Flowers From Above

Chapter Ten

Over the following months Akihiko had begun getting better and after his family had heard about his attempt Akihiko's father visited him more and more often considering their relationship had always been brittle between them.

He protested against him but gradually Akihiko opened up in little ways. For once he could actually look his father in the eyes properly and talk back to him without being questioned. These were the small things that were healing his wounds.

One evening I watched them both taking a quiet stroll into town in the evening while they carried out their conversation. It was one of those father and son moments more than anything all those years Akihiko's older brother Haruhiko soaked up all the attention by their father and finally he was getting what he deserved being someone there for him.

They talked even if it was short and quick but they also smiled at one another and chuckled from time to time. My heart swelled seeing his smile so soft and delicate that it almost broke when I'd always see it fade shortly. I knew it, he was thinking of me again, he would never stop thinking about me. He couldn't escape the fact that I was dead or refuse to believe it.

Right then even his father could see through him clearer than a window and told him that only time was the perfect solution to healing.

I saw Akihiko drop his head and leaving his arms limp by his side so carelessly that he wasn't the well kept together man I once had known. I couldn't make it out, he acted so different, lost and openly now he seemed foreign.

Although his father patted his shoulder then gave it a little squeeze of some reassurance. I could tell that Akihiko knew he was probably right after all.

I found my brother Takahiro had first left for Kobe then headed off to Europe to find any work he could find in which he did. At first he was stressed over losing his younger brother, leaving his girlfriend and life behind. All he wanted to do was to move forward and forget about everything including me.

Some nights I'd be sat beside him while he sobbed his heart out into pillows of cheap motel beds and eventually his own in a rented one bedroom apartment.

But I couldn't always stay for too long heaven would eventually take me back swallowing my ghostly presence up from the earth and spitting me back out into a wild hazy bed of sweet scented flowers.

Often I'd wonder whether or not my case would ever be solved and would Ijuuin ever get slammed behind bars? Though I think he has already been suspected.

Shizuku Ishi does endless trips there and back from Ijuuin's apartment dropping off manuscrips, gifts, the basic work I used to do for him before I was murdered.

It wasn't until one day in particular that my name was brought up by Ijuuin as he was slotting some of his novels back onto his shelves and Shizuku being good gave him a hand and helped put them away.

"They still haven't found his body have they Sensei?" He said.

"Nope" Ijuuin sighed.

"It's a shame, Takahashi-kun was such good kid too."

Slowly Shizuku flickered his dark eyes onto him in such a wonder.

"Yeah he was pretty nice I guess,"

"You're right" Ijuuin spoke. "Very nice"

Then their eyes collided at that moment when they both looked at one another. They stayed still for a minute or too Shizuku almost frozen to the bone. I could feel his fear and the shock was intense even his heart beat grew.

Ijuuin smile expanded a tiny bit more until he started continuing packing his books away again into their usual spot.

Shizuku felt his fingers become so numb that they dropped the books to the fall sending them falling in such a harsh clatter.

Catching Ijuuin's attention obviously he turned swiftly to see Shizuku just stood there until realizing and quickly picking them up. Ijuuin gave a low chuckle then said "Ah, clumsy are we today Ishi-kun?"

"E-Excuse me Sensei"

"It's fi-"

"No I just remembered something important came up earlier" He blabbed. "I have to leave, I'm very sorry Sensei"

Without another word he shot out the door where Ijuuin stood with novels still budged under his arms.

"See you."

His instincts were so strong and he knew deep down but it wasn't as if he could prove it, Ishi was sure though quite sure that Ijuuin did it.

Hey I'm back, tanned, tired and ready to go.

Thank you for being patient and reviewing the last chapter it means a lot to me!

Please give me your thoughts on the latest...Okay?

Tah,

TB