Sown

one

There he was again, casually browsing through glass bins filled with various herbs and teas they both knew he wasn't going to buy.

Hanae glanced at the man's back from behind the counter. She tried to focus on the red circle contrasting the dark green of his flak jacket but instead found her eyes drawn to the broadness of his shoulders. This had become their routine; every Tuesday the same man came into her shop, glanced at the same wall of dried roots, tea leaves, and herbs before making his way to the open coolers to nab two eggplants.

It was always only two eggplants, always on Tuesday, and always on the day she had stocked them after harvesting.

He would then make his way to the counter, take part in their usual conversation of 'hello, may I get anything else for you?' 'no, thank you' 'thank you for your purchase, have a great day,' and make his leave as she watched his unruly hair bounce slightly with each retreating step. He had missed their impromptu appointment maybe three time since she had first seen him about two months ago but always made up for it by showing up a handful of days later. Today, it seemed, was no different,

Just as his half-gloved hand dipped towards the stack of rotund purple produce Hanae's attention was drawn to the clamorous chiming of the door's overhead bell and patter of dozens of feet. A group of children thundered towards the register, huge grins bunching their cheeks up.

"Hanae-chan!" The boy at the head of the pack called giddily. "Can we please have some sugarcane?"

Perking up Hanae smiled warmly at the children. "Of course! It's too hot to play without any sugar. Stay right here while I chop it up." She made her way to the wicker basket behind the counter, plucking two three foot stalks of sugarcane before setting them down on the marble prep counter to her right. She drew her short burgundy hair into a high bun and picked up a nearby knife.

Through the chopping and peeling Hanae could feel the intense stares of the children burning a hole in her side. It was a welcome feeling, knowing that these youngsters came for her sugarcane over the ice cream readily available in all nearby convenience stores and roadside stalls. Her smile grew as she plopped the sweet sticks into plastic bags and tied them off with an elastic band.

Arms filled with treats Hanae turned back to the group, smiling sweetly as their eyes glossed over at the sight of the bags.

"Alright, everyone remember the rule?"

"Chew on the sugarcane, but spit out the fiber!" They all replied in unison.

Hanae nodded and rung up the purchase, putting her hands out to collect the coins dropped one by one into her hands. "Good. And if I find another bag tossed onto the street I'll have to reconsider my stock."

Each small head turned towards one girl who looked away sheepishly. "Yes ma'am," she murmured.

Hanae reached out and ruffed her hair with one hand, holding out a bag of sugarcane sticks with the other which the girl happily accepted. "Learning from our mistakes helps us grow as tall as the sugarcane. And you'll be sweet as one, too."

The girl gave Hanae a big grin, a gap shining through her smile, before she hastily left the store with her friends. "Thank you!"

She watched the children run off with a wistful smile for a moment before being drawn back to reality by a pale arm sneaking into her view. The regular made his way the the center of the counter, eggplants in hand.

Hastily Hanae stood, brushing back the baby hairs peeking out from her ponytail. "Ah, I'm sorry. Let me ring that up for you."

"It's okay," the man responded reassuringly. She glanced up at him behind thick eyelashes. Though she could only see one eye, his only visible feature, Hanae could swear that there was a small smirk beneath the mask pulled over his nose.

Breaking their routine felt odd in a way but there was a welcome feeling behind the interaction.

Taking the bills he handed over, Hanae punched the amount into her cash register. "Are you worried about your heart?"

The man quirked a silver eyebrow at the question. "Sorry?"

Hanae smiled as she handed his change back, balancing the coins atop the bills. "Eggplant is very good for your heart. It lowers your cholesterol."

"Oh, I actually just use it for cooking. I like it in miso soup." He slipped the money into his pants pocket, but didn't make a move to leave.

She took the invitation. "I always see you in here buying it. Thank you for being such a loyal customer! I guess I'm doing a good job in my farming."

"You grow everything here?" He cast a short glance to the right, the only side she guessed he could see. He seemed slightly impressed, making eye contact again as Hanae stood proudly.

"Yes," she nearly sang. "I grow everything offered in the store. It's my passion. Watching people buy and enjoy my harvest is really great." Hanae opened her mouth to say more but quickly stopped as she remembered how long her blabbering went on with another customer.

The regular smirked again. "The sugarcane seems really popular."

"Ah, yes. I just started growing sugarcane a few weeks ago. I was worried about it, but all the kids really seem to love it, so I think I'm doing a good job." She went to turn towards the marble prep table. "Did you want to try some? It's on the house."

He held his hands up and lightly shook his head. Her attention flickered between his palms and his chest. "No, thank you. I'm not a fan of sweets."

Hanae felt a little defeated, but smiled regardless. "It'll be here if you change your mind."

Behind him the door chimed again, drawing both of their eyes to an older woman making her way slowly to the counter.

"Hanae-chan, I need something for my husband's heartburn. What do you suggest?"

"Marshmallow root would be the best. Let me get some for you!"

Hanae turned to excuse herself from the regular, but when she spotted him he was already out the door and walking past the glass storefront. She hadn't even heard his footsteps as he left. It was a bittersweet feeling, knowing he would be back in a week, but while grinding the marshmallow root in a mortar she realized that she hadn't even asked his name.

"I have to remember that next week," she mumbled to herself, pushing the pestle harder into the bowl.