A/N: I've been sick and exhausted from work and school. I'm really sorry! Next chapter will make up for this chapter's shortness and boringness.

"I… didn't really think you'd have problems with stuff like that, Lilly…"

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

Nori tucked a few long strands of her dark hair and gave a small shrug before taking a bite from a rice candy.

The 9th day of Spring in Konohana brought the Flower Viewing Festival, and Lillian was more than happy to accept Nori's invitation to come. It was a gorgeous day with little clouds, and the cherry blossoms that fluttered in the warm breeze almost seemed heavenly. Lillian took a bite of her slice of apple pie, which she had brought to the festival herself, only to be hesitantly touched by the other villagers. Honestly, they didn't know what they were missing.

Sitting on the cool green grass beside the river, Lillian and Nori enjoyed the festival. Lillian was glad she was able to come because she really needed help. The quest that the Harvest Goddess gave her proved incredibly difficult. But if anyone could help her, she was sure her beautiful friend Nori could. But so far, Nori was more interested in stuffing her mouth.

If she was only going to eat, the least she could do was eat Lillian's dish. But nope, the rice candies were apparently more important. Whatever.

Lillian then thought that maybe thinking too much about the Goddess' quest was making her kind of grumpy.

"Well, I mean," Nori started, finishing the candy, "you're kind of… persistent. And determined."

Lillian sighed and leaned back on the grass.

"And pretty? You're pretty too. So I don't really understand… why you'd need my help… or much of anybody's."

Lillian looked up to the blue sky, watching pink petals float around and looking at the few white clouds flowing by.

"I own a successful farm. I brought two towns together. I have great friends, but I can't seem to find a potential datefriend. I don't really get it either." Lillian admitted.

"Okay… well… I'll try my best to help you." Nori took another rice candy off of her plate.

"Where should I start?"

Nori furrowed her brows while she chewed. She swallowed audibly, but stayed silent for another few moments in thought. Then, she finally looked up at Lillian.

"Who do you find attractive?"

Lillian snorted in laughter.

"If you want me to help you have to be serious!" Nori protested in her light normally-cheery voice.

"Sorry, sorry, I just…that was just kind of really funny," Lillian admitted, stifling her laughter with a generous forkfull of pie.

"Answer my question," Nori demanded with a cute pout.

"I would, but I don't know. A lot of people in the towns look nice or whatever. You, for example, are gorgeous." Nori's pout turned into a bright smile at Lillian's compliment, pink dusting her cheeks to match her dress. "But even if I think you're gorgeous, I don't think that makes me want to like, kiss you or something."

Nori giggled. "Should I be offended at that?.."

"I think so, yeah, because it means you're definitely going to be missing out on all of this," Lillian said, gesturing to herself. The two girls laughed together and took some bites of their food before getting back to the matter at hand.

"Maybe I could… list off all the eligible villagers, and you can describe how you feel about them, and… uh... I don't know." Nori pursed her lips in annoyance. "I don't think not liking anyone is weird or anything, honest, but maybe you've been working too hard? You should lay back and just soak in the attractive qualities of everyone." Nori hummed, leaning back with her slender hands splayed in the soft spring grass.

Lillian, less elegantly, blew a raspberry at the proposition. "I don't even know what that means."

"Stop working and literally just stare at people! I don't knooow..." Nori whined, distressed by her companion's lack of compliance. "Okay! Let's just plan something different," she huffed.

"I'm listening."

"One! Do you care if you end up dating a boy? Two! Do you care if he's from Konohana?" Nori asked.

"No and no…?" Lillian said, unsure of what was happening.

"Okay! Good! I'll set you up with one of our boys!" Nori exclaimed, viciously shoving a rice candy into her mouth.

"I… sorry, set me up with one of the, the Konohana guys?"

"One second," Nori urged, chewing the candy that was stuffed in her mouth. She swallowed and continued. "Yes, I think I made myself clear. I'll just get like, Phillip, or Hiro or Kana, and be like… hey! You know what I heard from Reina? I think Lillian might be interested in you… you should take the chance, yada yada, have you ever noticed how sweet she is to you, yada yada…" Lillian laughed. "Lil, you're sweet to everyone, don't deny that now."

"No, no, it's just… ah, nevermind." Lillian tapped her plate with her fork a few times. "Okay. Sure, I don't see why we can't do that." She said, making Nori beam.

"Oh, that's perfect! I can't wait to do this," Nori said excitedly, falling back completely on the grass. "You're going to be so, so happy! I promise!"

"Who are you going to set me up with?" Lillian asked, peering down at her friend.

"Do you really want to know? Can I surprise you?"

Lillian hummed in thought. "Maybe I don't want to know."

"Perrrfeeect!" Nori sang, happy to have accomplished Lillian to actually agree to go on a date. Even if the guy was a mystery, and even if there was a possibility of their plan not working at all.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was Lillian being one step closer to being able to shove her success in the Harvest Goddess' face.

"I think, I think I'm going to go get him right now," Nori stated, getting up from the grass. Lillian almost panicked, wondering if that'd be way too sudden. Nori brushed off her dress, and after giving a courteous bow, she ran off in whatever direction Lillian's dream man was.

Lillian sighed, she wasn't really disappointed or mad at anything, she just couldn't believe the absurdity of it all. Ahh, yes, she was being forced to date someone, and she was being forced to fall in love, and at that point, Lillian was almost sure she just didn't want to.

But everything was already set in motion, and if she didn't find love soon, she'd probably have the Goddess nagging her about it for the next 70 years. Now or never, she supposed. Though she really couldn't believe she was going to do it.

Whatever.

She laid down in the grass and watched the cherry blossoms blow in the wind. She figured she was like one of them, just floating.

"Love sought is good, but given unsought is better."

"...Hm?"

Lillian, absentmindedly watching the sun descend into a deep orange horizon, didn't expect anything remotely poetic to come from the blonde girl sitting beside her. After a long day of work, they both resorted to a stone bench to just do nothing. Lillian liked doing nothing at times like that. She tore her eyes from the painted sky and turned her head, seeing Laney looking down in a book, but unconcentrated. Laney, looking proud, returned Lillian's gaze and smiled.

"A little inspirational quote for you, duh." Laney rolled her eyes and looked at Lillian expectantly. Not too earlier, Laney was told how Lillian got set up with a mystery man, and though Laney was definitely reluctant for her friend to be set up to a Konohana villager by a Konohana villager, she was elated to know that Lillian was on her way to finding what her poems and books always talked about. "It means, like, it's cool if you look for love, but it'll be even better if love finds you. Unexpectedly. Right?"

Lillian sighed. "I guess," she gave, trying to appease her enthusiastic friend. "But-" Lillian paused, trying to think, but she just gently shut her mouth. She gave a small enthusiastic shrug and leaned back into the bench. "Nevermind," she said.

After a year of friendship, Laney knew not to pry further. But she would be lying if she said she didn't wish she knew what the other was thinking.

Oh well.

Back to Shakespeare.