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Kei was really wondering what he was doing there, it was supposed to be a simple meeting with his childhood friend Yamaguchi, not a class on what each flower meant.
Kei met his friend at the little coffee shop they usually go to once a week, normally they would talk about their everyday life, school and volleyball practice; however today it was different, Yamaguchi was talking about that girl he met a few weeks ago Hitoka Yachi. They both met at university and now they were almost inseparable. They weren't officially dating but Yamaguchi seemed ready to take that step and he really wanted to do it with flowers.
"Flowers?" asked Kei.
"Yes!!" excitedly replied his friend "I saw that flowers had different meanings so I really want to tell her how I feel with flowers" he added as explanation.
"Good, had fun with that," said Kei, finishing his cup of black coffee before getting up.
"Tsuki wait!!! I need you to come with me!!" quickly said Yamaguchi grabbing his arm.
Kei looked at his friend with an annoyed look that would normally make the latter change his mind, but not this time; the resolved expression on Yamaguchi's face didn't leave any place for refusals.
"Why?" asked Kei, hoping his friend somehow changed his mind realizing that he didn't need him.
"Cause if it was you who was asking, you know I would come with you without asking any questions" simply replied Yamaguchi.
"As if-"
"Please?"
Kei let out a long annoyed sigh, when his friend had something in mind, it was hard to make him let that idea go.
"Fine."
"Thanks!!"
"Yeah, yeah...do you at least know where you want to go?"
"Of course," said Yamaguchi, pointing to the flower shop on the opposite side of the street.
Kei looked at where his friend was pointing and saw a small flower shop, a man with bright orange hair seemed to tend it. He was chatting with customers with enthusiasm; he really looked like a chatterbox and Kei was already annoyed by him. He click his tongue and looked at his friend:
"Finish your coffee and we go."
"Thanks Tsuki!!"
"Yeah, yeah hurry up before I change my mind."
Yamaguchi took his last sip, grabbed his bag and led his friend to the shop across the street.
When they arrived, the duo was welcomed by the smell of the diverse flower spread out in the stand in front of the shop.
The orange haired made a sign to show that he saw them, the duo looked around while the shop tender was finishing with the customers who were there before.
Yamaguchi was walking, looking at the different flowers, wondering which one he should take; they looked all pretty and smelled all nice, but he really wanted to take the right one.
Kei was standing in the middle of the aisle wondering why he accepted, he should have said no, in fact he was really contemplating just leaving without saying anything, but the moment where he was about to move, the orange haired walked towards him.
He was smaller than him, a lot smaller with the fluffiest hair he ever saw and his smile was blinding. Kei was already annoyed by him.
"Good morning! how may I help you?" the orange-haired asks Kei.
"I'm not here to buy flowers, but him yes," answers Kei, pointing at his friend.
Yamaguchi came back towards Kei with a shy smile.
"Yes I'm the one who wants to buy flowers."
"No problem, is it for a special occasion?"
"No, but for someone special."
"Ok!"
Kei let his friend talk with the small orange-haired, during this time he decided to look around; there were so many flowers around, that he felt like he was getting attacked by colors and smell, this place looked too happy for him. He really hoped his friend would get what he wanted quickly to be able to get out of there soon. However with the way Yamaguchi was chatting with the orange-haired clerk, it looked like they would be there for a long time.
From time to time, Kei was listening to their conversation,
“Jonquil usually means that the affection is returned and the purple lilac symbolizes the beginning of love, we could add some white camellia that mean “you’re adorable”, explained the small clerk.
“Not too sure about the yellow flowers,” said Yamaguchi, but this one seems nice,” he added, pointing at the blue flowers.
“Oh sure, those ones would be perfect too! They are blue salvias and they mean “I think of you.” said the clerk with a way too bright smile.
“Ok so I will take the purple lilac, the white camellia and the blue salvias,” said Yamaguchi who seemed happy with his final choice.
“Ok! Do you want it delivered?” asked the clerk.
“Oh no, I will give it myself, I’m meeting her later.”
“No problem, just wait a moment, while I prepare the bouquet!”
The clerk took a few flowers of each species and disappeared in the back house.
“So what do you think?” asked Yamaguchi walking toward Kei.
“I don’t think, I just want to get out of here” replied Kei looking around.
“Ah come on! You don’t find it fascinating how each flowers had its meanings? Some of them can mean more than one thing, that's why it’s important to not just give one at least that what Hianta-san said.”
