Cymbidium
¬ Cymbidiums are among the most popular winter and spring blooming orchids.
As in ancient times, the Asian Cymbidium is considered the gift of respect and friendship.
Tachibana Makoto had always been the guardian angel of Nanase Haruka. Ever since they were little kids, he had felt a compelling impulse to stay by his side, guide him and protect him through life's adventures. And even though Haruka had remained a reclusive mystery, Makoto had never questioned his feelings for his little dolphin, as caring for Haruka had always been viewed as a duty well born on his shoulders. Growing up, their friendship had grown stronger roots, mainly thanks to Makoto's charismatic self. His patience in decoding and understanding Haruka had been praiseworthy, slowly melting the ice that engulfed the dark-haired child with the moonlit eyes. Still, Haruka had kept around him an impenetrable circle of distance and at the time, with his innocent mind, young Makoto thought Haruka secluded himself because he was a lonely child with no siblings.
Perhaps the first signs of jealousy on Haruka's otherwise phlegmatic face, started shaping when a young tornado going by the name Shigino Kisumi, unexpectedly invaded their lives and swept them off like grains of sand. Member of the basketball club at Iwatobi Junior High, the flirtatious boy with the eye-catching, bubblegum waves of hair, quickly took an interest into his tall classmate with the heart-warming smile and the latter's bizarre friendship with a certain dolphin boy. Whether it had been Makoto's natural built, suitable for more sports than just swimming, or his innate tendency to identify the good in people, the hazel-haired boy was enjoying Kisumi's refreshing company. There was something mysteriously unique about that youth's playful character, that made Makoto feel genuinely careless, showered by the spotlight of attention for once, rather than being the one operating it.
Of course Haruka didn't share those feelings. His reluctant nature couldn't mingle with Kisumi's quirky humour , and the imperceptible chance of losing Makoto's exclusivity, often lead to misunderstandings during their gameplay.
"So, as we agreed, today we won't be staying at the pool, neither will we be playing basket. We'll just try something new and have fun altogether. Kisumi?"
Makoto looked hopefully at his rose-top friend. Haruka just snorted.
"Mhm! I thought of the perfect game for us. Let's play tennis! Here, Mako, one racket for you, and this one for me."
"But Kisumi, what about Haru?"
"He can grab the tennis ball for us."
"Forget it, I'm going swimming."
"Haru! Wait!"
"We can always join him later, what's the big deal?...Wait guys, what about taking turns?"
Looking back now at those ages of innocence, Makoto would stifle a light giggle at how the little things were always magnified in their childish minds. Years slipped their hands faster than they realised and even Haruka eventually grew more tolerant. Besides, they had parted ways with Kisumi during their teenhood, and then , there had followed this whole drama with their redhead teammate, Rin.
It was during their first year in university when they fully reunited with Kisumi. Around that time, the nightmares started as well. The dream was always the same; Makoto was strolling in a serene place of extraordinary beauty, a crystal, azure lake gracing his view on his one side and blooming, vernal nature on the other. Suddenly, ominous clouds would blacken the immense sky-blue and his body would start heating up, as if high fever was burning him alive. He would run in vain, all the while clawing his scorching skin, only to reach the same place every single time; an old, half-ruined, water well at the end of his long path. There were a copper sign on it he couldn't decipher and a small, stone sculpture depicting a bouquet of flowers resting on its edge. At that point, the uncanny images would gradually fade out and Makoto would rise from his deep sleep all sweaty and startled.
He never spoke to Haruka about those eerie, recurring dreams. Not only cause he didn't wish to bother him with the annoying whims of his subconscious, but also because his raven haired lover had never really overcome his remote nature. In a futile hope, Makoto had counted on their transition to adulthood and their summer resolutions to help Haruka find his own goals, and through them, ultimately himself. Albeit, nothing much had changed. Embarking on a life as a student in Tokyo, had been proven cathartic for Makoto and, while his love towards Haruka remained undisputed, he had stopped clinging like an overprotective parent onto the swimming ace. The same couldn't be said for the dolphin boy.
