Efflorescence

Chapter 1 Dream of Flower Seed

“Please don’t go there!!”

He can hear someone’s voice calling out to him, make he turns his head to the voice and found a shocking view. He can see many lifeless bodies lying around on the rocky ground, covered blood with a sword stabbed on several bodies. He should be shocked and running from that scary scene, but he can’t move his body. Rather than being terrified, he’s feel hurt, sad, try to strengthen his heart, believes that feeling will end in no time. Before his mind remember and understand what he must do, his body reflexed to do something without him realizing it. His feet know where he’ll go then let it bring him to that destination. With his footsteps begin to walk faster, he turns his head to the front and want to know where is he want to go.

“Please!!”

Once again, he can hear someone’s voice calling him again and it becomes closer. He can hear that was a man's voice. He’s not sure that was someone calling him because he didn’t see anyone alive anymore. He tries to make sure once again about that voice then he turns around his head one more time. He can see, there was one armored man among the lifeless body, crawling on the ground helplessly trying to approach him with the last power he had. That man dying with blood flowing from his forehead, bruise on his face and severe injury on his body. He can’t see that person’s face because he’s covered with dirt and blood, but he’s sure he didn’t know that man before. But, that man calling him, call him with an unknown name as he knew him very well for a long time.

He didn’t know that man, but why his heart feels hurt? He want to help him, want to approach him and grab his hand. But his heart refuses it and tells him to ignore that man although it’s hurt. He must keep forward. His mind tell it was the last chance for him to save that man and everyone. But, who’s them? Why does he feel to help many people although he didn’t know them?

He just grips his fist, strengthens his heart and keep walking, leaving that hopeless man that still calling him with an unknown name. He walks faster so that man can’t follow him anymore, let him alone go to where he wants to go. His feet keep bringing him through the uphill with a rocky road without knowing the destination. Although he just can look at the darkness in front of him, he still walking and was sure there was the destination ahead. Suddenly he can hear that man’s voice call him again but it was a different word.

“Watch out!!”

Panicked with a warning tone from that man, he turned his head back, trying to find something will happen to him from the voice source but he found nothing. Then it was in front of him, he can see an armored person without a face bringing the sword appear. He didn’t have much time to turn his head around and evade that person. He was stabbed in the heart. He’s surprised when he feels a foreign object penetrate into his body. It’s cold, slightly painful, make him stunned. Then everything becomes dark.

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Rise quickly open his eyes with a cold feeling around his neck, still didn’t fully awake make he can’t tell the difference between reality and dream. His heart pounding so fast on this early morning. The sweat flowing from his head, wetting his forehead. Anxiety surrounds him for a while because that dream feels too real. Hurt and sadness feeling still linger in his heart. Unconsciously, he touches his left chest, make sure that place is not stabbed by anything.  He still can feel the cold from iron penetrating his heart in his dream. It’s too real and makes he didn’t believe he’s still alive now.

A few minutes after he wakes up, he still lay on the bed. Staring at the white ceiling above his room until he’s fully awake to realize all that happen to him was a dream. But it was a strange dream. He knows he ever dreamed about the same dream a few times recently. It was the same dream about that scary scenery, lifeless body covered with blood, that unknown man and always ended with he stabbed in the heart, then he wakes up with an anxious feeling. Usually, people will tell it as a nightmare that they really scare and always want to wake up quickly. But Rise didn’t feel scary although he’s anxious. It’s a mixed feeling that he can’t tell he was scared or sad.

He decided to get up from the bed then sit there, looking around his room that faintly filled with sunlight from the window –beside of his left side bed. That window covered with a grey-thick curtain, but still let the light enter the room, gave a refreshing vibe on the morning.

Rise tries to remember the dream that he had. But every time he’s fully awake, he can’t remember anything from that dream. He just feels he often get the same dream, but he didn’t know what happen to that dream. He wiped his face to remove his sleepiness then he stretches his body, pulls his hand above his head then yawning.

‘The same dream again, huh? I think I just too much watch a movie on TV.’ Said him on his mind.

He opens the curtain widely, letting more sunlight enter and warming his room. When he opens the curtain, the sunlight is very bright. He’s dazzled and Rise narrowing his eyes. He rubbed his sore eyes then slowly open them again, trying to see what’s outside. After his eyes can see clearly, he can see the view he used to see every day from the window, but that never makes him bored.

