The Shop
Characters within the chapter:
Aska: A young man, around Kins age. Short brown hair. He wears jeans and a blue bomber jacket. The bottom of his jeans are rolled up a little while he wears brown dress shoes.
Chage: Young, happy-go lucky, and smart. Chage has hair cut as short as a soldiers. He wears shield style sunglasses, with a blue bomber jacket, khakis, and leather shoes.
Makano returns home on SÄU, landing on the roof of her home. She catches a small glance of the afternoon sky from above. "Gorgeous…" says Makano to herself. After staring for a short moment she goes to the stairs. She looks around the second floor for her grandfather but doesn't find him there. She then heads downstairs to the first floor.
She walks down the stairs to the first floor, into the back room. The room is used for storage and repair for the shop. She opens the door behind the counter in the shop. Her grandfather sits behind the counter reading a book with his reading glasses. "Oh, you're back. How are you?" Asks Grandpa. "I'm fine. How are you?" Replies Makano. "Fine as well…Hey, that boys back" whispers Grandpa. Makano looks over to see a boy, around her age standing over some wood carvings. "He never buys anything…he only looks around" says Grandpa as he gets up. He walks over to the boy who wears a jacket and jeans. "See anything you like?" Asks Grandpa. "I-I'm just looking" replies the boy. "Hm, I've noticed you coming into my shop quite often. Surely something interests you". "Well, I guess it's the entire shop. All the things you hang from the ceiling. The old books, wooden figures, and paintings all interest me". "I see…I'm glad this place interests you—-not many people find interest in shops like these, today". "... I'll buy this" says the boy as he picks a wooden figure of a long forgotten god. "Ah, good choice. That's a carving of an ancient god you know. Makano, please ring up this young fellow". Makano walks over to the cash register. "May I see that?" Asks Makano. The boy hands her the carving. "One hundred & thirty five dollars and sixty seven cents, please…". "What's your name?" asks the boy as he hands her the money. "It's Makano…here's your change" replies Makano as she hands him the money. "My name's Aska" says Aska as he takes the change and carving. Aska stands still in front of Kin in bare stiffness. "… y-you work here?" asks Aska. "Sometimes but this isn't really my job". "What is your real job" "I'm an officer". "... really? that's nice…" says Aska as he nods his head slowly and starting to leave the shop. "…Thank you," says Aska. "You're welcome, Have a nice evening" replies Makano.
Aska leaves the shop. Grandfather hangs up the closed sign for the shop shortly after Aska leaves. The shop is a mess of all sorts of unsuspecting and unusual items but at the same time feels so unified. "You know, I think that boy likes you" says Grandpa. "Huh, how can you tell?" Asks Makano. "He puzzled himself with what to ask you. Standing in fright… ha, I think that's the reason he visits the shop so often". "… maybe you're right, grandpa". "So you'll go on a date with him?". Makano's face turns red at the thought of it. "HAHAHA… oh, you kids… let's start making dinner".
Together, Makano and her Grandfather make dinner. A roasted bird with cheap boiled greens. "Have you heard anything about a promotion yet?" asks Grandpa after swallowing. "No, I still think it will be a long while until I receive a promotion" replies Makano. "Mm… I think you deserve it. I know you're the hardest working one in the entire force, Makano… and we could use the money". They both laugh at the reasoning.
Makano washes the dirty plates and pots after dinner. She hears the noise of a flying machine approaching above. She stares out the window above the sink. The large ship enters her view from the right side of the window. The body of a submarine, twelve wings flap on either side, jets along the bottom, and on the back of it a vertical stabilizer with three horizontal stabilizers. As well as enough guns on it to be called a battleship. There is a painted symbol on it with text that says "National Officers of Zoveh". The ship passes and Makano returns to washing the dishes.
She is again outside. Staring at the overhead sky through the dome. She sits criss-crossed atop the building that has the view of the sky. "I wish I could see the world above…" thinks Makano.
Aska walks out of an elevator into a long hallway filled with rooms. He turns right and walks all the way down the hallway to the last door on the right. He unlocks the door and enters the apartment. "... were you at that shop again?" asks a man typing on a computer. "Yeah" replies Aska as he takes off his shoes. "Did you get the stuff I asked for?" asks the man, still focused on typing. "I forgot," replies Aska. "Can you go back out and get it?". "What about you go get it, Chage. If you need it that bad". "Something wrong?". "... I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry that I forgot about the groceries". "It's alright… I'll head out then" says Chage as he gets up. "Need anything?". "No, I'm good". Chage walks around his desk to the front door as Aska goes to his room. He sets the carving he bought on top of his night stand then takes off his jacket. He sits on his bed and stares at the carving for a moment.