Ordinary
If someone asked Sho how he feels about his life right now, he would probably say that he feels quite lucky; and it was true: Sho had much to be grateful for, growing up in a fairly sheltered environment that left him with very little to ask or want.
Sho grew up the eldest in a loving and supportive family of five. His father was a wealthy merchant who dealt in precious stones, while his mother was a famous author who wrote best selling children's books. He and his siblings, a sister and a brother, grew up in a big mansion fenced inside tall, imposing walls littered with surveillance cameras and security guards lurking in hidden places. Typical of those living in big mansions, the family had servants to cook and clean for them, although their mom was quite stern about having her kids look after their own rooms. Living in a big house had been in itself, quite an adventure for Sho and his siblings during their childhood. Sho had fond memories of exploring hidden nooks and crannies within the house, and discovering small, secret corners where he would often hide away when he needed time alone.
Sho had two favorite places, the first of which, was the garden that lay beneath a white gate, covered with tendrils of ivy that trailed down its grates. Behind the gate, the picturesque garden welcomed him with colorful flowerbeds of daisies, sunflowers, and white, and yellow roses cradled by the deep green grass, vibrant and alive under the afternoon sun. At the center of the garden was a small pond that was home to several goldfish that Sho and his siblings had each christened as their own, and a cream-colored garden swing where their mother would often spend hours writing, and sometimes illustrating her latest book as he and his siblings played tag, or helped the gardener pull out weeds and pick out flowers to take home and place in the living room.
Sho's second favorite place was the family library. Being son to a famous author, Sho had been taught to read and write at an early age by his doting mother who made sure that no son of hers would ever face school unprepared. His natural curiosity and an inborn capacity to learn things quickly, led him to spend countless hours in the study poring over picture books and children's encyclopedias. It didn't take long, (much to his mom's dismay,) before Sho had graduated to books that had more words than pictures and was shortly after reading books which were considered advanced for his age. Sho's deep love for books had him asking for them in place of toys or clothes for birthday presents. By the time Sho had reached the second grade, he had enough books to put up a little library of his own, and had since started teaching his younger siblings how to read. Sho had stepped into third grade with his mental abilities exceeding those of his peers and had to be accelerated to the fifth grade so that his mind wouldn't wander and become bored.
Perhaps the only other thing that Sho loved as much as books, were kittens and he's been known to take home a stray or two whenever he passed by one on his way home from school...
Before his sister's birth, Sho had been a timid child who was nervous and clingy. He often felt lost without his mom and would refuse to be left alone in the big empty house. His fears were so bad that his mother could not leave him alone for long periods of time without coming back to him huddled in one corner and shivering in a cold sweat. There have also been several incidents where little Sho would cry in his sleep for no apparent reason, causing his mother worry and panic as she cradled the trembling boy in her arms. When his mother asked him about his fears, however, Sho would only bury his face in his mothers chest and sob, while he mumbled inaudible things into her bosom, half asleep. There was no apparent explanation for Sho's trauma, nor could the psychologist give a clear cut reason for his fears, other than a very bad memory which none of them had access to. All Sho's mother knew, was that their boy was especially afraid of fire or burning things and had always been careful to stay away from stoves or matches; at times lit candles even scared him. The birth of his sister gave Sho, who was four years old at the time, a new playmate and kept him distracted and busy while he helped his mother take care of the new baby. As time wore on, Sho eventually stopped having nightmares and was able to control his pyrophobia to some extent. He was never fully able to conquer it, however, and had since given up on trying to learn how to cook properly.
*****
Things fell naturally into place for the brightest Sakurai child who had never encountered any problems in school, academic or otherwise. After graduating from college, with a degree in broadcast journalism, Sho moved out of the big mansion and replaced its comforts with a small bachelor pad, located only a few rides away from his workplace. Sho had retained old habits and was probably one of the few people who kept his living quarters immaculately clean. He had much of what he needed, and could often afford to buy what he wanted although his frugality kept him from spending impulsively. His mother had since moved on from writing children's books, to writing for young adults while his brother inherited his father's business. His sister, in the meantime had taken courses in jewelry design and had her designs consigned to several department stores, while their brother supplied her with the precious stones and gems that she works with.