His bedroom is located at the back part of the house –next to the backyard, that’s very well maintained with many flowers growing beautifully. That view is very refreshing and warms the heart who sees that. The flowers outside look fresh with water dripping from its petals, showing it just watered this morning. There are flowers neatly arranged in one basket, some flowers still half-bloom on its bush and other flowers lined up on the long-square planter. Many kinds of flowers planted, but most of them was a rose with many colors.

‘Looks like Yamato – san already watering them this early morning.’ he thought.

He knows that very well because his relative always does that thing every morning before he cooks the breakfast for them. Yamato always wakes in the early morning to do his routine every day to water the flowers, then cook and prepare himself to open his shop.

##

Rise has been living with his relative, Yamato, for 5 years since he was in his first year of high school. That time, Rise in the early semester of high school, he had a very bad accident that takes his parents from his life. He was very desperate when he get the news, about his parents was a victim of the plane accident after they went to work overseas and will never come back anymore. He can’t cry, he doesn’t believe it and he can’t think straight that time until his parent’s family come to tell him what he didn’t want to hear. The fact that’s happening.

Rise locks himself in the room before the funeral ceremony, didn’t want to meet someone or do something. He just wants to be alone all time. When the funeral ceremony was held, he finally came out from his room and attended the ceremony reluctantly. He just sitting beside the altar with a blank gaze, but he tries to strengthen his heart, face the truth about his parents. He stared at his parents' photos on the altar –that decorated with white carnation flowers on the clear vase and placed beside each photo, and behind that photos, there was a small box, filled with the ash of his parents. Many people attending that ceremony, gave their last respect.

Rise saw the world with a different view since that accident. His world becomes grey and empty. When he’s in school, he didn’t talk so much, make he didn’t have many friends at that time. He decides to live alone and refuses to live with his parents’ family because he won’t be a burden for them. Until one day someone come to his house, a handsome young man with a gentle face and soft smile, tell himself as his mother’s distant relative from the nearest city. He just heard about Rise’s parents' death recently after a few months. His name is Yamato, the young florist that lives in another city alone. He invites Rise to live together with him because he’s worried if Rise lives alone.

At first, Rise refuses that offer and tells him that he won’t be a burden to his relative. But Yamato tells him that he wants him to help with the shop and he’ll pay him, so he can afford his life until he graduated although he has an inheritance from his late parents. Not like usual he’ll refuse it, Rise thinking about it and then he accept the offer as long he won’t be a burden for him.

A month after Yamato invite him, he moved to Yamato’s house, which was 3 hours far from his house by car and it was still near to the big city. Yamato’s house had a small flower shop in front of that house on the first floor. The flower shop was built with a large glass window for displaying a flower in front of the shop. A minimalist display rack and many flowers pot fill that place. That shop was neat and had a comfortable atmosphere for those who visited that shop. When Rise entered that shop for the first time, he was amazed at that place and he can’t believe that place is run by a single person. It must be very hard for him if he gets many customers one day.

“Since when you run this shop, Yamato – san?” Ask Rise, with his eyes still wandered around the shop.

He can see from Rise’s eyes that he is interested in his shop and it makes him happy to know that. “About 2 years ago.” Said Yamato then he helps Rise to move his goods. “I hope you’ll comfortable here.” Said  Yamato again.

“Um... Thank you for having me.” Said Rise with a blushing face then he nervously bow down to Yamato. He feels he was rude to look around at someone’s house like that.

“No need to hesitate. Tell me if you need everything.” Said Yamato with his gentle smile and he know Rise must be awkward for the first time here.

It was still awkward to talk with his new housemate even he was his relative because they never met. He didn’t know what to say to Yamato. But sometimes Rise can get a strange feeling like he always knows that person for a long time and quickly gets comfortable around him. He was a very good man that let him stay and let him work on his shop with pay.

Rise starts his new life in the new city, new school and new friends around him. He feels different after he met Yamato, although he’s still a quiet and absent-minded person. He can make a few friends from a new school. Until he graduated from high school, Yamato pays that expense for him and still let him stay with him, let him work there and still, he pays him. Yamato cared for him and always fulfill his need, that makes Rise feel troubling him. He tries to help him sometimes although Yamato always refuses it. Still he’ll insist to help him until Yamato can’t refuse it again. Now, it’s been 5 years since he lives with Yamato and helps him in his shop. He already feels that place as home and he’s happy to live with him.

