Chapter 35

She looked outside the window, watching as the waves of the sea crashed against the coastline over and over again. The sun was shining through the large bay windows, the sky was painted in the most idyllic way with clouds that floated past her every few minutes.

On the other side of the window laid a hospital bed under dreary lighting. The room was kept at a ridiculously cool temperature, enough to numb her fingers that drummed against the wooden arm of her chair which faced the window. She couldn't watch any more.

"Miss, would you care for something to eat?" the nurse asked.

"No, thank you," Hana responded curtly.

The stranger shuffled her way out of the room, leaving the rest of the family members. It was a family reunion, it seemed. Hiro had flown all the way from New York City, and Hana's mother came to pay her respects. All were by the bedside except for Hana. The President listlessly ventured from side to side.

"Hana, you should eat something," Hiro suggested. He walked over to his sister with a wrapped biscuit in hand. "You've been here the longest."

She shook her head. She wasn't hungry. She was tired, but she couldn't sleep. She was angry but she couldn't even find the words for her rage. But most of all: Hana felt defeated against it all. She couldn't argue against the cycle of life, the inevitability of death.

"Hana," Hiro tried again. "Please. Just talk to me. Are you okay?"

The girl crossed her arms and focused on how the waves battered against the rocks. She wanted to be the wave. She wanted to crash against the rocks with all her might, with all the strength she had in her bones. Slowly, but surely, the rocks would erode. Where was that resilience that she so much needed?

Hana could only sigh.

"No," she answered.

And that was that.

Hana ignored the notifications on her phone. All of the world's markets did not matter to her anymore. Her inbox was flooding, even though the whole office knew she was on leave for a family emergency. She didn't want to talk. She just didn't care.

"At least sleep, Hana."

She shook her head.

"You should sleep, Hiro. You just got off a flight," Hana suggested back.

Hiro must have been equally exhausted, if not more. But the elder brother kneeled down to his sister and looked her in the eye.

"Hana."

Hana blinked at him. What did he want her to say? That she was fine? "He's going to die, Hiro."

The youngest Sawada had always been the most outspoken one. The bravest of them all to speak the honest truth. No one wanted to hear it. Especially the President.

"You disrespectful—"
"Don't you dare—"

"Little brat—"
"This was all your fault—"

Just as a match had been lit, the flame had been blown out in nearly the same instant. Hana and the President locked eyes, with neither of the two backing down. Hana had stood from her chair to face the man.

"You didn't even think to consult me?"
"You're not family," he spat.

"Then why am I in this room?" Hana growled. "When has this family ever been a family to begin with?"

"Hana!" her mother scolded. "How could you say such a thing?"

The daughter glared at the woman.

"How can I not?"

Hiro looked away from Hana and sat in the chair adjacent to hers which faced the sea. She stood up against the patriarch of the family.

"You approved of this surgery. You knew the risks. You sent me off to Singapore thinking I wouldn't find out about thi—"

"I was trying to save his life!" the man tried to justify.

"And did you?" Hana yelled back. It was a surgery to remove the tumour that had been growing over the years. The risks were high given the placement of the tumour and the doctors were very adamant about the family members understanding the risks so that they could be prepared for the worst case scenario. "Did you do anything to save his life? You put him in this brain-dead state."

"You would have done the same thing."

Hana shook her head. "You wouldn't know – because you never even considered telling me. You never considered me as anything but a stranger that invaded your space. Your family, your company, your life."

"And yet you have the audacity to speak to me as if you were family," the President sneered. "Know your place, woman."

Hiro stood from the chair and narrowed his eyes at his father. "You don't speak to my sister like that," he sternly said.

"Hiro—" The mother tried to diffuse the tension. "Stay out of th—"
"No, you stay out of this," Hiro shot back. "You are the stranger in this family. You never once understood any of us. All you think about is our family's reputation – as if it wouldn't be in shambles had it not been for Hana."

Hiro was well aware of how well his sister had put up with the life of the upper class, taking his place to uphold all of society's expectations. Hana gave him the opportunity to live life the way he wanted to – and now, this was the least he could do for her.

"And she is family – she is the face of the family," Hiro directed his words to the President. "She represents the future of the company, and you know it. Hana does everything I cannot do. Hana is the star child you refuse to acknowledge, simply because… she isn't yours."

The President's face faltered briefly before shaking his head. There was nothing to say to refute that statement.

