Eli: Oh, so I'm in it.
Hanayo: M-Me too...
Eli: Ah... You're quite cute.
Hanayo: Eh?!
Eli: Yup, really. Oh right, happy birthday!
Hanayo: T-Thanks... U-Um, Enya-chan doesn't own anything!
XXXXXX
"What should I get for Alisa... Maybe flowers? She likes flowers, so it should be an okay gift? But it's winter now..." Eli muttered to herself as she braved the harsh winds on a cold winter day. Her younger sister's birthday was coming up in two days and Eli, being the loving elder sister she is, didn't want to disappoint her beloved sister with a gift she wouldn't like.
"Oh, was this here before? Maybe I should check it out..." Eli stopped outside a small flower shop that was adorned with many flowers. A sign that read 'Pana's Flower Garden' hung above the door of the shop. Acknowledging that she has nothing to lose by visiting a newly opened flower shop, she stepped inside and admired the range of flowers available.
"W-Welcome to Pana's Flower Garden! I-I'm the owner of this shop! I... I can't do this!" A brown-haired woman hesitantly stood in front of Eli before disappearing behind the cashier. Eli looked on in confusion, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
"Uh yeah, hi? I'm looking for a present for my younger sister as her birthday's coming up?" Eli poked her head behind the the cashier where the owner was still cowering in fear. The owner's lavender eyes met Eli's cerulean ones, the latter being able to see fear in the owner. Fear of messing up in front of a stranger.
"I-I'm H-Hanayo K-Koizumi. P-Please to meet you..." Hanayo shakily extended a hand for Eli to shake, which she gladly accepted.
"Eli Ayase, a pleasure. Say, why are you so afraid of me? I promise I won't do anything bad to you." Eli released her hand and walked towards a pot containing dark pink roses. "These roses are really well taken care of..."
"I-I love flowers! I can't let them die just like that! Flowers are just as fragile as we humans, without aid from another party, these life forms will begin to break apart!" Hanayo burst out, her fear soon fading away as her passion took over. Eli was startled by the shy owner's sudden passion but nevertheless listening to her enthusiastic rant.
"Also... I-I'm so sorry!" Hanayo suddenly stopped her rant and went back to her hiding place, her figure trembling from sheer embarrassment. Eli pitied Hanayo and thus decided to make her life better. With a smile, she jerked her thumb towards the very same pot of roses she had praised a few minutes ago and asked her question.
"How much do the flowers cost?"
XXXXXX
"Harasho... Thank you for the birthday present sestra, I will be sure to care for these roses." A smaller woman with platinum blonde hair thanked Eli, carefully placing the pot of roses onto her bedroom counter.
"I'm glad that you like your present Alisa... I bought these at a flower shop that opened recently, the owner is a nice person." Eli replied, a smile gracing her face. Held in her hands was the flower shop's card that Hanayo had given to her before she had left with her purchase.
"Is that from the shop you mentioned?" Alisa noticed the card and strained her neck to take a closer look. Eli nodded, handing over the card to Alisa so that she could get a better look.
"I was thinking that I should visit her again. Do you think I should?"
"Absolutely! You mentioned that she's a nice person right? You should get to know her better!" Alisa clapped her hands, pleased with her suggestion.
"Eh? Should I? Well... my workplace could use some colour so I could make a trip down tomorrow..." Eli muttered, resting her chin on her palm.
"You could just visit her without any reason..." Alisa sighed at her elder sister's way of seeing the florist.
"That's impolite. I am wasting her time if I do so."
"Does that mean that you'll pass by another romantic opportunity?" Eli's eyes widened at her sister's question, shocked by her words.
"A-Alisa?"
"Isn't it? If you made an effort to get to know that secretary, you could be dating her." An image of the secretary flashed into Eli's mind, her turquoise eyes being the last thing she saw before her brain instinctively blocked out that particular image.
"Nozomi isn't interested in me..."
"You get what I mean sestra. Just go see the florist tomorrow."
"... Alright then..."
XXXXXX
"Hey uh, hi?" Eli said as she stepped into the flower shop, her laptop bag slung over her right shoulder. Hanayo heard Eli and proceeded to hide behind the cashier like what she did three days ago.
