Chapter 13: Falling Apart 

Rei vanished. She didn't answer Shiori's calls, didn't reply to messages, and even avoided the café where they usually shared coffee. Shiori, consumed by guilt and worry, felt like the vibrant colors draining from her life, leaving behind a bleak landscape of gray uncertainty. 

Days turned into sleepless nights. Shiori wandered through the shop, mechanically arranging flowers, unable to focus on anything but finding Rei. She replayed the scene from that afternoon, replaying Rei's hurt expression, the choked-back tears, the silent accusation in her eyes. 

Her usually meticulous arrangements seemed haphazard, reflecting the turmoil inside her. Every customer's smile felt like a painful reminder of her happiness, happiness now tainted by a fear that coiled tight in her stomach. Had she pushed Rei away forever? 

Desperate, Shiori sought solace in the familiar routines, tending her garden, losing herself in the scent of lavender and chamomile, hoping for guidance from the whisper of the wind. 

She visited Rei's rented cottage, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm. The door, usually welcoming, stood closed. Shiori traced the worn pattern on the paint, remembering their shared laughter echoing within those walls. 

A single fallen marigold petal lay on the porch, reminding Shiori of Rei's favorite flower. 

Her throat tightened. Was this farewell? Had she lost Rei without even knowing how? 

Shiori stumbled back, her knees weak, tears blurring her vision. A wave of nausea washed over her, leaving behind a hollow emptiness. 

"I ruined everything," she whispered, clutching the petal in her trembling hands. 

She retreated into the shop, closing the door behind her. 

With trembling hands, she arranged Rei's favorite flowers, filling a vase with vibrant orange petals. 

They seemed mocking, a symbol of a joy that felt utterly lost. 

Shiori sank onto the floor, the weight of loneliness crushing her. 

"Please, Rei, forgive me," she murmured, her voice choked with unshed tears. 

A single tear slid down her cheek, landing softly on the velvet petals. 

She clung to the fading hope that, somehow, this wasn't the end. 

Yet, fear gnawed at her, whispering the chilling truth. 

Had she lost everything?