Chapter Text
She's pretty.
That was Sanemi's first thought as his mother pointed to his flower girl partner across the aisle.
Her hair was parted into two sections and rolled into two buns along her neck. There were several pink flowers inserted in it. She wore a matching pink dress with a flower basket tied with pink ribbons too. The only thing that wasn't pink about her was the color of her eyes, a light shade of purple just like his. He was able to glimpse it as she was staring wide-eyed at the decorated altar before her mother ushered her away.
"What do you think, Sanemi?" his mother asked as she fixed the pink bowtie on his collar. "Pretty isn't she?"
Mom stood up, offering her hand, and smiled at him. He nodded and took her hand.
"Well, I think it's almost time for the procession. Let's go ahead and meet them."
Sanemi followed his mother to the other side of the church where his partner's mother was fussing over the girl. He listened quietly as both mothers introduced themselves and chatted, all the while stealing curious glances at the girl across him. Sometimes, they made the briefest of eye contacts before they both looked away immediately.
Mom nudged his shoulders.
"Sanemi, this is Kanae," his mother smiled warmly at him. "Say hello."
As he finally looked Kanae in the eye, her mother also nudged her forward.
Kanae fisted her mother's skirt, her pink lips twisting into a frown, unmoving, despite their eye contacts earlier. After another encouraging nod from her mother, she slowly let go and stood beside him.
"Hello," Sanemi said.
Kanae mumbled back, "Hello."
"Look here!"
Both mothers were already crouching and pointing their phones at them. Sanemi felt Kanae stood straighter next to him. He shifted his glance to her and watched as her lips curled into a big smile.
Astonished, he fully shifted his attention to her face.
She looked much prettier smiling. He couldn't fathom how a simple smile could make such a big difference.
"Sanemi," his mother called to him.
Kanae turned her head sideways, her enigmatic smile still present and he faced forward, hands clenching the pillow he was given beforehand.
Their mothers took a lot of photos, must have been hundreds because soon he wasn't nervous about her smile anymore and he was getting used to standing next to her. And when they stood up again, it was because someone was calling them over to the decorated archway where a line of similar, fancy-dressed people was already forming.
It was a sight for sore eyes. All of them were wearing pink.
They were each swept away but Sanemi found himself in front of the line, standing closer to Kanae than before. Although, it looks like she was getting comfortable around him too.
"You smell like cotton candy," he blurted in the silence between them. She smelled like hairspray too but the cotton candy was more overwhelming.
"Mama just put perfume on me. It's a special one because it's a happy occasion," Kanae stammered. "It's sweet, right?"
"Mhm!" he readily agreed. He shook the pillow with coins inside. "Makes me want to eat candy now!"
Kanae grinned at him like she just had the same thought. He was also pleased to realize that her smile didn't unnerve him as much as the first time he saw it.
"Are those coins?" she asked, pointing to the pillow he was clutching. Kanae held up her basket. "I have flower petals."
"Yeah, they're so few though," he said, shaking the pillow, an upside-down basket covering the three coins inside. "And I don't know what it’s for."
"Maybe you're going to throw them in the end. Mama says I need to throw mine on the ground later when she tells me to."
"Why? That seems stupid."
He met her eyes and he was surprised that there were more than just light purple. Little white sparkles also shone from her irises. They look like stars. Sanemi wondered how he could have missed that.
Kanae shrugged. "I don't know. It's a waste of flowers."
"I like your hair," he commented. "Are those real flowers?"
"Yeah!" This time her voice rose to an excited pitch. She touched her hair, giving him a proud smile. "Thanks. I like my hair today. And these flowers are called carnations."
"Carnations," he repeated. "I doubt I'll remember that."
"I know a lot about plants. They're my favorite thing in the world!"
"Oh, really?" he muttered, clutching the pillow to his chest as his gaze wandered around. His eyes turned to the flower arch and he began taking interest in that.
Sanemi managed to figure out how the flowers were able to cling to the arch when Kanae tugged on his arm. "Hey! Don't ignore me, Sanemi."
