The sun was just staring to drop from the afternoon sky. Facing the garden, Haru sighed. It was one of those long, exhausting days and yet which felt so empty, devoid of any sense of accomplishment. Always the same busy work, day after day. Weeds had been pulled. Inventories had been counted. Part of the tulip plants had died, so she had spent a better part of the day removing them. The tulips had offered such a beautiful show in the springtime. After, she'd carefully pruned off the dead bulbs, hoping to keep the plants alive until next spring. Next year, Haru would just have to pay more attention with their care.

Now it was time to carry shovels, buckets and other equipment back into the storage shed. It was a ritual, one last entry on Haru's checklist before she completed the day. She stepped into the shed, arms full of equipment. On her right, the bed that she'd set up for napping.

The bed in which, four weeks ago, she'd had him.

Haru knew only a few things about the stag. His name was Louis. He was an actor in the drama club. And then there were those big, sad eyes. All deer had big eyes, but his were especially big, especially sad. Today, even while tearing out the tulips, she thought about him.

Usually, after the deed, she never wanted to see the guy again. What about this male, then, was different? Maybe it was because Louis had stayed for a whole ten days. Maybe it was the time she'd spent wrapping bandages over the bloody stumps where his antlers had been. Or perhaps it was what she'd seen in those eyes.

All the equipment was now safely stored. Haru took one last look around, ensuring that each item was in its rightful place. She flung her knapsack over her shoulders, and locked the door. She was almost halfway to the gate, when she heard it.

A knock.

Could it be? Was it him? No, impossible, she thought. Day after day, she'd been waiting, ears alert, heart speeding up with hope at every knock. She'd run up, grinning despite herself, only to find a school administrator, a club representative ordering flowers, or worse, a desperate ex-suitor.

A second series of knocks.

Haru took a deep breath, and with slow, carefully measured steps, made her way to the gate. She opened the door just a crack, from which she peeked at the intruder.

"Nice to see you, Haru."

It was really him. The stag, Louis. On the other side of the door, the fading sun cast golden shade across his handsome face.

"I hope you've been well. The garden is well-kept as ever, I see."

"How flattering," she retorted. "Is that a line you rehearsed in the drama club?"

To Haru's surprise, it was not the anticipated joy, but rather a cold indifference now welling inside of her. At first, she almost hadn't recognized him. And now, she realised why. It was the fake antlers now towering over his forehead, adding tremendous height to his figure. This time, there was also a sort of hardness in his eyes. She did not like any of it.

"What do you want?" she continued. "The gardening club is closed for the day."

The red deer only chuckled, entirely unfazed. "You've done me a great favor in a time of need, Haru. Therefore, I'm here to thank you." The stag extended his hand, proffering an envelope.

Eyeing him with suspicion, Haru received her package through the crack in the door. The cream envelope was complete with a red wax seal. It looked quite fancy. She tore it open, and gasped. Not so much with surprise, but rather anger. Inside, a cheque for fifty thousand yen.

"I already said it. I don't want your money."

Louis only smiled. "And I thought that, after all this time, you'd reconsider. I'm repaying my rental fees, that's all."

"Is that all you had to say?"

Meanwhile, Haru took note of the trajectory of his eyes, which trailed up and down her, far below eye level, sizing up her shape, her contours. At the same time, memories of their ten fateful days together came back to her, as though in a flash of lightning. She took a deep breath, and gazed back into his eyes, which – was it just her imagination? – had softened. Despite herself, she felt it. The old longing.

"Louis," she sighed, cheque in one paw and the other against the door. "Do you really want to repay me?"

He gave her a quizzical look. "Yes, of course."

"Then, head back with me."

Something in his eyes wavered. He opened his mouth, as though to speak, but could not find his words. Haru opened the door wide, revealing his figure in full, magnificent in the dying light. Then, she tossed her knapsack to the ground. Louis only watched. In his eyes, the familiar sadness had returned. Around them, the last of the summer heat fell upon the bright marigolds, blue-tinged hydrangeas, and blushing red peonies.

Haru reached up for his hand. He took it. The touch was soft.

He had such a sated expression on his face, now. The twilight cast just enough brightness into the shed such that she could see. It was that familiar, blissful look that all males made after the act. It had been just as good as she'd remembered, and that made her glad.

"I'm still hoping that you'll consider my token of thanks." From the bed, Louis motioned towards the envelope, which Haru had tossed on the bedside desk.

"Oh please." She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly. "I'm not accepting any payment of yours, Louis."

"Then, see it as a gift."

"In that case, I refuse your gift."

He chuckled, and gave the top of her head a little rub, just between the ears. "You know, at first I considered getting you flowers. But then I realized, you have more than enough already."

"I would've preferred the flowers."

Louis laughed, a deep, rumbling laughter that filled her heart with joy. Then, he was sitting up, recuperating his boxers and undershirt from the side of the bed, hastily throwing them on. Now he was reaching for his pants and shirt, retrieving them from the floor. Usually, she preferred it when they left quickly, without any hassle. But with Louis… when did the thought of his absence become so painful?

