Go, Flower!

Hinata

♡

♡

Takemichi-kun and I once dated each other. But that was years ago and we’ve forgiven one another. Takemichi-kun told me he was gay, I was the one who broke up with him so he wouldn’t do it, then, it’d be easier. So he wouldn’t have to be the one to do it and feel guilty about it for the rest of his life.

Twelve years have past and we’re still in touch with each other. Takemichi-kun and I are best friends now, and I am living with a woman—I guess I am gay, too. I don’t know. I can’t figure out if I’m a lesbian or an Emma-only-sexual.

Takemichi-kun and I are both the same age, 26. Emma-chan is just a year younger. She and I just tied the knot! We got married a month ago. Life is fun every day with Emma-chan around. I love her very much so.

Emma-chan has three older brothers; she’s the youngest and the only girl in the family. Her eldest brother is Shinichiro Sano, he runs the S.S. Motors—the bike shop—and travels around the world to collect parts of bikes and bring them home to arrange them. He’s thirty-seven years old.

Her second oldest brother is Izana Sano; he was adopted by Shinichiro-san, he also travels the world as a director in a non profit organisation called Tenjiku. He’s half-Filipino and half-Japanese. I believe he’s thirty.

Manjiro Sano, also known as Mikey, is her third brother. He is a professional motorbike racer. He’s twenty-seven years old. Amazing, isn’t he? Emma-chan and I watch his races in the telly every Thursday.

I really enjoy life now. I’m happy.

Takemichi-kun knocks on my door and I answer it. He looks exhausted, probably another man ditched their date.

He slumps down on the couch and I offered him tea and biscuits. I sit down beside him and caress his hair. Takemichi-kun always wears his hair short, it’s surprisingly soft and fluffy.

He sighs heavily—love problems? He reaches out for the tea and takes a sip, and grabs a few biscuits.

“Speak up, Takemichi-kun,” I say, still stroking his hair. (I could do this all day.)

He smiles at me, “I love you.”

I return the smile. “I love you, too.”

“It’s this Yaku guy...,” he rests his head on my shoulder and hugs my waist. “He didn’t show up in our date.”

“The guy you met in the coffee shop?”

He nods miserably. I sigh, forcibly; I sit up straight and Takemichi-kun lays his head on my lap.

“Don’t mind about it, Takemichi-kun. There’re aplenty out there,” I say, caressing his cheek, “you’ll get your prince charming.”

He chuckles at that. He is shifting a bit to get comfortable in my lap.

Takemichi-kun, you’re very precious. Don’t let anyone take your heart for granted. You deserve the world. I’ll give you everything if I can. You are the most perfect you there is. Never change, Takemichi-kun.

He lets out a problematic sigh, his shoulders squared. “I envy you and Emma-chan.” I pout at him and twirl my finger in his curls.

“I envy you.” I say, “You’re very pretty and precious. Everyone and everything loves you. I couldn’t possibly be like you.”

He snorts, “Oh, yeah? I envy you because you look good in dresses.”

I scoff. “Excuse me?”

“You may be excused.” He smiles smugly.

I scoff again, “I envy you because you look good in anything.”

“Even nude?”

“Even nude!” I agree.

He props himself in the elbow so now he’s facing me. “I envy you ’cause you’re living your dream like you wanted to.”

Oh, we are so doing this game. “I envy you because... well, because you have many suitors!”

He scrunches up his nose. “You mean you want a harem?”

“What? No! I have Emma-chan.”

He starts snorting with laughter. I laugh with him, then my phone makes a ping noise. I look at it and see Emma-chan’s name. I fiddle with my phone as Takemichi-kun watches me.

Emma-chan said she’s going to visit her grandpa and if I wanted to come with. Her grandpa’s dead. (I don’t mean to be blunt, but...)

“You going?” Takemichi-kun says.

I hum in response.

“You going with Emma-chan?” He repeats.

“Oh, yeah. I have to.” I put my phone down. “You?”

“Nah. I might see Mikey-kun there. Don’t wanna bump into him.”

Takemichi-kun and Mikey-kun both despise each other. Whenever Emma-chan and I would invite our families to dinner, Takemichi-kun would tag along and Mikey-kun would tease him about his sexual orientation. That is why Takemichi-kun hates being near Mikey-kun. But I kind of feel the I want to choke him ’til he turns blue and fuck him mercilessly vibe from Mikey-kun. Emma-chan agreed with me.

