a/n: this is in a way a prequel to another fic, 'Shimane in Spring'
There was no doubt about it. Takeru Takaishi was in love with someone. And Hikari was going to find out who.
Until last week, she had never really thought about Takeru being interested in anyone. He just couldn't have had the time. Since middle school they'd been almost inseparable — in every possible world — and even when they were apart, each knew precisely where the other was and why.
Rain or shine, Takeru's day would begin with a good morning from Hikari. Though they both knew these functioned more as wake-up calls than actual well-wishing.
Both could identify the precise day this habit started. It was that day in high school when Takeru slept through all his alarms and missed first period. This would not have been an issue if he hadn't borrowed Hikari's notebook the night before to study for their math test set for second period. (Not that Hikari needed the notes to cram any studying that morning — she knew every equation by heart from having tried to tutor Takeru on the subject the weekend prior — but it was the principle of it.)
Since then, she never let him hear the end of it, but this censure ended better than either of them could have expected. A conversation opened that day and never closed.
Simple 'good mornings' led to 'see you soons', that eventually evolved to the more provocative 'race you to class' (which Hikari, as a Yagami, took so seriously that she tripped enough times running across the school yard for Takeru to add the obligatory 'Take care,' or more jeering, 'Don't hurt yourself' to their daily ritual. When the competition was close enough, Takeru also made the additional habit of reaching for Hikari's hand as she rushed to beat him. She always accused him of playing dirty for these, but he'd saved her from face planting across the school steps enough times — pulling her up just in time — so she never passionately pressed the argument.)
Class would put a pause to this daily banter but they would pick up right back where they left off during breaks and at dismissal. Hikari might come over to Takeru to share some of her bento, from a recipe he had shared with her last night, while Takeru would walk her home as she briefed him on any homework he missed out on while daydreaming during class.
That's where it started, those carefree days in middle school when the setting sun painted their youth in its golden glow. They found themselves caught in a conversation with no conclusion. Even on their busier days — buried in books as they struggled to get to university — they somehow found the time to stay connected, studying together, or calling the other for a break in between more stressful study sessions.
Going to different universities did pull their academic lives a few wards apart, but though they spent school days away from each other, their routine remained, albeit adjusted slightly.
They endured as each other's first greeting in the morning, though the frequency of banter did die down as the two tried to manage the additional academic load of being university students.
Besides academics, Hikari got a bit busier than Takeru when she started taking part-time jobs to support herself, as her brother had previously.
First she tried working at the local pachinko parlor her brother part-timed when he was a student, against Taichi's own advice. He had warned her about all the sleazy creeps she'd encounter if she dared to work at that place, but if anything she took this more as a challenge than as a deterrent (the only thing keeping Taichi from arguing about this was the acknowledgement that she probably got this adamancy from him.)
The older Yagami then tried to ask his former workmates to watch out his sister for him, but the night she got wind of this, he found his sister at his doorstep, brimming with irritation (I am not a baby and I don't need a babysitter, nii-san!) She then let herself in and served the home-cooked meal she prepared for him that night (which both made no sense, and absolute sense to Taichi.)
Hikari constantly reassured her brother that she was perfectly fine at work. In fact, she was enjoying the unique new characters and challenges she faced at the job. To prove a point, she even sent him selfies daily of how happy she and her co-workers were in the staff room, which concerned him only more, firstly, because he knew of her tendency to mask her struggles with a smile, and secondly, because he himself had had more than a few burnt out breakdowns in that same room.
Taichi just couldn't shake his worry for his sister, but he had to be less conspicuous. So he sought a more subtle accomplice: Takeru. This made more sense anyway as they already spent most of their off hours together anyway. It felt only natural that he might check up on her at work too.
That's what Takeru was doing at the pachinko the day Hikari got fired.
It wasn't that she had done anything wrong. Takeru even could see that she was one of the most attentive staff at the parlor, kindness shining through over the cold incandescent lights. If anything, the problem was that she was too kind, and too attentive.
Hikari had somehow befriended a few of the regulars and gotten them to open up about their home and personal lives. She even took to counseling some of the more aloof customers, convincing them to try and get out and reconnect with their friends and families. That touch of care and random kindness was precisely the push they needed to lead them to seeking their dopamine fix elsewhere, in the comfort of real connections, rather than in synthetic wins at the pachinko parlor.
