Naomi kept her back straight, but her fingers curled slightly at her sides.
The man standing in the greenhouse doorway wasn't tall, but there was something deliberate about the way he occupied the space — like he knew exactly where he was and why. His coat was unbuttoned despite the chill, his hands in his pockets.
He didn't smile.
"It looks like you take care of this place." the man said.
Naomi blinked once, steadying her voice.
"I just… water the plants"
"Nice work " His gaze swept the benches, the tools, the neat rows of potted blooms.
It lingered for a fraction too long on the table where the key had been before she kicked it under the pot.
The man walked towards a chair and sat on it
"The garden club has been disbanded, and this place was sealed after them " he said after a pause. "So what's your connection?"
She took in a slow breath. "I like quiet places, and im the only one left in the garden club i didn't quit because i love the flowers and everything that'sin here."
He stoop up and stepped forward. Just one step. The wood creaked under his shoes.
"Well," he said, "quiet places are rare here." His eyes flicked to the corner near her bag.
"What you do miss is very good sometimes what you do keeps more than just flowers alive."
Naomi's chest tightened.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, but it came out softer than she intended.
" i may go for now,take care lil miss. Now pardon me" the mand said.
And before he left he said " I forgot to introduce myself. I'm professor Takeda, i'll be teaching the next block for your 3rd year."
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Naomi froze she didn't say a single word. Just watched as the man walked away.
" professor!? Teaching us!? So this man is our teacher?! That doesn't make sense!" She said in her mind.
She suddenly felt unwell and went back straight to home. Not even looking back not even locking the greenhouse behind her.
.
.
She went straight back to home, didn't even go to professor Amari.
She opened the door, took off her shoe she was nervous but tried to act normal so her grandma won't notice her.
Naomi: " I'm Home "
" Nana* where are you?"
She walked towards the kitchen her grandma was there prepairing dinner.
" Ah my dear welcome back, You're home early today! "
Her grandma turned around stepped towards her to hug her and kiss her on the cheeks.
" Anything happened today?"
Naomi tried to grab a glass of water and said
" No not really nothing happened i was just tired "
Her grandma said " i hope what you are saying is right, because your eyes say something else hhhhhe~"
Naomi let out a small laugh.
"You always say that," she murmured, taking a sip of water.
Her grandmother studied her for a moment longer before turning back to the stove.
The smell of simmering broth filled the kitchen, warm and familiar, but Naomi felt like she was standing outside it somehow.
Her mind kept circling back to the greenhouse — to the way Professor Takeda had looked at the corner near her bag, to his words.
> What you do keeps more than just flowers alive.
She set her glass down on the counter, pressing her palm against the cool surface. The hum of the refrigerator became louder in her head than the clatter of cooking.
"Naomi?" her grandmother's voice cut through.
Naomi: "Mm?"
Her grandma: "You're here?"
Naomi blinked. "Sorry… just spaced out."
Her grandmother didn't press further, only hummed softly as she ladled soup into a bowl.
Naomi: " is that my favorite soup!!!"
" reallly Nana thank youuuuu"
Her grandma gave a small laugh and said
" Now go wash your hands and change then come and eat"
Naomi: " suree... ~.~"
---
After dinner, Naomi retreated to her room.
She closed the door and sat on the floor beside her desk, leaning her back against the bedframe.
Her bag was still there, slouched against the wall where she had dropped it.
She pulled it closer, unzipped it, and looked in it
It was then she knew she forgot to lock the greenhouse and forgot Kaori's locker key there.
"Ahhh really, now im confused again, this guy was our professor? Because of him i forgot to lcok the greenhouse. "
Then she looked at her wrist , as she was wearing to bracelets.
She remembered how Kaori used to love this bracelet — The last time Naomi had seen her with it was… minutes before she disappeared.
And the last guy she saw Kaori with was Takeda .
Her stomach tightened.
She had told herself a dozen times nothing bad shall has happened to her.
But now Professor Takeda's face was in her head —
Then remembered she also didn't visit professor Amari Yui.
" ahhhhh" ;-;
---
Naomi rested her forehead against her knees.
She hated how her thoughts were tangling again, how her chest ached with that same old heaviness.
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Tobe continued in chapter 17...