Prologue | Two Flowers

If there’s a moment when you fall in love, then surely there’s also a moment when you fall into friendship.

That moment was during my second year of middle school, at the cultural festival.

For a rural middle school’s cultural festival, ours was famously lively. Each club collaborated with nearby farmers and restaurants to set up product exhibitions and food stalls. Every year, students from other schools and many guests attended.

The science club’s exhibit was a Flower Arrangement Exhibition. We partnered with a large flower shop in the city to sell accessories made from processed fresh flowers, targeting female customers.

The festival lasted two days. It was now the first day, just before 4 PM.

I was wandering aimlessly around the school, carrying a case of accessories.

“Um, we’re from the science club… We’re selling flower accessories…”

“Oh, and by the way, the seniors’ live performance earlier was amazing!”

“Ah! I missed it!”

…I was completely ignored.

No, I knew why. My voice was too soft, and they couldn’t hear me.

I was panicking. I hadn’t even reached 10% of the sales target.

Finally, with just an hour left on the first day, I thought of walking around the school to sell. The problem was, I was just wandering without making any sales.

Could someone with no friends really approach strangers at the last minute?

As I stood there feeling lost, a couple approached, interested in the accessories.

“What’s this? Real flowers? They’re so pretty!”

“Ah, these are preserved flower accessories. The proceeds will be donated to a volunteer organization…”

Preserved flowers.

Fresh flowers treated with chemicals like ethanol to prevent them from wilting. Skilled artisans can make them last for one or two years without losing their freshness.

We used these processed flowers to create accessories. “Huh. You can make these normally? How much?” The boy picked up a pair of earrings.

Finally, someone showed interest in buying. I eagerly told him the price.

“500 yen each!”

“What, that’s expensive! Never mind.”

He refused sharply, and the accessory was roughly put back into the case.

…For the first time, I realized how hard sales could be.

500 yen wasn’t a small amount for a middle schooler. It was enough for a meal at McDonald’s, but not for a classmate’s handmade accessory.

In the end, I sold five. Out of 100, only five in a whole day.

(One more day left… No way, this is impossible.)

Carrying the case filled with unsold accessories, I returned to the science room.

That’s when I saw Himari.

Her skin was pale, and her body was slender.

Her almond-shaped eyes were a translucent marine blue.

Her long, flowing hair had a slight wave and was somewhat light in color.

She looked like a fairy, with an ethereal beauty.

In the empty science room, she was intently examining the flower accessories I had prepared. Surrounded by colorful fresh flowers for display, her presence stood out even more.

She placed a flower headband on her head. It had three round flower buds arranged cutely. Peeking into the mirror on the desk, she giggled, “Pfft. It’s like a flower garden in my head. So cute!”

She looked like a painting.

Honestly, that’s what I thought.

If this were Instagram, I’d smash the like button 100 times.

…Well, not that I could actually do that.

As I was lost in such silly thoughts, she turned around.

“Ah, you’re finally back. You’re Natsume Yuu-kun from the science club, right?”

I was startled when she called my name. To me, this was our first meeting. I thought, Her voice is as beautiful as her looks.

“Y-Yeah, that’s me, but…?”

I didn’t know if she was an upperclassman or underclassman, so my reply was awkward. Why doesn’t this school use different colors for grade levels?

“You can’t just leave the shop empty, you know? Some girls with flyers came by earlier.”

“Huh!?”

I messed up. I was the only one in the science club. Of course, there was no one to watch the shop. No wonder nothing was selling…

“…No, it’s fine.” “Why?”

Himari looked at me curiously.

My pride was already in tatters, so I couldn’t bring myself to admit how frustrated I was.

“…It’s not like they were selling anyway. Whether I was there or not, it’s the same.”

“…………”

Himari was holding a juice box. It was Yoghurppe. I used to drink that a lot in elementary school. She sipped through the straw, making a chu sound.

“Well, they did sell, though?” “Huh…!?”

A weird sound came out of my mouth. It was practically a screech.

Was she teasing me? No, it didn’t feel like that. “Wait, how…? I wasn’t even there!”

“Ah, I have the money right here. I kept it safe for you.”

Himari’s Yoghurppe made a zuzu sound as she finished it. She neatly folded the empty box and put it in her pocket. Her refined gestures felt oddly natural.

Then, she pulled out a brown envelope and handed it to me. “Here, for 15 people.”