##

After having nostalgia for a while, Rise stands from his bed then he makes his bed before he leaves the room. He changes his clothes and leaves the room, going to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash his face. Like usual every morning, when Rise opens his room door he always smells delicious food from the kitchen that Yamato cooks. Yamato always makes breakfast for himself and Rise every morning and his cooking was so good. He was very talented with everything, which makes Rise didn’t believe a perfect person exists. Rise never saw Yamato tired for his entire life when he lived there. He always had that perfect face and gentle smile on his face, making everything feels comfortable and nothing to worry about. Even he never saw Yamato get angry or pissed.

“Good morning, Rise.” Yamato greeted him.

Rise walks into the kitchen after he cleans himself, wanting to help Yamato with the cooking or something. As usual, he greeted Rise with his gentle smile and it always makes Rise skip his heartbeat. ‘He’s too perfect’ said him in his mind and didn’t believe there was a perfect man like Yamato.

“Good Morning. I’ll help you.” Said Rise then he walks to the sink and offers himself to wash the dish.

“It’s fine. I’ll wash it after cooks. You can sit there, Rise.” Said Yamato.

Rise insisted to help him then grabbed all of the dirty plates and bowls from cooking besides Yamato, brings them to the sink. He knows Yamato will refuse his help, but he still does it, didn’t want to be rejected by him. Before Yamato tries to say something, Rise already cut it with his word.

“I’ll help you. After this, I’ll serve the breakfast to the table.” Said Rise.

He becomes stubborn when it’s about helping Yamato and his ‘refusing’, already can be handled after 5 years lived together. Yamato still refuses it, but he won’t say anything anymore if Rise didn’t do anything dangerous that can injure himself. He didn’t know why Yamato was very protective of him since the first time they meet. It doesn’t mean he hates that, but he wants Yamato to believe in him too. Believe he can do anything to help him and didn’t do anything wrong. Then Yamato accepts his help.

After washing the dishes, Rise helps Yamato to serve the breakfast he made and bring it to the table. Today's breakfast was a french toast –a toasted thick bread that dipped to milk and cinnamon then added with syrup or eggs. That’s one of Rise’s favorite from Yamato’s cook. Yamato likes to cook western food, especially sweet food that was Rise’s favorite. Sometimes he’ll make a Berry cake that’s his favorite cook and surprisingly Rise likes it very much from the first time he tries it. Although he lived with eastern food, Rise like Yamato’s western food because it’s delicious and always satisfied his taste.

He brings two plates of french toast and put them on the table then he brings some drink for them too. He sits on the chair and waits for Yamato to sit with him before he started to eat. Before it, he pours some maple syrup on his toast and it’s pretty much more than a regular portion. He like sweet very much. Different from Rise’s toast, Yamato adds the eggs for his toast because he can’t take too many sweets for his taste.

Yamato leaves the kitchen, then sits across Rise and they started their breakfast.

“Thank you for the meal.” Said them together then they dig in.

Silence envelops the situation when they chew their food properly. Rise can feel his mouth full of delicious food until he’s speechless and just want to eat it with peace. while chewing, he stares at Yamato. Found he’s working on something with his notes. Yamato wrote something there that always he does every morning when breakfast. Rise knows that was a list of today's chores and the schedule of bouquet delivery. Looks like today will be a busy day too like always.

“What we’ll do today?” Ask Rise, want to discuss before they open the shop.

Yamato stops his write then he read the note. “Today at 10 o’clock I’ll go to the shop area to deliver flowers stock. Then I’ll send flowers for café grand opening on office area and I’ll go to a residential area to send 2 orders there.” Said Yamato, explaining his schedule for today that’s so busy but he always does it himself to go to place by place. He’s always back home at dinner time and sometimes cooks dinner for them. But Rise always does the cook for dinner time before Yamato back home. He won’t let Yamato overwork and be sick. Even he can’t cook like Yamato, he can still cook something simple or heat a leftover.

