#my soul to ascend to heaven while I watch yours plummet to hell

[thepenguisalive7]

Falling :D clip

[shuturquibble]

Flowers and Songs

Fandom: Hibike! Euphonium/Sound! Euphonium Pairing(s): KumiRei (Kumiko/Reina) and HaruAsuKaori on the side (third-year ot3) Words: 5.4k+ Summary:  In which Kumiko works in a flower shop, and Reina's that beautiful, mysterious stranger she finally gets to talk to. Links: FF is here! AO3 is here!

“Ow, why’d you elbow me—”

“She’s here again.”

Kumiko felt her irritated gaze loosen into an interested stare as she looked toward the entrance of the shop. Sure enough, a girl, dressed in the brown uniform of Kitauji High School and holding a rectangular case by her side, was looming over a bouquet of rosey-pink carnations. At first glance, one would think she was staring just to stare—her face showed no visible awe or appreciation. But, after several more seconds, Kumiko saw through the girl’s impassive mask and noticed the interested twinkle hiding in the girl’s purple eyes. Kumiko felt a small swell of adoration in her chest, one that beckoned a small smile to tug on her lips.

She loved watching people fawn over the flowers.

“You’re ogling her again.”

Kumiko’s smile ran away and was replaced with a deep scowl as she turned to glower at the person standing next to her. Asuka, her blue eyes shining with amusement and her trademark half-smile, half-smirk on her lips, never faltered under the weight of Kumiko’s gaze.

“I am not ogling her. I’m just, you know, looking at her—”

“Otherwise known as ogling.”

“It’s not!” Kumiko let out a noise as she covered her mouth, silently reprimanding herself for getting the attention of an elderly woman now looking at them. Asuka, being the asshole (according to Kumiko) she was, snickered before raising a hand to signal that everything was okay. The woman slowly turned away and returned to her business with the peonies that had gotten her attention.

“Quiet down,” Asuka said with a growing smile as she turned back to Kumiko, “or else you’ll get her to look at us, too. But, knowing you, I bet you wouldn’t mind—”

“Shh!” Kumiko nearly tackled Asuka to the ground to get her to shut up. “She’ll hear you!” Kumiko fiercely whispered under her breath.

“You know, you’re not as quiet as you think you are.”

“Shut up.”

Asuka rolled her eyes as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. “Oumae-chan, you are killing me! Just talk to her. Even someone like you—”

“The ‘ell’s that supposed to mean?”

“—can do that much. Now, if you excuse me, it seems the madame over there needs assistance with her peonies.” Asuka gave a wink and saluted. “Bonne chance!” She exclaimed, before breezily striding to the woman’s side.

Leaving Kumiko alone.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The scent of the flowers eased her, the tension leaving her shoulders and upper body. Kumiko just needed to find her happy place, a place riddled with bright flowers and the most beautiful of sights, devoid of irritating co-workers and mysteriously beautiful girls—

“Excuse me?”

Kumiko let out a squeak and quickly slapped her hand over her mouth. She turned to see who wanted her attention. Kumiko could feel her eyes almost pop out of their sockets while her heart plummeted to the ground.

The Kitauji girl was standing in front of her, her head tilted in the slightest of angles out of confusion.

A mental picture of Asuka laughing at her popped into Kumiko’s mind as she struggled to formulate anything coherent. “Ah—uh—um—” Kumiko forced the hand covering her mouth into a fist so that she could awkwardly cough into it. “H-how may I help you?”

Smooth, mental Asuka retorted, real smooth.

A mental picture of Kumiko comically punched mental Asuka in the face to shut her up.

“I was just wondering about those carnations over there,” the girl said, pointing at the bouquet she was studying earlier.

“A-ah, of course. What about them?”

“Do they have any specific meaning?”

Kumiko blinked. Once. Twice. The language of flowers (or whatever it was called) wasn't her forte. Hell, dealing with flowers wasn't her forte in general—she was the cashier for a reason.

Just make something up, the mental image of Asuka said, holding her bloody nose. She won't know any better.

But what if she did?

Right, right, true. She does seem like a smart person, unlike you—

“Admiration,” Kumiko blurted out. “They mean admiration.”

“Really?” The girl looked intrigued. “Can you tell me more?”

