Snippet #2677591

More rain.

The noodle-cup vending machines in Shikkun City's downtown area quickly became a staple for commuting businessmen, sightseeing tourists and budgeting college students. The machines are so heavily used, in fact, that they often have to be restocked multiple times a day just to keep up with the flow of customers. One such customer arrived much later in the day than the common folk, as the latter would currently be inside, away from the rain, eating dinner together.

A lone patron, young and likely male from his clothing (a completely soaked hoodie with the hood drawn and a baggy pair of track pants), leaned over a steaming cup of soup with a pair of the machine's complimentary chopsticks. The cold raindrops dripped down from the now-useless hood, but refrained from landing in the steaming soup due to careful positioning with the owner's hands. Instead of letting any more rain have a chance to fall on him, he darted into a nearby alley, finally sitting down under an awning where it was slightly more dry than the surroundings.

Only then, secluded and under mediocre shelter, did he peel away the soggy hood from his head. The water and mild pressure mashed his hair into a disheveled mess, but two noticeable tufts still stood out among the rest. Then, the two tufts stood up, revealing themselves as flicking, functioning feline ears. Once they were reasonably dry and un-cramped, they folded back as he began to eat. The boy ate ravenously, much betraying his frail looks and delicate frame, finishing the meal in little over a minute.

After discarding the empty cup in a nearby dumpster, he made his way down the alley and towards a different area in the district, one where he knew he could stay...

---

The teenager panted as he hoisted himself onto the roof of the building, one that was tall enough to overlook much of the nearby city, but low enough to still be reasonably scale-able. At the summit lay several pallets with sheets of plywood over them, with a somewhat large camping tent affixed on top.

He quickly shed the hoodie and pants once inside, draping them over a "borrowed" sawhorse to dry and reaching for a nearby towel. He was soaked to the bone, and ended up needing two towels to dry himself off, as well as replacing the rest of his clothing with sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt.

"Some day, this will all change. Let's hope it's tomorrow."

On a nearby empty fruit crate lay a few pieces of paper, alligned neatly and stapled together. A job application, sporting a generic design that suggested its origin in a public library. Along the top of the cover letter, the boy's name was printed in big boxy font: Haruka Yukimura.

Haruka picked up the application and gave it one last inspection. He planned to bring it in the next day, to a little cafe in another part of the city. It had been almost two years since he had an 'honest job', one that paid regularly. Maybe this might allow him to have somewhere to live, or even a chance to eat more than once or twice a day.

Maybe.