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For our protagonist, It was a lovely day- until she became stuck under a tree.
Why? Because of a sudden downpour. She was caught in it in the school garden. There was no gardening club today- but she was out here on her own accord.
It’s because she was taking extra care of a flowering plant. One day a few months back, while the club members were cleaning up around the garden she was in charge of pulling weeds, while gathering, she saw a long dry crinkly leafy stock sticking out from under a piece of aluminum roofing that fell, it was around the back behind the greenhouse as she throws the other weeds in a bucket her gloves make contact with a bud, it was a flowering plant.
Curious, she rolled up her jacket sleeves and pried the long rusted sheet of aluminum off. It looked like it has been there for a long time, when she finally lifted the sheet metal off she found an entire bush completely over grown, it seemed almost dead, but to her surprise, there was more budding, she counted 4 buds.
She had no idea what kind of flower it could be yet, so she decided to try to give it a little love to see if she could revive it. It started just as the occasional watering whenever it looked parched using the leftover water. That watering every few days a week began to show now healthy thick leaves. They were full and spread- she made sure to pick off the dead leaves, the tiny bubs began to grow eventually, and there were 5 now developing.
Despite having bathroom duties she made sure to go check on it after classes ended, and slowly but surely flowers began blossoming. Funny enough, they began to remind her of a certain apparition, slow to open up and hiding secrets, they were also deep blood red still in a blossoming stage just like a certain friendship, she still doesn’t know what the flower was. There was now a 6th bud.
This week- the 4 initial flowers would be in full bloom, after waiting months- the rewards of her labor were soon at hand. And as she was counting she found a new bud, a 7th bud, it was new but it began developing surprisingly fast.
A few days ago, under the partial sunlight that passes through the tree above the bush, the first 4 flowers, bloomed, she finally saw what they were.
Camellias.
They were red camellias.
There was something that made them feel almost romantic. Nene couldn’t put a finger on it- but she was even more drawn to them she wanted to continue to nurture them till they all fully bloom maybe even after. She visited every day, under the shade as 5th flower blossomed. Yesterday the 6th finally bloomed, she still waited for the 7th to at least show its vibrant colors too. unfortunately, despite the growth rate it was still far behind.
Today she went again straight after school she ran out to the garden, once again neglecting to do her bathroom cleaning first. As she walks toward the fence to check- she feels a water drop on the top of her head, looking up- it became overcast all of a sudden. Suddenly a water drop hits her cheek she feels a scale crystalize on her face- then another- another- suddenly it starts pouring she squeals holding her bag close as she runs for the closest sort of shelter she can get, which unfortunately happened to be a tree.
Now here she is currently, She just barely made it in time- she was close to being completely soaked. Her still damp hair stuck to her face dripping from the ends, her dress felt heavy, her shoes were soggy, and the scales never left her arms and face. While it doesn't keep her entirely dry, it keeps her dry enough from becoming a bird’s meal.
It's been 20 minutes now since the pouring began, rain finally it was calmer being a drizzle, she was relieved now and pulls out her phone, she cupped it blocking the dripping water from any access to her ports. As she hits the power button she’s met with the dreadful dead battery screen. She groans realizing she forgot to shut up a very power-demanding idol game she was playing during the break. Now she can't even call Kou or Aoi.
So now she is stuck in the rain, alone, soaked, with no phone, half way to turning into a fish- everyone left or made a run for it as soon as it became a monsoon. She was certain this would have lasted for maybe 10 minutes- but never this long…
As far as she knows she will be stuck here all night. "I should've checked the weather this morning…" she says to herself.
She knows for a fact she will be in trouble for not reporting to the old girls bathroom by now.
Speaking of-
a hakujoudai poofed into existence next to her. After it wiggles it's almost as if it signaled someone soon after a familiar ghost appeared.
"Ah-Yashiro- I was just looking for you!" The boy exclaims.
"Hanako kun?!" Nene doesn't honestly know why she would be surprised its Hanako- he seems to know where she goes most of the time.
"I was just waiting to give you fish food but it looks to me your half way there yourself" he crosses his arms eyeing the scales across her arms and scattered around her face.
Nene huffs looking away her hair whipping as she turns her head. "I was doing something."
"Did that something have to do with boys again- you really do not know how to not find yourself in trouble you naughty daiko-"
He was met with an immediate head butt to the stomach.
"I-it wasn't anything like that- "
'This time…'
"I'm surprised usually if you aren't around its because of boys or supernaturals- and sometimes both!" He says cheerfully.
"W-well it's not because of that. Its something Ive been doing for a while…"
" oooo something to rendezvous with a secret admirer?" He says dramatically, almost mimicking the way she acts.
Nene shook her head, a bit embarrassed.
"Then what is it for?" He floats around her.
"A plant."
". . ." Hanako blinks.
"Heh?"
"A plant- do I really have to explain?"
"That would help."
Nene explains how she found the dying plant and brought it back to life after nurturing it.
"So you've been late recently to watch flowers?" He said then chuckled a little to himself.
"Whats so funny?"
"It's just I thought you harvested vegetables and stuff. I mean that was the gift you gave the guy when I first met you. Claiming it was plenty feminine. " he laughs.
"Because it is feminine." She protests. Suddenly Nene let out a sneeze.
Hanako stopped laughing after he realized how much she was shivering. While she wasnt wet enough to turn to a fish- she was soaked enough to catch a cold. There was water dripping on her head which slowly dripped from her forehead allowing another scale to crystallize. If he didnt do something she would have gills soon.
He decides to use a Hakujoudai to summon his cape. He hovers a little bit above her and uses one arm to spread it above her.
