CELESTIAL FLOWERS ( s. gojo )

arc i ━ chapter ii. cruelty

a r c  i.
❝ and you love the chains, even when they cast you to the ground. ❞
━━ chapter ii. cruelty

KAZUKO HAS ALWAYS HAD A PENCHANT FOR PICTURE BOOKS. For those stories filled with vibrant illustrations of faraway places. They're mostly catered to young children, but despite being on her teenage years, the drawings of skies and seas will forever make her heart thump in glee. By extension, she also likes travel pamphlets. From actual pictures of pyramids to skyscrapers and geysers, the realness of it all makes her sigh in bliss. Sometimes, she permits herself a few selfish thoughts and wonders what it would be like to visit those places, to wonder at the intricate architecture of pyramids under the sun, be in awe at looming skyscrapers made of glass and watch as a hot gush of water escapes the earth. Someday, the selfish, irrational part of her hopes. Someday.

But deep in her heart and soul, she knows the correct word. The one rooted in rationality. Never. That five letter word that cuts the threads tethering her to doomed aspirations. Koyama Kazuko will forever be chained to Erisu. Will forever be chained to her duties in the Nakano family. She will stay, will sit in one of the comfortable cushions, travel pamphlets in hand and gaze at the sky she will never reach. And will never hope to reach, Kazuko adds. I love it here. I don't need to visit those places when I am by Erisu's side and fulfilling my duties. I don't need to go. Staying is enough.

And yet she traces the outlines of the Eiffel tower with her slender fingers, envisioning herself carrying a paper bag filled with French pastry and looking at the sight with stars sparkling in the background. She flips onto the next page and before she can immerse herself in the photos of Hong Kong, a dark blotch appears in the middle of the paper, damping and ruining it in the process.

Whatever hits it drips to her knees. Cold. Snow. She sets the ruined pamphlet next to her and looks up to see Eri from a distance, a grin on her face. She's making another snowball with her hand.

"Snowball fight!" And chucks another one towards Kazuko's direction.

A sigh. Flakes of snow continue to descend to the ground and another snowball zips past her, splat into the sliding doors leading to the living room where Gojo's munching on one of the sweets the kitchen maids prepared. She was supposed to stay inside, not wanting to be out in the freezing cold, but Erisu wanted to watch the snow fall and someone had to watch over her despite her protests that she could handle herself.

Of course, Kazuko took it upon herself to do the task while Gojo retreated to the comfortable confines of the kotatsu.

Gojo laughs at her when Eri hits her in the forehead. She shuts the door at him. She feels the small sting in her forehead and glances at splotch on her once unblemished pamphlet. Kazuko shouldn't reciprocate. It's unsightly of her, but there's a gnaw of irritation stemming from what Eri did earlier. She at least wanted to finish reading that pamphlet and the way Gojo is laughing at her misfortune isn't helping. She scoops a handful of snow and retaliates.

Eri evades it gracefully, ducking into the fortress she made for herself. Another snowball heads towards Kazuko, but she hides behind a tree. She responds with a weak throw that fails to reach her target.

Erisu laughs. Kazuko smiles. She was a little irritated earlier, but seeing Eri having fun over a trivial event is a cause for happiness. Ever since Gojo came to the Nakano estate for one week and five days, the cult became silent.

Another snowball hits Kazuko in the leg and she feints falling to the ground so she can make a snowball and toss it. The snowball sails over the fort and lands on the top of the Erisu's head.

"Nice shot, Azu," she announces before throwing another snowball.

"Isn't this enough?" Kazuko asks. "We don't want you getting a cold."