✔︎ unrequited flowers | nishimura riki

XVIII

this book will end unexpectedly :<

Ayano picks it up, burying her face in the soft material. Ni-Ki's scent overpowers her senses, strong and comforting. The tears come faster, and she starts coughing. The girl slips it over her head, her nose still pressed against the collar, and she coughs harder.

It's then that Ayano realizes the card sitting next to the box. She pulls it out of the envelope, finding the cheesy happy birthday cover endearing, to read what's written inside.

Yano,

Even though I'm not with you on your birthday, I still wanted to give you something. I know it's not much, but I hope you enjoy it. Just know that I'm thinking about you today.

I really am here if you need anything. Always. I wish I could see you today, but I only want what's best for you.

I hope you have an amazing birthday.

I miss you and love you.

Ni-Ki.

The card's stained with tears by the time Ayano's done reading it, her chest on fire. As she chokes on the petals pushed up through her throat, Sunghoon is by her side again after taking a quick shower. By the time she's able to breathe shakily without gagging, she's exhausted, and she falls limp in Sunghoon's arms. Ayano was not aware of when exactly she fell asleep. 

The girl's face feels sore in the morning. It's a strange feeling, but she recognizes that type of soreness well by now. Ayano touches her face with the tip of her fingers, slowly, and on her cheekbone her fingers find something other than her own skin. She feels it around slowly, presses gently, her cheek throbbing lightly like a bruise.

Ayano finds the silky texture of petals, and she feels something rougher touching around the place. She scratches at it, and finds dried blood under her nails, the growth of the flower so sudden and violent it tore her skin open and made the girl bleed in her sleep.

Ayano feels like shit.

She inhales shakily, his heart heavy in his chest. She thinks about Ni-Ki. It's hard to tell if the thought makes her cheek hurt more or if it's just her imagination. She's sure of it now. As Ayano is sure that Ni-Ki doesn't love her. Ayano gets up, because there's nothing for her to do besides get rid of that flower, and then, somehow, get rid of Ni-Ki. With her weak figure, she went to the bathroom. The girl could smell Sunghoon's cooking from outside the room.

She smiled and went to clean herself up.

.

Sunoo and Ni-Ki got married in the 3rd month of November. Ayano and Sunghoon had just watched their wedding video as Ayano couldn't have the courage to face Ni-Ki. Sunoo had called Ayano every single day just to tell how he's feeling. Ni-Ki was doing both attending classes and working a part time job even though his husband is rich. Sunoo was lying in bed as he smiled.

The boy could definitely know that he didn't have much time left.

.

Sunghoon had left for work, still feeling uneasy with the fact that he had to leave Ayano all alone at home. His work was simple, he just had to go up to heaven and send in some reports. Ayano didn't know what it was but knew that it was Sunghoon's job. The male did love Ayano very much. He just wanted to tell that girl that he can treat her so much better. But the situation now is not allowing him to do so.

If he does stay with Ayano, he won't become a guardian angel any more. He'll be more powerful than that, even staying with Ayano up in heaven if it happens. Ayano leaves the bathroom to pick fresh pajamas for herself. She's not leaving the house today, so she needs the perfect outfit to feel depressed under the covers while eating unreasonable amounts of candy and watching a drama. Perhaps an unmatching set, something old and falling apart.

The beeping of his lock coming from the outside freezes Ayano place, in the middle of the apartment, scanning her surroundings for the closest blunt object she can find. The girl knew Sunghoon was not coming back any sooner. The strong knock that comes after the disappointing sound of a wrong password being typed in makes Ayano's heart jump in her chest, and then comes a familiar voice.

"Ayano, why didn't you use the normal password? Do you hate me that much ?!" Ni-Ki sounds impatient, and the beeping starts again. "Open the door." He wasn't supposed to be there, that goes without saying. "Give me a minute," Ayano says instead of going with her other plan of playing dead.

"AYANO CHINEN !!," Ni-Ki calls, knocking on the door repeatedly, with the sole intention of being annoying and waiting to see the girl right there and then, he is not going to leave until he sees her. "Wait a second!" Ayano repeats, louder this time, rushing to her closet to get dressed.

She changes in the bathroom, ignoring the repeated knocking that grows louder as Ni-Ki's voice grows more high pitched and more desperate. She loves Ni-Ki, even now, plastering a band-aid over the hole on her face that he caused.

"What if I was dying? Would you care then ?!" The first thing Ni-Ki says when Ayano finally opens the door. Ayano took a deep breath, looking down. "Come in, Ni-Ki," Ayano is serious as she steps to the side, not in the mood to play along. "I can't, Ayano, I'm dead." Ni-Ki's bickering whenever he's angry surely is funny but now it's different.

Ayano swallows and keeps her head low, keeps her hand on the door, waiting for Ni-Ki to come in. Even by the corner of her eyes, the girl can see when Ni-Ki's posture changes, when he realizes his joke won't land. "Are you ok?'' His voice is full of concern, it's genuine. Ni-Ki loves him, as friends do. He walks in and stands in front of Ayano, just out of the way of the door.

"What happened to your face?"

i'm going to finish this book soon so i can focus on other <3

even though nobody really reads this book, i hope you enjoyed the plot i had written.