A Fire that once was singing Gold

The First Meeting

'Ikebukuro is such a bustling and lively place'. Kikuta thought while glancing around, holding his suitcase tightly. He exhaled slowly before began walking in a steady pace, watching his footsteps carefully, not wanting to cause a scene on his first day, especially when he needs to have a good reputation to keep his flower shop going. 

He arrives in the morning at nine o'clock AM. Better three hours too soon than a minute too late. Besides, he didn't sleep the entire trip because he was simply just too nervous to meet the new people and adapt to the foreign atmosphere once the plane landed. Every steps he took felt so heavy until the sight of his shop started to appear did he finally relax. 'There it is'

Despite the happiness and excitement coursing through his veins, he walked slowly towards it. Seeing the decorations and the boxes are already in there, he realized that if he had to do this faster, a helping hand is what he needs. Though he can do this on his own, he can't help but frown at the thought of any accidents that could happen and no one wants that, if his uncle hears about that, he would hear the scolding all day. 

So absorbed in his own mind, he didn't notice someone was approaching him. "Are you new here, youngster?"

Startled, he turned around on instinct and saw an old woman smiling gently at him. "Ah, y-yes, I just moved here from the countryside"

She hummed and looked at his shop for a second. "I saw you standing here, looking in thoughts, so I wondered if I could help you by any chance, considering the state your shop's in, yes?"

"Well, I only need one person to help me carry things and stuff since I wanted this to be done with so I can open the shop earlier than ever. Do you know anyone around here that could do it, ma'am?". He asked.

A chuckle and a nod, she answered him with a smile. "Yes, there is, three to be exact. Don't worry, they're really efficient, especially the oldest. My grandson has their contact information, let me call him, just wait here, alright?"

He nods and smiles widely. "Thank you so much!"

After a while, the old woman hands out a paper to him and says. "This small paper has their phone number". Kikuta bows to her in thanks and accepts the card. In hopes of them answering his call, he quickly dials the number. The ringing continues for seconds until it stops, an excited voice comes through it. "Odd-Jobs Yamada speaking, what do you need help with?"

"Ah, can you help me with moving some stuff? I need to prepare my flower shop on the first day"

"Sure! When and where will we meet?"

"Um, is eight-thirty in the morning tomorrow okay? My flower shop is near the Oto No Ha Café". He asked with caution.

"Of course! I will be there as soon as possible! If you need any more help, feel free to ask, goodbye!"

"G-Goodbye"

He stood there in silence, processing the situation and staring blankly at the distance. 'That person was speaking so fast'

'Nevermind, I have to find my new house first'

On the road, he keeps admiring all the kinds of shops and takes note of it in case  he needs the necessities from there to the point he has lost the time. Ultimately, he arrives at his new home in the afternoon and takes a look around once he's stepping  inside. 'Looks comfortable enough'

He decides to tidy up his room and when he is finally done, he sprawls on his medium-sized bed and sighs. 'Eight-thirty tomorrow...I wonder what that person looks like'

The morning after, at six-thirty o'clock, Kikuta woke up tiredly, his sight is blurry, soon it clears up and he realizes that he was asleep the whole yesterday. 'Can't believe I'm that tired'

He sits up, scrubs his eyes and yawns. "Good morning to me, time for a new day"

Suddenly, his phone rings loudly, what appears on the screen is his uncle's name, Oyata Asuma. 'Ah, right, I forgot to tell him that I've arrived already'

No time to lose, he picks up the phone and taps the accept call icon. "Good morning, uncle Asu"

A grunt could be heard and he braced for the nagging. "Good morning to you too, Yuka. What were you doing so busy yesterday that you forgot to call me back? Didn't I remind you that when you're already there, you should do it immediately?"

"I'm sorry, uncle. I was just so tired, I...ended up sleeping the whole day"

His uncle sighs and there's a hint of relief in it. "I'm glad that you didn't run into any trouble on your first day, what are you going to do now?"

"Well, I was just waking up so i haven't done anything yet, though I also have plans to meet someone to help me with moving the stuff for the shop"

"Good, good. Remember to call me and your aunt back once in a while, alright?"

"Uncle, we can just text". Yuka chuckles awkwardly.

"Right, I forgot". He can imagine his uncle rubbing his head right now. "Have a good life out there, Yuka"

"Yes, uncle Asu". The call cuts off at that. His uncle has always been like this, worrying a lot over his health and future, after his mother's death, uncle Asuma had been taking care of him since he was fifteen. Now he's twenty-two.

As he is thinking, he brushes his teeth and washes his face, have to keep up a clean image in front of someone that he hasn't met before. One hour and thirty minutes left, enough time to make breakfast, yesterday, he bought a lot of ingredients 'cause he was so invested and wanted to try some food that was not in his hometown, Iga.

Afterwards, he steps out of his house, never forgets to bring his precious phone that his aunt had bought for him on his 18th birthday. 'Alright, let's go meet them!'

Kikuta Yuka, soon-to-be florist, is walking in a steady space with no burdens on his mind and shoulders, feels the morning sun burning onto his face with its gaze, eventually, stops at his flower shop, Dynamics. 'Huh, they're not here yet?'

Right after he thought that the person he was supposed to meet is not here, hurry footsteps could be heard from afar, he turned towards the sound and noticed someone is sprinting straight at him, before he could process to dodge, the other stopped and waved at him. "Hello! Were you the one who called me yesterday?"

Black hair, heterochromia eyes, one green and one red, same height as him, if not a little shorter, looks like an energetic and determined person based on his confident body language and bright personality, there is a mole under his red eye and rings on his middle fingers, thought he looks pretty young, at least younger than him. A charming person, he concluded. Roses or red chrysanthemum flowers would look beautiful on him, really fitting with the meaning, too. 

Love and passion.

He has had this habit a long time ago, when he was seven or eight, his mother would take him to look at the flowers she grew herself, talking about how every person has their own flower symbols and meanings, she keeps doing that 'till she passed away, leaving him with only her garden to tend to. He would analyze them and concluded what kind of flowers that fit them the most.

Huh, the old lady yesterday also looks good with the peonies if her gentle and graceful personality is anything to go by. She has an aura of calm and tranquility to her, too. He will gift her those when he has time to repay her kindness. 

"Yes, I was. Thanks for coming to help me. May I ask your name, sir?"

"Ah, please don't call me sir, you're too polite! And no problems, we always try our best to help the people in need. My name is Yamada Ichiro, what's yours?". Ichiro smiles.

"Kikuta Yuka". Unconsciously, he does the same.

And this is the start of their relationship.