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♔ | 𝐈𝐗

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"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Takashi sang, renetering the room. Thankfully, the few minutes the two had disappeared were enough for your deep red flush to subside and for you to calm your racing heartbeat.

"It's fine, don't worry about it! ... Uh, w-where's Ozo..?" The taxi driver was nowhere to be seen, which made you raise a brow. Takashi sat down in Ozo's seat, humming thoughtfully.

"I think he said he's going to the bathroom? I'm not sure though, I wasn't paying attention to him," he smiled casually. You laughed awkwardly, hoping deep down that he was joking. "So? How's the food?"

"Oh! It's delicious!" You gushed. "You're dad must be an amazing baker!" Takashi's smile faltered slightly, his eyes averting down to the table.

"Yeah.. He was..." his eyes clouded over with old memories, getting lost in them for a split moment before he straightened up. "But now it's my job to look after his cafe, so I have to make sure I'm always on his level, y'know? Even if this place barely has anyone coming down.." he grumbled, glaring at the doorway.

"I've noticed that even in Akatsuka Village, it's really quiet. There's hardly any people around," you mused.

"That's how it's always been. People here tend to keep to themselves a lot. They don't know how to let loose and have a little fun!" He complained. "It's like everybody knows everybody, but at the same time, we don't. Does that make sense?"

You thought about it before nodding slowly. In a way, it did.

"I just thought that it would be like a close knit community, seeing how small the village itself is," you shrugged. Takashi agreed, nodding along.

Just then, you both heard a shuffling from behind the back door before it swung open, revealing a slightly disheveled Ozo. He was breathing quite heavy for someone who just walked down a corridor. His shirt looked ruffled, with his tie undone and hanging around his neck.

Your eyes met briefly before snapping away, a heated flush painting itself back onto your cheeks. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Takashi grimace at his brother, scooting away from him as he moved to sit down across from you.

"So... What have I missed?" Ozo started casually, his grin wobbling at the corners.

"You didn't even bother to look half decent after that?" Takashi chastised, groaning as Ozo shrugged in response.

"Hey, at least I didn't take as long as Jyushimatsu!" Ozo crossed his arms over his chest, his rolled up sleeves pulling taught against his lightly defined arms.

"As if that makes things any better!" Takashi ran a hand down his face. "Now I'm gonna have to burn my bathroom because of you..."

"Uh, what are you guys talking about?" You asked, feeling left out of the loop. Ozo's grin slipped back onto his lips, widening as he met your gaze confidently enough to hold it.

"We're just talkin' about how I—"

"NOTHING!!" Takashi screeched. You jumped at the sudden outburst, even more confused at the fact that Ozo burst out laughing. "It's absolutely nothing! Don't worry about it okay? In fact, just forget you heard anything!"

Your curiosity was begging you to ask more, but Takashi looked as if he was fit to burst, so you reluctantly nodded along with him.

"Aww, are you sure you don't wanna know?" Ozo leaned forward across the table. "I have a feeling you'd really like it if you knew what we're talking—"

"You know what?!" Takashi slammed his hands on the table top, standing up far too quickly than any human was able to. He grabbed Ozo by the scuff of his neck, dragging him without mercy to the cafe's entrance. You watched in shock as Ozo was flung out the door, tumbling onto the pavement outside with a yelp.

"I don't want to see your face here again, shitty eldest!" With a crude hand gesture, Takashi swivelled on his heel, taking a deep breath as he stood in front of you with a plain smile. "Now that he's gone, what are your other plans for today?"

You blinked, glancing at the doorway, then back to Takashi. You gulped.

"A-Actually... Ozo is supposed to be like my escort... I can't go anywhere without him driving me around..."

He stared at you, his large eyes blank. Eventually, he sighed heavily, shoulder sagging in disappointment.

"I guess if that's case, then I can't keep you here. But before you go, can we exchange numbers?" He asked hopefully, already clutching his phone in hand. "It's not everyday I get to make a new friend!"

"Oh, of course!" The prospect of making a new friend made you beam, eagerly handing over your phone so he could put in his contact details. After a few taps, he handed your phone back, smiling cutely.

