As he slowly glanced around the exhibition hall, Mitake Nobuo did his best to suppress yet another sigh. When he had accepted the invitation to attend the 52nd Kanto-Wide Ikebana exhibition as one of the guests of honour, it had been in the hope of encountering some young, upcoming talent. Alas, like all things in this transient world, his hopes had been short-lived. Truly, the state of the ikebana world in these modern days left much to be desired.
Oh, he was no hidebound traditionalist; far from it, in fact. Under his leadership, the Mitake School had embraced innovation, taking new techniques and new flowers from outside Japan and fusing them with the classic teachings of the school handed down since his great-grandfather's time. No, he was disappointed in how the current crop of ikebana practitioners all seemed to produce the exact same thing every single time. The presentation of the flowers might be different, and the technique might be perfect, but the spirit behind every piece he'd seen so far was identical. All of it mediocre, all of it lacking a certain something.
Nobuo shook his head and moved on. This had been a waste of time. He'd barely made it through half the exhibits, and he already wanted to go home. Wasn't Ran supposed to be performing live with her band this weekend? He still hadn't prepared the bouquet that he planned to send yet, as well as the after-event treats. He should really get that done as soon as he could excuse himself from the exhibition without being rude. Hmm, Yamabuki Bakery was running a promotion on their pastries now, weren't they? Yes, that sounded like just the thi —
Nobuo stopped in his tracks, all thoughts of baked goods forgotten. There! That was what he had been looking for all this time! Finally, a piece that drew his interest! Three hurried steps brought him to the flower arrangement itself, and he quickly ran his practiced eyes over it.
The sheer, overwhelming power of the arrangement was the first thing he noticed, as well as the wide variety of flowers used. A novice might have called the amount of colours and shapes chaotic, but Nobuo could see the greater purpose behind each choice that had been made. Somehow, the profusion of colours harmonised and came together into a greater whole, giving the piece an inner depth and assurance that grounded it. And what of the flowers themselves? What were they saying?
Geraniums and lilac drew the eye the most with their abundance, threaded through with convolvulus and a stalk or two of alstroemeria. True friendship, then, bound together with bonds that would never break. The background frame was bamboo, with pink roses carefully placed to harmonise with them. Whoever created this piece was truly grateful for the loyalty and steadfastness of their friends as well. Nobuo could feel the sentiment as clearly as if he had experienced it himself.
And just who was it who had crafted this, perhaps the only worthwhile arrangement he had seen all day? His gaze fell on the small name plaque in front of the arrangement, and he silently mouthed the name written on it to himself.
Isuzu... Hana...
He recognised the family name, of course. The Isuzu school of ikebana was as well known as his own, or even slightly more. He'd met their head a few times, though he would hardly call himself familiar with her. The personal name, however... It was unknown to Nobuo, though he could not shake a lingering sense of deja vu. How had he not heard of this scion of the Isuzu before? Surely creations of this quality could not have escaped his notice.
"I see you have come across my daughter's piece, Mitake-sensei."
Nobuo very carefully did not jump a foot in the air at the sudden voice behind him. Slowly, he turned around, and dipped into a suitably respectful bow once he saw the voice's owner. Isuzu Yuri, the head of the Isuzu school was known to be somewhat... impulsive, after all. Riling her up was not something he particularly wanted to do.
"Isuzu-sensei. It is a pleasure to meet you here. Your daughter's, you say? Allow me to congratulate you on her talent. It is evident that the Isuzu school is in good hands."
As Yuri straightened up from her return bow, Nobuo could have sworn he saw a look of amusement cross her face, but it was gone in a flash, and only the polite smile remained.
"Why, thank you very much for your kind words, Mitake-sensei. I shall be sure to pass them on to her."
"If I might be so bold, Isuzu-sensei? Has your daughter only recently started displaying her arrangements publicly? Otherwise, I would surely have remembered seeing such masterful pieces before." Nobuo was vaguely aware that this might not be the wisest course of action to take, but at this point, he simply had to know.
The amusement was back on Yuri's face. "Hana-san has only recently begun to exhibit her works again. Her style has undergone some evolution recently, as she was inspired by an... unorthodox source."
Nobuo had the feeling that there was more being left unsaid there, but prying further would be most impolite. He was just about to thank Yuri for her time and excuse himself when his gaze fell on the vase used for the flower arrangement. It was shaped like a tank, and suddenly, Nobuo realised where he had heard the name Isuzu Hana before.
