Volume 3: Detour Arc II – “Katie and Kanon”
Volume 3: Detour Arc II – “Katie and Kanon”
I thought I’d write a little more about Katie — Rafaela’s older brother by two years.
When Katie was twelve, and Rafaela and I were ten,
the gifted academy held a public “Survival Game Tournament.”
At its reception, a young girl performed a model recital.
She was only six at the time —
a transfer student from Japan enrolled in the Talented Department.
Her name was Kanon Maeda.
That same Kanon is now Katie’s girlfriend.
They first met when Katie was twenty-seven.
He’s thirty-one now, so they’ve been together for about four years.
Katie attended one of Kanon’s violin and harpsichord concerts.
He was completely enchanted by her performance.
Apparently, he lined up three hours before the doors even opened — that’s how serious he was.
“I’d like three copies of every analog record Miss Kanon Maeda has released!
One to listen to, one to preserve, and one as a backup —
my plants love her music! And, well… so do I!”
The staff looked a little troubled.
“I’m sorry, sir, but each record is a limited pressing.
Purchases are restricted to one copy per customer.”
Katie’s face fell as if the world had ended.
One of the sales staff, moved by his passion, went to fetch Kanon’s manager.
“Excuse me… are you perhaps the famous botanist, Dr. Katie Bird?”
“Yes, that’s me. I’m a huge fan of Miss Kanon’s.
Isn’t there any way? I can pay whatever it takes —
I’ll even fund the re-pressing!”
The manager, surprised by his intensity, lowered his voice.
“Would you mind waiting in the dressing room?
The truth is… Kanon is a big fan of yours, too.
She searches for your research articles every day and saves them to a digital scrapbook.”
“…Eh?!”
Katie turned bright red and was speechless.
He was escorted to the dressing room —
and there, they met again.
A beautiful twenty-one-year-old Kanon Maeda,
and twenty-seven-year-old Katie Bird.
Their eyes met…
and they fell in love instantly.
──
Now, Katie has been consulting Rafaela every night on Skype
about how to make his proposal truly unforgettable.
“I really hope it goes well,”
I thought, watching Rafaela cheer him on through the screen.
(To be continued → Chapter 1: “Handle Dinosaurs Gently When Boarding Them”)