"Both of you may as well have been illegitimate," he muttered. "None of you are useful to me."

Hiro chuckled out of disbelief. "Tch, that's all we are to you, right? Figureheads for the company… and to you," He turned to the matriarch. "We're your pride and joy, only when we fit the cookie cutter standard of being rich and famous."

Hana nodded. "We were never your children… and we are past the point of being children. You never wanted us and now—"
"—We don't need you," Hiro finished. "I am here because Ojii-san was a man who had parented me more than any of you. I am here to pay my respects. But to either of you, I bid both of you goodbye after all this is through."

"Don't expect a single cent—" The President gritted.
"No!" their mother cut off. "No! You cannot cut our children—"

Hiro and Hana looked at each other, wincing at the word children. They were not children. They were full grown adults, who were more than sufficient on their own. Hiro could only shake his head.

"You have raised disrespectful pieces of—"
"—Me? You're pinning this on me? Had I had any help raising—"

The siblings turned towards the sea, numbing themselves of the screams in the background through the waves of the water.

This was the broken family that they had grown up in… and they were lucky to have turned out the way they did. Hiro looked up to his sister, even though it should have been the other way around. How Hana had grown up faster than he did, how he had to learn from his younger sibling in order to become the responsible adult he should have been from the start.

All they had were each other.

And that never changed.

She heard the sound of a flatline in her dreams over and over again. The dull beep that screamed in her head, like tinnitus in her ears that would never go away. Hana watched as the trickle of grey settled into the skin, the skin of his hands turning cold, the life being drained out of her grandfather.

Hana held onto his hand for as long as she could before they took the body away.

Hollow.

That's what she felt for days.

He could see it in her eyes, in the way she came back each day from the funeral home as she planned for the event with the rest of her supposed family. Her eyes were lifeless, though the tears never fell down her cheeks.

The funeral spared no expense, of course. Mori and his grandfather attended the entire ceremony, even staying behind to pay their full respects.

"Such a shame," he heard people mumbling throughout the memorial.
"Quite the family..." Rumours began circulating over Hana being the heiress, and the power struggle between Hiro and his sister. Of course, none of which were true – speculations often were groundless.

Mori sent his grandfather home and went back to the funeral home, waiting for Hana until the end of the day. But instead, Hiro walked out to greet his old friend.

"She's dealing with the ashes," the older brother told Mori. "And by that I mean, she's arguing with our father about the ashes," he added.

Mori nodded. "Ah." Not surprising.

Hiro leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"What are you still doing here?"

"Waiting," Mori answered. "For Hana."

Hiro patted Mori on the shoulder, as a sign of appreciation. He was half a head taller than him."I don't know what I'd do without you but… thank you for always taking care of her."

His friend shrugged. It was no big deal to him – but he worried for her, immensely.

"It's been hard on her," Hiro murmured. "I'm sure you know that."
"Yeah," Mori agreed. "But she's… strong."

"No doubt," the elder brother shook his head. "She still has the energy to fight our father for every single decision made about Ojii-san. The two are always at each other's throats. I'm honestly surprised she hasn't punched him yet."

Takashi gave a small smile. That's… very Hana-like.

"But I know she's… she's fighting because if she doesn't, she'll have to wallow in the sorrow that she won't know how to process," Hiro told him. "Let her cry, okay? I don't think she had the time to do that yet."

Mori nodded. "I'll do what I can."

The elder brother crossed his arms and looked up at the giant.

"She's my little sister," he reminded. "I can't throw a punch like her but I'll try my best to if you ever hurt her."

Mori chuckled. "She'll throw the punch before you will, Hiro."

The brother frowned. "I'll give you that. But you know what I mean, right?"

His friend nodded.

Hiro smiled tiredly. "Listen, I have a flight to catch soon. I have to get back to LA for the recording of this film score I'm working on."

Takashi nodded understandably and ushered his friend along.

Hana came out of the building minutes later, steadying herself against the railing. Mori quickly ran over to lend her a hand, worried that she would collapse.

"What are you doing here?" she softly asked, using every bit of energy she had to speak. Her bun was falling apart and her lips were chapped from the dry air conditioning between the hospital and the funeral home. "It's late," Hana whispered.

Takashi sighed. "For you, of course."

She reached up to him and buried her face in his chest.

"I just want to go home."

The Sawada residence was too much for her to bear.