Kumiko could feel her throat drying up. “Well,”—she cleared her throat—”carnations are similar to roses, often given to someone with great importance. The light-pink color expresses the admiration felt towards said person. Does…that makes sense?”

The girl nodded slowly, seemingly buying Kumiko’s clumsy explanation. “I see….”

“Would you like to purchase some?” Kumiko asked, silently praying for no more questions about flower meanings.

“I’m…not quite sure. Do you think they would be appropriate for a leaving teacher?”

Kumiko blinked. “I didn't know someone was leaving at Kitauji.”

The girl raised an eyebrow. “Do you…go to school there?”

Kumiko nodded, an easy smile crawling on her lips. “I’m a second-year.”

“Interesting. So am I.”

“Really?”

The girl nodded. “Kousaka. Kousaka Reina. Class 2-A.”

“Reina, huh?” Kumiko said, relishing the way Reina’s name rolled off her tongue. “I’m Oumae Kumiko. Class 2-B.”

Reina’s lips curled into the subtlest of smiles, and Kumiko swore she felt her soul ascend into the heavens. “That explains why we never see each other,” Reina commented.

“Yeah.” Kumiko paused to chuckle. “Plus I’m not involved in any clubs.” She gestured to the case Reina held. “Saxophone?”

“Trumpet.”

“Close enough,” Kumiko said with a laugh.

“I’m impressed you know your instrument cases,” Reina said, her smile growing.

“My sister was in band during her middle and high school years. I did it for a little bit in middle school, but I had to stop to help run the shop.”

“Oh?” Reina raised an eyebrow. “Family-owned shop, then?”

“Yep.”

“What instrument did you play? Back in middle school?”

“Euphonium. My sister played trombone.”

“Shame you stopped,” Reina said as her smile faltered. “We really need more euphoniums.”

Kumiko let out a titter. “Maybe one day I’ll get back into it. It was pretty fun….”

A tinny alarm sounded, and Reina raised her wrist to glance at her wristwatch. “Ah, I better go if I want to practice my solo.”

“Solo?”

Reina nodded. “We have a concert coming up. I’m playing a solo.”

Kumiko made an o-shape with her mouth as she nodded. “Well, good luck. Or break a leg. Whatever the term is.”

Reina tucked a strand of raven hair behind her ear, the motion so fluid, so graceful. “Either one works,” Reina said with a smile. “Thank you.”

Kumiko watched with a smile as she waved Reina goodbye. Reina’s hair swayed lazily like a flowers in the wind as she strode out the door, the small bell singing its farewells.

Kumiko found herself wondering if Reina played as beautifully as she looked.

“Oh, looks like my little flower is starting to bloom!”

Kumiko looked over her shoulder to see Asuka, weight shifted on one foot with her arms crossed over her chest. A smug smirk played on her lips as her blue eyes twinkled.

“I told you it wasn't that hard, didn't I?” Asuka said as her smirk turned into a grin. Kumiko felt her own smile growing as well.

“Oh, shut up.” Kumiko playfully pushed Asuka’s shoulder.

“Won’t deny that I was right?”

“No, not this time.”

“Maybe you should listen to your elders more, hm?”

“Shut up, grandma.”

“Oh my God! And to think you speak your parents with that mouth!”

Kumiko shook her head and laughed, Asuka following soon after. Their mirth rang throughout the shop, filling the air with its music. They almost didn't notice the small bell announcing another customer's arrival.

As their laughter subsided and they watched the door open, Kumiko swore she could hear the faint sound of a trumpet blowing in through the open door, riding the breeze of the wind.

-X-

“Look who’s back,” Asuka said, nudging Kumiko’s side.

Kumiko looked up from the register to see Reina walk in through the door. The bell sang its greetings, and Reina’s eyes instantly caught Kumiko’s. Kumiko could feel her heart lurch in her chest as she waved.

Asuka bent her head to rest her chin on Kumiko’s shoulder. “I’ll be in the back if you need me, hm?” She whispered, following it with an amused chuckle and an encouraging pat on the shoulder before retreating into her hiding place.

“You’re here,” Kumiko called out, restricting herself so her giddiness wouldn’t show in her tone and growing smile. Reina’s lips curled into a smile of their own, this one easygoing and laidback. “Have you decided on the carnations?”

Reina turned her head to look at the bouquet of carnations patiently staring back at her. “I’m still undecided.”

“Why’s that?”