"W-What can I help you with?" Eli sighed, her sister's suggestion of getting to know Hanayo better was not going to be easy. Hell, all Eli wanted was to go home and take a nice long nap. Hanayo pushed up her purple-framed glasses nervously, waiting with bated breath for Eli's next sentence.
"Well uh... I kind of wanted to know what kind of flowers you sell here?" Eli asked, knowing very well that Hanayo will get all fired up if she talks about a subject that she's well versed in.
"We have roses, fir, holly, pine, mistletoe and many more! Ah, I know Japan doesn't really have all these as I got most of them from North America but still!" Hanayo went into her rant like what Eli had expected, spending 30 minutes talking about the flowers mentioned.
"I didn't know that. You must love flowers dearly." Eli replied at the end of the 30 minute session, a blissful smile on her face. 'I have no idea what she had just said but her voice is so angelic... I could just listen to her all day...'
"Yup, I really love them! A-Ah! Am I perhaps boring you?" Hanayo asked, her enthusiasm dying out.
"Not at all. Say..." Eli got closer to Hanayo, making the florist blush. "... do you mind if I talk about non-flower stuff?"
"S-Sure! I don't mind a single bit!" Hanayo replied shakily, unable to look into Eli's cerulean eyes. 'Why is my heart beating so fast?! I-I think I'm gonna burst!'
"Great! I've always wanted to know something, why did you call your shop the name it's given?"
"Oh uh... Actually my friend's the one who came up with that name..." Eli turned to look outside before turning back to give an incredulous look. "I know, it sounds weird right?"
"Not at all! In fact, help me compliment your friend for me! I think it's a cute name!" Eli said, a smile on her face.
"Really? A customer before you said that it was stupid. I'm glad that you think that Rin-chan's idea was good..."
"Rin-chan? Is that your friend by any chance?" Eli asked before mentally kicking herself up for her blunder. 'Shit shit shit! She just said that the person who named her shop was her friend! I'm such a fool...'
"Not just my friend, my best friend! I've known her for a long time!" Hanayo said, a small smile appearing her on her porcelain face. That smile made Eli's heart melt and caused her to malfunction.
"Oh... T-That's n-nizzzze..." Eli stuttered, her words sounded increasingly robotic.
"Uh... Are you okay...?" Hanayo asked, worried for Eli's safety and sanity. Her other best friend once told her that her smile makes even the coldest of hearts waver, so she should be careful when she does so. If it wasn't for the arrival of someone Eli knew, Eli would certainly explode.
"Elichi?! Oh no, your gay Russian heart must be going into overdrive!" A byzantium haired woman with a large rack fussed, bringing Eli to a chair. "Please get her a glass of water!"
"R-Right away!" Hanayo rushed to get the water while the woman tended to Eli.
"N-Nozomi...?" Eli gasped out as she recovered from her previous state.
"Sheesh Elichi, keep your gayness under control okay?" Nozomi teased, flicking Eli's forehead.
"I-It's here! Ah Ayase-san! A-Are you okay?! I-I'm so sorry!" Hanayo immediately apologised, handing a glass of water to the quarter Russian.
"No it's fine..." Eli took a sip of her water, sighing a second later. "Thanks for the water Koizumi-san."
"Oh ho, so Alisa-chan was right. There is a yuri development going on~" Nozomi smirked, having just met Alisa a few minutes ago. Eli blushed furiously while Hanayo stood there confused by Nozomi's words.
"L-Lily? I'm sorry, but Ayase-san and I weren't planting lilies..." Hanayo replied seriously, thinking that Nozomi was referring to the literal meaning.
"Ah never mind. Say, you two should exchange numbers! That way, Elichi over here can get to know Pana-chan better~" Nozomi suggested, slapping Eli on the back.
"I-If you would agree to it, I would be delighted to exchange my number with yours!" Eli added, not wanting to waste such a golden opportunity.
"Sure!" Hanayo innocently replied, going to a table to write her number on a piece of scrap paper. Once she was done, she handed it to Eli.
"C-Can I message you l-later?"
"Yup! Will that be all Ayase-san?" Hanayo asked, trying her best to keep her professionalism despite her blush.