“Don’t overwork, Yamato – san.” Said Rise suddenly, while he still chewing his toast but he means it. He worries about Yamato who’s very busy every day and never had time to rest properly.

heard that, Yamato turn his gaze to Rise then he gave him a bright smile, “Thank you for your concern. You too, don’t sleep too late.” Said Yamato with a small laugh to Rise and make Rise blushing. He didn’t know Yamato knows about his habit to sleep at late night because he can’t sleep too early. It makes him always sleepy when he works at noon. He knows it’s a bad habit to sleep too late every night and he realizes that’s habit has become worse recently because of that dream. Every night before he closes his eyes, he always guessing if he’ll have the same dream again or not. He’s been thinking about it every time. It’s always the same story, same person and same view but it’s become more clear. But he can’t remember it very well after he wakes although he knows it was the same dream. What’s the meaning of that dream? Rise spacing out for a while then Yamato calls him a few time, make he surprised.

“Sorry for interrupting your daydream. I already done my breakfast and I’ll open the shop after I wash dishes.” Said Yamato.

“No... No, Yamato – san. I’ll do the washing.” Said Rise with a quick move, grab Yamato’s plate then he takes the last bite of his toast, then stacking it with another plate. “You can open the shop.” Said Rise again, insisting Yamato leave the house chores to him and let him focus on his shop.

As Rise said, Yamato leaves him to clean the table and wash dishes. He go to open the shop since it was already 9 o’clock. He walks to his shop that’s connected with the house living room through a white-wooden door beside the sofa. He opens that door and he can see his small flower shop still dark with faint sunlight entering the room through the windows blind. The flower's smell filled the room like always. He walked to the windows and door to open the blind. Sunlight filled that room brightly, making everything can be seen clearly. Today was a sunny day, perfect for him to do some deliveries.

Before he opens the shop glass door, he does some preparation. He grabbed his light blue apron –with the name of the shop on his left chest, Petals, with many pockets for the gardening tool from behind the cashier table then wear it. He fills the pockets of his apron with a small stem cutter, a pair of gloves and sometimes he put some flower seed in there. He didn’t know why he put some flower seed there unconsciously, but sometimes it was really useful when he had free time to do flower planting on the vase. It makes him feel pleased to plant new seeds and wonders how they’ll grow.

 He unlocks the glass door and flips the open board then does some cleaning –wiping the glass door and window, sweeping the shop entrance and around outside of his shop to give a clean impression for the customer. Petals was a small flower shop but it was pretty known by students and office workers, especially a girl and woman because they had a handsome florist. Yamato already opened that business for 7 years. So it’s not surprising if Petals become known by many people. Rise is pretty popular among a woman too because he had a cute face although he was a man. He gave them an impression as an innocent young man, always confused with everything and a little bit clumsy. Make them want to protect him from a bad thing.

After cleaning around the outside of a shop, Yamato enters the shop and finds Rise already there, behind the arranging table –that located beside the connecting wooden door, arranging a bouquet that’ll be picked by their customer this afternoon. Rise’s arranging skill is pretty good after a few years he learns it from Yamato. It makes him believe he can let Rise handle the bouquet arranging for most of their order.

“Yamato – san, I’ve already done with today’s order. Let me help you to prepare today's deliveries.” Said Rise, then he put the bouquet he finish and he’s ready to help Yamato.

“You don’t have to…” Yamato still didn’t finish his word, but he can look at Rise’s face starting to pout if he refuses his help anytime. It makes he didn’t feel ease, but he won’t let Rise do much work. “Fine... Can you help me to check today's deliveries for me.. please?” Ask Yamato, helplessly accept the offer and make Rise’s face show the happiness with sparkle eyes. He didn’t know why he want to help him badly. It makes Yamato scared if he overdoes something then makes him hurt himself or fatigued.

Yamato tells him to wrap some packages and help him to check today’s deliveries, then they bring them to the minivan for delivery. There were 5 bouquets, 2 standing flowers and some fresh flowers for other florist shops. It’s pretty many items inside the car and luckily Rise can arrange all the items, manage to fit all of the deliveries. After they prepare the deliveries, Yamato closes the car door and is ready to go.

“And that’s all. I’ll leave the shop to you, Rise.” Said Yamato, then he entered the driver seat of the car and turn on the car.

“Be careful.” Said Rise, then he just stared at the car move away from him. He sighed, didn’t sure he can handle shop for today very well. But he can’t let Yamato be disappointed by him, so he must do his best for today.