“They don’t convey the right emotion,” Reina stated. “Admiration isn’t exactly what I’m feeling.”

Kumiko began to shift her weight between her feet. “That so?”

“Would you mind helping me?” Reina asked, looking at Kumiko with expectant eyes.

And how could Kumiko say no to a look like that? A sheepish smile came on her face. “I can try,” she said.

Reina answered with gracious grin. Kumiko nearly doubled over from the unexpected sight she didn't notice Reina drifting over to a display of pink stargazer lilies.

“What about these?” Reina asked.

“Oh, those.” Kumiko’s smile returned as she made her way to Reina’s side, being sure to avoid the potted flowers on the ground. “Those are a personal favorite of mine.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“Well one, they smell good. But their meaning is what makes them important to me,” Kumiko muttered as she recalled Midori’s explanation that one summer’s day.

“Enlighten me, please.”

“Their color means prosperity and wealth, while also conveying aspiration. Like, you really—what’s the word—”

“Love and idolize them?”

“That’s two words, but sure.”

A gentle smile came across Reina’s face. “You seem to really like these ones.”

“A friend helped me pick them out. I gave them to my sister before she left home. Went to go soul-searching, you know? Didn’t want to stay cooped up in a small shop like this. She wanted to see the world, experience what was out there, maybe even study some make-up because she liked it so much. She wanted to be anywhere but here.” Kumiko’s smile ran away as a chilling feeling of loneliness rested in her chest. “There was a bit of a falling out between her and my parents, but I didn’t want her to go with those negative feelings. So I gave her these”—she gestured to the stargazer lilies with her chin—”to send her good wishes while also telling her how much I loved her without words.”

A warmth encompassed Kumiko’s hand, squeezing it softly. “I can understand why these are so important to you, now,” Reina whispered.

Kumiko quirked her lips into a lopsided smile. “Sorry for rambling.”

“No, it’s okay. I actually want to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“For helping me make a decision.”

Reina turned to Kumiko, the smallest smile on her face. It reminded Kumiko of the cherry blossoms floating outside the shop’s window: so small, yet so beautiful.  Reina was similar to a flower, Kumiko noticed, how, despite the passing days and seasons, her elegance was still a sight to behold.

The thought warmed Kumiko as she squeezed Reina’s hand back.

-X-

“Nice playing.”

Reina abruptly stopped in the middle of her phrase, the ending pitch coming out as a jarring squawk instead of a gentle resolution in the night air. She pulled her trumpet away from her lips to flash an annoyed scowl in the stranger’s direction. Only when she saw the sheepish smile of Kumiko did she soften her gaze.

“It was alright,” Reina said with a one-shouldered shrug. “I was flat on most of the pitches.” She let out a deep breath as she shook her head. She still needed practice; her solo was to be nothing but perfect.

After all, Taki Noboru deserved nothing but perfect.

“Still sounded good. But my ear is untrained, so I don’t know if my opinion even means anything.” Kumiko gave a breathy chuckle. “Do you…mind if I join you on that bench?”

Reina said nothing. Instead, she moved her trumpet case that was occupying the space next to her to the ground, then patted the area.

“Ah, thanks,” Kumiko said as she shuffled to take her seat. Reina took this moment to glance over Kumiko’s attire: a simple striped shirt with simple shorts and simple sneakers. Casual attire for a casual girl. Reina could feel a corner of her lip being pulled up into a smile—Kumiko’s current outfit suited her better than the oversized apron she wore at the shop.

“What’re you doing here? Don't you have work?” Reina asked, turning back to stare out in front of her. Beyond the railing that separated her and the sheer drop of the cliff were the town lights. Twinkling lights of blue and yellow dotted the ground, as if some deity had decided to cut off a portion of the night sky and plant it on the surface. Accompanied with the border the surrounding cherry blossoms offered, Reina always thought she was looking at a painting. A painting that only she knew of until tonight.

This was always her private place, a solace. She thought that being with other people on the cliffside would only bother her; after all, she only came here if she needed a break from, well, everything. But, with the way she was with Kumiko, sitting together and sharing quiet conversation, Reina found herself more at peace than ever.

It was only then did she realize that there was something about Kumiko, something so soothingly intoxicating, that set her at ease.

