The Yakuza's flower

Wrong place wrong time

Ume's POV

I haven't been able to see Hanayama lately.

Training with Retsu has been brutal—he's been pushing me harder than ever, drilling me on offense until my body feels like it's going to give out. On top of that, work has been exhausting, and whenever I do get a moment to breathe, it never seems to line up with Hanayama's schedule.

I miss him. We talk on the phone sometimes, but it's not enough.

I've also been meaning to hang out with Kozue, but between training, work, and whatever little time I can get with Hanayama, my schedule has been a mess.

Today, the café was especially busy, and I was dying for my fifteen-minute break. I sat in the back with my coworker, Rukia, trying to shake off my exhaustion when she suddenly let out a dramatic groan.

"Ugh!!! My life is so boring!!! UME!!! I'm bored with my life!!"

I snorted, shaking my head as she pouted like a child.

"Why don't you go out with friends?" I suggested.

"I have no friends," she fake-cried, wiping imaginary tears.

"Liar." I teased, laughing.

"Then come out dancing with me tonight! You can invite some friends too!" She brightened up, hope shining in her eyes.

I hesitated. It had been forever since I went out dancing—something I used to love doing. And honestly? I needed a break. I hadn't spent much time with Kozue lately, so this could be a good excuse to catch up.

"Okay," I agreed, nodding. "But I'm inviting my friend Kozue. That cool with you?"

"Yay!! So tonight at midnight, we're heading out!" Rukia cheered before rushing back to the front of the café.

I pulled out my phone and texted Hanayama:
|"Hey, I won't be able to meet up tonight. I made plans with Kozue."|

I only mentioned Kozue—because he knows how she is. If I mentioned I was going out dancing, I knew exactly how he'd react.

I sent another text to Kozue about our plans and told her we'd meet up to go shopping before heading out. Then, I stuffed my phone back in my pocket and returned to work.

Later That Evening After my shift ended, I met up with Kozue at the mall. The moment she saw me, she threw her arms around me dramatically.

"Oh my god, I missed you!" she wailed.
I laughed and hugged her back—maybe a little too tightly.

"Okay! Too tight, Ume! Let go!" she gasped.

"Sorry..." I quickly released her.

"Jeez, you and Baki are going to break me one day," she joked, rubbing her ribs.

I giggled before apologizing again.

As we started browsing, I casually asked, "Does Baki know you're going out tonight?"
"Yeah," she sighed, flipping through a clothing rack. "But he doesn't really care what I do right now. He's too focused on training." She said it with a forced smile, but I knew her too well.

Baki getting lost in his training always made her feel lonely, even if she tried to hide it.

Funny. Because lately, I've been feeling the same way.

Hanayama has been busy himself, and I miss him. Even though we talk on the phone, it's not enough.

Anyway

We wandered through five different stores before Kozue finally found a dress she liked, along with some matching heels.

I told her I wasn't planning on buying anything—I'd just wear the dress Hanayama got me.