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1.
The Kingdom of Blossom was a land of perpetual spring, where flowers bloomed in defiance of the seasons. White lilies blanketed the fields like gentle, unmelting snow. Pink cherry blossoms drifted through the air to welcome every new life. Sunflowers with their golden faces tracking the sun with a radiant joy. The deep reds and oranges of the camellias brought calm air to the bustling palace days.
Sakura was the sole prince and the next heir to this fragrant land. As the only child of a King consumed by the weight of the crown and a Queen tethered to endless inner court meetings, his world was small. He spent his days drifting between the stern gaze of his etiquette tutors, the doting hands of the maids, and the strict history teacher.
The only boy near Sakura’s age was Nirei Akihiko. He was the son of the head gardener of the wide greenhouse, nearly a year older than the prince. Despite the difference in their status, Nirei stepped into the role of a guardian for the lonely royal.
They met for the first time when Sakura was trying to outrun his history teacher. She was a strict, middle-aged woman with a sharp tongue, and Sakura had forgotten to finish his homework.
He scrambled into the warmth of the greenhouse, looking for a place to hide. Suddenly, a small, warm hand caught his. Sakura looked up to see a boy with a chubby, beaming face and a smile so bright it rivaled the sun. Without a word, the boy tugged him toward a patch of tall, swaying grasses.
The long leaves tickled Sakura’s cheeks as they squeezed through. The path was so narrow that their shoulders brushed against ceramic flower pots, but their small bodies managed to navigate the maze. Finally, they broke through a heavy cocoon of thick leaves into a hidden clearing.
It was a small sanctuary surrounded by towering plants. Sunlight filtered down from the glass roof in golden shafts. It was quiet here, save for the stagnant cry of insects and the rustle of the leaves against each other.
Nirei Akihiko turned to him, making a wide, toothy grin that showed off two missing baby teeth.
“Welcome to my secret base! And because you're my friend, I'll share it with you!” the little boy proudly declare.
Sakura grew up in Nirei’s shadow. Nirei loved to read; he excelled at the history lessons which Sakura hated the most. He often spent his evenings helping the prince finish his assignments. He was the one who taught Sakura the art of sneaking into the kitchens for extra desserts. He showed him how to catch rare gold ladybugs that hid deep within the camellia petals.
Nirei has always been close with nature. He knew the name of every plant in the greenhouse—and likely every plant in the entire castle. He kept a diary of their growth, knowing exactly how to tend to each one's specific needs.
One evening, as Sakura sat for tea in the gardens, he watched the gardeners working. He found himself glancing at the boy who was carefully selecting the finest blooms for a bouquet. When Nirei approached to offer the flowers, the scent was too fragrant to ignore. Sakura had grown up surrounded by beauty, bearing a name as delicate as a blossom, but in that moment, he realized he found the boy in front of him to be the prettiest thing in the kingdom.
One knock. Three seconds of silence. Two knocks.
As always, Sakura dropped his pen and hurried to the balcony. When he threw open the doors, a dark shadow tried to ambush him, but Sakura was faster, dragging the intruder inside. Catching sight of a yellow candle-light patrolling the pathway below, Sakura ducked behind the heavy velvet curtains, pulling the shadow in with him.
Sakura’s left hand gripped the intruder while his right held the curtain shut. In the cramped, dark space, he could hear a muffled giggle. A tuft of fluffy yellow hair peeked out from a heavy black cloak.
"What are we doing? Playing hide and seek?"
Sakura looked down into that bright, familiar face. They weren't children anymore, yet Nirei still radiated a playful happiness that could lighten Sakura’s darkest days. Standing this close, Sakura realized how much they had changed. The boy who used to be his height was now slightly shorter, his head reaching just the right level for Sakura to rest his chin upon.
Sakura smirked, pressing a finger to his lips. "Shh. If the butler sees I’m still awake, I’ll never hear the end of it tomorrow."
"Ah, my naughty prince," Nirei whispered. "Neglecting his sleep and his country?"
Sakura reached out and pinched Nirei’s cheek, a habit from their childhood. "I’m not sleeping until I get my daily dose of meat bread."
As if by magic, Nirei pulled a warm, savory-smelling pouch from his cloak. "Since the maids are patrolling, I guess we can't stargaze on the roof. What a pity... I brought my journal to tell you a new story."
Sakura peeked out. When the yellow light was gone, he pulled Nirei into the room. The moonlight flooded the space, turning the floor to silver.
"It’s fine. We can stay here," Sakura said, sitting on the sofa and tearing into the bread. He patted his thigh. "It’s still early spring. Aren’t you cold? Come here."
