AUTHOR
before knocking, the purple-haired man rang the bell, uttered every kind of curse he could think of, and rested the gun in his waist. it hasn't even been ten seconds since rindou pressed the doorbell, yet he could already feel his patience waning as he walked up to the short set of stairs and an another round of tapping with the soles of his feet on the cemented ground whilst rolling his eyes. he inhaled deeply and made one more effort to find anything, anything, to hold his interest for at least a few minutes longer in order for him not to lose his cool. his efforts were only rewarded by silence and nothing, other than the sound of the nature. if the door won't open the second time he'll knock, rindou would just bust it open.
i'm going to fucking kill sanzu when he gets back.
just as he was about to knock again, he heard footsteps coming from inside— coming closer, and closer. after what seemed like an eternity, the polished door in front of him swung open, stunning him with the appearance of a pink beat costume. for a brief period, all that could be heard was the sound made by the cars, and rindou, who was chewing a bubblegum nearly choked himself while looking at the figure with furrowed eyebrows.
"oh, i'm sorry!" you chuckled, taking the bear's head off with a wide smile slowly stretching around the corner of your lips and couldn't help but to wonder why haitani rindou is standing in your doorway. "how can i help you?"
eyes widening, rindou stared in silence. nothing could compare to the shock that overcame him when he finally had a clear glimpse of your face; this was not a dream, you were real. as soon as your eyes met his, a wide smile spread across your face. you were standing right there in front of him, and everything seemed too surreal for him to comprehend the situation, how it seemed like the whole world has vanished around his view. what surprised him? the purple-haired had a long history with you and hadn't anticipated running into you again, let alone as sanzu's girlfriend. "y/n?"
"that's me, did sanzu⎯"
"yes, he told me to look after you while he's gone. what's your schedule for today?" the male in front of you was scowling, his sharp eyes digging into yours as if he were attempting yo take in the entirety of your being. although there weren't many people around, you had a strange feeling. maybe he was some kind of pervert looking for victims? you were just relieved that he wasn't asking you any questions about your body's functioning, not even an ounce of curiosity on why you were wearing a bear suit in the first place, though his gaze did make you uncomfortable.
"i, uh..." you mumbled, "i have work at the restaurant this morning, just two hours because they hired new people today."
"you're going to the restaurant wearing that?"
"is there a problem with my costume?"
with an elevated brow, the purple-haired male's gaze was directed from top to bottom of you. after a few seconds, he sighed. the longer you stared at him, the more you could see a faint vein popping in his cloth-covered forehead. his focused scrutiny made you feel a little uneasy, as though a predator were examining you like an insect, but suddenly he relaxed his expression. "okay, let's just go. i'm driving you there."
"no, i'm just kidding. i have no job at the moment, i'm going to the nature park to have some inner peace. wanna come?" you laughed.
"are your things already ready?"
"yes!"
putting your bag on his car, you quickly made your way back to yuzuha's house to take off your bear costume— the consequence after losing a challenge with your younger brother last night while rindou waited inside his car. after a while, you came back and rindou felt like punching himself with what he just witnessed. the purple-haired only scowled at you and hesitated to open the car door, leaving you to handle it on your own. your chin was held high in defiance as you stood there waiting for him to act, despite the fact that your pulse was racing like crazy and you could feel yourself trembling a little.
"hey," you appeared outside the window, moving your eyebrows up and down before leaning on the car for the added effects with a small, genuine smile spread over your lips. to your disappointment, he didn't respond to you at all; instead, he just grunted angrily from inside the car. however, you were feeling so badass, you felt like— "fucking donkey, i'm just joking!"
you were were wearing a pink clothes, pink skirt and pink shoes. it wasn't that big of a deal but rindou was going to vomit at this rate. he always hated pink. ironically, he sees sanzu every day with his pink hair wandering everywhere.
"you've got to be kidding me." his eyebrows twitched, already plotting a worse way to murder you.
only the sound of the car could be heard throughout the entire calm and sombre voyage. since you were actually feeling too lethargic to chat, you never gave it any thought. the lack of conversation between you two wasn't necessarily bad. after all, if he had remained by your side as a bodyguard or as a buddy, this is likely how your relationship would have developed. you had your head rested on the window next to you, eyes remained on the road ahead and not paying attention to anything else than just staying awake. who knows what this man would do to you? you were certain that he wouldn't have anything to say, you decided not to engage in any conversation.
"why did sanzu send you again?" you asked, startling out of his reverie. he loomed at you before responding, lightly shrugging your inquiries in an effort to appear nonchalant about it.