"Ah, pardon me, Isuzu-sensei. Does your daughter attend Ooarai Girls' Academy, by any chance?"
"Indeed she does, Mitake-sensei. I presume you ask because you have heard of their recent victory in the 63rd National Senshadou Championships?"
At Nobuo's nod, Yuri continued. "Hana-san is a member of their senshadou team, serving in the commander's tank as the gunner."
"Well, then. Please pass my congratulations to your daughter on their victory, Isuzu-sensei. You must be very proud of her."
"Y-yes. Indeed. I am. Proud of her, that is."
The Isuzu matriarch's expression turned pensive, before her fan came up to shade her face. Nobuo politely kept his own face impassive. Only after a moment did she speak again, her voice softened to a whisper.
"I shall be honest with you, Mitake-sensei. I don't quite know why, but it feels like the right thing to do."
Yuri heaved a sigh. "Truth be told, I had initially been against her participation. I had always considered senshadou scarcely worthy to be considered a refined art. Someone who would inherit the Isuzu school should not sully their hands with it. I made as much clear to my daughter when I first found out she had joined their senshadou team, and I fear I said some things which I now regret."
"But then... I was persuaded to at least watch a single match of hers, then another, and another. From there, I saw how happy it has made her, seen how much she has grown from it, both in ikebana and as a person. I have seen the true friends she has made, and I... I am not ashamed to have been proven wrong."
Yuri's fan dropped and her face relaxed, as she let the fond parent eclipse the ikebana master. "So yes, I am so very, very proud of her."
Nobuo nodded. Somehow, he thought he understood Isuzu Yuri's feelings perfectly. After all, they were a perfect match to those that had been swirling in him not too long ago.
"Isuzu-sensei, there is no need to say more. I, too, have a daughter, and there was a time when I also thought she was throwing her time away with frivolous distractions."
He gave Yuri a wry smile, one that said I have made my own share of mistakes. "My Ran is a quiet girl, one who rarely shares what is on her mind, but also one who can be incredibly passionate. She takes after her mother in that way, and I... I did not understand her true feelings until things came to a head."
He stopped there, and let out a sigh. Yuri's gentle wave of the fan invited him to continue.
"Apologies. Where was I? Ah yes. She had formed a band with her friends, you see, and I did not realise just how much she was committed to it and to music. I had thought she was simply playing out a fantasy, refusing to grow up and take her responsibilities as my heir seriously."
Nobuo dipped his head a little. Whether it was in shame or relief, even he did not know. "I am very glad that she found the courage to ask that I attend one of her performances, and that I agreed to do so. There, I witnessed a side of my daughter that I had never known existed, and I finally understood her feelings. And now... I think she and I have grown closer for it. I am glad that she has found something she truly enjoys, and she has actually started working on ikebana with me once more. If I had been so foolish as to continue thinking that I knew my daughter better than her, I might have lost her forever. I will forever be grateful that such a thing did not come to pass."
Yuri said nothing, but her small nod told Nobuo that she understood him perfectly as well. They lingered in silence for a few moments, two parents united by both their regrets and their thankfulness.
Finally, Yuri started a little, as if she had just realised where she was, and gave a small bow to Nobuo.
"I do apologise for taking up so much of your time, Mitake-sensei. I should probably leave you to your contemplations now."
"Please, Isuzu-sensei. Call me Mitake-san." Nobuo paused for a little while. "If you wouldn't mind, I would be glad to speak longer with you. After all, we appear to share much in common, such as having both the blessing and the trial of raising a headstrong daughter."
Yuri lowered her fan, her face now bearing a true smile. "Only if you address me as Isuzu-san as well, Mitake-san. And yes, it does appear that we have much to talk about. Come, let us find somewhere more conducive to conversation."
Nobuo smiled. Perhaps this trip had not been a wasted one after all.
"Okaa-sama, there you are!" "Tou-san, I've been looking for you."
Both Mitake Ran and Isuzu Hana, coming from opposite directions, stopped dead at the sight before their eyes. Mitake Nobuo and Isuzu Yuri were sitting at a table, casually chatting, with a phone occasionally being produced to show off a picture or two.
"Oh yes, I make sure to attend every single match I can." Yuri nodded emphatically. "Shinzaburou always makes sure to arrange for the best seats he can get for us, and I must admit, for all their other faults, the Senshadou Federation knows how to put up a good show."
