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Akko had arrived at Luna Nova functionally fluent in English, apart from the kinds of words that tripped up plenty of native speakers. That being said, words weren't England's only language.
"What? Flower language?"
Once class was over and the Red Team returned to their dorm room, Sucy had given Lotte an aster flower, causing Lotte to blush profusely. Upon being asked by Akko "what the heck is going on," Lotte explained, neglecting to mention exactly why she was blushing.
"It's a revival of an old trend," Lotte said as she tucked the aster behind her ear. "In Victorian times, people would give each other flowers that had special meanings. It's so romantic, isn't it?" She looked at Sucy and smiled bashfully.
"That's so cool!" Akko said. "Wait. Why hasn't anyone given me a flower yet?"
"Because I can't find a flower that means 'your snoring keeps me awake at night,'" Sucy quipped.
"Hey!" Akko pouted. "I don't even want a flower from you! You'd probably give me some kind poison plant! Or one that bites people!"
Sucy scoffed. "As if I would waste a mandrake flower on you. I'd save that for potions."
"Girls," Lotte said, "no fighting!"
Akko stuck her tongue out at Sucy and flopped onto her bed.
"Flower language, huh?" Akko was familiar with the meanings of some flowers in Japanese floriography—hanakotoba. Who'd have thought that Europeans had the same idea? Akko wanted to get in on the trend, but who could she give a flower to? Was there a flower she could give to express her rivalry with Diana? A flower to show her gratitude to Ursula?
She turned over on her bed and her tailbone throbbed in protest. That damn Hannah England had shot her in the butt with a shock spell a few days ago for no reason at all. Wasn't she supposed to be a lady? One of these days Akko would give her a piece of her mind (but only when Diana wasn't in earshot).
That's it! Akko realized. I know just what to give Hannah. She snickered to herself as she planned her revenge.
"Hey, Hannah. Hey Barbara."
Hannah and Barbara, who had been walking through the third floor hallway, stopped in their tracks at the sound of Akko's unmistakable voice. She hurried over to them, one hand behind her back.
"Hello, Akko," Barbara said.
"What do you want, Akko?" Hannah assumed the worst if Akko was talking to them of their own accord. Maybe she'd been sent by a professor to tell them something, but otherwise the last person Hannah wanted to see was Luna Nova's biggest klutz.
"You're just the girl I'm looking for," Akko told her. "I owe you a favour after you were so nice to me the other day."
Barbara narrowed her eyes. "Hannah, what did you do?"
Hannah avoided her best friend's accusing gaze. Diana had explicitly told them to be nicer to their classmates, but Hannah couldn't stand Akko. Sometimes she had to do something about it.
"I taught her a practical lesson in proper etiquette." Hannah technically wasn't lying. A few days ago she'd spotted Akko bending over in a most unladylike manner—she hit her with a spell to teach her not to be an embarrassment to witchkind. Her reaction had nothing to do with Akko's butt and the way her skirt had ridden up her already exposed thighs.
Barbara shook her head. "Hannah…"
"Thanks for the lesson," Akko said, her smile a little too tight to be genuine. "You're a great teacher."
"Thanks…?" Hannah's hand twitched, ready to grasp her wand. She half-expected Akko to blast her in the face. If that were the case, she wouldn't let Akko beat her to the draw.
"Here's a token of my appreciation." Akko brought her hand out from behind her back and thrust something in Hannah's direction. Hannah, who had almost hexed Akko in self defense, took her hand off her wand to receive it.
"It's an orange lily." Akko's smile became a smirk. "You know what that means, don't you?"
"I…" Hannah stared at the flower blankly as Akko stuffed it into her hands. "I don't understand."
"It should've been obvious," Akko said. "But I heard about this whole flower language trend and I figured I should make it clear how I feel about you."
"B-b-but!?" Hannah looked to Barbara for help. Barbara was covering her mouth with her hand, her expression unreadable. "I d-don't know what you mean, A-Akko. This is—"
"Oh, don't play dumb, Hannah," Akko said. "You know exactly what I mean. Anyway, I've got to get going. Bye Barbara!" She waved and ran back the way she had come.
Hannah stared at the flower Akko had given her. As any lady should be, she was well-versed in Victorian floriography, and she knew exactly what an orange lily meant.
"Passion," Barbara said, eyeing the lily. "Akko really is full of surprises. Who'd have guessed she had feelings for you?"
"What do you mean!?" Hannah blurted. "Of course she doesn't!"
Barbara giggled. "I don't know what kind of 'lesson' you taught her, but it must've done a real number on her."
Hannah's brain almost fried. She hastily explained the incident Akko had alluded to. Contrary to her expectations, Barbara only found the situation more amusing.
"I can see how she would get the wrong idea," Barbara said. "I mean, you literally did, as Amanda might put it, hit that ."
"Barbara!" Hannah yelped. "I can't believe you!"
"Hannah!" Barbara echoed her. "You were literally staring at her butt, and you're always complaining about how short her skirt is."
"It's not my fault she practically stuck it in my face!" Hannah blushed at the memory. "She's always looking for attention, with her short skirt and her weird ponytail and her loud voice and her crazy stunts and her… saving the world… and her goofy smile…
"You know what I'm hearing?" Barbara asked. "It sounds like you're constantly looking at Akko. Maybe she isn't looking for attention. Maybe you're just looking for excuses."
