Melancholy of Flowers

Chapter Seven


Melancholy of Flowers


Ryo turned on the light to his place as soon as he walked into the door. Hana was by his side but did nothing but to look at the floor. Ryo had two places that he stayed at. The log cabin that he spent most of his youth in and the new apartment he got for when he was in school. It was better than walking all the way to Tokyo just to go to college. Yet he always spent as much times as he could in that old cabin of his.

“I think I like the old cabin better,” Kento said as he walked into the room.

“I know what you mean, but this will have to do for now,” Ryo said. “Hana, why don’t you go take a nice hot bath. It’ll calm you down and it’s good for you.”

“A bath sounds nice,” Hana said softly.

“Great! It’s the first room to the left.”

Hana nodded slowly and made her way to the bathroom where she slowly closed the door.

“Poor girl,” Rowen said, sitting down on the couch.

“I can’t believe Cye said something like that,” Kento growled, making a fist at his side.

“Hey, Natsumi was out of line too,” Ryo said. He placed his hands on the kitchen counter and closed his eyes. “What on earth is going on? I’m so confused right now.”

“Wish Sage was here. He would get through to Cye no matter what the cost,” Rowen said.

“But it still doesn’t answer the questions that we have,” Kento said.

“We probably won’t get an answer right away,” Ryo sighed heavily.

“That’s not the answer I was hoping to get,” Kento said.

“At any rate, we should comfort Hana through this time of pain,” Rowen said.

“Ryo is already doing that,” Kento said.

“I’m trying,” Ryo said softly.

“Well, we’ll let you go so you can tend to Hana,” Rowen said as he got up.

“Call us if you need anything,” Kento said as he opened the front door.

Ryo waved as his friends made their way out the apartment. Ryo sighed and walked over to the closet where he got a towel. Then headed over to the bathroom where he heard splashing going on inside.

“Cye is disappointed in me because I threatened Natsumi? What is going on? I never thought I would hear those words come out of his mouth,” Hana thought to herself. Her train of thought was broken when she heard a knock on the door.

“Hana? It’s me, Ryo. Um... I have a towel for you,” Ryo said from outside the door.

“Come in,” Hana said.

Ryo opened the door slowly and walked in with caution. He turned his head to see Hana laying in a tub full of water with her hair wet. Ryo swallowed hard before placing the towel on the counter.

“H-how’s the bath?” Ryo asked nervously.

“It’s nice,” Hana replied.

“I have some fish in the freezer that I can cook up and we can have. You like salmon?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll go cook some up.”

But before Ryo could get to the door, Hana got up and wrapped her arms around him.

“Hana?” he asked, feeling the back of his shirt getting wet.

“Don’t leave me Ryo,” Hana said as tears started to fall from her eyes.

“Hana.... I’m not going to leave you.”

“That’s what Cye said to me just before he did this.”

“I-I had no idea.”

“I don’t want to be alone anymore!” Hana cried.

“You will never be alone Hana,” Ryo said quietly. “You have friends who care very much about you.” Ryo turned around and placed his hands on Hana’s bare shoulders. “You are loved Hana.”

“But not by the one who I love most dearly....”

Ryo grabbed the towel and wrapped it around Hana’s naked body.

“We are going to figure things out. I promise you that Cye will return to you no matter what.”

Hana looked up into Ryo’s determined eyes. The tears in her eyes poured out more as she reached up and kissed Ryo fully on the lips. Ryo hesitantly wrapped his arms around Hana’s soaked body and embraced her tightly.


“What is the meaning of this?!” Natsumi shouted.

“What do you mean?” Kurushimi asked in a bored tone. She was sitting in her chair in the warehouse with Natsumi before her.

“Why was Cye losing control?”

“That I do not know. I didn’t think that tramp would go that far and find someone else.”

“Well she did.”

“You should be happy about this. Why are you mad?”

“How can I be happy if Cye is slowly escaping my control over him?!”

“You do have a point there.”

“Is there anything that you can do to change this?”

“I guess I can upgrade your dose in the tank room.”

“If that’s what it takes then so be it. I don’t want to lose to her!”

“Calm down you psycho.” Kurushimi got up from her seat and walked down the little steps to the floor.

“Oh and you never mentioned Hana having some freakishly, strong powers,” Natsumi glared.

