Kintsugi and Tea Leaves

Tencha peered nervously out the window of his shop, pressing his face awkwardly against the glass to get a better view of his new neighbor, while also staying mostly obscured. He wasn't sure what to expect when the storefront to the left of his own had been sold, but it certainly wasn't the surly beast currently moving in. They were quite intimidating from Tencha's perspective, but while that's not a very difficult thing to achieve, they had the presence to back it up. 

Tencha blinked owlishly as he watched them step back out onto the street, taking slow heavy steps as if the bulk of their body was just as much of a burden to bear as the boxes they were ferrying back and forth. They pulled another crate from the cart they had brought with them, and by the way the muscles in their shoulders and back rippled Tencha could tell it was heavy, but they lifted it with ease. 

He quickly ducked back down below the windowsill as they turned around, as if the bright piercing stare of the stranger was a dangerous beam to be avoided at all costs. His tail twitched nervously as he waited for the sound of their door closing, and quickly straightened up once again, anxiously moving back from the window. 

What could have brought someone like that, here of all places? There was no telling what was on any of those boxes, they were closed, sealed, and unlabeled, without the slightest hint of what could be inside. 

Tencha started pacing worriedly as he pondered the newcomer. He had been hoping that the new business could've been something more gentle or unobtrusive, like a colorful flower shop, or perhaps a bakery. Admittedly, he didn't know what it was going to be yet, but he had a hard time imagining the stranger carefully pruning rose bushes or arranging bouquets. Regardless of what he was in business for, he hoped that they wouldn't bother his little tea shop. 

Tencha took a deep breath and did his best to shake the cloud of thoughts from his head, and resolved to brew himself some tea to take his mind off things. Preparing the tea was second nature to him, he found the process meditative almost, and going through the familiar motions always helped clear his head and offer comfort. 

It had been a slow morning, like most, with only a few customers stopping in around breakfast, and he knew he typically wouldn't get very many more until an hour or so later,  after lunch. This was how he preferred things to be, it was nice sharing his tea blends with others, but he would much rather spend his time undisturbed on his own. 

He hummed softly to himself as he set up his tea tray, arranging his favorite tea set with care. They were crafted from delicate porcelain and adorned with vivid floral patterns and intricately detailed twisting vines. He methodically poured the first serving of tea over his small clay tea pet, before pouring himself some into the matching teacup. He picked up the tray and turned around, intending to go sit down at one of the tables in the main room, when he was startled by the hulking newcomer standing right in front of him.

Tencha nearly jumped out of his skin, stumbling backwards with a shout. He was met by the counter in his frantic retreat, banging into it and losing his footing. Time seemed to slow down as the tray tipped forwards in his hands, and both himself and the tea set were pulled rapidly downwards thanks to gravity. Everything came crashing down, hard, leaving Tencha on his hands and knees in a puddle of hot tea, staring wide-eyed at his shattered tea set scattered across the ground in front of him. He was frozen in shock for a long moment, before he felt the hot press of tears in his eyes. 

“Are you okay? I-I'm sorry for startling you, I didn't realize-” The newcomer’s voice was a deep rumble, as they leaned over the counter at where Tencha had fallen. Tencha frantically scrambled back up onto his feet, careful to avoid any broken shards before he began carefully gathering the pieces and placing them back on the tray. 

“I-I’m fine, just, ah, just a little jumpy, I guess, ha, hah. . .” Tencha couldn't bring himself to meet the stranger's gaze of concern as he trailed off, looking at the remains of his tea set in anguished defeat. It had been a priceless heirloom, given to him as a gift when he had first opened his tea shop. And now it was in 15 different pieces. He couldn't fight back the tears any longer, as they rolled down his cheeks in fat droplets. 

“Wh-whoa there, hey, here, let me help you with that, little buddy, take it easy, I'm really sorry, it's my fault, really.” They said, awkwardly rounding the counter and taking the tray from his hands. Tencha tried vainly to wave them off, but couldn't muster the effort as he tried to wipe the tears away. 

“There, there, don't want you to hurt yourself, now.” The newcomer said, patting his back stiffly and maneuvering him out of the way. They resumed gently scooping the pieces up, setting the tray on the countertop gently. Tencha took a few shaky breaths to help steady himself as much as he could, before grabbing a towel to finish mopping up the liquid and tea leaves. 

“Th-thank you, it's okay, I-I'm sorry, you didn't have to clean it up. I just. . . That tea set was really special to me, that's all.” Tencha said, his voice still thin and wavering as he struggled to not break down again. The stranger hummed in understanding, thoughtfully picking up and examining a few of the broken pieces. There was a moment of thick silence between the two as Tencha quietly cleaned.

“I could probably fix this up for you, especially if it means that much to you.” Tencha stopped and looked up at them at last, sucking in a hopeful breath. 

“Really? Are you sure you can fix it?” 

“Ah, I should be able to, yeah. It won't be as good as new, of course, but I can put it back together so it's usable again. Better than throwing it away.” They said, and Tencha stood up straight and brought his hands to his chest. 

“Oh, that would be wonderful! I-I can pay you, whatever you need.” Tencha said, and they shook their head. 

