A Bud In Bloom
By CuteBubbles
Author's Note: Hello everyone! I am back again with a new chapter! Much faster upload time than my previous chapter, eh? Hahaha. The last chapter was kind of heavy so I made this chapter have a much lighter and fluffier tone. It's about Rei and Aya getting to know each other a bit more. Short and sweet. I hope you like it!
If you don't usually leave a review, please do so... Honestly the support I receive from my reviews is what keeps me going in completing this fic.
Dyalicious- Thanks! I'm glad you like it! :D
Alice Jane- Your wish is my command! I updated as soon as I finished writing this chappie hehe. I can't wait for you to read more about his past in the story! The Aya/ Rei pair never fails to amuse me as well. It's such innocent and pure kind of love. It's great. Thank you for your kind comments and for reading my story! :D
Payi1024- Aww I'm so happy that my story touched you and brought shivers to your spine! That really means a lot to me! I haven't been on for years either and this summer I came back and fell in love with fanfiction again. Words can be so powerful. And no worries I will continue adding chapters to this story. Thanks so much for your review! ^_^
Screaming Siopao- Hehe thanks Screaming Siopao! You're one of the reviewers that really kept me going and made me want to come back! Thanks for the encouragement! I'll make sure to keep updating! :D
Disclaimer: I don't own Gals.
Rei's POV:
Her hands went up to clutch her head in frustration. "Ughhhh! I don't understand this at all! How am I going to get a good grade in Advanced Chemistry when I have no clue what this is talking about?"
Heaving a large sigh, she plopped her head down to the desk, her lips pouting like a doll. "Do YOU know, Rei? Do you understand the molecular orbital theory?"
I stifle a chuckle. Haha Aya can be so adorable sometimes. I grin and shake my head. "Our class hasn't gotten there yet. If this was regular mechanics, I'm your go-to man. You know how much I prefer physics over chemistry."
"Sigh… okay." She sits up with a determined look. Aya glares at her book, as if challenging it to a duel. With renewed fervor, she opens the pages and starts furiously scribbling notes. It's so like her. It may not seem like it at first, but Aya can be very strong-willed and stubborn when she wants to be. In times like these, the best thing to do is stay out of her way.
It's a lazy Tuesday afternoon, and we're at our usual spot- Deliah's French Cuisine Café. Quaint, homey, and covered with pink, this place reminded me of Aya the moment I first set foot in it.
It's been a year since we started coming here, which is how long our relationship has been. Hard to imagine that time has gone by that fast. We've surely had our ups and downs along the way, but right now, as I'm looking at this cute girl currently obsessed with her chemistry book, I can't help but smile. I'm so glad I asked her out last Valentine's Day. The more I get to know her, the more I'm drawn in to her. As for Aya, at least now she's comfortable enough with me to stop stuttering every time she sees me.
"Sir, ma'am, excuse me. Here is your crème brulee with fresh strawberries."
She is jolted out of her endeavor. With sparkling eyes and an excited smile, she cracks into the caramelized sugar coating and digs in with her spoon. She closes her eyes in delight with the first bite and smiles in approval. For such a slender girl, Aya has a voracious appetite and an intense love for food. She can eat 3 plates! It's so fun to watch her. I cup my chin as I wait for her to notice my presence.
Aya's POV:
Oh. My. Gosh. So creamy and succulent. The contrast of the crispy caramelized sugar and the soft flan is great in my mouth. And the strawberries… oh man my favorite fruit. Mmmm.
I slowly open my eyes. Rei is looking at me with amusement in his eyes. Oh! I totally forgot my manners!
"Sorry I didn't ask sooner. Would you like some, Rei?" I push the flower- shaped plate towards him.
He chuckles and pushes back the plate. "It's ok. I know you'd enjoy it more than I would."
He's so understanding! I nod with excitement as I finish up the rest.
I can't contain my happiness. I get to be with Rei today! OK, I know I've been with him many times before, but he said he can spend the whole day with me as his gift. Even now, he still makes me feel like butterflies are fluttering in my stomach. I can't think of a better way to spend our 1-Year Anniversary!
"Hey, your favorite flower is cherry blossom right?"
Huh? How does he know that? Did I tell him before?
"You told me that before when all of us went to the Cherry Blossom Festival. You just forgot."
My eyes widen. "Wow, it's really like you can read my mind Otohata-Kun!" I might have been babbling when I told him that, as I often do when I'm nervous. But to think that he remembered, does he like me that much-
"You should stop being so predictable," he tells me with a smirk.
