I have a childhood friend’s name nakajima michio. He’s cheerful, playful, naughty, and rebellious childhood friend. He can be so annoying when he wants to. Not to mention that sometimes he really wants to pick up a fight with me. To be honest, I love him. But I already have fiancé. And my fiancé is the grandson of the school organizer, fujii shuuta. He’s way too cold and can’t even understand my feelings as a girl. All he thinks is only about himself. I understand that he’s busy because he has to help his grandpa to do some of the school’s file. But at least, he must has some time for me, his fiancé. And one more information. Michio is my fiancé’s best friend.

“MIO, HURRY UP!!! WE HAVE TO GO NOW.” I shout right in front of his room. His parents went abroad which make him stay in my house. Hahaha. Mio is the nickname that I make for him since we’re child. Cute right? Even if he’s so annoying, I admit that he’s handsome and clever. We never separated since we’re child. Wherever there’s me, than there will be michio beside me. Some people that don’t know about us might think that we’re lover. But that’s wrong. We’re only childhood friend.

After around 30 minutes standing right in front of his room, I finally hear a click sound from the door. “geez, no need to shout in the morning. This is your house not a forest. Beside you have to be patient with me. No need to rush.” He said with his low voice. My heart skip a beat when I hear his voice. ‘y.’ I said in my heart. I just give him an annoyed look as he lock the door.

“I don’t want to come late to school and you just say no need to rush? How can I be patient if the bell already ring in the next 15 minutes?” I try not to let out all of my thought because he can answer all of my thought without letting out any emotion in the morning.

“is it that important to keep your image as the president of student council? Or you want to come early just because of your FIANCE?” he ask fiercely. I never think that he could say something like that to me. I could sense rage, hatred, and jealousy in his tone. Even if he’s annoying to me, he never mad at me like that. This is the first time I saw him mad and it really hurts my heart.

“I-I I j-ju-“

“forget it.” he said while passing me and hit my shoulder which make me stumbled a few step behind. Is he that mad with me? What is wrong by coming to school earlier? Without realizing, my tears pour down. I don’t want him to get punishment anymore, but why can’t he understand it? This is for his own good.

I decided to go to school before I’m late. After I greet mom, I excuse myself to go to school. I decided to have a walk for today. That’s the best way for me to calm my mind. Beside, my house and my school aren’t that far. So around 5 minutes I can arrive to school. But if I go to school with michio, 5 minutes doesn’t enough. Usually, it would be 10 or 15 minutes so that we can arrive to school. Huft. Just by thinking about him, my heart start to pain again.

Around 5 minutes, I already arrive to school. Many students greet me as soon as I walk in the corridor toward my class. I return their greeting with a forced smile. I’m not in the mood to talk with someone. When I enter my class, every students look at me with a weird expression. More to be like frighten. “what is it?” I ask them. They just look at each other while giving ‘should we tell her?’ face. “niichan is searching for you in school’s camellia flower garden, rei-chan.” Someone said from behind. I turn my back and look at the person. “Karen.” Fujii Karen, she’s shuuta’s little sister. I exhaled my breath harshly. Karen knows that I don’t love shuuta. But she knows that I become shuuta’s fiancé because of our parent’s deal. “I’m so sorry, rei-chan. I know that you don’t want this to happen.” She said to me. Well, she’s the only person that know about my feelings and the only person that can understand me.

I shake my head. I give her a weak smile. “don’t worry about me. I can handle it by myself.” I said to her. She only nods and let me search for shuuta in school’s camellia flower garden. I just has a problem with michio and now I have to face shuuta in this kind of condition. Why I have to be this unfortunate today? School’s garden is my favorite place with michio and shuuta. We often spend our spare time here together. “what is it? I don’t have many time just for talking with you.” I said flatly to him. I already feel tired with all of this. This engagement, this feelings, and all of this act.

“stay away from michio.” He said in a flat tone.

“stay away from michio you said? That should be the same for you. Stay away from alice then.” I said to him. Wakabayashi Alice. My classmate.

