Murasakino

Asking

   "Walk to work?" Cathy asked me, confused. "Don't you like using the car?"
   "Yes," I replied, "but it would be nice to get outside in the fresh air, I think." I wasn't sure if Cathy would agree with me, judging by her initial reaction, but she did eventually.
   "If you want to walk, you can walk," she said, and I smiled at her. "Should I tell the other girls? They may not want to walk."
   "I'll tell them," I said, finishing my cereal and walking to the other capsules. "Girls? Do you want to walk to the supermarket?"
   "Won't that make us tired?" Midori asked, yawning.
   "Maybe," I replied, "but we'll get energy from our breakfast and then more from our lunch."
   "Okay then. Sounds good!" We told Dr Takeda, who seemed perfectly happy to let us walk, but insisted that Cathy still came with us.
   "You won't know the way if you go by yourselves," he told us. "Cathy is used to walking around the city, so she'll have to guide you. Have fun!"
   "Please choose a route that's surrounded by nature," I told Cathy before we left.
   "Surrounded? How about next to? I can do that for you."
   "As long as it's a nice walk," I said, "it will be fine."

   We set off down the same road we took in the car, then turned onto a little pathway that had bushes either side. We were in single file, Cathy leading and me at the back. The path opened up into a wider one, this time leading through a woodland. It was strange to think such a beautiful and unspoilt place could be so close to the city. I immediately spotted small birds in the trees, chirping and hopping from branch to branch.
   "I'm glad you had this idea, Murasakino," Honōiro said cheerfully, smiling up at the distant clouds.
   "I thought it would be nice for us to see the natural parts of the world, rather than just the inside of a supermarket for a whole day," I explained. Curiously, every single other one of the girls agreed with my reasoning, and I kept hearing them talking about how beautiful the woods were.
   "They're so pretty, aren't they?" Ao said to Aka, pointing to the sycamore leaves above us.
   "They look like Midori's shirt," Aka replied. "Green!"
   "Looks like we're nearly here," Cathy said, "but first we need to go past something you'll all love..."
 
   To our left was a stunning lake, the water glistening with sunlight and a swan gliding gracefully across. The water was so clear we could see the rocks at the bottom, and a few tiny fish darting around. It was easy to see why so many people enjoyed coming here, but also difficult to understand why so many people didn't. Many of the citizens just went to work in office blocks, not paying attention to the wonders not far from their homes.
   "Isn't it pretty?" Cathy asked, gesturing towards the lake with a sweep of her arm. The girls gaped at it, mesmerised by the sun's glow reflecting from the water. It was going to be fun walking to work every day, and of course, today I would have to make sure I didn't miss the sunset. I had been looking forward to seeing it for a few days now, and I knew it would be one of the best parts of working here.
   "We're here!" Cathy said, guiding us along an upwards slope that lead to the supermartket. As we got closer there were less plants, until we reached the car park, which contained only a few small trees and hedges. It was slightly disheartening to see how little natural spaces were in or near the supermarket, but at least they were visible just outside the window.

   I could see where the sun would set soon, just ahead of me through the window, and stared at it with a hand above my eyes. The sun was very bright while it was still above the horizon, and I didn't want to hurt my eyes looking at it for too long. As I was engrossed in staring towards it, I noticed a man at my counter, and quickly turned to serve him.
   "What are you planning to do with your vegetables, Sir?" I asked, weighing carrots, potatoes and leeks for him.
   "Just a soup I think," he replied. He had a very large bushy beard, and was wearing a top with no sleeves and trainers.
   "Are you an athlete?" I asked. "You look like one because of your clothes."
   "No, I'm just jogging with my dog, but I might just walk back home with these shopping bags."
   "You have a dog?" I asked. Dogs weren't allowed inside the supermarket, and I looked around him for it.
   "He's not in here, he's outside." Sure enough, a big, ginger dog was stood outside the door, his lead attached to a small hook on the wall.
   "Aww, he's cute!" I said.
   "Well, we need to go now," the man said, paying and picking up his bags. "Bye!"
   "Bye, Sir!"

   The sunset was amazing; the sky, which started as a light blue colour, gradually became yellow as the sun descended. This yellow faded to orange, and the clouds and forests were a glowing pink. As the orange started to become pink, the sky became a deeper, darker blue at the top, and a bird flew past the almost set sun. The sun disappeared, and the pink and blue mixed with eachother to form a vibrant purple. I caught the attention of the other girls, and they looked too. The purple fell slowly behind the hills, until the only colour left was blue, which was gradually getting darker.
   "I can see lights!" Ao shouted, and I noticed what she was seeing; stars. They were appearing everywhere, and each time I saw one, I spotted a new one somewhere else. Everyone applauded the breathtaking show, confusing Cathy when she walked in to pick us up.
   "Who are you... why... what?" she mumbled, moving her gaze to and from each girl.
   "We'll tell you on the walk home," Midori said, still dreamily staring through the window.
   "We are walking, right?" Tākoizu asked, worried.
   "Of course!" Cathy smiled. We all grinned.