Needless to say this was not good for business, and her manager was obliged to fire her (though not without contention from the rest of the staff and some of the regulars who were still in the process of kicking the habit. Takeru had never seen so many grown Japanese men cry, and he found himself needing more to comfort them than Hikari herself.)
Though slightly saddened at the loss, Hikari was generally unfazed. A job was a job, and she could keep the friends she made along the way anyway. ("Don't worry, Ojii-san! I'll still help you win back your wife!")
More pressing for her was that she had to find another part-time job.
She was hoping to apply for teaching aide positions at a nearby preschool, but it was early summer, and those wouldn't start hiring until the next month. The school year was fast approaching and she had tuition and school fees that needed saving up for.
It was Takeru who found her next job, at a flower shop near her university (he internally debated whether to finally admit the source of the flowers he had been getting for her regularly since they started uni — daisies for winning scholarships, sunflowers for surviving sad days — but the owner was kind and he knew she'd be in good hands.)
Once she started working at the shop, Takeru continued his commitment to Taichi to check on his sister at work, perhaps with some added accountability, as it was the younger boy who had recommended the place to her in the first place.
This was their second summer at university: 'Good mornings' turned to 'see you laters', and spending days together at the boutique, perhaps the most time they'd spent together in person since starting university. (Takeru had his own summer job at the time, editing papers for STEM graduate students, but whether he worked cloistered by dusty old books at the library or surrounded by sage buds with Hikari, the grad students were none the wiser.)
It helped that the Takeru and the shop owner seemed to already be good friends by the time Hikari started at the shop, so him hanging around all day did not face much administrative objection. He'd sit next to her by the counter working on his laptop, sometimes helping her clean up or keep stock, and often chatting with the shop owner. If anything, Hikari felt she was the one who was tagging along, when the two would whisper in the back room, thinking she was out of earshot.
That was how Hikari figured out something was up with Takeru.
"So when are you going to 'fess up?" her boss whispered.
'fess up? Had Takeru done something wrong? But what was with the whispering?
"Eh," Takeru sighed. "I'm not sure I can right now."
Her boss stifled a chuckle. "You're young. You might feel like you've got all the time in the world, but if you truly love this woman you've got to tell her. Tell her with your whole heart."
"I'm just not sure how. I can't seem to find the words."
"Don't need no words. Tell her with flowers."
"I'm not sure if she understands flowers."
"Guess you gotta give her better hints then." her boss said, before returning from the back room with the bouquet he had just finished arranging for the customer Hikari had been attending to.
That's how she knew. Takeru was in love.
Now that she thought about it, she noticed the obvious symptoms, the tell-tale signs they show in all the rom-com montages. There was a sparkle in his eyes, the skip in his step, and if she truly listened she could hear the song in his voice when he talked to her.
But wasn't he always this way? When could he have fallen in love?
He wasn't the type to get flirty with schoolmates. She knew this from having been in his class all the way up to senior high, where she watched countless classmates confess their affections for the boy, consistently to no avail. She always thought he was too serious about his studies — as she was — to entertain such a silly thing, and she respected him for that.
Outside school, they still spent most of their available time together — him cramming papers, and her poring over course material. When they weren't studying they were both working, and when they weren't working they were catching a quick bite to eat, at either of their homes, or at a local convenience store if they were really busy.
Sure they had other friends, but she also knew all his social groups, and was certain all of these were platonic. (She'd actually even helped some of his friends courting the objects of their affection by providing them with the nicest, freshest flowers from the shop.)
Hikari had absolutely no idea who Takeru could have been interested in, but she was going to find out. What were friends for if you couldn't tell them things? What kind of friend was she if she couldn't even help her best friend with something so dear to him? And why was he keeping these from her?
She couldn't keep ruminating about it though. She had to act. She spent most of last week waiting for her chance to bring it up.
This afternoon she finally got the chance. Her boss was out of town for the week, so it was only the two of them at the shop. Takeru had uncharacteristically stood from his laptop to inspect the carnations display.
"Looking for something?" she asks, disguising her personal curiosity as professional duty.
He nods casually, not even meeting her eyes.
This was her chance.
"Is it for someone special?"
Another nonchalant nod, as he checks every color of carnation.
"A girl?"
"Well, aren't you interested?" he chuckles, finally meeting her eyes.
"Am not!" she huffs. "It's literally my job."