He guiltily turned back to her and whispered, "Sorry."
"I don't like flowers very much. I get bored easily."
"What?" she gasped as if she couldn't believe her ears. "But—! Everybody likes flowers! I love flowers!"
"It is obvious." He looked at her up and down. "You're a literal flower girl," he deadpanned.
Kanae's flabbergasted expression melted into confusion. She cocked her head to the side before laughing. "I guess you can say that."
"What do you like, Sanemi?" she asked him curiously, swinging her flower basket side to side without dropping the petals.
Now it's his voice rising happily.
"I like building!"
He pointed to the archway they were under, "Look, they twisted some wires together around a block of wood so they could insert the flowers around it."
He stepped forward and quickly knocked on the archway. A hollow sound emitted through the chatter of the guests managed to reach his ears. "It's light too, I bet."
"I think flowers are cooler though," she softly disagreed.
"No way! I think building is way cooler, at least it's not boring!"
Kanae stared at him for a while before she smiled and opened her palm to him. "Let's not fight, okay? We should be happy today since mama said it's a happy occasion."
He looked at her hand and grabbed it, thinking she was offering it for him to hold.
"Yeah," he agreed, slowly smiling back at her. Mom told him it's rude not to smile when someone offers their friendship. "Let's be friends, Kanae!"
"Yes!" She grinned wider, bouncing a bit on her toes. "We'll be good friends!"
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"The ground is dirty," Sanemi said but he plopped beside her anyway. Kanae didn't raise her head, too engrossed in whatever she's doing on her lap. She looked like a pink pumpkin on the ground with her gown all poofy around her.
"What are you doing?"
Still, she didn't respond back. He frowned and moved forward, finally seeing her hands working on a chain of flowers fluently. Beside her, more plucked daisies lay looking sad and manhandled.
"Kanae, don't ignore me," he whined. He nudged her shoulder lightly, "Kanaeee."
Finally, she looked up at the contact and she smiled when she saw who it was.
"Sanemi! Perfect timing! I just finished making a flower crown for you!"
She held out the tiny daisy crown like it was the greatest thing on Earth. Kanae leaned forward and placed it on his head. She fell back down to her poofy pink pumpkin and gazed proudly at the way the colors fit perfectly with his white hair. The crown looked invisible on his head but for some reason it was so amusing to her.
"Thanks?" Sanemi said as he tried to glimpse the crown on his head without making it fall. But a gust of wind blew it off and he hurtled after it. He caught it in his fist, wincing at what the flower crown would look like crumpled now.
He hoped Kanae wouldn't be mad. At least, it wasn't a huge wind that could rip the flowers apart.
When he got back, Kanae had a hand to chin, thinking hard about something. Then her face brightened. Reaching up to her hair, she pulled out something black that looked like a stick. She excitedly beckoned him over and he sat down next to her. She eagerly grabbed the crown from his hands, ignoring the flattened petals.
"Look down," she commanded. Sanemi followed her mutely.
He felt her place and held the flower crown on the top of his head. Her fingers worked clumsily with the black thing she has on her hands. Several times she dropped either the crown or the black stick. Finally, she managed to slide something hard over his scalp and he yelped loudly.
"Ow! You're pinching me!"
"Oh no! I'm so sorry, Sanemi!" She peered at his face to make sure he was alright and she did look genuinely sorry. "These things hurt a lot but please hold still for me. I promise I'm almost done."
"I'll be gentler."
He shut his eyes, his heart anticipating the next pinch when she moved away. Touching the top of his head, he found where the daisies and black stick was in his hair.
"Don't touch the bobby pin. It's hard to put it on but with it, the crown should be able to stay on your head like the flowers in my hair," she explained.
Smiling hugely, she took a few more moments admiring her work. Then she exclaimed randomly, "You have nice hair too!"
The tip of his lips lifted up awkwardly. "Thanks."
His father didn't like his hair. He could see his distaste in his frown every time he ate breakfast on mornings they have together. He also couldn't help it if his hair wouldn't stay down.