The ghost boy may be mischievous clingy and constantly harrassing her, but he still has some manners.
Nene shivers as she feels the ghostly cape's cold material make contact whith the back of her neck she shivered with goose bumps.
"Hanako kun what are you doing?" She looks up at him confused.
"Well isnt obvious? Im protecting my assistant?" he gives a close eyed smile.
"From what?" Nene swivels her head left and right looking for a supernatural..
"Something dreadful." He shakes his head.
"What?! Is it a rougue supernatural?" Her eyes dart around the garden.
"Something even worse, a common cold."
"A cold? That's it?” she tried to swat at him frustrated as he dodges, "you worried me for nothing!"
"Now Yashiro," he tuts, "your health is nothing to neglect. I can't have my assistant get sick." There was a little more to that but he doesnt say aloud.
Nene felt confused what he meant.
For a little while they stay silent watching the rain fall as it pelts the soil in the open dripping from the leaves above them, only to glide down the semi transparent cape material.
despite the cold Nene didn't feel as miserable anymore. Her phone was dead her dress was heavy her shoes are soggy and her scales creeping from under her tights but she didn't mind.
A Hakujoudai floats back to its owner wiggling. "I knew one of them would snag one." He narrows at 2 mokke happily hopping in the distance with a stolen umbrella. His cape disappears.
"Wait here" he tries to float over to them to give up the stolen item. - Nene grabs him by the sleeve.
"Hanako kun can you please stay here?..."
A smirk creeped up on his face, "oh? Does the Yashiro feel lonely already?~"
"N-no- its because… I don't want you to bully them again…" she looks to the side.
"WhAT?! I'm not the bully they are!"He points to them
Nene huffs, "mokke are the sweetest and most wholesome supernaturals honestly"
"No they are a menace to the far shore- and Im wholesome too aren't I?" He tries to use an innocent face.
Nene wears a deadpan expression, "hardly…"
"You only say that because they remind you of your hamster white…incinerator"
"White inferno! And no it's not because of that.", she corrects, "And I will prove they are innocent."
"How so?" He looks amused.
"Mokke chan!" She yells at them, they turn her way. She begins digging in her bag pulling out a piece of hard candy.
"Candy!"
"Candy."
"Sweets…"
They hop towards them happily.
"See I told you they were fine."
One of them stops and stares up at Hanako with beady little eyes. "No 7- destroy no 7.
All of a sudden they all started chanting.
"Destroy No 7!"
"Become a mystery!"
"The 7 must go down!"
The mokke hop towards the ghost now seeming to multiply. Hanako floats a bit higher out of their reach, one grabs his shoe and starts crawling up his leg, he tries to summon his knife but it is too late, they surround him he soon is drowning in the pink fluff balls.
“LETS WARM FUZZY HIM TO DEATH!”
They all squeak out little war cries, Nene stands there distraught as to what she is witnessing.
“yASHiro- HeLp!” he waves his free arm around. Nene quickly reacts digging into her bag pulling out fist fulls of candy and throwing it out into the dirt away from them.
“Candy!”
“Candy plants,”
“Must grow,”
They all leave Hanako in the mud as they follow the candy.
“Hanako kun-” Nene reaches out an arm from the tree to go to his direction
“Nope- stay put,” he says as he lifts himself of the ground, “ I can’t have you turning to a fish now can we” he brushes himself off as he floats to the abandoned umbrella and opens it over Nene.
“Hanako kun- are you ok I didn’t think they would come after you like that I thought they only did that because you messed with them,”
He looks her straight in the eyes, “They only think of 4 things, what to steal, candy, and how to cheat in hanafuda, and more recently world domination…for some reason.”
“But how can they…they’re so cute.” Nene takes the umbrella from him.
Hanako puts a hand in his pocket and looks at her, “Glad I got here on time.”
“On time for what?”
Suddenly the rain picks up again back to a downpour. The water pelts the umbrella even under the tree.
“That.”
Nene slumps, “ I definitely wouldn't of survived this…”
Hanako about snakes around her due to habit “aww cheer up Yashiro~” Nene shivers, his sudden embrace stops when he quickly realizes and lets go muttering an apology.
“I'm glad you were here- but how did you know that was going to happen?”
“No 5. He told me the weather.”
“He knows the weather too?”
“Something like that- I only know that the rainy seasons can be unpredictable sometimes.” he looks out into the distance.
Nene lets out another sneeze.
Hanako uses his sleeve to rub the scales on her face “We better get you inside for the meantime- “ he pulls away only for Nene to grab his hand, “actually- can we stay out here a little longer?”
He raises a brow.
“I was thinking…its peaceful. After everything happening it nice to just watch and listen to the rain,”
“You sound like an old lady”
“Not true! I just wanted to spend a little more time with you…” she looks down at the puddle of water at her feet,
“You’re not trying to wiggle out of cleaning the bathroom are you?...” he smirks.
“Well-maybe… but I just thought its not often we just talk…you know?” she looks at him with soft eyes.
“well…I guess your duties can be postponed…” he mutters, sometimes he’s certain that this girl would be the second death of him. “So tell me about this plant.”
Her eyes wander to the red flowers in the distance“It was very wild and overgrown at first.”
“It seems to have been there for a while hasn’t it.”
“Do you think it was there as long as you were?”
“Ehh don't know about that one… so what are you going to do with it when it grows ”
“Whenever there are more flowers I was thinking of using them to decorate the bathroom as a gift, if you wanted them”
“I wouldn't mind something like that at all…”
In the distance of the two under a tree the sun peaks out from behind the clouds, its rays shine down on a 7th blossom slowly opening with dew drops shining like gems on the petals.