Between the pages

Chapter 15 Red Rose Petals

~ His Pov ~ 

I stood behind the counter, staring at the clock as time seemed to drag on. I hated every minute of it, especially knowing that she was so far away.

Three days. It's been three days since I last saw her. I've texted her and called whenever I could, but there's this nagging feeling in me that just won't go away. This constant worry.

"Hey, are you alright?"

I snapped back to reality, meeting the concerned gaze of one of my co-workers. He sighed and glanced over at the usual seat Y/N would sit in. It had been empty for days, a silent reminder of her absence. No one else sat there. It had become an unspoken rule in the shop.

He turned back to me, his expression softening. "Is this still about her?"

I gave a small nod, not bothering to hide the truth. "Yeah... still thinking about her."

I continued making the coffee, but my mind wasn't really there. It kept drifting back to her. How was she doing? Was she okay? Despite everything, she always smiled, and I couldn't help but wonder how she was managing. It clouded my thoughts as I mechanically carried out the motions of my work.

"Still busy?"

"Yeah, sorry."

"That's alright. Take your time, visit when you can."

I pulled out my phone and glanced at the last text she sent me. Two hours had passed, and still no response. Maybe I was just overthinking it. She could just be busy, or maybe she just needed space. She still had time, right?

I sighed, focusing on the last few minutes of my shift. Four hours and then I could finally go.

I kept checking the clock, counting down the minutes until 7 p.m., when my shift would finally be over.

I didn't tell her I'd be visiting because I didn't want to get her hopes up. I didn't want to disappoint her if something came up.

The clock ticked on, the second hand moving so slowly, yet my impatience grew with each passing minute. It's been three days. Three days without seeing her, and I just wanted to be there.

—-----------—

With only thirty minutes left, my co-worker noticed my restlessness.

"Hey, uh, Giyu, you can go ahead now if you want. I'll cover the rest of your shift."

I blinked, surprised. "You're serious?"

"I said yes. Go. I've got this."

I didn't waste another second. I sprinted to the locker room, changed quickly, and came back out. My co-worker smiled and handed me a paper bag.

"Don't forget to give this to her," he said.

I smiled gratefully, taking the bag, and rushed out the door.

Walking down the street, I passed a flower vendor and decided to pick up a small bouquet of white and red roses. The bouquet was simple but elegant—clusters of pure white roses with delicate red edges, their petals soft and velvety. A few sprigs of green foliage balanced the colors, giving the bouquet a natural, unassuming beauty. I thought she'd like them.

My smile widened as I looked at the flowers and the paper bag in my hands. As I walked, I was tempted to text her, but it felt better as a surprise. Still, I couldn't resist.

"Hey, Y/N, just finished my shift. I'm gonna come over."

—-----------—

When I arrived at the place, I checked in at the front desk, as usual, and made my way up to her room. I knocked three times and waited a few seconds before letting myself in.

The room was dimly lit, only a small light keeping the space visible. I looked over at the desk where her notebook sat, untouched. I set the flowers and paper bag on the chair before switching on the lights.

"Lucine! Hey, buddy," I called, gently patting the sweet pup.

As I leaned down, I noticed something strange. Lucine was holding something in his mouth. I held my hand out and, without hesitation, he dropped it into my palm.

It was... a red rose petal?

I furrowed my brow, confused, but before I could think further, I heard the unmistakable sound of coughing coming from the bathroom.

I rushed over, my heart racing as I opened the door.

"Y/N?" My voice faltered as I saw her standing in front of the sink. The sink had a few rose petals scattered in it, and there was a faint trail of blood on her lips.

"O-Oi! Y/N... what happened?!" I rushed to her side, my concern growing.

She wiped her mouth with a trembling hand, her fingers brushing away the blood as she tried to muster a smile. But her eyes, dull and clouded with something I couldn't name, told a different story—one of pain and fear she was desperately trying to hide. "I'm fine... really," she whispered, though the words felt fragile, as if she herself didn't believe them.

"How are you fine?!" I practically shouted, unable to hide the panic in my voice.

She gave me a small, strained smile, but it didn't reach her eyes—her gaze was clouded with something I couldn't place. "I promise... I'm fine," she said softly, her voice wavering just slightly as if the reassurance she was trying to offer was more for her than for me.

My stomach twisted as I held her, unsure of what to do. The sight of the blood mixed with the petals... it didn't make sense.

"I'll get a doctor-"

"No, don't," she interrupted, shaking her head. "I'm really fine. Please, don't worry."

I didn't know what to say. I was scared—hell, terrified—but for some reason, part of me held back from calling for help. Something told me to just stay with her.

I guided her to the bed, and we sat in silence. The tension between us was thick, suffocating.

Lucine hopped up onto the bed, curling into her lap, his tail wagging contentedly as if nothing was wrong at all. I couldn't bring myself to look at her; instead, I stared down at my feet, the weight of the silence pressing in on me.

"I promise I'm fine," she repeated, but the tremor in her voice betrayed the words, and I could feel the doubt hanging in the air between us.

"You're not fine," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You were coughing up rose petals and blood."

She didn't respond right away. Her lips formed a small frown, and she sighed, offering me one last smile that only seemed to make things worse.

"I really am, Giyu," she said softly. "So please... don't worry."

I looked at her, my fists clenched at my sides, feeling helpless. How was I supposed to not worry? Everything about this felt wrong.

"How do you expect me to do that?" My voice cracked, emotions threatening to spill over.

She gave a small, knowing smile before standing up from the bed. She walked to the desk and closed the notebook before pulling something from the drawer of the nightstand.

"There's something I haven't told you... something I should've told you."

She took a steadying breath, her eyes flicking briefly to the floor before meeting mine. Her movements were slow and deliberate, as if each one weighed her down. When she turned back toward me, she held a folded piece of paper in her hands.

I took the paper slowly, my heart pounding in my chest as I unfolded it. The edges of the paper felt too sharp against my fingertips, the weight of the moment pressing down on me. Every part of me wanted to resist, to put it back, but I couldn't stop myself. Something inside me needed to know what was written there.