A week has passed, the man introduced himself to the village elders and made his rounds. While Haru was walking to the town centre to set up her little shop, she overheard people speaking, as word was travelling fast amongst the village people. She had heard that the man had come to rest and recover from his travels, and his name.
Opening the door of her small shop, the wooden smell filled her nose. Then, placing her baskets on the floor near the counter, she suddenly heard the doorbell ring, and before she could welcome the customer, she noticed an alluring figure walk into frame. Slowly, her eyes fell onto the shoes, to his body, until; they finally met his face. Unbeknownst to herself, her eyes lingered on him for a while.
He looked around till his eyes landed on the baskets she had just recently sewn.
He started, "You made these?", his voice low and unassuming. Walking closer to her and then squatting next to her, running his hand over the smooth weave of a basket. To Haru, the little words he spoke felt warm, like the first sip of tea on a cold morning.
Besides his hair, his accent gave intel that he was definitely not from this land. Though his manner was polite, looking around, Haru peeked her head over his shoulders to view outside her shop's window, and noticed that his presence unsettled the villagers. They weren't accustomed to outsiders staying longer than a single night.
She nodded, then turned her eyes away to arrange her baskets. Noticing that he was squatting next to her for a while, her annoyance grew internally. She looked at him once more; their eyes locked. His eyes were a startling shade of grey with a hint of blue, like storm clouds. She felt baffled, unsure of what to say.
"They're beautiful," he said simply. Haru gulped. His eyes left hers, and her face became flushed.
"Yuliy," he said, picking up the basket and walking towards the door.
She stood up quickly to follow suit, "Haru," her name echoed.
He left her with 2000 yen, one less basket, and a sense of unease she couldn't quite name.