Lavender | Wakatoshi Ushijima

23 | Flowers and Gratitude

"Ready to go?" He said.

"Yes! Let's go."

Close together, we made our way past the cherry blossom tree. We walked down the path in sync and harmony with only the changes around us to observe. The sprouts rise from the soil, the weather warms up, and the spring finally makes its warm welcome. We were conversing normally, talking about this and that.

"By the way, I saw you and the cast members rehearsing with your costumes on," I smirked.

"You did? That's.." He scratched his neck. I notice that he does it when he's nervous.

"You all looked nice! For medieval characters." I snickered.

"The designer is a first-year student, Aiya."

"Really?"

"Yes. She was known in her middle school for being a great designer."

"That's amazing! I'm so happy to hear that for her."

"You remember the literature competition in our first year?"

"What about it?"

"Her passion for designing reminds me of your passion for poetry. Especially when you read it out loud."

Clearing my throat, I felt weird. As I was going to thank him, what felt like a whirl in my stomach stopped me. That whirl had me take a second to properly understand. He felt embarrassed since I didn't respond.

"Oh, um. I'm sorry. That came off unusual. Wasn't what I'd meant to say. Sorry." He bluntly said.

Stopping at the front gate, I looked at him and placed a soothing touch on his palm. I do remember learning that someone's touch calms the racing nerves of the human nervous system, he seemed pretty nervous.

"Don't apologize, Wakatoshi. It was my fault I didn't respond, I took a second to think of what you said. I should thank you for that. I never thought anyone paid attention to my poetry in the past years. From what I saw on the podium, everyone looked like they'd been wanting to leave as soon as the bell rang."

"You should know that's not true. Not entirely."

"How so? It's not like anyone wanted to listen to someone going on and on reading off a paper and then getting an award among the contestants. Especially when that same person goes up there every year."

He shook his head in disagreement.

"Oh come on. Who would've honestly preferred sitting and listening over going out to break?" That was our climax, the tension was practically polluting the air.

"I did." He blurted.

There was a moment of silence that soothed the tension before I told him to come in so we can go through with our final lesson over two months. Thankfully, no one unexpectedly came home like last time. We walked in and we both went to get changed, the usual. Ever since I got it, I'm still wearing the necklace Wakatoshi gifted me. I think of it as a gift that mended all that's between us since we were little, something that brings us closer together.

While he was upstairs changing, I remembered my flower bed in the backyard. I left everything and went to water the flowers.

"Hana?" Wakatoshi searched the kitchen, I was still watering the sprouts. I wasn't paying attention though.

He came forward to the door, and he was going to say something but stopped short. Still, I was fixing the dirt that surrounded the sprouts. After finally making sure they were sitting nicely and were water, I took the time to pay attention to why he stopped in his tracks a second ago. He hasn't said anything after all. He looks quite shocked at the sight. I don't know if it's the flowerbed or the garden itself, or even the hills behind. Was there any dirt on my shirt?