literature

Differences Chapter 1

Deviation Actions

lilacbird's avatar
By
Published:
5.4K Views

Literature Text

Luke didn’t really get what all the fuss was about between males and females. He sometimes had a little trouble differentiating the two. It wasn’t that he was stupid; it was just that his view on gender was different to that of other peoples. Sure, girls wore skirts, men had deeper voices- he learned all that stuff about ‘puberty’ and ‘adolescence’ when he was still in school- but apart from those few minor anatomical features, were men and women really all that different? Luke didn’t think so. He wasn’t one to think as people as male and female, he just saw them as people.

It was probably because he had been raised by only his father the majority of his childhood. Other children saw their fathers out grafting hard, while the house-proud mothers stayed at home and worked non-stop there, and this was what gave them their view on the roles of men and women. Men had to be bold and strong. Women also had to be strong, but also caring and compassionate. Luke, on the other hand, did not have this experience. After his mother’s passing, his father still worked at carpentry, but also cooked, cleaned, and brought Luke up- traditional ‘woman’s’ work. Luke knew both men and women were capable of the same things, and that made them the same enough to him.

You’d think his lack of awareness of gender would cause problems for him, but surprisingly it didn’t. Living in such a sheltered little village, everyone had their little oddities, and, just as Mai’s was her terrible culinary skills and Tao’s his laziness, that just happened to be Luke’s. He’d never had a girlfriend before, in fact, he’d never had romantic interest in anyone before, and so his glitch had never really come to light. Not even as a child, when it was the most obvious.

He hadn’t understood the other boys’ apparent disgust for the girls, or what the ‘cooties’ they all seemed to be infected with actually was. He was baffled as to why girls wore skirts when boys didn’t. One girl had gotten angry and slapped him when he looked up her skirt. He wondered why she wore it, if not for that reason. His friends had teased him when, after he neglected going to get his hair cut for a while, his azure blue hair had grown to his shoulders. When he asked why they were so bothered by it, they had replied it was because only girls had long hair. When he’d replied with a blunt ‘So?’ he’d been considered a little weird for a while. But soon everyone forgot about it, and life carried on as normal.

After all, most children are innocently oblivious to sexes at that age. Luke just never outgrew that trait. He didn’t arrange people according to their genders- they were either his friends, or they weren’t, and that was good enough for him.

So when he happened to befriend the young farmer Akari, he never once saw her as a girl.

He saw her as a cheerful, generous person. Someone who always goes out of her way to help people- though she often just ended up making the situation worse. A strong person despite her small physique, determined and good-hearted. A friend.

But not a woman.

Perhaps if he had, he’d have noticed the decidedly different way Akari behaved around him compared to the way she acted around the other villagers. Perhaps he would have noticed the way her face lit up when she saw him, or the way she always managed to end up at the carpenter’s through amazing coincidence, or the way she would laugh at all of his jokes- even the ones he knew were terrible, or the way her cheeks would flush pink whenever he hugged her- which was often.

But as he hadn’t, he didn’t.

But that doesn’t mean none of the other villagers had.

--

“Um, hello?”

Luke set down his hatchet and wiped his brow, looking up towards the door. In truth, he was thankful for the intrusion- he had been working three hours straight, and the carpenter’s workshop wasn’t the coolest of places in the early summer.

“What? Oh hey, Roomi!” He flashed her a huge grin that would’ve made anyone else’s jaws ache had they smiled that way.

“Um…” Roomi shifted her feet gingerly around the sawdust, waving a delicate hand in front of her face, trying to clear the air. The young seamstress, being as fragile and elaborate as a porcelain doll, she looked very out of place in the workshop, and obviously felt very uncomfortable.

“You need something?” Luke questioned.

“Well, not exactly…” Said Roomi, giggling nervously “The thing is, I know it’s none of my business, but I was just wondering about you and… Akari.”

“Eh? Why’d you want to know about that?” Luke frowned, not understanding her question in the slightest.

“Well, Akari and I were talking the other day, and I said that you two were spending a lot of time together lately, and she started blushing, so I thought…” Roomi looked at Luke, half expecting him to finish for her.

