The Spider Lily Turns into a Chrysanthemum
Ichimaku: Chapter 2
The shower had been running for less than two minutes when the bedroom door opened.
Shouma didn’t bother looking up.
He had moved from the blue chair to Yoshino’s bed and was lying across the covers, one arm tucked behind his head while he looked at his phone.
“Well, aren’t you indulging yourself again.”
Tsubaki’s voice broke the silence.
Shouma continued scrolling, “You’re a disgusting peeping Tom.”
“How rude,” Tsubaki closed the door behind her.
She was still wearing the lavender dress she’d worn to pick him up from Kyoto, though she’d taken considerably more care with her appearance since arriving at Renji’s house. Her heels clicked lightly against the floor as she crossed the room.
Shouma didn’t acknowledge her.
Tsubaki looked at him, then at the bed beneath him, “I’m not the one lying on Yoshino’s bed wearing cologne that’ll permeate her covers.”
His thumb stopped against his phone.
Tsubaki smiled, “It’s almost like you want her to think about you.”
Shouma slowly looked at her, “I swear, the only reason no one’s scarred your face is because you have Renji.”
Tsubaki’s smile remained perfectly pleasant, “I don’t think Renji would like you saying that about me.”
“Then go tell him.”
“I won’t.” She sat elegantly in the chair he’d abandoned. “I don’t need saving, and it’s fun seeing you react.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
Tsubaki didn’t answer immediately.
From behind the bathroom door came a sudden crash.
Both of them looked toward it.
“Ah, fuck!”
Shouma was already sitting upright.
“I’m OKAY!” Yoshino shouted over the running water. “I just dropped my shampoo!”
Shouma relaxed again.
Tsubaki watched him.
Then she pointed toward the bathroom, “I wonder what stops you.”
Shouma looked at her, “From what?”
“Going into that bathroom and making her yours.”
His expression changed immediately.
Tsubaki continued before he could respond, “She is precious to me. You know that. But I’d be interested to see her reaction when the man she thinks of as a brother suddenly came onto her.”
Shouma’s stare hardened.
“You’re a pest,” Tsubaki continued calmly, “and you’re far below my high-ranking blood.”
“What’s your fucking point.”
“But Renji chose you.”
That stopped him.
Tsubaki crossed one leg over the other, “And if Renji wants you in her life, and he respects you, then so will I.”
Shouma turned his head toward the window. His eyes narrowed, “Yoshino isn’t a plaything. And I’d never disrespect her.”
He looked back at Tsubaki, “SO, what’s your fucking point?”
“The point is that you’re apathetic.”
Shouma said nothing. He got up and walked towards the window of the room.
“You’re basically a walking zombie unless Renji gives you an order or Yoshino is around.”
His expression remained flat.
“Outside of that, you’re just a boring, dead soul,” Tsubaki tilted her head, “With nothing.”
Shouma reached into his pocket.
He took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips and lit it.
Tsubaki watched him take the first drag.
He leaned toward the open window and exhaled outside.
“Oh,” she said. “She doesn’t like that.”
“Shut up.”
Tsubaki’s smile returned. She’d gotten what she wanted.
A reaction.
“And to see if this works…” she murmured.
“What?”
The bathroom door opened, “TSUBAKI!”
Yoshino came out with a towel wrapped securely around herself, her wet hair falling heavily down her back.
Tsubaki’s entire demeanor changed, “My sweet girl!”
“Ahhh, I missed you!” Yoshino yelled as she crossed the room and hugged her, “But also—“, Yoshino pulled away and marched toward the closet. She took out the ivory dress Tsubaki had left for her, “You did not have to buy me this.”
“Oh, but I had to.” Tsubaki stood and ran her fingers lightly over the dress. Tsubaki looked from the dress to Yoshino’s hair, “It matches your hair. It’s perfect for the party.”
Yoshino looked down at it again, “I mean, I LOVE it…But you spent WAY too much money.”
“I know.”
“Tsubaki.”
