Brighten up the Garden

Omake

Yamanbagiri awoke alone in bed. An aroma of eggs wafted about as something sizzled in a pan.

"I'm goin' to put some cumin in this," Mutsunokami spoke in the apartment kitchen.

The events that happened last night weren't a dream. Horikawa knew Yamanbagiri would return late and didn't expect him to work this morning. Still, he had to get up, have some kind of conversation with Mutsunokami and Sen, and leave. He left the bedroom with the faintest footsteps.

"Mornin', Ya-chan." Mutsunokami, standing by the stove, turned to the other man. "What kind of omelette do you want?"

"A plain one."

Sen sliced a cucumber nearby. She wore an apron and covered her hair with a white bandana. She looked the perfect image of a housewife. He knew what she hid underneath those clothes and what her real nature was like last night. His understanding of her changed, but their bond remained the same.

"Are you well, Ya-chan?" She turned to face him.

He looked away from them. He wasn't worth all this attention. Among the living room shelves, a lucky bamboo and cactus were placed side by side. Mutsunokami bought them from the flower shop last year. Their balcony housed a small garden.

"Do you want to inspect them?" Sen slid open the glass door. They stepped outside and the morning sun beamed its light touch on them. A stalk of cherry tomatoes grew in its own pot. Its fruit were small and green. In time, they'd enlarge and turn red. In a planter box mounted on the balcony railing, purple bellflowers and morning glories were in full bloom. On the side, green onions sprouted straight and rosemary grew in several directions on the edge. In the middle of it all were daffodils.

"I asked Mu-chan to get them," Sen said. "They brighten up the garden, don't you agree?"

Yamanbagiri nodded. He suggested the same thing when they were in high school. After all those years, she remembered his recommendation to add daffodils to the school's garden. He had been in their minds for years. How had his words lasted that long in their memories? It would take time for him to get used to this relationship with them and accept his place in it, but they understood he needed time to be tended to.

"Breakfast's ready." Mutsunokami stepped onto the balcony. He put a hand on Yamanbagiri's shoulder. "We should talk about what we want to do next. I get discounted tickets from work, so Sen-chan and I can travel all over the country. You can join us."

They wanted to take Yamanbagiri on trips too? They'd end up sitting in a bullet train and Mutsunokami would look out the window as they passed by towns, farm fields, and mountains. They might buy snacks, drinks, or bento offered by an employee pushing a cart down the aisle. When they left the station, they'd step into a place they'd never been before and experience new things. They thought Yamanbagiri was worth sharing their time and expenses?

"We went to Himeji to see the castle, Nara to watch the bowin' deer." Mutsunokami continued to list off where they went, what they had done, and their future destinations. This was all happening so fast.

"...could we go somewhere closer?"

"Like where?" Mutsunokami said. He and Sen stared at Yamanbagiri.

He obscured his face with a hand and looked at the garden. "Maybe...a cat café?"

Yamanbagiri had never been to one. The prospect of doing something wrong with the felines and getting chided by an employee was too stressful. Regardless, he enjoyed watching cats chasing each other and lounging about on couches.

"Oh, great idea!" Mutsunokami patted the blond's shoulder. "We know a place that has sixteen of 'em. Let's figure things out at the kitchen table."

They headed back inside.


Several butterflies rested on morning glories and bellflowers. They all sprouted a similar shade of dark purple this season.

Yamanbagiri knelt by the flowerbed. A white-winged butterfly opened and closed its wings. They lived such simple straightforward lives, searching for nectar and resting atop bulbs.

"Oh, Ya-chan!" Mutsunokami held a watering can as he walked towards him. "It's not your turn to garden."

That was true, but Yamanbagiri wanted to be here. This place reminded him of his home, his family's shop. None of his bullies cared for flowers.

"Do you want to help?" Sen followed behind Mutsunokami.

"Well..." Yamanbagiri gazed down and kept his back to them. His hoodie covered most of his face. They didn't need his advice or opinion, but he might as well mention it. "Have you considered planting other flowers?"

The school garden could use a splash of colour. Yellow was ideal to contrast with purple.

"That's a great idea! Can't believe no one else thought about it." Mutsunokami dashed up to Yamanbagiri. "You got a suggestion?"

This summer weather was ideal for daffodils. There were plenty of recent arrivals in the shop. Those flowers could be planted and they'd stare down at the morning glories and bellflowers. Over time, they'd rise up and bloom towards the sun.

After their plan to pick up the new additions was sorted, they sat on a bench to eat their lunches. Sen and Mutsunokami sat beside each other as they uncovered their meals. She had a fruit sandwich with cream and blueberry filling. He chatted about the spices he experimented with in his curry; his legs were spread out and pressed against Sen's.

Yamanbagiri kept his distance at the opposite end of the bench. Certain rumours circulated about those two, but he didn't care to pry or spread any words about them. Did they trust him with their secret? No, he was imagining things.


I didn't know where else to put the last scene, hence omake.

Mutsu would totally be a plant daddy acquiring as many foreign plants as possible.

I went to Himeji, Nara, and the MoCha Cat Cafe. There were at least sixteen cats.

I took the shinkansen/bullet train over a dozen times. You can see so much peering out the window.

My first experience with fruit sandwiches was at a 7/11 in Tokyo. They were juicy, creamy, and cheap.