Together for Tomorrow
By SMYGO4EVA
The gardens were lovely this time of year, the flowers blooming and the foliage lush and green. The air smelled of earth, of the many plants, and of the grass.
Kase and Yamada walked close to each other as they looked at the new arrivals. They craned their hands to gaze up at the cherry trees just up ahead, the branches decorated with small buds.
Not too far from them, Sasaki and Miyano kept track of the perennials that bloomed over time. While Sasaki wasn't the best with direction, Miyano guided him through the hydrangea rows as far as the eye could see.
Kase turned to see Yamada tilting her head to one side, and she followed her eyes to see the roses red amongst the greenery, with pink roses there for good measure. It seemed that a while ago, meeting new people was to be a herculean task for Yamada, but she was at ease and enjoying the sights.
Miyano stopped for a moment, taking a look at the trees carefully aligned to the paved pathways, and Sasaki kept close to him. His eyes darted from side to side, the sight of this many trees a change of pace. There was always a bevy of distraction and noise when they lived so close to the city, so the gardens were soothing to him and Miyano.
Yamada knelt down to smell the flowers, the scent so pleasant and lovely. Kase knelt down next to her, the scent fragrant and fresh, right form the source. It wasn't too sweet or chemical, like the perfumes they sold at the shops. Kase sighed, and Yamada sighed along with her, before suddenly looking at each other, and then they laughed.
Sasaki heard the girls' laughter, and he nudged Miyano, who was previously mesmerized by the trees, and he pointed to Kase and Yamada sharing a laugh.
"They look like they're having fun." Sasaki remarked.
Miyano looked on. "Apparently, they might be laughing at something funny."
"Or…" Sasaki began. "Probably an inside joke."
"No way."
"Well, I think so."
"What are you two talking about?" Kase asked, standing up with Yamada following her.
Both boys stilled, and then turned to the girls, and Miyano shook his head, waving his hands.
"Oh, oh nothing, we were just uh…"
"We were wondering what you were laughing about." Sasaki said, shrugging, with Miyano giving him a shocked look.
Kase blinked, and laughed aloud. "Oh, oh, gotcha, it's just something between Yamada and I."
Yamada nodded. "It was something silly, like we were just looking at each other."
"Oh, I get it, a look." Sasaki tilted his head and winked at Miyano, whose face turned bright pink.
"Yup, just a look." Kase remarked, smiling at Yamada, who smiled back.
Miyano shook away his earlier embarrassment, and he looked at his watch. "Hey, we're making good time, you guys."
Kase, Sasaki, and Yamada looked over Miyano's shoulder, the time 4:30 pm. They got here at 3:20, so they still had time, with a lot left to see.
"Great! Where to next?" Sasaki asked, with Kase and Yamada walking ahead of them.
"I know, there's a whole area of rhododendrons just this way." Yamada announced, and Kase nodded, looking straight ahead.
"Sounds good, let's check it out." Kase turned on her heel, facing Sasaki and Miyano.
"You guys coming?"
They looked at each other, and they faced her again, nodding.
"Absolutely."
"Works for me."
What felt like hours passed by, the four had seen what seemed to be hundreds of flowers, of different types and with plants and foliage far and wide. Rows and rows of flora and shrubberies lined the paved walkways, and branches of blossoming buds loomed from the trees.
A moment of quiet fell upon them, the air having shifted. The four of them looked around, as they were the only ones under the trees. The sun lowered, the skies orange-red.
"Where is everyone?" Kase asked out loud, and everyone else shared a look.
"Hey, what time is it?" Miyano asked, rubbing his eyes, and then looked at his watch.
"It's almost 6 o'clock."
Sasaki blinked, practically stunned. "Really? We got here at 3:20."
Yamada looked around again. "We've been here that long?"
Kase put her hands on her hips. "Huh. I don't think we've been going in circles, so that's out."
"I say we go back the way we came," Miyano suggested, pointing behind him.
Sasaki nodded. "Good idea, and you stay close to me, okay~?" He stepped closer to Miyano, who nodded in agreement. Their hands were close, brushing against each other.
Kase made an affirming noise, and she and Yamada followed the boys, sticking close.
They made their way through the hydrangea bushes, past the rose gardens, and past the rhododendrons they had seen earlier. The flowers were rich purple lavender, bright pink, next to the chestnut brown trees with thick trunks ahead.
As they walked, Miyano leaned against Sasaki, he couldn't help himself. Sasaki let a soft smile grow on his face, and Miyano smiled back. They weren't completely lost, but it was better to be safe than wandering aimlessly.
Behind them, Yamada wrapped her arm around Kase's, staying close. Kase tilted her head to meet Yamada's gaze, and then made a reassuring smile. Yamada breathed out a sigh, and then looked up ahead.
The pathway was familiar, they were going in the right direction.
They made it back to where they started, not outside the entrance, but out of the woods, both figuratively and literally.
There was a canopy of trees, a patchwork of colors from the flowers on the branches. It seemed to be a place made for the occasional rest, with seats to take a load off. The four of them weren't going to look a gift horse in the mouth, so they sat on the seats.
Kase and Yamada sat next to each other, with Sasaki and Miyano side by side, a space between the two couplings.
"Man, I'm bushed." Kase uttered, with Yamada silently nodding.
"So much walking." Sasaki breathed out, his voice weary.
"No fooling." Miyano panted.
"We can just sit for a while, and then we'll make it to the entrance." Yamada suggested between breaths, pointing a finger in the air, and setting it back down.
"Mmhmm." All of them mumbled in agreement.
"Five minutes."
"Yup, five minutes."
The sun was starting to set, and they made it back to the entrance just in the nick of time.
Kase and Yamada stood across from Sasaki and Miyano, both couples fatigued from a long day.
"This was a great idea, going to the botanical gardens." Kase said, smiling tiredly at Yamada.
"Yeah, it was, I've never seen so much flora in one place, or nearly gotten lost in them." Miyano added, while Sasaki chuckled silently.
Yamada beamed. "Thanks, guys. It means a lot."
"I never doubted you for a second." Kase replied, and she checked her phone for the time. "It's getting late, we should get going."
"Good idea." Sasaki said, with a tired Miyano by his side. "We should do this again sometime."
"Yes, we should." Yamada declared, her smile growing. "Let me know the time and place."
"See you tomorrow!"
Those words were exchanged, and they went their separate ways.
The sun sank under the horizon, the moon taking its place in the sky, the trees swaying against the breeze.
Kase and Yamada walked back home, their hands threaded.
Sasaki and Miyano made their way back home, hands and fingers entwined.
They were together, and they would be together for tomorrow.