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"Thank you sir." Tomo smiled to the truck driver that helped him picking up his stuffs into this small village. The truck driver responded with a big grin.
"You're welcome! Have a good day here."
Tomo smiled once again and waved his hand at the truck that's getting more far away every seconds. Then, he sighed and opened the flower shop that he bought from its previous owner who decides to move into the capital. An opposite of him. He ran his fingers towards the table and bouquet. The past owner must took good care of this place. This shop is clean and neat, he's glad he doesn't need to spend his day cleaning up dust and spider webs. He took a freshly laundried apron with a nametag the previous owner already provided. There's "Tomo" written there in a neat, cursive handwriting.
Life is tiring. Especially city life. Everything is so fast paced, everything moves, everyone runs, when Tomo doesn't even have the energy to crawl. That's why he decided to move silently, not even properly telling Kazuha, his roommate. He only left a small note that tells Kazuha not to search for him. It's not a good thing, he know. Kazuha is his bestest friend and telling him he's going to move here is going to make Kazuha stop his plan.
"Miss Lumi-- Ah! Hello sir, you must be the one taking Miss Lumine's business." A little girl with twin braids pushes the flower shop's door quietly but that's enough to bring Tomo back to reality.
"You're right!! What do you need?" Tomo answered cheerfully.
"I just want a silk flower, it's my mother's favorite flower and she's sick right now. I wanna give her a get well soon gift but my money is only enough to buy this hehe."
Tomo's hands reached a bouquet of silk flower. The little girl's mouth opened a little.
"Thank you sir... But I only ask... For one?"
"One bouquet it is. Keep your money. Tell your mother to get well soon. Be careful on the way home!" Tomo smiled and gave the bouquet to the little girl, whose eyes glittering with happiness.
"Thank you once again sir... Thank you!" She bows down and smiled back at Tomo before leaving the shop.
Ah. His heart seems warm. Maybe this world isn't as bad as it seems.
"Well well. I thought this is a flower shop where people buys flowers, not where people asks for free flowers." A long haired young woman that wears a knee length dark purple dress and black cardigan blows up her cigarette towards Tomo's direction.
She's so pretty. Tomo's heart stop beating for a second.
"Good evening Miss--? May I know your name?" He responds politely.
"Tck." She rolls her eyes. "You don't know me?"
"I am new here and I don't know you-- yet. May I know your name now?"
"Baal." She replied coldly. "I heard you came from the city, is that true?"
"Yes." Tomo tried to hide his embarassment but it seems like it's not working.
Baal's expression soften even though it's still unreasonably cold. "Is the flying camera true?"
"Drone, you mean?" Tomo giggles. "You know, the way you word your question is very cute. Like a little curious girl."
No.
"I am not a curious little girl. How did that Lumine left this village? What made her think the city is better than this peaceful and beautiful village?"
"Well, maybe she did it without telling you?" A smile formed on Tomo's face, resulting in Baal's fists on the counter in front of him.
"No one can do anything in this village without telling me."
"Well at least I'm here as a replacement of Lumine?"
"Nothing is special about you anyway."
Ouch. That hurts. But weirdly, Tomo doesn't feel mad.
"What if i give this..."Tomo reached out to a cecilia flower near him "... for you?"
"Flowers aren't really my things." Baal throws her used cigarette into the trash bin and took another one from her cardigan pocket.
"I think it suits you though, especially cecilias. It only grows where harsh winds blow, and is just as intangible as the true heart of an unbound soul. Like you."
"What the fuck are you talking about?"
"Cecilias."
"I mean, where do you know that? Don't you have better things to do than learning flower's lores?"
"No." He smiled again.
"What a waste of space." Baal rolled her eyes.
"I will learn to be less of a space waste."
"You're so annoying."
"I know it already."
"Tck." Baal looks even angrier. "Can you-- shut up?"
"You're the one who keeps our conversation going. I just think it's common decency of humans to respond back in a conversation." Tomo answered calmly.
"Fine, I'm leaving now." Baal took the cecilia that Tomo place above the counter and turns her back.
"Wait, Miss Baal?" Tomo asked, now without the playful smile.
"What again? Don't waste my time."
"I have two questions left. First, aren't you going to ask about my name? Second, you said flowers aren't really your things, but why are you still taking the flower i gave you?"
Baal sighed and narrowed her eyes.
"For your first question, you already had a nametag. Second questions, i will take everything especially if it's given to me. Enough?"
"Very enough. Good evening and please come back tomorrow!"
Baal doesn't answer anymore. She keeps walking until her silhouette disappear at the crossroad.
"What an interesting girl." Tomo speaks to himself. Maybe, moving into this town is one of the best decision he ever made in his whole life.