Fading Blossoms, Teacher's Desk

With the sun low in the sky, its light caught Suzu’s hair as she carried a red watering can. One by one, she tilted its spout over each potted plant on the windowsill, letting precious drops of water sink into the soil. Her lips moved slightly, quietly humming a mellow tune that blended with the buzz of our small electric heater - the only sound in this still, afterschool hour. But even her faint hum feels like it fills the whole room.

I watched the long strands of Suzu’s dark hair softly dance over the red club leader's armband wrapped around her upper arm. She moved with the kind of energetic optimism that made it hard to look away. I could sit here for hours, just watching her. It was embarrassing how easily she could hold my attention, yet I couldn’t get enough of her. Even so, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something about her had been different lately.

I looked up at the bulletin board hanging on the wooden wall. The right side was plastered with photographs. Of me, of Suzu, and the other club members on school trips, wandering the neighborhood, and tending to our plants. The left side held a list of each member, their names hastily written in Suzu’s handwriting, accompanied by awkward first-year photos of us. Below them was a scattered assortment of star-shaped stickers she used to give us for good behavior. I think I had the most… though it’s hard to tell through the chaos of her organization. I guess tidiness wasn’t one of her many qualities.

Now that I think of it, she hasn’t handed out any stars recently. And with the school year coming to a close, there wasn’t much time left to earn one from her - not that a sticker should matter this much to me. Still, thinking about how she used to enthusiastically send us on pointless side quests to find some rare forest flower, just to reward us with one, put a smile on my face. That was a while ago, though. Maybe it’s just her - or us - maturing, but something definitely feels different about her.

Still, none of that changed how I felt. I’ve known her for years and have seen many versions of her by now - from the reclusive middle schooler staring out the window, to the energetic freshman determined to revive the botany club, to the more mature and mellow Suzu of today. I love all of them. But with graduation looming, the time I could spend with her as my high school sweetheart was almost gone.

I closed my eyes and imagined myself and Suzu standing on a hill overlooking the city. Fresh cherry blossoms bloomed above us while I got down on one knee, offering her a bouquet of sweet-smelling roses…

“Mami?!”

“Mami?!”

Suzu’s voice echoed through the room, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I straightened my back and blinked, only to find her face mere inches from mine. Her sparkling blue eyes stared right into me, sharp with focus. Even though she was small in stature, standing this close, she felt surprisingly intimidating.

She was so close, I could feel her breath brush against my skin. My cheeks grew warm in an instant.

“S-Suzu,” I stammered, leaning back a little. “W-What’s going on?”

She crossed her arms, pretending to frown, though her eyes sparkled with mischief.

“Geez, Mami. You’re always so tense. I must have called your name a thousand times. Did one of the plants say something mean to you again?”

“Huh?!” I blinked, my cheeks burning.

“Or maybe… you were just thinking about me too much?”

My heart skipped a beat - did she just imply something!?

She smirked, but her laugh didn’t linger this time. “Next time, I might just water you instead.”

That’s right… she was just teasing me. I let out a small sigh of relief.

“Anyway, I wanted to ask you for some advice.”

She stepped back, gesturing toward a giant plant by the door, its branches sprouting wildly in every direction. I remembered us sowing the seeds Suzu had brought from the farmers’ market during our first year. Last summer it had finally started blooming, its tiny white flowers so cute that we’d commemorated them with a photograph.

It has grown so much.

“Do you think it’s time to cut some of these branches?” she asked, holding up a sprout that had grown out of hand.

I walked closer, kneeling beside the pot to examine it. The familiar scent of the soil and flowers mixed with the faint warmth of her presence nearby.

“Hmm… yeah,” I said carefully. “If we prune these, the others will get more sunlight and bloom better.”

She nodded, smiling as she grabbed a small pair of scissors. “I knew I could count on you.”

Suzu handed me the scissors. Our fingers brushed for a split second, long enough for my heart to skip a beat, but she quickly pulled back, smiling a little tighter than usual.

“Okay,” I said softly, “let’s trim it together.”

At the same time as Suzu, I carefully cut off a couple of the sprouting branches. We stepped back to admire the result from a distance.

Moments later, my admiration was replaced by doubt. “I wonder what will happen to it once we graduate…”

“Whatever you want, darling. A flower always finds the sun to grow toward,” said a calm voice from behind me.

I turned while hearing the door open a little further. Standing there was Yuri, our delicate purple-haired club member - also known among our juniors as the school princess.

She made a small bow before us, then began removing her apron. “Excuse me. I finished watering the plants in the greenhouse. May I be excused to leave early today?”

Suzu grinned. “No problem, Yuri. You could’ve just said goodbye, you know?”

Yuri waved, after which she slowly stepped out of the room. As the door clicked shut behind her, I felt my gaze drift back to Suzu. She was humming softly, tidying a stray leaf with the same gentle care as before. Even though she and I would go to the same college, our days as members of the botany club were over. Her leadership band would transfer to the next generation, if there was any.