“Hinata-san?”
“Oh the clerk!! His name is Hinata, the shop below to his grand-mother, he is helping her for the summer, his going back to Tokyo after.”
“You sure learnt a lot in a short time” pointed out Kei.
“That’s because I thought it could interest you.”
“Interest..Yamaguchi”
“Sorry Tsuki .. Oh! the flowers are ready.”
Yamaguchi left an annoyed Kei to go talk to Hinata and pay for his flowers.
“Thank you for your patronage Yamaguchi-san, hope I will see you and your friend soo.”
“Yeah sure!!”
The duo left, Shouyou was watching them walking away, there wasn’t any customer for the moment so he could take this time and think about that tall blond he just met. Since it would have been unprofessional to ask customers' names, Shouyou didn’t know it therefore, he was really hoping to see them again.
A few days later, the two guys were back to their shop, the smallest of the two wanted to buy more flowers for his now official girlfriend; he wanted to show his love for her. Hinata first thought of the red roses, but thought that maybe he would want to go with something a bit less passionate and keep the red roses for a very special occasion.
“Welcome back Yamaguchi-san” greeted Hinata with a little bow, “Happy to see you and your friend again.”
“Hi Hinata-san, yes I drag Tsuki...shima once again with me.”
Tsukishima greeted him with a little sign of the head even if he clearly didn't want to be there, but somehow Shouyou didn't feel like it was the same kind of annoyance as the first time they came into the shop.
"So Yamaguchi-san, what's bringing you here today?"
"Want to buy flowers for my girlfriend."
"Something in particular in mind?"
"Flowers that will show how much I love her"
"Ok!! Let's see what we have."
Shouyou looked at the different flowers and once he had an idea to offer he came back to Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.
"Where, I was thinking we could go with some Forget-me-not which can mean "true love", we could have some red Tulip which can means "perfect love" and complement with jasmine."
"What is the symbolism of the jasmin?" asked Yamaguchi.
"Unconditional or eternal love" answered Shouyou.
Kei was standing not far from them, leaning his tall frame on a column, listening to Hinata. He should have been annoyed, he should have clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes and sigh out of exasperation, but the passion the young man with golden eyes was showing toward flowers was mesmerizing, it was attracting him like a magnet.
He couldn't lie to anyone who would ask, he did spend most of his free times in the coffee shop across the street.
The first time, he didn't even realize that his feet led him there and since he was there and the coffee shop owner recognized him, he decided to say.
This happened a few times and each time his eyes were drawn to the flowers shop across the street. Hitana's bright orange hairs were easily noticeable and Kei couldn't stop looking at him, looking for him.
At one point the coffee shop owner noticed the reason why Kei was now coming to his shop so often and started to talk about Hinata.
Kei already knew Hinata was there for the summer, helping his grandmother with the flowers shop.The coffee shop owner explained to him that Hinata’s grandfather passed away a few months ago and Hinata didn't want to let his grandmother alone with the shop during the high season. The coffee shop owner told him Hinata was studying sport medicine, he used to play volleyball but after injuries he had to stop; he didn't want to see others get the same injury as him.
The owner kept saying that Hinata was such a dependable and reliable young man. Kei also learnt that he had a younger sister and the kids loved him; mostly little girls, who loved to hear him talking about the meanings behind each flowers.
Kei could see Hinata had it easy with the kid, he saw a lot of them around the shop when customers weren't around to talk with him.
Sometimes he was wondering if Hinata could see him, since he often saw him looking in his direction; which never failed to make Kei blush a little, even if he still refused to think that he might have a crush on that flower guy. He already can hear his best friend telling him that he knew he would like him even if he refused to admit it.
Kei was still lost in his thoughts when he heard his name. Yamaguchi was standing in front of him with a concerned look.
“What do you want?” asked Kei flustered by the attention he had on him.
“Are you alright Tsuki? I’ve been calling you and you didn’t react.” said his friend.
“I’m alright, you’re done?”
“Nope, wanted your opinion on the flowers.”
“My…why? You are the one offering those flowers.”
“I know, I know, I just want to know what you think, geez Tsuki just look at it ok.”
With a heavy sigh, Kei looked at the flowers Hinata was holding.
“Blue, white and red...are you planning to make the french flag with those flowers?”
Hinata laughed, how dare he to have that cute and refreshing laugh, thought Kei, it was really unfair.
