Emerald Leaf

Graveyard Flower

Over the past few weeks, I'd gotten used to living with Sumire and I was grateful to her for taking in a random girl–even if it was just because she wanted a little help around the shop. Sumire worked me for my stay. She told me she had one sister, by the name of Hikari Yayoi, and often spoke of her with high regard, leaving me wondering if that woman was as nice as Sumire had described her to be.

Sumire taught me the language of flowers, the art of flower arrangement, and how to make a bouquet to communicate what you wanted to say. What I really loved about her shop was how it was a burst of colors; of flowers of blue, purple, pink and so many more. All the flowers that wilted, sprang to life at my touch. And sometimes I swore I could hear the plants talking, mere whispers on the wind.

"Are you sure about this?" Sumire asked, a pair of scissors in her hand.

"Yep," I said, as I untied my ponytail, letting my hair down.

Sumire frowned slightly, but then shrugged, walking behind me. I heard the gentle snip, snip, snip of the scissors as she cut my hair down to my shoulders.

"I feel better," I said, touching my now short sandy hair. "Thanks."

Sumire smiled and then looked around. The shop was usually quiet around this time, but we did get a lot of customers. There was a certain man who came by to buy flowers everyday for his wife. Other people came by once in a while: for a marriage, for a birthday, for anything really. You didn't necessarily need a reason to give someone flowers.

"Aki, why don't you take a break? Don't wander too far and get lost though."

"Alright!"

I walked out of the flower shop and wondered if it would be a good idea to go deeper into the city, and then I backtracked seeing all the tall buildings and roads. I was worried I would lose my way in a city as bustling and large as this one. Instead I headed back to the park, the only path I was actually familiar with.

There was someone else at the park, who I may not have bothered to take an interest in if it weren't for the fact that he was poking around awfully close to the tree. His white hair sparkled in the sun, as I grabbed him by the back of his jacket and pulled him back before the tunnel opened up again.

"Huh?" he asked, looking at me.

"Please don't get too close to this tree."

He smiled as his lime green eyes lit up with interest, "Is there a particular reason why?"

"Not particularly," I said, hoping his curiosity wouldn't get him into trouble.

"Shun!" Another voice called out.

Shun and I both turned to look at who had spoken.

"Kai," Shun responded. So his name is Kai, I thought, noting the sea blue eyes and gingerbread colored hair.

"Did you find anything?" Kai asked, stopping and smiling at me strangely, as I gave him an awkward smile back. "You look like someone I know."

I blinked and nodded, wondering who that might be.

"Not yet," Shun said, looking around. "Let's keep looking."

"Is there something you're searching for?" I asked, unconsciously placing myself between them and the tree.

"Blue irises," said Kai, as he brushed a leaf from my hair. "To leave at a grave."

"You won't find them at the park," I said, recalling seeing them at our shop. "We sell them at our shop though, would you like to buy them?" I asked.