[STORY] Bittersweet Life - Verse 1
Some stories start with the characters beginning their daily activities,
and that's how I'm going to start 'our' story.
"Ours", because this story doesn't belong just to me, but it also belongs to those I hold dear.
***
-Verse 1-
"This is how we start our mornings, but our story started a long time ago"
***
The clock showed 9am already.
For many people in Tokyo their activities started at 7am or even 5am but, at a certain Shared House in Tokyo, the activities just began.
"I'M LATE!!" A blonde girl shouted in panic as she ran down stairs. "Ohayou, Carly~" greeted a browned haired girl.
"E-Eve!! Why didn't you wake me up?!" Carly complained as she arrived at the dinning room of the share house. "Well, I tried, but you didn't wake up." answered Eve, "Besides, we won't late for our class, even though we have different majors."
Both Carly & Eve are in their second year in college. Eve major ed in Japanese Literature while Carly majored in art.
Carly then ate the breakfast that Eve prepared, it is justtoasted bread, but it was better than nothing.
"Anyway where's Mai?" asked Carly.
"She left earlier, because today is her first day in college," said Eve.
Carly ate her breakfast hurriedly and right after she finished her breakfast, she went off to college with Eve.
About the share house: there used to be many people living there. But now only Carly, Eve, and Mai left.
So many events happened these past few years.
Laughs, and tears. Hope and despair.
Many have colored their lives; so much happened at the share house.
But, one's step shouldn't be stopped.
Every living creature has to move on to the next stage. Even this Spring,
For some, this might be a farewell, and for the others, this might be a new beginning.
*
Mai is currently like a lost child. The campus was so big, yet her friends were late.
She woke up the earliest today because she didn't want to be late to the opening ceremony which will be held at her campus's main auditorium hall.
"Ungh, I don't know what to do," she mumbles to herself. Suddenly, her phone rings, a new mail.
At first, she didn't believe what she read, but it makes her happy just reading it. Even though Claire isn't living at the Shared House anymore, she still keeps in touch with everybody.
She even remembered that today is Mai's first day of college.
"Yosh! I'll work hard!!" Mai shouted really loud at the campus main gate. Some people staring at her laughed at her enthusiasm. Even her friend, who just arrived, was surprised by what she did.
Sakura trees bloom in spring, but then wither.
Why do such beautiful flowers only bloom in such a short period?
Many say that they get sad when they see the beautiful flowers wither,
but some also say that the Sakura tree was happy to get withered,
because that means they can look forward to blooming again the next spring.
*
"Sigh." Claire just came back from a meeting. It wasn't a pleasant morning for her.
Her higher-ups called her early in the morning and told her to come to the office ASAP because they had an urgent matter to talk about.
The reason was that some information about the company's newest product leaked out.
Claire, as the head of Public Relation Division, must take responsibility, even though it wasn't her doing.
"Hah, how annoying," she was about to complain more, but before, she forgets, she needs to text Mai to congratulate her because today is Mai's first day of college.
After typing some words, Claire sent the message. "And, done!"
She then took something from her desk.
It was a picture.
A picture when she still lived at the share house.
It was taken 3 years ago. The happy memories appeared in her mind, making her giggle.
'Knock! knock!' While she was reminiscing about the happy memories, someone knocked at her door. She forgot that she had an appointment today, and now is the time.
Actually, this isn't her task, but her colleagues wanted her to join them in the meeting, so she had no choice but to come along.
"Haaai~ I'm coming!" Claire's mood is better already, it seems like her day will go smoothly.
There are happy times.
But,
No one could call them "happy times" if they didn't know how "sad times" felt like.
Just a week after the picture was taken,
each of the girls started to leave the share house.
One by One.
With their own reasons, for their own good.
*
Red keep staring at her watch. she's waiting for someone, but it seems like her guest is late.
'Clack.' The door opened. Red hurriedly stood up from her chair. She thought it was her guest, but she was wrong.
"Ah, it's only you Panda," Red said in disappointment.
"What was that? You don't like the fact that I brought you a coffee?" replied Panda.