“Those powers are nothing. She got them when my soul escaped from her body last year.”

“You soul? Then how are living?”

“My father split my soul in half. The one that possessed Hana is long gone.” Kurushimi opened the door to the dark room and walked in.

“B-but that doesn’t explain how you are living.”

“Look, my body contains half a soul at this point. Got it?” Kurushimi grunted then turned on the machine. “I’m going to boost up the energy on this thing so it will give you twice as much power as it did the first time.”

“That’s great.”

“I see that I made the right choice in choosing you. I can see that the darkness from within your heart has taken over.”

“I should thank you though. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be in this position in the first place.”

Natsumi took off her clothes, got into the tank and placed the helmet on her head. The tubes entered her body once more as power entered her body.

“The end is near! Soon I will be in possession of all the armors and their power and that brat Hana will be out of the way for good!”



“How’s the fish?” Ryo asked.

The two of them were sitting at the small table in Ryo’s kitchen. Hana had on a T-shirt that belonged to Ryo.

“It’s good,” Hana said as she took a bite out of the salmon on her plate.

“Um... I hope you don’t mind wearing one of my shirts. Your clothes were dirty so I took the liberty in washing them for you,” Ryo said.

“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” Hana said. “You have done so much for me already.”

“I want to make you happy Hana,” Ryo said bluntly.

“I-I know....”

There was silence after that as the two of them finished off their plates. Ryo took the two plates and placed them in the sink.

“I have some cookies if you want,” he said as he searched the cabinets. “I guess I should go food shopping.” He laughed nervously then looked at Hana.

“That Natsumi girl...... has she been acting weird to you?” Hana said all of a sudden.

“Natsumi? Um....... a little but not that much,” Ryo said. “Why?”

“What she said to me earlier today...... did that sound like her?”

“Not really. Actually that did surprise me.”

“Something’s not right Ryo.”

“I was certain that you would catch on.”

“Is there a new evil on the loose?”

“I do not know.”

“If we ask Natsumi what is going on, she’ll just deny everyone was ask her.”

“You do have a point there.”

“You said that she had a crush on Cye yes?”

“Yes.”

“That’s proof that something is going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“Think about it. Why would Cye turn this way AFTER I show up again? Why would he suddenly like Natsumi instead of me? It’s true that people do fall in love with other people after a long period of time, but.... for Cye to do that to me, it doesn’t seem right.”

“Any suggestions?”

“Yes. We try to win the real Cye back.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“I don’t know just yet.”

“You are thinking too hard Hana.”

“I can’t help it. I want Cye back and I will do anything to get him back to the way he was.”

“Well, if you do think of something, we’ll be behind you Hana.”

“Thank you Ryo.”

“Now, you look tired. Why don’t you go and get some sleep.”

“Sure, where’s the guest room?”

“Uh.......... I don’t have one. You are welcome to sleep in my bed and I’ll take the couch.”

“I don’t want to put you through that. I’ll take the couch.”

“You are a guest. I insist you take the bed.”

“Look we can sit here and argue about where to sleep for the night or we can just sleep in the same bed.”

Ryo blushed at the thought then cleared his throat. “Do you really want to do that?”

“Sure, why not?”

“You are very calm about this. I mean, sleeping in the same bed with someone other than Cye?”

“It’s not like we are going to have sex or anything.”

“I know but still.”

“Look I’m okay with it.” Hana got up and stretched her arms out, then headed down the hallway. “Where’s your room?”

“The second door to the right.”

“Okay. Let’s hit the sack!”

“Okay..........” Ryo followed Hana into this room where he saw Hana get into this bed and curl up under the covers.

“It’s comfy,” she said.

“Glad you think so...... I think...” Ryo said nervously.

“What’s wrong? It’s like you have never had a girl sleep with you.”

“That’s because I never had a girlfriend....” Ryo thought to himself.

“What’s wrong? You’re all red.”

“I-it’s nothing. Let’s just get to bed and hopefully morning will bring some good news into our lives.”

Ryo got into bed next to Hana and rested his head on the pillow.

“This is so awkward....”

Ryo jumped a little when he felt something drape over his chest. He looked to his left and saw that Hana had her eyes closed with her arm draped over his torso.

“Is there a reason why I am so jumpy all of a sudden?”

Ryo shook his head then closed his eyes too, waiting for sleep to overcome him so the night would be over.