I waited so long for you, she thought. And now, you're already about to leave.

Haru reached out with a paw, tugging at the tail of Louis' now half-buttoned shirt.

"Haru," he began.

"Stay," she sighed. "Just a little longer. Please."

Briefly, impatience leaked into his features. But Louis did oblige. He let go of the buttons, and returned to his seat at the edge of the bed. Haru cuddled up next to him, laying her head against his shoulder. His hand returned to rubbing the top of her head.

She looked into his eyes, those big sad eyes. And then, she looked up at the great tall antlers, which towered above both of their heads. For something fake, they were beautifully made. She could not have noticed the difference from real ones. At their base, the pedicles had healed completely. She reached up, and stroked a beam. She reached out with her other paw, until she held both of the shafts tight in her fists.

"You like my antlers," Louis laughed. She liked it when he smiled. "But the real thing," he whispered, "is even better. You'll see. Next season."

"I was only wondering," she said coyly, now working her fingers up the branching tines, "how on earth you managed to attach them to your head."

He scoffed at first, but then obliged. "I hire a specialist, who uses a special glue. They can be drilled in also, but that carries a risk of damaging my pedicles." Pointing up at the fake antlers, he added, "These are actually hollow, to reduce the strain on the attachment site."

"Hm."

"And the best quality replacements are custom-made by artists, to look exactly like the original. They are very delicate, especially at the attachment site. You have to handle them carefully, or they can come off."

"You should've said so earlier." Haru withdrew her paw. She remembered how she'd grabbed onto the prosthetics, even tugging, during their earlier lovemaking. She sighed. "So if I get this right, when molting season comes, you just pop them right off. And that way, you can pretend they fell off all on their own."

"Something like that."

Now he was up again, the shirt entirely buttoned. He stepped into his dress pants, the belt clicking into place. And now, he was by the entrance of the shed. Darkness was spreading in the sky. She could barely see his face, now.

"If ever you need money, just ask. And do cash in that cheque, please."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Be careful on your way to the dormitory. When it's dark like this, carnivores can be out roaming."

And then he was gone.

Soon, autumn would come. And with it, molting season. Louis would lose his fake antlers, along with the other stags. Rabbits like herself also would proceed to moult, light summer fur falling off to make way for a warmer winter coat. Come next spring, the stags would start growing their new set of antlers. From the bases of the pedicles, they would begin to sprout, like tentative treelings. At first, the new antlers would be covered in a thin, velvety layer. This would be shed, as the antlers hardened and matured. Two summers from now, Louis would graduate from Cherryton. Then, he would take the hand of his betrothed in marriage, to fulfill his duty to perpetuate his bloodline.

But for now, she was looking forward to autumn. It would be nice to see Louis again, only without the antlers. She preferred him that way. After all, it was how she'd found him.

It was Haru's turn to pick up her clothes from the floor, where they'd been strewn. The shed, and its bed with the still-crumpled sheets, had never before felt so empty.

Three weeks later, the envelope with the cheque still lay on the table. She would not cash it in, Haru thought. Not now, not ever. But it was almost comforting to see it there, every time she passed through the shed. The academic year was drawing to a close, with all manners of celebrations following suit. First, this meant an impending demand for flowers, from activities ranging from the end-of-year ball to the graduation ceremony. Secondly, she had to ensure that all loose ends, from garden work to budgeting, were taken care of before summer vacation. She would probably still be working through summer, and the extra cash would be appreciated. Still, it was nice to bring closure to another year's work.

The sun was bright, the days long and hot. Autumn was far, far away. So, too, was Louis.

She still thought about the stag here and there, but much less than before. Work in the garden was simply too engrossing. Haru felt particularly proud of her sunflowers. This year, they had grown to be exceptionally big and bright. Absolute show-stoppers. They would sell well, if she could convince the journal club to send out an advertisement… But first, she had to tend to them, and offer them their weekly spray of fresh water. Sunflowers didn't require too much watering, but the bit that they did need was crucial.

Haru had only just begun her morning, when she heard a knock at the gates. She made haste to get the door, anticipating another customer coming in for an order.

Instead, it was the mailman, a friendly cheetah whom she recognized from past deliveries of equipment and seeds.

"For Miss Haru of the gardening club," he announced jovially, handing Haru a rather large, albeit light package, wrapped in bright foil. The package fit just about in her arms.

She brought it back into the shed, and set it on the table right next to Louis' cheque. With great care, she unwrapped the foil.

Inside was a bouquet of blue roses, lush and in full bloom. A few sprigs of dainty white baby's breath added dimension, contrasting with the deep, ocean blue. Haru smiled.

"You're an idiot," she said out loud, to the flowers. "Blue roses don't even exist. They're dyed, Louis. And I prefer receiving flowers that still have their roots intact."

She transferred the roses to a spare vase, noting that the thorns on the stems had already been shaved off. She made sure they had plenty of water, in which she'd added extra powdered nutrients. If she was lucky, the roses would last for the rest of the week. Cut flowers didn't survive long.

But for now, she had a bouquet of blue roses in full bloom. And for as long as they were alive, they would be splendid.