Takashi led her to the Morinozuka residence instead, laying down the futon for them in the bedroom. He listened to the sound of the water hitting against the pane of the glass as she showered. It muffled her sniffling.

It had been 20 minutes.

He knew she was crying. And it pained him to have to pretend that she wasn't. His chest ached as she gasped for air, keeping her cries as silent as she could. The water stopped and the sink turned on.

She inhaled a breath of air as smooth as she could but it came out as a gasp of pain. The sound of the toothbrush echoed in the bathroom. Hana tried her hardest to keep it back together. Her eyes were bloodshot red.

She knew they would swell by the time morning came.

There was no use in pretending that she wasn't crying in the bathroom. Hana slid open the bathroom door to find him waiting, looking at her as he mirrored the same look of pain on her face. She sniffled.

Takashi held his arms out to her.

She walked into his embrace, letting him kiss the top of her head. He didn't say a word. He didn't have to. He knew.

Takashi listened as she cried herself to sleep. He soothed her as best as he could, patting her back as she soaked the pillow covers with the river of tears. By morning, she woke to an empty bed.

She felt the same hollow feeling as she did for the past few days.

Numb.

With no purpose.

She fell back onto the futon, cocooning herself away from the world.

He got home as soon as he could, finding her in the same position as he had left her – asleep in bed, only now she was cocooned in the blankets he left her in. She must've had trouble sleeping the past few nights. Kaina, the dog, had loyally made herself comfortable at the foot of the bed, accompanying her owner for the entire day.

Hana woke in the evening, rubbing her swollen eyes and frowned at herself in the mirror. Dark circles and puffy eyes took up a good portion of her face. Her lips were chapped and her hair was a mess. She spent the whole day in bed, unable to gain the energy to do anything.

"You're awake," Takashi poked his head through the door.

She nodded.

"Hungry?" he asked.

She shook her head. She had no appetite.

"Did you eat anything?"

Hana shook her head again.

Takashi frowned at her and told her to wait. Hana took the time to clean herself up in the bathroom. She took a shower and tried to tame the bird's nest on her head. Hana stepped out to the living area with a simple meal of porridge and some side dishes. She sat down in front of Takashi, who eagerly watched her eat.

"How was um," Hana cleared her throat. "Your day?"

"Fine," he answered, still concerned about the fact that the woman hadn't eaten the entire day. Hana nodded.

"Thanks," she told him.

"Don't mention it, Takashi grumbled.

Hana looked up at him, trying to force a smile. "I mean it."

Kaina had finally found her owner after days of not seeing her. The dog sat loyally beside Hana, waiting for a belly rub, or a scratch behind the ear. Hana smiled at the animal.

"I haven't been out all day," Hana told Mori. "I should walk her."

The dog's ears perked up at the word walk. Instantly, the dog trotted towards the door, waiting for the owner to take her out. Takashi nodded in agreement. Fresh air would have been good for Hana.

Hana let Kaina lead the way, and of course, it stopped at the Sawada residence after its usual route through the park. The dog wagged her tail and looked expectantly at the humans. This was home to her. Takashi slipped his hand through Hana's, squeezing her palm tightly as if to ask if she was alright.

"This house isn't ours anymore," Hana explained to the dog.

Of course, Kaina didn't understand. She was a dog, after all.

"I don't own this place. I don't own anything," she added. Hana tugged onto Kaina's leash but the dog wouldn't budge. "I don't know how else to explain this to you, Kaina."

Kaina's tried to paw her way through the gate. Hana tugged back.

"No," she told the dog. Kaina barked in defiance. The dog didn't know any better. Hana only shook her head. Her heart ached. The wound was still fresh, even if it had been nearly a week since his death. She was trying her best to cope, but there was an overwhelming wave of sadness that kept tugging her into the ocean of loss.

"Where will you stay?" Mori asked.

Hana blinked. "I'll have to look for my own place." It was only logical.
"You can stay with me," Takashi offered. The Morinozuka residence was far larger than the Sawada's.

She shook her head. "I do not want to invade more than I already have."

"You're family," he told her. Hana had always been part of the family since childhood. There was no question about it.

Hana looked down to the ground.

"I have no family."

She was on leave from the Sawada Corporation for two weeks, that was as long as the company allowed for a family emergency. Hana tried her best to look put together as she walked into the office. People bowed out of respect, others expressed their condolences to the Sawada heiress in the elevator and in the halls. She reciprocated each gesture with gratitude and poise, just as she had rehearsed in her head.

