The Yakuza's flower

Not Together

Kozue POV

Several weeks had passed since what happened that Saturday night.

Life had pretty much gone back to normal.

Well...

Mostly.

There was just one little problem.

Hanayama.

I kept seeing him.

A lot.

And I mean...

A lot.

It was honestly starting to freak me out.

Every time Ume and I were supposed to be hanging out...

Somehow...

Some way...

Hanayama would magically appear.

Coincidence?

Maybe.

Did I believe that?

Absolutely not.

Now, before anyone gets the wrong idea—

I'm not jealous.
I just don't want my best friend around that big fat jerk!

Anyway

Lately, I'd even started noticing little things.

The way Ume smiled when she saw him.

The way he'd actually wave back now instead of just nodding.

The fact that they could stand there talking without it being awkward.

...

Hold on.

Were they...

Getting comfortable with each other?

...

No way.

...

Were they dating?

...

No.

No, no, no.

That couldn't be it.

Right?

One afternoon, Ume and I were walking to the grocery store together.

She was happily telling me some story from work.

"...and then Dr. Shinogi looked at me and said—"

I wasn't listening anymore.

Something had caught my eye.

Across the street...

Hanayama.

Several men in dark suits walked a respectful distance behind him.

Even from here, they looked intimidating.

I stared.

He noticed.

Without saying a word, Hanayama lifted one hand slightly.

The suited men immediately scattered in different directions, leaving him by himself.

Then...

He started walking toward us.

We greeted Hanayama, and he greeted us with a small nod.

Almost immediately, I noticed Ume's expression brighten.

It was subtle.

But it was there.