Forget to Love

Chapter 9 - Love

Hitori opened his eyes. A nice breeze ruffled the leaves of the trees. New cherry blossoms bloomed in full, covering all of the trees like a canopy overhead. The air was sweet and crisp, with just a hint of dew and a wintry chill. The sun was warm, enticing flower buds to appear on dormant plants. The world was full of excitement and wonder, love and new life. The perfect symbols of springtime.

Hitori anxiously bumped his leg into the bicycle at his side, itching to feel the wind in his face. He swung his leg over the bike and began to pedal, wishing he didn't have to go to work that day. He would have been content just laying on a new bed of grass, staring into the clouds. But he couldn't do that to his boss.

He pedaled along the streets as the city began to wake up around him. The crowd of cars began to thicken as workers made the daily commute. Children were walking to school in that familiar uniform he almost missed, in pairs, or groups, or alone.

He stopped the bike at the storefront of the Sakura Café, parking it on the rack. He entered, the bell ringing from above, and made his way to the backroom.

"Good morning Koji-sama," he said with a smile, unhooking an apron that hung from one wall. His manager was looking over a stack of papers.

"Morning, Hitori-san." He looked up. "How have you been?"

Hitori grabbed a broom. "Same as always, I suppose... It's a beautiful day, isn't it?"

Koji seemed deep in thought, scanning the papers and scratching his salt-and-pepper beard. He looked up at the storefront's windows. Clouds lazily moved along in the distance. "It is, isn't it? It's a good day to spend with family or friends..."

The bell rang and two men that Hitori knew to be the chefs entered. They exchanged brief greetings before disappearing into the back room to prepare for the breakfast crowd.

Hitori lifted and flipped chairs from the tops of the tables, setting them on the tiled floor around the tables. "... Oh, I forgot to ask, how've you been, boss? You seem pretty concerned about what you're reading, there. Something wrong?"

Koji smiled. "No, no, but thanks for your concern, kid. I'm just going over the budget, and our staffing schedule, and comparing it to some renovation ideas I've had to— uh..." He looked up. "Well I don't want to bother you with all that complicated stuff. But you should know we're actually doing alright. In fact... maybe you should take the day off."

Hitori caught himself staring out the windows as people passed by. "Huh?"

"Well, it's just such a nice day, and you've been working real hard lately. You deserve some time with your friends." He paused before continuing with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "And... well, I just realized I may have overstaffed today."

The bell rang and a woman stepped inside. She waved.

"Hey, Hitori-san!" She bowed to the boss and excused herself to grab an apron from the back. The boss checked his watch. He flipped a big sign on one of the windows so that it read, 'Open.'

"If it's alright with you sir, I'd like to stay at work." Hitori smiled. Everyone he knew was present in the building he had come to call his second home. If he left, he'd probably be idle all day.

"You're sure?" Koji raised an eyebrow. "I don't have a problem with you staying, but isn't there anything else you'd rather do today? Anybody else you'd rather be with?"

Hitori smiled to himself. "... No. I'm glad, just like this."

The lunch rush was busier than usual, so Hitori was glad the boss had called in an extra server. He carried dishes out, took orders, and bussed dirty dishes back to the kitchen in a blur.