Eek! So embarrassing! I look down with a flushed face as I bite the last spoonful. I can't let him see my face. It's like he can read everything that I think of in my brain! Am I really THAT predictable?
"You still haven't answered me," he said with an impatient tone.
"O-oh sorry. I mean, n-not that it's my fault. Or maybe it is…I mean, um… yes, cherry blossom is my favorite flower." Why is he asking?
Taking out his wallet, he places a $10 bill on the table. Huh? I thought I was supposed to pay…
His hand grabs my wrist. "Let's go."
Eh?
"Where are we going?"
There's a glint in his eye. "You'll see."
I try to ask him during the train ride, but to no avail. I am forced to wait until we reach our destination.
"Welcome to Shibuya Gardens, where memories never die!" The PA system booms in a loud voice as the train doors close behind us.
Shibuya Gardens, huh? We arrive at the base of stairs about 100 steps long, leading to a shrine and the garden at the top.
Rei turns to me. His dark brown locks are gently blowing against his face. My heart thumps again. He is so handsome…"I know it's a lot of steps, but trust me, it's worth it once we get to the top of this hill."
Honestly, I've never done anything like this before. I'm so excited! Giving my best smile, I cheerfully say "Oh, I trust you, Rei. I'll be fine!"
Minutes later, I stand corrected. Huff huff… I am so out of shape. Concentrate, Aya. 98… 99… 100. Phew! Oh my gosh! What a workout.
The path leads to a peaceful shrine encircled by fountains and greenery. We're greeted by a friendly girl as she asks us to pay the entrance fee. Once we were in, I notice one area in particular is hillier than the others. My feet are leading me to it.
Wow, it is breath-taking… I turn in a circle to appreciate the vastness around me. On top of this hill, I could see all of Shibuya! How beautiful... The breeze gently blows and I see white plum blossom petals prance in the wind. Delighted, I close my eyes and breathe in the scent. My heart is leaping out of my chest. I never knew such a beautiful hidden place like this existed in Shibuya!
Where is Rei?
I glance back, and I smile softly. He's sitting down on the grass underneath the plum blossom tree.
I gingerly walk towards him and plant myself right next to him. "Thank you so much for taking me here, Rei. This is more than I could've asked for. The vintage record player I gave you seems so pale in comparison to this."
Rei's POV:
I return Aya's soft smile. Wow. She's as beautiful as the petals of this tree, with her pale pink sundress and her midnight-blue hair blowing with the wind, and she doesn't even know it. "Don't worry about it. I'm glad you like it here. I know it's not exactly cherry blossoms, but they're not in season till March. And plum blossoms, that's close enough, right?"
Aya starts to cry from happiness and laugh at the same time. "I love it! I absolutely love it, Rei! And I love you!"
She jumps up to hug me. My hearts starts beating rapidly. Her cherry blossom scent intoxicates my senses as I put my hands around her petite frame. I entangle my right hand with her silky hair. Her warmth… Can we stay like this forever?
But it's gone too soon. The next moment, she pulls away. My mind is cloudy from her touch, but I am able to see her bright red face. Aya...
"Ah- hahaha. I-I-I got carried a-a-away for a minute there. I'm so sorry! It won't happen again. How embarrassing… Eh hehe." She plays with her hair and makes an awkward laugh- her usual actions whenever she gets nervous.
Her skin is as white and smooth as the plum blossoms. And her lips are so full and red… What if I just kiss her right now? Right here?
"Rei? Are you ok? You're looking at me strangely."
Aya's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. Get a grip, Rei! Don't think of Aya like that. Once you let your self-control go, who knows what might happen?! You must have looked like an animal about to devour her. Control yourself!
I lean back to lie on the grass abruptly, closing my eyes to try to rid my head of such thoughts.
"Rei-" her voice is sweet and alluring. Agh why do you have to be so irresistible, Aya? "Can you… tell me more about yourself?"
Surprised, now I open my eyes. She is lying down on the grass, looking up at the tree and trying to catch falling petals. "Huh? Like what?"
"Well, like what your favorite color is, and what memory comes to mind when you think of this place."
"My favorite color is dark blue. As for a memory… you mean related to this place in general or this spot?"
Aya quickly says, "In general."
I chuckle. "Ok. Well, this place is special to me because…"
"Rei, come here!"
