Une Jolie Fleur
(Beautiful Flower)
Chapter One
Camellia Japonica 'Rubescens Major'
Ever since she was a little girl, Tsubaki Kalifia had a love for flowers. It may have been her name, tsubaki, the camellia flower, or her blood, having come from a long line of florists and gardeners. It really didn't matter. Gardening was something she loved and never wanted to give up. She worked in her family's shop, Des Fleurs d'Annette, which was French for Annette's Flowers. The shop had gone through many different titles and generations of the Tsubaki family, but the most recent change had been made almost twelve years ago, when Kalifia was four. Her mother had just passed away and the grief had been fresh, but Kalifia, with all the childlike innocence she had, wanted to use her mother's name so she would be remembered. So, the shop had been renamed after the French woman and after that, the shop had flourished, much like a well loved and tended garden. Kalifia considered it to be her greatest treasure.
So it was really no surprise that she was going through the back room, watering all the flowers in her free time when she could have gone to the amusement park with her friends. Most of her old friends from middle school had gotten together and thrown a party. Of course, Kalifia had been invited, but declined. Instead, she stayed home to help her father on one of those busy days. After all, someone had to take care of the flowers while he was distracted. But the day had begun to wind down and soon, Kalifia found herself standing in the front of the shop, a large bouquet of red and white roses in her arms, a bag of gardening supplies hanging from her shoulder.
"Are you sure you can handle it?" her father fussed, brown eyes wide. Kalifia grinned. Her father may have been getting old (she could see the streaks of silver setting in), and he may have raised two children before her and her younger brother, but he still acted like a teenager. Usually Grey, her oldest brother, would be around to make sure he didn't panic over every small detail, but he had decided to (been forced to) take a day off to spend with his wife, Lin.
"Yes, Papa." she smiled, nodding her head. "I'll be fine. It's only a trip down the street."
"Aa," he consented, but she could see the worry in his eyes. Her own olive ones softened.
"I know the place has a shady rep, but I can take care of myself." Her father frowned.
Tsubaki Daisuke knew better than anyone that she spoke the truth. Ever since she had begun to kick in her mother's stomach, he had known there was something different about the girl who stood before him. She had abnormal strength and had broken a few noses and wrists before she turned twelve, when she suddenly realized that people didn't really look for the aggressive type of person to associate themselves with. So, Kalifia had somewhat calmed down and taken up gardening as a full time hobby (when she wasn't at school that is), though she did have some outbursts.
"I'll be back in half an hour," she said, walking out the door. Daisuke watched his daughter's long, dark brown hair flutter around the corner. He sighed, feeling extremely old.
"My baby girl's growing up so fast," he practically sobbed, biting his handkerchief mournfully.
Kalifia had always lived in a medium sized house that was big enough for the average family. Of course, she did share a room with her older sister, like her younger brother, Jean, shared with Grey. Ever since the oldest two children of the Tsubaki family had gotten married, Kalifia and Jean had their own rooms. But no matter how nice their little Western styled house was, it was virtually nothing compared to this home. It had many different buildings and it was styled like the older houses of the Feudal Era.
Her olive eyes were wide as she shifted nervously in the lounge, eyes roaming over the beautiful paintings of flowers and more fierce ones of things like dragons and tigers on the prowl. The fierce pictures seemed to fit the men who lived here. The ones that were waiting outside the door. She shifted again.
Kalifia had never delivered anything to this house before. Grey had always made the trips, returning solemn. Well, more so than usual. Either way, the place made her feel nervous. Probably because it was the home of the fourth strongest yazuka syndicate in the Kanto region. The Tsubaki family had heard rumours that the young heir to the syndicate would attend Ouran Academy when school started back up. Daisuke had been nervous because Kalifia was supposed to start there as well, due to the shop's well going business and some help from her mother's family in France. They wanted to see Annette's youngest daughter, the one that was supposed to be frighteningly similar to her, to go to a proper school.
They might have been a bit stiff towards her older siblings and her father, but Kalifia and Jean were favoured, no doubt about that. It made them feel a bit uncomfortable discussing it, but Daisuke, Grey and Ichigo, her sister, had been more than encouraging.
So, her anxiety wasn't just caused by being in a possibly hostile home, it was also caused by the possibility of making a potential friend. She'd feel a lot better if she knew one person before heading off to some strange school for rich people.
"Oh, you're not Grey-san!" someone exclaimed quietly, making Kalifia jump. "Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to scare you."
A blond man smiled at her from the doorway, his long hair pulled back into a ponytail. Kalifia relaxed. She got the impression that he was a softy, despite being in a gang.
"No, I'm his younger sister." she bowed respectively. "My name is Tsubaki Kalifia." The blond bowed back.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tsubaki-san. I am Sendou Tetsuya." She noticed that he seemed a bit ashamed of his surname and wondered what a Sendou was doing in a Kasanoda syndicate, but decided not to question it.
"Please, call me Kalifia, there's too many Tsubakis."
"That's what your brother said, Kalifia-san." he laughed quietly before nodding at the bag and roses in her arms. "Grey-san usually sticks around for a while and teaches the young lord how to take care of his garden, but you don't have to." Kalifia brightened considerably, much to Tetsuya's surprise.
