Shutters and Strings - MICHAENG

1

"Can't you have a little faith in me? You're just going to have to taste and see." The other Japanese commented, grabbing a handful of napkins and handing them over to Mina.

Mina took them and started reaching for her wallet once again. Momo stopped her with an "Ah, ah, ah," and replied with a smile, letting her know it was on the house. Mina refused to take that as an answer and still reached for a few bills. She managed to slip a few yen on the counter and got out of the cafe as soon as possible, thanking a reluctant Momo in the process.

As soon as Mina stepped outside, she was instantly hit with the cold wind gnawing at her face, small snowflakes falling on her black hair. She shivered and wondered when it had gotten that cold. A few minutes ago, she was carelessly taking pictures without a care in the world, and now she didn't even want to reach for her camera for fear of exposing her fingers in the cold weather. She took a sip of her coffee and instantly felt her insides getting warmer. She let out a small sigh and saw her cold breath in front of her.

She began walking in the direction of her own family's bakery, mentally preparing herself for her own job now that she had left Momos. She loved her job, she truly did, but sometimes she regretted not ever pursuing what her heart had been telling her to follow since day one, which was, of course, photography. She would beat her teenage self for never enrolling herself in schools that specialized in that field. Why? Because of fear. Mina unfortunately always had those what-ifs plaguing her mind.

What if you don't succeed?

What if others are way better than you?

I mean, there will be others who are ten times better than you, so do you even deserve to have your work placed alongside theirs?

Her mom also fell into the equation. Her mother had made it clear to Mina since she was younger that she would love it if Mina helped her run the bakery as she got older, and Mina did so, in order to keep her mother happy, so in turn, she gave up photography and only really kept it as a hobby.

She always had the bakery as her first priority and photography as her second.

As Mina was lost in thoughts, she didn't even realize or pay attention to her environment, and before she knew it, she was met with a yelp and hot coffee splashing everywhere.

She suddenly regained consciousness and became aware of her surroundings. The stranger in front of her was covered in the coffee that she had just been happily enjoying.

"Oh shit." Cursed the girl in front of Mina, yelping in pain and discomfort at the feeling of having hot coffee smeared against her. She quickly undid the small, thin sweater she was wearing and started wiping it on the undershirt she was wearing, in an attempt to clean herself up and ease the pain.

"Oh god, I am so sorry!" Mina yelped in return as she realized what she had done. She quickly grabbed the girl and pulled her inside of another small shop. The other girl, confused, turned to look at Mina.

"Here, let me help you, I am so sorry, oh my god." Mina continued, taking out the napkins given to her by Momo that she had stuffed inside her pocket.

The other girl just stood there, still, unsure as to what to do, as Mina started wiping the remaining liquid still visible on the shorter girl in front of her.

"Did any get on your hair?" The Japanese asked, turning to look at the shorter girl's blonde strands of hair, with visible black patches.

All the other girl could do was shake her head, signaling a no, still in shock as to whatever was happening in front of her.

Mina, now realizing what she was doing, stopped in her tracks and started muttering out even more sorry's, as she realized she had just started cleaning up a random stranger.