gureshin - the lavenders that grow on your porch

his smile

[guren's pov]

My name is Guren, and I'm from the Ichinose clan.

There are a few things to know before I tell you this story. All of the clans (Ichinose, Goshi, Jujo, Sangu, Hakke, Shichikai, Rikudo, Shinjin, Nii, and Kuki clans, though the last two are now labeled as traitors) in the area (apart from the Hyakuya's, and don't get me started on them) serve under one big clan - the Hiragi's. The Ichinose clan used to serve as the top family under the Hiragi's, but one day, the two eldest sons from the Hiragi clan fell in love with the heir of the Ichinose's. A lot of things happened, and the Ichinose clan split away from the Hiragi's, and although the Hiragi's could have destroyed the Ichinose bloodline, they let the Ichinose's suffer in humiliation.

To this day, everyone still tries their best to humiliate, tease, and bully the Ichinose's, which literally means humiliating, teasing, and bullying me. Sure, a few smaller clans support us (Yukimi, Hanayori, Narumi, Iwasaki), but it doesn't do any good to me, anyway. And things start getting even more twisted when I tell you what happened to me in these past few months.

So let's get started.

-

There are lavenders growing on my front porch.

They were sprouts when I first moved in, and I tended to them every day. I still do. I water them when the days are hot and I shelter them when the days are harsh. I love them.

I always wonder, will I love a person the same way I love my lavenders?

"Mr. Ichinose," I heard a voice. Shortly after, there was a sharp pain on the top of my head. My eyes fluttered open, only to see dozens of eyes staring back at me. I immediately remembered where I was. I had fallen asleep in the middle of algebra, and the math teacher hates me. 

I glanced around the room and I could hear snickers and whispers everywhere. All eyes were on me, and not in a good way.

Oh joy, I thought as I slowly let my violet eyes meet the teachers. Her ice-blue eyes burned into mine and it took all of me not to look away. 

"Do not fall asleep in my class ever again," she snarled, her ruler threatening to whack me again. That ruler of hers was used to whack many children, I'm surprised that it's still intact.

"Yes ma'am," I lowered my eyes and dipped my head. My hand twitched, wanting to cover the bruise I felt forming on my forehead where the teacher had hit me.  

"This is the second time this week, Mr. Ichinose," she snapped, "if I catch you sleeping again you know the consequences."

I nodded bleakly. The teacher glared at me one last time and went back to teaching the class. It didn't make the whispers and stares go away, though.

After an eternity, or maybe twenty minutes, the bell rang and I packed my things, leaving the classroom more confused about maths than ever. I could feel a bump on my head where the teacher had hit me and by the snickers and giggles I heard whenever I walked past people, I know it wasn't attractive.

"Guren-sama!" I heard a voice behind me. I knew who it was before I saw her. 

Sayuri Hanayori and Shigure Yukimi jogged up to me and I stopped until they reached me. Sayuri was panting.

"We've been trying to find you," Shigure didn't even sound tired, "where were you?"

"I went to the toilet," I lied. Truthfully, I was actually getting beaten up by some of the kids from the Hakke clan. But they didn't know that.