“No, so I decided to go out for a night walk,” Kumiko began, “and then I heard the trumpet. Figured it was you and decided to follow it. I didn’t expect to go out for a hike, though.” She laughed that breathy laugh of hers. Breathy tone irritated Reina, but whenever it came from Kumiko, she found herself enjoying it. Like a favorite song she never knew existed.

“But the struggle is worth it in the end, isn’t it?” Reina said with a small smile.

“If it’s worth seeing yo—I mean this view, then of course it is.”

Reina’s smile grew when she heard Kumiko’s fumble. She wondered how in the world someone could be this cute.

“So, er,” Kumiko began, “have you ordered your flowers yet?”

Reina shook her head. “I will sometime next week, right after school. I intend on giving them to him once our concert is over.”

“So it’s a guy, huh?”

“I’m sorry?”

“The person you’re giving the flowers to. It’s a guy.” Reina swore she heard signs of a crestfallen tone in Kumiko’s voice. But maybe it was a trick of the wind. “You said he was leaving the other day?” Kumiko added, obviously trying to keep the conversation moving along.

Reina decided to play along. “He is. This year will be his last year. He was only here for three, short years, but his time at Kitauji was meaningful. Under his tutelage, many people in band were able to grow as musicians. I guess you can say he’s the savior of the band club.”

“Sounds like a good guy.”

“He is,” Reina said, smiling. “He most certainly is.”

“You must admire him a lot.”

Had this been any other person, Reina would have been quick to interject that admiration was not what she felt towards Taki, but love. But the person she was talking to was Kumiko, a person that made her chest ache in the sweetest way possible while simultaneously making her enjoyably light-headed. A plethora of emotion would churn her gut at the mere thought of seeing Kumiko. And she would be lying if she said she didn’t think about Kumiko frequently ever since they spoke. Certainly, those feelings just had to be—

“You can say that,” Reina finally decided to say before she drowned herself in her own thoughts.

“Say, was that song you were practicing earlier your solo?”

“It is. Why?”

“Oh, it’s just.…” Kumiko’s words trailed off into a faint hum.

Reina raised an eyebrow. “Just…?”

“It’s kind of weird. Ah, not your playing, though. Just…what I felt when I first heard it on the base of the mountain. It was like, I knew the song but didn’t at the same time. Like déjà vu. It’s like—”

“A favorite song you never knew existed?”

“Yeah. Sort of like that.” Kumiko turned to her, faint curiosity reflecting in her eyes. “You ever felt something like that before?”

Reina couldn’t stop the smile tugging on her lips even if she wanted to.

“I have,” she said, her voice softer than she expected.

“I kind of want to hear it at the concert.” Kumiko chuckled. “Would you mind?”

Reina’s smile turned into a grin. “I would love for you to come.”

The grin Kumiko gave her was more beautiful than the sight before them.

-X-

“Oh, you’re here early. Your shift doesn’t start until six, you know.” Asuka raised an eyebrow as she looked over Kumiko’s disheveled appearance. Her brown hair looked poofier than usual, her cheeks were red, she was heaving, and there were several suspicious-looking brown splotches decorating her school uniform. “Did you…run here?”

“K-k-kind of, s-s-sort of.” Kumiko paused to take in a huge gulp of air.

“Did you run the whole way here?”

“M-m-m-maybe.”

“From school?”

Asuka’s eyebrows shot up and her eyes grew wide as she dramatically placed a hand over her mouth. “You didn’t…rob a store, did you?”

Kumiko straightened up and gave Asuka an incredulous look. “What? No, of course I didn’t!”

“You killed someone?”

“No! I didn’t do anything that requires breaking the law!”

“Then how do you explain”—Asuka gestured to Kumiko with a wave of her hand—”this?”

Kumiko’s red cheeks got impossibly redder. “I, uh, wanted to….” Her words trailed off into a mumble.

Asuka blinked. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I said I wanted to….”

“Kumiko, I still can’t understand what you’re saying.”

“I said I wanted to buy some carnations before they were sold out!”

Asuka’s brain quickly connected the dots, and soon enough, a large grin was on her face. “Carnations you say?”

Kumiko looked uneasy. “Yes. Carnations.”

“May I ask what color?”

“…Light-pink”

“And for what occasion?”

“I’m…going to give them to someone.”

“A certain someone?” Asuka wiggled her eyebrows at the end of her question, her grin turning into a devilish smirk. “May I ask, my dear Oumae-chan, who?”