Of course Haruka was no fool. He could see through Makoto's emerald eyes that something was troubling him , but the hazel-haired whale always shrugged his questions off , blaming the stress over the demanding courses he had taken. And like that, the days were passing by with Haruka always seeking answers within the depths of the university's swimming pool and Makoto finding some much needed moments of careless mirth alongside Kisumi. Especially during Saturday evenings when Haruka preferred a mackerel based snack before a quick dive, over dragging his feet to the local cinema.
"Seriously, how did you dig this place up again?"
Makoto sat down next to Kisumi, the delicious smell of melt butter on his pop-corn teasing the nostrils. The cinema hall was rather small, but the few people choosing it tonight for their entertainment, made it look spacious and empty.
"It's dark and cosy, isn't it?"
"Cosy? We barely fit in those seats." Makoto pointed out, as he squirmed in his place, trying to find a more comfortable position for his endless legs.
"Well, don't expect here the facilities of a multiplex."
"Remind me why we didn't go there instead?"
"Let me think, two chick flicks , one movie we've watched already, several anime films...oh, and the première of 'Tentacles of Horror'..." a sly smirk formed on Kisumi's face "We can still catch up the midnight screening of this one, if you're interested."
"No!" Makoto exclaimed, causing a couple of heads to turn to his direction. He smiled awkwardly at the curious faces, before continuing in a lower tone " I wish Star Wars was released already."
"I'll be taking Hayato when it's on, he's already asking me for a lightsaber. It would be nice if you and Haruka joined us."
Makoto clucked his tongue.
"I doubt Haru will come. He wasn't in mood tonight either."
"No surprise, he always had a pole up his bum."
"Kisumi, that mouth of yours..." Makoto rolled his eyes.
"What? It's called figurative honesty." the rose-haired joked and stole some pop-corn from Makoto's bucket.
"At first, when you suggested the movie, I was a little hesitant as well. Mainly cause I didn't know this place..."
Suddenly, a horrifying thought flashed in his mind and Makoto narrowed his eyes at his companion.
"...don't tell me this is another one of those pranks of yours? Like the time you dragged me to that film which made every hentai show pale in comparison?"
Kisumi chuckled genuinely.
"As much as I admit it was hilarious watching you reddening like a beet, I assure you this is a normal movie and you have nothing to be wary of. Trust me."
He playfully batted his long eyelashes, earning a warm smile from Makoto's angelic face.
"So, what is it about?"
"It's an independent production, loosely based on an old Japanese legend. The film is a period drama, recounting the life of a young noble who is torn between his affection for his fiancée and his forbidden love for another woman."
The lights inside the hall dimmed.
"Sounds like a tearjerker. I hope it has a pleasant ending."
"I bet it has, you know how movies twist everything and make it work. Even though, according to the legend, the events that actually took place were rather tragic."
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The year was 1900. Spring was manifesting itself in morning dewdrops on colourful petals and through the melodious humming of nightingales. It was the ideal season for lazy strolls through the Tachibana vineyards. And Makoto , the eldest son of the wealthy landlords, felt glad he was there once again to appreciate them. After serving the Imperial Army for two years, he had recently returned and, thankfully, found that nothing much had changed. Except his gorgeous yet lonesome betrothed. Nanase Haruka was the only daughter of a prestigious but reserved family of the North, and their engagement had been arranged ever since they were little kids. They had grown up together and learned to trust and care for each other. But his inevitable absence during those two, lonely years had made quiet Haruka become isolated within herself even further. Only the balmy sound of water in the nearby crystal lake seemed to soothe the cold maiden.