"Do you want to make another one?"
"But you already have a flower crown on your head," Sanemi pointed out.
"It's always fun to make more," she chirped. Kanae busies herself by arranging the small flowers on her lap before dumping a few on his legs. "I'll teach you if you don't know how to."
"We can make lots and lots of flower crowns to give to the others!"
Because the process looked fascinating to him (he argued that it looked something like building), he joined her in making flower crowns, stumbling and sometimes breaking apart the chain, but he never gave up. Kanae was a good teacher. She was really patient in teaching him, just like his mom.
"You're a better student, Sanemi," she complimented when he asked her to repeat a particular step. "Shinobu cried a lot when her flowers broke apart but I still love her."
"Who's Shinobu?"
"Shinobu is my sister, my second sister," she clarified. She beamed at him. "I can't wait to teach Kanao how to make one too!"
Oh! He successfully inserted a fourth flower into his chain. Holding the chain carefully with his fingers, he searched the flowers on his lap for a good, fifth flower.
"You have two sisters?"
"Uh-huh. One of them is still a baby."
"It's only me and Genya at home," he shared.
"It's better than being alone, right?"
"Yes," he agreed, thinking about Genya and his eccentricities. He's just a baby like Kanao but like Kanae said, he can't wait for Genya to grow up and teach him some things too.
While making more crowns together, Kanae scooted closer to him. She whispered excitedly, "Let's trade secrets, Sanemi!"
He jerked back. "Why?"
"It's fun. My grandpa and I trade secrets all the time," she gushed, sparkling eyes becoming even more sparkly. "Do you want to?"
"I…"
Sanemi didn't have a lot to hide. He was an honest person so he usually told people straight away what he thinks and admits what he did wrong. But, he does have one secret. If his mom ever found out, she'd be really furious with him.
He cautiously regarded Kanae since they both seem to like each other this morning so far. He can't risk her telling his mom about it.
"You're hesitating. You must have a lot to hide then?" Kanae tilted her head and gave him a sly smile.
Feeling a blush coming from the back of his neck, he crossed his arms, huffing. "No, I don't! I only have one secret!" he exclaimed.
Maybe Sanemi didn't mean to shout it that loud.
His partner laughed gaily. "I forgot to say that secrets don't have to be real secrets. That's what my grandfather told me. We can just say random things like what we like or who we like. Random things like that."
Still, he was apprehensive about joining the game. She could see that he was still having doubts so she volunteered to go first. Kanae thought about it for quite a while, before leaning in close and cupping her hand over his ear.
"I like apple juice! I think it's the best drink in the world!"
When she pulled back, Sanemi commented plainly, "That's a dumb secret."
"Well, you didn't want to share secrets with me!"
"Wha—?" Suddenly, she's blaming the game on him?
He grumbled under his breath. An irking frustration bubbles in the pit of his gut.
He can trade secrets too! He just didn't want to expose himself! Can't she see that? How dare she look down on him? It was a ridiculous game and he doesn't see the point of it being fun but he drew the line when people blame him for things that weren't his fault.
Making up his mind, he leaned close to Kanae and cupped his hand over her ear too.
"My secret is that I accidentally knocked down an expensive vase mom loves but I blamed it all on Genya," he whispered quickly before withdrawing, casting a nervous look around him.
Fortunately, his mother and the other guests were standing near the pavilion, gushing over the bride and groom taking pictures.
Strangely, he felt relieved telling his month-old secret to someone else. She was the first person he told. The guilt was killing him alive and it felt good finally sharing it with someone.
"Hmmm, that is a big secret, Sanemi," she taunted with a mischievous smile.
Horrified, he raised his hands to her, waving frantically. "You can't tell mom! Please! She'd kill me if she knew!"
"Yes, I know, Sanemi. That's why it's a secret," she giggled, amusing herself with his worried expression. "I was thinking about what secret I can offer back to what you gave me."