The color in Kumiko’s cheeks spread to the rest of her face, effectively making her look like a flustered tomato. A few more seconds passed before she dug into her schoolbag, took out a handful of bills and coins, and slammed them on the counter, all while glaring indignantly at Asuka. “Just give me the flowers,” she grumbled under her breath.

Asuka laughed, sweeping the money off the counter and into her hands. “Yes, yes, of course. You want me to assemble them for you too?”

“You know the only thing I’m good for is counting the money.”

“Right, right. We call you Counter Girl for nothing.”

Kumiko managed to crack a smile at Asuka’s quip. “It’s still a horrible pun.”

“You love my humor.”

“Whatever makes you feel better.”

Asuka’s laugh mingled with the noise of the register opening. “The flowers should be ready by the time your shift begins.”

“Ah, about that….”

“Let me guess.” Asuka looked at Kumiko from above her glasses. “You’re not going to be here at six.”

That sheepish smile of Kumiko’s came on her face. “Don’t tell Mom, alright?”

Asuka closed the register then traced an X on the left side of her chest. “Cross my heart.”

“Thanks, I owe you.” And without another word, Kumiko rushed out of the shop, the bell singing its goodbyes as it always did. Asuka watched Kumiko’s form disappear around the corner, a small smile on her lips, before heading off into the back of the shop.

A cool draft greeted her as she pushed through the flimsy door. All sorts of flowers were sitting on the shelves that lined the walls of the incubated room, their vibrant colors melding together to create a beautiful tapestry. In the middle of it all was a small woman in pigtails working hard in arranging a bouquet of stargazer lilies.

“Still working on that, Haruka?” Asuka asked as she made her way over to Haruka’s side.

“Mm.” Haruka put the bouquet down on the table and took her gloves off with a sigh. “But I just finished.” She gave Asuka a tired smile. Asuka could feel her her heart lurch at the sight of it; after so many years, Haruka still managed to take her breath away.

“Good work,” Asuka mumbled, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on Haruka’s forehead.

Haruka laughed and weakly pushed at Asuka’s chest. “Don’t do that at work!”

“Is it so wrong to reward my wonderful girlfriend?” Asuka asked with chuckle.

“No, but”—Haruka’s eyes flitted to the side before looking back into Asuka’s, her cheeks a pinkish color—”you can do that later. Tonight. With Kaori.”

Asuka’s eyes widened with surprise. “Oh my, are you suggesting that we have—”

“Finish that sentence and you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” Haruka curtly turned away to grab the bouquet of stargazer lilies, her cheeks a blazing red. “The girl that ordered these should be here soon,” she said, handing them over to Asuka without looking.

Asuka took the bouquet into her hands, holding them the same way a mother would hold her child. Her eyes scrutinized Haruka’s handiwork, taking in every little detail, from the angle of the flowers to the small ribbon that held the stems together. Asuka could feel a small smile crawl on her face; knowing how much love and care Haruka put into her work made the finished product all the more beautiful to look at.

“Say,” Asuka began, “who ordered these?”

“Mm, a girl from Kitauji. I think she’s part of the band, since she had a saxophone case,” Haruka said as she busied herself with cleaning the table.

“Trumpet,” Asuka corrected.

“Same thing.”

“You’re starting to sound like Kumiko.” Asuka chuckled to herself as she slowly walked towards the door. “Oh, by the way, Kumiko wanted a bouquet of carnations. The light-pink ones.”

“Really?” Asuka could hear the light surprise in Haruka’s voice. “What’s the occasion?”

Asuka stopped in her tracks and stared at the flowers in her hand. An image of Kumiko’s smile the day she finally spoke to the Kitauji girl came to mind. It was a gentle and tender smile, a look Asuka never saw on Kumiko before, but a look she nonetheless recognized.

It was the look of someone slowly falling in love.

“She’s going to give them to someone special,” was all Asuka said before flashing a smile over her shoulder, and walked through the door.

-X-

“Of course Asuka had to give me three,” Kumiko mumbled to herself as she fumbled for a seat in the darkened theater. She finally found one that was somewhere close to the middle of the room, before collapsing in it, making sure that the carnations weren’t harmed in any way.

“I heard the Kousaka girl is playing tonight,” a woman whispered not-so-quietly behind her.

