Life Before Darkness
"Sorry Aoi. You're a pretty girl and really cool... but you're just not my type."
A young man whose face blurred into the crowd turned and walked away. Everything was becoming blurry for the young, once again heart broken woman, As she stood in her pink crop top, black heels and mini skirt with her black, faux leather jacket. Her tears fell to the ground and seemingly the marks disappeared as the heat of the city dried them from its streets.
Turning away, she began to retrace her usual route to the bar she was all but too familiar with. It was no longer sadness that would overcome her on these occasions. But rather,
SLAM!
Sounded the door as it shot open and just as abruptly shut. An almost empty, low lit bar, with a young man, no older than thirty, standing behind the counter, polishing some glass wear.
The girl sat, facing towards the bar with her face buried tightly in her hands. Her brown, wavy hair draping down to shroud the spiteful grinding of her teeth. The bar keep approached her. His eyes contrastingly soft compared to hers, his expression wore a smile that could also show his empathy for her. He knew her.
"What may I get you tonight, Miss Aoi?"
Fiercely her hands removed themselves from her face as she smashed the side of her clenched fist against the top she leaned upon, "Get me the usual, Kazuki!" A slight smudge of her fist remained on the bar top where her tears imprinted some of the details.
The man closed his eyes and turned. Heading to pick up a small glass with his long, delicate fingers, place three ice cubes into it and fill the glass with a straight shot of gin. Once this almost hypnotising ceremony was complete, he made his way to his clearly distressed patron.
"So, Miss Aoi. I take it the new man wasn't your future 'prince?'" He teased with a smirk, softly laying the gin glass on a placemat in front of her.
"Shut it Kazuki." Gritting her teeth even harder, she brought the glass to her lips and took a sip of the disgusting yet relieving liqueur. Her sharp tone was prominent, but before long she released a sigh of calming, rewording her past phrase to her friend, "Sorry, Kazuki. You didn't deserve that. It's just. He's the same as all the others. If I'm apparently 'pretty' or 'cool' then why does everyone leave?!"
Aoi's grip tightened on the glass but she found restraint in herself to stop it. Some more tears slowly retraced the tracks the previous ones left, and landed on the counter top. Kazuki kneeled before her, having their gazes meet on the same level, "then maybe it is better for you. Good things come with time. A man worthy of you may be closer than you think. Maybe he is just too nervous to do anything about it yet."
His short black hair was clear of his green emerald eyes, and his gaze softly met with her own beautiful hazel orbs. After a sniff she grabbed a napkin from a pile on the corner of the top, drying her eyes and blowing her nose.
"I just wish that my 'prince' would come soon. I'm done with feeling this heartache and I'm done with being lonely. I've been on this world over twenty six years, and I have never gotten to experience true love. Is it just out of my reach? Am I not destined to experience it?" She questioned. Her eyes casting to the side as her mind pondered on these questions. Taking another drink of her gin, her head perked back to Kazuki as he replied once again,
"What about your family and friends, they love you and always will." His sweet, soothing and reassuring tone covered for the slight joking intentions he hid with this statement, but Aoi knew him too well,
"Shut up Kazuki you know that doesn't count!" Grabbing a cushion that laid between her and the back of the wooden barstool, she gently hit him with it, a small chuckle accompanied by a charming smile emerged from her. Kazuki couldn't help but smile in return. This moment felt homely and comforting. And in this seaside city that she called home, there was only one other place she could find such comfort.
She downed the rest of her drink and pulled out 700 yen. Leaving it beside her empty glass. Standing up, she stretched, feeling somewhat anew but also exhausted. Her reddened eyes slightly puffed from all the crying. "Thanks Kazuki."
He softly smiled in response as he queried "You off home now Miss Aoi?"
With a smile of reassurance, she turned, a much more comforting smile upon her lips as she replied to him, "Yes! After all I've got work tomorrow. And I've been put on the nightshift at the aquarium."