But the only reason why she was around was to fish the resignation letter out of her drawer and to pass it along to the President. Hana confidently strode through the glass doors to find the President typing away on his desktop computer as usual. She curtly placed the resignation letter on his desk.

"What's this?"

"My resignation, sir."

The President stopped typing and looked at the child. "I thought you wanted this."

"Define what this was meant to be."

"Power. Honour. Responsibility," the man listed off the top of his head. "You're going to throw it all away?"

Hana shrugged. "What is there to throw if there is nothing to begin with?"

"You're making a mistake," he warned her.

"I am a mistake," Hana shot back. "One that you wanted to erase from the moment you knew," she spoke softly. There was no menace in her words. Just honesty. The mistake was taking on the role of being an heiress – thinking that she could do it. Perhaps it wasn't so much that she couldn't do the job but more so that she realized her happiness was worth more than all of this combined.

"I never—"
"I don't care,"" Hana scoffed. She didn't want to hear any more excuses. "It doesn't matter now."

The President huffed. The child always left him feeling bitter about things. Like he had never been enough, even though he knew that he did not owe her a single thing. She had a knack of hitting him where he didn't expect. An unknown pocket of guilt that surfaced when she was around.

"I don't want your sympathy."
"You never had it."

Hana nodded. "That's fine. Just let me go," she whispered. "Let me live." These past few years had shaven off too many off her life. He could see it in her dull eyes. Her voice grew weary over the period of their meeting. She was in no mood to argue, nor fight.

This was her surrender – and he would have been stupid not to take it. Yet after all this time, it felt like a false victory that only left him hesitant about whether she was telling the truth.

"What will your mother think?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "She'll live with it," Hana brushed off the question. "Like the rest of us."

"Why now?" She could have done it much earlier. Weeks ago. Months ago. A year ago, even.

Hana crossed her arms and sighed. "Because I thought… that this family deserved a chance."

"A chance?"

The woman blinked. "I was naïve, really. I thought I was doing the right thing: upholding the family's honour and reputation. What I was raised to do, after all. But it didn't matter how hard I worked. It was pointless to serve a family that never served me." There was no loyalty. Hana was taught to be obedient, but not stupid. The trade-off of this job was not worth the distress. It was simple, really.

"That is—"

"—The truth," Hana cut him off before letting the President finish.

"What did you want?" The President scoffed. Praise? Encouragement? Love?

"Parents," Hana answered truthfully. "We both did." Hana and Hiro both lacked the parental guidance that they both needed. "But we grew up alright, thanks to the privilege you provided. So thank you for that. Otherwise…" the young woman trailed off, staring blankly beyond the eyes of the President. She was reflecting within herself.

"It was all Ojii-san who taught us the bare necessities. We owe him. But I…" Hana paused. "I owed you in the best way I could and you refused to take it. I worked hard to get to where I am. I ask that you respect me on a professional level and leave it as that."

The President stared at the letter of resignation that was placed on his desk. Now he had no heir to the company. But that was a bridge he would cross when the time came around. It did not bother him as much as he thought it would. He opened up the envelope to read the letter of resignation, as if he needed evidence that she wasn't bluffing.

It had been dated in January, around the same time that she had found out about her grandfather's health deteriorating. She certainly wasn't bluffing.

"Did you need letters of reference?" The President offered. He put down the letter of resignation and accepted the decision.

Hana blinked.

"Sorry?"

"It is customary to provide letters of reference to employees that have provided extensive contribution to the company."

Hana tilted her head. "It would be… ideal though not necessary." She was expecting to find another job, or figure out her next step with a little bit of time and purely on her own, of course.

"Thank you," she added. "I appreciate the offer."

It was really the least he could have done for her. He could respect her as a business professional, but beyond that – there was reluctance to accept her as anything else. And for Hana, she was alright with that.

Hana bowed before taking her leave.

He knew her.

Enough to know that she would drift away for a while, but he always had faith that she would come back. Always in orbit, even after many years. But those days where he couldn't find her up in the sky were dark and disappointing. Yet, he would wait, just as he had after all these years.

"Are you sure?" he asked her.

"I won't be far," Hana reassured. Within a few days, Hana decided to move into a home for her and Kaina a block away from the park that they frequented. Mori knew that Hana couldn't stay in her old home without drowning in the nostalgia. She deserved a fresh start more than anyone – but still.

