had propped himself on his front porch – a single candle lit up on his table as he looked out to the empty fields in front of his grandfather's farm house. Various shrubs and weeds had taken over the farmland, causing Ren to ponder on how he would transform this land into a sprawling land of vitality.
"What is my wish..?" Ren suddenly said to himself, reflecting on the question to himself. He looked over to the cherry blossom sapling gifted to him by Kasumi – reflecting on the important symbolism these cherry blossoms had in the valley.
Ren knew that he was searching for something in the valley – but what exactly was it?
Or.. who exactly was it?
Ren continued to reflect on Ann Takamaki – the girl seemingly stuck on his mind ever since he left Yama Town.
He immediately shook the thought out of his head. No, there had to be something that was more meaningful to his true desires.
But what exactly did Ren wish for?
Time in the valley would help not only Ren on his journey to find new purpose – but Ann Takamaki too, as their paths would continue crossing in the future, both destined to help accomplish their dreams together.
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..
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TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE 2!
Next Prompt: Rain