Mint and Honey

We see a woman sitting and looking out of a store while the sky is overcast and cloudy. She looks solemn. We then see her body from the neck down, still in the shop. We see the hand of the waiter as she puts down a teapot, and then a teacup, which has a few mint leaves, and a small bowl with honey beside it.

Then we see the woman who ordered the tea. Her name is Cherry. We see her lift up the teapot and pour from a mid-height as steam rises in the cold room. She then slowly adds the honey and stirs. She picks up the teacup, now her whole body in view, and takes a small sip. At that moment, she looks out the store window and sees people running, trying to take cover from the sudden heavy rain.

We then see Cherry sitting at her table as the waiter places her bill down. Cherry, who was looking out the store's glass windows, deep in thought, gets a fright and is brought out of her thoughts by the waiter, who smiles and walks away.

From a distant frame, we see her open her umbrella and walk into the pouring rain. Then we see her again, after walking into the street, entering a grocery store from a distance. Now in the frozen food section of the store, taking down a cauliflower and slowly placing it into her trolley.

At that moment, a group of three high school girls walk by, chatting loudly. The one in the middle is carrying a grocery basket full of desserts and soft drinks. She notices that all three of the girls had brightly colored keychains. After seeing them walk by, taken by how bright they looked, she quickly looks away and continues shopping. Now at checkout watching as her food is being scanned.

Now, in front of her apartment door, looking like a pretty dark cloud, trying to open it, she places  her grocery bags on the floor. She then looks over and sees her next-door neighbor’s door opening. lt was Mugi and Yuzu coming out flustered—Mugi sweating and clearly in a lot of pain, one hand on her back and the other on her lowered pregnant belly, and Yuzu with overnight bags in both arms, looking tense as he guides his pregnant wife out of the apartment.

Cherry, shocked by what she saw, says, “Do you guys need me to call an ambulance or something?” while hastily taking her phone out of her bag.

Yuzu replies calmly, "Don't worry, I have everything under control."

Mugi grimaces, and Cherry, seeing this, says, “Are you sure you don't need any help?”

But the sweating, pregnant Mugi answers, “No, we have everything under control.”

Yuzu and Mugi waddle toward the elevator. As they get in, Yuzu shows his wife how to breathe in and out, and Mugi does so—her cheeks going big and small, big and small.

Seeing this, Cherry—still standing by her apartment door—says, “I hope you have a safe delivery.”

Then we see Cherry give a big sigh of relief that the couple are now gone. She continues opening her apartment door, picks up her groceries, and places them on the counter without turning on the apartment's light.

From a distant corner view of her small apartment, we see Cherry go into her room and almost instantly come out again in her two-piece PJs with a towel around her neck and semi-wet hair. She starts cooking in her open-plan kitchen. After cooking for some time, she comes out with a plate in hand and a glass in the other. She sets herself down on a pillow between her two-seater sofa and long coffee table, crosses her legs, and takes the remote from the table.

From the television's point of view, we see her switch it on. She watches some news, which shows that there is heavy rain. We see Cherry take a spoonful of food and start chewing while sitting in her dark apartment room, with the only light coming from the balcony and the television.

Then, from a wide, far frame of the whole living room, we see her with one knee down and the other leg balancing her weight. She turns away from the television and looks out at the heavy rain, saying to herself, “I wonder when the rain will stop pouring.”She looks for a while, then—her eyes no longer looking out, but fixed on her apartment’s glass doors—drifts deeper and deeper into herself.

The end.

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