Ayano Aishi, the Emotionless Lover

Week Five, Saturday

Week Five, Saturday

 

    Ayano wakes up at five-thirty in the morning, giving herself enough time to get dressed and wake up some before Aso arrives. She throws on a light green shirt and denim shorts, then pulls her hair into her signature ponytail. She’s just finished pulling on her sneakers when she hears a knock on the door.

    Aso beams at her as she greets him, already wide awake and ready to go. He holds a water bottle in one hand, and Ayano quickly grabs one before she locks the door. She puts the key in her pocket, they do a few stretches, and then they’re off. 

    Aso leads her through Buraza Town, alternating between a run and a jog depending on how hard Ayano is breathing. He seems to be limitless, bounding ahead without a care in the world, and Ayano admires his stamina. He seems free as he runs, and Ayano can’t help but smile as she watches him. He greets some people as they open up their shops, and they return the sentiment, used to him darting by. The people that he greets seem interested in her, surprised that someone has joined Aso. Ayano just smiles and greets them as she passes, and watches as Aso’s smile grows.

    Occasionally, the two slow down to a walk, and Aso points out some of his favorite spots in town. As they drink some of their water, he talks about his favorite place to eat, a little café on the other side of town. 

    “We can go there,” Aso promises. “When we’re done running.” He takes off before she can respond, and Ayano laughs before chasing after him.

    Running feels wonderful. Once Ayano finds her pace, it’s easy to just let her body go through the motions, and she moves without thinking about anything. She can understand why Aso is so passionate about his sports, and why he dedicated himself to it. It’s exhilarating.

    But all too soon, it becomes too hard for Ayano to keep returning to a run. Aso doesn’t seem to mind, and he jogs alongside her. They reach the other end of town, and Aso slows to a walk to lead her to the café he was talking about earlier.

    “Come on, let’s get something to eat,” Aso says as he pulls open the door. “It’s my treat.”

    Ayano thanks him and steps inside. It’s a small building, but it’s cozy. The atmosphere is friendly and inviting, and as soon as Aso steps in behind her, a waiter walks over to greet them.

    “Aso,” The waiter says, smiling. The boy looks to be only a few years older, and the two high five as Aso greets him. 

    Then the waiter turns to Ayano, an eyebrow raised. “Hi! We haven’t met before, have we?”

    Ayano shakes her head. “I’m Ayano, and you are?”

    “I’m Kaito. Nice to meet you. So, table for two, I’m guessing?” Kaito looks at Aso, who nods.

    As Kaito sets down their menus, he turns to the two. “So, how’d you guys meet?”

    “He ran into me,” Ayano says bluntly, picking up a menu. 

    Kaito laughs, and Aso blushes. “Really, Aso? That’s one way to meet her, I guess.”

    Aso shrugs. “I mean, it worked?” He looks at Ayano, trying not to laugh.

    He breaks quickly when Ayano giggles.