"to make sure that you're safe because you're exposed to the enemies eyes, and all."
you raised a brow, "he asked you to look after me to make sure i won't cheat behind his back, isn't it?"
this time, rindou's eyes could no longer see the joy on your face. instead, you twitched your lips upward and a cold gaze that screams trouble. the male could feel that your entire aura bad altered and been completely replaced by pure hatred and malicious intent. despite the fact that it you were alone with him, you showed no signs of trepidayiom regarding what he planned to do next. he was aware that you were prepared to withstand the blow and defend yourself, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to finish the job that the pink-haired male had given him. something about you kept him rooted to his spot. so instead, he watched you with interest. "hmmm." he replied.
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with simple light clothes that covered your body, you found yourself walking around the garden field full of lovely flowers to amuse yourself. you had expected the air to be cold but it was warm when you inhaled it, not what you expected but it brought satisfaction to you. a part of you questioned whether this was how life was meant to be if everything would go just as what you expected. you had always had a small sense of curiosity about nature and how different and lovely things appeared. with the soft breeze caressing against your hair and clothes, you felt relaxed and free from worry as you walked around the area while admiring the different flowers. you raised your head to the sky and caught a glimpse of a distant, hazy white cloud that was moving gracefully.
looking back at the entrance, you scoffed at the purple-haired who had turned down your invitation as soon as you had told him about going to the garden with you, claiming that he can't be seen strolling around the garden with a woman who isn't dressed appropriately and that admiring flowers isn't his thing. you rolled your eyes at the thought of someone like him but you couldn't blame him for rejecting you after all, you are not exactly dressed the nicest as well, so he might as well say no and spare himself from the embarrassment of being seen by people. as if he dresses nicely too, with all that neo mint suit and all.
fucking arrogant old man.
"i wonder how are the flowers feeling today." a person appeared behind you, gazing at the fresh dandelion before picking it. she has long, black hair that reaches her shoulder and the shade of her lips was crimson, giving the impression that she is in her thirties yet doesn't appear to be aging at all. the female looked beautiful, so elegant and graceful yet something about her seemed to make her seem out of place in comparison to everyone else. you felt like she wasn't real, like there was nothing but an apparition of herself that appeared right in front of you. "what do you think?"
you smiled, "they look so happy today. blooming, for everyone to mesmerize."
"that means something's going to happen, emotions full of roller coaster. you just have to deal with it, you'll never know if it's a good sign or not."
"are you... gonna kidnap me?"
the lady in red laughed, shaking her head as you felt her warm hand on your shoulder. "the flowers warns me he's dangerous, don't let your guard down." she whispered to your ears and walked away as if nothing happened. it felt odd, yet it was also a relief. what do flowers understand? you pondered. she darted from one room to the next with a pace that seemed unimaginable for someone as tall as she was, making it difficult to keep track of her.
without any hesitation, you ran after her before a pair of arms tugged behind your shirt. "hello there, little guy." you smiled, flashing a wide smile. "need something?"
the child's eyes sparkled with delight and he was sporting a broad smile that covered his entire face. he excitedly leaped and flashed a bundle of marigold flowers in your direction, motioning for you to grab it. your eyes followed the lad's finger from where he pointed earlier before turning and furrowing your brows when your eyes landed on the purple-haired man, his gaze remained as sharp as ever, "a man in suit told me to deliver it to you! he was handsome, he probably likes you ehe!"
you chuckled at the sight, couldn't help yourself but to pat him on his head. "here, take it. it's candy, but sweets are bad for your teeth so you have to brush your teeth after eating it, okay?"
nodding enthusiastically, the child took the candied you gave him before running back to his playmates. "thank you, big sis!"
turning your attention back to find the lady in red, you sighed in disappointment. she was already out of your sight as if she vanished into thin air. it would have been better not to go after all, you decided as you shook off the frustration from missing your chance to get the answer you were seeking for.
you tried to disguise the frown that was beginning to emerge on your face while gazing at the bouquet of flowers. on the brighter side, marigold symbolises the light that each person possesses, yet it can also stand in for darker feelings. it wasn't impossible for someone to feel all of these emotions, including anger, grief, or even despair; in fact, you are experiencing all three right now. your thoughts began to fill with memories when life seemed so optimistic as you delicately stroked your fingers across its petals. even if the flower is only a flower, it nevertheless differs from other metaphors that may be used. there isn't much else you can do right now than study the garden around you.
"what a peculiar taste, rindou."
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