Blonde (Mikura KazumaXOC)

1. Nikes

The world of Air Trek, advanced machines that could make anyone fly high was a world that Takagi Akina never knew. The ability to have the freedom of a soaring bird was a sensation she's never felt.

She stared at her scuffed nikes before turning her gaze out of the AT parts shop she worked at afterschool. Cicadas cried in the distance and the sweat on the back of her neck told her Summer was coming soon. She hated summer.

"Don't forget to lock up," Ryuma, the shop's owner, said to her as he headed out. He patted the raven haired girl on the head as he passed by her, saying "Don't look so glum. I'll give you the first week of vacation off if you close up nicely tonight."

She turned her brown-eyed gaze to the older man, her chin in her palm as she said "Yes sir."

He chuckled, taking the cigarette from behind his ear and lit it before stepping out into the street. "Good girl. Goodnight."

Then she was alone, listening to the sounds of the people passing by the store and the clock ticking on the wall. She tapped her fingers absentmindedly, staring out into space. Only two more hours and she could close up and go to her apartment. Maybe Shouta would be home and they could have dinner like a proper couple.

But most likely not.

She sighed, stepping out from behind the counter to shuffle things around on a shelf. She swept the isles pretty quickly and went to taking inventory of all the product that was out.

A half hour had passed.

"Hmmm," she sighed, staring up at the clock. She raised a finger, lightly tapping the glass with her nail. Damn thing must be off again, though she knew it wasn't. She tuned it herself.

Stretching her arms above her head she stepped outside of the little store, smoothing down her smock. She looked around the noisy streets, staring up at the large billboard ad for AT, a tiny pang of jealousy in her stomach. Shouta would never let her have a pair of AT. She had already begged and begged as much as she could to have her own pair. Ryuma even offered a pair for free to her.

She sighed and turned to step back inside. Just a little longer and she could go home.

"Look out! Look out!" she heard someone shout. The force of a body slamming into her was the last thing she remembered before her head hit the pavement.

~

"Th-thank you for your patronage!" were the first words she heard when she stirred awake, a throbbing pain in the back of her head. When her eyes shot open she was behind the counter, leaning against the wall. The sound of the cash register being opened and closed brought her back from her daze.

Gingerly she touched the sore spot behind her head that had hit the sidewalk, wincing softly at the pain that surged.

Definitely going to bruise.

She forced herself to stand, using the counter to help her up and was met with a person's back to her. It was a boy around her age who wore a blue short sleeved hoodie and beanie, blond hairs poking out of the bottom of it.

"Oh! You're awake! Thank god!" she heard him exclaim. "Listen, it really was an accident! I didn't mean to bump into you so hard!"

She looked up at the clock.

She had been out for two hours.

Immediately she flew past him, closing the shutters to the store and locking it. Her thoughts were racing a mile a minute as she rushed to clean. By now she had completely blocked out the boy and his babbling, who had now taken a broom and went to sweeping with her.