Chapter Text
White Camellias and Pink Roses
"Will ya be my friend?"
For a moment, Arashi could hear her thoughts grow silent at the sight of her favorite customer nervously asking for something so simple. It was rather cute in her opinion. But to be honest though, she would've written it off as a little awkward if she didn't know him better.
She knew for a fact that she would've accepted him with open arms into her inner group of friends. There was not a single doubt about it. And besides, he hadn't done anything to her that would've swayed her to reject his sincere request.
But Mika was different.
She knew from his weekly visits that he was shy and self-conscious, but he worked hard.
He was always shying away from the crowd, looking down to avoid people seeing his eyes, and yet he would always come back without fail to complete his task.
Hardworking, beautiful...Arashi would be proud to be his friend, and for him to go this far to ask her so formally was something she considered truly special.
He was trusting her with his heart.
With that in mind, she skillfully put together a small bouquet of fresh white camellias and delicate pink roses from their nearby homes before presenting them to her newfound friend with a gentle smile.
"It would be my honor, Mika-chan."
The wait was over.
She didn't know it then, but this promise would soon bloom into something she would treasure for the rest of her life.
It was just up to her to wait and see.
Hydrangeas
"I dunno, Naru-chan. I prolly don't think I'd look nice with all that fancy makeup of yers."
Arashi shook her head as she continued to add on the finishing touches before tucking the hydrangea she had left in the vase on the counter behind Mika's right ear. "Nonsense! You look amazing as always. You just need to be more confident."
She hummed a bit, examining her work carefully to make sure that everything was up to her standards, before giving Mika the green light to open his eyes.
In his eyes, he just couldn't believe it was really him. He was really sparkling.
Arashi made sure to stay within his comfort zone, sticking to more neutral tones that suited her shy friend, and she was proud to say that she has really outdone herself.
Her skill paired with Mika's natural beauty made for a brilliant combo on par with her own beauty. And it wasn't every day that she would throw out compliments of such high caliber.
"What do you think? Personally, I think you look stunning."
Silence.
"Mika-chan?"
He spoke in a small voice, but she could vaguely hear him utter a word of thanks as he buried his face in his hands.
"Honey, are you okay?"
He paused for a moment before turning to pull Arashi into a tight hug. "I can't thank ya enough for this. Yer always doing so much for me when I don't really deserve it-"
"Hey now."
Arashi quickly pulled away and framed his face with her hands as she forced him to look at her straight in the eyes and take back those untrue words.
"Mika-chan. You're beautiful, you're stunning, and you deserve all the happiness in the world."
Tears poked as his eyes as he pulled Arashi back into the hug to calm himself down. Arashi wasn't sure what was going on through his head, but she did know that what she said to him was the absolute truth.
"Have pride in who you are. Not what other people think of you."
Her expression softened as she began to run her fingers through his soft black hair before opening her mouth to speak again.
"Never forget this, Mika-chan. There are people in this world who think you're everything."
Cherry Blossoms, Daffodils, and Daisies
"You are Narukami, correct? You certainly are beautiful. I am Itsuki Shu, and this is Madamoiselle."
If Narukami Arashi were to describe her first meeting with Shu, she would have to say that it was definitely memorable. Whether or not she could call it a good first impression is debatable at best.
While he would offer compliments towards anyone or anything he considered beautiful, his words took on a harsh tone around everyone else, Mika included, making her feel a little uncomfortable for her friend's sake. In a way, he appeared rather arrogant and standoffish, often dismissing the things he cared little for or found unpleasant, like Mika's repair job on the stuffed bunny he had in his possession. To be honest, she was surprised that this was the man her friend gifted a bouquet of daffodils and daisies to. She just couldn't comprehend what he saw in this man and why he always took his attitude in stride. Half the time, she wanted to demand that he stop being so rude and start being kinder to Mika.
At least, that was how she felt up until the moment Mika decided to give them a moment to talk while he went to go buy more drinks.
"I must apologize for Shu-kun's behavior. He's not very good with people."
A feminine voice. But from where?
Arashi lowered her gaze a bit to focus on the antique doll that was perched upon Shu's lap. Her features were delicately painted on porcelain and her clothes appeared to be made with such care that she couldn't help but wonder if her clothes were truly made by the same man sitting across from her.
"You're Mika-chan's friend, aren't you?"
She nodded. "He's my best friend."
A pause.
"Mika-chan is very shy and he's always afraid of other people seeing his eyes, so I'm happy that he's made such a good friend."
Shu turned away, not wanting to meet Arashi's gaze directly, as he moved his hand in a way that would allow Madamoiselle to bow. "Shu-kun can be a little strict, but he means well. He wants Mika-chan to be happy as do I. So please, continue being his treasured friend."
Maybe he's not so bad after all.
Carefully to avoid crushing the petals, Arashi plucked a whole cherry blossom stem off the ground and tucked it carefully into the doll's beautiful, blonde curls before thanking Shu directly for taking care of Mika.
"Don't get the wrong idea. I am not doing this for you or Kagehira. I am simply relaying a message. Thank Madamoiselle!"
She chuckled as she took the doll's hand and bowed her head a little as she thanked Madamoiselle properly.
How dishonest.
"Kagehira, what took you so long?"
He may not be the gentlest person, but now that she was really listening to him, she could hear the underlying concern hidden within his sharp words.
He's lucky to have someone as loyal and kind as Mika to balance him out.
"Naru-chan?"
He retook his seat next to her and gave her a puzzled look as he handed her one of the bottles of green tea in his possession. In turn, she smiled softly as she looked up to watch the falling pink petals.