"I-I uh... Ah! How much are for these flowers?" Eli pointed to a pot of azaleas, Hanayo smiling gently as she named the price.
XXXXXX
"No way, you've met someone that you like nya?!" An orange-haired woman asked, an excited smile on her face. Hanayo nodded shyly as she hid her face behind a clipboard.
"S-She kinda made my heart race..." Hanayo said, her cheeks growing redder by the second.
"It's a girl? I think in this rate, you may have to give her acacia flowers." A red-haired woman said, her amethyst eyes boring on to a pot of bright yellow flowers.
"Why Maki-chan?! Must you be so mean to Kayo-chin nya?!" The orange-haired woman stood up, pointing a finger at Maki.
"I-I'm just stating facts! Not every woman that she meets will swing that way!" Maki countered, making Hanayo's heart crack slightly.
"T-That's true... B-But I'm not so sure if she knows the language of flowers..." Hanayo softly said, her lavender eyes glazing towards the floor.
"You can add the meaning to the flowers nya!"
"Rin, that's worse." Maki said, twisting Rin's ear.
"Nya nya nya nyaaaaaa! It hurts Maki-chan!" Rin whined, rubbing her twisted ear.
"Well, you're the one who implied on further breaking Hanayo's heart! God, I thought the shop will go under when you named her shop!"
"Oh yes! Rin-chan, Ayase-san said that the name you came up with was cute!" Hanayo remembered what Eli had told her, making Rin happy.
"Really?! Nyahoo!" Rin pumped her fist into the air, a gleam in her chartreuse eyes.
"Oh no. Hanayo, run. I'll hold Rin off." Maki suddenly stood up and tackled Rin to the ground before the latter could do anything. Hanayo simply squeaked and ran out of her shop only to run into Nozomi.
"Oh my my~ What's a lovely deer like you doing on a cold night? Why don't you come back to my place for a cup of hot coffee?" Nozomi asked, removing her scarf and wrapping it around Hanayo's pale neck.
"Captain Nozomi nya!" Rin burst out, escaping from Maki's grip. Hanayo turned to Rin in surprise before turning back to the byzantium haired woman.
"Y-You know Rin-chan?" Nozomi nodded and pushed Hanayo into the warm flower shop, removing her coat and tossing it to Maki.
"Gack! Hey you, I'm not your slave!" Maki retorted, hanging up Nozomi's coat on a coat stand.
"Pana-chan, you can expect a call from Elichi later! So don't bring out those acacia flowers just yet!" Nozomi started, whipping out a tarot card from her cleavage.
"First of all, how would you know that? Secondly, can you choose a better place to stuff your cards?!" Maki questioned, covering Hanayo's eyes with her hands.
"I sent her home just now my dear panther! Also, my boobs are a great place to stuff things!" Nozomi replied, waving her card in front of Maki's face.
"Nya? Really? Rin wishes for big boobs but it never comes true..." Rin patted her chest, sighing at her lack of chest.
"Oh! Pana-chan, the call is in three... two... one!" As soon as Nozomi finished her sentence, the telephone started to ring wildly. Hesitantly, Hanayo picked up the receiver and lifted it to her left ear.
"H-Hello, Pana's Flower Garden how may I help you?"
"Oh Koizumi-san? This is Ayase, I know I'm taking up your time but would you like to accompany me to a movie this Saturday?" Eli's voice came through the receiver, a smirk appearing on Nozomi's face.
"A-Ah! S-Sure, what time?" Hanayo blushed furiously, she was never invited out by anyone except Rin and the occasional Maki. Over the receiver, she could hear crashing sounds and a woman telling Eli to hurry up.
"Ten then. I'll see you outside the cinema then? A-Ah Alisa, stop throwing things at me al-" The call suddenly ended, leaving Hanayo with the dial tone.
"Soooooo? How did it go~?" Nozomi asked, though she knew the answer to her question.
"I'm spending this Saturday with Ayase-san!"
"So that means you got a date right nya?" Rin asked, bouncing over to Hanayo. All of a sudden, Hanayo's flushed a bright red as she slumped to the floor with her head held in her hands.
"D-Date?! Oh no, what do I do?!" Maki used this time frame to go over to a potted plant and place it in front of Hanayo.
