Blood and Shibazakura Blossoms

A few years ago.

Spring’s chilled air was finally giving way to warmth. Sapporo’s long, frigid winter was slowly thawing, as feet of snow melted and made space for the upcoming blooms. Hints of warmth floated in the pearlescent April sky as the two of them made their way down the path.

Steady footsteps had long trampled a trail for them to follow. This part was flat. Yuki was able to walk this section. His bent legs and twitching arms were reliable enough to navigate this level of terrain change as long as he had his arm crutches. Miu was beside him, quietly yet excitedly swaying as she held a dirtied, tattered doll that had been worn thin from years of desperate clasps.

They were children. Barely teenagers. He was pale and gangly. She was unruly, tall, and two years older than him. Healing gashes covered his chin, jaw, and left eyebrow. Remnants of swelling and purple bruising lingered around her left eye.

“I hope the shibazakura are blooming!” Miu squeaked as they rounded a corner and reached the elevation shift.

“It’s late April, so they should be!” Yuki agreed as he stopped out of habit.

His speech was slightly unrefined under the strain of uncontrolled muscle twitches. Words were clear enough, and decently articulated, but far from precise. Miu didn’t care.

Without a word, she lowered the backpack from her shoulders, which Yuki received and hoisted over his stomach. Then the doll was in his hands as the crutches were folded over his chest.

Miu pulled the sleeves of her heavy hoodie up to prepare her arms.

“Ready?” Yuki asked.

“Ready!” Miu said with an excited smile and salute.

“Crutches?” she asked.

“Check!”

“Hana?”

“Check!”

“Backpack?”

“Check!”

Miu approached Yuki, who steadied his body as much as he was able.

“Lift with the spine!” Yuki cheered.

“Yep!” Miu said as she squatted and placed her hands under his hips and along his back.

There was a small grunt, then Miu stood with Yuki in her arms.

“Am I heavier now?” Yuki asked in sincere curiosity.

“A little bit. But you did get taller over the winter.”

“I’m catching up to you!”

“Please do!” she laughed as her legs braced and began to ascend the steepening clay and stone route.

Her hands strained against his legs. He could feel her arms tensing and flexing. Yet her grip stayed steady as she carried him. With every step, her breathing intensified. Step by step they went, until the vegetation engulfed them in secrecy to reveal their true destination. After a few more steps, Miu let out a gasp of joy and Yuki turned to see.

“They’re here!!!” Miu cheered as she lowered Yuki to the stable ground.

Out before them was a wide swath of pink and purple flowers. Trees lined the grove like fenceposts. Sunlight draped over the canopy, illuminating the space in golden radiance.

Yuki slid his arms into the crutch wraps as Miu squealed with joy and ran forward into the embrace of the blossoms. As she ran, dust and resting pollen kicked up around her, catching the light like iridescent crystal flecks. Every step threw her long, curled, pink hair in every direction.

A laugh of rapturous happiness escaped her mouth as she spun with her eyes closed. Yuki smiled in gracious relief and welcomed their seasonal friends back for the year.

“Welcome back flowers!” Miu cheered as she clapped and jumped.

“Welcome back!” Yuki echoed as he handed Hana to Miu before unzipping the backpack.

Miu spun Hana around the grove as Yuki removed a blanket from the backpack and laid it on the ground. He slowly lowered himself to the ground and watched Miu laughing with joy.

“Our secret garden!” Miu cheered before slowly her twirls to join him on the ground.

“We’re so happy to be back, aren’t we, Hana?” Yuki asked the doll.

Miu smiled and looked to her cloth companion.

“She says ‘Yes! A flower belongs with flowers!’”

Yuki laughed.

“I agree!”

Minutes later, snacks had been consumed and Miu’s makeup trinkets had been spread along the blanket. Sunlight continued to shine down on them as she picked through a few bottles of nail polish.

“In Tokyo, there are entire neighborhoods for fashion. One day, we’ll go there! I’ll find so many nail polish colors!”

“We can go on our way to Fukuoka!” Yuki agreed.

“Yes! We’ll go there and do many other places. Then we’ll just stay in Fukuoka, or Miyako, or maybe even Okinawa! No more snow!”

“Except for me of course,” Yuki grinned.

Miu blushed and smiled.

“Of course. You’re the only snow I’ve ever liked.”

Her blush passed to him and neither spoke. Everything felt warm and soft for a moment. After a pause, Yuki spoke up and pointed to a bottle.

“I like that electric blue! Want to put that on my fingers?” he asked.

“It really doesn’t bother you for me to practice on you too?” Miu asked.

Yuki smirked and extended his shaking hands.

“My face is crooked, one arm stays bent, I have a slight speech impediment, and my legs don’t work. I promise a little coloring on my nails will not be the physical detail I’m embarrassed by.”

Miu smiled and received his unsteady fingers.

“Plus, it’s like aim practice. I’m a moving target!” he joked.

“Yuki…” Miu laughed.

“The okama faggot’s getting his nails done again!” a voice broke from behind them.

Tranquility vanished instantly as Miu and Yuki looked up to see three teenaged boys crawling through the foliage. These boys were from the same orphanage as them. The one who had spoke was sporting his own black eye and split lip. As he approached, he spat on the ground in Miu’s direction.

“Taki, just leave us alone,” Miu growled in a soft voice.

“I told you before, this is our hideaway for smoking. Not your play room, you ugly bitch,” the boy named Taki replied.

Miu’s gaze had turned dark and violent as she scowled up at the trio. One of the boys moved forward and stepped heavily onto Yuki’s nearby crutch, which was resting in the ground.

“Hey! Careful that’s his crutch!” Miu shouted.

