Ch. 6: A Guy in a Field of Flowers
Three days after that, the two of us went to a field of flowers near the castle.
The reason behind this was…-.
Ritz: “Man, I’m really glad I talked to you OO. There’s no way I could’ve thought of giving Grandma the flowers that make her think of Grandpa on my own.”
OO: “It’s because you told me about your grandmother’s stories.”
The reason we had come to the field…
It was that I had proposed giving Ritz’s grandmother the flowers that she had loved so much, ones full of memories, at the celebration.
OO: “But, it’s not just your grandmother, but your grandfather as well who thought these flowers were lovely. To give the person you love flowers, but not ones that you buy in a store. They’re the ones that you like and go out and pick yourself…”
Thinking of the love that Ritz’s grandparents had cultivated made me feel warm inside.
Ritz: “When I first heard it from Grandma, the scary image I had of my Grandpa changed. But the flowers that he’d give to Grandma don’t bloom much recently, so we’re gonna have to search real hard.”
OO: “…right!”
And like that, the two of us spread out across the field and started searching for the flower we needed.
Ch. 7: A Guy in the Setting Sun
Flowers that held the memories of when Ritz’s grandfather would give them to his grandmother…
In order to find that rare flower, we searched all over the field.
OO: “…we haven’t found any. I’m going to look further in.”
Ritz: “Yeah…”
OO: “…?”
Ritz: “…nothin’.”
Ritz looked at me and shook his head, then smiled in embarrassment.
Ritz: “Thanks a lot, for looking so hard for my grandma… I’ll look hard too, so we’ll definitely find it!”
OO: “…right! Let’s make your grandmother smile.”
…
……
In that way we searched until it was evening, until at last we found where the flowers bloomed.
Ritz: “Here it is!!”
The flowers were yellow with small petals, and they swayed gently in the wind.
OO: “I’m glad we found them.”
Ritz: “…”
Ritz looked at the flowers, unusually quiet.
(Ritz…?)
Ritz quietly squatted down and picked a single flower.
Then…
OO: “!”
He stood up and gently placed the flower in my hair.
OO: “Ritz…?”
The evening sun shone down on Ritz, and his expression was somehow very intense. It made my heart start to pound.
Ritz: “…when she was young, my grandma was like me. She had tons of lovers.”
OO: “Eh…?”
Ritz opened up, and his expression became kinder.
Ritz: “But then she met my grandpa…she says it was destiny that she met someone she could really love. Forever…even now, after he’d died, she says her memories of him still make her heart race.”
He affectionately stroked my hair, then drew his hand back.
OO: “That sounds wonderful…”
Ritz: “I never really understood that but…-“
He broke off his sentence there…
Ritz: “When you’re around…I think I kinda get it.”
He spoke so quietly it was almost like a whisper.
OO: “…”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just stood there starring at him…
Ritz: “Agh! What am I saying!?”
He scratched his head as if trying to gloss over what he’d said.
Ritz: “Come on, let’s hurry! It’s gonna get dark soon.”
OO: “R-right…”
And so we started picking flowers, but…
(My chest…)
I felt the start of a new, sweet feeling blossoming in my heart, but I couldn’t yet give it a name.
Ch. 8: A Mischievous Guy
The next day, it was Ritz’s grandmother’s birthday.
Ritz and I had called his grandmother to meet us in the courtyard…-.
Ritz: “Happy birthday Grandma!”
Crown Princess: “Oh my…! These flowers…”
Ritz gently placed a circlet of purple flowers atop her white hair.
Then, tears sprung up in her eyes, the same color as Ritz’s.
Crown Princess: “How nostalgic…I remember even now. He would give me flowers like this too… I haven’t seen them around lately, it must have been so difficult to find them.”
Ritz: “Only kinda! But OO looked for ’em with me.”
He turned his attention to me and said my name.
His cheeks were faintly red…
Crown Princess: “You did…? I see…haha.”
She looked at me as I stood near Ritz, and smiled in delight.
Then she turned her gaze back to Ritz…
Crown Princess: “I see…my little Ritz has… so do you truly know what love is?”
Ritz: “Grandma?”
OO: “…!”
Ritz and I exchanged glances.
Ritz: “…”
OO: “…”
I felt my cheeks blush red at his grandmother’s words.
As we looked at each other, Ritz appeared puzzled when…
Ritz turned back to his grandmother and smiled, seemingly unconcerned.
Ritz: “Geez Grandma! What’re you saying? I’ve been in love tons of times!”
OO: “Th-that’s right.”
We went back and forth like that, but my heart was pounding.
And so Ritz’s grandmother’s birthday celebration was a success.
…
……
Eventually, his grandmother returned to her room, and the two of us went back inside the castle.
But in that time we had unexpectedly been left alone…
Ritz: “…”
OO: “…”
(…this is a problem; it’s been like this ever since…)
In the awkward silence, my heart only beat faster.
(What should I do…saying something like that…Things are now strangely tense…)
I felt my body tense…
Ritz: “Ah~~ I haven’t been thinkin’ about it too hard, and I still have no idea but!”
OO: “Eh…!?”
He suddenly raised his voice, then pulled me into an embrace.
Somehow I composed myself enough to look up at him while still in his arms…
Ritz: “Hey, how ’bout a kiss?”
OO: “Huh? Um, I…huh??”
We were so close I could feel his breath, and my heart sped up to full throttle in an instant.
Ritz: “Just a little…is ok, right? I’m…it’s weird, I don’t feel like this when I’m with other girls. But if it’s you, for some reason, my heart starts pounding…”
OO: “R…Ritz?”
At the suddenness of everything, I couldn’t look anywhere except Ritz’s face.
Then…
Ritz: “…man, what am I gonna do with you?”
OO: “Ah…”
I realized I could feel his breathing closer than before, and something soft touched my cheek.
It was Ritz’s lips…
It wasn’t like a light kiss on the forehead, and it wasn’t gentle either…it was a passionate kiss…
Ritz: “Love is really irritating huh.”
He smiled mischievously, and I felt my cheeks heat up even more.
Ritz: “Right now, I can do this much…but brace yourself for the next time. Also I want you to say my name.
OO: “Y-your name…Ritz…?”
My lips trembled with nervousness as I said his name.
Ritz: “Right, OO.”
He kissed my cheek again, and smiled in satisfaction.
Standing there like that, I was wrapped in a tender embrace.
END