WILDFLOWER [Ryunosuke Tanaka x OC]

Author's Note - The End

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Y'all, we did it again. We've made it to the end together, you and I. 

This is the part where I tell you about some of the behind-the-scenes of Wildflower. Further below, you'll find some scenes that didn't make it into the story for whatever reason, and just some cute stuff. 

- First, a lot of my writing is inspired by music, and Wildflower is no different! Wildflower by Five Seconds of Summer and See Through by The Band CAMINO were the main inspirations for the vibe of the story. See Through was Ryu's anthem for most of the story (considering it's about a guy who can't get a girl to see him; it also inspired the scene where Ryu runs to Kano's when her mom goes to the hospital!), and Coloring Outside the Lines by MisterWives was Kano's theme (about going on adventures and goofing off and seeing the world in a new way).

- Kano was inspired by Rin from Fruits Basket (my favorite manga of all time), hence some of her attitude, a little bit of her style, and the nickname "Dark Horse". 

- Also I started writing Wildflower a while ago, long before I knew that Ryu ends up with Kiyoko in canon. I absolutely ship them and their cuteness (and she could step on me and I'd thank her) so no Kiyoko hate here!!! 

- Fun fact: originally, Reika's asshole boyfriend was going to be Oikawa! I didn't like Ushiwaka for a super long time, but he's growing on me. 

- Also Kano is exactly one month older than Ryu, but it just never came up in the story! Her birthday is Valentine's Day (Feb. 14th) and his is March 14th! I imagine it drives him crazy lol

- ALSO also, a lot of this story is based on my own experiences, including the boy at the beginning who told Kano she was too fat to be loved and the sneaky makeover from her mom. A lot of my writing is cathartic and therapeutic for me, and I like to work through some of those memories by writing. I feel like it adds a bit of realism to the story, but it also helps me feel a little better. 

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Bonus Scenes! 

(This first one is a little blurb from the beginning of their friendship, where Ryu is catching feelings but Kano has not lol)

On the way back from lunch, Kano bumped into Tanaka in the hall.

"Saw you guys running laps earlier... good idea for conditioning," she mused, her eyes focused on the floor.

"Oh?" Tanaka wiggled his eyebrows, bending down to try and capture her attention. "Did you like what you saw, goddess?"

Kano rolled her eyes and scoffed at him, expression deadpan as she stared at him and said, "You run like a dork."

"Huh?!" Tanaka tripped. "Y-you take that back! I am the manliest runner on the team, I will have you know!"

Stifling a laugh, Kano nodded. "Mmhmm. Okay. Whatever you say."

"I-I do say! Maybe the manliest runner in the world, babe!"

"You mean dorkiest runner, babe," she fired back, "And... if it helps..."

Tanaka stayed quiet, slowing because he needed to hear the end of that sentence as if his life depended on it.

"I thought it was cute."

Kano sped off down the hall with her head down, her curtain of black hair blocking her bright cheeks from the sight of her classmates. She hoped Tanaka maybe hadn't heard her whispered words...