This particular morning didn't start out as well as Sho would have wanted. There were mixed feelings of fear and anticipation as he woke up from a dream he was vainly trying to remember. Parts of it were similar to the nightmares that had him running to his mom in his younger days, and parts of it were peaceful, tranquil moments that filled him with an inexplicable happiness. His mind kept trying to grasp at the vague outlines of faces, and tried to hold the faint echoes of the voices that threatened to slip from his memories while the rest of him slowly woke up and distractedly tried to brew his morning coffee (that turned out too bitter). He nicked himself in a couple of places while he was shaving and had even burnt his toast while he was reading the morning paper. Deciding to give up on breakfast altogether, Sho took an early bus to work, but not without making sure that his keys and his wallet were all safely tucked inside his black messenger bag.
Upon reaching his desk, Sho found a small envelope sitting undisturbed on top of his folders. The post-it note attached to the small envelope instructed him to see his manager right after reading the contents of the envelope. Warily, Sho opened the envelope and opened a letter which requested him to do a feature on a boutique named "Smitten" and its little cafe which was rapidly gaining popularity for its crepes and tarts. At the end of the message were Yuki's and Nino's contact information as well as the times when the shop was open. After reading the message, Sho headed to his manager's office and sat down for a little meeting, fragments of his earlier dream still niggling at his mind...
"Good Morning." Sho politely greeted his boss
"Good Morning, Sho. Have a seat." his boss said amiably, " I guess you've read the contents of the envelope, huh?"
"Yes sir, I have."
"Good, I want you to do a feature on it then, for next week's episode."
"Oh, okay. It's a little bit different from our usual arts and culture features though." said Sho, who was more used to doing features on independent artists and quirky personalities.
"Well, it'd also be good to do features on popular culture every now and then, just for a change of pace. I hear the place is also quite a hit with the younger crowd. "
"I see"
"Well, go on then. Contact them and do a preliminary interview, check out the place before we go there so that the crew would know where to shoot." his boss instructed him. "oh, and buy me some crepes too before you get back. Who knows, they might give you some for free, and we can share."
"Okay. I'm on it"
so that's what he wanted... Sho thought before he went back to his desk and proceeded to dial Yuki's number.
Yuki... I vaguely remember someone named Yuki in my dream...
Previous: Siblings Next: Nostalgia
Sho grew up the eldest in a loving and supportive family of five. His father was a wealthy merchant who dealt in precious stones, while his mother was a famous author who wrote best selling children's books. He and his siblings, a sister and a brother, grew up in a big mansion fenced inside tall, imposing walls littered with surveillance cameras and security guards lurking in hidden places. Typical of those living in big mansions, the family had servants to cook and clean for them, although their mom was quite stern about having her kids look after their own rooms. Living in a big house had been in itself, quite an adventure for Sho and his siblings during their childhood. Sho had fond memories of exploring hidden nooks and crannies within the house, and discovering small, secret corners where he would often hide away when he needed time alone.
Sho had two favorite places, the first of which, was the garden that lay beneath a white gate, covered with tendrils of ivy that trailed down its grates. Behind the gate, the picturesque garden welcomed him with colorful flowerbeds of daisies, sunflowers, and white, and yellow roses cradled by the deep green grass, vibrant and alive under the afternoon sun. At the center of the garden was a small pond that was home to several goldfish that Sho and his siblings had each christened as their own, and a cream-colored garden swing where their mother would often spend hours writing, and sometimes illustrating her latest book as he and his siblings played tag, or helped the gardener pull out weeds and pick out flowers to take home and place in the living room.
Sho's second favorite place was the family library. Being son to a famous author, Sho had been taught to read and write at an early age by his doting mother who made sure that no son of hers would ever face school unprepared. His natural curiosity and an inborn capacity to learn things quickly, led him to spend countless hours in the study poring over picture books and children's encyclopedias. It didn't take long, (much to his mom's dismay,) before Sho had graduated to books that had more words than pictures and was shortly after reading books which were considered advanced for his age. Sho's deep love for books had him asking for them in place of toys or clothes for birthday presents. By the time Sho had reached the second grade, he had enough books to put up a little library of his own, and had since started teaching his younger siblings how to read. Sho had stepped into third grade with his mental abilities exceeding those of his peers and had to be accelerated to the fifth grade so that his mind wouldn't wander and become bored.
