Matsu-bonsai
Sakumoto. G. Crack. Fluff. Beta-read by inaudible_d.
Jun had a bonsai named Matsu. Sho talked to it about the things he couldn't say to the owner.
Sho entered the veranda with a sigh. He had a water sprayer on his right hand and a pair of scissors on his left. He put both tools to the small table and dragged a chair closer to the railing. There, he sat in front of the bonsai that Jun loved so much.
“Good evening,” Sho greeted the plant. He stared at it for a moment and then sighed again glumly. He moved the plant a bit-angling it to the right and to the left to check on it properly-and decided that the plant was, indeed, similar to its owner. It was beautiful, yet it was strong and sturdy. It looked like it was giving you a cold shoulder. Just like Jun.
Exactly like Jun.
“Hi, Matsu,” Sho called the plant with the name that Jun had given it. Something crossed Sho’s mind as the nickname slid off his mouth. He then decided to call the plant by the owner’s name-the resemblances were too uncanny anyway. He pouted a bit as he continued talking to the bonsai, “Macchan, hey.”
The plant was-of course-not answering. It stayed still as Sho touched it gently and caressed its leaves. Sho called it again with a whispered ‘Macchan’ and it kept silent. Completely like what Jun would do.
Sho sighed once again and began to take the scissors. He picked some leaves carefully and cut them off. While doing so, he started to talk, “Macchan, listen. I’m sorry, okay?”
Obviously, Sho wasn’t apologizing to the bonsai for cutting the leaves. He was apologizing to Jun. Since he couldn’t say it directly to Jun anyway, he did it to the plant instead. Same difference, he thought.
“I don’t know what I did,” Sho continued and clipped another leaf, “Or maybe I know but I don’t realize that it’s a wrong thing to do.”
The wind came and the bonsai moved like it was shrugging Sho’s hand off. Sho felt a ridiculous bitterness out of this.
“Did I hurt you? Again?” Sho smoothed a leaf, “I’m sorry if I did. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. You know I would never want to hurt you. Never, Macchan. I want you to be happy.”
The cut leaves flew away with the wind as if it had enough listening to Sho. It was like the plant wanted to get away from Sho. Like Jun.
Sho slumped and took the water sprayer. He adjusted the nozzle and sprayed the plant with a bit of water. “Communication. We have that problem. Is this about that?” Sho stopped to massage his temple. He started again with higher degree of desperation in his voice, “This is about that, right? Communication. Right, Macchan? Listen, I’m sorry I can’t say a lot of things to you. I’m sorry I can’t always tell you what I really want to say. I’m sorry that we have to talk in codes that are too vague, that makes you uncertain. I’m sorry that sometimes, I have to act cold to you. I have to put some distance between us. I know this bothers you, Macchan. I know, really. But you know the situation. It’s not like I enjoy being away from you.”
The leaves were glistening from the water and the bonsai was becoming more beautiful than before. Like Jun when he’s glistening with the sweat of his hard work.
“I’m sorry that I can’t say the most important thing often enough. I love you. There, I said it. I love you, Macchan.” Sho put down the sprayer and put his chin on the railing, right in front of the bonsai. “I love you, Macchan. I love you so much. I wish I can say this directly to you but I can’t-you wouldn’t listen anyway. So, if talking to a freaking bonsai is the only way that I could say this to you, then be it! I love you, Macchan. I love you since you still had your crooked teeth. I love you since the days when you followed me around. I love you during our struggling days, I love you during our glorious days. I love you when you’re singing. I love you when you’re yelling. I love your bed hair. I love you when you cried because of the afternoon drama that you watched, Macchan. I love yo-”
Sho stopped when a pillow hit his head. He rescued the pillow from falling out of the veranda right in time. Then, he turned.
Jun was there. On the other chair of the veranda-had been there since the moment Sho stepped to the veranda, actually. He was obviously scowling but his eyes avoided Sho’s.
“Its name is Matsu,” Jun mumbled sharply.
Sho scratched his head a bit and grinned.
“And it’s about you not cleaning the coffee maker after using it, not communication problem or some shit. Stop being so dramatic about it,” Jun said even though he knew he was the first one to act so dramatic about it. He was the one who gave Sho the silent treatment, anyway.
Sho feigned a surprised expression. “Ah. I didn’t clean the coffee maker? I’m sorry. I swear I won’t do it again.”
Jun just nodded to that and got back to the magazine he was reading. He had been unable to concentrate at the magazine since a while before, though.
Sho nodded too. He took the sprayer and started taking care of Jun’s beloved bonsai again. With a restrained smile this time.
A moment was passed before Jun broke the silence between them.
“And Sho kun?”
“Hm?”
“I love you too.”
The mumble was too hasty and almost incoherent but Sho caught it just fine. He grinned and nodded happily. Once again, he dodged the crisis.