"That's perfectly fine," she said cheerfully, then turned hesitant. "Not to be rude or anything, but is he going to attend Ouran Academy this year?" Tetsuya blinked.
"Um, he is." he said slowly, surveying her. Kalifia noticed and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"I am too," she confessed, feeling comfortable talking with Tetsuya. She couldn't see why Grey always came back so serious.
"Really?" Tetsuya asked, his whole demeanor changing abruptly. He practically picked her up and carried her down the hall, shocking Kalifia and the men in the hall. Her shock turned to amusement as the once scary looking men with their many piercings stared with wide eyes and open mouths. "This is the young lord's room. Please be his friend and take care of him." Then Tetsuya was gone, running down the hall and rambling to the men, who looked at Kalifia in surprise. She waved back cautiously and was blown away by their enthusiastic response.
"PLEASE TAKE CARE OF HIM!"
A little dazed, Kalifia turned around and knocked on the door.
"Come in," a voice said. It was low pitched, obviously a male's. She cracked open the door cautiously. The speaker was a red head, crimson actually, about the same age as her with sharp features and light brown eyes. He was frowning at the uniform he held in front of him.
"Is that the boy's uniform for Ouran Academy?" she asked curiously, opening the door wider and stepping in. At least she knew what the boys would be wearing. Kalifia herself hadn't ordered a uniform, so she would stand out a bit.
"Ah!" the red head yelped, dropping the uniform on his futon and whirling around to face her. The girl had to stifle a giggle.
"Um, sorry." she said sheepishly, scratching her cheek. "I didn't mean to startle you, but you did tell me to come in."
"Who are you?" the red head asked, eyes widening at the fact that there was a stranger in his room. A stranger who was a girl, to be exact.
"Tsubaki Kalifia," the brunette said, bowing respectively. "My brother couldn't make it today, so I'm taking his place. It's a pleasure to meet you!" She beamed at him.
The red head, however, was in a whole different world.
This could be my chance! he thought. I can make a friend.
"Um, hellooooo?" Kalifia sang, waving her hand in front of his face. He jumped when he realized how close she was.
"Sorry," he apologized roughly, bowing back to her. "I'm Kasanoda Ritsu!" He attempted to smile at her, but it came out more of a grimace. Kalifia stared at him blankly and Ritsu felt his hopes fall.
Kalifia poked his cheek.
"Do you not know how to smile?" she demanded, grinning slightly. "It's pretty easy if you ask me. Unless you're a robot." Ritsu turned a light shade of pink, much to her amusement, and stepped away, causing her hand to drop back to her side.
"You're Grey-san's sister?" he asked, rubbing his face. His cheek tingled from where she touched it, like her finger had been full of electricity.
"The youngest," she shrugged. "So, you're going to Ouran? I am too."
"Really?" he asked, surprised.
"Yup," she nodded. "I'm a first year. I'll be in Class 1-D."
"That's my class too," he said awkwardly, avoiding her eyes.
"Guess that makes us buddies!" she said cheerfully, eyes closing as she smiled. Ritsu blinked in shock. Buddies?
"So,uh, do you like kick-the-can?" Kalifia made a slight face.
"It's not my favorite thing in the world, but I do like it. Though, I haven't played it for a while now." Ritsu looked a bit disappointed. Kalifia noticed and decided to change the subject. "Do you like gardening? You ordered a lot of supplies." He met her eyes this time, a real smile on his lips, albeit a small one.
"Yeah," he said quietly. Kalifia grinned again.
"Well then, let's get started!"
About an hour later, Kalifia stood outside the gates to the syndicate. Her cheeks and faded jeans were smudged with dirt, as were Ritsu's, but each were content. Kalifia had spent some time going over the care of the roses, including what kind of soil they needed, the proper amount of sunlight and water they should get, and where they would grow best before the two had begun to plant the seeds and seedlings from the bag.
Ritsu learned that the girl had no problems with getting down in the dirt to work, unlike the girls he had gone to middle school with. In turn, Kalifia learned that Ritsu, despite his rough exterior, was exceedingly gentle and attentive in his work. Afterwards, Kalifia had taken the opportunity to explore the small garden, admiring the work and beauty of the flowers. Ritsu had just stood to the side and watched.
"So, see you at school then, Kasanoda-san!" Kalifia said, waving over her shoulder at him as she walked down the street to her house.
"Aa, er, do you wanna walk together?" he asked, then added on hastily. "Just for the first day, I mean!" Kalifia stared at him for a moment, olive eyes unreadable.
"I'd like that, " she said finally, lips twisting up into a crooked smile. Then she walked around the corner and put of sight. Ritsu stared after her for a moment longer then headed inside.
Once both teens were out of sight from the other, they crowed happily.
"I MADE A FRIEND!"
Random Facts:
About title: Camellia Japonica 'Rubescens Major' - This very old form of the Japanese camellia produces double crimson-red flowers with darker veins. It forms a compact bush with glossy, rounded, dark green leaves. There are several other good camellias with red flowers, such as the semidouble "Paul's Apollo' and 'R. L. Wheeler'.