My eyes wandered back to the pictures on the bulletin board, and a flood of memories came rushing in - all the fun things we’d done together. With only a month or two left, wouldn’t it be nice to make one last memory before everyone went their separate ways?

Something fun. Something lively. Something that might bring out the old Suzu one more time. My head spun with ideas until one finally stuck.

“What about an amusement park,” I whispered, a little too loud.

“Amusement park?” Suzu repeated, sounding a little puzzled as she stepped beside me to look at the pictures.

“I-I was thinking we could go on one final high school trip,” I said, my voice a bit shaky.

I looked at her face - her expression was blank.

“O-or maybe the shopping mall, or the pool, or something less… childish,” I added, twirling a strand of my hair. “We still have some budget left for this year.”

A grin appeared on her face.

“The amusement park sounds perfect,” she responded. “We’ve never gone anywhere like that before.”

“Really? You think the others would like it?” I asked, a bit surprised. I couldn’t exactly picture Yuri on a rollercoaster.

“Mmm,” she tilted her head thoughtfully. “When I was little, my family went to a place called Mirage Kingdom. They had these massive rides built around a hundred-year-old garden. I bet it’s still beautiful, even in the winter.”

A hundred-year-old garden? That sounded even better than a regular amusement park. I pictured Suzu and me walking through lush landscapes, getting lost among winding paths… sitting together on a quiet bench, feeding a flock of ducks.

Quite romantic, isn’t it…

“That sounds amazing, Suzu!”

She crossed her arms, her lips curling into a faint smile. “It’s just something I happened to remember.”

“But you do want to go, right?” I asked.

“Yeah… yeah, of course. Let’s plan something.”

A big smile of relief spread across my face. For a moment, she sounded just like the old Suzu again - though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.

There was only one problem left.

“Do you have any idea where the park is exactly?”

Suzu shook her head. “I only remember us going by train…”

A brief frown crossed her face, but then her eyes lit up. “Wait! I know where we can get a brochure.”

She straightened her posture, confidence returning, and turned toward the door. “Come on, Mami!”

I got up and followed - too slowly, apparently. In a flash, my impatient friend grabbed my hand and pulled me along.

“S-Suzu?!” I yelled, savoring the warmth of her hand in mine.

X

“The staffroom?” I asked, staring at the foreboding-looking door in front of me. I turned to Suzu, who nodded in agreement.

“I heard from a student council member that they were planning to go to Mirage Kingdom last year. I bet they still have a brochure lying around somewhere in here.”

Timidly, I reached out and gave the door a gentle knock.

No response.

I heard Suzu sigh behind me. “You call that a knock?”

She balled her fist and knocked passionately on the door. The impact startled me. My eyes darted to her knuckles, which had turned slightly red.

“Suzu, are you okay? You didn’t hurt yourself…?” I whispered, my voice pitching higher.

“I’m fine,” she responded, rubbing her palm. A few moments passed before she knocked again - this time softer, and with the other hand.

So she hurt herself, after all?

I looked at her red knuckle, my hand reaching toward it.

“Are you sure-”, I began, but Suzu brushed my arm away.

“It’s nothing.”

We waited a little longer. Soon, I could hear Suzu’s foot tapping impatiently against the floor. She mumbled something under her breath before knocking again.

“I think everyone’s already left,” I muttered.

“They better have,” Suzu said, reaching for the doorknob. Before I could stop her, she had already turned it.

“Looks like they forgot to lock it,” she said with a grin, glancing left and right down the hallway before pushing the door open.

“Suzu!” I protested. “We can’t just barge in, the school rules-” but she didn’t give me the chance to finish. She grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.

Awkwardly, I stood in the center of the derelict, spacious room. Rows of desks were lined up in the middle - some tidy, others littered with stacks of paper. In the corner sat a beige computer, its big tubular monitor showing a drifting screensaver.

I’d been here a few times before to ask my teacher something, but never alone. I glanced at the door to make sure no one was coming in. Even though the school seemed completely deserted, I still felt uneasy in the room.

I can’t do this, I thought, nervously glancing at the door again. If someone walked in and saw us touching school materials, we’d definitely get suspended…

“Come on, Mami, help me look through these,” Suzu said, pointing toward a stack of newspapers near the window.

I stepped forward and noticed the sun was already beginning to set, the leafless trees looming over the schoolyard. My gaze followed their trunks down to the ground, where I noticed a purple-haired girl sitting on a bench.

“Yuri,” I mumbled. “I thought she went home already.”

Suzu turned to the window to see what I was looking at. Just then, we saw a freshman girl nervously approach her. Suzu and I exchanged a glance, no words needed. We’d seen this scene play out so many times that it was hardly a surprise. Still, we couldn’t take our eyes off the window.