“you don’t have any right to command me around.” He said again, which really make all the rage that already piled up since earlier flow.

“if I don’t have any right to command you around, that goes the same to you.” I said and leave him alone in camellia flower garden.

In this school there’s around 4 or 5 flower garden. The first one is the camellia flower garden. Second is chrysanthemum flower garden. Third is bluebell flower garden. Fourth is forget-me-not flower garden. And the last is peony, lavender, and violet flower garden. My favorite garden is bluebell and the mixed flower garden that contain peony, lavender, and violet. The aroma of flower really calm my mind. I don’t know why but today I really feel tired. Even though it still 5 minutes passing after I arrive to school. I’ll just skip today’s lessons. Let them make that I’m not a good student council. I don’t care anymore. I just want to calm my mind down.

I went to the mixed flower garden. The aroma of three flower enter my nose immediately. The smell is so nice. I lay my body on the grass next to the flower. This the best place for me to have my ‘me’ time. I close my eyes and let the wind caresses my face and take me to a deep slumber that will lead me to a dreamland.

Uhm. I just open my eyes from my deep slumber. I close my eyes and try to stretch my body. Uhm? But I feel like I can’t move my body. Wait a second. I widened my eyes. I could feel someone’s hand on my waist. I open my eyes to see who the owner of this hand is. I smile when I know that this is michio’s hands. I lean my head on his chest. And I could feel his hands pull me closer to him. “I’m sorry for this morning, mio.” I whisper so that he won’t hear it and won’t wake up from his sleep.

I lean my head more closely to his chest and close my eyes again. Enjoying the warmth of his body and his scent that similar with the flower here. “ugh, agh, urgh.” I could hear his voice. I guess he’s waking up now. He open his eyes slowly. Looking at his face in this kind of distance is quite something. I could feel my stomach are tickled by something. “mio.” I called. “hm?” he hummed. I still close my eyes. And I could feel his fingers comb my hair. “why’re you here?” I ask slowly. Enjoying his touch on my hair.

“I just walking around the school when I found you sleeping peacefully in this place.” He said without stopping the caress on my head. I opened my eyes slowly. “let’s go back to class.” I said to him. He still holding me in his hand. He really knows the trick to make me calm beside him. It’s been a while since we spend time together like this. And it is also been a while since the last time he hugs me like this. He breaks the hug slowly. I remove my head from his chest and sit. He also does the same thing with me. “aki-niisan is searching for you earlier.” he said. I knit my eyebrow. “you sure?” I ask again to confirm the question. Aki-niichan is my brother that work here along with my sister-in-law and my oldest brother, erii-niichan, aya. He nods. If niichan want to meet me, it means that there’s something important that he want to talk about.

I stand up from my siting spot. I wait for michio to do the same with me. After 5 seconds, finally he stand. We walk toward the teacher’s office I knock the door and enter the office. I went to my brother’s table directly. “what is it, niichan?” I ask. Niichan look at me with glasses on his nose. “I want you to participate the music competition in Yokohama with shuuta-kun.” He said suddenly. What the heck? I look at mio beside me. I shakes my head. “no, I don’t want to join it.” I refused. I look at mio beside me. He’s diverting his gaze toward another direction. I sigh. This is way too hurt when I see him like this.

“I want to talk with you, niichan. After school, in usual’s café.” I said to niichan. He just exhaled his breath harshly. And I could see he’s taking off his glasses. He nods after that. I grab michio’s hand and we go back to our class. I know that he’s mad. I also don’t want to join that competition. Moreover, I have to join that competition with shuuta. Urgh. I don’t like being too close with him. It’s a burden. “you’re joining that competition, aren’t you?” he ask slowly. There’s an unwillingness that I can sense in his tone. “you know that aki-niichan can be so persistent right? There’s a possibility that he’s going to make me join that competition.” I answer him. But then, there’s an idea popped out in my mind.