He would miss her.

"Your mother was very kind in offering this place for me," she told him. The Morinozukas made their fortune with real estate, after all. It was perfect for just her and the dog. Spacious enough for Kaina to move freely, but cozy enough for a small family to live in. It was a little smaller than the Sawada residence itself, but it boasted its comforting charm with being steps away from the subway station.

Mori frowned. "You don't have to pay rent."

Hana narrowed her eyes at Takashi. "I'm not a freeloader."

Rent was not easy to come up with, especially in the city of Tokyo. Hana was lucky to have made enough to be sustainable. From working in a large corporation and some occasional day-trading, Hana was well-off for her age. She had degrees in finance after all. Hana budgeted enough to hopefully find a new source of income within a few months.

"I didn't mean it like that," he sighed. "You're family."

Hana shook her head. "Unless I'm the daughter-in-law of my landlord… I don't think I count."

Mori pursed his lips and became flustered at the thought. Hana noticed how he away from her, trying to hide his frustration.

"Hey," she reached out to him. She ducked a little so that she could make eye contact with him. She placed her hand on his arm. "I'm not asking to get married – no pressure here," Hana smiled. "I love you and I want to be with you – but marriage is not something that's necessary, alright? Not at the moment."

Hana reached up to kiss his cheek in reassurance. Marriage was just a formality to her.

"No," he frowned. Marriage was in the cards, just not now. They were young. They were still trying to figure life out. He wasn't talking about marriage. "I mean—" He sighed. "You aren't a freeloader, Hana – I know. But you don't have to treat yourself like an outsider."

She tilted her head. "Do I do that?" Hana never really felt like she was a part of anything – if anything, she was not looking to overstep boundaries.

Takashi nodded.

"Does that bother you?" Hana murmured, her eyes softening.

He nodded again.

"I don't mean to," she explained. "I just… I'm just used to drifting… never really settling anywhere… I never fit anywhere."

"You fit with me," Takashi pointed out, pulling her into his arms. She instinctively put her arms around his neck and her head against his chest. "See?"

Hana smiled up at him and nodded. "I see," she agreed.

"Am I not home?"

She chuckled. "Yes, you are my home." Her voice soft. "I love my home. It keeps me warm. It protects me. I have such lovely memories with my home," she trailed off.

Hana stretched up to kiss him, before his caressing his neck down to her. He pulled away first, looking at her doe eyes. The lighting didn't do her eyes justice, in the way that they glistened a hazel colour in the sun. Instead, they stood in the middle of his study room with his desk lamp on and them in the dark.

"Then why won't you stay?" he whispered, breathless. It was only logical. He wanted to keep her in his arms forever. But this was just a small moment that they were allowed to have, and he'd cherish every moment of it.

"I'd love to stay," Hana admitted. "I just… need some time to figure my life out. Get some direction. And, you know. Find another job?" She smiled.

He could understand that. "Okay."

"I'll come to visit. Or you can come to us," Hana suggested.

"Every day?"

"Whatever you want," she smiled. "I'm not leaving you."

He teasingly lifted her up off the ground, her bare feet losing touch of the wooden floors made her squeal out of surprise.

He wasn't going to let go of her.

Hana showed up to his office unexpectedly on a weekday morning. She knocked on the door of his office, garnering the attention of his fellow graduate students in the history department. The philosophy department shared an office with them due to their low enrollment numbers. And by low, it was really only Takashi as the only post-grad student.

They all looked towards the door.

Takashi tilted his head at the guest.

"What are you doing here?"

She smiled. "Sorry. Having no job frees up a lot of time…" Hana shyly hid behind the gift she brought him.

"Did you get me flowers?"

Hana pursed her lips and looked around the office. Everyone was staring at them.

"I know – it's weird, isn't it? Like, people don't usually... I don't know. You get me flowers all the time. I figured it would be nice to… reciprocate? They were so pretty when I walked past them in the morning and I missed your birthday so—" Hana coughed out of discomfort. It was only her voice that resonated through the graduate student office. She was rambling because she didn't realize that it was weird until it came out of her mouth and even worse was the unexpected audience.

Takashi laughed. It was honestly the first time that anyone besides Hana had heard him laugh. He was usually quiet and aloof, writing at his own desk without bothering anyone – only giving the occasional nod of acknowledgement. The entire graduate lounge stifled a chuckle and Hana could only cover her face with the bouquet.