"Give these petunias. In a way, you can tell her that her presence soothes you." Maki patted Hanayo's head before dragging Rin out of the flower shop. "Good luck!"
"Welp, my work here is done! See ya! Oh and give her your personal number will you?" Nozomi left the shop, taking the petunias with her. Hanayo took the silence to calm herself down and start planning out her attire for Saturday. Halfway through her planning, she realised something important.
"Eh? Where did the petunias in front of me go?"
XXXXXX
"t's five minutes past the meeting time... Maybe Ayase-san got held up? What am I doing, it's only a mere five minutes!" Hanayo told herself, lightly slapping herself to snap herself of any negative thoughts she had. She was wearing a lavender silk blouse with long sleeves, a light blue skirt that ended at her knees and a scarf with the same shade of blue as her skirt. Just for that day only, she decided to put in contacts so that she'll look more prettier.
"Koizumi-san! I'm deeply sorry for being five minutes late!" Eli called out from a distance. Eli was wearing a light blue sleeveless hoodie with a fox print located at the left side of the hoodie which was accompanied with white three quarter pants.
'S-She's so casual... I must be overthinking that it's a date, why else would I be the only one who wears such clothing...?' Hanayo thought to herself, embarrassed for wearing such clothes. Eli noticed it and immediately cursed herself for wearing such clothing.
'Oh man... I should have worn more appropriate clothes if I knew that Koizumi-san would wear such cute clothes... I thought that she won't think that it's actually a date I'm asking her out on but... Does she hate me?' Eli's thoughts were in a rush and if it weren't for the fact that her watch sounded, she would remain rooted at that spot mentally beating herself for her poor clothing choice.
"U-Um! I actually have two tickets for a movie and I hope that you won't laugh at my movie choice..." Eli held up two tickets, a blush on her face.
"O-Oh don't worry about that! Why don't we enter the cinema now?" Hanayo asked, reaching out for Eli's hand. "Y-You must be cold with that sleeveless hoodie on, I think my hand should be able to warm you up just a little..."
'C-Cute... Wait, it's just a gesture! Yeah, we're probably aren't friends yet! It's too soon to jump into conclusions!' Eli thought to herself as she accepted Hanayo's hand, a grateful smile on her face. The two of them entered the cinema hall, waiting for the film to play.
"U-Um, may I ask what is this film about?" Hanayo asked timidly, realising a second later that the point of watching the film was to find out what was it even about.
"The title says 'Questioning Feelings'. Maybe we're watching a show where the protagonist questions their feelings on a certain situation? Like for example, a death has occurred in their family but they don't know why they aren't feeling anything for the late person." Eli responded, oblivious to Hanayo's worry and more focused on her poor choice of clothing.
"I-I see. That sounds interesting." Hanayo replied back, her eyes now focused on the screen as the clip had finished broadcasting all of the advertisements. The hall soon faded to absolute darkness, the only source of light emitting from the screen. The screen was currently depicting two high school students in a clubroom, one of them was taking measurements of the other student.
"A-Aya...? M-May I wear my skirt now?" The student who was getting measured asked, her voice in complete stutters. Eli thought that the student was cute as it reminded her of Hanayo when they first met in the flower shop.
"Eh? Hmm... that's fine... since wearing your skirt doesn't affect your waist or bust measurement." Aya had replied casually, which led to the other student to immediately reach out for her skirt. Hanayo had noted that in contrast to the student's flustered movements, Aya's was calm.
'Is this what the title meant? But I don't see the part where they questioned their feelings... Maybe it's somewhere in the middle?' Hanayo thought to herself, unconsciously clasping on to Eli's hand, startling her.
"K-Koizumi-san?" Eli whispered, tearing her eyes from the screen to face Hanayo. Hanayo was engrossed in the movie however, leading Eli to brush off the hand holding.
"Now for Yoshino-chan's waist..." Aya murmured to herself as she moved the tape up to Yoshino's waist. Aya's fingers started to roam around her friend's flat belly, causing Yoshino to sport a blush.
"How bold..." Hanayo murmured to herself as she leant forward to view the film. The next few minutes was spent by Aya complimenting about Yoshino's figure and the latter blushing heavily.
