He simply nodded. Jack wasn't really much for words... He only talked when you asked his opinion. But he was so nice to Popuri -- giving her flowers every day, doing things for her all the time.. Whenever she asked him something, he always had the right answer. But other than when she asked him something, he was silent...
Maasugu na hitomi
Itsumo damatteru
Looking into your eyes
You always kept silent...
In moments, Jack had gone.. It was pretty late now, and starting to get dark -- she ought to go to bed. As Popuri gently pushed open the door to her room, her father called out from the main part of the Flower Shoppe: "Sweet dreams, flower!"
"Goodnight, Daddy!" Popuri shook her head a bit.. He treated her like a child. She strode into her bright pink room and changed into her white flannel nightgown before slipping into the pink-comfortered bed, turning out the lights, and drifting off to sleep...
In the morning, she sighed, looking longingly up at the ceiling. She'd dreamed of nothing but Jack.
Yume o miru tabi ni
Soppo muite waratteru
Each time I saw you in my dream
You turned away before I could see your smile...
Today was a Saturday, and she was going to the Mountain. Unlike Elli, Karen, Maria, and Anne, Popuri really liked hights. She smiled as she saw a flower growing near the edge of the cliff she was on.. How pretty.. Upon further examination, Popuri realized it was a rare specimen -- Daddy'd love to see it. She went cautiously towards it, intending to pick it.. and fell.
She was hanging onto the edge of the cliff, screaming bloody murder, about to fall off, when she saw something out of the corner of her eye:
Jack.
He was running as fast as he could across the area, past the carpenter's house, up to the cliff. As soon as he was there, he leaped onto the tree, climbed up and stumbled onto the cliff.
Within seconds, he'd pulled her up.. Popuri was still shaking. "Oh, Jack! Thank you! I was so scared! I was trying to get a flower, and I fell.." Suddenly she blinked, looking at him searchingly. "Hey.. Hasn't something like this happened before?"
"Yes, it has."
Popuri's heart melted. "Oh, I knew it! So that was you..." She blushed. "Th..thank you for saving me."
Jack smiled. "No trouble."
Taisetsu na jikan o
Zutto mamotte kureta ne
I realized who was important to me...
You always protected me, didn't you?
The next day, Popuri couldn't wait for Jack to make his routine visit to her. She had to tell him how she felt... It was six am, earlier than she usually woke up, but she didn't care. She was already running out of the Flower Shoppe down through the town, past the bakery, to the little crossroads where the road branched off in six directions, down all the way to the little road that led to his farm.
"Jack!" She smiled, looking around for him.. But he wasn't there. "Jack..?.." Popuri went nervously up to his house and knocked on the door. "Are.. are you there?"..
There was no answer.
Popuri was getting nervous.. She knew it was rude, but she was worried! She opened the door to find him sick in bed with a fever. "Oh!" She ran to his bedside, just as he had done one rainy day when she'd been sick. "Jack, are you okay?! You mustn't over-work yourself! Here, I brought some medicinal herbs..." She pulled them from her pocket, and handed them to him, thanking the Goddess that she carried them with her. Jack weakly took them from her delicate hand, and ate them. The hand on her forehead could already feel his fever go down. She smiled in relief. "Rest today... I'll see you tomorrow!"
Yuukuri to dakeredo hitotsu dake
Kitsuke ita koto tsukaetai kara
Through it all, gradually, you're the only one
Always call me, and I'll help you...
Popuri closed the door to Jack's house and sighed, leaning against it.
She couldn't tell him today... But she was overflowing with emotion...
Anata ni aeta anata to sugushite
Ima koko ni sotto ukabu
Afureru kono omoi o uke tomete
You're brave, you're amazing
Here, now, gently surfacing
Receive these overflowing feelings...
She sluggishly pushed the door to the Flower Shoppe open, heading straight towards her room. Lillia, her mother, looked over at her, concerned. "Popuri..."
"He's sick." She forced a smile. "Don't worry Mom.. I'm fine."
She went into her room and flopped down on her bed, sliding a photo album from her drawer, flipping through its pages. These memories were so happy...
The day she was elected Harvest Goddess by a margin of one vote. She liked to think that it was Jack's vote, but she wasn't sure... He'd complimented her that day.