“And also—” Tsubaki walked toward the bedroom door.
She reached behind it and retrieved a shopping bag Yoshino hadn’t noticed, “I ordered you matching underwear for the dress.”
Yoshino stared at her, “You did what?” =_=
Tsubaki pulled out a red lace bra and matching underwear, “I mean you must wear it. Here you go,” The lingerie slipped from Tsubaki’s hands. Or appeared to…
It flew directly toward the window.
Shouma reacted on instinct and caught it with his left hand.
Then he froze.
Red lace hung from his fingers.
His cigarette remained in his right hand.
For the first time since Tsubaki had entered the room, Shouma looked genuinely unsure what he was supposed to do.
Tsubaki covered her mouth, “OOPS…My mistake.”
Shouma glared at her.
Yoshino looked from Tsubaki to Shouma. Then to the cigarette. Her eyes widened. “HEY!”
Shouma looked at her.
“What did I say about smoking inside?”
His attention immediately shifted away from the lingerie, “I was blowing it out the window.”
“I don’t care! Stop it!”
Shouma shot Tsubaki another glare.
She smiled sweetly.
Without arguing with Yoshino, he extinguished the cigarette, walked into the bathroom and flushed it.
When he returned, he held the lingerie out to Yoshino.
His expression had returned to normal, “Here.”
Yoshino’s face went red and she snatched it from his hand, “Turn around and wait for me.”
Shouma turned without comment. He sat on the edge of the bed with his back toward them.
Yoshino quickly changed into the matching set before reaching for the dress.
Tsubaki watched her with a softer smile now, “Let me help you.”
Yoshino stepped into the dress and pulled it carefully into place.
Tsubaki adjusted the fabric around her waist before Yoshino turned her back toward her.
“You’ll need to let me zip it.”
“Please.” Yoshino said as she moved her hair out of the way.
Tsubaki took hold of the zipper. Halfway up, she paused.
Her eyes slid toward Shouma, “That’s, of course, unless you want to, Shouma.”
Shouma didn’t turn around, “Tsubaki, stop playing games. Pretty sure Renji wants us down there now.”
Yoshino didn’t react beyond shaking her head. She was used to them, “Yeah, Tsubaki. We have to hurry before Gramps blows a fuse.”
Tsubaki finished fastening the dress.
“It’s my fault,” Yoshino continued. “I didn’t put an alarm on when I laid down for a nap.”
“You were tired.”
“I was stupid.”
“You were tired,” Tsubaki repeated.
She made a few final adjustments to Yoshino’s dress before stepping back, “You’re right, though. I’ll go downstairs and ease my sweet Renji.”
Yoshino laughed, “Good luck.”
Tsubaki headed toward the door, “I’ll tell him you’re coming down in five minutes.”
She opened it, and the sounds from downstairs immediately entered the room. Lots of male voices, maybe a few women, music and lots of laughter.
There were considerably more people down there than Yoshino had expected.
She stared toward the open doorway, “Tsubaki.”
Tsubaki looked back.
“How many people did you invite?”
Tsubaki smiled sweetly, “You have five minutes~.”
“Tsubaki.”
“Shouma, finish her hair.”
And she was gone.
The door closed again.
Yoshino sighed, “That woman.”
“Sit.”
She turned.
Shouma had already moved toward the edge of the bed.
Yoshino walked over without hesitation. It was something they’d done since they were younger.
She settled onto her knees on the floor in front of him, her back toward him, while Shouma reached for the brush she’d left nearby.
He gathered her wet hair carefully. The first pass of the brush moved from the middle of its length toward the ends, working through the remaining tangles before he moved higher.
Yoshino relaxed, “I wonder why you never pursued doing hair.”
“No.”
She laughed, “I didn’t even finish.”
“I know where you’re going.”
“You’ve always been so good at it, Shouma.”
He separated another section.
“I mean, you do everyone’s hair. The whole clan doesn’t even need a barber anymore because they go to you.”
