1 Ch. 1 - A promise long ago

The sun was setting, and autumn is starting. as some tree leaves starts to fall, and birds gathering in a group of trees only to fly all together. A lively and enthusiastic little boy was running with his friend, a shy and timid little girl. They were good friends since Kindergarten, and despite the differences of their traits they still get along as they share alot in common.

As they came closer to their destination, they stopped for a short while and the little girl points at their destination.

"Over there! at that big tree, come on, Masahiko!" said the little girl.

"Let's go then, Misaki."

The little boy replied.

Masahiko and Misaki then competes with one another towards the big tree over a small hill, as they arrive at the steeps of the hill, Misaki unwilling to lose to Masahiko. Trips over and scratches her knee, and stumbles over and started to cry.

Masahiko seeing his friend injured, pulls out his handkerchief and tends to her wound.

"Its just small scratch, your not going to die because of it!"

said Masahiko, somewhat his way to encourage her.

"Ah- what are you saying?! Is that your way of tending a lady?"

Misaki replied in an squeaky angry voice with some tears rolling on her cheeks.

"Spare me the act! are you gonna get up or what?"

He did not wait for Misaki to reply, and went on his way of carrying her on his back, and runs to the top.

"Whaa?! what are you doing you idiot!?"

Masahiko then shouts.

"No one left behind! Ahahaha!"

He energeticly carries Misaki to the rop, where the tree stood.

"Ahhh- curse you and you heroic fantasies!"

* several minutes pass *

Masahiko : *panting*

Misaki : "Idiot, you dont have to carry me I could just walk on myself, it took us minutes to get here!"

Masahiko : "Its because your heavy, and if you can just walk all this time, why didn't you just get down when im carrying you?"

Misaki : "It will be rude, and why not?"

Masahiko : "Your lazy as ever. * chuckles *"

After taking a rest and having some conversations, they decided to do it. They stood up under the tree, and carve up their names on it inside a heart.

Misaki : "Their, now we raise our pinkies and make a promise."

Misaki and Masahiko locked their pinkies with each other. Masahiko, promised Misaki that he will always be by her side, and Misaki promises the same. They made this promise with each other as they were childhood sweethearts and dreams of being happy with each other, but that is before the world removes all the innocence in their lives.

2 weeks after their promise with each other, Mashiko's mother had an affair with someone and fled to the country side leaving him alone, his father did the same with his mother when he was only 2 months old. Fortunately his grandma was visiting that time, she learns of the horrible truth and took care of Masahiko. So he had to leave Kanagawa and live with his grandma in Shizuka.

They're sudden leave meant that Masahiko didn't get to say goodbye to his friends, and even when he had the time, the intense feeling of abandonment and loneliness prevents him from opening his mouth. Even his childhood friend Misaki, knew he already left untill she visited him with her parents.

For Mashiko, for what he will experience in his new life will turn his personality and perspective upside down. His hopes will be meet with frustrating disappointment, his expectations with intoxicating, demoralizing responses from the people surrounding him. He learns to adjust to his new life due to this twist in fate.

*18 years later*

Masahiko have fully ignored and moved on from his pass, and is now having a stable life, he'd already forgotten his feelings for his mother and have long forgotten her. He's a grown man now and he now have obligations and have to take responsibility for himself, he has no time for drama.

*Phone beeps*

"Argh..."

The phone stops beeping, he remaind comfined to the comfort of his bed, untill the sun rays pierce through the window and illuminates the inside of his room, he opens his eyes and stare at the ceilings, he then look at the clock.

"Its morning already."

He murmured to himself, he wipes his face and groans.

I then get off the bed and put on some cloths before opening the window sheets, letting in direct sunlight shines through my face and take a glance around the surroundings. Seeing busy people board trains, cars travel and students go to school, further urges me to go to work and do my part in this busy society.

After getting ready, I left home and ride a cab to work, I work as a chef in my father's western style restaurant, I never went to college or have a diploma on culinary arts but my father personally taught me how to cook and my cooking is just as great as him, and so he made me the second chef in his restaurant. I have some bad background with my father since he left us, but I really have no memories of him that could make me feel something about him, I couldn't hate him either as I didn't know that he even exist, when he came back and meet me for the first time, it was only then did I started to judge him.