The girl stopped in front of the bench and gave a quick bow before offering Yuri a yellow daffodil. The gracious Yuri hesitated for a moment, then accepted the flower and tucked it into her hair. But her body language seemed distant. Moments later, she waved the girl goodbye. The freshman rushed off, tail between her legs.

“Looks like our queen has claimed another victim,” I said with a sigh.

“I heard Yuri’s been dating another girl recently,” Suzu added, shrugging.

Another one? I had lost count. Sure, she was pretty - I got it. But she wasn’t that special, right? Not enough to justify the endless line of admirers. No, I thought, shaking my head softly. There were plenty of pretty girls at our all-girls’ school, like Suzu, who was still standing next to me, gazing out the window.

“Suzu?” I called. “We still need to find that brochure.”

“Right,” she said, her voice softer than before.

I scanned the room again from this new angle. Where would they even keep brochures, I wondered. My eyes drifted over a notice board covered in school announcements and memos for the teachers. Beneath it stood a few metal holders filled with colorful flyers.

I slowly walked over and flipped through the titles with my finger.

“Cheesemaking at Satamoto Farm,” “Canoeing in Toishiki River,” … and “Mirage Kingdom!”

“Suzu, I found it!” I yelled.

My friend sprinted toward me and snatched the brochure right out of my hand. “You’re awesome, Mami!”

Startled, I stared at the flyer now firmly in Suzu’s grip - then smiled. “Now that you’ve taken it from me, do I get my star as a reward?”

“I’m sorry, Mami,” she said, handing the brochure back. “I got a little too enthusiastic.”

She smiled faintly. “I guess I haven’t given out any star stickers in a while,” she added softly. “I think I still have some in the clubroom if you want one.”

I shook my head. “No need.” I paused for a moment, watching her expression. She’s definitely changed… I thought before replying, “I think we’ve gotten too old for that.”

“Us? Old? Never!” She exclaimed with passion. As she raised her arm to make a statement, a sudden noise echoed from the hallway.

I froze in panic. The door was too far away to make it out unnoticed. No… that wasn’t an option. I needed to think fast.

“Suzu!” I whispered. “Come here.”

I ducked to the ground and crawled beneath the nearest desk, the brochure still clutched in my hand. With only seconds to spare, a panicked Suzu followed. Just a moment later, we heard the door creak open.

It must be a teacher, I thought. Please don’t let us be under their assigned desk…

Luckily, the footsteps didn’t come any closer. A silent sigh of relief escaped my lips. Only then did I realize how close Suzu was to me - so close that I could feel the quick rhythm of her heartbeat against my arm. Her soft body pressed into mine, her hair brushing against my shoulder, faintly smelling of shampoo and chalk dust from the clubroom. And I felt her warm breath brushing against my cheek, sending a flutter through my heart.

My face grew hot as a boiling kettle. I swallowed hard, trying to shift away, but the movement only made the wooden floor creak beneath us. Her eyes flicked toward me, wide with the same nervous energy I felt. I tried to back up further and hit my head against the sideboard with a dull thunk.

For a moment, I thought the teacher might have heard it… But in the end, they seemed not to have noticed. I calmed down a bit… as much as I could with my crush so close. This space was just too tight… too quiet. I could hear every small sound, our shallow breaths, the ticking of the wall clock, the faint hum of the computer in the corner. Even then, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the teacher to leave… or to stay hidden like this with her forever.

We waited, motionless, as the teacher shuffled papers on the other side of the room, then sighed quietly. A chair scraped, footsteps receded, and finally the door closed again.

“This is our chance,” Suzu whispered.

Clutching my hand, she scrambled out from under the desk, pulling me to my feet. Our hands intertwined as we dashed for the door, grasping for breath with every step. We turned the corner. The hallway seemed endless, the afternoon glow casting eerie shadows across the walls. Our footsteps echoed sharply, each step getting us farther away from the staffroom.

When we were far enough from the staffroom not to raise suspicion, we collapsed with our backs against the white hallway wall. I raised the brochure triumphantly, like an athlete holding a trophy. Then I slipped it into my pocket and turned to Suzu beside me.

“Thank you,” I said, still catching my breath.

A confused look crossed her face. “You should thank yourself. You’re the one who found it, Mami.”

I shook my head. I should have been clearer. “Thank you for giving me the courage, Suzu. Without you, I’d never have entered the staffroom at all.”

My heart was still pounding - from the thrill of breaking the rules… and from how close she had been under that desk -how soft she’d felt… My cheeks burned again, and I quickly looked away to hide it.

She smiled. “We make a good team, don’t we?”

I nodded. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. I wanted this moment to last forever - but it wasn’t to be. My friend got up.

“I’ve got to go, Mami. Can you bring the brochure to the club meeting tomorrow? We’ll tell the others then.”

“Sure, I will. Bye, Suzu.”

I watched her disappear around the corner, the sound of her footsteps fading down the hallway - my chest still fluttering.

I didn’t know it then, but that moment under the desk would stay with me for a long time.