The time when Jack had bought the Blue Mist Seed and managed to nurture it until it until it bloomed.
She flipped through more photos.. "Hey.. all the recent ones are with Jack." She smiled sadly.
Fukyou na shigusa
Itsumo soba ni iru
Omoi de no naka de
Houmotsu ni kawatteku
Even though you were often scowling
You were always by my side
Among my feelings
You became treasured...
The days passed, and Jack came to her, every day. Sometimes, he was huffing and puffing.. She knew intuitively that, on those days, he'd looked everywhere for her. And he always had something for her. Even in winter, when there were no flowers... He'd bring her a cake... She didn't take this lightly. Cakes weren't cheap. It told her where she was on his priority list. Once he brought her a music box...
Popuri realized that she was in love. It wasn't just a shallow crush, or even mild affection. She loved Jack.
Daisuki na jikan o
Motto suki ni shite hoshi
Yuukuri todakeredo hitotsu dake
Kitsuke ita koto shinjitai kara
I realized who my beloved was
More and more I felt in love
Gradually, finally, you're the only one
Always call me, because I will believe in you...
She was in the mountains again, but on level plain today, standing by that tree he'd climbed to save her... The tree was important now. She turned and looked over to her left -- there was Jack. She resolved then and there that she had to ask him how he felt... She couldn't go on anymore without knowing.
"Jack!.. Can I ask you a question?"
He blinked, a little surprised, but nodded. "Yes, of course, Popuri..."
A smile, a nod from Popuri. "Thanks.. Do you like anyone, Jack?"
He was taken aback.. "Er.. Yes.." Jack blushed.
"Will you tell me who?"
"...Yes."
Popuri smiled happilly. "Who is it?.."
Jack looked at the ground and blushed. "Y..you, Popuri."
Popuri blushed as well, smiling in ecstacy. "Really?! .. Thank you, Jack. I love you, too." She edged over and kissed his cheek softly. "I'll be waiting until that day.. when you give me a blue feather."
Jack blushed. Popuri blushed. "Well.. bye, Jack!" She walked off. He made no move to follow. As soon as she was out of the area, she ran all the way home, into the Flower Shoppe, into her room, and collapsed on her bed, crying tears of joy.
Anata no yuuki anata no yasashi sa
Hora koro ni kitto aru yo
Afureru kono namida o utekomete
Your courage, your kindness
Look, I'm sure this is it
Receive these overflowing tears...
The next day was his birthday. She smiled more brightly than ever, and took the little pink flowered pouch of potpourri out of her drawer and placed it in her pocket before running out of the house as fast as she could, tripping over her red skirt as she ran down the roads to his farm. It was six am, and she got there only a little before he left his house. "Jack!"
Jack beamed at her. He seemed like he'd expected her... Jack walked up to her, saying nothing, expecting her to talk to him instead of he to her as always. She smiled. "Jack.. I just wanted to give you something for your birthday.." She handed him the flowery potpourri bag. "It's potpourri.. It smells nice, and aides sleep.."
"Thank you.."
She smiled. "..I only wish I could give you more."
Mizu mo kaze mo taiyo mo daichi mo
Tsuki mo hoshi mo tsutsun de kureru
The water, the wind, the sun, the earth
The moon, the stars, I'd give them all to you...
A week or so later, Popuri was outside the shoppe again, watering the plants that grew in the crevices between the stones of the sidewalk. She saw Jack coming towards her.. A smile spread across her face. She felt so happy, just to see him...
Anata ni aete anata to sugoshite
Ima koko ni sotto ukabu
Afureru kono omoi o uke tomete
You're brave, you're amazing
Here, now, gently surfacing
Receive these overflowing feelings...
Jack looked a little more nervous than usual as he came towards her.. and when he spoke, his voice cracked. "P..popuri.." He bit his lip and pulled a sparkling, sky-blue feather from his pocket, holding it out to her.
Popuri's eyes widened, and she blushed a bit, staring at it in disbelief.. "Me..?.." The smile on her face widened, and tears of happiness came forth to stand in her eyes. "Oh, Jack.. Of course I'll marry you!"
Anata ga kureta mirai no kakere ga
Hora koko ni hikatteru kara
Meguri aeta omoi wa hitotsu dake
To you I give my future
Look, here, it's sparkling
Surrounded completely by feelings, you're the only one.