"Ahaha, no. Sorry, I was expecting someone," Red said as she received the coffee that Panda gave her.
"Who is this person?" asked Panda.
"Our old friend....." answered red. "Anyways, Panda," Red noticed something different about Panda. "Did you get a new hair pin?"
Panda was so happy when Red asked about the new hair pin. "YES! It's beautiful, right?!"
"Where did you buy it? It's pretty," Red complimented the hair pin.
"Should I tell you~~~~," Panda started to tease, "or should I not~~~??"
Red and Panda are working at the same Lab,
Their team is doing research on food nutrition, but, as for Red, she once worked for a different project.
Panda is a newbie researcher, so she's more like Red's underling.
Red is quite a newbie researcher, but she has more experience, so compared to Panda, she's the senior.
In the middle of the talk, a person walked into their room. Red and Panda couldn't help but feel happy to see their old friend.
"Claire! Long time no see!" The three of them formed a group hug. they're just happy to be able to meet after a long time.
'A long time'. How does a person considered it a 'long time?'
A day? A week? A month? A year? More??
And how does a person create a strong bond?
Could you make a 'strong' bond in a short time? Or is it time that creates the 'strong' bond?
*
"Irrashaimasen!" Vanna greeted the customer who just came into her shop. It was a tiny shop close to the train station.
Vanna is very talented in making accessories especially for girls. The business used to operate well, that is until another shop with a more famous brand opened a branch close to her shop.
Even though she lost some customers, she won't give up. She believes that one day she can open a bigger shop.
'Kling.' The bell that she placed on the door is ringing, a sign that a customer has arrived.
"Irrashaimase---," she couldn't finish her greeting because she was so surprised with the lady who just walked in to the store.
"Konichiwa, long time no see Vanna~" said Akira.
"Akira!" Vanna is really happy to see her old friend Akira standing before her. Vanna then called for a clerk to stay at the cash register to replace her.
She took Akira in, and serves her a cup of tea.
"How's your business, Vanna?" asked Akira as she sips the tea.
"Well, it hasn't been going well lately, but I won't give up!" said Vanna optimistically.
Akira is glad to hear that. She always amazed by Vanna's strong will.
Working as a travel guide for a certain travel agency, she had to move here and there, and even overseas, making her have no time to visit her friends.
Well, they are all busy, so they couldn't meet each other often, though they still manage to stay in contact by mail or social media.
"It's been almost two years since I left the share house," said Akira.
"Mhm, while I left the house exactly a year ago," said Vanna, "It's funny how we randomly meet up."
"Hahaha, You're right! It was random, and all of us have different personalities, but we somehow managed to get along," said Akira, reminiscing about the past.
Vanna stood up from her chair to get a photo of when they were together.
"I miss those days." said Vanna in low tone.
"Me too, even though we keep in touch by mail, it feels different than meeting up directly," said Akira.
"Anyways, have you heard anything from her?" asked Vanna.
"Well, around two weeks ago I met her at the airport. It seems that she went to Hawaii." Answered Akira while trying to recall the memory of two weeks ago.
"Well, let's try to call her!" Vanna took the phone and dialed a phone number, "she should have come back to Japan already~"
Just like a news, people also come and go.
Some left with noticed while some doesn't.
Some being remembered, while some being forgotten.
Will you be remembered?
or, will you be forgotten?
*
'DUNG! DUNG! BAM! DANG!' Really loud dance music could be heard at a certain Arena in Tokyo.
"The sound system is a bit off over here, can you checked it?" Seii informed an error to her teammates via her HT (Handy Talky).
She came back from Hawaii only few days ago, and yet she already had to work on a new project.
After monitoring her team's work, she left the concert hall to get some fresh air.
It was her decision to work as a Stage Director.
Ever since she was little, she had a lot of interest in ShowBiz, but she never wanted to be the one who stand in front of the crowd, she wanted to be the one who prepared everything from the backstage.
And now there she is. After working at an Arashi concert in Hawaii, she now had to finish the stage for the V6 concert before the deadline.