“The Kousaka girl? As in the Kousaka girl?” The other voice was gruff, perhaps the woman’s husband.

“Mm! Reina, I believe her name was.”

“Is that so…. Wait, isn’t her father a prestigious trumpet player?”

“Is he?”

“I believe so. If I remember correctly, he also taught the current band director. What’s his name…Hachi Barnacle?”

Kumiko had to cover her mouth to stifle a laugh.

“No, dear, it’s Taki Noboru. It’s in the program, see?”

“Ah, I see, I see. It says here that it’s his last year at Kitauji. Why is he leaving so soon?”

“Rumor says that his wife has fallen ill, so he’s taking a year leave or so to take care of her until she’s better.”

“Is that so? He’s a good man, looking out for his wife.”

“He really is, isn’t he?”

Suddenly, the couple fell into silence as the theater dimmed even more. The red curtains parted, revealing the band. It was smaller than Kumiko anticipated, but there was an air about them that made them out to be bigger than they actually were. Perhaps it was the way they sat straight like arrows in their chairs, or the way the conductor was poised on the podium like a statue, ready to conduct the first beat. Whatever it was, it was imposing, yet it made Kumiko attentive with baited breath.

And then Taki Noboru sprang into motion, the band suddenly coming to life, hitting the first chord so loud Kumiko could feel the reverb of the basses from where she was, the ground slightly vibrating. The fanfare from the trumpets began, bold and brash, yet held a delicacy she never knew could exist in such a loud instrument. In the midst of the playing, Kumiko caught sight of Reina, a chair or two from the end, near the back. Kumiko found herself smiling to herself; seeing Reina with such a concentrated expression was strangely endearing.

Soon, the piece ended as soon as it began, and the crowd erupted into applause. Kumiko clapped along, taking her eyes off Reina just for a bit to sweep over the rest of the band before coming back to her. When she did, she noticed Reina staring at her. Kumiko’s heart nearly stopped, but that didn’t stop the small smile growing on her face as she slowly raised a hand in greeting. She was too far away to clearly tell, but she swore she saw Reina smile before turning back to the conductor with a placid expression.

The rest of the concert went in a breeze. There was a march, a waltz, a hymn, and other genres of music that Kumiko never knew existed. But all the while, she found herself enjoying every one of them, relishing in the way the band swelled and ebbed, like the ocean’s waves. Every phrase was a sentence without words, each chord a bold declaration, no matter how loud or how soft it was. It took Kumiko aback, on how so many people could come together to create something beautiful together, like individual flowers creating a picturesque garden.

Then, Reina suddenly stood. Kumiko’s eyes automatically flitted to hers just before she began her solo. It was just as beautiful as the first time Kumiko first heard it. It was delicate, yet held conviction; soft, yet audacious.

It was a beautiful song for a beautiful girl, Kumiko thought to herself.

Reina’s solo ended, and she sat back down, the rest of the band cutting off as she did so. The conductor lowered his arms before turning to the crowd. As he bowed, the audience erupted into applause, and on instinct, Kumiko rose to her feet, carrying the carnations in the crook of her arm. A huge grin was plastered on her face as she caught Reina’s eyes.

This time, Reina grinned back.

-X-

The post-concert crowds were always hectic. Whenever a concert ended, Reina always made a conscious effort to avoid the people.

But this time was different.

With stargazer lilies in hand, Reina meandered through the crowd, looking for Taki. She finally caught sight of him near the theater entrance, surprisingly alone. She took her chance and rushed towards him, making sure the lilies weren’t harmed in any way.

“Taki-sensei!” She called out. Taki looked up and greeted her with the warmest smile imaginable.

“Kousaka-san,” he said with a brief nod of acknowledgement. “Wonderful job tonight. Your solo was outstanding. Perfect, I daresay.”

Reina could feel her cheeks flushing with pride. “Th-thank you,” she stammered.

“Is there…something you want from me?” Taki asked, his eyes taking a quick glance at the lilies.

“A-ah, right.” Reina cleared her throat and held out the bouquet. “For you.”

“Thank you,” Taki graciously replied, taking the bouquet from Reina’s hands with care. “Stargazer lilies are an interesting choice.”

“It’s to wish you prosperity and wealth,” Reina explained, thinking back to Kumiko’s explanation. “And a sign of how much everyone in Kitauji admires you.”