"I can't wait to chat more with you, [Y/N]-chan!" He winked. You giggled, smiling wider at the name he had given himself.

[💖Takashi💖]

"Oh, and one more thing.." he stopped you as you stood up, ready to leave. He placed a hand on your shoulder, eyes firm. "If that asshole tries anything with you, just say the word and I'll kill him. I promise." With a final pat, he ushered you out with a wave, disappearing back inside to attend to his cafe.

"[Y/N]!" Ozo whined, leaning against his car on the ground. The grimace on his face made you rush over in worry.

"Are you okay? You're not badly hurt, are you?" You brushed his hair away from his eyes, looking for scratches or bumps. He had a little bit of dust on his face, and you quickly swiped it off with your hand.

"I'm fine.. My head hurts a little though.." his eyes were wide and pouting, staring up at you as he searched for sympathy. You huffed, a small smile creeping onto your face.

"Does this help?" You began gently rubbing at his scalp, massaging through his soft tresses to remove the 'pain.' Ozo hummed, eyes closing, looking very similar to a happy cat.

"Very much.." he purred, leaning into your hand. You laughed out loud, moving your hand away despite his hum of confusion.

"I think we should go before Takashi throws something at you," you whispered with a grin, standing up and walking over to your side of the car. Ozo sighed, standing up and dusting himself off before joining you. As you both settled in, you made the bold choice of addressing the elephant in the room.

"Uh.. About before..." you started awkwardly, twirling a strand of hair around your finger. "I-I'm really sorry... I don't know w-why I did that..."

"Hmm? Oh, that!" Ozo rubbed a finger under his nose, grinning with a small blush on his cheeks. "Don't worry about it! I enjoyed it a lot more than you think." He winked at you, inserting the keys and starting up the car again.

His words left you flustered, affecting you a lot more than you liked to admit. You began to wonder what would have happened if you hadn't been interrupted... What his lips would feel like... Where his hands would go... How he would say your name in that same, breathless and addicting way...

"Uh, [Y/N]?" A hand waved in front of your face, making you jump.

"Huh?" You whipped your head to him, biting your lip sheepishly. "Sorry, I-I wasn't paying attention.."

Ozo watched the way your lips caught itself between your teeth before smirking.

"You weren't paying attention to me? That's not polite of you to do.." he leaned closer to you, backing you up against the car door. "Do I have to make you pay attention?"

You stammered, unable to string together coherent words. His lidded eyes surveyed your glowing cheeks before he spoke.

"Where are we going now?"

"...W-What..?"

"I was asking, where are we going now?" He moved away, face casual as if nothing had happened. "Unless you want me to take you somewhere instead, since I don't think you know any places around here, right?"

"Uhh..."

"Oh, I got it! Let's go pay someone a visit!" He snapped his fingers, putting the car into gear and driving back onto the road, heading back towards Akatsuka Village.

You sat in silence once more, breaths slightly jagged and face as red as it could go. Your mind was full of fuzzy static, slowly clearing away as you straightened up in your seat, locking your gaze pointedly out the window as your hands clenched to your dress.

'He's such a tease..!'

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♔ | 𝐈𝐕

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Chorosuke had long since given up on trying to kick the two out, seeing as they had absolutely no intention of moving. Instead, he hesitantly sat himself down amongst you all, eating with a sour frown on his face directed towards Ozo, who either didn't notice or didn't care.

"So, why Akashika?" Ozo asked suddenly after a few moments. You stifled a laugh at the crumbs scattering his cheeks, taking a sip of water to stall for time, noticing how all eyes were now on you.

"Well," you started, pushing your food around lightly with your chopstick, "I just wanted to go on a holiday for a little while. Akashika seemed like the best place." You shrugged nonchalantly, going back to eating your food.

"Akashika? Really?" Ozo drawled, raising a brow.

"Is.. Is there something wrong with that?" you asked nervously.

"Not really," Chorosuke replied, a thoughtful look on his face. "It's just that, since Akashika District is a small village in the countryside, not many people know that this place even exists. We rarely ever get visitors, other than those who already have a direct connection to this place."

