EVERLASTING BLOSSOMS, ni-ki ✓

05. Aster

He's here again today, three days after I gave his sisters the sunflowers.

The winter cold is really setting on me. I've been so occupied lately that the cold hasn't bothered me as much, and with how my mother insists on bundling me up every day, I have been feeling fairly warm.

"Hello!" I say brightly when I see the shorter girl trailing by his side. "Is this your little sister, Nishimura-san?"

"Mhm, meet Nishimura Miyuki," he grins at his sister, patting her head. "Miyuki, this is my friend. The one who gave you the flowers."

She looks like a younger, slenderer and more feminine version of her older brother, with longer, midnight-black hair and a lot shyer than he is. It's obvious in the way she's trying to hide behind his much taller figure.

"I'm Matsuki Seiko," I introduce myself, walking around the counter to step closer to her. She doesn't shy away, but she does stare at me with wide, curious eyes. "It's nice to meet you! How old are you?"

"Fourteen," she says softly. "What about you?"

"Just a little bit older than your brother—sixteen," I say. "Yesterday was my birthday."

"Hold up, what?" her brother looks offended when I reveal this. "You didn't tell me!"

"I didn't think it was important," I raise an eyebrow. "We're not that close yet, are we?"

"No, but birthdays are an important step," he says. "Never mind that now. I thought you might want to show Miyuki some flowers, you know, entertain her for a while. My parents are at work and I need to..." he hesitates. "Well, I was going to visit Rinne. By myself. My older sister's with her friends, so, well..."

"Sure, I'll watch her for a while," I immediately agree. "I have a few interesting things to tell her, definitely."

"You know I can watch myself for a while, right?" Miyuki whispers at Riki.

"I know, but not with the work going on," he tells her. He looks up at me and clarifies, "there's some people taking down our air-conditioning units at home, so my mom doesn't want to leave her alone by herself at home."

"Alright," Miyuki relents, looking reluctant. She doesn't let go of her brother's hand, though. Riki tries to make her let go, but she's stubborn. She keeps glancing between him and I, clearly hesitant about being left alone with someone she doesn't know.

I don't have to lower myself to be level with her eyes since she's almost as tall as I am. "Come on," I say kindly, taking her other hand. "Your brother needs to go right now, and you're not a kid to be told too many times, right?"

"No," she mumbles, not shrugging off my grip. "I guess not."

"See you soon, then," her brother looks relieved when she lets go of him. "Have fun, Miyuki. I'll be back within half an hour."

He looks back at me as he walks out of the doorway. "Thanks, Matsuki-san," he says gratefully. "You're a lifesaver."

"No problem," I say, trying not to blush as I grin at him. He waves and then he's gone.

"You like him," Miyuki remarks as soon as he's out of sight. I really blush then, embarrassed that someone else already caught onto my slowly growing feelings. "You know you're, um, out of luck, right? Considering he's still..."

"I do not," I say, sounding childish even to my own ears.

Miyuki just looks at me. "Alright, fine," I give in. "I'm not quite sure how I feel, okay? So let's just look at flowers, and I can tell you about them."