When they were small, a single cloak could cover them both. Nirei used to sit beside him, their shoulders pressed together just like in their narrow secret base. Now, Sakura has to wrap their heavy cloak around his shoulders then pull the older boy into his lap to share the warmth.
When they were young, Nirei was the one who held Sakura when he was hiding from his tutors or when he was scared of the heavy rain. Now, Sakura found more comfort in wrapping his arms around Nirei’s waist, burying his face into the crook of Nirei’s neck which was always warmer than any cloak. Nirei leaned back, occasionally feeding Sakura pieces of the bread.
"You'll be seventeen this spring, right?" Nirei mentioned it suddenly. "Is there anything you wish for?"
Sakura went quiet. He tightened his grip on Nirei. "I’m already holding everything I need. What more could I want?"
Nirei laughed softly. "Of course. You're a prince. You can have anything with a word. Silly of me to ask."
Sakura shook his head. "Even a prince can't have everything."
Nirei looked him in the eye and nodded slowly. "Then maybe a prince and a gardener have something in common after all."
"Is there something you want that you can't have?" Sakura asked.
"I want to fill my journal with more than just flowers," Nirei admitted, his voice wistful. "I want to write about new places, new experiences, or about someone amazing. I want to see what's out there."
"You want to travel around the world?"
"Yes! Even just to see the rest of this land. I've never been outside these walls. You see that building on the horizon?" Nirei pointed toward a distant structure near the coast. "There are other kingdoms. Aren't you curious?"
Sakura looked toward the pier kingdom in the distance, miles away from their mountains. He saw the longing in Nirei’s eyes. Nirei was a gardener’s son; his world was beautiful but static. He would never go hungry as the castle will always fulfill his need. He also would never know the world beyond this kingdom.
Sakura had the privilege of going anywhere in this world, for treaties and diplomacy, but looking at the twinkle in Nirei’s eyes, he realized he never cared for the world outside because. Right here, right now, he already felt perfect as long as Nirei was in it.
2.
Spring arrived, but not with its joyous happiness.
Sakura’s parents sat him down to announce a political necessity. An arranged marriage with the neighboring kingdom of Langya. It was a kingdom of the coast that controlled the piers and trade routes. To seal a decades-long companionship, the heirs of both lands were to be wed.
The engagement party was held in the Kingdom of Blossom. The delegation from the pier arrived with lavish gifts of pearls and sea crystals.
Suo Hayato, the son of the current Langya's King. He had deep maroon hair tied into a long ponytail. Deep red pearls decorating a pair of ear tassels. An eyepatch over his left eye. He was calm and gentle, but Sakura could never guess his emotion.
Even as they shared dinner and danced in the grand ballroom, Suo remained a whole mystery for Sakura. He didn't look sad, nor did he look happy. The only thing Sakura noted was that Suo never truly looked him in the eye.
Sakura, who is used to being with someone so open and honest like Nirei, found that Suo is unnerving.
3.
The night was stunning. A full moon, clear stars, and flowers that were glowing in the moonlight. It was such a pity that Suo felt none of the magic. He stepped into the garden and sighed.
He hated being bound. His heart belonged to the ocean and the promise of adventure. Now, he was being asked to bury those dreams in a foreign kingdom.
"Such a joyful night, why the sad face" a voice drifted through the trees.
Suo turned to see a boy his own age. His clothes were simple, clearly not those of a high-born noble.
"How can you tell I’m sad?" Suo asked.
The boy giggled and that sounded pleasant in his ear. He stepped closer and picked a flower, holding it with a tenderness that caught Suo’s breath. He brushed the petals with a calm smile.
"The eyes of someone longing for the impossible… Oh, how I know exactly the feelings" the boy said like he was mourning something out of reach.
The yellow-haired boy plucked a petal gently, as if afraid of hurting it. He handed the flower to Suo. "Did you know that jasmine isn't original to this land? A prince from a far-off country brought it here so we could admire it. I often wonder if it looked prettier in its original home."
Suo watched the boy with a somewhat understanding sympathy. He saw the same invisible gilded cage surrounding this gardener that he felt around himself.
The boy in a simple outfit that looked rough from scratch of plants. He had likely been born within these high stone walls, and by the look of his devoted hands, he would likely draw his last breath within them too. So it seemed like a prince like him had something in common with a humble gardener he found in a foreign kingdom.
“Do you wish that the world isn't so… ruling. That it won't be too cruel for someone to have a dream?”
Suo saw the yellow-haired boy looking at him like he was talking nonsense. When he smiled again, it was as if he had never been sad in the first place. It almost calmed Suo's heavy heart too. Almost.
“The world is cruel, yes. But isn't tonight such a beautiful night?” The smaller boy took Suo’s hand, and even though Suo could just easily refuse, his whole body screams to follow where the sun goes.