You hummed. That did make sense, in a way.

"How did you find out about this place, anyway?" Ozo pushed, resting his chin on his palm.

"I came across an article online about Akatsuka Village," You paused, thinking about the contents of the article with a slight smile. "It was talking about a bunch of mysteries this place has, and after a bit of digging around, I found that this area of Japan was quiet and unknown, which was convenient for me."

"'Mysteries,' you say..." Chorosuke groaned.

"'Convenient?'" Ozo asked.

"Karamatsu-niisan must've wrote that article!" Jyushimatsu chimed in.

"Karatsugu." Chorosuke iterated.

Your mind raced to come up with an answer to Ozo, leaning away from him as he came closer, waiting for you to say something.

"Uh, 'convenient' as in..." you cleared your throat, "..I-I've never been to the countryside before. I've always lived in the city, so I wanted to start somewhere that wasn't overwhelmed by tourists and such." You ended with a nervous chuckle, which quickly died down under Ozo's unreadable stare. Should.. Should you say something? Did he even listen to what you said? Why was he looking at you like that? Your cheeks turned pink the longer he held your gaze.

"Ozo," Chorosuke kicked him from under the table, a 'huff' leaving said man's lips. "Stop being creepy. Ignore him, [Y/N]."

"Yeah, yeah..." Ozo muttered something under his breath, which you couldn't quite hear, but it didn't seem to matter as his grin came back onto his face.

"How long are you staying for, [Y/N]-chan?" Jyushimatsu suddenly spoke from beside you, making you squeak. You did your best to ignore the chuckles from Ozo and Dayoko, although the flush on your cheeks only darkened in embarrassment.

"T-Two months."

"Aw, that's it?" Ozo whined. "Well hopefully by the end of it, you'll want to stay for longer!" He winked your way. You glanced away, taking larger sips of water to distract yourself. With that, everyone focused back on their food, finishing the last bits from their bowls. It was mostly silent, save for the clinking of utensils and the gentle song of birds from outside, adding a sort of serenity to the air. It was comforting, an atmosphere you very much appreciated. It was a far cry from what you were used to.

Eventually, you all let out a hum of satisfaction, praising Dayoko for the fulfilling meal. Ozo and Jyushimatsu lay comfortably on the floor, spreading out their limbs as they shut their eyes, large sleepy grins on their faces. You smiled softly at their antics. With the way they acted, you would have thought they were brothers. You didn't want to jump straight to conclusion, though. You'd probably make things awkward if you said something like that.

Dayoko stood up and began gathering everyone's dishes. You attempted to get up and help, feeling bad about her doing all the work, but she waved you off with a smile. Chorosuke placed a gentle hand on your shoulder, gaining your attention.

"[Y/N], why you don't you head on upstairs, instead?" He offered with a smile. "I've had a bath drawn for you. I'm sure it will help you relax before heading off to bed. You've had a long day, after all."

"Can we have one too?" Ozo perked his head up, eyes hopefully.

"No." Chorosuke shot sternly, glaring at the man as he let his head fall back to the floor with a grumble.

"Choromatsu-niisan's no fun..." Jyushimatsu's voice was muffled, his face pushed against the floor.

"Stop calling me that.." Chorosuke was exasperated by now, but he opted to ignore the both of them, turning back to you expectantly. You mulled over the offer. A soothing bath after a warm meal sounded very appealing to you, especially since your back did feel a little sore still after sitting on a rocky train for most of the day.

"That sounds lovely, actually. Thank you, Chorosuke," you smiled appreciatively, slowly picking yourself up from the floor.

"It's nothing. Our guests always receive the best of treatment here in the Midorito Estate," he stated proudly with a bow of his head. Ozo glared up at him from the floor.

"Careful. You're rising again, Chorofappysk-"

A pillow was thrown harshly onto his face, startling him as his head smacked onto the ground with a hollow 'thud.' You gasped, covering your mouth to hide the giddy smile from the others in the room. You felt bad that he got hurt, but you couldn't deny that their childish ways of bickering was starting to become comedic for you.

