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Chapter 3: Stem of Jealousy
Tiny Recap:
Daiko thought he still had a chance, but it was shattered when he saw them kiss.
It's not fair! I know her longer than him! I loved her even before he made her cry when he went out with Arisa!
Why?
Why do I fear rejection so much?
His head hit a solid wall.
Meanwhile, Riku totted the basket of bread down the busy streets of Florence. The air was full of cries and laughter, and the shrill calls of merchants advertising their wares – candy, fruit, birds, lanterns, and confetti, the latter being merely lumps of lime, large or small, with a pea or a bean embedded in each lump to give it weight. Flowers were everywhere: wreathed along the house fronts, in ladies' hands and gentlemen's button holes; vendors went up and down the street bearing great trays of violets and carnations and camellias for sale.
Riku was in it all; catching every glimpse of the busy market street with huge fascination. Being duly distracted, she failed to notice someone flinging out a box full of this unpleasant confection over a balcony, This white incessant shower flew directly down on her at the same time when a boom of a voice was heard, "Out of the way! I am the King's messenger! Make way!"
Unfortunately, Riku was doused with heavy fine dust, which went into her eyes, nose and mouth. The irritating particles hung above like a mist. Riku felt everyone around her scrambling aside, shoving each other.
She furiously rubbed her eyes and when a clear line of vision was sown, all she saw was a beast coming towards her (well, that's what she thought at first), it's hooves galloping, marauding it's way through towards her! There wasn't even time to get away!
DAISUKE!
"Ow!" Daiko was knocked back by a powerful force that came hurtling at him. The 'thing' bounced off his face and laid a few feet away from him. Daiko rubbed the bump on his forehead, grimacing in pain.
He rested his hand on the stone floor, but it was… furry. He quickly extracted his hand and turned back to look, earning him a view of a peculiar furry mammal.
"Oh. Hey." Daiko lifted the poorly rabbit (he noticed it's large flapping ears) and examined his bruises. The fall couldn't have inflicted these… He double-checked his pulse and found it shallow and very weak.
He rushed back to where he came.
Hikari was adding the finishing touches on his painting when he heard the back door slammed shut. Non-consequentially, he was still at the bakery, albeit the front to attract customers for the bakery. He wanted a change of scenery and no one was stopping him anyway. In fact, the bakery cum café had never seen such encouraging number of customers coming in.
Eriku's father was pleased, and that was the whole point.
Hikari knew Eriku came back from her delivery errand and wanted to call her over, but he then heard her mom saying, "Eriku! What's this dust on your hair, face and clothes?"
"Nothing, mother." Hikari heard Eriku reply quietly. He knew something had happen, and the sooner he call her over, he'll know.
Hikari played around with what words to use to call her over. Eriku, I want you. Please come. Hikari smirked, then searched for option two. Eriku, come here, dear. I want to show you something. Or I could just go to her…
Suddenly, the back door banged again. The person breathlessly called for Eriku, but managed a "-Ri-ku'. Hikari's intuition pricked when the person's voice was muffled. There could only be two possibilities. Either… But his eyes shifted to the movement of the flying white dust and the quake of a faint petite shadow and he involuntarily gripped his paint brush.
"-Ri-ku, we don't have time for that now!" A voice Hikari knew said.
"Oh." Hikari could imagine Eriku blushing, on what grounds, he doesn't know. "I-I'm sorry. B-Bu-"
"Quick! He needs help!" The image of Daiko clutching Eriku's hand and leading her upstairs burned in Hikari's mind. He didn't see them do that, but he felt it. He knows. He doesn't have to see to know.
Hikari's getting jealous!
RevIEwreVieWREvIEWrEviEwReviewREVIEW!
Riku's so close to knowing Dark now! Keep on reading to find out:P