One Summer

This is the first series starring Mariko Shinoda.

Our first meeting was on a hot summer day.

How much does a kilogram of bananas cost? I asked.

'''Oh, god. Do I really look like a banana seller?''' She exclaimed, grinning.

I'm sorry, I didn't know, I replied, laughing.

You can't be forgiven! she joked, making a face at me.

'''Except... If you come back here tomorrow. I'll be in the next street, around this same time. Don't be late!''' She said.



The girl I had met the day before was here to meet me. She was smiling, but there was an alluring look in her eyes.

'''I like your dress. You look really classy,''' I told her.

'''Oh, really? Then I guess you also want to see what’s under my dress...''' She replied with a grin. Almost immediately, I began to blush.

'''I'm just kidding. Don't be so embarrassed,''' she said.



Eventually I started to see her everyday, but always in a different place. Each time we met, it seemed that I was discovering a new side of her.

It was difficult to guess how she would act next, and impossible to know what she really expected of me.

You’ve never told me your name... I said quietly.

Mariko, she whispered in reply.



She was unpredictable.

'''Hey, be careful. That looks kind of dangerous,''' I said worriedly. My eyes never left Mariko while she walked confidently across the narrow concrete barrier that bordered the highway.

She was irrational.

Even if I do fall, it’s barely a meter or two, she replied. Her teasing smile dared me to tell her that she should stop.

She was insolent.

Are you sure sitting on the café tables like that is okay? I asked her. She crossed her legs and smiled, ignoring the puzzled gaze of a waiter.

She was unsubdued.

'''Don’t you know? The customer is always king,''' she said.



We began to spend most of our time together on the beach. Each day I had become more attracted to Mariko. Being with her was thrilling and almost surreal. Even though the summer had nearly passed, I still didn't want to return to my reality.

I didn't want to tell this to you, but... In a few days, I’ll have to leave, I said hesitantly.

'''Shh... Let’s not talk about that. Just come closer,''' she whispered.

She kissed me that day.



The day before I was supposed to leave, she invited me to meet up with her. The thought that I might never meet her again was like a lead weight on my chest.

We need to talk... We can have more privacy here, she told me.

Mariko finally began to divulge a little about herself to me. I learned that she lived in a city not very far from my home.

'''Is it alright if we stay in touch? Can I have your phone number?''' I asked, my heart seeming to leap at the possibility.

'''I’ll look for you myself. Just trust me,''' she said.

And that was true. A year after we parted, she came to find me.