“Nah,” his hands moved easily through her hair, separating, smoothing and twisting sections before pinning them into place, “I have other things I need to do.”
“Like what?”
“Things.”
Yoshino rolls her eyes, “Yeah, very specific.”
“Anyway, doing it as a full-time job would bore me,” he reached for another pin, “No thanks.”
“Okay. I’m just saying, you’re talented as hell.”
Shouma didn’t respond.
Yoshino couldn’t see his face. That was probably for the best.
A small smile had appeared while he worked.
Her hair had always been easy for him to style. Thick, smooth and long enough that he could do almost anything with it. He’d done this countless times when they were younger. He’d never told her that he liked it.
He wasn’t entirely sure when something so ordinary had become something he quietly looked forward to. Maybe it had always been that way. He liked having an excuse to touch her hair.
He liked that Yoshino trusted his hands near her face and neck without ever thinking about it. Most of all, he liked that nothing about this had changed while she was gone.
He placed the final pin, “All right. I’m done.”
Yoshino immediately stood and went to the mirror. Her eyes lit up, “YAY!”
She turned her head from one side to the other, “I look so cool!”
Shouma watched her from the bed.
“You’re the BEST!!!!” Yoshino was too busy examining her hair to notice his eyes move over the finished outfit.
The dress suited her. More than he’d expected.
It followed her figure closely through the waist before falling around her legs, the ivory making the red in her hair stand out even more.
Shouma looked away before she turned around, “You look great.”
Yoshino smiled at him through the mirror, “Thaanks”
He stood, “Put your shoes on so we can go downstairs.”
“Right,” Yoshino returned to the closet. A pair of heels was waiting beneath the dress. She picked one up. The red sole told her everything she needed to know.
She stared at it, “Of course they’re Louboutins.”
Shouma glanced over.
Yoshino slipped the first one on, “Well, these are going to hurt.”
“You don’t have to wear them.”
“Yes, I do.”
“No, you don’t.”
She put on the second and then stood.
Her left ankle immediately rolled, “Whoa—”
Shouma caught her by the arm and waist before she could fall.
Yoshino grabbed his shoulder, “Yeah. Okay. No,” she looked down at the shoes, “These are as bad as I thought.”
“Just wear other shoes,” Shouma kept one hand on her arm until he was sure she had her balance, “You don’t need those. They’re not good for you.”
“Yeah, but…” Yoshino looked at herself in the mirror. The shoes did complete the outfit, “I really want Tsubaki and Gramps to look at me.”
Shouma raised an eyebrow.
“I look great.”
He sighed, “Yes, you do.”
Yoshino smiled.
“But how are you gonna walk?”
Her answer was immediate. She hooked her arm through his, “Uh, you’ll be escorting me. Duh.”
Shouma looked down at their linked arms, “All night?”
“Yes!”
“Yoshino.”
“You do it every time anyway.”
“Yeah, but not like this.”
Yoshino tightened her grip on Shouma, “We’re practically stuck at the hip.”
Shouma moved his neck back and looked up, “I wouldn’t say it like that.”
“Well, regardless, I’m wearing these,” She smiled brightly at him, “And you’ll be leading me and helping me balance.”
Shouma stared at her.
Yoshino stared back.
There was no point arguing.
There usually wasn’t.
He shook his head, “Well, I can’t fight you on it,” he adjusted his arm so she could hold onto him properly, “let’s go.”
Yoshino smiled.
Shouma opened the bedroom door.
The noise from downstairs returned at once, louder now that nothing separated them from the party.
Yoshino looked down the hallway. Then at the staircase. Then at her shoes.
She tightened her grip on Shouma’s arm, “Don’t let me eat shit in front of everyone.”
“I won’t.”
“Seriously.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Just don’t have me taking you from one city to another at 3am like last time. The boss was pissed.”
That was enough for Yoshino.
She stepped forward.
Shouma matched her pace without thinking about it, slowing when she needed him to and keeping his arm steady beneath hers.
Together, they headed downstairs.
Where you can yearn. 