Izana-kun and Takemichi-kun are okay with each other. They don’t talk much. Shinichiro-san on the other hand, is such a simp to Takemichi-kun, despite being rejected twenty times by the same girl. Seems like he moved on and fawns over Takemichi-kun instead.

Takemichi-kun is standing now and stretches. I watch him. I did have sex with him when we were together. I remember doing it the first time with him. We were so bad at it. After doing it, we were laughing our arses off.

He looks at me. “I’ll get going, then.” I nod at him. I walk him to the door and wave goodbye.

I close the door behind me slide down; I could hear Takemichi-kun’s car start, and after a few seconds the car departs. I sigh deeply.

Right. I have to go, I think. I go to the living room and take my phone to call Emma-chan.

I put on decent clothing and head to my car. Emma-chan did say to wait for her, but I’ve waited for at least an hour, and the graveyard is only 20 minutes far. Something might’ve happen. She might be in trouble and I have to hurry.

Oh? My car won’t work. Someone must have messed with the wires.

Emma

♡

♡

“You bastard.”

“You scared?” He gives me that smug look. Oh... fuck him.

I spit at his face, “Do I look scared to you, you fuck? Just you wait and see, once Mikey comes here. You. Are. Fucked.”

Then, he laughs maniacally and wipes his face with a cloth. He presses his thumb to my thigh, I yelp in pain. “Tell me, pretty. Where is Takemichi Hanagaki?”

“I don’t know!”

“TELL ME!” He roars, hands both placed at the chair’s arms and shakes it.

“How the fuck should I know?! I don’t know!” I cry out.

His shoulders relax and he lets go of the chair. He paces the room; now the room’s quiet and the only sound you can hear is my breathing and his footsteps.

I try to unravel the rope that’s bound around my wrists. Who the fuck would tie a rope this tight? Have mercy on your hostage, will you? I can’t feel my hands.

He paces near me and mutters: “What am I going to do with you...”

“I very much would like to see my wife before I die, please.” Crowley, this rope won’t budge!

His head snaps up and he stamps over my way. “You.” He jabs his finger to my cheek. “If you could just tell me where that guy is, we’d have no problem here.”

I move my head to the side—away from him, “Don’t you touch me. And who are you to him anyway? What does he have to do with you?”

Oh God, Hina, he has a gold tooth. He chuckles loudly that it echoes, and waves his hands in the air. “I wouldn’t tell you. Just tell me where he is.”

The door—a rusty red door—is kicked open and Mikey steps in. Just about time, brother! His bangs covering his eyes, but I could tell he’s giving the man a dirty look. In the blink of an eye, the man already hit his head on the floor and Mikey is standing above him.

Mikey steps on the man’s back brutally, forcing his whole body to stay on the ground. I’m certain with that blow, that man is having an internal bleeding. Shouldn’t underestimate the once “Invisible Mikey.”

Izana-nī shows in as well and quickly walks to my direction. He unravels the rope and works his way to my ankles.

“How did this happen?” Izana-nī asks.

“Seems like it’s one of Mikey’s old friends,” Shin-nī chimes in, lifting the guy by the collar. “How dare you hurt my little sister.”

Osanai tries to escape from Shin-nī’s grip, but he throws Osanai to the ground instead. Osanai grunts and attempts to get up when Mikey kicks him in the gut.

He did deserve that, but I’m not used to someone getting beaten up in front of me. Once Izana-nī freed me, I tug at Mikey’s sleeve and tell him to stop.

“What?” He snaps.

“Just stop. All right?”

He looks at Nobutaka Osanai one more time and steps out of the room. I am left alone here now, the two must’ve gone after Mikey. Osanai is a grunting mess now, he lost to his own game—though it was never under his control, right?

I crouch down and stick my tongue out. “Thanks for giving me a wound, I appreciate it. About Takemitchy... I’d rather not sell him out. He already is happy and comfortable as is. Besides, Takemitchy belongs to us now.”

He shots up a glare, and I smirk in return. I stand up and walk away. I mutter something under my breathe, addressing it to him.

I breath in the fresh air as soon as I walk out of the door, the boys are waiting outside the car.

“Hurry up! The sun’s killing me.”

“Let’s stop by that one famous bakery store. I heard their dorayaki are to crave for.”

“Emma, is Takemichi coming to visit?”

I leer to myself and gleefully walk towards my brothers.

“I wanna see my dear wifey first!”

I laugh when they all groan.

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

♡

“Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.”

–from Every Exquisite Thing by Matthew Quick