Melancholy of Flowers

Chapter Eight


Confrontation



Ryo woke up the next morning to find himself alone in bed. He looked around the room in hope to find Hana getting dressed or something, but he found the room empty. Ryo swung his legs around the bed and got to his feet. He stretched his arms and back then walked out of the bedroom. There was a smell of eggs that filled the air as he walked down the hallway. When he reached the kitchen, he found Hana by the stove with a spatula in her hand. She must of heard him because she turned her head and smiled at him.

“Good morning sleepy head,” she said cheerfully.

“Good morning Hana,” Ryo said as he scratched his bed ridden head. “Glad to see you are feeling better.”

“It’s not that,” she said, flipping the eggs over. “I finally made up my mind is all.”

“Really? On what?” Ryo sat down on one of the kitchen table chairs.

“I’m going to confront Natsumi. Ask her face to face what she is up to. I know she will most likely lie to my face, but I need to do this. I have to find out what’s going on with Cye.” Hana scooped the eggs onto a plate and placed them down in front of Ryo.

“I know you are upset still Hana, but do you think that’s wise?” Ryo asked, putting a fork full of eggs into his mouth.

“What do you mean?” Hana sat across from him with a cup of tea.

Ryo swallowed and sighed. “I mean, if Natsumi is the enemy, is it wise to confront her so soon? She is probably waiting for you to do so.”

“I don’t really have a choice Ryo.”

Ryo knew this was a bad choice on Hana’s part, but he couldn’t say no to her. Pain already ached his heart just seeing her so upset. “Okay Hana. I’m with you one hundred percent. Just be careful when you approach her.”

Hana smiled and nodded, then took a sip of her tea.

* * * * *

That day during lunch at school, Hana saw Cye and Natsumi having lunch by one of the benches. Hana looked at Ryo who just nodded his approval and got up and walked to the couple. Cye was having a tuna fish sandwich which shocked Hana as she walked up to them.

“Hello Hana,” Natsumi said in her usual, soft voice. “Cye and I were just talking about going to a seafood place just down the street.”

“Seafood? Cye you hate eating any type of fish,” Hana said. “I can’t believe you are eating tuna. It’s not like you at all.”

“Are you here to complain?” Cye asked in a plain voice.

“No, I’m here to talk to Natsumi,” Hana said, trying to hold back any sort of emotion.

“Why me?” Natsumi asked.

“Why not you? You can spare a few moments without your hubby.”

Natsumi placed her bento box on the bench and got up. She followed Hana to the side of the central building of the school.

“What’s up?” Natsumi asked.

“What are you doing to Cye? He’s not acting like himself and everyone is realizing it, not just me,” Hana said with a straight face.

“Cye just didn’t like eating fish because of his armor.”

“When did you find out about the armor he bears?”

“He told me a while ago. He’s so strong and brave, no wonder he’s one of the chosen few.”

“So you know about the Torrent armor.....”

“Yes I do. Are we done here?”

“Just answer one thing for me.”

Natusmi gave a loud sigh. “What is it?”

“What do you plan on doing with Cye?”

“Well, we already have enough sex to last us a life time.” Hearing this made Hana’s heart sink even deeper into a black hole. “Would I say.... marriage?”

“What?!”

“You heard what I said. Cye loves me and only me. You are just a flower that was dumped on the street to wilt.” Hana clenched her teeth in her mouth and swallowed hard, fighting against the tears that were trying to escape. “I answered your question. Now if you excuse me, my boyfriend is waiting for me.” Natsumi brushed against Hana’s shoulder with such force that she almost fell over. She looked over her shoulder to see Natsumi return to the bench where Cye was waiting. The tears that she was trying so hard to fight back, came pouring like small rivers down her face. She placed her face within her hands and sobbed quietly. Hana could hear footsteps coming toward her, but she was in such pain she didn’t want to see who was coming. Gentle arms wrapped around her in an embrace.

“I told you it was too soon,” Ryo whispered softly into her ear.

Hana cried harder into her wet palms and Ryo hugged her tightly.

“That son of a bitch,” Kento said as he walked to Ryo and Hana. “I can’t believe what I just heard. There is something going on here and I’m not liking it.”

“I know Kento, but we can’t do anything just yet,” Ryo said.

“I know, but it makes me so mad!” Kento yelled and slammed his fist against the building wall.

“Careful Kento. You don’t want to go knocking the entire building down,” Ryo warned.

“Sorry man. Now what?”

“I don’t know.”

* * * * *

That afternoon Hana locked herself in the bathroom. Rowen was there to watch over her while Ryo and Kento went back to school to do their extra credit labs. The apartment was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Rowen was sitting on the sofa with his eyes closed. He could hear some movement within the bathroom. It was almost eight when the front door opened and Ryo walked in with his bag draped over his arm.

“Thank you for watching over her Rowen,” he said as he placed his bag on the armchair.

“No problem,” Rowen said getting up.

“Did she come out?”

“No.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“Be there for you. You are the only one she has right now Ryo.”

“That’s not exactly true Rowen.”

“Well right now, you are the only one who cares that much for her.”

“Yes, but my feelings for her won’t be rewarded.”

Rowen didn’t say anything and just looked at Ryo straight in the eyes. “Go to her Ryo.” That was all he said before he walked out the front door. Ryo was left standing there, wondering what to do. He decided to follow Rowen’s advice and try to be there for Hana as best he could. He walked up to the bathroom door and knocked on it gently.