Taking care of Matsu the bonsai always solved the problem.
Jun had a bonsai named Matsu. Sho talked to it about the things he couldn't say to the owner.
Sho entered the veranda with a sigh. He had a water sprayer on his right hand and a pair of scissors on his left. He put both tools to the small table and dragged a chair closer to the railing. There, he sat in front of the bonsai that Jun loved so much.
“Good evening,” Sho greeted the plant. He stared at it for a moment and then sighed again glumly. He moved the plant a bit-angling it to the right and to the left to check on it properly-and decided that the plant was, indeed, similar to its owner. It was beautiful, yet it was strong and sturdy. It looked like it was giving you a cold shoulder. Just like Jun.
Exactly like Jun.
“Hi, Matsu,” Sho called the plant with the name that Jun had given it. Something crossed Sho’s mind as the nickname slid off his mouth. He then decided to call the plant by the owner’s name-the resemblances were too uncanny anyway. He pouted a bit as he continued talking to the bonsai, “Macchan, hey.”
The plant was-of course-not answering. It stayed still as Sho touched it gently and caressed its leaves. Sho called it again with a whispered ‘Macchan’ and it kept silent. Completely like what Jun would do.
Sho sighed once again and began to take the scissors. He picked some leaves carefully and cut them off. While doing so, he started to talk, “Macchan, listen. I’m sorry, okay?”
Obviously, Sho wasn’t apologizing to the bonsai for cutting the leaves. He was apologizing to Jun. Since he couldn’t say it directly to Jun anyway, he did it to the plant instead. Same difference, he thought.
“I don’t know what I did,” Sho continued and clipped another leaf, “Or maybe I know but I don’t realize that it’s a wrong thing to do.”
The wind came and the bonsai moved like it was shrugging Sho’s hand off. Sho felt a ridiculous bitterness out of this.
“Did I hurt you? Again?” Sho smoothed a leaf, “I’m sorry if I did. I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. You know I would never want to hurt you. Never, Macchan. I want you to be happy.”
The cut leaves flew away with the wind as if it had enough listening to Sho. It was like the plant wanted to get away from Sho. Like Jun.
Sho slumped and took the water sprayer. He adjusted the nozzle and sprayed the plant with a bit of water. “Communication. We have that problem. Is this about that?” Sho stopped to massage his temple. He started again with higher degree of desperation in his voice, “This is about that, right? Communication. Right, Macchan? Listen, I’m sorry I can’t say a lot of things to you. I’m sorry I can’t always tell you what I really want to say. I’m sorry that we have to talk in codes that are too vague, that makes you uncertain. I’m sorry that sometimes, I have to act cold to you. I have to put some distance between us. I know this bothers you, Macchan. I know, really. But you know the situation. It’s not like I enjoy being away from you.”
The leaves were glistening from the water and the bonsai was becoming more beautiful than before. Like Jun when he’s glistening with the sweat of his hard work.
“I’m sorry that I can’t say the most important thing often enough. I love you. There, I said it. I love you, Macchan.” Sho put down the sprayer and put his chin on the railing, right in front of the bonsai. “I love you, Macchan. I love you so much. I wish I can say this directly to you but I can’t-you wouldn’t listen anyway. So, if talking to a freaking bonsai is the only way that I could say this to you, then be it! I love you, Macchan. I love you since you still had your crooked teeth. I love you since the days when you followed me around. I love you during our struggling days, I love you during our glorious days. I love you when you’re singing. I love you when you’re yelling. I love your bed hair. I love you when you cried because of the afternoon drama that you watched, Macchan. I love yo-”
Sho stopped when a pillow hit his head. He rescued the pillow from falling out of the veranda right in time. Then, he turned.
Jun was there. On the other chair of the veranda-had been there since the moment Sho stepped to the veranda, actually. He was obviously scowling but his eyes avoided Sho’s.
“Its name is Matsu,” Jun mumbled sharply.
Sho scratched his head a bit and grinned.
“And it’s about you not cleaning the coffee maker after using it, not communication problem or some shit. Stop being so dramatic about it,” Jun said even though he knew he was the first one to act so dramatic about it. He was the one who gave Sho the silent treatment, anyway.
Sho feigned a surprised expression. “Ah. I didn’t clean the coffee maker? I’m sorry. I swear I won’t do it again.”
Jun just nodded to that and got back to the magazine he was reading. He had been unable to concentrate at the magazine since a while before, though.
Sho nodded too. He took the sprayer and started taking care of Jun’s beloved bonsai again. With a restrained smile this time.
A moment was passed before Jun broke the silence between them.
“And Sho kun?”
“Hm?”
“I love you too.”
The mumble was too hasty and almost incoherent but Sho caught it just fine. He grinned and nodded happily. Once again, he dodged the crisis.
Taking care of Matsu the bonsai always solved the problem.