He stopped waving his hands like a maniac. "It's okay, Kanae. Anything is fine, right?"
However, she doesn't seem to be listening to him, she even stopped linking daisies together. Patiently, he continued fumbling over his sad-looking crown before he jumped at her touch when she cupped her hand over his ear again.
"Kanao, my third sister, she's not really our real sister. My mama found her in a box outside our house when she was taking out the trash. My parents decided to keep her," she spilled all of this in one breath.
He drew in a breath, shocked at such a news. A baby in a box?! They should be treated with care!
Sanemi shot her a worried look. That secret was worth more than his useless one, and she just told it to him that easily?
"Isn't that a really big secret?" he whispered worriedly. "I don't think you should be telling this to just anyone. You could get in trouble."
"Well, I asked papa and mama before, and they said it's not really a secret. Besides, you're the first person I told. I didn't tell grandpa but I think he already knows. He loves Kanao the most because she's so quiet. They like taking naps together."
"But an adoptive sister?" he said, his voice all awestruck. "That's cool! Does she look different from you guys?"
"Well, we can't say yet since she's only a baby, but she has pink eyes."
Sanemi immediately blanched. "Ugh, there's enough pink here already."
"Don't be mean!" she chided, slapping him on the shoulder. "She was born like that!"
"Ow, okay I'm sorry," he apologized.
"Your turn," she said, finishing another flower crown. He gawked at her neat crowns. He only managed to make one and it looked ready to fall apart.
"Hmmm, I want to build a new house for mom one day!" Sanemi proudly proclaimed.
Kanae seemed to be super amazed because she stopped linking chains and stared at him open-mouthed.
"I just want to work with flowers," she said, impressed. "Maybe study them and see how they grow."
He still nodded impressively but mostly because she thought his dream was cooler. Flowers, although boring, are important too. People need flowers to be happy, like Kanae.
He flopped to the ground after completing his second flower crown.
"They're taking too long. I'm sweaty," he complained.
The last wind that came by was ten minutes ago. And it was just a small breeze. His back was so drenched in sweat he could probably water the grass under him.
"I want to get out of these hot, stuffy clothes already," he grumbled to her. She only giggled, noting his sweaty forehead and feverish arms.
Kanae took out her pink hanky and inched closer to his face. She gently moped and patted away the sweat on his forehead from the warm afternoon, lips frowning slightly in concentration as she tried to get everything. She even dabbed lightly on his neck.
Sanemi stared at her before he noticed she was sweating too. He, too, took out his handkerchief and returned the favor. Her hand stopped moving and she closed her eyes, revealing sweat that had also perspired inside her eyelids. He gently wiped those away too, taking her cheek so he could be steady and careful around the makeup drawn on it.
"Thanks," they both said at the same time before laughing it off afterward.
Kanae stopped making flower crowns after that and she flopped beside him, their arms and legs spread apart as they stared at the huge sky. They continued trading secrets until they heard their mothers walking up to them and groaning about their soiled clothes.
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"Don't you wanna play?"
Kanae turned around slowly. Sanemi's eyes widened as he saw a little baby in Kanae's arms. She doesn't have much hair yet, though he could see it's black, but her big pink eyes were soulful. He recognized that the baby might only be a year old, yet it wasn't squirming or crying in Kanae's arms like most babies do. It was the exact opposite of the boar-like baby he met at their table. His mother had to clear away all the plates and cutlery in front of them because he was so violent while the boar's mother apologized again and again.
In short, he met another creepy baby.
"Be quiet. I don't want her to cry," Kanae softly chided.
"I know but she's weird. Genya cries a lot at home," he lowered his voice to whispers. He took a seat beside her and held out a finger.
"Kanao, right?"
Kanae hums. Baby Kanao stared at his finger blankly before turning over in her sister's arms, unimpressed. Kanae snorted and Sanemi glared at her as his hand dropped down.
"Oh! I want to play with you guys but mama left with Shinobu to the restroom. I think she finally ripped her dress. I'm supposed to be taking care of Kanao until they come back."