“Fif…!?”

I hurriedly opened it.

One thousand, two thousand, three thousand… 11,500 yen.

Wow. The only time I’d seen this much money was during New Year’s with my otoshidama.

“Wait, hold on. This is…”

“Ah, 15 people bought a total of 27 items.” “The math…!?”

“Is the math wrong?” I nodded vigorously.

“It’s not wrong. Let’s see… Yuririn bought earrings and a hairpin, Mappi bought a book cover and a bookmark, and Anzu- senpai bought about three things…”

She laughed lightly as she listed off the purchase history.

Did one person really buy multiple items? 500 yen was a lot for a middle schooler’s allowance!

But sure enough, the items she mentioned were gone…

Why the sudden sales? I’d only sold five all day, and now 27 in just an hour?

…Is my face that off-putting? I’m not exactly confident, but this hurts.

“Hey!”

Suddenly, she leaned in close to my face.

Staring directly at me, my heart almost stopped from the shock.

…Anyway, she was a beautiful girl.

She wasn’t wearing makeup, but her elegance and upbringing shone through her every movement.

Her hair swayed as she bent down, smooth and silky. It reminded me of Kyoto’s famous weeping cherry blossoms swaying in the wind… Well, even I thought that comparison was a bit much. But flowers were the closest thing to me, so I couldn’t help it.

“Natsume-kun. Why aren’t you looking at me?” “N-No reason…”

I averted my eyes. …I’m just bad with beautiful girls.

“Ah! More importantly, I need to thank you for watching the shop…”

“No, no, it’s fine. I was bored anyway.” “I-I can’t just let it go…”

“Hmm. Then, how about you tell me one thing?” Without warning, Himari got straight to the point. “Why do you need to sell 100 of these?”

“Huh? How do you know that?”

“Sato-sensei from the science club mentioned it.” “M-My privacy…!?”

That old man, was it because she’s a beautiful girl!?

As I clutched my head in frustration, Himari leaned in again. Even when I turned away, she moved to face me.

“Hey. Why?”

She smiled brightly.

It was a stunning smile. It felt like she was saying, “Cute little me is asking, so just give up and confess already.” Well, she was cute, but the silent pressure was terrifying.

“…………”

I really didn’t want to say it. I’d probably just be made fun of again.

But… those 27 sales were huge.

“My dream is to open a flower accessory shop. After graduating middle school, I told my parents I wanted to work to save up for it. But they said I should go to high school to become a civil servant. So they made a deal: if I could sell 100 handmade accessories at the cultural festival, they’d let me do what I wanted…”

“…………” Huh? Silence?

Himari blinked her big eyes, her expression unreadable.

Wait, hold on. After making me confess something so embarrassing, you’re not going to react? I get it if you’re weirded out, but at least say something…

“…Pfft—!”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Himari burst out laughing.

“Ahahaha! Of course! Any normal parent would stop their kid

from making such reckless life plans. It’s worse than aiming to be a celebrity shop clerk!”

She was laughing hysterically.

The cool, elegant beauty from earlier was now clutching her stomach, laughing. Her earlier image completely shattered. I was

overwhelmed in a different way. …But even her laughter looked graceful, which felt kind of unfair.

Still giggling, Himari wiped her tears. “You’re an idiot.”

“Sh-Shut up.”

“A total idiot. Baaka.”

Being lightly teased by a girl I just met left me feeling oddly ticklish. …Not in a masochistic way, though.

I realized that even her familiarity felt comforting. That’s just the kind of girl Himari was.

“How many of these accessories are left?” Suddenly, Himari asked.

“Uh, 68 out of 100…” “That’s it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Preserved flowers are fragile, right? You must have spares prepared?”

“Well, I have 50 spares…”

“So, 118 left. That should be fine.”

I didn’t understand what she meant by that.

“Get ready to sell them all tomorrow, okay?”

With that, Himari waved and left the science room. Left alone in the science room, I stood there in a daze.

…And then, the next day.

The cultural festival, second day, just past 4 PM.

Around the same time I met Himari yesterday, I was slumped over a desk in the science room, exhausted.

On the desk was a sign:

“Flower Accessories: Sold Out.”

I had prepared it proudly, never imagining I’d actually use it yesterday. Not a single display accessory was left in the science room. The stock was completely empty.