I could see the tip of mom's pale yellow straw hat as I struggle to scamper up this hill. I almost tripped once while coming up. Why is this hill so tall? Ughh.
"Aww my poor little boy. You're sweating! But I'm proud of you for climbing up that hill all by yourself! Come to Mommy."
At 4 years old, my mom is the world to me. I'm so excited to reach her. With one last jump, I'm at the top of the hill! I run to her outstretched arms and smiling face as her short bob and white dress rustle with the wind.
"You smell like the plum blossoms Mommy," I whisper as I bury my face in her embrace.
"Thank you Rei. Now remember, if you ever feel scared or feel like you want to cry, come here to our secret place, alright? Here you can cry as much as you want and Daddy can't tell you it's wrong."
My eyes open in amazement. Wow! My mom just told me a great secret! " Really Mommy? Why?"
She smiles at me and ruffles my hair. Her eyes gain a tinge of sadness that even I could see. "That's because... this is the secret safe zone. People can cry and shout as much as they want here. We're so high above Shibuya that no one will hear or see you. You're free… to laugh, cry, shout or sit quietly to think. That's what Mommy learned over the years, Rei. Now I'm telling it to you. This will be our little secret from your father."
She grabs me and hugs me so tightly that I could burst. My shoulder becomes wet with her tears.
I catch a plum blossom with my hand as I recount the memory. Shaking off the sadness accompanying such a beautiful memory, I say, "Now I'm sharing the secret with you, Aya."
I glance over at her for the first time since telling the story. What the-?
"Aya why are you crying?"
Aya's POV:
I sniffle as I try to regain composure. I just can't help but cry. P-poor Rei… He never talks about his father, but when I asked about him before, Rei did mention that he was an alcoholic and left them at an early age.
"Nothing, I'm just so touched that you brought me here." That's half the reason.
He looks away. "It's alright, you can cry here as much as you want. You don't have to hold it in," he says somberly.
To be honest, the reason why I'm crying is because I can imagine what his mom must have felt at that time. Trying to protect her little boy and save him from becoming like a stone… it's so noble of her! True, people call Rei the Ice Prince, but he's really not. He can be sweet and thoughtful when he lets his guard down. His eyes always reveal the intensity of his emotions. The effects of his dad's abuse can still be seen in him every day, but his mom managed to keep the real Rei alive inside. For that, I admire her quiet strength so much.
"I think emotions are beautiful," I say assertively and, I must admit, a bit out-of-the-blue.
Rei looks back at me in surprise. "What?"
"Sure we cry sometimes, but often that's how we learn and grow. Those little moments of realizations shape who we are. Can you imagine if no one felt anything? We'd be walking around as robots, like… this!" I try to do the robot arms movement the best that I can while sitting. "Emotions make us human. Your mom is very wise to know that."
I look at him, and his cheeks are puffy. Then, like a hot air balloon being popped, he bursts out laughing! Rei?! Laughing?! Oh my gosh, this is a first!
"Y-you make really good robot arms, Aya. Hahahaha!" He says in between fits of laughter as he clutches his stomach.
I cross my arms and pout at him for teasing me. Hmph. They weren't that bad! Were they? Ok fine, I guess I must have been really bad... Haha. Oh well, at least I made Rei laugh! What an accomplishment! I join him in laughter. You know... A year ago, I never thought Rei would allow me to see this side of him. My heart swells with joy and thankfulness to have the privilege of seeing the real him.
"Alright, I think it's time for a picnic." I pull out my homemade mochi sesame balls, especially made for Rei, from my bag. "Don't worry, I only put a little sugar because I know you don't like sweets." I smile proudly. Hey, it took me 5 hours yesterday to perfect wrapping the red bean paste with the sticky mochi. I had no idea it could be so difficult!
His last laugh dies down and he puts a mochi ball inside his mouth. The breeze ruffles his hair as it brushes against his beautiful face. My heart still skips a beat every time I stare at him. I really love him so much…
He nods in approval as he picks up another one. I can't help but smile from ear to ear. All my hard work has paid off!
A strong gust carries a plethora of plum blossom petals in the wind. My heart feels like it's soaring right alongside them.
"Happy anniversary, Rei…" I say softly as I clutch the necklace he gave me last Christmas.
A subtle but genuine smile framed his face. "Happy anniversary, Aya."
Hope you liked it! Please leave a review! Thank you! :)