Dayoko re-entered the room before things could escalate, hooking her arm with yours.

"Ah, Dayoko!" Chorosuke's smile was thin and forced, his brow twitching dangerously as the pillow he threw hit against his side. "Could you please escort our guest to the washroom while I deal with those?"

Dayoko looked unimpressed, not even replying to her brother as she tugged you out of the room, closing the door behind her without so much as a second glance. As soon as it slid shut, loud voices erupted as an argument broke out. You managed to pick out a few insults that were so ridiculous, you couldn't help but splutter a laugh. You tried to cover your mouth to stop them leaving your mouth, but eventually, you couldn't hold it in any longer.

"S-Sorry..!" You apologised to Dayoko through your bouts of laughter, clutching at your stomach as you followed her on shaky legs down the hallways. She looked at you for a moment in surprise before joining in with a playful roll of her eyes. You both giggled and chuckled endlessly, almost completely breathless by the time you had made it to the washroom.

Slowly, you both regained your composure, wiping a couple of stray tears from the corners of your eyes. Dayoko sighed happily.

"Dayon! Dayon!"

'That's the most I've laughed in a while!'

You smiled brightly along with her. "Same here!"

Dayoko took your hand, opening the door to the washroom to reveal, yet another, large washroom. It was slightly steamy in the room, a low mist of wafting over the tiled flooring, which was emitting from a wide bathtub on the other side of the room. You glanced around with wide eyes. The mirrors were somehow clear of any fog, the small plants scattered around the room were perked up and lively, the towels looked so soft and fluffy, hell -- even the toilet seemed to sparkle in its environment.

The girl tugged on your hand, snapping you out of your daze. She wore an amused smile on her face, but didn't comment on your surprised look.

"Dayon, dayon..."

She began telling you where everything you needed would be, and that she would leave fresh set nightwear for you to put on once you were done. You thanked her profusely once more as she left you to your own devices, closing the door to give you privacy.

You looked around, somehow feeling unsure of where to even start.

'..That's stupid,' you thought to yourself with a shake of your head. You began stripping down, neatly placing your clothes in a basket nearby so they could be washed later. Then, you moved over to the bathtub, gingerly placing the tip of your toe into the water, delighted to find it just the right temperature.

You slid in, settling down comfortably with a long sigh of relief, feeling the tension in your muscles fading away. There was a faint aroma of lavender and peppermint in the air, and you took deep and steady breaths to help clear your mind for a moment. It was truly heavenly, sitting in the warm water with your eyes closed and body relaxed. You wished you could do something like this all the time, but of course your situation back home wouldn't allow any kind of relaxation for you...

Another sigh left you, heavy and full of built up emotions. You brought a damp hand up to your face, resting it against your forehead as you frowned sadly. Your chest felt tight for a moment as a memory flashed through your mind. Your ears rang with loud voices, yelling and screaming, a complete one-eighty from what you had just heard downstairs a few minutes ago. It made your head throb uncomfortably, and your eyes suddenly prickled with un-shed tears.

'No,' you thought immediately. You sat up and reached over to a shelf beside you, grabbing a bottle of shampoo that Dayoko had pointed out to you earlier. You squirted a handful of the liquid into your hand, the scent of cherries hitting your nose as you began lathering it into your hair, using the time to give yourself a brief massage over your scalp.

'I have two months to not think about that,' you reminded yourself, finally pushing away any other intruding thoughts from your mind as you busied yourself with washing up.

After a nice long while relaxing and cleansing yourself, you stumbled out of the bath, rubbing at your wet skin with a towel (which was just as fluffy as it looked). You looked over to the door, finding your nightwear and undergarments folded neatly on a small tabletop beside a pot of blooming Dahlias. You admired their vibrant layered petals for a moment before taking your clothes

You slipped on your oversized short sleeved shirt and shorts, perfect for the warm summer night, briefly ruffling your hair with the towel before exiting the washroom. Upon not seeing Dayoko nearby, you decided to make your own way to your bedroom, somewhat confident in being able to find it yourself.