Despite his tries to rekindle their flame, Makoto was slowly drifting away from Haruka. Until one of those savory days in the heart of spring, he met her. Her name was Shigino Kasumi, the young niece of an old lady who worked for his family as a cook. Being an orphan from an early age, the delicate girl with the rosy, flowing hair used to wander around the rural markets with her straw basket, selling beautiful, hand-picked flowers, especially light pink cymbidium orchids. She was a free and whimsical spirit, but her sparkling eyes hid no innocence; her graces had been the object of desire for several men, thus she often gathered the angry glares of various women who considered her a threat for their unvaried lives.
Makoto's mother was an exception. Mrs Tachibana felt sympathy for the beautiful girl and, since she adored the lovely cymbidiums, she bought a few bouquets from her on a regular basis. So, one careless morning that Kasumi passed by the estate's gates and Mrs Tachibana had her plate full with his twin siblings, Makoto offered to greet the young lady himself instead of sending a servant, and bring home his mother's order of light pink orchids.
His heart was captivated the instant he lay his jade eyes upon her.
"You must be Kasumi?"
"Kisumi" she corrected.
"Excuse me?"
"Well, I was given indeed the name Kasumi, but I changed it to Kisumi when I was younger, because I was told what it means in a foreign language. You know, kiss me?"
A red tint coloured Makoto's cheeks. He had heard the rumours, but he hadn't expected her to be that bold.
"In English, indeed." He cleared his throat and straightened his back. "I'm Tachibana Makoto, pleased to meet you."
"I know who you are Mako-chan. Your name and beauty have been a common whisper among the village's wenches."
Her audacious initiatives would normally oppose his noble upbringing, but Makoto was blushing so furiously now, that he could almost feel his inner steam gushing out of his ears.
"Sooo..." she bit her lower lip playfully "...will you take it?"
"Ta-take...it..?" he stammered like an idiot.
"The basket with the cymbidiums" she lightly swung it before his embarrassed face "Mrs Tachibana has already paid for it."
All he could do was to nervously mutter a "thank you" , as she joyfully bid him goodbye with a wink. In the following days, he found every possible excuse to replace his mother and keep picking up the fragrant flowers himself, only to steal some minutes of Kisumi's time. Not that the cheeky maiden remained idle. She started visiting her aunt weekly, supposedly to help in the crowded kitchen during the long, Sunday dinners. Of course her real motive was hidden somewhere within Makoto's breathtaking eyes of jade. But soon, those scattered moments were deemed insufficient, hence their secret meetings outside the mansion began. Whenever Haruka was either asleep or reveling in the lake's mist, Makoto would sneak out and engage with Kisumi in long walks through the enchanting woods engulfing the estate. In one of those strolls, she guided him through the blooming nature, along a serpentine path he had never followed before. An old yet beautiful, stone water well, topped with a wooden roof, stood at the earthy road's tail.
"I've never been here before."
Makoto leaned over the well's opening and stared deep down the swallowing darkness.
"According to old tales, this well is enchanted."
"Is that so?" He cracked a dazzling smile, her vivid imagination always amused him.
"Word has it that if you make an offer to the well, it will give you something in return."
"In other words, a well that grants wishes."
"Mhm." Kisumi nodded and her violet eyes challenged him deviously.
"Very well."
He took out a coin from his pocket and tossed it inside.
"I wish for the war to finally come to an end."
His voice, loud and clear, reverberated through the blossomed trees. A cheerful giggle slipped past Kisumi's coral lips.
"Am I that funny?"
"You didn't have to shout your wish. Though, I really hope it comes true cause that means you wouldn't have to leave again."
The warmth of her words almost overwhelmed him and he struggled to not let it show.
"Your turn."
She removed a butterfly pin from her hair and threw it in the well, squeezing her eyes shut and thoughtfully pursing her succulent lips in the process. When she opened them again, her face was beaming.
"What did you wish for?"
"It's a secret."
"Hey, that's not fair."
"I'm not saying, Mako-chan...Although, maybe I could test it."
"Test it, how..."