He said, he had been searching for me when he first heard of my mother abandoning me. He regretted that he left me in her care, but he also told me the reason why he left and he wants to make things right. and so when he ask if I would give him another chance to be a father again, I agreed and now here I am.

In my father's restaurant, I work on a different counter as he appointed me in charge of western european style dishes and he works on asian style cuisines, however since we're busy and often times short handed, we try to be cooperative and take any order we get our hands on, so I know how to cook both cuisines. My kitchen is open and the customers can see me cook through the counter. Its bit hard as I always need to maintain formal and clean composure when cooking. But I soon get used to it, my father gave me monthly allowances but as soon as I started working I insisted on that he should just pay me a monthly salary as an employee and stop giving me allowances. At first he was curious but he eventually agreed.

"Oh, Masahiko, good morning."

Said by my father, Akagi Masao. He owns this restaurant and who taught me how to cook and take the position of secondary chef.

"Good morning too, father."

I replied with a smile on my face.

Chinatsu : "Akagi-senpai, good morning~"

Kazuo : " Yo, Mako-kun "

"Good morning everyone."

They're my co-workers, Chinatsu is our waitress and Kazuo is a fellow cook, they're both former classmates of mine during Highschool and the three of us are also good friends. They always anticipate my arrival and greet me warmly.

"Haruna-chan, good morning."

I saw Haruna from the back counter slicing some ingredients, I always greet her first as she is shy and you need to take the initiative before she starts talking, I dont mind though.

"Akagi-senpai, good morning."

She replied.

"I dont see Ryota-kun, with you Is he alright?"

I ask her.

"Well, Akagi-senpai, Ryota-kun said he cant work today, he suddenly feel ill."

"Is that so? well that's reasonable, I hope he get well soon."

"I hope so too, senpai."

This is my father's restaurant, where I work for a living. Some of my friends when I was in high school also work here full time, they chose to go to college and have to sustain themselves with the expenses.

I love working in here, cause I love it when people like and eat my cooking, I wasn't very confident in myself, but it turned out well. Our restaurant is always full of the very same customers we have in the previous days. Mostly ours customers are foreigners, business men and women is their 30's or 40's, its a bit rare to have new customers, and its even rarer to have High school or college student customers. When I watch anime, I always saw a group of student having a group study or hanging out in places where they can eat something. So I use wonder why it happens so rarely in my father's restaurant, I thought because western cuisine isn't really a thing for teenagers, but I realize maybe its just because our meals are too expensive compared to other food establishments, and its not something a normal student could afford.

I also cook my own meals in the restaurant before we close for the day to save time and ingredients, im a bit thrifty to be honest, and I can just eat them when I got home. I use to live with my father and his new wife Kanae. But I move out after earning enough moeny, I move out in a slightly smaller house that is just near the coast. I move near the coast cause the sight of the sea calms me down and helps me focus. It also brings back some of my fondest memories.

In my house, when im laying down in bed, I play a game on my phone. Its a rhythm anime game called "Idol Online". Its a good game actually, at first I thought it was boring and I didn't played it for 2 weeks after I download it. But when I give it a try, damn I was proven so wrong. It has a lot more to offer than just a rhythm game, It kinda has some RPG elements to it cause you get to edit your own character, you can design your own house, you have skills, there is even a dating and marriage system.

I was very competitive in this game not gonna lie, I was doing so well, im only playing this for three weeks and someone already confess to me, I was still new to the game and im a bit experimenting, so I just ignored it for now. cause if im sure if I accept it, she'll realize how useless I am considering she was already a 6 star Master tier dancer and im garbage compared to her, soon she'll break up with me and try to look for someone else, this is just a game, she might mock me as well, typical online girls. But its nothing personal I wouldn't take this too seriously. But I heard In-game relationship system has benefits, might as well agreed and take advantage of this before she mocks me.

And so I have more things to entertain myself in my colorless life.