Stroking his chin, Nobuo leaned back a little in his chair. "I've never missed a live gig of theirs myself, for nearly a year now. Live houses are a lot more energetic than what I'm used to, but these days, I find it strangely invigorating to attend. Oh, and I make sure to send some after-event treats every time as well, with the occasional bouquet."
"That sounds like an interesting idea, Mitake-san. I might try that after Ooarai's next match. Though providing for thirty-seven girls sounds a lot more challenging than for just five, and if I sent it just to Hana-san's crewmates, it wouldn't be very nice..."
The two girls looked at each other, identical expressions of chagrin on their faces.
"Are they..."
"...They are."
"I apologise for my father!" "I apologise for my mother!"
As they straightened up from their simultaneous bows, they stared at each other a moment longer, both blushing a little, before Hana burst out laughing, soft but joyous, soon followed by Ran's quieter chuckles.
"I don't think we've been introduced properly, even if our parents seem to be getting along very well. My name is Isuzu Hana. And you are?"
"Ah. I'm Mitake Ran." Ran stared at Hana for a short while. "Uh, Isuzu-san?"
"Yes?"
Ran flushed red again and turned her face away. "A-ah, never mind. It's nothing."
Hana smiled. "Oh? Now you've gotten me curious. Please, do tell me what you were thinking, Mitake-san."
"It's really nothing much. I just was thinking that you looked a bit like someone I know," Ran muttered, staring at the floor.
Hana let out a small laugh. "What a coincidence. I was just about to say your voice reminded me of someone I know too."
Raising her head to look Hana in the eye, Ran's lips quirked up ever so slightly. "That certainly is a coincidence, yes."
"Mitake Ran, Mitake Ran..." Hana tapped her chin lightly as she repeated Ran's name, sounding like she had just remembered something. "Speaking of coincidences, would you happen to be the Mitake Ran who recently received a commendation in the high-school category of the Tokyo Flower Arrangement Competition?"
The blush was back on Ran's face, even fiercer than before, as she slowly nodded.
"Oh, I really must congratulate you on that piece! I loved the way you used burnets in it, as well as how you combined them with irises and lavender."
"T-thank you, Isuzu-san. It was a bit of an experiment, but I'm glad at how it turned out..."
Slowly, Hana drew Ran into conversation, and before long, they were chatting relatively comfortably, even as the topic of conversation drifted from flower arrangement to the other activities in their lives.
"Fascinating. So you actually wrote a song for Pastel*Palettes? They came to our school, you know, to film some kind of TV special with them trying out senshadou. I think it'll be broadcasted soon."
"Oh, that was your school?!" Ran gave a short bark of laughter. "Hina-san wouldn't shut up about how 'boppin' the whole experience was for the entire week after that. Apparently she was this close to blowing the entire budget of the student council for the year in order to try and get a senshadou team set up in Haneoka. Tsugumi told us she nearly had a heart attack when she first saw the proposal."
Hana laughed as well. "Yes, from what I saw of Hikawa-san, that does sound like her."
Before Ran could reply, her ears caught the sound of some familiar voices. Across from her, Hana too seemed to have heard something, as she began glancing around as if she was looking for something.
"Raaannn... Lil' old Moca-chan's here~ Where are you~?"
"Moca! Don't call out like that, people are staring!"
"Hana-san, where are you?"
"Ah, Nishizumi-dono, I think that's her over there!"
"Ah, that's my friends." "Pardon me, I think my friends are here."
The two girls spoke simultaneously again, and then stopped at the same time to let the other go first.
Ran was the first one to speak again. "It was... nice to meet you, Isuzu-san. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to do so."
"Oh, no, the pleasure was all mine, Mitake-san." Hana's expression was warm. "Feel free to look me up if you're ever visiting Ooarai."
"I may just take you up on that offer, Isuzu-san. Until then, take care." Ran's small smile was easy to miss, but it didn't escape Hana's sharp eyes.
Hana bowed in farewell. "You as well, Mitake-san. You as well."
A/N: Both Ran and Hana's storylines have way too many parallels for me to ignore, and so this got written. It's probably just a case of writers recycling tropes (Why is it always flower arrangement schools anyway? Why can't it be tea ceremony or incense or something else for once?), but I'd like to think that Ran and Hana's parents would know each other professionally and when they meet, find that they have quite a bit in common regarding their children.
And yes, Ran thinks Hana looks like O-Tae, while Hana thinks Ran sounds like Ogin (They share a seiyuu). Also, Moca and Mako would get along perhaps a bit too well (imagine them driving Sodoko up the wall together), while Himari and Saori would probably become fast friends as well.