ROADSIDE FLOWERS ( t. kageyama )

xviii. the moon

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roadside flowers.
chapter 18: the moon
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sometimes, i think about my name.

teruko; shining child, bright child.

they say that children are wishes and the name of a child reflects their parents' wish. i think my parents named me teruko because they wished for me to be bright, to be brilliant.

sometimes, i feel sorry for disappointing them.

"teru, stop staring at the photographs again," mai calls me from the doorway. she's still in her pajamas, some of her bed head sticking out in different directions. mother is probably not joining us for breakfast. she'd never permit mai to look so unkempt. "it's breakfast, dummy."

"that smells good," aichiro comments from behind me, passing me as he makes his way toward the table.

"i know right!" mai agrees with a cheer. "it's the banana chocolate cake eniko was making last night."

"hurry up teru!" she yells before she disappears into the kitchen. i take one last look at the framed photograph of our family, looking at my face. i am neither a bright nor shining child.

(and somehow, i am okay with that.)

"banana's your favorite, isn't it aichi?" i hear mei ask as i enter the kitchen. she's carrying a kettle toward the countertop. she's in her favorite midi skirt and long sleeves, composed unlike her rambunctious twin.

"i see..." mai says to herself. "this must be eniko's surprise. the one i told you last night."

"in the first place, you shouldn't have told aichi that mai, eniko was pissed last night. she was in the middle of making it when you dragged aichi and teru over."

"i can't help it," mai explains as she takes a bite of the cake. a hum of delight escapes from her lips as the cake melts in her mouth. "i'm bad at keeping secrets."

"is tea in the morning healthy, teruko?" mei asks me when she sees how i pour myself a cup of green tea.

i place the teapot back on the table. "i-i'm not certain..." i answer and turn to mai for help, but she just rolls her shoulders back dismissively. my attention returns to mei. "why do you ask?"

mei takes a portion of the cake. there are little crumbs on chocolate left on her upper lip and i gesture to it before she can answer my query. her voice is soft like cotton candy and it just melts in your ears. of the twins, mei is akin to the serene evening, while mai is the blazing afternoon. "well, it was the only question i can think of."

"that's a pathetic train of thought, mei," mai butts in after she takes another bite of the cake. she has such a smug look in her face that it's demeaning, but i don't call her out for many reasons. one is that it's a pointless endeavor, and another is aichi's presence. he is older than me so if he's not stopping it, then maybe i shouldn't too.

mei's facial features don't change. she doesn't display a single shred of irritation at the obnoxious behaviour of her twin sister. instead, she slices her cake with her fork and speaks in a challenging tone. "then, what do you think is the reason?"

i heave a sigh. why must they always fight over the pettiest of things? if it was any other person, mei would back down and apologize, but when it comes to her hurricane of a twin, she is equally untameable.

mai displays another smug smirk. "easy," she says, crossing her shoulders over her chest. "because it harmonizes with the flavor. the mellow taste of the tea combined with the rich chocolate and banana." mai moves her gaze to me. "right, teru?"