Susan looked around the giant building trying to get her bearings. E-lifts whizzed by her taking passengers up or down to the other floors of Flatiron City. A tram chimed off in the corner and a pleasant female voice announced, “Evan’s Park, home of the popular Hanaka Nippon Tea Gallery.” Susan raised an eyebrow confusedly and darted onto the tram, just missing getting pinched by the doors.
As the tram picked up speed, Susan gazed at her surroundings, awestruck over the monumental construction just outside Boulder, Colorado. Three great towers rose high over the landscape, surrounded by a vast wildlife habitat, set up as compensation for all of the natural resources the city would take up. Nearly ninety thousand people lived in the great coning tubes, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of employees who commuted from nearby Boulder, Denver, and even all the way from Colorado Springs. Susan had grown up in Parker, a city just south of Denver, but she’d never been to Flatiron City until she moved in to the dorms at CCU FC. Her second semester was about to begin, and she needed to get something calming to stay the panic that threatened to flood her mind, and she heard that Hanaka Nippon sold the best tea in the city and the owner could combine leaves that would calm an enraged bull.
The sky above the topmost center park threatened snow, and the wind confirmed Susan’s suspicion as she clambered out of the car. Susan tightened her sweater around her shoulders, adjusted her carrier bag on her shoulder, and forged off into the park. As she passed the condos looking down on the platform, Susan started to feel out of place. Even though Parker had several rich neighborhoods, they all paled in comparison to the penthouses of this tower, especially those with a mountain view. Finally, Susan spotted a single building in the center of the park that looked like it had been transported from Feudal Japan, rising red and white across from an elegant fountain (at least it would have been elegant if it wasn’t so cold). Susan picked up her pace and pushed through the door.
“Afternoon,” said the man behind the counter in a sophisticated English accent. He flipped through a magazine as Susan walked up to the counter.
“Hi,” Susan said inattentively. “Do you have any chamomile?”
The young man chuckled. “Sure do. Are you having trouble sleeping?”
Susan nodded, shrugging. “I can’t focus. The semester is about to start, and I did alright last fall, but my classes in the spring are going to be pretty hard.”
“Got just the thing.” He turned around and started putting ingredients into a loose leaf tea bag. “So how long you been in the city?”
“Four months,” Susan replied.
“What’s your name?”
“Susan. You?”
“Katsuro,” he replied, handing Susan a hot cup of brewing tea.
“Thanks. How much do I owe you?”
“Two bucks.”
Susan handed Katsuro a few dollars and rushed from the shop, still trying to collect her thoughts.
A second later Katsuro was walking next to Susan trying to get her attention. “Hey, you forgot your change.”
Susan looked at Kaksuro, “Oh, no that was for you!” She smiled a pretty, toothy grin and brushed her hair behind her ear. “You have a good reputation at the college, and I really needed this.” She raised the tea, emphasizing her point.
Katsuro smiled back, thanking Susan and making her stomach tremble oddly. “Well, have a good day. If you need any more tea, come on back.” He extended his hand and Susan reached out and shook it, hoping it was cold enough to explain her flushed cheeks.
Katsuro watched Susan walk back to the tram and then returned to his store. “Too bad she can’t come to the club. Wonder what Rachel would think of her.” He smiled to himself for the rest of his work day, still grinning when he sidled up to the bar at the Azure Serpent.
