Colors and Heart's Harmony [Episode 10] What I Can Do Now. Starting From Here.

*Read from the beginning of this story*

*Read Episode 9*

[Episode 10] What I Can Do Now. Starting From Here.

I planned a farewell event for Grandma at the shop.

It wasn't a somber farewell party, though. It wasn't exactly cheerful, but I thought it would be enough for everyone to spend time here, just like they did back then.

Grandma would surely want to keep watching everyone in this space.

Sota-kun came with his mom and dad.

He brought a drawing he made of Grandma. "You drew her so cutely. Thank you." I felt like I could hear Grandma's voice saying that.

And the Haga couple also brought plenty of vegetables that are in season in winter, like daikon radishes and Chinese cabbage.

I decided to grill them simply along with some chicken.

Our chef is good at this kind of simple cooking. A savory, delicious aroma began to spread through the shop.

When Grandma was here, we focused on the goodness of Japanese cuisine, but now, the chef is putting in extra effort to serve dishes with a variety of tastes.

Since today is an event, we decided that the staff would join in and enjoy it too.

We placed Grandma's photo in her usual spot.

A meal shared with everyone is, after all, the most delicious.

Rui-san did not arrive even after the start time had passed.

Maybe it was no good...
The flyers were gone, so I thought she must have seen one...

Just as I was about to give up, the shop door opened.

Standing there was someone who looked like Rui-san.

I thought she looked like her, but her atmosphere had changed completely from the Rui-san I had seen before.

I'm sorry... for being late. I wanted to return this to Yori-san, but I didn't make it in time. Honestly, I wanted to give it to her while she was still alive. Even if it wasn't the full amount, I wanted to pay her back. My resolve took too long to form, and I never imagined it would end up like this. I will come back to pay the rest, so please, just take this for now.

Rui-san told me this while sobbing.

It was the first time I had seen her express her emotions so openly.
Because she looked like she was about to collapse at any moment, I guided her to a seat. Souta-kun was watching Rui-san with a worried expression.

Rui-san's favorite spot was the seat at the end of the counter, but because she was crying so much, I guided her to the partitioned space in the back.

I opened what I had received in front of Rui-san.

It seemed she had put it together in a hurry.
The envelope itself was reused, but inside was a large sum of 80,000 yen.

Rui-san. How did you get this?
Feeling puzzled, I asked her directly.

I had sensed that Yori-san's health was not good. Even so, I didn't want to admit that fact, and I kept relying on her. You might have known this, but I was actually watering the garden every day, and I would occasionally spend time alone with Yori-san there, but at one point, she stopped coming. I thought, this might finally be it. When I thought that, my resolve finally solidified. I got a cleaning job. There were many difficult things and times when things didn't go well, but my purpose for working was clear, so I couldn't quit. What I gave you this time is what I earned from my cleaning job. Yori-san took care of me so much. I received help from her more times than I can count. Honestly, I wanted to thank her directly and give this to her. It didn't come to pass. But I believe this is the best I can do right now.

Rui-san's sincere feelings came through to me intensely.

I encouraged her to hydrate, asking if she would like to drink some water first.

Rui-san took a sip of water and began to speak again.

Even though I had made up my mind, I never thought I would actually be able to work. But I was so happy to be praised for my cleaning here. I thought, 'Maybe I can do cleaning!' and applied for the job. I used to go to work every morning after watering the flowers, but the reality was very harsh. After all, I hadn't had much experience up until this age, so it was only natural that I was looked at that way... Having a stable daily rhythm and belonging to society gave me peace of mind, and above all, my relationship with my parents improved. It is truly thanks to you, Yori-san, and this cafe that allows me to be myself, that it has continued to exist here.

Rui-san continued to express her gratitude, even as her eyes filled with tears.

Rui-san. Could you wait here for just a moment?

Having said that, I left the room for a moment to prepare a gift.

I chose a pale yellow card and wrote the following.

Perhaps you could only see the fear of the night breaking.
But I believe that you, as you are now,
will surely understand.
That after a long period of hitting rock bottom,
a day will come when you can think
that the bright sky is beautiful.

When I returned to the room, before I could say anything, Rui-san confided in me.

There is one more thing I must apologize for. You call me Rui, but actually, Rui is not my real name. My real name is Akemi. I felt it was so far removed from my own life that I hated the name. So, I had everyone call me 'Rui' here. Since I've been called Rui-san here, it has become a name I really like. It's fine to keep calling me 'Rui' from now on. I think everyone is more used to calling me that, too!

I glanced at the mini card for a moment, then smiled at Rui-san and said this.

There is absolutely no need to apologize. Whether you are Rui-san or Akemi-san, there is no difference in the fact that you are you. Every person has both light and shadow. The side that is visible is not necessarily everything, is it?

I handed her the konpeito and the mini card.

This is a small thing, but it is a gift from me. The content written on the mini card is my feelings. The konpeito I am giving you along with it carries on the wishes of the previous owner of this shop, my grandmother. My grandmother used to always say, 'Every person has a sparkling gemstone inside them. It's just that everyone doesn't realize it themselves; everyone, no matter who they are, has something wonderful.' I chose these because I felt that the sparkling gemstone is similar to these colorful konpeito that warm your heart when you put them in your mouth.

Rui-san immediately read the message on the mini card, looked up, and said this.

Thank you. Oh. Did you know my real name?

No. I didn't know. My grandmother didn't say anything about your name either. But I had a vague feeling that it might be different. So, I was surprised too when I heard your story just now. Thanks to you, it was a good time. I'm sure my grandmother is happy too. Aren't you hungry? I have set aside a portion for you, so please have some food before you go.

“Yes, of course I’d love to have some!”

As she was eating at her usual counter seat, Sou-kun ran over to Rui-san.

“Auntie! It’s been a while. On the days you didn’t come, I helped the big sisters with the cleaning!”
Sou-kun was showing off, as if asking to be praised.

“Thank you so much. That makes me so happy, dear.”

While listening to their conversation, I looked toward Grandma, and I felt as though the smile in her photograph had taken on even warmer colors.

We finished the farewell party with warm feelings in our hearts.

Episode 11 continues

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