She walked in the empty corridor to buy a yogurt from the vending machine. "Hah, I'm beat up......"
Not even 5 minutes have passed, her teammate already called her on th4 HT, "Hai, hai, I'm coming, I'm coming."
The concert hall was pretty noisy. She doesn’t even realized that her phone was ringing.
"WE'LL TEST IT ONCE AGAIN! GET READY!" announced a man from the crew.
Seii was the first one who left the share house.
Back then, she said that she wanted to pursue her dream.
Leaving everything behind, she went overseas.
And that's how life at the share house began to crumble.
How do you consider a tree to be a "strong tree?"
A tree that was able to stand up against the storm, and die afterwards?
Or a tree that wasn't able to stand the storm and get destroyed,
but it bloomed even more beautiful in the next season?
***
"Aaaaaaaaahhhh, I'm tireeeeeeeeeeddd~" Carly jumped onto the sofa at the living room and turned on the TV.
"haha, I barely did anything though," said Eve, who doesn't feel tired at all.
By the time they reached home, the sky was already dark.
"Tadaima!!" shouted a familiar voice. "Welcome home, Mai!" greeted Eve.
"Mhm! Thank you!" said Mai.
Mai sat on the floor to take off her shoes.
Carly ran from the living room to the front door. "How was it? How was your first day??" asked the excited Carly.
"It went pretty well," answered Mai. The three of them walked into the living room as Mai told her story.
'Ding Dong!' suddenly the bell rang. "I wonder who it is." said Carly. The girls are looking at each other with confused looks.
Mai was really, really surprised to see their guests. She hurriedly let them in and led them into the living room.
"Who is it, Mai?" asked Eve as she watched the TV.
"Ooosu! How are you kids?!" greeted the Guest.
Eve and Carly turned their back to see the guest, it was Claire and Panda who paid them a visit.
The five girls are screaming in joy. They can't even speak in a proper language.
"What brings you here??" Eve asked both Claire and Panda.
"And where's Red? You work at the same Lab with her right?" Mai asked Panda.
"Well, well, well. Let's start one by one, but first~ let us sit first okay, said Claire.
"I'll prepare the tea!" said Mai as she dashed off to the kitchen.
"So, I was trying to drag Red along but she was pretty busy, so I only managed to bring her Junior," explained Claire.
"Yeah, she got some important matters to discuss," said Panda.
"Then, what brings you here?" Eve went on with her question.
Mai came back with 5 glass of juice, since she couldn't find any tea in the cupboard or refrigerator.
"This weekend, let's hold a reunion!" said Claire.
*
The sky was getting darker and darker.
It was 9pm. Seii walked home with her headset on.
Slowly she took the staircase to her apartment. There, she saw a person standing at her front door.
"Aki?" called out Seii to the person who standing at her front door.
"Konbanwa Seii, long time no see...," said Akira to her old friend.
After a short silence, Seii let Akira come into her tiny apartment.
"Then, what's wrong?" asked Seii, straight to the point.
"Oy Oy, is that how you treat your old friend? You should be nicer Seii," whined Akira.
"But I AM nice," said Seii.
"Anyway, I wanna bring Vanna here, but since she had to close her shop, I ended up coming alone." Akira started, "You sure came home late Seii, I has been waiting for you for three hours you know."
"Well, sorry about that," said Seii coldly.
"Fuh, really, you haven't changed," said Akira towards the cold treatment she received from Seii, but she's used to it.
It's not that Seii really meant it, it's just her style of talking.
"So, why are you at my house?" asked Seii.
"Actually, I met Vanna today at her shop, and we talked about the old times. Then we called Claire." said Akira,
"This weekend, let's hold a reunion!"
When the sky of Tokyo get darker,
Just like the fireflies that decorate the trees made of glass,
The glittering light guides the busy citizens of Tokyo back to their houses.
Everybody rides their metal horse, going back to their house.
After a day full of journey, they finally managed to come back and meet their beloved ones.
No matter how far a bird flies. One day, for sure, they'll come back to the place where they belong.
***** to be continued - Verse 2 [Honey Bee] *****