"A-Aya..." The viewers could tell that Yoshino's voice was in pain, an indirect indication that she was aroused. The next few minutes continued on with Aya admiring Yoshino's body, her breath getting noticeably laboured as she did so. Hanayo was extremely immersed in the film and started to tighten her grip on Eli's hand.
"Yowowow..." Eli hissed silently as she watched Hanayo's expression, the latter having a focused expression that was similar to how she looked when she was tending to her flowers as what Eli had noticed when she passed by (stopped and stared outside) the flower shop.
"Hey, Aya..."
"Y-Yes?"
"W-What if..." Yoshino paused for a moment before continuing. "What if... I said that I was in love with you?"
"So this is it..." Hanayo asked, losing her enthusiasm she had a few minutes ago. Her expression changed into one of self-reflection, pondering about the feelings she had for Eli.
'These feelings I have for Ayase-san... could it possibly be love...? But... she barely knows me...'
"U-Um Koizumi-san? As much as I love it when you crush my hand into a million pieces, I would prefer if you could loosen your grip..." Eli begged, tears forming in her eyes. She stopped halfway as she noticed Hanayo's sudden change in expressions. "Koizumi-san?"
"U-Um... I-I'm not sure..."
"N-No worries! Just take it as an hypothetical question! In fact, please brush that question aside!" Yoshino hastily added, adding more weight to Hanayo's thoughts.
'Why would Yoshino want Aya to brush her question aside? I'm sure that they clearly love each other... Or maybe Aya wants to sort out her thoughts? Then again, it is plausible that Aya only admires her... Is that how I feel towards Ayase-san too?' Hanayo continued to be engrossed in her thoughts, not noticing that the film had ended 45 minutes later.
"Koizumi-san? The show's over, would you like to join me for lunch?" Eli asked, lightly tugging on Hanayo's hand in her attempts to break her thoughts. Thankfully, Hanayo's train of thoughts were broken and the florist turned her head towards Eli.
"A-Ayase-san? I-Is the movie over?" Hanayo asked after scanning the now empty hall. Eli nodded, lightly pulling Hanayo up.
"I know a great cafe for lunch, would you like to join me?" That sentence, though simple and innocent, had sent Hanayo into another blushing fit.
XXXXXX
'My heart's still beating fast... W-What does this mean...? A-And having lunch with Ayase-san, I feel so happy for some reason...' Hanayo thought to herself, mindlessly stirring her drink. They were currently at a cafe, waiting for their lunch. Eli looked at Hanayo uncertainly, mustering all her courage to ask a question.
"H-Hey Koizumi-san... Am I... making you uncomfortable.?" Eli's sudden question made Hanayo break away from her thoughts, a shocked look on her face.
"Of course not! I'm enjoying myself Eli-chan! Ah..." Hanayo immediately clamped a hand over her mouth, the two of them surprised by the sudden change of suffix.
"T-Then may I call you by your first name?" Eli asked, blushing heavily. Hanayo nodded, still embarrassed over the change and thought that Eli's request was simply to make her feel better.
"U-Um... Why did you want to invite me out?"
"Heh?!" That question surprised Eli, but she can't simply tell Hanayo that it was a date. It'll scare her off, Eli thought to herself. "Oh uh, I wanted to get to know you better?"
"I-I see..." Hanayo's eyes had a flicker of disappointment. Part of her truly wanted to believe that it was a date that she was going on, thus the disappointment.
"Say Hanayo, may I ask what made you want to become a florist?"
"W-Why you ask... I guess I wanted to spread smiles to others via flowers? They are a gift from nature that everyone should enjoy." Hanayo replied, a small smile creeping on to her face. The very mention of flowers was enough to brighten up her day, brushing her questioning feelings aside.
"I agree. There is also the flower language am I right?" Eli continued, grinning away after seeing Hanayo smile. Hanayo nodded, stirring her drink faster.
"Y-Yes! It's amazing how one flower can mean so much! Do you know? Some flowers can mean differently in different cultures!"
"That is indeed fascinating! Could you fill me in on some interesting flower meanings?" Eli asked, bringing in Hanayo's hands into her own.
"S-Sure... Um... Camellias in their usual colour could mean admiration?" Hanayo's heart was beating faster, aware of Eli's sudden action.