It was clear to you, though, that after only a few turns, you found yourself lost.

"How can I get lost in a house?" you muttered with slight panic. You glanced behind you, turning around. "I'll just... head back to the washroom. She's probably there right now, waiting for me..."

You turned back down the corridor you were sure you had just come from, but... you couldn't' find it. You couldn't' find the washroom you had just been in two seconds ago. Worrying your lip between your teeth, you wondered if it would be childish to start calling out for her, or Chorosuke, to come and help you. Just as you were about to make a decision, a set of footsteps sounded behind you.

You breathed a sigh if relief, turning with a sheepish smile.

"Finished with your bath already? And here I was thinking I could jump in with you!"

You froze, cheeks ablaze for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. It was Ozo, not Chorosuke or Dayoko, wandering causally down the corridor towards you, a hand tucked into his trouser pocket. He kept walking until he stopped right in front of you, leaning against the wall.

" 'Sup?"

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♔ | 𝐈𝐈

»»-----　♔　-----««

You were led down a series of hallways until the three of you stopped outside of a particular room. The door was slid open to reveal a large, open-spaced bedroom, with sleek wooden furniture carefully placed around the room and a wardrobe taking up an entire wall. Another wall was full of glass, with a few small potted shrubs and flowers decorating the window sill.

You couldn't help but stare in awe at the accommodation. A part of you felt slightly overwhelmed; you were not used to such luxury, even if you did live in the city. You were sure that this bedroom alone was almost the size of your entire apartment, which in itself wasn't very big.

"This is one of our many guest bedrooms," Chorosuke began. He glanced in your direction before saying: "If you are dissatisfied, perhaps we could show you one of our lager rooms?"

'There are larger ones?!' You almost choked on air, but managed to calm yourself.

"N-No, no! This is more than fine, actually.." you assured him with a timid smile.

"I'm glad to hear that!" He smiled in return, his mouth shaped into a soft V-shape. There was a faraway chiming in the distance, akin to a grandfather clock. Chorosuke paused, turning his head to the sound's direction.

"Time already?" He muttered to himself before turning back to you with a slight bow of his head. "Well, it seems that I must get back to work. I shall leave you in Dayoko's capable hands. She will help you get settled in before dinner," he smiled fondly at his sister, who was bouncing happily on the balls of her feet.

"Thank you so much, Chorosuke. And you, too, Dayoko!" You bowed in respect, hands clutching the straps of your backpack tightly. Truly, if it weren't for their immediate hospitality, you could have been wandering around for who-knows-how long out in the unforgiving summer heat, looking for a hotel that didn't even exist.

You felt someone pat your head gently, and you peered up to see it was Dayoko. Her smile never left her lips as she nudged you to stand up tall.

"There's no need to thank us," Chorosuke chuckled. "It's our duty as humans to care for one another, no?" He tucked his hands back into his sleeves, bidding a small farewell before making his way down the corridor again, his house-slipper clicking against the wooden flooring.

Once he had disappeared around the corner, Dayoko took hold of your arm and tugged you into the room, closing the door behind her. She ran to the centre of the room, twirling excitedly on the spot, her kimono flowing elegantly around her. She was laughing giddily, a childish sparkle in her eyes. You couldn't help but to laugh alongside her.

Your heart felt warm and fuzzy; it was a feeling you had missed for so long. The weight that had previously settled onto your shoulders had lifted slightly, easing the tension from your body. You allowed yourself, just this once, to get lost in the feeling of a fresh start. Even if you knew it wouldn't last forever.

┊ •° ੈ ⋆° ┊

The setting sun cast a burning red glow into the room, the dark shadows becoming increasingly darker as the night began. You hadn't realised it had gotten so late until you cast a look towards the window, squinting in the bright gaze of the sun.

Dayoko had helped you unpack your backpack — which only held the basics such as a couple of outfits, a set of pyjamas, and a handful of other personal items that you had quickly stowed away with burning cheeks — in a few minutes, and then she tried engaging in conversation with you.

It was slightly difficult at first (seeing as she only spoke one word), but after she wrote down a few meanings on spare pieces of paper, you slowly began to understand some of what she was saying.

