Two petals

The dark moon-lit road of the city was very unfamiliar to Nicholas. He had been in Japan for two months now. Yet he has never been outside Kanna's home at night, "What kind of first-born am I?" Nicholas felt alone and helpless, his family, miles away. Unlike Kanna, Nicholas doesn't see Kanna as a friend, he takes care of Kanna because she takes care of his financial reasons.

After going home from work, Kanna was really getting worried, "Where is he?" She asked herself, "It's already seven-thirty, what's he doing?" Kanna's worries died down when she could hear the door opening, "Nicholas?" Kanna set her eyes on Nicholas. But instead of his awkward yet welcoming aura, Nicholas' aura was negative, like he just had a bad day at work. This instantly stood out in Kanna's eyes, "W-where did you go?" She asked, Nicholas didn't look angry.

"Oh, I just… I feel sick, Kanna." Kanna knew Nicholas was trying to hide something from her.

"Okay, go to our room, I'll make you soup."

"No need." Now Kanna was more than worried, this was because normally, Nicholas would want her to make food for him, in which he would teach her how to actually do it. But this time Nicholas was cold. Kanna felt like he was going through something she was involved with.

"Are you okay Nicholas? this is not like you." Kanna expected either Nicholas to reply with, "I'm okay" or "Don't worry about me" but what Nicholas replied with, shook Kanna to her bones.

"You don't know me Kinryuu, go back to your life, cause you'll never know what I feel."

"You'll never know what I feel."

"You'll never know what I feel."

"You'll never know what I feel."

Fourteen years ago...

Kanna's eyes were pointed at her shoes, her sights being blurred by her own tears, "I'm s-s-sorry, I j-just wanted to p-play with Shi-Shinra." A broom suddenly hit beside her, making her stop in fear.

"You are Kanna Kinryuu, playing will get you nowhere in life, those children are not as special as you Kinryuu. I swear I expected a lot from you young lady," roared out Kanna's mother, Kyouka Kinryuu.

Kanna was sobbing, she was in fear, her mother's eyes pointing at her like a surveillance camera.

"Go, study, you're going to be at the top of the school again, no buts."

"Y-yes mother," Kanna replied, walking away from her mother.

Eight years later…

"Mother always told me I was better than everyone else," Kanna said to herself. She was walking down her school's hallway, her other classmates were looking at her with disgust.

"Look at her, she thinks she's better than everyone else."

"Just because she's the student council president."

"I just wanna teach her a lesson."

But to Kanna, these were just jealous people who don't have as much talent as her… Well, except for one, "NAMOKO!!" she set her sights on a certain blonde boy. Rashirana Namoko, someone who treats Kanna in a way she is very unfamiliar with.

"Oh damn." But, it is this Rashirana that changed her perspective forever. Rashirana had not only shown Kanna her own struggles that she tried to hide from herself, but he also showed Kanna care and love that she couldn't see from her parents.

Present…

"What do you mean I can never understand what you feel?" Kanna replied, her voice being threatening and sharp, "Do you know how I feel with you suddenly barging into my life with no warnings?" Kanna wasn't thinking of what the other person felt, she just wanted to let it all out.

"Tsk, if it wasn't your money, I would've never accepted this," Nicholas replied, his voice matching that of Kanna's fierceness. But then Nicholas realized how rude that was, "S-sorry I didn't reali-"

"Oh, that's why you were playing nice with me? Money eh? It's always money with people like you. I bet you weren't even thankful when I gave my own time to teach you Japanese. What a husband you turned out to be." Kanna had a vicious tone to her voice, but she was also shaking.

Nicholas was initially going to apologize, but something within him triggered when Kanna said "People like you" his hands turned into a fist like he was trying his best to contain himself, "You say that even though you yourself have that Rashirana Namoko." While saying Rashirana's name, Kanna slapped Nicholas.

"Don't you dare say his name, if there was a choice to either go to hell with him or go to heaven with you, I would choose him every single day of the week," Kanna exclaimed while going upstairs.

Nicholas just stood in the living room, his whole body shaking. Tears flowed from the twenty-four-year-old's face, "What kind of person am I?" he said to himself.

Fourteen years ago…

It was early in the morning, Nicholas and his family were sleeping in a small room, "Hey, Nico, wake up," a voice called out to the young Nicholas.

"Father, I'm still sleeping."

"Oh? So you don't wanna help your papa with making hotdogs?" At this question, Nicholas instantly stood up, his eyes wide open, Nicholas looked at his father's messy hair and overall unhealthy appearance.

"You bought hotdogs!" whispered the young Nicholas.

"Yeah I did, c'mon let's make some for everyone."

Nicholas' father, Asyong Gabi, a man who has five jobs. He and his brother-in-law have been helping their family for financial reasons, "Alright, ten are done," said the joyful Asyong.

"Father," Nicholas called out, Asyong looked at his son, "Why do you and uncle always wake me when you need me, why not the others?"

By his son's question, Asyong gave a smile, he finished up the hotdogs and knelt to his son, "Well, it's the responsibility of the first-born to take care of the family when the father is absent," said Asyong, "The first-born is like another father, without kids, don't have kids when you're still young okay?"

"Okay."

"But yea-" Before Asyong could finish his sentence, he threw up blood. Nicholas quickly got some medicine from a box and gave it to his father with water.

"Drink Father."

"T-thanks Nicholas," Asyong said, his smile contrasting that of the child's worried gaze.

"Father, take a break okay."

"There is no time for papa to take breaks. Anyway, let's wake up everyone, okay?" The young Nicholas was very worried, Asyong saw how his son was feeling, he embraced his son, "It's okay Nicholas, it's okay."

Present…

Nicholas sat at the table, his head going everywhere, "Why am I so… why am I so… so…" Nicholas' pain turned into rage as he gripped his hand so hard, it bled due to his nails. But as fast as his pain turned into rage, his rage turned into grief. Tears flowed from the bewildered man's face, "What have I gotten myself into?" Suddenly, Nicholas' phone rang. When his eyes read the name of the person, he quickly changed. He answered the phone, his eyes being that of slight joy, but mostly pain, "Hello ma."

"Nico! It's been months since you left to go to Japan, how are you there? Are you eating healthy? Is mister Kinryuu paying you nicely? Do you already have a girlfriend?" A female voice called from behind the phone.

"WHAT? NICOLINO HAS A GIRLFRIEND?!?!?" Another voice was heard behind the phone.

Nicholas almost laughed at the questions, "To ask your questions, I'm alright. Yes, I have. Yes, I'll send the cash next week. And no. Also, grandpa be sure not to spend all my money on liver, it always gets rotten and no one eats it." Nicholas was happy, but he couldn't stand to talk with his family, his guilt was consuming him, "Ma, I gotta go, I need to go back to my job."

"Ah, okay sorry, I'll call you back tomorrow at the same time?"

"Yeah."

"Okay… Nicholas, I'm so proud of you, everyone in the family is very grateful for what you're doing," his mother sincerely said behind the phone, "Just make sure you prioritize your happiness and health instead of the money, okay?"

Nicholas, with tears flowing from his eyes, replied, "Y-yes mama."