Himitsu 00 - Preface

As the female awakens from a deep slumber, she stretches her body and lets out a long yawn, "Haaaawwwwwh......" Her eyes are still half-closed, but she is aware of her dream. It was a dream of pure beauty and splendor. In her dream, she was surrounded by delicious pastries, such as chocolate cream-filled donuts and French vanilla cupcakes. She also saw many other sweets that she couldn't even name. The dream was not only about food, but a famous seamstress also designed magnificent big bubble princess dresses. The designs were girly and came in various colors and patterns, each frilly, antique, and delicate.

The female was in awe of the beautiful dresses and felt excited. She wished the dream could go on forever, but unfortunately, it ended. She couldn't help but think everyone dreams of things they want but can't have. To dream is okay, but sometimes it can be dangerous to dream about unattainable things. For some people, they go about their lives dreaming their existence away, living in a fictional world. The female stands out of bed and stretches her entire body, yawning again. Her short brownish hair is a bit of a mess while the shoulder straps to her red nightgown fall to her upper arms in a tacky fashion. Her azure-colored eyes glance around the plain room as she wears an expression of pure dissatisfaction.

She notices the plain, ebony cupboard, the hard bed she always sleeps on, the colorless walls, and the fantastic door that leads outside the room. Opening the ebony cupboard, the female gathers her toiletries, undergarments, and work uniform, which includes a brown polo collar tee and a white pleated skirt. She exits the room, stepping out into the quiet hallway.

No one but her lives in this abandoned building. There's still running water, and the building is a shelter to stay away from rain, sleet, and snow. It is not the finest, yet it must do for now. To live in peaceful silence is something to adore. For noise is just static, always being disruptive. With silence, one can think clearly, obtaining total concentration and a good night's rest. Once she gets to the bathroom, the female takes a cold shower. She has grown used to the cold water as it makes her body slightly numb. It doesn't bother her anymore. After she's done, she dries her body and gets dressed, brushing her teeth and washing her face. The bathroom is lit with light from the sun, shining bright today.

The female stares at herself in the mirror and ties her hair into a messy bun. She hits both cheeks with her hands, giving herself a pep talk, "We got this, Atsuko! Today is going to be great!" She ignores the tears that try to fall from her eyes. She doesn't even feel sad, so why cry? She forces a small smile before leaving the bathroom and going back to her room. Once she puts on her black flats, grabs her purse and phone, she exits the room again and leaves it ultimately. After descending two flights of old and creaky stairs, Atsuko exits the abandoned building. Outside, she breathes in the fresh air and stares at the deep blue and sunny sky. She walks down the familiar alleyway, feeling relieved that no college dropouts are lurking about. Out of the alleyway, Atsuko walks down the sidewalk, passing by shops that are currently closed.

She turns on her phone to check the time. It's eight fourteen a.m, and the brunette has work at nine-thirty. Atsuko enjoys mornings and afternoons, loving sunlight. If it were up to her, she would ensure the night never existed. In her own eyes, this doesn't sound absurd at all.

Ding!

She opens the door to a cozy cafe called Bonbons de Rêve. She sits at a red cushioned booth near a window and gets comfortable. Atsuko puts her phone down on the table and looks around. The cafe scenery is lovely and relaxing, especially since there aren't any other customers. Exiting from the 'employees only' door is a tall guy who looks to be around his mid-twenties, being around Atsuko's age. He has tanned skin, orange delinquent-styled hair into a cool mohawk, and piercings on his ears and nose. His purple eyes shine, and he smiles when he notices Atsuko, "Good morning! You're our first customer." The male greets, walking over to Atsuko, who grins from ear to ear. "It looks to be that way." Atsuko laughs, feeling glad to have found this cozy little cafe.

"You want the usual? Fluffy pancakes with apple juice?" he asks.

"Yes, Jun. You know me well." she replies.

"You're a regular, of course; I know you well." Jun winks playfully, making Atsuko blush. "I'm paying right away!" She exclaims, quickly retrieving a crispy twenty-dollar bill from her purse for Jun. But Jun refuses, "Today, the meal is on the house." "R-Really?!" Atsuko gasps, feeling happy and grateful that she doesn't have to pay for breakfast. "Yes." Jun walks away to go and prepare the meal for her. He doesn't want to keep her waiting. Atsuko and Jun have known each other since elementary school. The two are like two peas in a pod despite being different in gender and appearance.

****

After a couple of minutes, Jun brings Atsuko a beautiful breakfast plate of three fluffy pancakes topped with a cute kawaii bunny design made out of chocolate syrup. Three sliced bananas were placed decoratively on the side of the plate topped with whipped cream. Jun smiles softly as he places a glass of apple juice next to Atsuko's plate and says, "Bon appétit!" Atsuko is surprised and looks down at her complimentary breakfast in profound astonishment. The pancakes were so fluffy and delicious that she couldn't wait to eat. She didn't hesitate to take a bite and was immediately satisfied. Even though she was practically stuffing her face, she kept an elegant persona while eating.

Just as Atsuko was about to finish her meal, Jun speaks up, hesitating to leave. "Um... Atsuko," he says, catching her attention.

Atsuko looks up at Jun with curiosity as he continues, "I've been wondering if... if you would like to get dinner with me later."

This sudden invitation took aback Atsuko. Her eyes grow wide as saucers, and her cheeks become a deep shade of red. As Jun waited for an answer, Atsuko ends up daydreaming about what the two of them would be like at dinner.

In her daydream, Atsuko and Jun are dressed like royalty from a fairy tale storybook, attending a very fancy and intricate restaurant. The two dine together, talking and having the time of their lives.

Ending her daydream, Jun waves his hand in front of Atsuko's face, "Um... are you okay, Atsuko?"

Atsuko snaps out of her daydreaming and doesn't stare directly at Jun as she averts her gaze down at her half-eaten pancakes. Jun was waiting for rejection.

After a moment of hesitation, Atsuko whispers back, "I would love to have dinner with you later." She accepts Jun's offer, but she dismisses the idea that this dinner could be a potential date, and her thoughts are all over the place.