EFFLORESCING EDELWEISS ( s. todoroki )

19; red roses

HANAKO CANNOT UNDERSTAND TODOROKI SHOUTO SOMETIMES.

And maybe that is what makes him enigmatic, but curse all that to bits. She's upset and the harsh words that fell from his lips have already bruised her soul, hit their intended mark.

It's a Tuesday night on the convenience store and there are fewer customers than the norm. Hanako failed to attend her shift yesterday so she has to work extra hours today. There is a sybaritic murderer on the loose and it screams danger, danger so houses must be bolted and the police are patrolling at night and it is a futile effort, this is just the beginning, the antecedent being the loss of the Symbol of Peace. Crimes rates are rising like the smoke from the cup of coffee the store manager had given her and Hanako is grateful for the lack of flowers today.

Her thoughts are back to Todoroki now. The bicolored hair, the heterochromatic eyes and the gaze that is so difficult to read. Callous words with degrees of pain he has yet to understand. The determination burning in both eyes and his actions that were both heroic and with pure thought. A boy ready to lose life and limb in order to save those in need and defeat enemies that intend to bring harm to the world ( people like Matsushima Hanako with her calculated smiles and unfeeling visage, but he has yet to find out or is he? ).

The clock strikes ten and it is time to leave and Hanako tosses the paper cup straight into the trash and it is still a cold night today with leftover snow piling on the sidewalk with the most miniscule hints of spring life blossoming through and her boots crunch as it steps on the snow.

Lamplights blur and it is a Wednesday evening now with Hanako doing the same routine, visiting the flower shop and ignoring the sugary sweet smile the store owner sent her. Her walk is efficient, immediately heading to the flowers she was to give to Papa.

"How may I help you, maam?" It's the girl whose always seeking to help Todoroki, the girl who is not knowledgeable on the language of flowers, the girl who is beautiful, but Hanako is prettier.

Hanako ignores her, because she does not need any help, because that is what Hanako does best, she continues the action she has started paying no heed to the girl.

"Does Todoroki Shouto have a girl friend?" the girl asks and that is probably why she approached Hanako in the first place. Being subject to Momoka's fiendish schemes back at school has really desensitized Hanako to this kind of stupid behavior stemming from other people so she shuts the girl out, blurs her existence just like she always does and proceeds to pay in the cashier.

"He probably has," the girl mutters to herself once Hanako is on her way to the exit. She forces herself to not think about it because Hanako shouldn't, Hanako mustn't. So what? These dangerous thoughts of Hanako are just getting in the way and she is still upset over his harsh words so she shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't shouldn't- but what if he does have a girlfriend?

Chest aching, Hanako kneels on the grave and watches with her leaden golden eyes. This grave doesn't even belong to Papa. Underneath is a corpse that does not belong to Papa- nononono I'm sorry Papa, I love you so much. Of course this belongs to you, of course. Hanako is sorry.

Time ticks and tocks again, moving past seconds minutes hours and eventually it is Thursday and usually Thursday mornings were all waking up early and throwing the trash out just in time for the garbage truck and facing yet another day in the concrete jungle that was school, now, it was waking up to the sound of knocking and traipsing toward the door while rubbing your eyelids until you're fully awake, but you aren't really then you see a boy with his bicolored hair and heterochromatic eyes holding a carnation pink bouquet filled with one type of flower.

Hanako is now fully awake and what a mess, what an awful mess, she's wearing her cotton pajamas, her hair is in a bun with errant strands sticking out and her breath most probably stinks and she needs to chew mint or run toward the sink and brush the cavities away. "Todoroki... what are you-?"

He hands her the flowers, rubs the back of her nape, his face stoic. "Sorry. For what I said the day before yesterday. I realize it was very offensive. I know you like flowers so... this doesn't make up for it, but yeah, I'm sorry."

Hanako smiles. "Wrong flowers, Todoroki."

He brought her red roses.

° ° °

r e d r o s e s ;
true love