The sweet aroma tickled his nose and he scrunched to sniff the honey scent. His eyes slowly open to the warm hue of orange that escaped through the window. And he yelped awake when he found a face very close to his own.
"Ahh!!!"
"He's awake, Ane." The girl shouted and disappeared to the other room. Million cards ran through his mind. Where am I? who was she? How did I get here?
Raigen looked around and found himself in a small but comfortable bed. He then looked at himself.
My clothes...my phone..."AHHHHH!!!!"
his scream caused the birds to fly away.
. . .
"So, I fainted? And you had to bring me here?" Raigen asked sitting in the seiza posture. At front, were two beautiful maiden's sitting in the same posture, out of respect.
His eyes recognized Risa right away but it was the first time, seeing her with a bed hair and a pajama.
So cute!
Raigen swallowed the urge to squeal at the bliss in front of him. Aside from the merry weather and cozy scent, the sight was the cherry on top. While next to her was a small little girl – whom Raigen confirmed to be Risa's little sister.
"I'm sorry, I had no way to bring you to the hospital." Risa apologized, looking down in guilt. The last bus had left and because of the heavy rain, she could only think of shelter first.
"Ah! No! No! it's totally fine. If anything, it should be me, apologizing to you." And he bowed down to show his sincere apology. And secretly thanking the angels for these turns of events.
"It's alright. I prepared porridge; would you like to eat?" Risa asked with a smile.
Suddenly the records of sweet domestic life with Risa played inside the tape of his mind. Her soft flocks, fresh out of the bath. The wet towel caressing her mane and the soft scream spread on the tip of her nose.
Subconsciously, his lips curved into a grin as he daydreamed.
"Eww. Ane, he's probably thinking something pervy." Said the little sister.
"Hima-chan!" Risa scolded and little Himari escaped to the kitchen; before the pervert brother could finish the porridge on his own.
"Please don't mind her. She's like that with strangers."
Raigen immediately wiped away the grin.
"Ah! No! no! it's fine. I shouldn't disturb you anymore. If I could just find my phone –"
"Here!" Risa handed him the phone, "It had gotten wet, I'm not sure if it's working anymore or not." To protect his privacy, she didn't dare touch the phone but put it in the rice in attempt to save the phone.
"I see." Raigen checked his phone and despite Risa's efforts it expired.
"You can use my phone to tell your parents about your whereabouts. I'm sure they must be worried."
Raigen was sure, Eiji would have come with a flawless excuse to keep his parents from worrying but he didn't think it was wise to let go of this rare opportunity to get Risa's number, so, he accepted.
"Ah! They must be worried sick! My mom must be a crying mess. I must call them immediately." He faked panic and dialed Eiji's number.
"Fukuda Residence, who am I speaking to?"
"Eiji!"
"Young master?! Where have you been?!"
"Ah it's a long story but right now I'm at Risa's house."
"So, it seems your confession was a success."
Eh confession?
And the thunder struck as he recalled how he directly proposed to Risa last night
'Marry me!'
He felt his skull going numb recalling the storm he brewed the previous night.
"Umm..Ah..so, I am going to share my location, come pick me up." He instantly cut the call and handed over the phone.
"T-thank you! M-my friend would come pick me up s-soon."
"Mn. No problem. But...are you alright? You are sweating a lot?" Risa asked with visible concern.
He was not okay. Existential crises hit him harder than the cover of the thickest book; where he skipped through many pages and jumped straight to the proposal chapter.
"Y-yea I'm alright."
"If you say so."
Risa examined him a little and decided to give him space. She contemplated for a while and carried,
"Umm...about last night –"
. . .
Inside the car, the master-butler duo was staring at the Risa dropping her sister to the grade school.
"So, you proposed to her and when she confronted you about it, you ran away?"
Raigen whimpered a groan. Yes, he ran away – in the pink strawberry pajama.
"I had no idea, my young master was without a spine."
"Eyes on the road." Raigen complained. Risa was already on the move from the grade school. After making sure, she reached her university safe, the car departure for the hospital.
"It can't be that your fever made you weak-willed?"
"I wish." Raigen whined. He buried himself in the seat, not wanting to answer any more questions. But Eiji kept on inquiring.
"Did you get scared, young master?"
Fear?
If Raigen was being honest then yes. He had gotten afraid. The unexpected visit to her house revealed that Raigen knew nothing about Risa.
Where are her parents? Why was she living in such a small condo? Does she even get to sleep in that tiny futon? Who is Risa?
"Do you think she would up and marry a random stranger out of nowhere?" Raigen let out in a defeated voice.
Just like how he doesn't know much about her, would she welcome the mystery in her life?
"Precisely young master. I'm afraid you took a big leap back there."
"Stop reminding me of that." Raigen rolled his eyes.
"Apologies young master, but considering the pace you're taking, Mrs. Fukuda would be playing with your grandchildren."
"Shut it, will ya." Eiji scolded. "Ah! That's right, so, how did you cancel the marriage meeting?"
Knowing his mother, she must have caused a big scene. Moreover, the family she was going to set a blind date with are very fortunate people. Canceling such meeting must have been harder than moving a mountain.
"It hadn't been cancelled." Eiji informed with his stoic face.
"Eh?"
"Rather it had been postponed to today."
"Ehhhhhhhh????"
The butler drove the still screaming Raigen to the hospital before he lose his remaining bills.
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Sorry for errors and thank you for reading.
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The Five Petals
RomansaIt's a story about five little flowers, that basked in the heat of love. . . . The story and characters are all original.