She shot him an uneasy look.
"My arms are getting sore though and I don't know how long they'll be at the restrooms."
"I can help," he immediately volunteered. "I'll carry her if you want. I know how to hold a baby."
But she held her sister tighter and surveyed him apprehensively.
"Are you sure, Sanemi? Kanao doesn't cry a lot but you have to treat her carefully all the same."
"I know," he whisper-shouted and eagerly held out his arms.
He's eager to show Kanae how responsible he is. Mom always said he's a great brother to Genya. He took that compliment very seriously. Even if Kanao cried, he also knew how to calm a baby.
"Come on. You can trust me."
She pursed her lips, eyebrows frowning before she gave up and strained to give Kanao to him.
He readily received her, his arms moving to find the right placement for Kanao's body to settle comfortably in his lap. He drew his legs to indian sit as he saw Kanao stare at him again. Her eyes now looked soulful and soulless at the same time. To be perfectly honest, she still creeped Sanemi out but he thought it's better this than having her throw a tantrum.
Kanae jumps off her chair, stretching her arms happily. After that, she came closer to Sanemi, making sure Kanao knew she didn't leave her.
The flower crown on Sanemi's head drops to Kanao's nose and they both stifle a scream as Kanao closes and opens her eyes slowly, before grabbing the crown in her fist and rubbing at her face curiously. He and Kanae went still, not daring to do anything as they watched, breathless and on edge, waiting for the waterworks and screams that would wake up the entire city.
After Kanao finally noticed the flower crown in her hand, Sanemi broke the ice.
"Why is she not crying?" he whispered slowly to Kanae.
"I told you she's a quiet baby," she whispered back just as cautiously. "Kanao rarely cries even when she's hungry."
"Sanemi," she suddenly cried and he jumped, whirling to her when he heard a panicked rise in her voice. Her eyes were flooding with fast tears as she gripped his shoulder. "I'm so glad I didn't use the big flowers. What if they fell and it blinded Kanao's eyes?"
She gasped louder. "What if the bobby pin fell?"
Sanemi could only stare as she immediately cried next, big, fat tears rolling down her plump cheeks. He watched helplessly since he was using both arms to hold Kanao. He knew better than to take off one of his arms around her. He shot a look at the said baby, who wasn't happy with the flower crown anymore, and Sanemi saw the first emotion filling up in her eyes.
"Kanae, don't cry. Look, you're making Kanao sad. Please don't cry. There are no cuts on Kanao's face, see?"
He held up Kanao to her. Kanae squinted through her tears and indeed, her youngest sister was holding up the flower crown to her, an unmistakable frown etched on her face. Her little fist shook the flowers, her other hand reaching up probably to grab her sister's face.
Her tears stopped trickling down her chin and she stared at her sibling before a big grin stretched from her lips. She leaned down to Kanao who immediately thrusted the flower crown into her face. She jerked back, startled at her violent action.
"I think she liked the flower crown dropping on her face and she thought it'll make you happy too."
Kanae turned to him, red eyes and red cheeks reorganized into mild wonder. He shrugged.
"Genya does some very weird things to me too. That's what my mom said when I asked her about it."
When Kanae kept giving him the blank, startled look, he blushed and continued. "The bottom line is I think she wants you to be happy and to stop crying."
"Oh," was all she said as she looked at Kanao again, who seemed intent on sticking the flower crown permanently on her face.
Kanae snorted, then giggled, before laughing loudly. Just when Sanemi's starting to think he was surrounded by a bunch of weirdos, a new voice entered their midst.
"Ara~! Why are you laughing so loudly, Kanae? Where's Kanao—?"
The same beautiful woman Sanemi saw ushering Kanae in the morning came to stop behind his chair. Kanae's mom looked frazzled, maybe because she was holding a poofy dress in one arm and a sulky-looking Shinobu in the other.
Kanae's mom gave him a warm smile before spotting Kanao in his arms, who's now thrusting the flower crown to Shinobu, and Kanae stepped aside so her mom could sit on the table.