"I am not!" Hannah fanned her face with her hand. Why was she feeling hot all of a sudden? "I know you're desperate for romance gossip, but isn't this a bit much?"
Barbara shrugged. "Look, if you tell me you don't like Akko, I'll believe you. But that doesn't mean Akko doesn't like you. You're going to have to give her an answer."
"Ugh, you're right." Hannah wasn't looking forward to that conversation. She didn't like Akko, but she didn't want to break her heart. She'd have to let her down gently. Hannah had never been good at that. But it had to be done.
After all, it's not like she could actually date Akko.
Right?
"The look on her face!" Akko cackled to herself. She was still laughing about Hannah's reaction an hour later—Lotte and Sucy had left the dorm room a while ago to get some peace.
Akko was pleased as punch. Hannah had looked devastated to receive an orange lily from her. That'll show you what happens when you're a stinky bully, she thought. Why's Hannah the only one who's still being a butthead to me? What's her problem?
There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Akko said, not even thinking about who might be on the other side.
She was surprised to see Hannah when the door opened.
"Hey," Hannah said. She shut the door behind her. "I need to talk to you. Can I sit down?"
"Go ahead." Akko was slightly taken aback, but she wasn't about to let Hannah know that.
Hannah sat down on Akko's bed, not too close, but not as far away as she could've. "Hell, these bunk beds sure are cramped," she said nervously. "And uncomfortable."
"We don't all get big, soft beds like you do," Akko said bitterly. "You should try sleeping on it to see how it feels."
"I'm good." Hannah blushed. She literally meant sleep on a bunk bed, she told herself. Nothing else. Akko would never… but she does like me…
"What did you want to talk about?" Akko asked.
Hannah took a deep breath. Cool it, she thought. It's just Akko. What am I getting so anxious about?
"About earlier today," Hannah began. "I have my answer."
"Answer?" Akko cocked her head. "What do you mean?"
"I'm flattered and all, but I don't think we could—"
"Why would you be flattered?"
"Pardon?" Hannah was taken aback.
"I thought my flower message was perfectly clear," Akko said, crossing her arms. "Honestly I'm surprised to even see you after what I said."
"Wait a minute. Akko, what do you think an orange lily means?"
"Hatred and revenge, obviously."
"Obviously!?" Hannah slapped her forehead. "Where on earth is that what an orange lily means?"
"Japan."
Hannah blinked. "Okay, that should've been obvious to me." She sighed in relief. Now I don't have to break Akko's heart. That's a load off my mind.
But Hannah wasn't out of the woods yet.
Akko furrowed her brows. "Wait. If that's not what an orange lily means here, what does it mean?"
"Wh-what does it matter?" The last thing she wanted was let Akko know about her misunderstanding. "A-a-anyway, since we cleared this up I should be going—"
Hannah tried to get off the bed, but Akko leaned across her and blocked Hannah's path with an arm against the bedpost.
"Haaaaanaaaaaaaaaaaah. What does it mean?"
Has Akko always been this assertive? Not that Hannah was into that or anything, but she sure was flustered for some reason.
"Tell me," Akko demanded. She leaned in closer and Hannah relented.
"Passion! It means passion!"
Akko backed off. "Passion. That's weird. So why did you…" Her voice trailed off. "Wait. So you thought…?" An extremely smug grin broke across her face.
Hannah wanted to scream. "No, I didn't—"
"You thought I liked you."
"And I was going to turn you down!"
"Then why are you blushing?"
"Sh-shut up!"
"I can't believe you thought that!" Akko laughed at the absurdity of it. "I don't like you. I mean, I think you're attractive, but I don't like you."
"Y-you think I'm attractive?" Hannah heard the eagerness in her voice and rushed to compensate. "N-not that I c-care."
Akko chuckled and shuffled closer to Hannah. "You sound pretty excited," she teased. "I bet you wanna hear what I think is attractive about you."
"N-not particularly!" Why is it so hot in here? Hannah wondered.
"You're really pretty, Hannah," Akko whispered near her ear. "You have really nice hair, and an awesome figure. Oh, and your little fangs are kinda adorable."
By now Hannah was blushing cherry-red from her head to her toes. "Shut up." She covered her face with her hands in a vain attempt to protect herself from Akko's onslaught. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
"Where did proud, meanie pants Hannah go?" Akko mused. She pried Hannah's hand away from her face. "You're just a blushing mess. It's really cute, actually."
"R-really?" Hannah cracked her eyes open to see Akko's devious, self-satisfied smile.
"Yeah!" Akko retreated back to the other side of the bed and lay down. "Too bad you're too much of a bitch for me to date."
Hannah's brain took a moment to process what had just happened: she'd been teased within an inch of her life and been rejected for advances she hadn't even made. Not that she cared. "Fuck you!" She got up so fast she hit her head on the bunk above. She tore open the door. "Seriously, fuck you!" She slammed the door shut and slid down to the floor with her back against it.
"Not so much fun when you're the one being bullied, huh?" Akko said. "Still, she was pretty cute…"
Hannah heard Akko through the door and felt a surge of guilt, shame, and embarrassment. She didn't even know why she kept up the bully act anymore. Maybe I should treat Akko nicer, she thought. Not that she was hoping for anything to happen if she did. Not at all.
Hannah returned to her room and collapsed on her bed with an exhausted sigh. She looked at the flower vase on her bedside table and reached out to brush her fingers against the petals of the orange lily.
"Fuck. I do like her, don't I?"