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As Barok walked that street toward his office, something colorful grabbed his attention. It was a small but well-maintained flower shop, almost hidden between two bigger buildings. Barok hadn’t noticed it before, and wondered if it was new or if he was the one perpetually distracted by his thoughts.
He stopped for a moment to admire those flowers. His sister-in-law had been fond of gardening, and the memories of her caring for the flowers under the warm sun, while Balmung playfully ran around, brought a slight smile to his face. He was about to leave when a young woman with a freckled face and a dirt-stained apron approached him with a smile.
“Do you see any flowers you like?”
There was a hopeful glint in her eyes as she spoke. It was a common Wednesday, and Barok imagined most of her sales would be made on the weekend, when couples would usually have more time to spend together. No wonder she looked at him with such expectation…
“Your flowers seem to be well-cared for,” he said.
“I treat them as my own kids.” She stuffed her chest proudly. “You won’t find flowers this pretty anywhere else in the middle of the winter.”
She was so passionate about her job that it made Barok consider freshening up the office with some of those flowers. It could be a pleasant addition to that otherwise serious ambient.
“Very well, I’ll take one arrangement.”
“Thank you, my good sir!” She grinned widely. “Is it for someone special?”
Barok hadn’t considered giving it as a gift, but her question suddenly brought Kazuma to his mind, and he answered without thinking.
“Ah, yes.”
“What about red roses, then?” she suggested. “It’s the most popular arrangement for couples. Nothing says ’I love you’ like a bouquet of red roses.”
Her words made Barok’s heart jump. Only then did he realize his own mistake. “We… are not a couple.”
“Oh, so you still have to declare your feelings?” She thought for a moment. “Then, I should add some white roses as well… It creates a nice balance between passionate and pure love, don’t you think?” A small giggle left her lips. “It’s sure to melt the heart of your darling.”
Those words reached his ears, but his mind had to make an effort to process them. Truth be told, his affection for Kazuma was different from that of a friend, and closer to that of a lover. However, Barok had long decided to take those feelings with him to his grave, so it was jarring for someone to mention them so casually. Oblivious to his silent suffering, the shop owner hummed to herself as she prepared that arrangement with skilled movements.
“You look nervous,” she commented. “Don’t worry, I’m sure this arrangement will bring you luck. There’s no one who wouldn’t be happy to receive flowers from someone dear to them.”
“Ah… I see.” Barok averted his gaze. “That sounds good, then.”
There was a reason flowers were such a common gift, after all… It could be a gesture of romantic love, of course, but also of appreciation. And Barok did appreciate Kazuma. Looking at it from that angle, giving him flowers wasn’t that strange, was it?
While he was busy with his thoughts, the owner finished wrapping those flowers, tying a red bow around them.
“Here it is. What do you think?”
Barok took that bouquet in his hands, examining it. Despite her young age, she was clearly experienced, given the quality of her work.
“It’s beautiful.”
“And sure to bring a smile to the face of the one receiving it,” she added.
Barok agreed. He paid for the bouquet, then walked toward the exit.
“Be sure to come back when you need more flowers for your beloved,” she said.
He nodded, adjusting his hat as he left the flower shop. He walked toward the office, his eyes often lowering to that arrangement, while his mind considered what to do with it. He had said it was a gift, yes… But wouldn’t it be strange to be gifted flowers by another man? If Kazuma gave him such a gift, Barok would certainly appreciate the gesture, but it was difficult to imagine what his apprentice would think of it.
He should have at least chosen an arrangement with a less obvious meaning. Not that he understood much about the meanings of flowers, but even he knew that a bouquet of roses carried a very specific message. If Kazuma happened to be aware of it, the best outcome would be him laughing at that peculiar choice of gift, and the worst one… There were so many worst-case scenarios in his mind that Barok couldn’t even focus on a single one—probably something involving Kazuma’s sword.
In the end, he concluded that it was for the best to go back to his original plan and use it as decoration. Yes… He could buy Kazuma a better appreciation gift later. A little calmer, Barok reached his office, then walked inside.
“Ah, Lord van Zieks…” Kazuma’s voice immediately greeted him. “Perfect timing. I was about to leave the office. There has been a small incident in…”
His words trailed off as his gaze fell upon that bouquet. He went silent for a moment, then looked at Barok with a slightly creased brow.
“Are you expecting someone?”
Somehow, Barok managed to keep a straight face. “No, I bought these flowers on my way here. I thought they would liven up the office.”
“I see.” Kazuma took a step closer, examining those flowers with more attention. “They’re pretty.”
“Indeed.”
“We should find a place to put them, though. Wouldn’t want them to wilt.”
“Ah, of course.”
In a moment, Kazuma got a glass cup from the cabinet, then carefully placed the flowers inside after filling it with water, resting the arrangement on the table.
“Not ideal, but it’ll do until we bring a proper vase.” He paused, looking from the flowers to Barok. “They look nice here… You have a good eye for decoration, sir.”
Such a small compliment, yet it made Barok happy. “Thank you.”
“It’s a shame, though…” Kazuma continued. “They would have been perfect as a gift.”
His words surprised Barok. “Do you think so?”
Kazuma nodded, observing that arrangement. “But you usually give roses to your loved one, and I wouldn’t expect my dear mentor to make such a gesture without meaning it.”
He reached for a red rose, picking it from the arrangement. Then, he moved closer to Barok, slightly leaning in his direction. Before Barok could understand what he was doing, Kazuma carefully placed the rose on his hair, smiling at the sight.
“They really are pretty, though.”
Barok could do nothing but stare at him. Without waiting for a response, Kazuma turned away, walking toward the door.
“Well, Inspector Lestrade must be waiting for me. I’ll see you later, my lord.”
And then, he left. As if nothing unusual had happened. As if the unspoken words behind that gesture only existed in Barok’s mind.
He reached for that flower, holding its stem between his fingers. Then, he buried his burning face in his hand, letting out a low, embarrassed noise.
How was he supposed to act normally when Kazuma did things that sweet?
Gina tried to ignore it the first few times, but when she caught Kazuma staring blankly at a wall again, she started to think it wasn’t just him being his usual odd self.
“Oi, Kaz…” She poked his ribs with an elbow. “What’s wrong with ya? You’re acting all weird today.”
“Don’t talk to me,” he mumbled in response.
Well, so he was being weird and dramatic… She considered the possibilities for a second, but, in the end, there was only one thing that would upset Kazuma that much.
“You got in a fight with the boss?” she asked.
Kazuma let out a pained groan. “Worse…”
She widened her eyes. “Worse?”
He covered his face with a hand, and only then did Gina notice how red he was.
“I don’t think I can look at his face again,” he said.
Which was a weird thing to say if they didn’t have a fight. Gina considered what conclusion Sholmes would have come to if he were there… Putting all that information together, and some extra things she knew about Kazuma, that could only mean…
“Ah…” The answer lit up in her brain. “You said you like him, then?”
Kazuma didn’t answer for a long while. Then, he turned around, walking away from her with stiff steps.
“Oi…” Gina grabbed him by the arm. “Where the hell you’re going?”
“I’ll throw myself in the Thames so I’ll never need to come back and face the consequences of what I did.”
“Yeah, sure…” She pulled him along by the arm. “Now, stop with all the drama. I’ll listen to ya, right?”
He reluctantly agreed, and Gina had to hold back an amused laugh. Prosecutor Asogi had gotten quite the reputation among the officers for being so competent and cool-looking… Yet, whenever his mentor was involved, he acted like a kid dealing with their first crush.
But, to be fair, considering what she knew of their boss, that guy wasn’t doing much better than Kazuma at that moment.