"Why, Sanemi-kun, I didn't know you were helping Kanae." Her mother dropped the dress beside her and Shinobu on top of it before reaching for Kanao and he slowly let go of her.
"I'm sorry we took so long, Kanae. Your arms were probably about to fall off, weren't they?"
Kanae furiously shook her head to indicate no.
Her mother chuckled, "Thank you both for keeping Kanao safe."
At the mention of 'safe,' Kanae clutched Sanemi's arm tightly and a faint choke escaped, which fortunately only he had been able to hear.
"Uhm—! Kanae's mom!" he started, his heart pounding in his ears as Kanae gave a surprised gasp behind him.
"Actually, we—I didn't, I wasn't able to keep Kanao safe," he continued bravely even when Kanae's gripping his arm like crazy.
"The flower crown on my head fell on her face when I was holding her. There was no injury and no cuts, and she didn't cry but—I thought you should know…," he finished lamely, his gaze falling on the fancy cutlery arranged on the table.
A few seconds of silence passed when no one from them released a sound before a gentle hand patted him on the head, then he felt it moving to Kanae's head beside him. When he looked up again, Kanae's mom was still smiling at them.
"Thank you for telling me this, Sanemi-kun. I'll make sure to check up properly on Kanao to make sure she's alright if that's what you're saying?" she replied with a tilt of her head and an amused chuckle.
"Yes," he said and hurriedly nodded. Kanae was no longer gripping his arm. He grabbed her hand and ran away when her mom checked up on Kanao and Shinobu's shrill voice rang behind them, asking if her mother could reach the peanuts for her.
They made it to the big, spiral staircase, him slowing down so Kanae won't trip going down the wide steps.
"Sanemi," Kanae huffed behind him. He stopped and looked back towards her family who thankfully didn't chase them.
"Your family sure is nice but the smiles were scaring me so—Kanae?"
She stood one step higher than him, still as a statue.
"Thank you for telling mama," she said, going over to hug him tightly. "Now she'll make sure Kanao is safer."
He hugged her back eagerly since he got to smell the sweet cotton candy scent on her closer. "It's no big deal, Kanae. Good thing I'm here 'cause you're too coward to tell her!"
She pulled away, frowning. "I'm not a coward! I just don't want mama getting angry or sad."
"Yes, so! It's your mother anyway, there's nothing to be afraid of!"
"You turn into a meanie very quick, Sanemi," she commented.
Though Kanae didn't stomp her foot or frowned at him, Sanemi felt her displeasure at him all the same. All the blood rushed into the back of his neck quickly as he thought of a way to make her like him again.
"He—hey.., I didn't mean it like that."
He realized too late that he had insulted her feelings and now she probably won't be his friend anymore. He tapped his head for things that would give him an idea on how to reconcile when an obvious solution came. It was so obvious he was surprised it took him this long to think of it.
Grabbing her shoulders, he puckered his lips and aimed for her cheek. Surprised, Kanae turned her head at the action and her lips met his lips, who widened his eyes in horror.
"You were supposed to stay still!" he argued adamantly.
"What are you doing?" she asked blankly.
"Giving you a kiss so you'll feel better," he informed her like it was a no-brainer. "Come on, another one. It has to be on the cheek."
"And why do you think that?" she asked curiously as Sanemi smooched her 'properly' on the cheek. She used her shoulder to rub it away.
"Whenever my mom feels sad, I'll give her a kiss so the pain will fly away," he explained matter-of-factly, shyly crossing his arms on his chest.
Kanae frowned, tilting her head. "I don't think pain can fly away, Sanemi." But she held up her flower basket and picked out the biggest flower from it. It had been refilled in the afternoon during the pictorial when the flower girls all threw their petals outside the church.
She gave it to him. "Thank you for wanting to make me happy even though you didn't apologize."
"Thanks and I'm sorry," he said, grimly accepting the carnation. He doesn't believe her words about the pain not flying away but she wasn't mad at him anymore and that's what matters more.