"I see. If only I had a bouquet of camellias on hand..." Eli muttered, loud enough for Hanayo to ask why.
"Why?"
"Then I could present them to you to show my admiration towards your flower knowledge." Eli winked, a playful grin on her face. The conversation was temporarily interrupted by the arrival of their food, which Hanayo was silently thankful for.
"Y-You're really charismatic Eli-chan..." Hanayo remarked, nibbling away on a fish which she had ordered along with a bowl of rice.
"That's what they all tell me for some reason. But to be honest, I'm not what you expect." Eli laughed, twirling the carbonara that she ordered.
"Really? I can tell that you're a nice person..."
"More like a useless lesbian who blanks out after seeing a florist's lovely smile!" Eli chuckled, clamping a hand over her mouth after seeing Hanayo's sudden change in expression. "You didn't hear that right?"
"Um... I don't really mind if you like girls? It's a wonderful thing to be in love." Hanayo replied, an understanding smile on her face. Though Hanayo was calm on the outside, she was panicking on the inside.
'S-She likes girls too? M-My heart's racing even faster than before! M-Maybe there's a chance that she likes me? B-But I'm not sure whether I like her back... Someone save me!'
"Thank you for being so understanding Hanayo. You're the first person that I've secretly invited out for a date to not treat me in a hostile manner..." Eli continued, slapping herself for digging herself a deeper hole.
"T-This is a date?" Hanayo asked, torn between pleasant surprise and shock. 'I-It's a date! T-That means she likes me, but what do I really feel about her?'
'Gaaaah! I really screwed things up! I should have stopped talking right after I came out! Now she's going to run away from me in three... two... one...' Eli's expectations never came, for Hanayo still remained seated with a blush on her face.
"Eh?!" Eli gaped at Hanayo, surprised that Hanayo didn't run off screaming like the other women in the past.
"U-Um... Can we continue this date? I know that you like me but I'm not so sure about mine..." Hanayo replied, her lavender eyes hesitantly meeting Eli's cerulean eyes.
"S-Sure."
XXXXXX
"I'm truly sorry for putting you through this." Eli apologised, walking beside Hanayo in a park. Though it was only 5 pm, the sun had already set and they were walking aimlessly at a park, the conversation starting to die out.
"No, it's fine." Hanayo replied, a light blush on her cheeks. Before arriving at the park, they had visited a crepe store, a library and a toy store, all which made Hanayo's heart race faster than usual. She then heard a sneeze coming from the blond, the affected shivering slightly.
"Here, you must be cold!" Hanayo wrapped her scarf around Eli's neck, warming up Eli by a little bit.
"T-Thanks, I should have worn something better right?" Eli replied, an embarrassed smile hidden by the scarf.
"Yeah, but the fox print is cute..." Hanayo pointed out, the conversation soon dying down. Without anything else to talk about, Eli decided to just risk her next few words.
"Y-You know, I kinda like you ever since I met you on that day where I bought a gift for my younger sister. The roses?"
"O-Oh, they were for your younger sister? Did she like them?" So far so good, Eli thought, pleased with the flow of the new topic.
"Very much. In fact, she told me to ask you out."
"I-I'm flattered?" Eli sensed that Hanayo's tone was bordering on discomfort and switched topics. Or at least, attempted to.
"Yeah, I know I'm weird and I'm freaking you out but..." Eli tried to stop herself, even covering her mouth to muffle the words but to no avail. "How much does this flower cost...?" Eli brought her hand to Hanayo's cold cheek, a furious blush on both of their faces.
"M-Me?!" Hanayo processed the situation for a moment, recalling her feelings throughout the date. 'I-I don't seem to hate her, even though she was sometimes really direct to the point of embarrassment... Is this what the movie meant? Is this what Aya would have felt if Yoshino confessed to her like how Eli-chan did? If so then...'
"A-Ah! Y-You can brush this aside! In fact, take it as a joke! A joke I say!" Eli tried to convince Hanayo otherwise, both to spare any further embarrassment to herself and to preserve their blossoming friendship which was already starting to crumble from Eli's view.
"Your devotion."