Before Makoto managed to finish his question, Kisumi stood on her toes and gently brushed her lips against his own. The kiss was slow and tender, and the tips of their tongues barely massaged each other. She eventually pulled back and glanced up at him. Makoto shook his head with a sigh.
"Kisumi, I'm promised to Haruka..."
"Oh, I know."
"Then what was that for?"
"An alternative?"
Her amethyst jewels were sparkling with hope and Makoto decided he was unable to resist their light any longer. He embraced her tightly within his muscular arms and let their mouths entwine into a torrid, endless kiss.
And as the months moved on, and the seasons succeeded one another, their passion was turning reckless and Makoto wanted to scream before her that , no, she would never be an alternative, for she had already locked his heart with hers and the key was long gone within the murk of that mysterious well. But, deep down, he remained an honest man of honour and his guilt over his unaware fiancée, was killing him in a torturous pace. The changes in both his and Kisumi's behaviours didn't pass unnoticed by his mother, who tried to raise the alarm about the impeding doom of her son's actions. But Makoto had completely surrendered to this cascade of emotions he never experienced before , and one night, while Haruka had left for her evening sport, he became bold and lured Kisumi in his private chambers.
"You have no idea how many nights I dreamt of this."
He measured her naked body inch by inch, trailing hot kisses on her smooth skin and restlessly sucking on her rosebud nipples. Her wetness engulfed perfectly his long thrusts and, as their bodies writhed together in their passion's crescendo, her fingers grazed his rippled back and she whispered in the shell of his ear.
"You're mine."
However, the glow in the aftermath of their love-making didn't last for long. Haruka returned much earlier than expected and, swinging his door open, she confronted the sight of their entwined bodies laying naked on his bed. That night, Kisumi burst out of the mansion like a fugitive, while Makoto stayed till dawn outside Haruka's chambers, trying to explain the impossible.
The following week was for him a torment on burning coals. His parents tried to prevent the scandal from leaking out and Haruka turned her back on him everytime they stumbled upon each other. He couldn't see Kisumi and had completely lost his appetite, but this time he was determined to stand his ground and put an end to an affair that claimed no future. So when Haruka finally decided to face him, he charged himself with courage and followed her. The distinctive smell of absinthe flowed in her room, making him a bit worried cause it was so unlike Haruka to drink her problems away. Still he poured his heart out, talking to her with honesty. He pleaded guilty of every mistake of his and admitted he would always nurture deep affection for her in his mind, but his heart belonged to another woman.
Haruka left the room saying no word. But a few minutes later, the stable boy barged into the mansion, crying that the young lady had mounted one of the horses and vanished into the night's raging storm. Like a bolt, Makoto rushed after her and , at the last moment, he caught a glimpse of her within the downpour's blur; Haruka had just surrendered to the dark waters of the lake. He didn't think of it twice. He dived into the lake and fought against the boisterous weather, until he finally managed to pull her out in the shore. Soaked but alive.
Meanwhile, Kisumi was boiling in a hell of isolation. She was passing outside the gates every single day, but to no avail. In the end, she chanced upon him accidentally a few days after that fateful night. He looked pale and was coughing.
"Are you alright? You look sick, Mako-chan."
"I'll be fine. Listen, Kisumi, we must avoid seeing each other for a while."
"I figured by now."
"But it's only temporary, until things even out. My parents know I'm breaking my engagement off with Haruka. Whether they like it or not."
They momentarily interlaced their fingers through the gate's bars before he left. The same night, he fell ill with pneumonia. For a week, high fever was burning his insides and his body was soon covered in scratches, as he clawed his scorching skin during his restless sleep. Even though Kisumi wasn't allowed anywhere near him, she kept coming every day to leave a pink cymbidium orchid flower for him. She had begged his mother to pass them on her behalf, and, perhaps in the spur of her agony for her son's pain, lady Tachibana had accepted.
Makoto died seven days later.