Yuki shook his head.

“It’s okay! If it bends it’ll just match my leg,” he said in deflection and attempted diffusion.

Taki stepped onto the blanket with his muddy shoes.

“Yeah, hear that? The cripple doesn’t mind.”

Miu began to stand.

“Call him a name again and I’ll rip your tongue out. Now please, leave. We won’t be here much longer. You can smoke anywhere else you want!”

Taki leaned forward and lit a cigarette with a match.

“But we want right here…” he snarled as he blew smoke in Miu’s face before scraping his match ashes on Hana’s face.

Miu was trembling.

“Please… leave us alone…” she pleaded as tears formed in her eyes.

“Miu, let’s just go,” Yuki begged.

“Yep. Follow your little freak out of here. Don’t let him fall down the hill though. Unless we’re there to watch!” Taki laughed.

Behind him, the other boys laughed and picked up Yuki’s crutches. Before Yuki could respond, the two boys were sword fighting with the crutches. Each hit of metal echoed out and Miu could see the bars denting and bending with every violent clash.

“Stop. Stop! PLEASE STOP!!” Miu shouted as she stepped forward.

But one of the boys was unamused. In response to Miu reaching out to stop them, the boy swung the crutch into her ribs, striking her with its full force.

Miu’s cry was instant. She fell sideways, holding her side and releasing Hana.

“MIU!!” Yuki shouted as he crawled forward to his friend.

Taki looked down at Hana and lifted her from the ground. Yuki could already sense the incoming act.

“Please leave…” Miu slurred.

“Please, no, stop,” Yuki begged as Taki inspected the doll.

Miu’s watering eyes looked up just in time to see Taki smile a hateful smile.

“Shut up, okama.”

Then Hana’s arms were ripped away. Weak, aged threads tore and gave way, leaving her cloth body undone.

Before the tearing was even complete, Miu was screaming in hateful despair and leaping forward. Taki couldn’t even release Hana in time to respond. Miu was on him in a millisecond, with a clenched fist striking his throat with ruthless, unrestrained force.

Taki flinched in shock and grabbed his throat, but Miu was already continuing. Her skull hurled forward and slammed into his nose, cracking it instantly with an audible crunch. His screams were the opening she needed. As his eyes closed and his legs buckled, Miu threw him to the ground and jumped into his chest with a defiant scream. Her fingers pried into his mouth, forcing it open.

“I told you I’d rip your tongue out if you called him another name! You stupid bastard!! You miserable! Stupid! Worthless! Piece! Of! Shit!!” she screamed as punch after punch struck his throat and nose.

As she roared, she slammed her face against his in a violent kiss. Only there was no romance. This was an invasion. His mouth stayed open as her lips smeared against his until her mouth found her victim. Taki tried to claw and scream but it was too late. His tongue was in her mouth and she bit down as hard as she could.

Yuki almost had to cover his ears as the scream rose into the trees. But he knew he had to focus and stop her.

“Miu! Miu stop! STOP, PLEASE!” he begged.

But she ignored him. By now, blood was running from her mouth but it wasn’t hers. Now the other boys were there, ripping her away as Taki howled in terror and pain.

“I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE US ALONE! I BEGGED YOU!! BUT YOU WOULDN’T LISTEN!!!” she screamed as her fists turned to the other two.

Knuckles met bone. Half-painted fingernails tore across faces. Yuki struggled to stand but without his crutches he was slow.

It was two against one, but Miu absorbed every punch as rage won and flung her forward.

“Miu you have to stop! They’ll separate us if you get in anymore trouble!!” Yuki begged.

That was enough. That was what calmed her. He was all that mattered. He was all she cared for. She couldn’t lose him. A world without having him near was too much. So her fists stopped. But theirs didn’t.

A blow struck her mouth. Another stuck her temple. Another crumpled her stomach. But she didn’t retaliate. Yuki’s words had stopped her and she knew he was right.

“Hey! Hey stop! Stop it! She stopped fighting back!!” Yuki screamed as more strikes bloodied her face.

Taki was still screaming. Miu smiled a swollen, red smile.

“It’s okay…” she muttered as her eye drooped.

“They hit like bitches anyways…” she gurgled as the punches continued.

Her words enraged her captors, and the blows intensified. Miu’s arm began to hang limp. Yuki’s hands finally reached his crutches and he forced himself up with a shout.

“I SAID LEAVE HER ALONE!!” he screamed as he lurched forward with one crutch raised like a bat.

The first boy turned just in time to see the metal beam heading for his head. There wasn’t enough time to respond. Every ounce of Yuki’s strength was in the swing that connected with the side of the boy’s head. There was a hollow metallic thud, and the boy fell over unconscious.

The last bully froze and released Miu’s half conscious body. But it was too late. Yuki was screaming once more as he swung again. The trees bore witness to the violence in silence. There were three more swings and three more anguished screams from Yuki. Then it was quiet.

Muted whimpers from the three broken boys were all that drifted in the air. Silent tears ran down Yuki’s face as he crawled to Miu, who was slumped forward in a daze. The nail polish had spilt and ruined the blanket. Hana lay tattered nearby. Yuki scooped the doll in his arms before taking Miu’s hand.

His palm was warm. Hers was swollen and bloodied. Fingers grazed one another, speaking their own language. Their eyes met briefly. A tear ran down Miu’s cheek.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” she whimpered.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. Let’s get out of here,” Yuki whispered as he helped her up.

When they left the secret garden, the once pink and purple flowers were now trampled and stained red. A chill drifted through the air as nightfall approached. Before they descended the hill, Yuki gave Miu his jacket to try and calm her trembling shivers. It almost worked.