#ann aib

Irritated, Kuina bit her lip. "Well, it may seem 'minuscule' to you, Mr. Sad Sack, but come on, you can't deny she sounds amazing, right?" she argued through gritted teeth. She was accustomed to bickering with him, but it held more significance because of today's topic.

"Hm... this person doesn't sound half bad, I guess. I'm only saying this to shut you up." Chishiya replied with his signature eye roll. "I suppose I'm glad to see you focus on something instead of work."

With that, Kuina reflected on how she had never had the privilege of love. Constantly, she would find herself longing for a romantic partner who loved her for who she was.

Life always had a curveball, ready to be thrown right at her at just the right moment. She dreamed about someone who would stick with her team even if she lost a thousand times.

Was that too much to ask?

With a sigh, Kuina let the thought drift into the air. She needed sleep for her early appointment tomorrow.

Morning announced itself in the chatter of people bustling through the streets on their way to work. Kuina let the crisp October air brush against her face— thankfully, she’d brought tissues for allergy season.

Today, she wore a vintage red halter top covered with a blue cardigan. It had loose ends that flew along with the rhythm of the wind. Her dark blue flared jeans had always been a staple in her closet, and sported a waist chain that dazzled with gold.

A f5ve song blasted through her earbuds, keeping her pace light.

“I swear this beat is made for walking fast,” she muttered to herself. Rummaging through her tote bag, she took out her cell phone. It had a shiny glitter case that could probably blind someone.

Kuina squinted at her phone screen, double-checking the route to her therapy clinic. Yawning, she made a mental note to schedule her next appointment in the afternoon to dodge the morning chaos.

Quickly stopping by a park bench to tie her shoe, her eyes fell to a group of young kids playing a card game on the sidewalk. One of them suddenly jumped up and down, holding a card in the air, and Kuina smiled with nostalgia.

"I won, I won!" he shouted, glee written over his face.

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟 𝐒𝐩𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬, the card showed.

The card gleamed in the sunlight. She shrugged off the odd shiver running down her spine and hurried away, not wanting to be late for her appointment.

As she arrived, the warm lighting greeted her by tinting her blue cardigan with a muted orange.

"Hello, I made an appointment for Hikari Kuina," she told the receptionist. Popping a desk peppermint in her mouth, she waited as the receptionist clacked at his keyboard.

"Ah, yes. Dr. Moriyama will see you in 10 minutes," he replied with a light bow. As Kuina made her way to a seat, she admired the modern yet cozy décor of the clinic.

She sank into a soft couch and hugged one of the fluffy pillows with motivational quotes stitched into them. Sunlight poured through large windows, spotlighting the small garden outside, its greenery vivid even in autumn.

A small cart sat next to her seat, books and magazines messily packed onto it. Kuina chose a random fashion magazine and flipped through the pages to pass the time until her appointment began. She fiddled with the pages, eyeing accessories she needed to buy ASAP.

Stunning models can make ordinary clothes look like they're from a designer brand, she thought, admiring a woman in a magazine.

Suddenly, a sharp gust of wind from the open window slammed into her, yanking the magazine from her fingers. Its glossy pages slid onto the tile floor with a dramatic flutter, the model in the photo staring up at her with a glare— as if it was her fault.

Annoyed, Kuina crouched to grab it, but another hand swooped in first, lifting the magazine with a swift, effortless motion.

She looked up. Ann stood tall, magazine in hand, eyes fixed on Kuina, waiting.

Ann’s jaw dropped slightly, and she took a small step back.

“Oh-” she breathed, her voice barely audible.

Kuina's lips parted, but no words came out. She froze, throat tight.

Forcing herself to her feet, Kuina smoothed out her clothes with nervous tugs. Her eyes darted to the floor, ignoring how her cheeks burned.

She reached for the magazine, arm stretched out so far her fingers nearly brushed Ann's torso. Her mind scrambled- what do you even say when you run into your crush in the most unexpected place?

Ann handed it over. Kuina's hand shook as she clutched the magazine close to her chest.

"Er- Good to meet- good to see you again!" stuttered Kuina, her cheeks completely shaded in crimson.

"Mhm.. you too." Ann sounded calm as usual, which the other woman envied, yet she nodded anyway.

Silence.

"So, uh- what are you doing here? I mean- stupid question, sorry. I know it's a clinic, but... how is it going?" Kuina felt the words spilling out, but couldn't seem to shut up. "Sorry, was that too invasi-"

"Let's go out for some coffee."

What?

"At the place you work. Café Hana, right?"

Ann stood there, waiting for a response, after she unknowingly asked the girl who likes her on a date. Kuina took one look at her deadpan stare and snapped back into reality, silent but repeatedly blinking like an idiot.

"Um...sure. Yeah, sounds good." Her heart thudded louder than before— she didn't think that was possible.

Ann softly smiled. "Okay, I'll give you my number. I'm about to leave, anyway."

The two exchanged phone numbers, during which Kuina internally panicked as Ann got too close.

"Well, I'll text you when I'm available," Ann said as she turned to the door, but paused and glanced back when she looked at her phone. "Oh- I didn't catch your name?"

"It's Kuina!" she said with a wide grin.

"Alright," the other woman responded, typing it in on the contact name. "See you." She lightly bowed with a soft smile and eased out the glass doorway.

Kuina nodded and bowed in return, eyes sparkling while she stared at the new contact in her phone.