Taki gave a slight bow of his head. “Thank you. I am truly humbled.” He suddenly straightened when he heard someone call his name. “If you’ll excuse me,” he muttered. Reina gave a nod, and he rushed off.

“Reina.”

Reina bit the inside of her cheek to prevent herself from smiling as she turned around. Sure enough, Kumiko was there, holding that simple bouquet of carnations in her hand.

“You made it,” Reina commented. She could hear her happiness leaking into her tone.

“Wouldn’t want to miss it,” Kumiko said with a chuckle Reina dared to describe as nervous. “You, mm, look good.”

“It’s nothing special,” Reina said, shaking her head. It really wasn’t—it just a simple black dress with a white cardigan. But she couldn’t deny that hearing Kumiko complimenting her made her feel, well, good. “But you, on the other hand, look good.”

Kumiko’s cheeks instantly turned red as she fiddled with the edge of her floral-patterned blouse. Accompanied with a skirt (something that Reina thought she would never see) that flared around her knees as well as the sneakers she wore on the night of their cliffside meeting, Kumiko had a refined, yet casual air around her.

Reina found herself smiling again. Kumiko needed to stop being so adorable.

“A-anyways”—Kumiko cleared her throat—”these are for you.” She held out the bouquet, and Reina took the flowers, her smile never fading.

“Thank you. Oh, you got me…carnations?” Reina looked up to see Kumiko doing her best to avoid eye contact. “And the light-pink ones, too.”

Kumiko’s face went from red to burgundy in less than a millisecond. “Th-that doesn’t bother you, right?” She asked the ground.

“No, the gesture is sweet,” Reina said, her voice much quieter than she had anticipated. “Thank you.”

An uncomfortable silence settled between the two. A breeze blew past, carrying with it the scent of the carnations and lilies. Reina scrutinized her flowers, admiring the way the petals came together, making them look like little, pink clouds. It was only then did she realize something.

“There are only three,” Reina pointed out.

Kumiko made a noise that was a cross between a squeal and a squawk. “Y-yeah,” she said.

“Why’s that?”

“E-erm, sometimes the amount of flowers have a meaning. It usually applies to roses, because of the, uh, r-romantic context.” Kumiko cleared her throat, and Reina could see Kumiko shifting her weight between her feet.

“Is that so?”

“Y-yeah.”

“Then,” Reina began, taking a glance at the carnations she held, “what does three flowers mean?”

“It’s supposed to make a three-word phrase,” was all Kumiko said.

But that was all Reina needed to hear. Suddenly, her face was just as red as Kumiko’s. Her heart was ramming itself into her ribcage, and her temperature skyrocketed to scalding heights.

“S-so”—Reina had to pause to clear her throat—”does this mean that you…?”

Kumiko looked up, face completely red and lips curled into an adorable, lopsided smile. “Well, it’s not love if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Reina blinked and frowned, confused. “Then what is it?”

Kumiko rubbed the back of her neck, looking off to the side. “I’m…not sure. I know it can’t be love—it’s too early for that. But, you know, there’s something there. Like, a favorite song I never knew existed. Something like that.” She laughed shakily. “I’m probably not making any sense, am I?”

“No, not really,” Reina said with a laugh, “but I think I understand what you’re trying to say. I get that feeling with you, too.”

“R-really?” Kumiko asked, her voice cracking with surprise.

“Really.”

“So, uh, what does this make us?” Kumiko asked, resuming to shift her weight between her feet.

“I’m not sure, but”—Reina’s smile turned into a grin—”we can start off as friends.”

“Yeah,” Kumiko said as she returned Reina’s grin. “That sounds good.”

As Reina and Kumiko decided to walk to the front together, Reina had the audacity to wonder if this was how love between two people started.

Whatever it was, Reina was sure she would enjoy it with Kumiko by her side.

my failed attempt at a flower shop au, but i tried. i hope you enjoyed this story; i honestly had a great time writing it (mainly because i actually got motivation for it and managed to finish it within the span of three days). their development seemed rushed as i edited it, but i decided to leave it as it was - young love, you know? getting all riled up after finally talking to that pretty stranger only to have them talk back to you is almost every teenage girl's fantasy. i let them live theirs.

and yes, there was implied haruasukaori. i love my ot3 third-years with a burning passion.

thanks for reading.