Chapter Text
Dreams, for Hana, were similar to that of the fireworks on every new year’s eve. It comes and goes. Most often, it goes, but once it comes (or comes back), it shows itself in loud, robust explosions, shining like the myriad colors in the night sky.
That’s how she described her one and only dream – to be beside her brother, Fukuda, for the rest of her life. That one and only dream she had eventually spurted into small sparks, like the explosions after the one big firework that would illuminate the sky in a slow, looming (not in a bad way) manner. It led into threads that allowed her to trek many paths – to be his goddess of victory was one, to be a doctor that could help prevent athletes from having an injury was the other.
For Hana, dreams were everything.
She grew up in an environment where dreams are the beating heart that keeps someone alive. It wasn’t blood that courses through their nerves but dreams, ambitions, and goals. In Tokyo Esperion FC, the most renowned football club in Tokyo (and even the entire country), she learned that dreams were the fireworks in every new year’s eve, they come and go (mostly go), but when it’s there, it’s the brightest light she could ever see in the world.
So when she was sitting in her study table, her nose buried in books, her reading glasses crooked in the nook of her nose as she analyzed meal plans after meal plans of the Esperion players – and the way Fukuda returned to their shared flat nonchalantly, saying those words nonchalantly, it made her stop in her tracks.
“Hana, you need to rest,” Fukuda called out to her.
“Yeah, you’re one to talk, Anii, when you’re literally in the field all the time,” she replied meekly, her gaze still fixed on the books and papers.
“It’s not the same. You’re working too much. I’m sending you to Ehime.”
“And what? We’re gonna ocean-gazing there for a day and– wait, what?”
Fukuda heaved a sigh. “You’re going to Ehime. I already booked a ticket.”
It was enough to finally catch her attention. Like an explosive, she whipped her head and looked up to him, confusion and shock (mostly just confusion) written all over her face. “Why Ehime? Why now? Can’t you see I’m preparing for my licensure exam? Also, I’m going back to Spain in a month! I'm too busy to even ocean-gaze at Ehime.”
“That’s exactly why I’m sending you to Ehime, you stubborn woman,” Fukuda huffed a breath. “You need a breather, alright? You can’t just mope around while analyzing our players’ health records. I appreciate it, but I ain’t letting you drown in books.”
“I’m not drowning in books!” she reasoned, even though she was literally drowning in books as she said so. “How long do you plan on sending me there?”
“Three weeks.”
She choked on her own saliva, heaving a cough along the way. “Three weeks?!” her voice was elevated, cracking slightly. “That’s too long! What am I even gonna do there?”
“I don’t know, maybe ocean-gaze,” Fukuda replied, his response sounding like sarcasm without meaning for it to sound like one. “There’s a lot of things to do aside from studying, Hana. Besides, Ehime is an amazing place. It’s the perfect place that you need. You need to take a breather, alright?”
“A breather, yeah,” she scratched her head. “You think I can do that when exams are nearing? I have to go back to Spain next month, and I literally don’t have anything to do in Ehime?”
“Just give it a try,” Fukuda did little to comfort her. “If it doesn’t work out, then you try again.”
“If it doesn’t work out, I will go back to Tokyo!” she corrected.
Fukuda heaved another sigh. “I won’t let you. At least trust me on this one, alright?”
So Hana did. Or, more like, she had no choice. For some reason, she’s now in the airport, with one suitcase in hand and her usual shoulder bag on the other. For some random day, in the most random scheme of things, she was heading to Ehime on her own. She had only been there once, and by once she meant when she was still in high school, accompanying Fukuda as they paid a visit to his father’s grave.
She didn’t have any vivid memories about the place. After all, it’s so awfully far from Tokyo that she might die of homesickness (far worse than her stays in Spain). It was a rural prefecture, one she hasn’t heard from many sources. But she didn’t have any choice, did she? She was always so meticulous of money, and to think that her brother had bought her a ticket, there was no way in hell that she would waste it.
So then she hopped on the airplane, landing in the prefecture by evening. As she expected, it was so severely quiet, she could feel her ears ring from the sudden quietness. There weren’t any towering skyscrapers with blinding lights that illuminate the sky. Just some buildings with dimly-lit yellow lights and the foreign scent of the sea wafting throughout the air.
She left the airport with no destination in mind. She didn’t have any place to stay – heck, she came here unprepared, which was so unlike her because, on every trip, she was always the one to secure accommodations. This time, she just didn’t have the strength to prepare for an unwanted trip. Besides, she wasn’t the type to sleep the entire night anyway. She was a night owl, spending the night awake and sleeping it through in the morning.
So what she needed was a place she could stay in, not to sleep, but to eat. Or at least something she can comfortably work on (because there’s just no way that she’d listen to her brother’s words and not work), so the perfect destination would be a 24/7 restaurant.
But there was no way of knowing that, obviously. A soft sigh escaped her lips. If she were in Tokyo, it wouldn’t be a problem to look for any place that she can stay in throughout the night. But this was Ehime, a rural prefecture, and she barely had any idea where to go. She had roamed around in the quiet street (even though it was still nine in the evening), searching through signs, before she stumbled upon a significant establishment that caught her eye.
It wasn’t anything unusual, if she were to note. She could hear the bustles and chatters inside the restaurant. She stopped by the door and read the sign that was plastered in it. “Yuno Izakaya, open until 4 AM…” she muttered under her breath.
An izakaya, huh? That was certainly not in her list. She wasn’t really a fan of such places, but they were open for such a long time throughout the night. If she walked away, would her search be fruitful? She didn’t think so. So, without any other choice, she pushed the door open while dragging her luggage.
She looked around. It wasn’t as spacious as what she thought it was, and the people inside were all wearing suits, cheering their beers with wide grins in their faces. Well, what did she expect? It was exactly what an izakaya should be. So the next thing would be to find a quieter place, although upon searching around, she struggled on finding a table she could be comfortable with.
The man at the counter seemed to have noticed her looking around. He walked towards him, greeting her with a soft smile. Hana couldn’t help but give a wry smile back, returning the hospitality. The man had black, spiky hair, but he looked like he was a sophisticated person, looking like he was in his mid-20s.
“Welcome. Looking for a table?” he greeted.
She still looked around, seeing that most tables were nearly occupied. A soft sigh escaped her lips for the nth time. She didn’t really want to turn around and end up working on the streets instead. “Yeah. Do you have, uh, any quieter space?” she mentally slapped her face, knowing that she’s asking for too much.
But the man simply smiled at her. It wasn’t a smile born from the forced hospitality mastered by hosts to greet their guests; he was genuinely smiling at her, and she couldn’t help but loosen a bit. “Yes, we have koshitsu. Would you like that, miss?”
She could feel her entire being melt upon the mention of a private room being offered, but she quickly composed herself by giving a small smile (even though she wanted to grin and shake him for being a blessing). “Yes, please.”
The man asked to follow her, leading to a narrow hallway that she was sure she shouldn’t be taking. Nonetheless, upon passing by the curtain door, there was a private vacant table, just enough to muffle down the noises from the main dining area and just enough for her to mind her own business without even being bothered by anyone.
“This is great,” her shoulders slumped in relief, finally settling her suitcase down.
“Did you just come from a trip, miss?” the man asked him, his voice gentle.
“Yeah. I mean, this is the trip,” she laughed to herself as she corrected her statement, sitting down on the seat before finally looking at the man. He looked older than her. “I came from Tokyo.”
“That’s quite a far place,” he remarked as he placed down the menu on the table. “I hope you’re comfortable here after a long trip.”
She couldn’t help but smile at him again. It was certainly that kind of encounter that just gives you a sigh of relief, considering that he wasn’t the type to condescendingly sell her with their promos and discounts. Soon enough, the man excused himself, and she was now focused on skimming the menu.
She couldn’t help but be mesmerized at the amount and quality of food they serve. After all, she graduated with a nutrition and dietetics degree. She was a registered nutritionist, now studying to become a sports doctor in medical school. Of course she would swoon over how wonderfully curated the menu was, the dishes complementing wonderfully the highlight of an izakaya – the alcoholic drinks. But then again, the dishes were served for two to five people, most likely for sharing, so she was a bit hesitant.
Nonetheless, she called the man again, stating her order before the man left to cater what she just placed.
She looked around the place, mumbling how modest it was. It seemed like a well-known izakaya in Ehime, considering the chatters and the people in the main dining area – it was quite bustling to boot. When she was finished observing every single detail of the establishment, she finally fished out her laptop from her bag and started working.
It didn’t take quite a long time for her order to be served. She looked up, seeing a different waiter than the man who catered her just a while ago. She sat there, looking at him with her fingers resting on the keyboard. Soon enough, her brows slowly furrowed – why the hell was this man staring at her for too long?
The male looked younger than the first one, but they looked quite the same. She made a mental note that it must be his brother, yet it didn’t make sense why he had curlier, shaggy hair. They exchanged looks for a while – his gaze piercing at her like she was some sort of a tourist attraction – which felt like long hours for her, before he finally went near her table to serve the food.
“You’re new here,” he commented, his voice gruff and his accent stronger.
“Sorry?”
“I haven’t seen you before,” he remarked as he placed the plates on the table. “Are you from here?”
Her brows furrowed. What was this man talking about? She had no idea at all, for him to talk to her so suddenly and tell her that she looked new as if she was some puzzle that managed to stray away in a different piece. “It’s my first time here.”
When the man heard her reply, he looked at her and gave her a grin. He was awfully sheepish, she thought to herself, and so hard to read like he was a kind of mystery box. Nonetheless, there was one trait he shared with the man from a while ago – they looked genuinely hospitable.
“Is this everything you ordered?” he pointed at the dishes on the table.
Her eyes eventually followed all the dishes on the table. She just ordered edamame and tsukemono because she wasn’t in the mood to eat heavy (not like she actually had the mood for it, ever), and she was the type to eat so little when working. She simply nodded.
“Are you a vegetarian?”
She looked at him in disbelief. Seriously, just what the hell is this man on about? She couldn’t help but stare at him for a second before chuckling, bringing her hand to cover her mouth as she suppressed a laugh. He said it so randomly, so naturally as if it was something you just casually ask to a stranger on your first meeting.
“No, I just–” she struggled to find an excuse. Why is she even explaining in the first place? “I’m not very hungry.”
“Well, you’re missing a lot,” he shook his head in disapproval. “If you’re new here, you should at least try everything on the menu.”
“Everything?” she reiterated instinctively as her eye twitched in disbelief once more. “You’re quite the waiter, aren’t you?”
“Not really,” he shrugged. “I don’t want you missing out on all the amazing dishes, is all. Well then, enjoy!”
He left afterwards, leaving an impression that will stick with Hana forever.