Chapter Text
“Huh, so when is the wedding? And have you decided on how to name your children? I have a few ideas.”
“Rene, stop messing with him.” The slightly older man glares. “But, Jakob, when are you going to propose to her?”
The youngest man among those three is practically melting in embarrassment. Right now, he just wants to dig a hole and hide there forever.
“Stop it.” He groans. “All I said that I think I may have a crush on her...”
“You think.” Rene gestures to Alain, trying very hard not to laugh out loud.
“I mean…I have this feeling recently…”
“By recently,” Alain probes with a deceptively nonchalant voice, “do you mean for 15 years?”
Jakob’s face is getting redder and redder by seconds. It is only when he was about to stand up and leave that Rene realised that he might have gone too far.
“Ahem, then, do you have a plan to ask her out yet?”
“Just stop teasing me…” Jakob looks like he’s about to cry. Even as an adult, he’s still very much a cry-baby.
Rene exchanges a glance with Alain, but this time, it’s not amusement, but genuine concern.
“…Didn’t you just say that you have a crush on her?”
“Well yes…” The young man mumbles. “But that is just a thought…I don’t know why I just blurt it out! Besides, why would Ann go out with someone like me?”
Rene and Alain stares at Jakob for at least half a minute, absolutely speechless.
“Jakob,” said Rene as he placed his hand on the younger man’s shoulder. “You are her childhood friend, and we all know she adores you.”
“…That isn’t the same thing as wanting to reciprocate my feelings.”
“You don’t know that.” Spoke Alain, loudly and annoyedly. “That’s why you have to ask her. As for myself, as her brother, I approve. If Ann ends up being with someone, I’d rather for that someone to be you.”
***
“Good morning.”
“Morning.” That beautiful girl replies. Busy with arranging the sunflowers, she still hasn’t looking back at her friend.
Jakob unconsciously gulps, hoping it isn’t too audible. “Do you need my help?” He asked politely.
“Just sit down, would you?” She answered with a half-annoyed order. “You are the guest here, and I am wrapping up already.”
Ann did not lie. Exactly two minutes later, she settles down on the table with a cup of hot coffee and the newspaper that was just delivered. It’s still quite early that day. The first ray of sunshine finds its way in the Narzissenkreuz flower boutique, shinning upon Ann’s face. In a certain angle, it almost looks like the florist is glowing…not unlike a goddess.
“I thought you have classes today?”
“My student got sick, so…”
“I see…” She absentmindedly takes a sip of her coffee. “If that’s the case, I thought you would be sleeping in today. You were never a morning person.”
“Well, I–”
Ann pokes her childhood friend’s cheek, playfully asks. “Have you even had breakfast yet?”
Jakob doesn’t answer, not verbally, at least. But the awkward silence and the slight blush on his cheeks tell Ann everything.
“Ah...” She laughs, taking this opportunity to tease him further. “You came here expecting me to feed you, didn’t you?”
Jakob offers no rebuttal. His face simply gets redder.
“You’re lucky that I still have some leftover pie. Wait here,” said she, hurrying back in the kitchen. Her apron loosened as she did.
Only now would Jakob muster the strength to say something.
“I honestly didn’t expect you to give me food...”
“You still have to eat regardless.” She responds, half-threatening. But there are really few things that are more comforting than that threat.
It takes Ann a while to get the food. And…just out of pure boredom and curiosity, Jakob flips over the newspaper on the table.
That one tiny headline reads: “Suspicious activities at Fleuve Cendre and Poisson.”
It’s more of a tabloid than legitimate news, and (people say) sketchy people always hang around places like Fleuve Cendre and Poisson anyways. But why does Jakob’s heart, the glass statue that he tried so hard to mend, feels like cracking again?
***
There’s something else that he must do today. Something even more difficult than lying to Ann’s bewitching eyes.
He takes a deep breath, feeling the metallic scent fills his lungs. The unfeeling wind hurrying passes him by, yet still find their ways inside his purple jacket, scaring him a bit. But before voluntarily taking a step further, he was violently pulled toward the lightless path.