Her eyes begged for him to get her out of here.

Takashi gratefully took the bouquet from her hands and placed them by the window sill. He would find a vase for them later. He wordlessly grasped her hand and led her out of his office, and out towards the gardens of the campus. They settled beneath a shady oak tree before Hana finally sighed from relief.

"I didn't realize so many people worked in your office when it isn't your lunch hour."

Takashi only smiled at her.

"I just, I came from an interview and… your campus was nearby so…" Hana tried to explain herself, hoping that she didn't embarrass Takashi too much. She always visited him when the place was empty. He looked around to check for anyone passing by before sneaking a kiss to her forehead. It was a great surprise and he enjoyed every minute of it.

"Was it weird?" she bit her lip.

Takashi shrugged. Who cares if others thought it was weird? He appreciated the gesture.

She frowned. "Did I just ruin your reputation?"

The man chuckled again and shook his head. "I don't have a reputation."

"Well, now you do," Hana groaned. "I'm so sorry."

Takashi pulled her closer and patted her back in a soothing motion. "It's not a big deal, Hana."

"What if you're the philosophy post-grad with the weird girlfriend?"

"Philosophy post-grad with the prettiest girlfriend," he corrected.

To that, Hana had to laugh. "Only pretty because I had an interview today."

"How was it?"

Hana shrugged. "Typical as far as interviews go. I have another one scheduled next week."

"Are any of them good?"

Hana sighed. "It's just the typical 9-5 office job."
"You don't want that?" Takashi brushed a strand of her curled hair behind her ear.

She blinked. "Yeah, maybe I don't but – it feeds me and it pays the bills? Finding a job you love is great but," Hana shrugged. "It's a privilege."

Takashi nodded. He was one of the lucky ones. Surely, being a grad student paid little to no bills. He had the financial support of his family to pursue academia.

"You can still find something you like," Takashi told her. He was happy doing what he did. Maybe it wasn't the same for Hana but surely, he thought that she could at least try to find something fulfilling.

Hana nodded, feeling at ease.

"It's okay," she told him. "A 9-5 job won't be all that bad. There's stability. There are benefits. I'm just going to be normal."

Takashi tilted his head at her, doubting the word normal. She was far from normal. She wasn't someone who was made to settle for something like a regular office job, being trapped in the confinements of the world of a corporation.

"What?"

Mori smiled. "You can't do normal."

"What do you mean?"

"You can't be told what to do," Takashi shrugged. It was just a fact. Hana liked to live by her own rules, at her own pace, with her freedom.
"No! That's not true," Hana frowned. "I can do what people tell me to do."

He raised an eyebrow at her, waiting until she realized that she had just proved his point. Hana rolled her eyes.

"I don't like being told what to do but I'll still do it," Hana grumbled.

Takashi shook his head. "He wouldn't want you to settle like this."

The woman's eyes turned bleak at the thought of him. Takashi placed his arms around her shoulders out of consolation. He kissed the temple of her head. It was just them behind the oak tree. No one else. She was allowed to fall apart and he would be there to catch the pieces.

It still hurt.

Each day became a little easier but the feeling of loss never quite left her, even six weeks later. Hana was in the midst of trying to get into a routine. Trying to make life normal again. She quit her job. She moved to a new house. She was starting anew. Hana was trying her best.

But six weeks was still far too short for someone to fall back on their feet.

"I know," Hana murmured into his chest. "But I'm allowed to settle."
"Only if you want to," he reminded.

She grazed his jaw with her lips.

"Good talk," she whispered in to his ear and patted his back. "I'll let you go now. Maybe you can revel in your new reputation as the philosophy post-grad with the prettiest girlfriend they've ever seen."

Takashi laughed.

"I don't mind."

It took him two weeks to notice.

He walked past the florist by the subway station every day, and every once in a while he would find something that would remind him of her. He picked up a bunch of gardenias on display outside of the shop. He was on his way home from school after his seminar finished early and had a little bit of time before dinner.

It was someone new at the register. Her black hair was tied up in a messy bun, the nimble fingers worked carefully to create a floral arrangement. She was dressed in a pastel pink dress, one that hugged her figure by the waist with the skirt fanning out at the knees.

It took him a second to process the fact that he knew the woman.

She had been working at the floral shop. He thought he had been dreaming when he found her smiling up at him.

"These are beautiful," Hana took a whiff of the florals. "Would you like them wrapped?"

