"I would do it myself," Shimizu Nagisa said mournfully, "but with my back…" She trailed off, her brow furrowed, and then shook her head firmly. "Well, there's no point in talking about it, I suppose. At any rate, I need you to pull out all of the weeds in my garden. It's small enough so it shouldn't take you more than half an hour."
Ren glanced at the patch of vegetables that Shimizu called a 'garden' and silently agreed. She could see a few weeds here and there, their roots probably going in deep, but nothing that would take up her whole day. It made her wonder why Shimizu, who had lived on Ren's street for as long as she could remember, didn't just bully one of her grandkids into doing it for her. But - a mission was a mission, and Ren knew better than to mention that particular thought aloud. Just imagine if she got called out for mouthing off on her very first assignment; the horror, the embarrassment, the tongue-lashing she'd inevitably get…
"Ren-chan," Shimizu said, loudly but not unkindly. Ren started and looked up at the old woman, who smiled warmly. "I said you can use anything in the shed and I'll be inside if you need me, unless you had any questions."
"Ah - no," said Ren, bowing her head in apology. Shimizu ruffled her hair in response, and then went inside her home, leaving Ren staring at the collection of carrots and turnips before her.
Biting back a sigh, Ren put on the gloves she'd shoved into her back pocket earlier and picked up the dandelion digger Shimizu had left out for her. Then she knelt down, picked a weed at random, and started to methodically pull it out and drag out its roots with the digger. The garden was freshly watered which made the whole process easier, even if it led to wetting Ren's pants at the knees and pruning her fingers. A pile of weeds grew beside her as she worked, and soon the only sounds Ren could hear was the soft sifting of dirt and the vague murmurs of someone in the adjacent backyard.
After twenty minutes, Ren sat back on her heels and examined her work. The onions and carrots - or was it turnips and onions, she honestly couldn't remember - would be safe to grow for another day. She turned her attention to the pulled out weeds, and after a moment's deliberation, Ren gathered them up in her arms, along with the dandelion digger, and went over to the shed. The doors were thankfully open, and inside she found an empty bag to toss the weeds into. Her mother said that weeds could always be used as mulch to help the environment, or something, but only if they had no seeds. Seeing as how this wasn't really her garden, Ren figured it was better to be safe than sorry. The weeds went into the bag, the digger went into a cubby in the shed, Ren went into the house, and Shimizu went into a brief frenzy of "oh, you poor thing, look at those hands, I knew I should have told Satoshi to do it instead..."
"I'm fine," Ren said hastily, placing her hands behind her back. The last thing she wanted was for Shimizu to do something like grab onto them and offer her a manicure. "I'll toss out the bag on my way out, Shimizu-san. Was there anything else you needed?"
The woman smiled, looking like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Ren figured that for some people, their gardens were essential to their health. Her mom had been the same way during her own garden phase.
"No, no," said Shimizu, patting Ren on the head again. She either didn't notice or ignored Ren's faint grimace. "Thank you for all your work, Ren-chan."
Ren twitched at the suffix but somehow managed to keep her face perfectly neutral as she bowed once more, picked up the bag of weeds, and exited. As promised, she shoved the bag into an already overflowing dumpster, and then headed home. While she wished she hadn't spaced out and that Shimizu hadn't called her Ren-chan (the only thing Ren hated more was being reminded of her height, and lack thereof), she concluded that overall, the mission had been a success. An easy success at that. Now all Ren had to do was keep up this pace for the next thirty-odd years, and she could retire happily. Or if not happily, at least with her limbs intact.
[WC: 757]
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Ren glanced at the patch of vegetables that Shimizu called a 'garden' and silently agreed. She could see a few weeds here and there, their roots probably going in deep, but nothing that would take up her whole day. It made her wonder why Shimizu, who had lived on Ren's street for as long as she could remember, didn't just bully one of her grandkids into doing it for her. But - a mission was a mission, and Ren knew better than to mention that particular thought aloud. Just imagine if she got called out for mouthing off on her very first assignment; the horror, the embarrassment, the tongue-lashing she'd inevitably get…
"Ren-chan," Shimizu said, loudly but not unkindly. Ren started and looked up at the old woman, who smiled warmly. "I said you can use anything in the shed and I'll be inside if you need me, unless you had any questions."
"Ah - no," said Ren, bowing her head in apology. Shimizu ruffled her hair in response, and then went inside her home, leaving Ren staring at the collection of carrots and turnips before her.
Biting back a sigh, Ren put on the gloves she'd shoved into her back pocket earlier and picked up the dandelion digger Shimizu had left out for her. Then she knelt down, picked a weed at random, and started to methodically pull it out and drag out its roots with the digger. The garden was freshly watered which made the whole process easier, even if it led to wetting Ren's pants at the knees and pruning her fingers. A pile of weeds grew beside her as she worked, and soon the only sounds Ren could hear was the soft sifting of dirt and the vague murmurs of someone in the adjacent backyard.
After twenty minutes, Ren sat back on her heels and examined her work. The onions and carrots - or was it turnips and onions, she honestly couldn't remember - would be safe to grow for another day. She turned her attention to the pulled out weeds, and after a moment's deliberation, Ren gathered them up in her arms, along with the dandelion digger, and went over to the shed. The doors were thankfully open, and inside she found an empty bag to toss the weeds into. Her mother said that weeds could always be used as mulch to help the environment, or something, but only if they had no seeds. Seeing as how this wasn't really her garden, Ren figured it was better to be safe than sorry. The weeds went into the bag, the digger went into a cubby in the shed, Ren went into the house, and Shimizu went into a brief frenzy of "oh, you poor thing, look at those hands, I knew I should have told Satoshi to do it instead..."
"I'm fine," Ren said hastily, placing her hands behind her back. The last thing she wanted was for Shimizu to do something like grab onto them and offer her a manicure. "I'll toss out the bag on my way out, Shimizu-san. Was there anything else you needed?"
The woman smiled, looking like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Ren figured that for some people, their gardens were essential to their health. Her mom had been the same way during her own garden phase.
"No, no," said Shimizu, patting Ren on the head again. She either didn't notice or ignored Ren's faint grimace. "Thank you for all your work, Ren-chan."
Ren twitched at the suffix but somehow managed to keep her face perfectly neutral as she bowed once more, picked up the bag of weeds, and exited. As promised, she shoved the bag into an already overflowing dumpster, and then headed home. While she wished she hadn't spaced out and that Shimizu hadn't called her Ren-chan (the only thing Ren hated more was being reminded of her height, and lack thereof), she concluded that overall, the mission had been a success. An easy success at that. Now all Ren had to do was keep up this pace for the next thirty-odd years, and she could retire happily. Or if not happily, at least with her limbs intact.
[WC: 757]
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