"Alright, then I could use some of your professional advice," he teases.
"At your service," she bows with mock professionalism. "What do you need?"
"Some flowers, for tonight."
"Got a date?" Hikari tries to hide her eagerness.
Takeru laughs. "Today? Don't you remember?"
Remember what? She tries to recall if he's told her of any date he was planning, or if he'd mentioned asking anyone out. Unless he was the one asked out?
"What's up with today?" she asks, at a complete loss.
He clicks his tongue, annoying her only more. "What kind of best friend forgets such an important day?"
"What kind of best friend keeps secrets about their dates!"
"Who told you I had a date tonight?" he asks.
"Not you! I had to figure it out from all your whispering in the backroom!" she counters, crossing her arms.
Takeru's instant blush is all the confirmation she needs. Caught red handed.
"I know you're keeping secrets, Takeru Takaishi. How could you keep something so important from your best friend?" she pouts, sincerely hurt.
At this he walks over to her at the counter to hold both her hands in his. "I'm sorry, Hikari," he says, caressing her hands with his thumb. "I'm sorry I've been keeping things from you."
Her eyes light up. "So you'll tell me who you like now?"
She feels the pulse in his palms speed up, all color abandoning his face.
"Eh— um—"
Beads of sweat build up on his forehead.
"Takeru?"
"Um—" He clears his throat. "I'll tell you in a bit. Could you help me pick out flowers first?"
"Fine, but—" she says, pulling her hands from his hold and lifting her pinky at him. "Promise?"
Hikari could see the boy stop breathing for a second, like his soul left his body as they spoke.
"Promise?" she repeats, soft eyes piercing his soul like hooks, reeling it back into the conversation.
A minute passes. Hikari could imagine the internal debate playing out in his mind, as she had helped him process countless times for other concerns great and small before.
Finally, he takes a breath and sighs, lifting his own pinky with hesitation. As he brings his pinky to lock with hers, he pauses to say, "As long as you promise it won't change anything between us."
Why would anything change? she wonders. She thinks about this herself a moment, then finally resolves, "As long as you do too."
The caveat surprises Takeru for a second, but he soon nods once in solemn agreement.
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They lock pinkies, press hands, then perform an intricate seven step secret handshake that involves complex hand signs, knuckle bumping, and some spit-infused, slapping conclusion.
"We really should update that handshake," Takeru comments.
"Hey, 'if it aint broke, don't fix it,'" Hikari replies, Yagami ease shining through.
Takeru nods.
"Okay, so what do we need?" Hikari asks, with newfound focus.
"Flowers."
"Guessed so far."
"—for tonight."
"For your date?"
"I guess you could say so," Takeru laughs lightly.
"Okay, what do you want to say?"
"Um, 'I got you some flowers'?"
Hikari fights the urge to smack the boy, but the future educator in her overpowers this. "No, no. I mean, what do you want the flowers to say?"
Takeru stares at her in surprise.
"Like, 'I appreciate you', 'I'm grateful', or if you're a bit bolder, even 'I love you'."
The boy blushes.
"Something like that."
From under the front desk, she pulls out a thick catalogue filled with photos of flowers in every color, each annotated with various symbolisms and implications. Hikari herself wasn't yet so well-versed in flower language, but she imagined Takeru should have at least encountered this reference in the store before (though perhaps he never truly needed its insights until this moment.)
Opening the compendium to its table of contents, she asks, "So what do you want to say?"
He settles next to her, huddling shoulder to shoulder over the large book. He ponders this question for a bit. "I guess something along the lines of, 'I'm thankful for you and all that you do.'"
How cute. how coy, Hikari thinks as she flips through the pages to find the section on gratitude. "Hydrangeas are in season, I think. We got some fresh ones this morning."
"Those feel a bit too apologetic. I was thinking of more carnations or something. I think she'd like pink."
Aha! So it was a she, Hikari notes. Carnations though. "What is she, your mom? If we're going for pink anyway, I'd recommend pink roses."
"So you like pink roses?"
"That's my professional opinion, based on the official guidelines, of course," she says, pointing out a section of text on every color of rose. "Our display is over there by the window."
He knew every inch of the store just as well as she did though, and he had already stood to inspect the selection of roses before she even finished directing him to it.
After some deliberation, he chooses a humble bundle of pink roses, precisely as she had advised. As he turns to ask her to check them out, he pauses at the roses section once again.
