Flowers Before We Dance
Written for @drwlwzine Summary: The flower she asked for was made-up, of course. Surely Sonia will realize that and come back, right? Rating: PG Warnings: Language. Saionji Hiyoko being herself. Notes: This was the soniyoko fic I wrote for the music-themed dr wlw zine. I posted it pretty late rip but I did have a good time writing it. I especially loved the illustration that went with it. You can see that on the Ao3 version! ***Alternate Ao3 Link*** Commission? Donate?
“The long flowing robes, heavy with culture and history! The vibrant colors of nature’s beauty! The elegant and esteemed kimono! To make matters even more wicked, it can be worn with everything!”
“Ugh.”
Everything about this bitch from her sparkling eyes to her cringe squealing just screamed tourist. Even now, Princess Foreigner cooed over the selection of robes, shifting through each color with pensive consideration.
“The problem is there are too many colors to choose from…even if they’re all beautiful. Maybe this resilient red?”
Then you’d look even more fucking pompous.
“Oh! Or this mellow yellow!”
That would wash you out with how pale you are.
“Perhaps! Elegant emerald!”
That’s not even emerald! It’s just green!
“Oh! Saionji-san!” Finally, it seemed the idiot noticed her. With clumps of kimono flung oh so distastefully over her arm, she enthusiastically waved with the other. “So you did decide to join me for a shopping excursion!”
“It might be fun,” Mahiru had said. “You enjoy shopping with Ibuki-chan, so just give Sonia-chan a chance, okay?”
“I have already extracted quite the intricate selection!” Sonia was already spewing word after word. She almost sounded unnatural, like she barely had a grasp on the language. “Might you come with me to help try them on? I trust your judgment above all else!”
At least she wasn’t a complete idiot, Hiyoko supposed sourly. Except Sonia took her ducking her head sullenly as a nod and was already skipping off to the changing room.
Silky blond hair bouncing, the strands shimmering even in weak store light.
(What the hell was that description?! Was her brain invaded by that shark-teethed loser?! Gross, gross, gross!)
“So gross,” she muttered as she followed after, head still down. “God, she’s gross.”
She still joined Sonia in the changing room. To make matters worse, the so-called princess was too incompetent to even tie her obi correctly. The way she stuck out her tongue in focus wasn’t the slightest bit endearing. And when she did manage a haphazard knot…
“Is this tie correct?”
“It is if you want to look like a whore,” Hiyoko snapped.
“Ooh, fantastic!” There really was no bringing down such an airhead. “Sex work is a very respectable career!”
“It’s not for a princess.” Fingers twitching, Hiyoko finally just wrestled with that offending knot to unravel the poor abused obi. “Let me fix it so that you’re proper.”
“Oh, Saionji-san,” Sonia cooed. Despite being shorter, the princess still towered above Hiyoko as she did before her growth spurt, infuriatingly radiant as always. “Thank you ever so much. You know…” She trailed off with a far too lilting sigh. “Even your fingertips emanate such grace.”
Hiyoko felt warmth blossom in her cheeks as she focused on tying the sash. Must’ve been out of anger. No other explanation.
“You’re just the pinnacle of Traditional Japanese Elegance!” Sonia went on. “I truly do admire you! Do you ever think you could share your talent with me?”
Typical of an entitled rich bitch.
“So, you want to buy me?” She makes sure the words are dripping with seething contempt. “I don’t come cheap, Princess.”
“Just some dancing lessons!” Sonia exclaimed, either oblivious or willfully ignorant.
“Haaah?” Hiyoko tightened the knot. “Do you think it’ll be that easy?”
“Not at all! But with you as a teacher, I’m willing to work as hard as it takes, Saionji-san!”
“Oh?”
“Yes! Saionji-san’s dancing is like watching flowers blossom!”
And she really did sound so earnest. So sincere. Something about that made something inside Hiyoko snap.
“I don’t even think you’re worthy of being taught.” She tightened the knot and Sonia didn’t so much as wince, which just made her angrier. “I’ll consider it if you bring me a special flower.”
“A flower?” Sonia repeated.
“A jeweled flower,” she clarified. “One that sparkles with its captured sunshine.”
“I see.” Sonia’s eyes were wide, but she nodded firmly. “Very well, then! I will bring you that flower, Saionji-san!”
Hiyoko snorted, pulling away to begrudgingly admire the princess in the kimono. It actually suited her. She didn’t look half-bad at all.
“Don’t show your face again until you do,” she muttered.
They parted ways on good terms after that, and she didn’t see Sonia at all the next day.
Or the day after that.
Nor the day after that.
Not even the week after that.
“WHERE IS SONIA-SAAAAAN?!”
“She says she’s on royal business… I guess.”
That loudmouth loser was still whining until that violent shrimp threatened him. Their naggy class rep and their naggier teacher tried their best to keep the peace but Class 77-B was and always will be a disaster. Not that Hiyoko cared.
Or that she was worried. Because she wasn’t.
“It really has been a while,” Mahiru mused worriedly. “Being a princess can be dangerous.”
Ah, yeah. Sonia had mentioned kidnappings and failed assassination attempts. Not that Hiyoko was worried. Because she wasn’t.
“Hiyoko-chan.” Mahiru fixed her with a Look that was a little worrying. “Sonia-chan told me that she was searching for a flower you told her about. Is that flower even real?”
Hiyoko tried not to squirm.
“Hiyoko-chan!” Mahiru reprimanded, voice soft but with the force of a merciless stomp. “You need to tell her the truth!”
Hiyoko pitifully opened her mouth. All that came out was a wretched groan.
