March 5th, Renji been waiting in the car longer than usual, the engine long since turned off, the faraway noise of late morning settling around him. By now, she should've already been sitting on the backseat and he should've driving on the main road.
A quick glance at his phone confirmed it—10.35 am.
"Where the heck is she…?"
That alone was enough to make him frown. Reika was never late. If anything, he's the one who almost late at several occasion. He's called to standby at nine, leaving by ten at the latest. Routine was practically law for her.
His gaze drifted to the empty parking space beside him. Shira already gone with another car.
"…There's no way she left with Shira-san, right…?"
He tapped Reika's contact and brought the phone to his ear.
*Tut. Tut.*
Once. Twice. Then silence. He tried again, and again, still no answer.
"Did she oversleep…? Yeah, right. Like that'd happen…"
…Then again… lately… she's kinda absentminded… just like yesterday…
"…I'll just check on her in person…"
He stepped out of the car and made his way back inside the mansion, walking to the second-floor stairs where her chamber was. But as he passed by the garden and about to take one step on the stair, something caught his eyes—the ash-brown shoulder-length hair that fluttering by the wind beyond the shōji screens.
Through the narrow gap, he caught a glimpse of the person he's looking for.
Reika sat at the edge of the wide wooden veranda stretching along the other side of the garden, its polished surface bathed by the soft light of lazy sun. The air carried that early-spring scent, hinting at gentler days ahead. A breeze stirred now and then, brushing through the leaves and coaxing quiet rustles from the plants she grew with personal care.
…And there she is…
Right in the middle of it, yet somehow removed from it all.
Even her tuxedo lay folded and forgotten beside her. Sitting still, unmoving, just there as though the world had paused around her.
Renji stepped closer, casually making a sound beneath his feet.
"Reika-sama?"
No response, then he closed the distance by a few more steps, still calling with low voice.
"…Reika-sama…?"
"—R-Renji…!" Closing in the distance, her head snapped toward him in surprise, eyes widen before easing into mild displeasure. "…Why are you here…?"
"…Uhhh… because… I've been looking for you…?"
"Tch… If you're there, at least make some noise, will you…"
"…Who's the one got lost in the cloud…? I'm not trying to sneak up on you, ma'am…"
"…Never mind." Just like that, she dismissed it, and turned her attention away again, drifting back to the garden.
Renji lingered there for a moment, then followed her line of sight. The garden was already alive with colors.
Hanami, huh…
Different blooms scattered across the carefully arranged patches. Among them, one plant caught his attention.
W-wait, what the hell… isn't that one…?
He squints at it, trying to focus on its unmistakable shape of leaves oddly familiar to the infamous Cannabis.
"…Wow… Never knew weeds could grow pink flowers like that…"
Reika mind halted for a bit at his comment, soon she found out what he's hinting at and her gaze slid back toward him, one eyebrow lifting ever so slightly.
"Because I'm a yakuza leader, you assume everything I grow is illegal?"
"…Just saying… But I mean… it's not…?"
"It's Cleome flower, perfectly ordinary… and legal one."
"…Right."
Would you look at that… she's back to normal today…
A faint smile on her face, gone as quickly as it came, she didn't carry the conversation forward either. The silence that followed settled in naturally, like pollen finding its place.
Renji glancing at her from the side with an awkward smile.
"…Ummm… So… I guess today's off?"
"…Maybe. You can take a break today…"
"Feeling under the weather, Reika-sama…?"
No answer. Her gaze remained fixed somewhere far beyond the garden, distant enough to make him wonder if she's seeing something else.
He hesitated, as the obvious thought crossed his mind.
…Is this the part where I should not ask and just walk away...?
But feeling like he shouldn't leave her like this, instead of turning away, he let out one long sigh and lowered himself to sit—keeping a respectful distance beside her.
She still didn't react, as if his presence didn't even register to her anymore.
…Where's my dialogue box to choose? Come on man…
He tapped his fingers lightly against his knee, searching for something to ease the mood.
"…So… that flower you mentioned the other day… did it bloom?"
"Huh…?" Finally, she responded, though her eyes still unmoving.
"...Y'know... Back then you said to me that's your favorite one hasn't bloomed yet...?"
"…You remember…?"
"Well… yeah… Just now, popped into my head after looking at all this."
"…Hmm… not yet…"
"…Really? Not even one? among these…?"
"That one I like… is… a tricky child."
"Heeeh…"
Another pause. But somehow, it didn't feel as strained as before.