"What do you think of lavender roses?" he asks, toying with the tempting purple petals of a single rose on display.
"Hmm," she sounds, looking for that item in the catalogue. Not finding it in the 'Rose' section, she flips through both the table of contents and the index, but fails to find any notes on that specific color of rose. "I guess they're kind of pretty."
"So you don't know what they mean?"
"Well it's not in the catalogue," she concedes.
"Tsk, tsk. I should bring this up with your manager," he jests.
"Fine. If you're so smart what do they mean then?" Honestly, this was more frustrating than the pachinko clients, she decides as she gives up on the catalogue. When she looks up from the text though, he surprises her by having already made his way to the counter, a bouquet of pink roses in one hand, and a single lavender rose in the other.
"Could you ring these up for me, please?"
She nods, remembering she was on the clock. "Do you want me to arrange the lavender one in the bouquet for you?"
"No need, I'll be giving them separately," he smiles.
He then picks two gift cards from the display by the counter. Could it be Takeru had not one but two dates tonight? This boy had some explaining to do.
She sets aside her suspicions just long enough to account for the sales and wrap the two purchases separately. By the time she's finished, Takeru has already written on both cards, folded them tight, and was prepared to promptly secure them into their respective bundles, before Hikari could even take a peek at who they were addressed to.
"Thanks for all your help today," he says, as he picks up the pink bouquet and casually makes his way out the store.
"Hey! " Hikari calls out. "Aren't you forgetting something!"
"Yeah, look at the time! Got to go or I'll be late for dinner."
"You promised!"
"I'll talk to you later then," he bids with a salute. She meant to push the argument, but a couple of customers entered exactly as he was leaving, so she had to set aside her annoyance for the meantime.
The rest of the afternoon is so unusually busy — with more customers filing in today than the entire week prior — that it isn't until the end of the day, as she was cleaning up to close shop, that she finds the single stem Takeru had purchased earlier, on the counter precisely where she had left it.
Or at least she suspects it's his. With the traffic they got today she can't be sure, or this is how she justifies peeking into its gift card, folded tight and snug its crisp paper wrapping.
To her surprise, it was addressed to her. It reads:
Dearest Hikari-chan,
Thanks for all your help today about the bouquet, you were right. They're for mom. It's her birthday (You greeted her this morning, remember? ;) )
This one's for you. Would you know what it means? If you don't, you could google it haha or would you be up for dinner tomorrow? My treat. Sorry I was so wishy washy. I'll explain everything tomorrow, for real, promise. (Here was a rough doodle of what Hikari could only guess were two locked pinkies, with sausage fingers so chunky that she had to laugh. Takeru was a writer after all, not an artist.)
Sorry I couldn't commute with you home today too, but please let me know when you head out so I could tell you to take care. And don't hurt yourself ;p
Talk to you later! See you tomorrow (?)
— takeru
Hikari sighs. Help a boy out and he gives you homework. Somehow she isn't even annoyed though. For some reason she couldn't identify, she is even relieved to learn the only object of his affections today was his mother. Maybe he and her boss were talking about his mom all along. It didn't make as much sense, but it was definitely a possibility.
In any case, she would appreciate the free meal. They'd been surviving on home cooking and convenience stores for a while, so this occasional treat would be nice.
She thought of googling 'lavender rose' on the train home, but decided against it on principle. He'd already made her think too much today. She'd let him walk her through this one tomorrow. She had no idea what Takeru had to explain, but she could at least rest in the assurance that whatever it was, nothing would change. All that they had cultivated since childhood would remain. At least in that much, she could trust.
In the meantime, the flower was a pleasant companion on her commute home. She was surprised to find that it smelled ever so slightly like the flower of whose namesake it got its color, as the hint of lavender rose to envelope her in its soothing scent, enkindling in her a sense of excitement for what was to come.
a/n: if hiikari did google what lavender roses meant, she might have found that they mean 'love at first sight'
a/n (continued): as usual this came about cause I needed to get this out of my brain to function T_T its also midkey 'Fluff without plot' (no plot in this house we go on vibes)
this was also lowkey takari week 2022 for the prompts 'first date' and 'letters' but I'm not gonna push it because it so lowkey and also so late oops it's also very monster at the end of this book, if any of you grew up with that 💖💖