My Lie, Your Ring, This Rose| Kamukoma

🥀 Chapter 22 🥀

Change or stay? Change. It's the fluffy cloud above the park. The stars and moon had melted away for the sun and clouds to come and replace them. The fluffy cloud being placed there making the sky look pretty. The cloud turns around to face the scenery below it. The little kids running with their kites in hand, the colourful objects splashing some colour in the sky. It was summer. The season where everyone goes out and not many clouds were in the sky. The cloud was lucky, thankful even, for being able to see people's happiness. The park was filled with picnic blankets by lunch. Adults enjoying their little sandwiches while their kids ran freely into the swings. Although, the swings were then covered with leaves by fall. Autumn had come once again and multiple more clouds had come to join the one cloud in the air. The leaves had turned marigold and rust. The leaves having crispy tips and being dispersed onto the ground. People had started to wear scarves and hats, the cloud could not only see the trees change, but also the fashion change. The swings and slides in the park were no longer played on. Yet, there were a few kids that decided that the weather was no match for them and went on the slides. The cloud chuckled at this, how kids behaved in such a careless and playful manner. Soon enough though the park had turned silent. The leaves no longer rustled in the winds for there were no leaves stuck to the trees. The trees shivered as the cold wind hit them. The cloud had turned greyer, creating the knowledge that it was winter. There was frost on the floor and the chattering of people had vanished, as if it were never there at all. The cloud was almost miserable, there was nothing for it to do. In winter, the parks were no longer filled with people for it was too cold. Suddenly, a flower sputtered up from the frost and then another one did and another one. Soon enough, the park was sprinkled in flowers. The little things being confetti for the green grass. The cloud smiled, it knew this cycle all too well. Spring. Spring was arriving and that meant people coming out again to the park and more for the cloud to see. Little kids making flower crowns, with the dandelions, daises and gladioluses. The red-seeded dandelion's fluffy, white seeds flew in the air and around the kids playing with them. The cloud hummed in delight, as it knew the cycle would go on and on. Spring, summer, fall and winter. Stay. It's when the cloud stays in one place but doesn't examine the park beneath it. It stays in that stubborn mindset that there is nothing worth exploring. No seasons worth looking at. Despite the fact that, seasons changing are exciting for a cloud. The life of a cloud may be boring at times, but if you're given something for entertainment, why wouldn't you take it? In my eyes, it is not change that I am worried about but if I do get married to Izuru...my life would be completely different. I would have to be a prince or maybe even a king. Could I do that? All of the work and negotiating and running a realm in general. I don't think that I'm that capable of doing that. I shook my head, I am not married to anyone yet. What's going on now is fine. I stared at the ten cards in my hand. Nothing weird has happened yet with the cards. Surprisingly, I am not too sure if anything will. The flickering of another's cards woke me up from the trance I was in. I looked up to my opponent, Maki her name was. She fiddled with her pigtails a little before glaring at her cards, almost getting mad at them. Maki was my fourth opponent. I had already won against Aoi, Rantaro and Sayaka. My luck had done good so far, hopefully I haven't ran out of it. I bit my lip and examined my cards. The bad side of my luck could just ruin everything. I tapped my finger against the table, holding the cards in one hand. What to do? I hummed and looked at my cards. I had a two of diamonds, three of diamonds and four of diamonds. That was my first pair of three. My next group of three was also made. I had a five of spades, six of spades and a seven of spades. Now for my pair of four, I was rather struggling. I had a king of spades, a queen of diamonds and a five of hearts. This wasn't going to go too good for me.

