Chapter 14

The winter sky was always beautiful, but it looked even more beautiful when I woke up today. I made breakfast as usual, and then arranged the flowers I got from Vlad in a vase and put them on the dining room table.

Flashback

Vlad

"The clematis symbolizes a traveler's happiness."

Kira

"A traveler's happiness..."

Vlad

"That's right. Kira, if you feel anxious about something and don't want to talk to anyone about it, I'm here for you." "And once you feel better, I want you to be yourself and live how you want. Will you do that for me?"

Flashback End

It was so nice of him to give me these flowers, and say that to me. It was nice to have someone I could vent to. It was a really reassuring feeling. A smile spread across my face as I remembered his tender smile.

Arthur

"Morning, Kira. You're adorable today as usual."

Kira

"Hehe. Yeah, yeah. Morning, Arthur. can tell you don't need breakfast today, hm?"

Arthur

"Astute observation. I stayed up all night working and I'm not done yet. Can I have some coffee?"

Kira

"Sure, just wait a bit. I'll make some for you."

I fixed Arthur a cup of black coffee and returned to the dining room...and I saw him reading the newspaper with a serious look on his face.

Kira

"Here you go. Why do you look so serious? Something troubling in the newspaper?"

Arthur

"A lot of things, in fact. Take a look."

The page was covered with stories about burglaries and murders--ones I wished I could turn my eyes away

from. All along I knew that this world was dangerous, but lately I'd really been even more aware of it. There's such a gap between the rich and poor here, and no one's trying to help the less fortunate. I'd heard that commoners were getting more and more frustrated with aristocrats and had started targeting them. The little boy who had asked Vlad for the bouquet was wearing tattered clothes. His little hands that clutched the single coin he had were covered in soot from the coal mines. He was covered in cuts and bruises from the hard labor. It was frustrating to know there was nothing I could do to help.

Arthur

"There are lots of crimes happening all over, but this one in particular is so strange."

Kira

"Why's that?"

Arthur

"Several people have been found dead, completely drained of all the blood in their bodies. "And every single one of them had a criminal record or were involved in something bad."

Hmm…

Kira

"So someone was taking justice into their own hands?"

Arthur

"Their true motive isn't clear, but a lot of people have the same theory as you." "There are some who are calling the killer 'Fleur du mal'. Sounds like something out of a novel, don't you think?" "It just doesn't sound real."

His big eyes were serious.

Arthur

"Everyone has their own idea of what's wrong and what's righteous. If everyone started judging others on their own principles…" "...the world would descend into chaos. This is why we have laws and the police."

He took off his glasses and smiled at me. Hm?

Arthur

"So that's why you need to be careful. You don't want to get attacked on one of your secret dates, would you?"

Kira

"Dates?!"

He's talking about Vlad... It's not like I was keeping him a SECRET, but... Ahh, I'm so embarrassed! Arthur's too perceptive for his own good. The more I say, the more I'll dig myself into a hole.

Arthur

"No comment, hm? That's unfortunate. That only makes me more eager to find out." "Would you like to know how I found out you were going on secret dates?" "First, you've started bringing home flowers more often. So your secret boyfriend is a florist." "Second, you've been going to see this person every day. You and Sebas don't come home after shopping together anymore." "And third. You've grown even more beautiful lately. That can't be denied." "I'm worried. Can he really protect you from the dangerous world out there?"

He narrowed his eyes and reached out towards me.

Arthur

"Kira... I think you should choose a strong, yet sensitive mystery writer inste-- Oww!"

Theo

"I DON'T think so."

Vincent

"Hehe. Neither do I. Arthur's the most dangerous one of all of us!"

Kira

"Theo, Vincent!"

Arthur

"Hey, Theo! You didn't have to knock me in the head! What if you damage my superior brain?!"

Theo

"Maybe I'II knock some sense into you and you'll start acting like a normal person."

Vincent

"Hehe. You two sure do get along well. Don't you think, Kira?"

I wasn't sure about that, and Theo shrugged.

Theo

"No need to worry. Kira will be spending some time with us for a while."

Arthur

"Oh, right--you're having the exhibition for your up-and-coming artist soon, right?"

Theo

"Featuring Broer's paintings too, of course.

Kira

"Yeah, I agreed to help them out for a few days before the exhibition."

It's a shame I can't see Vlad for a while…But Theo and Vincent have done a lot for me, so I want to repay the favor.

Vincent

"Thanks for agreeing to help out, Kira. It'll be a busy few days."

Kira

"Of course. And thanks for letting me help!"

And so we quickly got to work preparing for the exhibition…

Theo

"Kira, I thought I told you to hang that painting above the stairs?"

Kira

"Sorry! I'll fix it."

Theo

"The artist Francis will be coming soon. Will you let him in?"

Kira

"Of course!"

I spent the day running around like crazy, and it was nighttime before I knew it. Phew, I'm beat. I knew it would be busy, but I wasn't prepared for it to be THIS busy! But Theo worked even harder than me, so I shouldn't complain. I need to work even harder. I tried to

encourage myself as I walked along. All the workers left and the gallery emptied. I found Theo gazing at a painting on the wall.

Theo

"..."

He looks at it like he just discovered treasure. When Theo looked at art, he looked like a little boy who'd just fallen in love for the first time.

Theo

"Hey there, Hondje. Nice work today. Did Broer already go home?"

Kira

"Yes. He kept insisting he stay and help, but I told him to go home so he could work on his painting.

Theo

"I see."

Kira

"Whose painting is that?"

Theo

"Broer's. It's his latest work."

I stood next to him and looked up at the painting. Wow…It was a painting of wheat fields gleaming in the sunlight. The farmers in the distance almost seemed alive. But the effect of the sun shining on them was incredible. Just looking at the painting made me feel like I was standing outside on a warm, sunny afternoon and filled me with hope.

Kira

"It's such a lovely painting, words can't even describe it." "Just looking at it gives me strength and makes me have a tender feeling inside."

Theo

"I feel the same way." "Broer has painted other scenes like this of wheat fields, but this one is a bit different." "He put some kind of special feeling into this one." "He told me that he hopes this painting will give hope to the people here who are suffering through poverty."

I thought about what Theo said. That's right... That's why it's moved my heart so much.

Theo

"But I'm sure that the average person would say a painting can't save anyone. A painting can't fill people's bellies." "Whenever there's hard times in the world, the first thing we do is get rid of the artists and say they're not necessary." "But I don't believe that's true. I believe that they're even more necessary in times of hardship."

His ocean-blue eyes were glowing with passion.

Theo

"This painting, Markus's music, Arthur's and Dezaki novels…" "art like that gives people strength and can heal their hearts. Like a miracle."

Kira

"..."

T

Theo

"I think we should treasure artists right now--people who can give others hope…" "like the geniuses who live in the mansion."

When the world is dark and bereft of hope, people's hearts can break easily. And when people's hearts are downtrodden, it's so easy for them to get hurt. Sometimes we end up hurting those closest to each other, or ourselves. But…

Flashback

Vlad

"Go to her before they wilt. Gerberas symbolize hope and progress." "So have hope, and take a step forward."

Flashback Ends

We can also comfort and protect those around us. Some people hurt others, while others try to save them. What kind of person am I?