“how about this. I join the competition with shuuta as the one that play piano and you as the dancer?” I ask. Michio is known with his dance. He’s good on expressing his feelings when dancing. I could feel that he’s thinking about that offer. I know that shuuta doesn’t like me being close with michio. But what could I do? My heart is only for mio, not for him. Beside, why would he care? He already has Alice with him. Today, I have to speak with my brother with my relation with shuuta. I have to force him to cancel this engagement. This engagement is making me hurt. This engagement also make michio change. He’s not that cheerful anymore. But still naughty and playful. Always skip classes. Especially aki-niichan and aya-neechan’s class. “I can’t promise that I’ll join you in that competition. But I want to watch over you in that competition.” He said slowly which make me smile. “deal.” I said to him.

We arrive at class. I’m trying to remember whose class that I’m going to attend. “it’s erii-niisan’s class.” he said. Okay. No problem. It just erii-niichan’s class. He won’t tell it to mom. Not like aki-niichan. I knock the door thrice. And got the permission to enter the class. “rei-chan, mio-kun, so rare to see you two come late together.” He said while smirking. I just give him my smile and peace sign on my finger. He just shook his head. “anyway, please have your seat. I’m going to continue our lesson.” Erii-niichan said. I walk toward my seat with michio because he’s my seatmate. Nice right? Childhood friend in the same school, in the same class, and in the same seat. This is so nice. I can spend more time with him actually.

But one thing I need to be honest from he is, he doesn’t like shuuta being too closed with me. I also don’t like him being close with me. So what should I do? Not to mention that when I enter the class earlier, shuuta look at me and mio with his eagle eyes. Huft. Mio and I are childhood friend. So it doesn’t matter if I grab his hand and held it when we enter our class right. I take out my book and start to write the materials on the blackboard. The moment I start to write, the bell rung. I smile slightly, when I found mio sleep on his desk. Geez, this boy always like that. He knows that erii-niichan can’t angry with me or him, that’s why he use that advantage to get a better sleep on erii-niichan’s class. I look around. Why there’s a lot of student out from the classroom? I turn to take a better look on the clock. 10.15. It still 10.15, but why they got out? Wait a second. It’s already 10.15?!! I sleep more than 2 hours? Mio, why you didn’t wake me up earlier. Urgh. Damn it. It’s hurt to say but mio, I hate you so much.

“michio, wake up. We have to eat our breakfast.” I said while shaking his body. But he doesn’t even move. Seriously? He’s a fast sleeper. I forget it. Okay. Let’s just ignore him and eat my breakfast. This boy already make me miss my breakfast. Seriously. Mio I really hate you so much.

“reina, we need to talk.” Oh come on. I just speak with him earlier. And because of him, I lost my time to eat my breakfast that aki-niichan make.

“sorry, but I’m going to skip. I haven’t got my breakfast because of you.” I said rejecting his offer to talk with him.

“this is urgent. About our relation.” He said with his flat tone. I just ignore him and keep on spooning the food to my mouth. The dishes that aki-niichan make is the best in this world.

“why can’t you be mo-“

“could you be more quieter, shuu? Your voice is ruining my peaceful nap.” Mio said to shuuta with his eyes still closed. I could feel shuuta’s cold aura spreading around us.

“stay away from my business, michio.” He said to mio.

“everything that related to reina is my business. So I hope you can understand it, Mr. Fujii shuuta.” Mio said after jerking his head and shot a dangerous glare to shuuta. Oh come on. Don’t fight here. If you want to let out aura, I’ll let it out for you guys later. But please let me eat peacefully. But a moment later, I could feel that shuuta’s aura disappearing. It means that he’s not here anymore right? I exhaled my breath harshly. But keep on spooning my food to my mouth.

Mio already continue his nap without eating his breakfast. I just realized that he’s so care toward me. I slightly smile looking at his peaceful sleeping face. No burden, just like a child. I know the reason why every girls are crazy for being michio’s girlfriend. He has that charm. Care for the person that he cherished. But I know I don’t have any chance to be with him anymore. I don’t have any right to stay close with him. Because most of my freedom doesn’t belong to me anymore. My freedoms only belong to him, my fiancé, fujii shuuta. If only I can, I want mio only belongs to me.

I st