I didn’t even have time to walk around selling like yesterday. Today, I was just handling transactions. I hadn’t eaten lunch. I was hungry, but I didn’t have the energy to go buy anything.

(Why did they suddenly sell out…!?)

I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

It wasn’t just students buying. The second day was a Sunday, so there were guests from outside the school. They bought a lot.

Especially the female college students from a nearby welfare university.

Those adult women walking around the school wearing the accessories caught people’s attention. Female classmates heard the rumors and visited the science room. When those students performed in bands or plays, even more students noticed.

The result was a complete sell-out. “Ah! Mine’s gone too!?”

A loud voice made me look up.

Himari was staring in shock at the empty display case. She shook my slumped shoulders without mercy.

“Hey, where’s that one!? The yellow one!” “Uh, there were a lot of yellow ones, so…”

“The choker! The one with the bubbles inside, remember!?”

“…The bubble choker?”

I remembered. I took out the last flower accessory from the stock box.

It had five delicate white petals with yellow stamens.

Anemone.

A perennial plant that grows wild in the mountains. It’s named because it has two flowers on one stem. I didn’t grow this one from seeds; it had bloomed on its own.

I preserved the anemone and encased it in a diamond-shaped resin. I set it into a choker, like amber.

But this was a failed product. The resin had a lot of air bubbles. Honestly, it was a deduction as a sale item. It looked nice, so I had it on display as a sample.

Seeing it, Himari’s eyes sparkled.

“Ah, thank goodness! I forgot to buy it yesterday!” “…But it’s a failed product.”

“Why!? It’s so cute!”

“I-If you like it, you can have it. I wouldn’t charge for a failed product…”

“Really!? Natsume-kun, you’re so kind!” “Whoa!?”

She suddenly hugged me from behind, and I almost jumped in surprise.

…I was so startled. Extroverts have such a weird sense of distance.

“I’m glad I helped. Really lucky.”

“Helped…? So you did something to sell them out?”

“Hmm, who knows?”

Satisfied, she put it on immediately.

It suited her cool appearance perfectly. In fact, the air bubbles made it match her ethereal image even more.

…It was like a chemical reaction. Even a failed product could shine this much on the right person. I was genuinely impressed.

But my admiration vanished with Himari’s next bombshell.

“I’ve been eyeing this choker for a while. I watched you pour the resin in the science room.”

“Huh? From where…?”

“The hallway window. You didn’t notice at all, did you?” “I didn’t…”

“I even called out to you.” “Seriously!?”

“You ignored me, though. I didn’t think you wouldn’t even recognize me until yesterday.”

“I-I’m sorry…”

I had no memory of it.

I’d always been told that I get too focused and lose awareness of my surroundings. …But I never thought I’d been watched by a schoolmate.

“Well, shall we go?” “Huh? Where?” Then, Himari smiled.

“Our celebration party♡”

…I later found out.

This girl, Himari, was a very famous classmate at our school.

“The Enchanting Girl, Inuzuka Himari.”

Boys, girls, seniors, juniors, even teachers—she could effortlessly charm anyone. She was the most popular girl in school.

Her family background was also quite prestigious.

Her family had been wealthy landowners since the Taisho era.

Her grandfather was a former Diet member. Her father was an active diplomat.

[T/N: A “Diet member” in Japan refers to an elected representative in the National Diet, which is the legislative body of the Japanese government]

Her two older brothers, much older than her, were a rising local politician and a high-ranking government official.

Last night, a popular model had apparently tweeted about these flower accessories. She also mentioned they were being sold at our cultural festival. That model was a classmate of Himari’s brother, and the female college students who saw it flocked to our school.

At Mos Burger, where we went to celebrate (or rather, for her to thank me), I was shocked by the number of followers on her Twitter account. There were many purchase reports and questions like, “Where can I buy these?” I was worried about my privacy with so much attention.

“This is amazing…”

“It’s nothing, really. I’m just good at asking for favors.” She laughed lightly as she said this.

Her smile was so natural that it was impossible to feel any resentment.

“Why did you help me?” “Hmm?”

Sipping her shake, Himari said something strange. “I didn’t help you. I wasn’t feeling sorry for you.” She continued while checking Twitter.

“I wanted to sell these. So I asked my brother for a favor. It wasn’t because I felt bad for you. Don’t get the wrong idea.”

“…………”

She said it so casually.