“Hana....... it’s Ryo........ I’m back from school,” he said to the door. He got no answer so decided to try again. “Hana..... I want to help.....please....” Again, there was no answer from within the bathroom. Ryo sighed and slid against the wall opposite of the bathroom. He must have dosed off because he heard the bathroom lock click and the door swung open. He looked up with his vision blurry. He could make out a figure standing in the doorway of the bathroom. Ryo must have forgotten that Hana was the one in the bathroom all this time because he closed his eyes again. He felt a hand on his shoulder and soft air on his face. He opened his eyes again to see a face starring at him up close. Ryo rubbed his sleepy eyes with is hand and saw his vision return back to normal. He could see Hana kneeling in front of him. Her eyes were so red that he assumed she was crying non stop since this afternoon. Her hair was all over the place too. “Hana.....” Ryo felt her lips touch his before he could say anything else. Her kiss was not plain as it was, but passionate. He wrapped his arms around her to draw her closer to him. He could feel his body heat up by the movement. They stayed in that place for about ten minutes before parting. Ryo panted heavily as he looked at Hana. She too was trying to draw in breath.

“I’m sorry Ryo.......” Hana panted.

“For what?” Ryo asked.

“For worrying you.”

“I’m here for you Hana.”

Tears started to fall from her red eyes again. She wiped them away with her hand and sniffed. “It hurts to cry now.....”

“I bet it does. You have been crying since you got home.”

Hana nodded her head slowly and buried her face into her hands again. Ryo took her arm and helped her to her feet. Ryo looked her up from head to toe and examined her. All he could see was a miserable girl who had just gotten her heart chopped up into so many pieces, that it would be impossible to put back together.

“Sleep is good for you right now,” Ryo said.

“I’m sorry to trouble you,” Hana said with her head down.

“Hana, you are not troubling me at all. I am going to find a way to break whatever hold Natsumi has on Cye and get him back to normal, for you.”

Ryo led Hana into the bedroom where he tucked her into bed. He got into bed himself and wrapped his arms around her. He could hear her sob some more into the pillow. It was hard for him to get any sleep, as he could not get the sound of her cries out of his head.

* * * * *


The next day, Hana didn’t come to school, but stayed at home in bed. Ryo and Kento went on having their usual lunch, until Rowen walked onto the campus with a pissed look on his face.

“What up Rowen?” Kento asked.

“Where’s Cye?” Rowen asked in a strict tone.

“What happened?” Ryo asked. “Where’s Hana?”

“She’s back at the apartment. Hana told me what Natsumi had told her.”

“She did?” Ryo asked.

“Yes. Now where is Cye?” Rowen asked.

“He over there by the bench,” Kento said as he pointed to the usual eating place that Natsumi and Cye normally went to.

Rowen walked over there so fast that he seemed to have disappeared.

“May I help you?” Natsumi asked.

“I need to speak with Cye.... alone,” Rowen said.

“Not this again. Look if he goes, I go,” Natsumi said.

“Listen, if you don’t want that pretty little face of your’s to get badly bruised, I suggest you stay of this!”

“Natsumi, I’ll go,” Cye said and got up.

Natsumi watched the two men walk away from the school campus and into a secluded area. Once they were far enough, Rowen stopped dead in his tracks. Cye did the same and starred at his best friend. Rowen turned around and slammed a fist into Cye’s right cheek. Cye stood there holding his cheek with a stunned look on his face.

“W-What was that for?!” he demanded.

“That’s for hurting Hana the way you did,” Rowen said in a low, harsh voice.

“I didn’t do anything to her!”

“Bullshit!” Rowen punched Cye in the face again, this time knocking him to the ground. “You have no idea how much pain she is in.... now tell me why you are doing this?!”

Cye sat up and looked Rowen straight in the eyes. The two of them starred at each other for about a minute before Cye spoke again.

“I have no idea....” he said softly.

“Excuse me?” Rowen asked.

“I have no idea! I have no idea why I dumped her! She......... she didn’t do anything!”

Rowen stood there in shock, trying to soak in everything. Cye still sat on the ground with his hand to his bruised face.

“I don’t get it,” Rowen said.

“I-I don’t know either....” Cye confessed.

Suddenly they heard footsteps walk closer to their area. “Cye?” came a voice and Natsumi walked into the area with a horrible look on her face. “Did you do this?!”

“What if I did?” Rowen asked.

“How dare you!”

“Natsumi, it’s okay. I’m fine,” Cye said, getting up.

“But Cye....”

“Rowen, I’ll get you for what you did to me,” Cye said with a stern voice.

“Not if I get to you first and next time, I won’t go easy,” Rowen glared.

The two former friends glared at one another before parting ways. As they did so, Ryo and Kento came running in, watching as Cye and Natsumi walked past them.

“Rowen, what happend?” Kento asked. “Why was Cye holding his cheek?”

“I punched him,” Rowen said plainly.

“You what?” Kento asked.

“He deserved it.”

“Rowen, tells us what happened?” Ryo asked.

“Cye said he wasn’t sure why he dumped Hana in the first place. He seemed confused at what was going on after I tore him from Natsumi. Once Natsumi came, he was back to the way he was, all snobby and rude,” Rowen explained. “I think Natsumi has some kind of hold on him like you guys said. I don’t know what’s going on between those two, but I sense evil in the mix.”

The other two nodded at this and the three of them walked back to the campus. Meanwhile, in a car that was driving to where Ryo and the others were, a familiar blonde was smiling as he drove into the distance.