“Yeah?” He asked, oblivious as ever.

“I wanted to know if you were going out!” Roomi finally snapped.

“Going out? What do you mean?” Luke said.

“I mean, like, dating.” Said Roomi exasperatedly.

This idea seemed so utterly ridiculous to Luke that he laughed out loud. Date Akari? That was just silly. She was his friend!

Roomi was not too pleased with this reaction, to say the least. Puffing out her cheeks childishly and putting her hands on her frilled hips, she scowled at him.

“Well, you’re obviously into each other!” She insisted, her cheeks turning pink, indignant.

She pouted and stamped her foot, which only made Luke laugh more.

“I-I’m s-s-sorry!” He stuttered through his laughter, tears of amusement springing to his catlike yellow eyes.

“Oh, grow up Luke!” Roomi shouted, throwing her arms down at her sides, fists clenched. Sighing extravagantly, she turned smartly on her heel and stormed out of the shop, leaving Luke in fits of teary-eyed laughter.

--

“Akari!” Luke bounded up to his friend like and eager puppy that had just seen his master. Scooping her up in a bone-crunching hug, he spun her around before setting her dizzily down on her feet. Everyday he greeted her in this fashion. Akari was light and small for her age, while Luke was tall for his, and something about her just made him want to pick her up and swing her round. It was almost as if she was made for it.

“H-Hi, Luke!” Said Akari, her head still spinning as she teetered alarmingly on her heels.

“It’s the Fireworks Festival tonight! Woohoo!” Luke pumped his fist in the air “You want to come with me?”

“Yes! I-I mean, if I’m not too busy… You know, with the farm and all…” Akari smiled.

Luke was so worked up that he failed to notice the pink hue on Akari’s face, and completely forgot that it was supposed to be a festival for couples.

From the doorway of the carpenter’s shop, Luke’s father Dai stood watching his young son and his friend chatting, thinking.

--

“Hi, Anise,” Akari greeted cheerfully as she entered the farm shop.

“Oh, hello Akari.” Said Anise quietly. It wasn’t that she was whispering, it was just the kind and gentle Anise had a naturally soft voice, like velvet. “What can I do for you today?”

“Oh, no reason, just came to chat…” Akari giggled innocently, twirling around the room like a ballet dancer.

“Careful!” Exclaimed Anise, rushing around, trying to steady the dizzying Akari “Your head is full of stars! What’s happened?”

Akari slumped in a heap, giggling uncontrollably. Anise only just managed to catch the smaller girl before she fell face-first onto the floor. Anise frowned.

“Akari… have you been drinking?” She asked worriedly. Her friend had never behaved so bizarrely before. What on Earth could be wrong with her?

“No, of course not!” Said Akari indignantly, picking herself up and brushing herself down. “I was just thinking what a beautiful day it is today. It makes me happy.”

“But… It’s cloudy today.” Said Anise confusedly.

“Well, clouds mean rain, and rain brings life to crops and plants.” Akari shrugged.

“Are you sure you’re all right? I’ve got some medicine if you’re feeling-”

“I’m fine, Anise!” Insisted Akari “I haven’t even been to the inn today! I’ve been on my farm all day, mostly. I came straight here after the carpenter’s shop, so-”

“Wait, what did you say?” Anise interrupted.

“What? That after going to Bagel Carpentry, I came straight here?” Said Akari.

“Ah, I see now.” Anise sighed, amazed that she didn’t see it before.

“What is it?”

“Oh, nothing, Akari.”

Just first love.

--

As you can see, it was no secret that Akari was madly in love with the young carpenter. Everyone knew about it.

Everyone that is, but our dear Luke himself.
Ahhh! I always get so embarrassed when I read my own work! *Fidget, fidget*

A-Anyway! This is based on Tree of Tranquility, and is probably my most popular story on fanfiction.net. Ha ha ha, now, every time I go on something Harvest Moon, people ask me 'Hey, didn't you write 'Differences'?' It's kinda awkward, but in a nice way!

Next: [link]
© 2008 - 2024 lilacbird
Comments24
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Viride's avatar
your style is awesome! ♥