“Nope we were planning to make the Netherland flag” he replied with a bright smile and a wink that made Kei blush a little more. “But we can still change the red flowers for pink ones, like pink roses, which mean sweetness, admiration and love,” he added.
“Whatever, like I said I’m not the one giving the flowers,” said Kei who was feeling his cheek heating.
“Ok then pink roses it will be, if you agree Yamaguchi-san” said Hinata turning toward Kei’s friend.
“Work for me.”
“Great!! Wait for me here, I will come back with the bouquet soon” said Hinata disappearing with the flowers in the back store.
Once Hinata was out of their sight, Yamaguchi turned toward Kei with question marks in his eyes.
“Where were you?” he asked.
“Here the whole time.”
“Tsuki you know what I mean.”
Tsuki clicked his tongue
“I was sitting in the café across the street, listening to the owner talking about Hinata.”
“The owner told us about him? I don’t remember.”
“Not to us, to me, you know I can go to that coffee shop without you.”
“I know that, but isn’t it a bit far for you to go there without reason just to take a coffee?”
“Yamaguchi…”
“OH!!! Sorry Tsuki...but I knew you would felt for him”
Kei let out another sigh which made his friend laugh, it was painful for him to admit that his friend was right.
Hinata came back with the flower to the sound of Yamaguchi laughing,
“Everything is alright?” he asked once he was closer.
“Yes, that idiot is an idiot” replied Yamaguchi wiping the tears forming in the corner of his eyes.
“Yamaguchi, go pay for your flowers, Hinata-san have other customers.”
“Yeah, yeah” replied Yamaguchi walking toward the counter.
Kei rolled his eyes and waited for his friend, he tried to not stare too much at Hinata. The flower boy’s cheerful personality should annoy him, it would normally annoy him, but for some unknown reason, Kei was attracted to him and that is what he found annoying. He was annoyed by the fact that he fell for someone he met only a few weeks ago, someone he barely spoke to and wasn’t really planning to speak to. God knows how he would react if Hinata was trying to have a conversation with him. He was already getting butterflies in the stomach just when Hinata was looking and smiling at him. Kei wasn’t used to that, he was always stoic, blunt, harsh. He wasn’t the type of guy to beat around the bush when he had something to say, so why that man, that guy who learned the language of flowers just to help his grandmother had that effect on him.
A few weeks later, Kei was sitting on the terrasse of the coffee shop, looking at the flower shop across the street. He was a bit disappointed, Hinata didn’t seem to be there, so far he only saw his grandmother serving the customer. Kei wondered if he was sick, not that he really cared, but he still hoped the flower boy wasn’t sick, the young girls would be sad right? Yeah, he didn’t care.
He was still staring at the flowers chop, wondering where Hinata was when he sensed that someone was standing behind him.
“Tsukishima-san!! Happy to see you around.”
Kei didn’t have to look to see who was there, just by the cheerful tone he could tell who it was, it was flower boy.
He looked over his shoulder to see the blinding smile Hinata was wearing, was he always smiling like that?
“Good afternoon Hinata-san, not tending the shop today?”
“Nah, grandma kicked me out for the day, she said that I shouldn’t work on my birthday.”
“Your birthday?”
“Yup today is my birthday, but I told her it wasn’t important, I don’t really have friends here with whom I could spend the day with.”
Kei was looking at Hinata and he knew that he was having a bad idea after looking at how hinata was dressed, a very bad idea, but Hinata's grandmother give him off, so why not find a way to enjoy the day, it’s not that he really cared about how the flower boy was spending his birthday, he just think it was regrettable.
Kei got off his seat and told Hinata to follow him; he didn’t know a whole lot about the flower boy, but he knew he liked volleyball, so maybe they could play. Not a super way to spend his birthday, but Kei thought it was better than spending it alone, again it's not because he really cared about him.
They arrived at the municipal gym, Kei asked if anyone was playing,he was lucky no one was there yet, and no one had reserved it, so they could have it. Kei rented for an hour. He wondered if he should call Yamaguchi, but he presumed the latter would probably be his girlfriend. Oh well, they can still play only the two together.
“Gym?” asked Hinata.
“Yeah, I thought we could play volleyball. The coffee shop owner told me that you used to play before having an injury.”
“Oh, haha, yes, I still play occasionally...but I wear a brace when I play.”
“Ah” Kei felt dumb, he should have figured.
“But, but we can play a bit, I just need to be careful,” said Hinata quickly.
“You sure? We can come back.”
“Nah, sure, you just rent it, it would be a waste.”
