Yami No Matsuei Fan Fiction ❯ Smiling ❯ The First Smile ( Chapter 1 )

I'm not sure about this one...I mean, I don't even like Tsubaki much, why am I writing about her? ::sigh:: Anyway...

Disclaimer: I don't even want to own Tsubaki-hime. The rest of Yami no Matsuei is on my wish list, though...

------Smiling------

"Buy a flower, miss?"

The voice was cheerful, a bright sound against the dull clamor of the city street. I turned and came face-to-face with the speaker. She was slightly older than I, or at least a bit taller. Brown hair was held loosely out of dark eyes. She was smiling, holding out a basket of blossoms.

"I'm sorry..." I murmured. "I don't have any money."

"Oh."

I turned back and was about to follow in the direction that my father was moving before he could notice that I was lagging behind.

"Wait!" The girl called to me. "What's your name? I'm Irene."

"My name is Tsubaki."

Irene looked pleasantly surprised. Gently, she picked through the flowers in her basket, removing one red blossom.

"I'll give you a tsubaki, then!"*

I stared at the camellia in her hand. "But I can't pay...."

"No charge. I don't want anything."

"I'd feel bad taking it without giving you anything..."

Her smile slipped for a moment, but then she brightened once again. "Will you be my friend?"

I blinked.

"It's all right for friends to give each other gifts, isn't it?" She offered the flower again.

Slowly, I smiled. I reached out, accepting both the camellia and her friendship.

"Tsubaki-chan!" My father seemed to have noticed that I was no longer following him.

I stepped away from Irene, about to hurry after my father, but something made me turn back. "I'm Kakyouin Tsubaki," I said. "Don't forget."

She shook her head. "I won't."

I waved goodbye to her and ran to my father. As he led me away, I looked behind me. Irene was standing where I'd left her, waving, her face happy.

I smiled back and waved again as the crowd swallowed her up. A sudden sadness struck me. This was my first friend, though I'd only known her a few minutes.

I had no doubt that I would never see her again.

---To be continued.

Maybe. Only if enough people tell me that it isn't awful. Of course, if you do think it's awful, feel free to tell me so. It's not like I sacrificed my Humanities homework to do this...oh, wait...it is...But this was more fun, anyway.

Oh yeah: *Tsubaki means camellia, in case you didn't know. That's what those flowers Tsubaki always wears are.

~Ambika-san