HER LETTERS || GIYUSHINO

From the Heart

Her 19th birthday..

~flashback~

I knocked on the door of the Love Estate. "Kanroji.."

"Tomioka-san? What are you doing here? You've never visited before!" Kanroji looked happy to see me.

"I need help with something..it's uh..for Kocho's birthday..What does she like?" I asked her reluctantly.

"OH MY GOOOOOOOODDDD" Kanroji squealed like a little girl. "TOMIOKA-SAN IS BUYING A GIFT FOR SOMEBODY!!! I never thought that'd be like you! Do you have a crush on her!?!"

I choked. "..It's not like that.. she's a close friend..but could you help me go shopping for her?"

The pink haired girl giggled, "I definitely will! I know a good hairpin shop nearby! Let's gooooo!"

~~
"But Kocho already has a hairpin, doesn't she? Her butterfly.."

"She has a whole collection!!! She just chooses to wear her butterfly one cause it's her favorite, the other ones she wears on occasion."

I looked at the selection of hair accessories..I had no idea what to choose. "Kanroji, pick for me."

"I can't do that! Gifts are meant to come from the heart. This is a gift for Shinobu-chan, and I know you guys are close so pick the one you think she'll like the most!"

'From the heart..' I stared at the options cluelessly.

"You still look indecisive. Here let me help, what do you think of when you think of Shinobu?"

"I think..she's very strong. Like, maybe not the strongest physically but she can handle hardships like no other. She's intelligent, selfless..kind. She's a beautiful person."

"Tomioka-san..when you talk about her, you have the expression of love on your face. YOU'RE IN LOVE!" Kanroji jumped.

"I just think she has a really good personality.."

"I'm the Love Hashira, I think I can tell when a man is in love better than anybody else." She chuckled.

"Okay well, how about this one," I picked up a straight sharp metal hairpin, that had purple flowers at its end and a crystal hanging from its side. "the sharp part can represent her strength, the crystal her intellect, and the flowers her selflessness."

"Oh my! ITS PERFECT! I have never heard you talk this much, I never knew you were such a poet Tomioka!!!"

Kanroji also picked out a gift to give to Shinobu, some lipsticks and a compact mirror. We paid and left.

~~
The night before I spent an hour or so trying to figure out how to wrap the box it was in, hoping that she'll like it.

"Kocho, I got you a gift." I handed it to her and turned my head away shyly.

"Thank you Tomioka-san!" She opened it carefully.

"..Do you like it?"

"I love it!" She took out her current hairpin and let her hair down, "In fact, I'll wear it now!" She put it on. I felt relieved when I heard she liked it, it took me forever to pick out and wrap.

In the corner of my eye, I could see Kanroji smiling and trying to disguise her joy.

~end of flashback~

If only you could be here now, on my birthday..