“No,” Mahiru snapped, shaking her hand. “Sonia-chan could be putting herself in danger. Message her right now. You don’t have to apologize, just… Say that it was a joke.”
“She’ll give up anyway,” Hiyoko pointed out weakly. “Or someone else will tell her. It’ll be fine.”
Mahiru stared at her with disappointment, but she didn’t push it further.
For some reason, that just made Hiyoko shrink further into herself.
The next week, Hiyoko does shoot a text.
>Hey, I actually don’t need the stupid flower.
>If you really insist, I might be persuaded to give you lessons.
>So you should come back. To convince me.
She doesn’t receive a response. Maybe Sonia didn’t see it. Or forgot. Or her phone died.
Or maybe Sonia died. Maybe she’s dead already.
Hiyoko went to bed that night on an upset stomach.
The days pass, and Hiyoko’s too sick to go to class at all. She very nearly chucked her shoes at the teacher’s face and she spewed every nasty word she could think of to the class rep. Eventually, they left her alone.
Not Mahiru, though. Mahiru still sent her texts.
>>I won’t ask you to come back, but please take care of yourself, Hiyoko-chan.
Mahiru really was sweet. Unlike Hiyoko, who found herself texting Sonia whenever she got irritated.
>You really are so fucking annoying. You’re the worst for making everyone worry, especially Mahiru.
No answer. The princess’s obnoxiously cheerful profile picture didn’t say anything either.
>And I hate how obsessive you are! You act like a fucking tourist!
Still nothing.
>Also I watched those J-Dramas you kept raving about. They fucking suck. You have terrible taste.
Nothing.
>And quit being so nice to me! I’m shitty to you like, all the time!
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
>I hate you. Please come back. I really miss you.
She was sick of her room but in no mood to talk to anyone. It was early in the morning, so the classroom should be empty. She figured she might as well go to class.
No other reason.
Or so she tells herself.
And then there was…something different.
It was a bouquet of flowers, but not just any kind of flowers. Dazzling flowers that Hiyoko never could’ve imagined, with jewel-like petals that sparkled with captured sunlight. Bundled together so lovingly into a vase…right on top of her desk.
Am I being bullied?!
Mahiru wouldn’t have told anyone, but…oh fuck, that loudmouth musician had a sharp sense of hearing. That bitch would’ve told everyone. And now Hiyoko is getting bullied.
With really achingly lovely, devastatingly beautiful flowers, but…still!
Actually, Hiyoko thought as she came closer to admire them. They seem familiar. Why? I wouldn’t forget seeing flowers like this.
“Saionji-san!”
Hiyoko nearly screamed, spinning around on her heel to stare at her assailant.
Sonia was standing there. Smiling brightly, more dazzling than the flowers.
Hiyoko wanted to strangle her.
“I found the flowers you asked for, Saionji-san! They were actually native to my country, you see, so I flew over to pick them!”
Hiyoko should strangle her!
“They’re rare and difficult to find,” Sonia rambled on, all pink-cheeked and sparkly-eyed. “But after much arduous searching, I discovered a whole garden and…”
“You stupid BITCH!”
Sonia jumped, smile mercifully dropping as Hiyoko screamed.
“Do you have any IDEA how worried everyone was?! That you’d even go all this way for, for…some stupid fucking flowers! That I…!” Hiyoko nearly choked. “T-That I asked for…!”
Her cheeks were burning, and the tears wouldn’t stop running. Sonia fretted over her, but when Sonia reached out, Hiyoko snatched up her hand and yanked her along as she fled the classroom. Once they were suitably secluded behind the school, Hiyoko took a moment to catch her breath before blubbering some more.
“Y-You didn’t have to endanger yourself. I didn’t need those flowers. You could’ve…you could’ve gotten hurt, and there’s no way finding stupid weeds was so important that you couldn’t text back…!”
“I truly apologize,” Sonia said meekly. “My phone was broken during the exhibition and by the time I got it repaired and saw your texts…”
God, Hiyoko wanted to die.
“I’m so sorry for worrying you, Saionji-san.” Sonia even bowed. Her! A fucking princess! “But I still wanted to give you those flowers even if you think them unnecessary.”
“Because I asked?” Hiyoko snorted.
“Not entirely,” Sonia admitted. “Those flowers…in my culture, they’re a symbol of loyalty and devotion. I wanted to prove to you that my feelings were true.”
Oh.
“They’re actually quite popular, hence their rarity!” Sonia rambled on, only now she seemed flustered. “Especially at weddings!”
Oh…
“O-Oh my god.” Hiyoko could cry all over again. She wanted to, but she needed to keep herself from hyperventilating and she needed to calm down her damn racing heart. “I thought this was just about getting dancing lessons!”
“Dancing, too, is very romantic,” Sonia informed her sheepishly. “People dance at weddings in my country too. Is that not the case here?”
“It is!” Hiyoko sputtered. “I-It is, but it’s…it’s different!”
Sonia tilted her head. Way too wide-eyed. Way too innocent. That loudmouth coward had no place being around her, and Hiyoko will shank that creepy-ass cook if he even sniffs in her direction.
For now, she can only sigh.
“Don’t worry about it.” Playing with her hair, Hiyoko did everything she could to play it cool. “I’ll teach you how to dance, but…marriage is…something you’ll need to think about later. Like, way, way later.”
“I understand,” Sonia said, and her eyes lit up. “But may I ask if we can wear kimonos at our wedding, Saionji-san?”
Hiyoko could laugh, and not just due to amusement.
“You better figure out how to properly put one on first. And…start calling me by my name, Sonia.”
“Hiyoko-san!” Sonia chirped with such glee.
Yeah. If this was how she was to die, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