He guides him under the glowing white flowers, and the silver moonlight. His feet were light, running through the leaves. Nothing seemed to bother him. Suo was dying to ask where he could find so much happiness. So much that somehow it spread to his own heart, Suo feels his mouth slightly twitch upward.
“Here, I told my dreams to the moon and stars. Here, I tend to my beautiful flowers. Here, I can dance, and laugh, and wake up to a gentle sun before my eyes.”
The yellow haired boy clumsily stepped into his own long pants. Suo's hands were fast enough to pull him into his arm, saving the other boy from falling to the hard paved way. Suo pulled him much closer, noting how the boy smelled of fresh petals and sun-warmed earth. When their eyes met, a loud laugh was echoing in the quiet garden.
It made Suo understand what he meant. How easy it is to live at the moment. How small, simple things could remind you that the life you have right now is enjoyable as long as you can be grateful about it.
“How about your dreams?”
Suo twirls him around. Finally matched his steps and moves. Able to dance together like loving swans danced on the quiet sway of the pond. They can hear the musical orchestra in the ballroom. Distant and quiet, like they could enjoy themselves in their little world. Away from the bustling and hustling of royalty bullshit.
“The world right now already gave me so much reason to be happy. If the dreams were just dreams to make me happy in my sleep, then so be it.”
Suo stopped moving. His eye gazed at the beautiful soul in front of him. He decided that, if he has to spend the rest of his life together with someone, it would be much more meaningful if it was this particular humble gardener.
So, he went down on one knee, his maroon hair catching the moonlight as he took Nirei’s hand and pressed a lingering kiss to the knuckles.
"Allow me to take you away. I’ll show you how much life could offer." Suo murmured in a sickly sweet voice.
Nirei’s face erupted in a pretty crimson. “I- what???”
“The kingdom where I came was the adventurer of the sea.” Suo gripped his hand a little tightly, though not to the point of hurting, “Come with me and we can travel the world together.”
Suo stared at him with fierce sincerity. Overwhelmed by the intensity in Suo’s gaze, he pulled his hand back and shook his head frantically.
“I- um, You- I don't even know your name! It's…”
“Isn't it your dream to see the world?” Suo cut him before Nirei could even process the offering.
It was like a literal star just dropped on Nirei's hand, and Nirei doesn't know how to deal with it. It was too sudden, too out of place. He was a stranger, even if handsome was still a stranger. It felt too much like a proposal and his young heart didn't prepare for it.
Isn't tonight his friends’ engagement party?! Why is he the one who was getting the proposal?!
“Yes it is! It's just… I- I don't- ahhh! Please give me a moment!”
He closed his eyes and turned to bolt. His vision blurred with tears of embarrassment. He didn't get far before he collided head-first into a solid chest.
Strong arms instantly wrapped around Nirei’s shoulders, steadying him. Sakura’s expression was unspeakable. In one word, scary. His mismatched eyes flashing a protective fury as he glared over Nirei’s head at the prince of Langya. He pointedly shifted Nirei behind his back, shielding him from Suo’s view.
"What are you doing with him?" Sakura growled. His voice is low and dangerous. He didn't trust anyone who could make Nirei look that frightened.
Suo rose slowly to his feet, dusting off his knees with a calm grace. His face that used to be gentle and sincere turned back into an unknown flat emotion.
"Don't you dare disturb him. He belongs to the Sakura family." Sakura snapped, his hand tightening on Nirei’s arm.
Suo tilted his head, a small, knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Weren't you the one who suggested we each find someone else to marry? To provide a reason to nullify this political engagement? I’m simply following your lead."
Sakura’s jaw clenched. He wanted to scream: Yes, I was! But you’re targeting the one person I actually want to marry!
He kept the words locked behind his teeth. "Anyone but Nirei," Sakura protested.
"Oh, Nirei. What a beautiful name." Suo chuckled, his lone eye glinting with mischief.
Suo took a step closer, his presence suddenly feeling like a dragon ready to claw at his prey. Sakura tries to hide his hitched breath. He doesn't intend of giving Nirei away to some dangerous dragon like him.
Suo’s smirk widened as he caught Nirei’s eye one last time. "Very well. It was a pleasure to meet you, Nirei."
He turned on his heel, beginning to saunter back toward the palace lights. He paused only once, calling back overhis shoulder with a playful lilt in his voice.
"Let’s meet again soon, sweetheart."
suosakunirei mini drama
nirei: WDYM YOUR FIANCE FLIRTED WITH ME
sakura: I told him to flirt with someone so YOU could be my fiance, dummy
suo: *already planning his marriage with nirei*