The girl was very eager to talk with you about anything and everything, her excuse being that 'there's no other girls around here that actually wanna talk!' You didn't mind though, seeing as she was just a sweet and endearing girl very much in need of a friend outside her own family. You figured it wouldn't hurt to start making friends, too, since you would be in Akashika for a while.

In the present, your stomach began grumbling painfully, making you wince.

"Dayon?" Dayoko tilted her head, resting a hand on your shoulder.

"I'm fine, just really hungry, I guess," you chuckled sheepishly. "I barely ate anything on the journey here. Maybe a few snacks, but.."

"Dayon! Dayon!" She stood up swiftly, helping you up as well before tugging you out of the room and back down the hallway again, leading the way. Your footsteps were heavy against the wood as you practically ran past the other rooms, and you hoped you weren't disturbing anyone else. Although, from what Dayoko described, it seemed that the only people living in the Midorito Estate was her and Chorosuke.

You both turned a corner, only for Dayoko to stop harshly, causing you to bump into her. You fumbled to catch your balance, quickly apologising to Dayoko as you held her upright.

"Are you alright?" Chorosuke was stood in front of you, a look of surprise on his face as well as concern. Dayoko covered her smiling mouth with a nod, attempting to cover her giggles but failing miserably. You huffed a laugh with her before nodded as well.

"We're good. Dayoko was really eager to take me somewhere, though." You turned to her with a curious tilt of your head. "Where were we going?"

"Dayon!" She pointed past Chorosuke at a room towards the back of the house. The door was already opened, a soft glow emitting from the room. "Dayon, dayon!"

Chorosuke's eyes widened in understanding. "Ah, I see! She was bringing you over to the main room, where we will be having dinner," he patted his sister's head fondly, making sure not to ruin her hair. "How smart of you! I was just about to come and fetch you both myself, but it seems Dayoko beat me to it."

He gestured his arm out as he turned back around. "If you would like to follow me. I'm sure you must be starving after such a long day of travelling, [Y/N]."

On cue, your stomach rumbled loudly again. You clutched it tightly, your face burning. The two only chuckled before leading the way into the room.

The room, just like every other room in the house, was huge in your eyes. In the centre of the room was a low dining table, already covered in dishes of food, some that you hadn't seen before. Three cushions were placed around it on the ground, fluffed up and delicately detailed with stitched golden flowers and vines.

Across from you, the double sliding doors were fully opened, revealing the lush garden, complete with a fully grown Japanese Maple tree, swaying atop a small hill, surrounded by rows of blooming flowers. Its branches twisted and turned into mesmerising trails, ending with clumps of red leaves that appeared to be on fire under the sun. You had to blink a few times, just to make sure that the flowing pool of water surrounding it was real. The same cool summer breeze seemed to follow you into the room, playfully ruffling your hair.

"Your garden is gorgeous.." you breathed, eyes wide as you tried to take in every detail. Chorosuke smiled bashfully in surprise.

"O-Oh, thank you! But all the credit would go to my late family, as they were the ones who built this Estate many years ago." He shook his head after a moment, gently pushing you over to the table. "However, that story is for another time. For now, let's eat, shall we?"

Dayoko was already seated, hastily picking up her chopsticks and preparing to dig in until Chorosuke stopped her.

"Dayoko! Where are your manners?" He scolded lightly. He couldn't truly bring himself to be mad at her, but he did have a reputation to upkeep.

"I don't mind if you start," you laughed, swaying yourself beside Dayoko. "This food does look delicious!"

"We do have one of the finest cooks in Akashika!" Chorosuke agreed, finally sitting himself down. You all picked up your chopsticks, giving your thanks for the food before filling your plates. You hesitated, unsure if you should really eat as much as you wanted. Dayoko noticed you holding back, and quickly assured you that you could eat as much as you wanted.

"Please, don't be afraid to eat as much as you'd like, [Y/N]." Chorosuke also chimed in, the both of them smiling warmly at you as you gave in, placing large and healthy portions into your bowl.

