CHAPTER 1 - Rätselhaft Blumenblätter [Mysterious Petals]
'Kei-san!'
Hanashiro Kei turned towards the voice, and smiled. 'Reina-san.'
Her friend rushed towards her then casually draped her arm around Kei's shoulders. 'Where you goin'?'
Kei shrugged. 'Nowhere…actually.'
'Hey, you wanna go with me to the flower shop? My granny's sick, I'm goin' to the hospital later. Wanna come?'
'Sure, I don't have homework anyway.'
*
'Hmm…I want that…white one…what's that called anyway?"
'This is a jasmine,' the florist began, touching the supple petals of the small flower. His smile was bright as the yellow flower beside him. 'And I assure you, it is fragrant and pleasing to the senses,' he said suavely. 'For you…it means grace and elegance.'
Reina giggled. 'I see then…how 'bout…that?' she asked, pointing the yellow flower with many petals.
'A chrysanthemum for a desolate heart…I'm sure you would not want this,' he said, dismissing the flower immediately.
'Such irony for a vivid flower,' murmured Kei under her breath.
'By the way, my name is Kudou Yohji at your service,' he said, bowing nobly.
Another florist laughed. Reina turned to look at him. He saluted at her direction with a cute smile upon his face. The wind wafted across his brown bangs. 'Yohji, quit flirting around!'
'Forgive me m'ladies,' apologized Yohji. 'Duty calls.'
He exited and followed the brown-haired guy towards the flower shop, with that funny look on his face.
'I guess you ladies need someone to entertain you for a while,' someone said suddenly.
A boy, their age perhaps, stood before them, grinning. 'Tsukiono Omi, I work here too.'
'Reina. Ketsumi Reina,' introduced Reina. 'I'm looking for a suitable flower for my grandma…she's sick…'
He walked over to the stack of flowers and took a pot of Morning Glory, bringing it to them. 'Morning Glories mean affection. She might like this,' he said curtly, handing her the flowers.
'She would,' Kei agreed, fingering the soft petals of the flower. 'Right Reina?'
'Hai!' Reina stared at the flowers for a brief minute before handing them back to Omi. 'I'd take them.'
Kei's eyes wandered across the shop. Her eyes marveled at the beauty of the flowers, in all shapes...sizes...colors... Silently she wondered how they retain their loveliness in the wandering flower shop such as this one.
Deep in thought, her feet took her around the display of petals. She had recognized a few breeds of plants, but most she knew none about. Then she halted in front of a flower common to their country, Japan. She touched it lightly, a soft smile lingering upon her lips...memories of the past hovering inside her daydreams... The Japanese Rose...the ultimate symbol of---
'Are you going to take those?'
Kei spun around and saw a red-haired guy looking at her while wiping the soil off his filthy hands. His piercing eyes were focused on her own. 'Iie.'
At this he turned around, perhaps because he found no business in her. Maybe it meant leave the flower alone if she wasn't going to buy.
'Kei-san!'
Hanashiro Kei turned towards the voice, and smiled. 'Reina-san.'
Her friend rushed towards her then casually draped her arm around Kei's shoulders. 'Where you goin'?'
Kei shrugged. 'Nowhere…actually.'
'Hey, you wanna go with me to the flower shop? My granny's sick, I'm goin' to the hospital later. Wanna come?'
'Sure, I don't have homework anyway.'
*
'Hmm…I want that…white one…what's that called anyway?"
'This is a jasmine,' the florist began, touching the supple petals of the small flower. His smile was bright as the yellow flower beside him. 'And I assure you, it is fragrant and pleasing to the senses,' he said suavely. 'For you…it means grace and elegance.'
Reina giggled. 'I see then…how 'bout…that?' she asked, pointing the yellow flower with many petals.
'A chrysanthemum for a desolate heart…I'm sure you would not want this,' he said, dismissing the flower immediately.
'Such irony for a vivid flower,' murmured Kei under her breath.
'By the way, my name is Kudou Yohji at your service,' he said, bowing nobly.
Another florist laughed. Reina turned to look at him. He saluted at her direction with a cute smile upon his face. The wind wafted across his brown bangs. 'Yohji, quit flirting around!'
'Forgive me m'ladies,' apologized Yohji. 'Duty calls.'
He exited and followed the brown-haired guy towards the flower shop, with that funny look on his face.
'I guess you ladies need someone to entertain you for a while,' someone said suddenly.
A boy, their age perhaps, stood before them, grinning. 'Tsukiono Omi, I work here too.'
'Reina. Ketsumi Reina,' introduced Reina. 'I'm looking for a suitable flower for my grandma…she's sick…'
He walked over to the stack of flowers and took a pot of Morning Glory, bringing it to them. 'Morning Glories mean affection. She might like this,' he said curtly, handing her the flowers.
'She would,' Kei agreed, fingering the soft petals of the flower. 'Right Reina?'
'Hai!' Reina stared at the flowers for a brief minute before handing them back to Omi. 'I'd take them.'
Kei's eyes wandered across the shop. Her eyes marveled at the beauty of the flowers, in all shapes...sizes...colors... Silently she wondered how they retain their loveliness in the wandering flower shop such as this one.
Deep in thought, her feet took her around the display of petals. She had recognized a few breeds of plants, but most she knew none about. Then she halted in front of a flower common to their country, Japan. She touched it lightly, a soft smile lingering upon her lips...memories of the past hovering inside her daydreams... The Japanese Rose...the ultimate symbol of---
'Are you going to take those?'
Kei spun around and saw a red-haired guy looking at her while wiping the soil off his filthy hands. His piercing eyes were focused on her own. 'Iie.'
At this he turned around, perhaps because he found no business in her. Maybe it meant leave the flower alone if she wasn't going to buy.