Note: xryuchan27 has made a wonderful fanart. Check it out: x-ryuchan . deviantart dot com slash art /Language-of-Flowers-374202577 I was so happy to get it. Thank you again! I am easy to get happy.
acacia – secret love
Chapter 2: Acacia
The sight of familiar red hair brought comfort to Tsuna in the midst of the rushing crowd. He shuffled in between the minuscule space of the people, casually bumping into some and immediately offering a small apology. After successfully weaving through what Tsuna felt like as a can of sardines, he finally reached his destination. He brought his palms to his knees, gasping and heaving.
"Do you want to rest for a while before meeting up with the girls?" asked the other worriedly, a hand rubbing the back of Tsuna's back in a soothing gesture. "They probably won't mind if we're a little late," he added.
Tsuna stood up, exhaling deeply. They should have met elsewhere instead of this crowded place, and the fact that he overslept didn't help at all. "I think I'd get more rest at the cake shop," he replied. "And we're already late. Sorry for making you wait, Enma-kun. I didn't hear my alarm go off," he apologised, guilt threatening to drown him. How many times had he made his best friend wait already?
"It's fine, Tsuna-kun." Enma smiled. "I'm used to it," he cheekily said. Tsuna gave him a playful punch in the arm and laughed.
While walking, the two indulged in small conversations, topics ranging from work and daily life. Tsuna thought of telling the scene with the stranger yesterday but decided to wait until they were at their destination. It wasn't that far since Namimori was just a small town.
When they finally arrived, they started immediately searching for familiar faces. The place was unsurprisingly full with people talking rambunctiously here and there. Tsuna narrowed his eyes in concentration, wondering how the girls managed to acquire a table for them. He swore he heard his name being called. Waves of relief pushed through him as he saw one of his friends waving at them.
"Kyoko-chan!" greeted Tsuna enthusiastically, pulling up a seat in front of the woman while Enma took the one to his right. Tsuna clapped his hands in front of his face in an apologetic gesture. "It's my fault we got late. Sorry." He redirected his gaze on the empty seat beside her. "Where's Haru, though? Restroom?"
"What's new, Tsuna-kun?" Kyoko giggled. "Haru-chan's not here yet. I was kind of worried since she's never late, but she just messaged me a few minutes ago saying she was on her way from work."
"Being a journalist must be a tough job," said Enma offhandedly.
"Well, Haru has always been in the top of our assembly, hasn't she?" Tsuna mused, wondering what it felt like to be a top achiever in something. He and Enma weren't exactly the brightest light bulbs in their class. Aside from gardening or simply tending to the plants, Tsuna didn't consider himself good at anything else. Not that he was unhappy, he genuinely loved his job.
"Hahi! It's true!" intervened a new voice. "They say that when you're the only person absent from your group of friends, it's a hundred-percent sure that you would be the topic of their talks. Haru's hurt," jokingly gasped the woman, pouting.
"But we were praising you. I bet you're just pleased deep inside, Haru-san," teased Enma.
Haru stuck out her tongue. "Maybe." She took the empty seat beside Kyoko. "It's so busy at work," she complained, pouting. "I had to pull three all-nighters in a row but cake is a good remedy!"
The other three laughed. Kyoko waved her hand to a waitress, signalling that they were ready to order now. After ordering, they went back to conversing. "Hana's keeping an eye on my schedule." Kyoko chuckled. "She makes sure I get a break once in a while."
"Hana is really like a mother hen, even when we were in high school." Tsuna chuckled, remembering the incidents when the motherly-woman kept shooing the boys, which in her mind were classified as either beasts or monkeys, away from Kyoko. "But you guys are amazing. Even after graduating, you're still together, what's more it's in the modelling industry."
"I'm lucky to have her as a best friend and a sister-in-law." She beamed. The waitress came back holding a tray full of plates. She gingerly took it down one by one, and with a nod and a smile, she left.
"Well, the kids are livelier than ever," said Enma. "There was a boy who kept saying mean things to this girl, but it turns out that he really likes her. So he confessed by giving the girl his share of cookies that we give out during breaks. They were so cute," he added, chewing a bite of his montblanc.
"Speaking of confessing..." Tsuna went into detail about the bizarre scenario yesterday, the irritation of being pranked at returning. "Wasn't that mean? Who finds that kind of joke funny nowadays anyway?" he fumed, forking a piece of his cheese tart.
"Tsuna-san, what does the man look like again?" asked Haru, eyes glinting with curiosity and, he assumed, familiarity.
"As I've told you, he had a black suit, pants, and tie on, and his undershirt was purple. Oh, and he has grey eyes that kind of scared me out and black messy hair," he answered. Haru started rummaging in her bag and pulled out a single photo. Using her index finger and thumb, she held the picture in front of the brunet, recognition immediately shooting him. "Ah! That's him!" he exclaimed. It was a candid shot, only showing a side view of the man, but Tsuna was sure that it was him.
"Hahi! This man is Hibari Kyouya, one of the owners of the Nuvola Inc. together with his brother Alaude, with companies spread in different nations," said Haru excitedly. "This is big! Imagine the most secretive man in society to confess to you. Did you say yes? I bet you did. Wasn't he so stalker-ish considering he knew your full name? Ooh. I bet you were his secret love. He probably stares at you while you work in the flower shop and maybe even when you go home. He should have given you an acacia too." Tsuna had to back away a little since Haru's face was mere inches away from his.
"Haru-chan, I think you're scaring Tsuna-kun," Kyoko stepped in, trying to calm the girl. Haru finally sat down but never left her fixed look on him. "But really, Tsuna-kun, what did you tell him?"
"W-well, I told him to leave." Tsuna let his gaze fall on the floor. "I don't think I should love again after that..." he trailed off. Why did that man have to do that to him? How could a person be so cruel? No. He knew it was his fault. He was stupid enough to drown in his own bliss, believing that he really found happiness. Look what his stupidity had brought him.
Enma placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tsuna-kun, we know you're hurt, but I think it's wrong to just give it all up just because of what that man did. It's been one year and three months since that happened! Maybe it's time to move on. You should at least try to give him a chance and talk to him."
Haru nodded. "I think so too. I think Hibari-san is kind inside despite being an unsociable man. You know in manga they have this scary guy, but then the protagonist finds him helping out a little kitten and then they fall in love. Perhaps he's like that! You should stalk him and look out for a box of abandoned kittens."
"Haru-chan, I don't think that's how it works," said Kyoko, laughing lightly. "What did you do with the rose anyway, Tsuna-kun?"
Sometimes Tsuna wondered how did Haru manage to become the top in the school, although he did try to imagine Hibari feeding several homeless kittens. He chuckled inwardly. Somehow, it suited the man. "I placed it in a vase in my apartment. It would be wrong to put it back in the hamper after being paid already." He shrugged.
"Hey, isn't that your Hibari, Tsuna-kun?" said Enma, pointing out the window. Tsuna was about to retort about calling Hibari his when he noticed the Hibari getting out of a black limousine directly in front of them. It was indeed a small world, he noted. His eyes followed the man. Once Hibari was fully out of the car, his grey eyes coincidentally landed on Tsuna, who felt awkward at being caught staring.
Hibari smirked.
For some reason, Tsuna felt infuriated. Frowning, he continued to stare even when the man entered the high-class looking building in front. He was definitely not going to fall for that man, especially when he was just playing with the brunet's feelings.
Definitely not.