That guy was way too nice for his own good.
“Ok, just say if you feel pain anywhere.”
“Yeah don’t worry.”
They installed the net and Kei grabbed the ball before putting it into play. After playing for about twenty minutes, they took a break. Hinata left to buy Pocari in the vending machine, Kei insisted on giving him money. Hinata pointed out that he already paid for the gym, Kei gave him a look that was saying to just take the money.
While Hinata was away, Kei looked at his phone, he had a few texts from Yamaguchi, he texted him back telling him where he was, who knows, maybe he will come to join him. Seeing Hinata coming back with the drinks he sent another message to his friend.
“If you decide to come, stop by the flowers shop and see if Hinata’s grandmother knows where his brace is.”
Kei took the bottle Hinata was offering him and drank in silence, a comfortable silence. After a moment Kei cleared out his throat.
“So, what happened?”
“What happened?”
“Your injury.”
“Oh, I was just the victim of my own stupidity and stubbornness.”
“Why I’m not surprised” thought Kei before asking for more explanation.
Hinata stared at the floor and began to explain what happened; he just didn’t know when to stop practicing, oftentimes he was the last one to leave the gym. He felt like he always needed to push himself to prove that he could be a regular on the team despite his height. All the jumps ended up straining his knees, he tore the meniscus of his right knee during his second year of high school and he needed to have it repaired. Then after coming back to play he had to go again under the surgery, but for the left knee this time. His doctor told him that he might never be able play like before if he wasn’t careful. At first he followed the doctor's recommendation, did a lot of physiotherapy, but once he felt like he could play like before, his old habit came back and it was the beginning of the end. He still vividly remembers the day he had to stop; they were in an official match and he felt an immense pain in his right knee after a jump; he tried to continue to play, at least finish the set, but he just couldn’t do it anymore. It was the end of his volleyball career.
After that he decided to study sport medicine and warn the younger generation about what could happen if they weren’t careful. They needed to take care of their body if they wanted a long success career in the sport they love.
Kei listened to Hinata's story, the injuries explain why he was always careful when he was jumping; he was wondering if working all day standing up was good. Hinata laughed, sweet laugh Kei really started to like, he would probably miss it when Hinata would leave at the end of the summer.
“I don’t spend the whole day standing up, only when there are customers around. I usually sit when I prepare the bouquet and when I make the patron pay. And there are stools around the shop; grandma bought a few even if I told her it wasn’t necessary. But, thank you for your concern, I really appreciate it.”
Kei could feel his cheek warming and try to hide his face. He would normally brush it off, but he just couldn’t. He was saved by Yamaguchi's voice and he could tell his friend wasn’t alone, his voice was accompanied by a few more, some were louder than the other. Kei couldn”t help but rolled his eyes. He was saved by Yamaguchi, but he brought hell with him.
Hearing people approaching, Hinata got up followed by Kei.
“Yamaguchi-san!?”
“Good afternoon Hinata-san, here Tsuki told me to bring this” he said handing out the braces.
“Oh, thank you,” said Hinata to Yamaguchi, but looking at Kei who definitely wanted to go hide somewhere.
“I’m just the carrier, you need to thank our truly considerate Tsuki.”
“Hmph, no need to.”
“Thank you Tsukishima-san.”
Another way too bright smile accompanied that sentence, Kei thought he would be blind before the end of the day.
After that, Yamaguchi presented the people that were with him, his girlfriend and senpai from when Kei and him were in high school. After Hinata greeted them, they left for the changing room while Hinata was putting on his brace.
“Thanks again, Tsukishima-san, I really appreciate it.”
“Yeah, yeah, just don’t go crazy just because you have them.”
“Haha don’t worry, I know my limit now.”
They played and played and paid for the court for another hour; Kei kept a close eye on Hinata, making sure he wasn’t going overboard. When he began to limp, Kei called for a break; Hinata silently thanked him. Soon the time to leave came and while Hinata assured Kei that he could go back to the flower shop alone, Kei still walked him back there.
“Thank you for today, Tsukishima-san, I really had fun,”said Hinata once they were in front of the shop.
“No need to thank, I had nothing better to do anyway.”
Hinata gave him another warm smile and slowly walked away toward the flower shop.
“Hinata-san...here next time you're free, you can text me.” Kei said, giving a piece of paper to Hinata.
“In case you have nothing better to do?”
For the first time, Kei smiled “Yeah,” he said before turning around and walking away.
