Editing City Series:Volume7 Layer 11 (section)

===Record 12: It Appeared Before Me===

'''04/29/1997

'''20:22

The trick to shopping at the supermarket was to stubbornly wait around until the day’s dinner ingredients were marked half off. I was on my way home with plastic bags packed full of stuff. I was about to turn the last corner before my apartment when I heard a female voice from the side.

“Excuse me.”

Afraid it was a solicitor or a monster, I kept my eyes dead ahead while asking what they wanted.

“Well, I am from the city hall and I was wondering if you had a screwdriver. I’m out of flatheads due to a mix up.”

“Yeah, I have one. And it’s just about at its expiration date, so hurry up and use it.”

I turned around to find a girl in a black work jumpsuit. She accepted the screwdriver with a half-off sticker I pulled from one of my bags and she started working on the gas lamp standing between two trees on the side of the road. After a while, she breathed a sigh of relief, I heard the sound of flowing gas, and a blue flame lit in the lamp.

“Good. That had been clogged up since last year. Oh, but I used up your screwdriver. Is there any other way I can thank you?”

“No need. I wouldn’t have even bought it if it wasn’t half off.”

“It must be difficult living on such a small budget you need to eat nearly-expired food.”

“Knowing someone from city hall cares is enough for me.”

“Of course we care. When you return to your apartment, step out onto the balcony. You will find my thanks there.”

I wondered how she knew I lived in an apartment and I stepped out onto the balcony when I got home. I found a bunch of out-of-season snow falling from the sky.

I looked around in awe and found a small glass bowl and a can of adzuki beans on the railing. Was this what city hall did?

'''Author Comment:

Does the cherry blossom front move because the cherry blossoms are blooming?

Or do the cherry blossoms bloom because the cherry blossom front is moving?

I think the snowfall front has a similar issue.