Rise walk entering the shop and he sits at the cashier table –near the glass door, waiting for a customer while he reads a book. He wonders what’ll happen today.

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            He’s limped, walking through the forest of the tall trees with hard steps. He started difficult to breathe although he already tried to breathe from his mouth. His throat feels choked and his chest pain. He’s wounded all over his body, but luckily he’s still alive. He didn’t know how long he’ll survive. Didn’t know how long time had already passed or how far he go. He keeps walking without knowing the destination. His mind was already numb, starting to stare blankly to nowhere like the undead.

            Before it happen, he was still with his troops on the camp to rest after the last battle on war. He lost many troops and himself was severely injured. But he can’t let himself down since he’s a leader and now he didn’t have many peoples to fight anymore. They must retreat to save their own life. It’s a war zone, where everything was far from peace. They only know to kill or be killed by the enemy although they still want to survive.

They have no time to run before the enemy found their camp and hunted them. They quickly leave the camp, run to the nearest forest to hide until it’s safer to run. But they can’t stick together and separate on their escape. The leader can’t find any of his troops, decided to hide until enemy can’t find him then he’ll search for his peoples. Suddenly he was founded by the enemy –an armored man with a long sword, attacking him without hesitation. He try to evade that attack, but he was scratched on his left arm. He winced from the hurt, but he still stand to fight back. He takes his sword and fights back with his remaining power. The armored man swings his sword once again and that man defends himself from that attack with his sword.

He use his last power to throw the enemy’s sword then swing his sword to slice the armor on the chest. That attack cut the enemy’s armor and the blood poured from inside the armor. The armored man fell, lost to that man in no time. Although it was a quick fight, it take most of his energy. He even can’t lift his sword anymore. That man throw his sword and his knee fell to the ground. He’s panting and suddenly feels hurt on the right side of his body. His wound on his stomach that covered with a bandage, opened again. The blood seeps into the bandage, coloring the white bandage with red color.

He leans his body to the tree, tries to rest for a while before he can walk again. But suddenly he can hear footsteps from behind. He peeked a bit from the tree and he can see an enemy from far. Before he’s found again, he must run now. He runs before he’s being found while he grabs his wound to stop the bleeding.

Now he’s alone without his sword and his troops. Dying from bleeding and fatigue. Suddenly he tripped by a root then lost his balance. He falls helplessly with his face down to the ground. He makes a groaning voice because his body feels hurt when he fell. He tries to stand again, but he can’t. His body can’t handle the pain anymore and he feels weak. He’s panting, trying to move his body at least he can turn his body up to get more oxygen. After he can turn his body, he catches much oxygen as he can. But too much oxygen entering his body at the same time make him cough. It’s hurt. It was the first time he feel dying. His breathing becomes weaker. His eyelids feel heavy although he wants to keep them open. He stared at the sky that was covered with trees’ leaves. It’s grey. He didn’t know it’s a grey sky or his view was already blurry, but everything lost its color.

“What a poor thing…”

Suddenly he can hear someone’s voice near him. He can’t hear it clearly but it was a human voice. That person's voice is like talking with a smile on the face, with a mocking tone.

“You’re one of them, right? They who’s lost their light.” Said that voice again but it farther.

That man can’t reply with any words. One thing he does right now is to keep his eyes open. He even can’t move his mouth to ask who’s there. But one word he can hear very clear is about ‘Lost’. Yes, he’s lost something from his life. Something who always he protected all the time. That person is taken away from him in front of him.

“You want to meet that person again?” Ask that voice.

That question makes him confused about the meaning of all of this. Is he going to die now to meet that person? Although he didn’t care about his life anymore, he still have hope to meet that person.

“I can take you there.” Suddenly that voice becomes louder while he can hear someone’s step beside him. That person standing beside him, but he can’t see that person’s face.

Before that man agrees with that offer, suddenly the person saw anything from far and he must quickly do something.

“Oh, They’re here! You must go now.” Said that person and suddenly that man can feel his body being absorbed by a wind. The last thing he can see before he close his eyes was a white light and he entered that light. “You don’t have to pay it since I was a nice traveler.” Said that person again with a smile on his face. That was the last thing he heard then everything become dark and empty.