"Huh?" Was all Eli could say as she processed Hanayo's reply. Hanayo had a blush on her face, heating up the cold air around her while Eli simply stood rooted to her spot, dumbfounded by the reply.
"I-If I had a red rose, I would present to you to show my love for you..." Hanayo muttered out, the blush on her face intensifying until a red glow was observed.
"U-Um... Doesn't that mean..."
"I-I love you too..."
"Y-You want to be with me? Even if I'm a dork and suck at confessing?" Eli asked, not believing the sudden turn in events.
"I-I thought about it. The movie you brought me to see made me realise what you actually mean to me..." Hanayo explained, her hands covering her eyes out of embarrassment. "S-Sorry for taking this long..."
"N-No! I'm grateful that you took the time to think about it..." Eli replied, a tear falling from her eye. "I-It's just that, you're the first person to actually accept..."
"I see... Um, if you still like you can purchase me with your devotion..." This time, Eli brought Hanayo into a tight hug, a small smile appearing on her face.
"Yes, yes I will buy it."
XXXXXX
"No way! You're actually going out with that crush nya?!" Rin asked, dropping her food on to the floor. She was in the company of Hanayo and Maki at the flower shop, chatting away about their lives.
"I'm impressed. How did it go?" Maki asked, eyeing the very same pot of acacia flowers like how she did a week ago.
"Well... It was unexpected? But I have to thank the movie that we saw, it was actually the thing that made me question my opinion towards Eli-chan." Hanayo replied, a smile on her face.
"Who confessed nya?! Rin wanna know!" Rin burst out, unable to contain her excitement.
"Rin, settle down." Maki sighed, pulling Rin back to her seat.
"Eli-chan... The confession was actually embarrassing though but I guess I don't mind if she says it again..." Hanayo blushed furiously, looking away from her two friends.
"Oh really~?" Nozomi's voice was heard behind Rin, a smirk on the byzantium haired woman's face.
"W-When did you come in you creep?!" Maki took a step back, startled by Nozomi's presence.
"Just now~ Anyways, the confession was so romantic!~ Trust Elichi to buy a flower!" The comment made Hanayo blush even harder, rivalling Maki's scarlet hair.
"Which flower nya?"
"The Hanayo flower of course!"
"H-Hanayo flower...? Oh I get it..." Maki took one look at Hanayo before going back to Nozomi, who was now accompanied by a new addition. "And who the hell is that blond chick?!"
"I'm Eli Ayase, I'm here to visit Hanayo and buy some flowers... for Nozomi that is." Eli replied, waving at her new girlfriend who managed to wave back.
"W-What are you looking for?"
"Hmm... Could you give me a gladiolus?" Eli pointed to a purple flower, an evil grin appearing on Eli's face. Hanayo complied and handed the flower to Nozomi, surprising her.
"Oh? Pana-chan wants to give me this? You're so sweet!"
"That means 'give me a break' Nozomi." Eli stated, gripping on to Nozomi's shoulder. Nozomi's other shoulder was grabbed by Hanayo, who had an angry pout on her face.
"Speaking of which, Nozomi-san... You stole my petunias right?"
"Eh?!"
"Besides soothing presence, it can also mean resentment or anger..." Rin nodded, sneaking up on Nozomi.
"U-Um Pana-chan? Kya!" Nozomi jumped as she was tickled by Rin, sending the rest into a laughing fit. "Rin-chan!"
"That's called retribution Nozomi!" Eli called out, inching closer to Hanayo. She then wrapped a hand around Hanayo's waist, bringing the florist closer.
"I'll cherish you my dear flower, forever and ever..." Eli whispered into Hanayo's ear, eliciting a blush from Hanayo. Maki, who was now a spectator of both the tickling session and flirting, grimaced at what she had managed to catch.
'Ayase-san is one deranged flower lover...'
XXXXXX
This is for lychee-ran, who had suggested EliPana as a pairing.
Also, the film 'Questioning Feelings' is the 26th chapter from signbear's 'Tea, Latte, Coffee or Spice?'. Do check out that story, it's really a good read!
XXXXXX
Eli: Okay, that was weird... and embarrassing...
Hanayo: T-That's my line...
Eli: Sorry for making you go through that trauma?
Hanayo: No it's fine. Anyways, thank you for reading through this story!