Perhaps the only other thing that Sho loved as much as books, were kittens and he's been known to take home a stray or two whenever he passed by one on his way home from school...
Before his sister's birth, Sho had been a timid child who was nervous and clingy. He often felt lost without his mom and would refuse to be left alone in the big empty house. His fears were so bad that his mother could not leave him alone for long periods of time without coming back to him huddled in one corner and shivering in a cold sweat. There have also been several incidents where little Sho would cry in his sleep for no apparent reason, causing his mother worry and panic as she cradled the trembling boy in her arms. When his mother asked him about his fears, however, Sho would only bury his face in his mothers chest and sob, while he mumbled inaudible things into her bosom, half asleep. There was no apparent explanation for Sho's trauma, nor could the psychologist give a clear cut reason for his fears, other than a very bad memory which none of them had access to. All Sho's mother knew, was that their boy was especially afraid of fire or burning things and had always been careful to stay away from stoves or matches; at times lit candles even scared him. The birth of his sister gave Sho, who was four years old at the time, a new playmate and kept him distracted and busy while he helped his mother take care of the new baby. As time wore on, Sho eventually stopped having nightmares and was able to control his pyrophobia to some extent. He was never fully able to conquer it, however, and had since given up on trying to learn how to cook properly.
*****
Things fell naturally into place for the brightest Sakurai child who had never encountered any problems in school, academic or otherwise. After graduating from college, with a degree in broadcast journalism, Sho moved out of the big mansion and replaced its comforts with a small bachelor pad, located only a few rides away from his workplace. Sho had retained old habits and was probably one of the few people who kept his living quarters immaculately clean. He had much of what he needed, and could often afford to buy what he wanted although his frugality kept him from spending impulsively. His mother had since moved on from writing children's books, to writing for young adults while his brother inherited his father's business. His sister, in the meantime had taken courses in jewelry design and had her designs consigned to several department stores, while their brother supplied her with the precious stones and gems that she works with.
This particular morning didn't start out as well as Sho would have wanted. There were mixed feelings of fear and anticipation as he woke up from a dream he was vainly trying to remember. Parts of it were similar to the nightmares that had him running to his mom in his younger days, and parts of it were peaceful, tranquil moments that filled him with an inexplicable happiness. His mind kept trying to grasp at the vague outlines of faces, and tried to hold the faint echoes of the voices that threatened to slip from his memories while the rest of him slowly woke up and distractedly tried to brew his morning coffee (that turned out too bitter). He nicked himself in a couple of places while he was shaving and had even burnt his toast while he was reading the morning paper. Deciding to give up on breakfast altogether, Sho took an early bus to work, but not without making sure that his keys and his wallet were all safely tucked inside his black messenger bag.
Upon reaching his desk, Sho found a small envelope sitting undisturbed on top of his folders. The post-it note attached to the small envelope instructed him to see his manager right after reading the contents of the envelope. Warily, Sho opened the envelope and opened a letter which requested him to do a feature on a boutique named "Smitten" and its little cafe which was rapidly gaining popularity for its crepes and tarts. At the end of the message were Yuki's and Nino's contact information as well as the times when the shop was open. After reading the message, Sho headed to his manager's office and sat down for a little meeting, fragments of his earlier dream still niggling at his mind...
"Good Morning." Sho politely greeted his boss
"Good Morning, Sho. Have a seat." his boss said amiably, " I guess you've read the contents of the envelope, huh?"
"Yes sir, I have."
"Good, I want you to do a feature on it then, for next week's episode."
"Oh, okay. It's a little bit different from our usual arts and culture features though." said Sho, who was more used to doing features on independent artists and quirky personalities.
"Well, it'd also be good to do features on popular culture every now and then, just for a change of pace. I hear the place is also quite a hit with the younger crowd. "
"I see"
"Well, go on then. Contact them and do a preliminary interview, check out the place before we go there so that the crew would know where to shoot." his boss instructed him. "oh, and buy me some crepes too before you get back. Who knows, they might give you some for free, and we can share."
"Okay. I'm on it"
so that's what he wanted... Sho thought before he went back to his desk and proceeded to dial Yuki's number.
Yuki... I vaguely remember someone named Yuki in my dream...
Previous: Siblings Next: Nostalgia