"…Still… you and gardening, huh…"
"What?"
"Just… not a hobby I expected from you."
"…Is that so strange?"
"I mean… I thought you're someone who don't do 'waste of time' stuff..."
This time, Reika shot him a side glance, faintly unimpressed. "I know you didn't mean it that way, but that's still rude."
"I—ah—sorry."
"Then enlighten me. In your mind, what kind of hobby would suit your assumption of me?"
Renji fell quiet, actually taking his time, giving it a careful thought.
…Come to think of it... Yeah, what...?
In the end, nothing came, he gave a small shrug.
"…I guess… Gardening…"
"Heh… What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know… you just seem like the type after all."
"…You're not making a compelling argument."
He chuckled under his breath. "Well, but I can see that you like your flowers…"
"Not particularly."
"…Yea—Wait, what?"
"Actually, when I buy them, I barely care what they are." Her eyes drifted back to the garden, quieter now, looking at each color.
"…Then… why…?"
"Just watching them grow…" Her voice softened, almost blending with the breeze. "…You give them care… they live and bloom. In their own way, they return what you give."
Renji considered that for a moment.
"…Well… right... if that's the case, couldn't you do that with potatoes? At least you'd get dinner out of it…"
She turned to him slowly, fixing him with a flat, unamused stare to mask something.
"…Ah, silly me, what do I expect… sorry, Renji… I forgot that I'm talking to you."
"Huh? what…?"
"It's okay, never mind."
And yet, her expression slightly eased of its tension. Which Renji didn't catch on, as his eyes still wandering through the greenery.
Then Reika continues with quiet murmur—slipped from her then, barely above a mumble.
"…Can't I just do something… because that's simply how it is…?"
Her tone made Renji caught and look back at her, which she already looking at the scenery again. Whatever response he'd been about to give faded before it could take shape. Instead—
"—I sometimes envy you, Renji."
"…Me? Why? Isn't it usually the other way around?"
"Oh? Do you want to switch place?"
"…Uh… no. Not the yakuza leader part, at least."
"See?"
"…But I mean… being a CEO doesn't sound that bad…"
A dry breath escaped her, laced with quiet sarcasm. "I wish you get there someday. I'd like to hear if you can still hold the same opinion about that matter."
"…Ahaha… Haaaah. Yeah… we'll see…"
Another lull settled between them. Then, softer this time—
"…Must be nice… having a dream… Renji…"
Hearing that, his expression losing some of its lightness.
"…Having dream is one thing… watching it in reality though… not so much fun…"
"Is that how it is…?"
"…Guess that's reality, it's not like I can be an actual writer because I decided to… What about you, Reika-sama…? What's your dream?"
A long pause followed until her voice almost cracked.
"…I… don't know."
"Really…? Not even one comes up to mind...?"
"For now, I just want all of these—Kokuren and KHX… to survive. And be better than this…"
"…I think that's… not really a dream… haha…"
"…Then I have none."
"Hmm…" He couldn't offer any argument, and fell into quiet.
Reika gaze grows more distant, somewhere unreachable—while the air of early spring settled gently around them, filling the space neither of them quite knew how to bridge.
Renji let out a dejected breath, the kind that didn't quite leave his chest.
…So that's it, huh. Maybe I should just take the hint and call it a day… I can head back to my apartment too…
For a moment, he's about to do just that.
Then something else surfaced—something he had been avoiding, deliberately or not.
When he remembers, guilt crept in, almost like choking around his throat.
…Yeah…I should deal with that…
"…Reika-sama. I've got today off, right?"
"Yes… take a break, feel free to go."
"What about you…? Do you actually have anything planned, or are you taking the day off too?"
"It's not exactly a day off for me, but I think I'll stay in my room for the rest of the day."
Renji nodded slowly with hesitation, and resolved himself.
"—Then—If you're not doing anything… Could you come with me…?"
Once again, she gave him a look, but this time, it seems like all of her attention are back and focused at his eyes.
"It's about time I sort things out, y'know… at Tetsuo's place."
Understanding flickered across her face.
"…You… haven't done that yet?"
"…No… I haven't…"
The admission of guilt sat heavy on his expression. Reika studied him for a moment, then let out a small, exasperated breath.
"…I know Tetsuo-san won't mind it… but even the dead might start knocking at your door just to complain for his sake…"
"…Yeah. T-that's why… I think… I better do it now…"
"…Well… It can't be helped—" A trace of a smile returned to her lips. Slightly bright, and no longer absent. "—I'll come with."
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