LIKE A WILD SUNFLOWER

Chapter 2: The Plan

After contemplating in his library yesterday, Tobio made a plan. That plan was to ignore the princess at all cost. He promised his brother not to do any reckless things and ignoring her is not reckless at all right? She will feel alone and decide to stop the engagement right after and he can have his freedom once again! 'Yes this is a good plan.'

It was still early in the morning and he doesn't have anything to do. He went to the kitchen to grab some food to start his day. He knew who was in charge in the kitchen today so he sneaked in right away.

"Well! look who's the thief here so early in the morning?" someone shouted without looking behind her back.

"Good morning to you too Kunimi! Where's Kindaichi? I thought he was here with you, you lovey dovey lovebirds." Tobio teased his friend.

"Shut up Tobio or else I won't give you your warm milk!" it made Tobio silent. 'So, it still works until now huh, silly Tobio.'  Kunimi noted.

While Tobio was enjoying his breakfast, his bestfriend came around and teased him about the right time to get married and he was also old enough to have a bride. He scoffed and focus back to his eggs and bacon.

"Tobio, I heard the princess was such a beauty. Is it true? Well, no one is more beautiful than my beautiful Kunimi though." Kindaichi asked and bragged at the same time.

He doesn't know what to say, Hinata was not ugly at all but he can't say that she was beautiful too. He just shrugged and muttered a word 'Hm, yeah?'

"Hey mister! You can't just shrugged and said 'hm, yeah' to a person. If she heard you talking like that she will definitely won't marry you idiot. And don't look at me like that, I can say what I want to say because I am your friend and you listen to me!" yelled Kunimi.

"Why would she be angry about that? I only met her twice and to be honest I don't know her Kunimi. If she withdraws from our engagement then so be it. I don't care and I won't care." he was shocked from all the words he said and went silent.

"So be it huh? The hell was that? Just because your parents was the one who planned all this you shouldn't blame the princess for it. Did you really think she likes all of this? To marry someone like you instead of someone she loves? Tobio, she also doesn't have a choice just like you, she travels from her kingdom to here just to see her husband to be and here you are blabbering about her withdrawing the engagement if she can she did it before she came here for pete's sake. I hope you watch the words you said young man. You may hurt someone with that thoughtless word you're saying." Kunimi snapped and walked outside to deliver the breakfast for the princess of Karasuno.

"Uhm, sorry for that Tobio but Kunimi was right. Of course as your friend I want you to be happy okay? So cheer up! Finish your breakfast and I will walk you to where General Tanaka is." Kindaichi patted his back and waited for him silently outside the kitchen.

He knew what he said was wrong, but it was also the truth. He will talked to Kunimi after his lesson. Just like what Kindaichi said, he walked him to the open area where General Tanaka waited for him to start his morning sword practice. Tanaka was an excellent fighter especially in sword fight or in physical combat. And that what makes Tobio respect the general for he wants to become stronger like his brother and also to rule the kingdom with him. The sun shines its fullness indicating that it is almost lunch time and he still needs to talk to Kunimi and apologize.

"Tanaka-san can I have my leave early today? I have something to do. Important matter." he stuttered a bit.

"Of course you can Tobio and we are done for today. Please say my regards to the princess wil'ya?" he teased him but he also walked opposite to where Tobio is going.

Every step he made makes it harder for him to take. Knowing Kunimi well, this will not end in a quick talk. He should apologize to her as soon as possible but he stopped his tracks, he heard voices coming from the kitchen area of course this time of the day there will be many attendants walking in and out of the kitchen to serve food to the dining hall. He wants to see Kunimi but maybe later was the best idea he had.

To kill his time, he went for a stroll at the garden where he can have alone time for himself and to clear his mind. He went directly to the orange tree and lay there staring to nothing in particular. And a slight orange color caught his sight and he remembers one person who has the same hair color as the fruit itself.

'Boke tangerine' he thought and for the first time he didn't realize he was smiling thinking about it.

Someone clears their throat. When he saw it was Kunimi, he sat up and waited for her to sit down beside him.

"An attendant told me she saw you at the kitchen earlier. What's the problem?" she asked.

"Nothing happened really I just want to apologize from what I have said this morning."

"You know, the princess was a kind person. When I went to her chambers to deliver her breakfast she let me in and ate breakfast with her. I don't know what or why you don't like her. But who am I to tell you that, just be her friend Tobio it won't hurt you doing that kind of thing right?"

"I'll try Kunimi. I'll try. So you are now friends with the princess?" he was just curious.

"Yeah, she's a fine lady. We talked a lot and she wants to know you. I bet you will like her too if you just talked to her."

He was always sure what he wants and this is some of the things he is not sure about. To be friendly to a total stranger and out of nowhere to be wed with that said stranger soon. It was all so sudden and he wants to live his life to the fullest and help his brother to run the kingdom. But he just said yes to Kunimi and mumbled that maybe they can be friends at first.

Kunimi was the first one to leave because she has some duties to handle. That leaves him to be alone again.

'She's now friends with Kunimi in just a short amount of time? Just wow, how could she do that to think Kunimi was hard to approach especially when she just saw  or met you. That girl must be something. I want to meet her but that will be breaking my plan in the first place. It is better to have a gap between me and her, it is for our own good too.'

Reading some books was Tobio's favorite pastime especially when he has a lot of time and no royal duties to do. His brother gave him a book about some unsolved mysteries, if he was younger this book will bored him to death but when he read it, it was actually a good book. He indulged himself in reading it again and didn't mind the time.

His first day of ignoring Hinata was a success! He can't believe he did it and she was no where to be seen. He smirked thinking she might be busy doing nothing in her room and maybe a week she will withdraw the engagement and when that time comes he will be ready to be just her friend.

Walking back to his chamber, Tobio saw a mop of orange curls sitting near the small lake. With the help of the moonlight her porcelain white skin and orange curls glows, she was like a goddess looking at the moon above with an empty expression in her face it was like a whole different person from the Hinata he knew who was loud, bubbly, and jolly. The girl was silent and still looking at the moon above without a care then not long enough there were fireflies surrounding her the more Tobio stare at her the more she looks ethereal. No words can discribe what he saw on that night and he kept his mouth close. When he saw Hinata standing up and thought that she might go back to her chamber, he hid himself and waited a couple of minutes to go out and went to his room too.

After changing his sleepwear he plopped down on his soft bed and stared at the ceiling. He was confused if what he saw was Hinata or not. And what did she do there alone? Is his plan working in just one day? If it does then he did the right thing but why did he felt so guilty in ignoring her when he saw her just now? He doesn't know. He will just sleep this feeling tonight and maybe tomorrow he will be okay again.

'I really hope sleep will make everything okay by tomorrow. Wait! I forgot to drink my milk!  Am I that old to forget that precious drink?'  He grabbed his milk from his night stand and drank all the contents, it warms his stomach and immediately he felt sleepy. He lets sleep took over his body.