Aisuru

It was obvious from the beginning that the clan wanted Koi and Aisuru to be mates. They had similar coloring and were both born on the Day of Love. However, unlike most forced or arranged matings, they truly loved each other. As children, they had played together constantly, and never noticed that the clan seemed particularly interested in their relationship. They were merely best friends. As they grew, Aisuru noticed more and more the clan’s eagerness to get them together. He wrote it off as a sign that their friendship inspired the clan, and mostly ignored it. Then, one day during the summer, they had traveled to gather some flowery herbs for Scylla. As they broke through the forest into a field of flowers, the clouds that had threatened rain all day cleared suddenly, spilling sunlight onto the field. Aisuru noticed suddenly how beautiful Koi looked. A strange feeling burst inside his chest. He felt it more and more often around Koi, and discovered that it was love. He began to try to build up the courage to tell her how he felt.

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Finally, at a clan party about a week later, he had the perfect opportunity. He had brought a Daisy Corsage in a small bag, hoping he would be able to give it to her. It was evening, and they were watching the sun set. One lone star shone defiantly, even though the sun had not yet slipped past the horizon. The sight of that star gave him a strange burst of courage. He pulled the Corsage out of the bag and slipped it on her arm, quoting the encyclopedia definition, “A gift from someone special.” For one terrible millisecond, nothing happened. Then, Koi smiled, and her eyes lit up. Aisuru’s heart leapt, and he smiled back. A comfortable silence surrounded them as the sun finally went to sleep.