Mizuki stood nervously in front of the cafe.
This was where she was to meet Tachibana Ryousuke, the Village Head's son. She had traveled four hours by bus to this city, which her mother had chosen for the meeting. Nervous, Mizuki overthought every possibility: what if she didn't like him, or worse, what if he didn't like her? After spending two days imagining this mysterious man, the thought of disappointment was unbearable.
Worse still was the fear that Ryousuke might dislike her. That she wouldn't be his ideal. Anxiety churned in her stomach. She wanted to run away, but stopped herself. So much depended on this meeting, and her mother had worked hard to prepare her. Disappointing her wasn't an option. She sighed, took a deep breath, and entered the cafe, the chimes marking the start of something new.
Mizuki hoped she was the first to arrive, giving her time to prepare. Meeting a man in such a formal setting felt overwhelming to her. Scanning the shop, she searched for the man she had envisioned since childhood: tall, sun-tanned, sharp-faced, and kind-eyed. Not the usual type found here, but always her ideal.
As she looked past the morning crowd, she noticed a shimmer of gold at the far end. She turned her head and saw him. Sensing her gaze, the man looked up; his pale eyes met hers. Time froze. She knew he was the Village Head's son.
~*~
Mizuki stared in disbelief—he matched her image perfectly. She stood frozen, barely noticing as he got up and approached. Ryousuke, uncertain but recognizing her look, asked, "Hino… Mizuki-san?"
The sound of his gruff, sonorous voice brought her out of her daze.
"Y-Yes, that's me," Mizuki said, as she watched relief flicker in his golden eyes.
She couldn't stop staring. How could someone have eyes like his, molten gold, so easy to get lost in? She forced herself to focus on anything else, distracting herself with his fresh, woodsy scent, maybe cedar mixed with anemones.
He tilted his head, his eyes boring into her face. "I'm Tachibana Ryousuke. I believe we're supposed to meet?"
Mizuki nodded wordlessly.
"Would you care to join me?" He asked, gesturing to the table he'd been sitting in before she walked in.
"R-Right, thank you,"
As she sat, she stared—this was her ideal man, from hair color to facial lines. For a moment, she wanted to pinch herself. But the noise of the shop and the scent of coffee reminded her that this was real.
"I…I hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long," she squeaked out.
"No, I haven't been waiting long."
"Good. I'm glad."
An awkward silence settled between the two as neither side knew what to say. Not that they could be blamed, this was their first ever "marriage interview". Still, they wanted to make an effort at least for their mother's sake, so Ryousuke cleared his throat and offered Mizuki something to drink.
Looking at the menu, Mizuki couldn't decide; her nerves were frazzled. Sensing this, Ryousuke offered, "Why don't I order for both of us? I know what's good here."
Mizuki smiled at him gratefully. "Please."
As he waved a hand and called over a waitress, Mizuki reprimanded herself. Why are you being so weird? Get a hold of yourself! She gave herself a little slap on the face while Ryousuke's back was to her and finally felt her nerves soothed. Once he had finished placing the order, he turned to face her. The two stared at each other for a moment. Mizuki realized under the coffee shop's bright lights that Ryousuke's eyes were a pale gold, with flecks of silver in them. It was an odd combination, and an even odder colour for someone to have, but it suited him.
"So Tachibana-san," she started, finally building up the courage.
"Ryousuke is fine." He said coolly.
"Ah, than Ryousuke-san, and uh, feel free to call me Mizuki then. I believe you're a little older than me, so need to speak so formally."
"It wouldn't be right to speak so casually on our first meeting."
Mizuki's cheeks flushed. "Right, I guess that would be presumptuous."
"Hm. I have to say, I was surprised to hear about this meeting."
"Yes, I suppose it would be surprising," she laughed, feeling a heat rush through her body as she felt his steady gaze on her. "It happened unexpectedly on my end as well. My mother has been encouraging me to get married for some time now, and she offered to take us to the Village Head, who is reputed to have excellent matchmaking skills. One thing led to another, and here we are."
"I see."
Mizuki bit her lip as she felt a sudden wall build up on Ryousuke's side. "Then what do you do, Tachibana-san?"
The young man lifted a brow slightly as he observed his companion for a moment before flicking his gaze to the decorative plants not too far from them. "I am a contracted carpenter."
Mizuki's eyes widened slightly. "A carpenter? Can I ask what the difference is between a regular carpenter and a contracted one?"
The young woman wasn't sure, but she could've sworn she saw Ryousuke's eyes sparkle at the question.
"There's a big difference," he said in his deep voice, "A regular carpenter works under a company. They have fixed hours, fixed pay, and rules they need to follow."
He leaned back, eyes half-lidded as he moved his gaze from the plants, back to Mizuki. His stare was intense as he bore into her dark eyes. "Contracted carpenters work on a contract. They get hired directly. They have the freedom to decide what projects they want to take, and more importantly, who they want to work for."
"I see. So Ryousuke-san is basically his own boss."
"You could say that."
"It sounds like you like what you do. That's admirable."
The man nodded slowly, as if taken aback by the compliment. "I enjoy working with my hands."
Mizuki couldn't help glancing at the man's hands. They were a little gruff and weathered from constant work. Ryousuke had large hands and long fingers, a perfect combination for his profession.
They were strong and manly, exactly her type.
As they talked a little more about his job, the waitress came back with their orders. She placed it neatly on the glass table with a smile.
"Please enjoy,"
They both thanked her before looking down at their drinks. Its bitter yet sweet aroma seemed to ground Mizuki into place as she took the cup and brought it to her lips. Her eyes widened as she let out a small gasp of surprise. The coffee had a slight floral taste with a light note of salt that tied the flavours together in perfect harmony.
Ryousuke watched as her face coloured with delight. His eyes softened. "I ordered the coffee with Sakura syrup. I happened to pass by here one day and decided to give it a try since it sounded intriguing." He admitted.
Mizuki was stunned. She didn't think Ryousuke seemed like the coffee-drinking type; then again, what exactly was a coffee-drinking type anyway?
Her lips curled into a smile. "It tastes delicious."
Ryousuke watched her for a moment before nodding in agreement. "What do you do for a living, Hino-san? Or are you still in school?"
Mizuki set down her cup, the coffee bringing warmth to her fingers. "Actually, I didn't go to university but gave up halfway when I realized it wasn't for me. Honestly, I think it wasn't a matter of not knowing what I wanted to do, but more so being away from my parents. I missed being back home."
"What university did you attend?"
"B University."
Ryousuke lifted a brow, the surprise evident on his face. Mizuki found the sight funny. "That's in T City. So you had to move to the mainland."
She nodded. "It was tough. Although I had made friends, they weren't family. So I returned. My mother was happy about my decision, as she would have worried about me being away. From there, I found a new passion. I love gardening and planting, and made a business selling the wilted plants and pressing them into perfumed oils."
"Perfumed oils?"
Mizuki's eyes lit up. "Yes, perfumed oils. They're like perfumes," she said, her voice picking up with enthusiasm, "but without all the chemicals and synthetic ingredients. Everything's natural. I take flowers or herbs, sometimes dried fruit peels, and extract their essence through a process called enfleurage."
Ryousuke tilted his head, amusement dancing across his eyes.
"Enfleurage?"