The following weeks, Hinata and Kei were texting each other, at first it was once or twice a week, then it became everyday when Kei wasn’t going to the coffee shop. Soon, he starts taking his coffee at the flower shop, keeping company to Hinata between customers who keep telling him that his name was Shouyou. He was often taking something to drink and or eat for Hinata, spending time with the flower boy made him realize the latter doesn’t always know what time of the day it was and often forget to eat. Kei was usually at the shop around lunchtime, the only time he was there later was when he met with Yamaguchi.
“So how is it going with Hinata-san?” asked one day his friend.
“What do you mean?”
“You see him almost everyday, if not everyday.”
“I have nothing better to do,” said Kei, “plus Shouyou company is actually enjoyable,” he added.
“Shouyou?”
“Hinata-san first name.”
“That I figure, but you never call anyone by their first name, even me who is your best friend.”
“Dammit.” he knew he couldn’t escape.
Yamaguchi triumphically smiled.
“I knew it!!! You fell hard for him.”
“Yamaguchi...tone down.”
“Sorry Tsuki but I still knew it.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
“So what’s next?”
“Don’t know.”
“Come on Tsuki, you can leave it like that, if you wait too long, he will go back to Tokyo before you tell him anything.”
“That I know, just don’t know how to tell him how I feel.”
“Hmmm flowers...maybe?”
“Flowers?”
“Yeah they all have meaning remember?”
Kei seemed to consider the option, his friend was right, flowers had meanings and Shouyou knew them.
“Yeah, I could do that...I’ll think about it.”
“Ok but don’t think for too long.” said Yamaguchi getting off his seat.
Kei nodded and watched his friend leaving, he followed a moment after. He still didn’t know what he would do, but he knew it needed to be done today.
Kei came back later, around the moment when the shop will close, by this time he knew the shop operating hours by heart, he helped a few times Shouyou to close the shop.
He pushed the door and the bell rang, he heard Shouyou voice from the back of the store.
“A moment please!!”
Kei patiently waited for Shouyou walking around the shop, looking at the flowers.
“Oh Kei! What brought you here at this time?”
Kei startled hearing Shouyou's voice, he wasn’t used to hearing him calling him by his first name.
“Yeah, I.. I came to buy flowers.”
“Oh! For who?”
“Someone dear to me.”
“Ok, let’s see what we can do, anything in mind?’
Kei tried to remember his visit with Yamaguchi.
“Hmmm purple lilac…”
“Oh… someone really dear to you.”
“Yeah...”
“OK, purple lilac, anything else?”
“Yeah, blue..saliva?”
“Haha, blue salvias, nice choice, something else?”
“Yeah, anything that means that someone is adorable and that you feel gratitude?”
“Oh yes we have that, White camellia for the adorable part and sweet peas for the gratitude part.”
“A last one”
“Ok!”
“Sunflowers.”
“And Sunflower, I love those one, they make me happy,” said Shouyou, taking the last flowers before disappearing in the back store to come back a moment later with a full bouquet.
Kei followed him to the counter to pay.
“Thank you for your patronage!” said Hinata, giving the bouquet to Kei. “Hope the lucky person who will receive them will like it.”
“I hope too” replied Kei, giving the bouquet back to Shouyou.
He looked at Kei confused, “Something wrong?”
“Nope, those flowers are...for you.”
Kei never saw someone getting red this fast and was pretty satisfied by the reaction he was getting.
“I...hmmm are you sure? I mean… I will go back to Tokyo after summer.”
“I know, I’m not afraid of long distance relationships.”
“Long distance...relationship…”
“I know it seemed sudden, but spending this time with you, wants me to spend even more time, even if 300Km is separating us. ”
“Can we…”
“Yeah we still have time in front of us.”
Shouyou took the bouquet from Kei hands and took out a purple lilac and sweet pea from it and walked to the jonquil before coming back with one and gave the flowers to him.
“Here my answer” he said, blushing even more, if that could be possible.
“Didn’t you need time?”
“Oh in fact I had plenty of time to think with all the time we spent together” replied Shouyou walking around the counter. “I’m relieved we feel the same.”
Shouyou got on the tip of his toes before leaving a soft kiss on Kei's cheek.
“Thank you for the flower Kei, they are beautiful.”
“Yeah, the one who chose them knew what he was doing.”
Shouyou laughed, laugh that Kei will never be tired of hearing, Shouyou was truly a flower boy, his flower boy.