Chapter Text
Ding!
Sandy raised her eyes slowly, feeling bored. The Oasis hadn’t had many clients lately, and those who did come were only interested in the casino. She didn’t expect anything special. Probably some compulsive gambler looking for a loan, or someone actually interested in her seeds, or… could it be…
“Hey, Sandy.”
Ah, there she was.
“Sweetheart!” Sandy greeted her with a pleased smile on her face.
“Nice to see ya’.” The farmer looked tired, with a light layer of sweat running down her forehead and her characteristic straw hat in one of her hands. She approached the counter, taking out of her backpack a beautiful, shiny diamond, “Here. The diamond you wanted.”
“Your kindness never disappoints me!” Sandy said, her eyes almost brilliant as the diamond, “Thank you so much, Star!”
“Still with that?” The farmer chuckled, “You know my name.”
“But, sweetie!” Sandy pouted, “Star is perfect for you.”
“ Starfruit is not a name.” Starfruit rolled her eyes, “It’s kinda funny. It started as a joke, but now everyone takes it seriously. At this point, I think they call me Star because no one remembers my actual name.”
“That’s not true!”
“Well, what’s my name then?”
“Errr… we— we weren’t talking about that!” Sandy looked away as a strong blush took over her cheeks, “Tell me, do you need something else, honey? I have a lot of seeds today!”
“You're on your lucky day. Yes. I need some cactus seed.” The farmer said, putting her straw hat back on, “And… Is that smartass blue man here?”
“Oh, you know how is him. He’s always there when someone needs him… especially for the beloved farmer of Pelican Town…” Sandy leaned a little over the counter, “Between us, honey… I think he has a thing for you.”
“He better be. No surprises. I mean…” She smiled as she struck a fun pose, showing her—invisible—muscles. “Look at me, I’m so sexy.”
Sandy laughed hard, “Of course you are, sweetheart!”
Star bought the seeds she needed, exchanged a few words with her lovely friend, and headed towards the deepest part of the shelves. When the farmer saw the elevator that would take her to the casino, she pressed the button and the doors opened for her. When she entered, Star looked in the mirror and tried to clean herself a little, trying not to look so… dirty. It wasn’t easy to keep her clothes clean all the time, especially when she had too many pigs to take care of. She sighed deeply.
Yoba, don't let working on a farm limit my flirting skills.
"Well, hello there, farmer." As always, Mr. Qi was one step ahead and welcomed her as she left the elevator.
"Yep. Me," she said, approaching him. "Hi."
"Hi," Mr. Qi said again, but his smile softened. He seemed timid for a moment. "How can I help you?"
"Well, you see..." The farmer took off her backpack and pulled out a big, old book. "I found this, and I thought you could give me a hand with it."
"Of course, let me see." Mr. Qi took the book and opened it carefully. The farmer waited in silence, unable to see his expression because his glasses were dark, almost as if she were looking into some sort of void. "Ah, yes. Power and skills books. I have seen them before. In fact, I have all of them."
"Really?"
"24 books, yes." The blue man looked at his friend and returned the book to her. "You should read them. They’ll improve your skills and you'll gain experience for your work on the farm. These are really helpful."
“You mean read. Like... read .”
“Exactly.”
“But you mean… Sitting, opening the book and actually reading every word.”
Qi let out a bark of laughter. “You don't like to read?”
“Well, when I was younger I read a lot. Like, really, A LOT.” She said, trying to remember. “You know… Divergent, Maze Runner, Hush Hush… I wasted all my reading skills there.”
“Books such as The Fault in Our Stars, I guess.”
“Let's not bring up things from the past.” The farmer complained, “And don’t try to make fun of me!”
Mr. Qi hummed, slightly amused. “Is reading a big trouble for you?”
"That depends. From 1 to 10, how important is this?”
“100.”
“...Yes.” Star scratched her neck, looking a little embarrassed. "It's gonna take months until I finish one chapter.”
Mr. Qi watched her. The farmer was reading the first page, counting all the chapters. The look on her face showed how stressed and upset she was.
“Do you want me to help you?” The blue man asked, giving her a shy smile.
“You’d do that for me?”
“Of course, why wouldn't I?” Mr. Qi chuckled. “You’ve been a real experience, farmer. You did all the challenges I had. I don't think I've ever seen anyone with a spark like you.”
Star felt a warm sensation in her chest, which traveled to her face. Her skin adopted a slight red tone. “Ahhh, don't say things like that! You're embarrassing me! I'm shy.”
“You? Shy? Of all people?”
“Hey! What does that mean?”
“Oh, nothing. Just a thought.” Mr. Qi said, putting a hand in front of his mouth trying to not laugh at her, “So, tell me, do you want my help?”
“Let’s say I accept... I’ll have to read these books?”
“No.” Mr. Qi answered, “But maybe you should acquire the love of reading again at some point. It's good for you, farmer.”
“Oh, don't worry. I will. I'm young and beautiful.” The farmer posed her hands on her waist, “When I become a grumpy old lady I will.”
“You are… extraordinary.”
“Thank you!”
“It's not a compliment this time.”
“I'm gonna take it as a compliment anyway.”
***
“Sweetheart, are you leaving already?” Sandy seemed sad when she saw Star returning from the casino.
“Don't cry for me, Sandy (even if you don't remember my name). You're gonna have me here, every Wednesday at 5:30.” The farmer answered, looking proud of herself. “Unlucky for you, not all for yourself.”
“Ooooh, interesting.” The lady in blue arched an eyebrow, a big smile spreading across her lips. “Did you become a gambler or something more… special?”
“Well, let's say that blue man is gonna be my teacher. Isn't that exciting?”
Sandy narrowed her eyes, “I can smell a very well-traced plan here.”
“Hey, I wouldn't call it… a plan . I'd call it… taking advantage of the situation. ” The farmer fell silent for a few seconds, “Okay, that sounds worse. BUT! I didn't lie, I hate reading. It's sooooooooo boring.”
“I like reading. It's not that bad.”
“Sandy, you only read magazines.”
“And the best magazines in the valley, sweetie!” Sandy commented excited as she showed the farmer the magazine cover she had on the counter, “Can you believe these clothes, darling? And the gossip! My favorite singer is dating his best friend’s sister! Can you believe it?!”
“Yeah sure, very interesting.” The farmer rolled her eyes. “Welp, have to go. Have a farm to attend to.”
“Sure, honey. Can't wait to see how things go for you two.”
“Don't worry, you won't miss any detail of the Qi-gossip.” The farmer said, laughing and heading to the glass door of the store.
“Yoba, I’m already anxious for Wednesday!”
“More than I am.”