Ch. 5: As a Friend (SUN)
A refreshing breeze swirled around the two of us…-
We were walking through the town when a small boy tugged on the hem of my skirt.
Boy: "Hey mister, are you sick? You're walking with this girl but you're so far apart."
He spoke as if worried, and I noticed he was carrying a basket full of flowers to sell.
Asking if one of us is sick just because I'm a girl and we're not walking close…
I looked around at that, and noticed how all of the men and women were walking with their shoulders touching, tightly pressed to each other.
Th-this country really IS like that.
I opened my eyes wide in surprise.
Cohen: "No, no one is sick…"
Boy: "No helping it then. I'll show you how to do it."
The boy reached into his basket of flowers and pulled out a cosmos.
Boy: "Beautiful one. Please be mine."
Saying so, he took my hand with a practiced move and kissed the back of my hand.
So cute.
Without realizing, I smiled.
Cohen: "Oh so if I do it, it's bad, but it's fine for this kid!? That's cruel."
Seeing me smile, Cohen spoke in irritation and anger.
Cohen: "Give me all of your flowers."
H-he's not very mature…
Having bought all the flowers from the boy, Cohen knelt before me on one knee.
Cohen: "Beautiful one, please become mine."
He kissed the back of my hand and…
OO: "…"
Before I knew it, my cheeks had warmed and my heart started ringing like an alarm bell.
Boy: "Well, you pass. Congrats~"
The flower boy left.
I couldn't even blink as I stood perfectly still in that spot.
Cohen: "…?"
Cohen looked at me as he presented me with the bundle of flowers.
Cohen: "Ah, right."
He said it as if remembering something. Then he took a single flower from the bunch and placed it behind my ear.
Cohen: "This is a present, from a friend, so please take it. Let's go."
He stood in front of me and started walking off.
A…friend…?
At that moment I came to realize that I didn't fully understand what a friendship entailed either.