Then, with sparkling eyes, she said something outrageous. “Let’s do it. A flower accessory specialty shop. I’ll help you.” “Huh?”

What was she talking about?

When I gave her a puzzled look, she smiled proudly.

“I’ve always been good at everything, you know? I’m good at

studying, sports, I’m cute, I’m great at communication, and I’m loved by everyone. Oh, and did I mention I’m cute?”

“…Inuzuka-san, you said ‘cute’ twice on purpose, didn’t you?” Well, even if she smiled like that, it was still troubling.

I wasn’t the type to immediately respond with, “Yeah, you’re the cutest in the world.”

“But what I’m doing is just borrowing a little help from others.

That’s why I admire people like you, Natsume-kun, who work so hard.”

“What do you even know about me…?” Her eyes sparkled.

It was like she’d been waiting for me to ask.

“I know you’ve been taking care of the flowers in the abandoned garden behind the school since the gardening club disbanded.

Those accessories are made from flowers you grew yourself, right?”

She hit the mark.

Then, Himari started exposing my embarrassing past.

“I also know you named all the flowers. You were crying while cutting them for the cultural festival preparations.”

“Y-You saw that?”

“And talking to the flowers while watering them was a nice touch. ‘You’re so cute today,’ ‘You’re my only partners,’ ‘I’ll love you even if we’re apart,’ right? Why do you say such cool lines to

flowers?”

“Just kill me…!?”

As I writhed in embarrassment, Himari giggled.

“I was only planning to buy an accessory, but things turned out worse than I thought. I panicked and used my ‘lifetime favor’ with my brother.”

“Lifetime favor…?”

“Yeah. A lifetime favor. It’s a really big deal.” She looked up at me with those eyes again.

“So, Natsume-kun, I want you to take responsibility, okay?” “Uh…”

Her words felt like a heavy punch to my side. I knew how things would’ve turned out without her… Well, it was obvious.

I’d probably be sulking in front of a mountain of unsold stock right now.

“What kind of responsibility…?”

“Hmm?”

She tilted her head cutely, placing a finger on her chin. Then, with a dazzling smile, she declared:

“Give me those eyes of yours?” A chill ran down my spine.

Seeing me accidentally crush the hamburger in my hand, Himari stifled a laugh and added:

“Not in a splatter movie way, okay?”

“I know, but still… That’s not the issue…”

Himari used a fry to scoop up the teriyaki sauce that had spilled from my hamburger wrapper. Without hesitation, she ate it and said, “Natsume-kun, you don’t show it on your face, but your

reactions are huge. It’s really endearing.” I couldn’t tell if she was complimenting or teasing me.

After eating, she sipped her shake. The teriyaki sauce on her lips mixed with the white shake… For some reason, it felt a little erotic.

Unaware of my thoughts, Himari spoke seriously.

“I love your eyes when you’re making flower accessories. They sparkle with passion. They’re so direct and beautiful.”

“My eyes…?”

Himari’s shake made a zuzu sound as she drank. Playing with the straw, she giggled.

“So, let me see those passionate eyes? Just for me? If you do, I’ll sell as many accessories as you want. Let’s become… fate-bound partners?”

“…………”

I nodded silently.

Honestly, I didn’t fully understand what Himari was saying. I accepted her offer not because I was moved by her fancy words, but because I was terrified of what she might do if I refused.

But, against my better judgment—I wanted to be friends with Himari.

For the first time in my life, I’d met someone who saw my worth. Even my family hadn’t understood my passion, but she clearly said she loved it.

The choker around her neck seemed to glow, as if asserting its presence.

The anemone’s flower language is “friendship,” “cooperation,”

and “never parting.”

I thought the anemone would surely be a reliable, cool guy.

To me, Himari felt like the anemone had taken human form. How could I not fall for her?

As my heart raced, Himari suddenly said, “Ah.”

Then, the atmosphere shifted. …Or rather, it returned to normal. The serious mood from earlier vanished, replaced by her usual carefree smile.

“Of course, no romantic feelings, okay? Love is such a hassle. It’s like poison that ruins everything. So, let’s keep it out of this.”

Her poetic words from earlier had suddenly turned mundane.

…Well, I understood what she meant. Keeping business and romance separate is generally a good idea.

“Natsume-kun, what do you think? Can you do it?”