You complimented the food again, noises of contentment following you as you couldn't help but try a little more, making sure to eat slow so as to not make yourself sick.

Chorosuke appeared to be in thought as he ate, and as he finally opened his mouth to speak, there was a series of loud knocks on the front door, followed by equally loud voices.

»»-----　♔　-----««

❀

𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀

You write to me about roses, About roses opening as roses die. Always, you say, there are roses, So that people get used to them And cease to wonder. Now I am on a hilltop, Bare, with a few pine trees Twisted by an inexhaustible wind, By a wind that is never tired, A wind that passes and passes and is never gone. I cannot think what it would be like for the pine trees If there were no wind.

——

Your roses would not be happy on my hilltop. They would be scornful of my huckleberry bush With their plain, blue fruit.

——

They would not care for the white meadow-sweet That leans against a rock. Roses must have rich soil, And careful pruning. They must be sheltered from the wind and cold And have stakes to lean upon. They do not stand alone like the flames of vervain On my windy hilltop.

——

Roses are gifts for lovers. Lovers have always had much to say about roses. When you sent me a rose Folded in a letter, Did you know I would open it on a hilltop Where the wind searches me As it does the pine trees And my skirts are brushing The fine flame of the vervain?

—𝙇𝙤𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝘿𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙡

♔ | 𝐗𝐈𝐈𝐈

»»-----　♔　-----««

A dark hallway. Stretching far ahead of you, far behind you, the narrow walls beside you unmoving.

Nothing could be seen. Nothing could be heard.

Take a step forward, and the walls will follow you. There is no where to move, forever stuck in the same place.

A set of footsteps sound from behind. Or is it ahead? They grow closer and closer, louder and louder, echoing fervently in the hallway — or your mind.

Faintly, a light flickers before you. A single bulb, twitching dangerously. It's buzzing. A glimpse of a shadow amongst the shadows. Then silence.

You blink. The shadow is in front of you, now. Shorter than, staring up at you. Although, it's hard to tell what it is looking at when the face is obscured.

A little boy, you realise. Though, the innocence of such youth is lost to you, with your heart beating in your ears at a rapid, terrified pace.

He stares. And stares. And stares.

A gaping hole appears where his mouth should be. Distorted noises fill the tense silence, filling you with a deep sense of dread.

┊   •° ੈ ⋆°  ┊

You jolted up, gasping for air. Your hands come up to clutch at your night top, scrunching the fabric tightly between your fingers to give you something, anything, to hold on to.

What was that? Was that a dream? A nightmare? Whatever it was, it scared you. Really, really scared you.

You shakily got out of bed, wincing as rays of early morning sunshine hit your eyes. Moving to the bathroom, you went through the same process as yesterday; cooling your face with cold water, and taking deep breaths to calm down.

As you brushed your teeth, you hesitantly gave in to your curious thoughts and began wondering what the hell you had just dreamt about. You rarely had dreams anymore, and nightmares were something your childhood-self experienced for a short while.

So where did this come from?

You didn't feel afraid of anything until that... kid, or whatever it was, popped up in front of you. Nothing that had happened recently had left you scared or worried. So that couldn't be it.

Drying your face with a towel, you sighed. Your mind must be playing tricks on you, then. That seemed to be a reasonable explanation, didn't it?

Either way, you didn't want to think about it anymore. The whole sequence just made you feel sick and uneasy.

Heading back into the bedroom, a set of folded clothing was left on the dresser for you, a small handwritten note on top.

'Try this on! - Dayoko xo'

With a smile, you took the clothes and unfolded them. Dayoko had given you another dress, coloured a simple white with gold linings over the frills. It was off the shoulder, the straps of the dress wrapping over your upper arm, holding it firmly in place. The skirt of the dress stopped just over your knees, flowing beautifully around you with each move.

You stared wide-eyed at your reflection.

"..I should ask her where she gets her outfits.." you mumbled to yourself as you turned this way and that, checking how you looked. Your hair tickled over your exposed skin, making you realise that you should probably put on some sun-screen.