•🥀•

Stay or change? Stay. When something stays the same, it does not change. Whether that is one's life or lifestyle. The life of someone and lifestyle of ones life is very different. Almost prodigiously so. Change. It is when something changes. Perhaps change is a good thing for some, others dreadful and possibly scary. I do not understand what is so scary about change. It is just something that you have to adapt to. Nothing more and nothing less.
"Will you be attending?" Kirumi spoke up, her hands clutching her vintage tea cup. The cup itself was a rich charcoal and had delicate designs of gold wreaths. The wreaths swirled together and danced on the cup. It was a tea cup that was passed down from generations to generations. In fact, majority of the cutlery had some sort of historical story behind it. Whether it was just merely the plate I ate on or the cup I drank from. Kirumi inhaled a deep breath and coughed a little. I shuffled in my seat, my wings banging against the chair I was floating on.
"Attending? The-" I started only to be interrupted by a high pitched voice. I glanced to the left to see Hiyoko gasping.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't put me in the pile!" the king of diamonds scolded her. Hiyoko's hand shook a little as she looked up to her opponent, Kiibo. Kiibo had the same perplexed face on.
"My cards...are talking!" Hiyoko yelled and threw her cards down on the table like a little kid. I sighed, I see that the cards are acting up now. It was about time. The cards Kirumi had put out for them were talking cards. It was something my mother always loved playing with- when I saw her of course. The cards would light up and talk to the player, such a pointless thing, but yet it enhanced the excitement of the game.
"Of course we can talk sweetie!" the six of diamonds spoke up, its red diamonds lighting up. Talking laced the room's quiet atmosphere. I looked to the right to see Nagito having a conversation with the queen of hearts and Maki looking at him as if he were crazy. In all of the talking, it is hard to hear what Nagito and the cards are saying. I hummed and looked at Kirumi. Joy creating stars in her eyes as she took a sip of her coffee.
"Isn't this exciting?" Kirumi smiled and put a hand on her tea cup. She lifted the cup up, looking like she was going to take a sip before putting it down with a clank. She looked up at me a little concerned.
"Back to our original conversation," Kirumi started before glancing around the room. "It is almost dinner time which means that you will have to," she trailed off and squinted her eyes at my watch. I sighed and glanced down at it.
"It is 5 pm right now. Nagito and Celeste already received lunch before we got here," I commented as Kirumi folded her arms. I tapped my finger against the table before reaching for my tea cup. I picked it up and swirled the coffee around the cup. It swished left to right, almost like miniature waves. I took a thoughtful sip as Kirumi stared into thin air.
"It will start at 9 pm. Meaning that you would want to leave the castle at 8 pm," Kirumi mumbled and glanced up at the contestants. Some demons got up to move onto another contestant. Majority now, however, had lost the game and were just talking individually or as a group, however, judging from their bored looks they were not talking about anything interesting. Kirumi shifted her head away from me and onto to the floating tables. The tables floated in the room like a balloon floating towards the sky. The chairs were trying their best to stick with their companion, the table, but at times it drifted a little away and then hurriedly came back.
"I will leave the castle at 8 pm," I concluded and put down my coffee cup. I hummed, the coffee was quite bitter. It could use more sugar and maybe a little more milk.
"I can go with you if you want," Kirumi proposed the offer and put her hand on the table in a comfortable position. I shook my head. Kirumi needs to sleep anyways.
"That is not necessary," I nodded at her and glanced elsewhere. Kirumi pursed her lips together, noticing that I did not wish to speak about the matter anymore.
"So you're telling me that if I get another card from the pile, I could potentially win?" Makoto asked the five of hearts. The hearts on the card lit up and the card responded with its normal cheery voice. Normally, the cards with hearts had high pitched voices.
"Yep! Makoto, I think that you have a great shot at winning!" the card piped up. Makoto smiled and chuckled a little.
"Although I never thought that I would say this, thank you, card," he smiled in response. I removed my attention from him to Nagito. Nagito fumbled with his cards before sighing.
"You know that you're going to lose, right?" the king of spades laughed at Nagito. Nagito frowned a little and nodded. I folded my arms and removed some of my hair away from my face to get a better look at what was going on.
"I don't have any pairs," Nagito mumbled at his brand new opponent. It seems that in the time I had been talking to Kirumi and all of the commotion with the cards, he had moved onto someone else. Specifically, Byakuya Togami.
"They say that you are lucky, but I have not seen your talent shine...although I never expected it to," Byakuya smiled and placed down all of his cards. "Rummy."

•🥀•

I sighed and walked out of the room, the feeling of defeat sinking in my shoulders. I lost to Byakuya Togami. I closed the ballroom's doors behind me. After that defeat, there was no reason to stay in the room. After all, everyone did not exactly know how to play rummy so it was getting boring. I peacefully walked away from the doors and into the hallway. Either side were castle workers, some had swords and some didn't. I guess the ones with swords had better aim- if anyone tried to attack the castle. My eyes glanced around the castle. It was really well kept. I shifted my feet on the floor, little squeaks emitting from it. I smiled. The sanitary of the castle just showed how Izuru liked to keep his things tidy. He looked after them, even if he was abided to. I spun around on the tip of my heel as I walked up to my door. It is really calming at the castle, do not get me wrong, but wouldn't it be lonely some days? I looked to the left and saw the vast spaciousness of the castle. It's such a big place and Izuru lives here with the workers and Kirumi. However, I am pretty sure that he doesn't talk to the workers and so the only person he does really talk to is Kirumi. I shook my head, Izuru probably has many friends and I am just overthinking this. Although from what I've seen of Izuru so far, I don't think that he wants friends or even likes the idea of friends. Does he get lonely or does he not need friends? I sighed and let my door examine my face. Sometimes I think that I'm always being so pessimistic, yet I'm such a carefree person. I opened my door and walked in. Only to be turned around as quickly as I had walked in. My breath shifted in shock as I spun around facing the other way of the door and once again looking into the hallway. I glanced at the side to see my door still open and that it had not shut yet. I glanced back at the person who had spun me. Izuru? I wonder what he's here for. Izuru straightened his tie promptly before his red eyes returned to me. I tilted my head, my hair shifting.
"Nagito, I have a request. Would you be in favour of going to a masquerade ball, which would include a theatre, with me?"