12 Roses

1 | As They Always Do

It was 3:00pm, and the scent of blueberry muffins drifted from Koko's bakery, but no one dared to ask for any, because she always saved the freshest for Nanami.

Moments later, he arrived at the front door and entered, causing Koko's smile to widen as she handed him a small paper bag with two blueberry muffins in it, as well as his usual baguette.

"You know, you don't have to save two for me," he said to her, as he always does.

"But I want to!" she insisted back, as she always does.

Nanami sighed in defeat, paid, and sat in his usual spot, right in the corner of the store where the table is always clean, because no one ever sits there. The sun, no matter where it was in the sky, was always shining right there, but the window has a small gap where the breeze comes in. Always too hot, always too cold.

Nanami, however, who was always wearing these strangely shaped sunglasses and a suit that covered basically his whole body, never minded.

"Hey Koko!" Tsumiki greeted as she walked in, her school backpack still hanging from her shoulders, her best friend in tow.

"Good afternoon, you two," Koko signed.

You waved with the hand that Tsumiki didn't grip. Perhaps Nanami always came for the muffins first, but you and Tsumiki always came right after, always hand in hand, from the age of five to now, at sixteen years old.

Tsumiki slid two 100 yen coins across the counter and got two muffins in return. "And coffee for the sad looking man in the corner," you added.

Koko laughed and gave you a white mug filled with coffee.

You went up to Nanami's table and placed the mug on his table, slowly pushing it forward as if you were too short for the table still, as you always do.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome!"

You and Tsumiki looked at each other and laughed before leaving the bakery, as you always did.

A moment later, you'd see the black-patched cat hop off of the windowsill of Suguru's tattoo shop and begin pawing at your paper bag with two muffins, with whom Tsumiki always shared her muffin with.

Then the two of you would share your muffin on the bench under the second tree to the right of the third tea shop.

You'd wave to Mrs. Kirita, who would visit her husband's grave around that time. You'd offer your condolences and she'd shrug them off by saying, "That's what happens when you marry a man 14 years older than you."

Never comment on that, she's sensitive about it.

Nanako and Mimiko would run out of the tattoo shop. Nanako would show Tsumiki photos she took that day and Mimiko would show you her latest handmade stuffed animal. "That was a cool bug we found on the bridge near Nanami's work!"

Then the two of you would wave them goodbye and make your way back to either your house, also known as the town's flower shop, or Tsumiki's.

It was a simple life you led, always repeating in the exact same way, no matter the weather. Perhaps a pigeon would be in a different spot, or the door of a shop you passed would be slightly ajar, but it was always the same.

Not that you were complaining.

"Nanako is definitely going to be photographers," Tsumiki told you. "Her pictures have always been so cute! Right?"

You nodded, finishing the last of the muffin before tossing the paper into a nearby garbage can. "There's an art school nearby that Suguru can probably afford. It has a sewing program and photography program."