As soon as you were done, you made your way downstairs to the main room, finally able to remember your way through the halls. Glancing around, you found it a little odd how you hadn't heard or seen your hosts yet, but you didn't think too much of it. They were busy people, unlike yourself.

The main room was empty, save for the breakfast food spread out onto the table for you, a single plate in place. The doors were wide open once again, only Chorosuke wasn't there. Approaching the table, you saw another handwritten note left for you, the handwriting neater this time, almost as if it were printed.

'[Y/N], I have kado lessons I must teach to my students, and Dayoko is accompanying me, so we unfortunately cannot join you for breakfast this morning. We should be back in time for dinner, possibly an hour later if we are needed for anything else. Please, feel free to roam the Estate or the District of you would like. We wish you all the best. —Chorosuke'

"Awe, man..." you mumbled under your breath. Slight disappointment ran through you, but you willed it away. They had things to do, it's not their fault. Besides, you had made yourself a small handful of new friends you could easily talk with, so it's not like you couldn't do anything without them.

Placing the note aside, you peacefully ate your breakfast, seating yourself so that you could face the back garden. You sighed softly as a cool breeze entered the room, the tousle of tree leaves and the trickle of the pond water doing wonders to keep you relaxed.

You wished you could be here all the time. No continuous and loud noises, no murmurs of voices echoing around you, no yelling or screaming or constant background noise giving you headaches.

Just a quiet place. For you to escape whenever you pleased.

A knock on the front door brought you back to the real world. You hastily placed down your chopsticks and got up, stumbling slightly at the sudden head-rush, moving to open the door just enough to peek at who was behind it.

"Oh, hey, [Y/N]!"

You opened the door wider, standing tensely as your free hand clutched at your skirt tightly, body tingling with nerves.

"G-Good morning, Ozo!" You stuttered. Your fingers suddenly felt clammy, worsening as you watched him grow closer to you, resting an arm against the wooden beam of the door.

His lips, soft and warm, pressed against your heated cheek, similar to what you had done to him. Butterflies erupted in your stomach, your heart roaring at the sensation. Your own hitched breath brushed against the side of his neck, making him shudder.

"Mornin', doll," he murmured against your skin, slowly moving himself away. He broke out into a grin, eyes tracing over your intense blush, his own face adorning a cute honey glow.

"Just thought I'd pay you back from yesterday. Even though I think I should do more than that," he chuckled as you tensed up, "I'll leave it there. You look like you're about to explode."

Your words were stuck in your throat, unable to even whisper a word in reply. You watched in a daze as he reached up to his shirt collar, tugging on it in an attempt to fan himself. He glanced at you, humming in approval at your attire.

"Looking good, Princess," he winked. Peeking behind you, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Chorofappyski isn't home, is he?"

"Uh.." you took a deep breath, moving aside. "N-No, he and Dayoko left earlier t-today, so it's just... m-me.."

"Sweet! I came at the right time, then!" He exclaimed gleefully. He stepped inside, haphazardly kicking his shoes off and making his own way in to the main room, smile widening at the sight of food. He looked back at you, beckoning you towards him.

"C'mon, let's eat! Can't let all this free food go to waste!"

He left you standing in the entrance, stunned. A realisation slowly dawned upon you, and when it had fully emerged, it left you extremely nervous and knees weak.

It was just you and Ozo. Alone together.

»»-----　♔　-----««

𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦

◦𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮《𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘹》↴

|◁ II ▷|

»»-----　♔　-----««

○𝘖𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐎𝐳𝐨 𝐀𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐤𝐚

❝𝑪𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕?

○𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐊𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐮 𝐀𝐨𝐠𝐨

𝑾𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒆,

○𝘊𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐨

𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚,

○𝘐𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐇𝐚𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐤𝐚

𝑼𝒑 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑, 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒖𝒑 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚, 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒆

○𝘑𝘺𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐓𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐨 𝐎𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐢

𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚

○𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘰 ⇾ 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐞

𝑩𝒐𝒚, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒂𝒚❞

○[𝐘/𝐍] [𝐋/𝐍]

✐❝𝑾𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒍𝒐𝒘, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒆'𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒚.❞

❛𝑨 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈_𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔❜ 月