Opening Theme:
Brightdown by Nami, Tamaki
Sunlight filtered down through the white thread of bed sheets as they fluttered lazily on the clothesline, drying in the warmth of the summer weather. It was quiet as usual, no noise except for the rustling of the nearby peach trees and chirping of the summer cicadas. Nice and easy was the atmosphere surrounding her home. She hummed a tune softly, as if too much noise would disrupt the peaceful life she lived. She wiped her forehead of perspiration and stepped back, admiring her work.
Being the only one living in the middle of nowhere, which meant all the day's chores were her responsibility. All the laundry, dishes, gardening, and house repairing was left for only her to deal with. Not that she really minded; she had lived like this for years. It was a nice way to spend life; carefree in a way. There were no rules to abide too, nobody to order you around and no one to wait on. It was just her, the world, and the expansive blue sky above her. No troubles, no worries... It was an ideal lifestyle for her to live by; she'd recommend it to anyone.
She had everything she would really need, also. She grew most of her food, and hunted the rest. As for water, she had dug a well that still functioned loyally to this day. She saw people every once and a while, but most were just passing travelers. Some stayed with her overnight to recuperate and rest before once again setting off down that same road. They usually spoke of amazing tales and adventures that they had been on during their travels. This was something she always loved to hear about upon meeting these worn-out travelers.
Despite her love for her calm, quiet lifestyle, she had wanted something more. She didn't want to always sit there repeating the same thing every day, over and over, she wanted to do something. She wanted to break away from her simple life and go somewhere. Anywhere. She wanted to one day share stories at another's home over a self prepared meal and watch the owner's eyes sparkle when she recounted it. She wanted to go on amazing adventures and meet amazing people, not just waste her days alone out in the middle of nowhere.
Little did she know, life had already decided that it was about time something like that would happen.
She smiled at all the work she accomplished, brushing her lose white shirt of any debris it may have gathered during the process of her outdoor chores. She breathed in the fresh country air and couldn't help but feel relaxed. Summer was her favorite season, overall for the fact that it meant harvesting season. She licked her lower lip when she thought of all that she could make with the vegetables and fruits that were ready for picking and gathering. Walking over to one of the peach trees, she reached out and plucked a particularly juicy looking one from its branch with a snap.
She bit into it soft flesh, rejoicing in the sweetness of the fruit. Homemade and homegrown food was always the best, since you would feel so accomplished after preparing the mean all by yourself. Slumping down against the bark of the tree, she looked up at the blue sky, watching as clouds rolled by slowly and sluggishly. It was peaceful, as always. She wondered bluntly if something would ever happen to disrupt the lifestyle. Sure, sometimes summer storms can be interesting to watch and they were different, but it was never enough for her.
Before she could even notice, she felt the drowsiness take hold of her and sent her away into a deep afternoon nap. She had been cleaning all day, after all; she deserved some kind of reward. That, in hence, was the delicious, ripe peach and a long nap under the warm summer sun with the gentle breezes tickling her cheeks. But as she fell asleep, she couldn't help but here someone's feet trotting on the dirt path that passed her home. Figuring it was just a mind trick, she allowed herself to drift away into a midday slumber. Such a peaceful rest was one that she knew for sure that she had indeed.
❀❀❀❀
When she opened her eyes, she expected it to be sunset outside and to still be lying against the peach tree as she was before. She did not expect, however, to be in bed and staring out at the starry night sky of the endless stretch of meadow before her. She also didn't expect to turn over and meet the face of an unfamiliar man sleeping in the same bed next to her. So, one could understand and anticipate her reaction, which was a loud, surprised scream.
The man's eyes flew open immediately, and he rolled over, falling off the bed in his own shock and surprise. He rubbed his sore head, which she presumed he had hit when he fell. Poking her head over the side of the bed and armed with a pillow, she braced herself for a fierce pillow fight.
"Ow ow ow..." He muttered as he rubbed the back of his head, and then turned his head to stare at the girl. "Jeez, why did you do that?"
This question struck her as odd. "Why did I do that? What would you do if someone moved you into your bed then slept next to you?" She asked him back, answering his question with her question. She was surprised when he pondered that for a second before smiling broadly and laughing softly.
"Probably the same thing, I guess. Minus the yelling," He added after another thought.
"May I ask who you are?" She demanded lightly.
"My name is Habiki. Kiyoshi, Habiki. May I ask you?"
"I'm Momoka. Arine, Momoka." She answered, then realized who she was talking too.
She chucked the pillow at him and it hit him square in the face with a thud before it fell down onto his lap. A silence hovered between the two as they tried to collect themselves before returning to the matter at hand. She gawked at him, unsure of what to say or what to shout for that matter. So those footsteps she heard earlier were his? She shook her head to clear her thoughts that were distracting her. Now was not the time to worry about that.
"May I ask why you were sleeping next to me, or moreover, even in my home?" She asked him with some underlying curiosity. He had some nerve to actually come into someone's home uninvited, or even fall asleep next to her. It was something beyond her comprehension! Never had she met a man so bold.
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, it's like this... I was looking for somewhere to stop for a moment and rest, and I saw your home out here in the middle of nowhere. I decided to check it out, hoping that the owner, you, would allow me to stay for a few days to rest before heading out again. But when I found you, you were asleep against that peach tree without a care in the world. So, instead of waking you up to ask, so I thought that I would wait until you woke up. It was around sunset when I did that, and I thought it would be bad to let you end up sleeping outside. So, I carried you inside. It gets cold during the nights, ne?" He explained, waiting for her reaction to appear.
Though he was originally expecting her to be either appalled or outraged, what he got was the complete opposite.
"Care to explain why you were in the same bed as me?"
"Oh, that," He laughed awkwardly and nervously, beginning to once again scratch the back of his neck. "You were still sleeping, so I had placed you on your bed, but I didn't know where I would be able to sleep... So I just kinda slipped into the bed with you?" He laughed nervously again, keeping his eyes wary and away from her, staring anywhere else but her face. After another minute of awkward silence, he choose to risk a glance in her direction. She was standing there with a blank expression, as if unsure of what to do or say to him. After waiting a long enough time for her to collect her thoughts, he finally sighed and picked the pillow up from his lap.
"Oi," He tossed the pillow at her head, trying to provoke a reaction. "Quit spacing out. What do you think of my explanation? Be honest and straight with me; what do you want to do?" He asked her, looking up at her from where he sat on the floor on the other side of the bed, eyes peeking through his thick lashes. He watched her blink repeatedly, as if returning back to reality, and saw her bend down to receive something under her bed.
"O-oi! What're you doing-?!" He started to ask, but the wooden tip of her bokken's blade convinced him to shut his mouth. He scooted back, away from the weapon and person that threatened his existence, laughing much more nervously now. "Can't we talk about this...?"
"Nope," She answered him in a dark, stern tone. The rest of the night, for Habiki, was spent curled up on one of the branches of Momoka's peach tree.
Ending Theme:
Sakura Biyori by Mai, Hoshimura