“Oh, no, no need. It's on me. My fault for sneaking up on you, everyone's always telling me I walk too quietly.” They said somewhat bashfully, with a light chuckle. 

“It's not your fault at all! I'm the one who dropped it, I was too lost in thought. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Here, let me put these in a box for you.” Tencha said, nervously bustling about as he headed to the back for a moment to find an empty crate to transport the pieces in. 

“H-here we go, this should work.” Tencha said, using a cloth to grab and move the pieces over. 

“My name's Citron, by the way. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm the one moving in next door. Figured I would introduce myself, was hoping to make a better first impression than this, though.” They said, nervously scratching under their chin. Tencha offered a weak smile, clasping his hands together again. 

“I-I'm Tencha. This is my tea shop, that I run here. Uhm. . . Welcome to the neighborhood!” He found himself unsure of what more to say, more than a little embarrassed about everything that has happened. Citron picked up the box and nodded. 

“Thank you, I, uhm, well. . . I still need to get my things set up before I can get started fixing this up for you, but I'll try and get it back quickly.” Citron said, bidding farewells and leaving. 

Tencha found himself worn out from the emotional rollercoaster he had gone through, and sighed deeply burying his face in his hands. He briefly contemplated brewing himself a new pot of tea, but he wasn't quite ready to trust himself again so he opted to head into his garden instead.

---

It had been a little over a week and a half since Citron had moved in and taken the tea set for repairs, and Tencha hadn't seen much of him since. He still hadn't opened up for business, and Tencha still wasn't entirely sure what kind of business Citron was planning to do. Part of him worried that Citron had forgotten about his little tea set, but since he was doing it for free Tencha didn't dare ask about it. 

It was late in the evening, and Tencha had been wiping down the tables preparing to lock up and close shop for the day, when he heard a knock and someone clear their throat as they pushed the door open. Tencha turned curiously, and then giggled to himself as he saw Citron duck inside. 

“I, uh, didn't want to take you off guard again. Wouldn't want to cause another incident again.” Citron said, and Tencha smiled and nodded.

“Not to worry, I've been doing my best to be more attentive about these things.” He said, as his attention was drawn to the box he was cradling in his arms. “Is that . . .?”

Citron nodded and looked away sheepishly, setting it down delicately on a table.

“Now, mind you, I haven't done this very much so it's not perfect but I did my best to make it nice for you.” He said, gently pushing the box over to Tencha as he hesitantly approached. Tencha lifted the lid, and unwrapped the plush cloth that Citron had wrapped the repaired tea set in, and gave a soft gasp as the work he had done. Where the pieces had cracked and splintered were now held together by resplendent golden inlays. Despite Citron's humble disclaimers, the work seemed immaculate to Tencha's eyes. The pieces were whole once again, in a way that preserved the damage to their story. 

“D- do you like it? There would've been too many missing chips to just glue it back together, so I figured this would be better. I-I'm sorry if you don't like it, I should've told you ahead of time, so I didn't get your hopes up, I'm sorry-”

“It's gorgeous.” Tencha said in amazement, turning over the teapot in his hands. Citron breathed a sigh of relief and seemed to deflate slightly as he relaxed. 

“Oh, I'm glad you like it.” He said, and Tencha mer his eyes with a wide, genuine smile. 

“Oh, I love it, this is better than ever. Thank you so much!” Tencha said, setting it back down into the box and picking it up. “Here, have a seat, I'm going to make us some tea.” 

“Oh, you don't have to.” Citron said, but Tencha waved his hand as he headed back behind the counter to prepare. 

“It's the least I can do. Besides, I have to put your hard work to use.” Tencha insisted, and Citron accepted defeat, awkwardly settling into a nearby chair and folding his arms, suddenly unaware of what to do with himself. They found themselves trapped in another moment of silence as the water heated up, and Tencha found their curiosity getting the better of them. 

“So, what is your shop for, exactly?” They asked, and Citron perked up.

“Oh, yes! I sell and repair antiques, and trinkets. In my old town it was mostly tool repair, admittedly, but every now and then someone would come in with pottery, like your tea set, or some jewelry.” Citron replied. 

“Is business what brought you here, then?” Tencha asked.

“Well, partially, yes. But I had always been planning on moving out of the town as soon as I could get enough saved up. I wasn't much suited for the life out there, surrounded by farmers, mostly.” Citron said. The conversation paused as the water reached temperature and Tencha poured it into the refurbished teapot. It held together perfectly, as expected, and Tencha loaded up the tray and studiously carried it over to the table. He poured their glasses, mindful to serve the tea pet first, and sat down, waiting nervously for Citron to try his tea. 

Citron took a slow sip, mindful of the temperature, and gave a pleased hum. Tencha hurriedly took a sip from his own cup, to try and mask his eagerness to hear Citron's opinion. 

“Wow, I never put much thought to tea before, but this is really nice. I can see why you run a shop selling this stuff.” Citron said with a wide smile, and Tencha felt a glow of pride at the praise. Tencha had never been much for company, but he supposed it would be nice to have a neighbor to share a cup with on occasion.