Chapter 9: Wilted Flower
1669 Words
Traveling to see the man I don’t even know. A man that I don’t even know what he looks like. The man was loved by someone who became fond of me. It felt familiar because this is how I go in search of my missing memories.
It took me two days before I arrived in Floria city. Just like how everyone describes the city. It was truly a city covered in flowers. No matter where I turn my head and look around. I can see flowers blooming everywhere. The structures of the building in this city were pretty. Colors fly around my eyes.
“Little miss are you lost? Are you searching for your parents?”
A knight approached me.
This is a common mistake and I got used to it.
instead of talking to him. I pulled my adventurer card and presented him with my rank. Below my name was my age. Seeing my adventuring card the knight apologizes and leaves.
Another man approached me… A group of men to be specific.
“Little miss are you new here? Quite romantic to meet in such a beautiful place like this. By the way, my name is Marco.”
I’m not asking.
I look at him with dead eyes.
“You being too fast Marco… Cute girls like her should be treated with care.”
The man who speak held my hand and kiss.
“My name is… Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!”
From my hand, I manifested a jolt of lightning. Electrocuting the man who kissed my hand. Having seen what I can do. The group of men runs away with a pathetic expression. They seemed to be running with their life on the line.
Creepy weirdos.
I prepared someone whose calm and won’t do something shocking like that. I know I’m cute but a man should resist their urge in wanting me.
(Hanayuki is being narcissist again…)
Where should I start? Arriving here the best place to ask was the adventuring guild. Many adventurers are going in and out there. Adventurer guild is also the center of information in one town. Of someone like Denver goes here. Probably someone in the adventurer guild saw him.
I go straight to the adventuring guild.
As expected the guild was overly crowded. On the way to this city, I do encounter lots of monsters in my way. Unlike the city of Esto the city where Fina lives. This city is surrounded by areas where monsters and demons lived. The danger is high and the demand for adventurers is at an all-time high.
I should get a quest to earn before I leave this city.
Wondering inside the guild. I go straight to the receptionist whose busy checking the papers in her hand. Seeing her pointy ears and silver hair. I could tell that she is an elf.
“Good day, can I ask something?”
“Yeah, are you lost little girl?”
“Nope… But I was looking for someone. Have you heard about a man searching for a flower called eternal flower?”
“Doesn’t ring the bell. Floria city has a wide history of flowers, but I never heard anything like that before. I’m living for hundreds of years already and never saw something like that.”
The elf receptionist was very clueless.
Elf has a long life span. If the flower exists she must know about it or hear it.
This journey is getting starting to be more hopeless.
Another receptionist comes handing a bunch of papers to the elf. The elf's cheerful face earlier was replaced with deep depression.
“What is that eyes suppose to mean?”
“This is slavery.”
The elf replied. The other receptionist throws her fist to the elf's head.
“This happened because you skip your work for an entire week. You better finish it within three days.”
“Yes Ma’am!”
The lady receptionist noticed me.
“Oh, may I help you?”
“She is looking for a man searching for eternal flower.”
“... A man searching… That man.”
“Did you know about him?!”
I suddenly got excited.
“Are you his little sister?”
“It's not important I have to find him as fast as possible.”
I said.
We can’t have a proper chat in front of the receptionist desk. We moved to a table and have lunch together. But the tabs are on me.
Some people like using other people. I dislike them. I don’t have a choice she got the information I wanted.
“can you tell me where is the man I’m looking for?”
“You always say that he's a man. You’re not his little sister, aren’t you? In conclusion, you are his lover! I can’t believe that guy is into little girls.”
“I’m not his lover or anything… I’m searching for him because my friends need to meet him before everything ended.”
I told the lady receptionist my encounter with a girl with incurable illness and the man searching for the eternal flower.
The lady receptionist cried in the bucket.
“What a sad story… So that man is doing his best to find the non-existent flower to offer to the one he loves the most. But the girl ordered him to sever her bond with him because she loves him. Before she dies she doesn’t want to feel in love. But is fell in love and waiting for his return.”
Her reaction is out of character to her cool beauty aura earlier.
“There situation is something like that… Fina is in a severe state right now. I believe that she is bedridden right now. I don’t want to say it, but she is not going to last. She treated me nicely in months of staying with her. I wanted to repay her kindness by finding the man she loves the most.”
The lady receptionist gets some tissue paper and wipes her tear with it. She took a glance at me and said:
“I understand everything now. Also thank you for the meal.”
Just tell me his location.
“The man you're looking for is in the flower laboratory located on the eastern edge of this city. That laboratory is researching how long a flower would last. They experiment with flowers and produce a new type of flowers. When the man your referring to asked me. I told him about the flower… When I was walking in the market earlier. I saw him… Maybe he started working there. Knowing that it's the only closest flower he would ever get from the flower he's searching for. Or hoping that the laboratory could produce the eternal flower.”
After having a delightful meal. I go straight to the said laboratory. I knocked on the door and I was welcomed by a young man.
“Who are you?”
“I’m Hanayuki.”
“If you're looking for the professor he isn’t here. YOu can go now I’m busy.”
Seems like he's the only one inside.
“Wait! Before you live. Do you know a girl named Fina?”
“Fina… How do you know about her?”
“I’m her friend and I need to talk to you.”
I told Denver about Fina’s condition and the reason why she rejected him before. The information shocked him. Leading him into despair. I saw him looking down darkly and shaking her head ever so slightly.
“That can’t be true.”
“It’s the truth… I don’t have a reason to lie to you. Fina treated me with care when I’m working as a helper. If there is someone Fina likes to see it is you.”
Seemingly losing his vigor he put his hand to his head.
“It's hopeless… If she is coughing blood already and already in the death's door. There is nothing I could do. I might make her suffer more. Maybe, she just feels bad because she told me to do something so impossible. She wanted me to stop. She wants to see me tell that. She isn't seeing me beacuse she is in love with me.”
“How can you tell that?”
“When I told her that I like her. She averted her eyes and looks displeased. I’m creepy and only talk about school. No one likes the man who knows everything. Fina told me to search for the non-existent flower to push me away from her. That’s how it was… That’s it. She doesn’t like me at all.”
He completely lost the plot. Denver and Fina lost the energy to live. Looking at their eyes. It's completely hollowed and dead.
Their both wilting in front of my eyes.
I stepped forward to Denver and swing my hand.
I slap him to the face to give him a little wake-up call.
“You're just afraid arent you? You are afraid of what you might feel about seeing her. You know it's non-existent yet you pursue it. Because you want an excuse to run away from her. You don’t want to see Fina because it hurts you. Right now, I’m telling you that Fina needs you yet. You're creating another excuse to avoid being hurt.”
He bites his lips and frustration. His silents prove that I was right about his feelings.
I continue…
“... It's honestly not my problem at all. I won’t force you or drag you to Fina. I’m just here to inform you about Fina’s current condition. It is only when flowers come meaning to their bloom. Do you want to avoid Fina until the end?”
“I want to see her again… I want to be with her. I want to be with Fina.”
Denver said.
His honest feelings come to life.
After convincing him. We waste no more time. We immediately go back to the flower shop to see Fina.
- Writer