Kisumi wasn't let near his deathbed. And during the funeral, she stood away from the others and watched silently in the distance. No one blamed her for anything, no one cared to share with her some words of comfort. The Tachibanas had done a great job in concealing the truth behind their son's unfortunate death. The months flew by and the world eventually forgot her.
Thus, when one autumnal dawn with the clouds hanging low, she went up that familiar, serpentine path within the gloomy forest, it only felt like a natural conclusion of events. Kisumi stood on the edge of the water well, the hem of her gown rustling in the morning breeze.
"I want to be with you again. In another place, another time. Soon, my love" she whispered "...soon".
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The few people that had come, exited the local cinema quietly. Night was slowly settling in and the lights in Tokyo twinkled like colourful, fallen stars. Having enough spare time to waste, Kisumi decided to walk Makoto back home.
"So, in the end, that guy stayed faithful to his fiancée and married her. Whereas the flower girl found true love in the face of a pilgrim and travelled the world. And all lived happily ever after."
Kisumi nodded.
"Mhm, there's your pleasant ending. I thought this was what you hoped for?"
"I did. It was a nice film..."
"But?"
"...but, I don't know, it felt like something didn't blend well" Makoto finally sighed "What happened according to the legend?"
"Well, the tale is really old and some details are rather hazy, but it appears that , at some point, the hero died. And soon after, the flower girl, unable to overcome his death, committed suicide in a nearby well."
"Whoah, no wonder the movie changed everything. That's one sad story."
"Honestly, Makoto, I don't know if things happened this way or not. I had read about this legend years ago in a book with folklore tales and myths. There was an actual picture though of a memorial dedicated to that girl, so at least some parts of her story must be true."
"Really? What kind of a memorial?"
"In a village , up in the North, there's an unused water well...or, better say, what's left of it. But it has a sign on it dedicated to an unknown girl found in the well and there's also a sculpted bouquet of cymbidium orchids."
Makoto froze. The burning he felt in his nightmares. The well in his visions.
"Now that's scary..."
Kisumi's eyebrows vanished under his pink bangs, as he raised them in question.
"What is?"
"You might consider it odd, but, recently I've been seeing a similar well in my dreams."
His playful companion smiled and patted Makoto's back reassuringly.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you've read it in a book just like I have."
Eventually, they came at a halt in front of Makoto's doorstep. The tall, olive-haired student waved at Kisumi goodnight, but he suddenly felt a strong grip around his forearm. Mastering all his boldness, Kisumi leaned in and gently tugged at Makoto's tempting lips. His soft tongue found its way through them and slowly fondled the velvet of his mouth. Makoto breathed in his bubblegum scent and captured his bottom lip, tasting the tender flesh. After a moment, he pulled back , confusion wrinkling his forehead.
"Kisumi, I'm dating Haru..."
"Oh, I know."
"Then, what was that for?"
"An alternative?"
Makoto shook his head nervously, missing the heartbreaking irony in Kisumi's voice. He couldn't deny the warmth that had just flooded his insides, but he needed time to clear the haze off his mind.
"I can't right now...let's discuss about it tomorrow..."
The door shut behind him and Kisumi was left watching his traces disappear in the night. His fingertips trailed the outline of his lips, there where Makoto's tongue had been exploring just moments ago. A sly smirk of content slowly formed on his charming face.
Unlike Makoto, he had woken up over a decade ago. The moment he first lay eyes upon Makoto back when they were children, all the memories of whom he had once been and what connected him to the kind boy with the huge, emerald eyes, hit him back like a torrent. That had been his curse ever since.
And now, after all those longing years of bearing a secret in solitude, Kisumi was finally sure; something was stirring up inside Makoto. Something was about to break free. And that was enough to fill Kisumi's life with eternal bliss. He shoved his hands in his pockets and cast a last glance at the closed door before him.
"Soon, my love" he whispered "...soon".
The END
Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.