Under the table, she poked my leg with her toe. …Well, if a cute girl like Himari does this so naturally, most guys would probably

fall for her. Her sense of distance was so close, it felt like she had a sakura personality.

Himari happily propped her chin on her hands, swaying her head. Her beautiful hair swayed gently.

“Or maybe… you’ve already fallen for me? Have you fallen for me already?”

“…………”

“Oh?” Himari’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

Seeing her reaction, I realized… this was my chance to strike back.

“I’m not good with beautiful girls. My older sisters are really pretty and popular, but at home, I’ve heard their unfiltered thoughts about their boyfriends since I was in elementary school. Rose-type girls are scary.”

“…………”

She stared at me blankly.

Then, she burst out laughing, unable to hold it in.

“Pfft—! Rose-type girls!? That’s great. You’re the best, Yuu!” She poked my nose and laughed.

It seemed I’d passed the final “checkpoint.” …Wait, she just called me Yuu out of nowhere, and it felt so awkward. Even if there were no romantic feelings, being called by my first name by a girl was mortifying.

“If all boys were like you, Yuu, the world would be a better place.”

“No way. Most guys would’ve fallen for you three times by now and confessed five times.”

“Why would they confess more times than they fell for me!?”

“Well, most guys would just say they want to, uh, do it with a beautiful girl…”

Himari clicked her fingers cheerfully.

“Ah! I get those sometimes. Mostly from upperclassmen and underclassmen. By the way, Yuu, if you’re embarrassed, you don’t have to say it.”

“Well, Inuzuka-san, you’re clearly on the extrovert side. I thought that kind of talk might be more your style…”

“Ahaha. You don’t have to force yourself. But your serious face turning bright red while saying that is kind of cute. I might like it.”

“W-Well, thanks… But we’re in a restaurant, so please stop?”

It was one thing for a guy like me to say it, but when a beautiful girl like Himari did, the stares from others were unbearable.

…But still, there was a strange sense of comfort, like I was facing my “ideal male friend.”

“But honestly, I’ve been popular since before I even understood romantic feelings. So now, I’m not even sure if I’ll ever fall in

love.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I guess I give off ‘potential’ vibes? I’ve been confessed to so many times that I’ve developed this self-awareness of being popular. I think I’ve never even had a first love.”

“That’s a problem I can’t relate to, but it sounds tough.” “Have you ever had a girlfriend, Yuu?”

“With a hobby like mine, no way. Oh, but there was someone I liked…”

Himari’s eyes sparkled.

She leaned forward eagerly.

“Who? Do I know her? If it’s someone I know, I can help you out!”

“No, absolutely not. I don’t even know where she is… She’s a girl I met during a trip in elementary school.”

Himari burst out laughing.

“You’re such a pure-hearted boy!”

“…Yeah, I am. Got a problem with that?”

…This was bad.

Himari mercilessly teased people’s weaknesses, but there was no malice in it. Her oddly comforting familiarity made it easy to confess everything.

“You know, in a way, we’re really similar. You’re easier to talk to than I thought, Yuu. It feels like fate.”

“S-Similar?”

“We’re both unlikely to have normal marriages.” That much was true.

Himari’s sensibilities were too otherworldly, and I was just a flower nerd. Somehow, we both didn’t quite fit in with our classmates.

Meeting like this felt like fate. Somehow, it made sense. Himari and I just clicked from the start.

“Hey, Yuu. If we’re both still single by 30, why don’t we just live together?”

“Putting aside the sudden proposal, why 30…?”

“Hmm. It’s like a temporary deadline? Let’s focus on our goals until then, okay?”

“Ah, I see…”

It was true that life needed balance. If I was going to bet my life on this, I needed to prepare for failure… or at least have a backup plan.

“If we’re still single by 30, just stick with me, okay?”

Himari gave me a suggestive look, her finger flicking the empty shake cup.

Easily seeing through her hidden expectations, I sighed softly.

“…No way. I prefer reserved women more. Coming home to this every day would be too much.”

As expected, Himari burst out laughing. “Pfft—! This might be the first time I’ve been rejected!” she said, laughing so hard she could barely breathe.

I didn’t know what was so funny, but… I was definitely learning her preferences.

And so, I fell into friendship.

I thought I’d spend my whole life as best friends with Himari.

That dramatic, fateful certainty shattered in just two years… Well, life really doesn’t go as planned, huh?