"This is fine," he cleared his throat. "Uh…"

Her grin grew larger.

"Who are these for?"

He shrugged. "Someone special," he answered as coolly as possible.

"That's very thoughtful of you," Hana responded in the same manner. "They'll appreciate them."

He could only nod. He stood there dumbly, still flabbergasted that she took up a job right under his nose this whole time. Why didn't she tell him? When did she start? Why this? He had so many questions and Hana very casually walked him to the door as she would for any customer.

"Come again!" she happily bid him farewell.

He wasn't sure what sort of game she was playing. But he was willing to go along with it. Takashi walked home and continued on with his routine, still thinking about her.

Every evening, Hana would walk Kaina over to the park and made a pit stop to visit the Morinozuka residence. Sometimes she would stay for dinner if she came early enough, other times she would just say hello.

Takashi waited patiently for her by the gates of the Morinozuka home. Kaina led the way, eagerly prancing towards Takashi. Hana tugged the leash to calm down the dog.

"Slow down, Kaina!"

Mori smiled at the sight of them. He waved with his free hand, the other had the bundle of gardenias that he had been hoping to surprise her with.

"Hey," she greeted casually.

"Hello," he responded.

She eyed the bundle of flowers expectantly, trying to supress a grin.

"They're for someone special," he explained, unwilling to let go of the flowers in his hand.

"Oh," Hana nodded. "Yes, of course." She tried to play it off coolly, pretending that she hadn't expected the gardenias for herself at all.

They stared at each other for a second before laughing at themselves.

He pulled her by the waist and kissed the top of her head.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Takashi exchanged the flowers for the leash in her hand. Her face instantly brightened at the gift.
"I just thought it would be nice to see if you'd come in one day," Hana glowed. "It's a part-time thing," she added. "I still do some day-trading on the days I have off, and I'm… still looking for something, maybe."

"How did you get the job?" he asked while they began walking back to her place.

"The same day I came to visit your office," Hana answered. "I mean, it said they were looking for help so, I inquired about it after visiting you on my way home… next thing I know, I'm learning about all these flowers."

Takashi nodded. He was familiar with the couple who ran the shop. They were growing older and less agile. It was not a surprise that they were looking for some extra help on the side. Hana just happened to be available, and it was convenient for her too.

"Are you happy?" he asked.

Hana nodded. "It's very… relaxing," she answered. "A good way to pass the time for now."

"For now?"

Hana shrugged. "I turned down an offer yesterday," she admitted. "The pay was considerably higher than what I would get at the floral shop but, I think my stock investments have been doing alright… so, I can get by just fine for now."

Mori nodded in understanding. "Maybe I'll looking to angel investing – if I have enough capital, I mean," Hana was just thinking out loud at this point. She had to admit that she certainly had some capital in her bank account, at least enough to sustain her for a few years if she lived modestly.

Takashi tilted his head. "Honey might be interested."
"Hm?"
"He's looking to open his own confectionary chain."

Hana nodded. "Interesting."

The two completed their regular walk with the dog, stopping by Hana's new home. He'd only been inside a few times and it came conveniently furnished with the bare necessities. Hana let the dog off her leash and the animal was free to wander within the gates of the property, not that there was too much space to begin with.

"Thanks," she shyly said. "For walking me home and of course, the flowers. I do very much love them." Her fingers tenderly touched the velvety petals of the gardenia, admiring them for their delicacy.

Takashi smiled. "Sorry, I wanted to surprise you."

Hana laughed and shook her head. "Come by more often, yeah? I'll be around every other day, depending on how much they need me."

He took note to go on a day that she wasn't working. "What will you do on the days you do not have work?"

Hana shrugged. "I mostly do what I did before, except, now with my own money with lower yields but also, lower risk. It's not so bad, really. It still keeps me busy. But I'm always glued to my computer monitor so, I need some fresh air and sunlight."

"Like a plant?"

She chuckled. "Yeah," Hana agreed. "I'm a plant."

He shook his head and smiled.

"But you're still my sun."

N/A: A reminder that it's okay to do something for the sake of your own happiness. But of course, it's never that simple. So, I hope all of you find your own path to happiness in some form or another. Whether it be on a professional level, or as a hobby - do what you want to do so you're at a place of comfort with room for growth.

I spent most of the week writing instead of studying for my final tomorrow (oops). As usual, your thoughts are always appreciated.