The scent of Aster on her skin (reserved)

Aster, the flower of love, faith, wisdom, and valor.

Kazu sat in the meadow, picking flowers and twinning them together to make bracelets and headbands and occasionally, stick one in her hair. Kazu's hair had two mini braids joined at the back of her head; the rest of her hair flew free around her face. She wore a long yellow sun dress with spaghetti straps. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining and it was fairly warm, so Kazumi had gone out to enjoy the weather. "As pretty~" Kazu sighed happily.

"Why am I back here?" Chase muttered to himself. He had been talking to himself more and more lately; he blamed it on the company he was keeping. He had somehow found himself back in Sunshine Island once again. It was like a magnet; it kept pulling him back.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair as his feet led him back to one of his favorite places, the meadow. The first thing he saw in the field was a silhouette. And the first thing that came to mind...

"Mia?" he wondered out loud, increasing his speed to check it out. No, it wasn't Mia; it was Kazumi. Nonetheless, he smiled and called out for her, waving. "I thought you were sick!" he accused teasingly as he approached.

"Chase onii-chan!" Kazu said closing her eyes and smiling. "I got better! That's one of the beautys of getting sick as often as i do!" Kazu stood up, grabbed one of her flower headbands, and placed it on Chase's head. 'Beautiful!" she exclaimed teasingly. "Just like a princess."

Chase tried to see the headband on his forehead. "Eh, spring flowers aren't really my thing," he laughed, taking it off his head. The action was accompanied by a sneeze. "Ah, sorry. Allergies," he apologized, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. "It's the pollen in the air. This season is nice, but murder on my sinuses."

"AH! I'm sorry! You should have told me!" Kazu said taking the flowers. "By the way, i heard you say 'Mia" earlier. What was that about?" "Something i should know? eh? eh?" Kazu said waggling her eyebrows and playfully elbowing chase in the ribs.

To his dismay, a blush flooded Chase's cheeks, which he tried to repress. When that didn't work, he ducked his head and lied like a dog. "What are you talking about? I think that fever affected your brain. Or maybe your hearing. Or maybe both. It's a toss-up." When his face had returned to a normal color, he looked back up and grinned. For some reason, he wasn't quite ready to unveil Mia to Kazumi. He didn't have a name for it yet, really. He couldn't explain it to himself, much less his friend.

Kazu howled with laughter and messed up his hair. "Y-you're face was so RED! HAHHAHAHAHAHA, you can tell me when you're ready." Kazu calmed down and wiped a tear from her eye. "S-so anyway, by what pleasure do i see you here? Passing a fancy?"

Of course, this only made Chase blush harder. "I'm going to kill you," he threatened, joking of course but embarrassed all the same. "OK, OK...I'll tell you more about Mia...later." He grinned, and plopped down on the grass. "Honestly, I have no clue what I'm doing here. At all. I guess I like this place."

"I like it too!" Kazu said plucking an Aster flower from her head. "Flowers are my favorite! Most girls would like expensive things, like jewelery, maybe? But i don't like that stuff." "It might sound a bit weird, but they just make me happier." "Anyway, I'm happy for you and Mia, i hope i can find someone nice someday." "I need to make money first, though. And in order to do that, i need a job, which i don't have." Waves of gloom crossed over Kazumi.

He laughed out loud. "Expensive stuff's not really my thing, either. Then again, neither are flowers, but that's more of a one-sided hatred. I have to appreciate them from far away." He made sure to lie down in an area unpopulated by the blooming buds, and stared up at the sky. He listened to Kazumi talk, and when she mentioned something about a job, he sat upright. The wheels started turning in his head as he asked, "You need a job?"

"Ya, farming is hard work, but i don't make much off of it. And i need to be able to support myself and buy crops and food for the animals." "So I'd really like to get a job." "I don't want to make too much, just enough to get me buy, y'know?"

Chase thought for a moment. "Well..." he said, a little hesitantly. He looked at her. "You know, I own my own store in Mineral Town. I'm a little shorthanded, especially now that so many crops and supplies for the new year are being sold. You could come help me out at the shop," he suggested. "Like a job. Part-time, if need be, so you can still work on your farm."

"EH!? Really? you'd do that!?" a wide grin spread across kazu's face. "THANK YOU THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Kazu wrapped her arms around Chase and hugged him. "That would be such a great help! I Promise i'll work my hardest!" 'Thank you thank you!'

He laughed, a little taken aback. She was a strong girl; she was able to push him back a few inches when she tacklehugged him. "It's okay," he said, chuckling and patting her on the back. "You're welcome." He hugged back with an arm, and said, "Can you start on Monday?"

"YES YES YES!" 'I promise i won't be late! Cross my heart! I'll work extra extra hard!' Kazu released her hug, and when she did, her eye's met Chase's. SHe didn't know why, but she felt her heart skip a little beat. I Never noticed how pretty Chase's eyes were... AH! what am i saying!? Kazumi looked away and turned back to all the little flower bracelets and headbands she had made. "I Know you don't like these, but could you take one to Mia for me?" "I know it may seem kind of weird, but these flowers are magic, so they'll stay alive for a really like time.'

Chase grinned. His glasses were off that day, which was bad; the combination of the pollen and the foreign invader that his eyes considered the contact lenses to be resulted in chronically watery and irritated eyes. "Ach, sorry," he apologized, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve. "Allergies." She handed him a bracelet to give to Mia, and he whistled lowly. "Wow," he said, in awe. "That's really cool. She'll like it." He pocketed the gift and nodded. "I'll give it to her." He paused, grinned, and folded his arms across his chest. "I'm glad to see you're getting along so well with her. But the gifts! First a kitten, now a bracelet. When am I going to get a gift, Miss Kazumi?"

"AH! No! that's not it! I wanted to get Chase onii-chan a gift, but i don't know what you like! Ummmm I wanted it to be a surprise, so i didn't want to ask you out loud..." Kazu's face was red and flustered as she struggled to find the right words. "I really like making things so....and Mia's so pretty, so i guess i make her things to really complement it." "Plus. i really like seeing the happy expressions on people's faces when they get something they like!' "S-so i wanted to make you something extra-special but...."

Chase laughed. "Relax, Kazu. It was a joke." He held his hands up in surrender. "I was teasing, okay? Please, don't feel obligated to get me anything. It's nice that you're friends with Mia. I'm glad, really." He patted her on the shoulder reassuringly. And then, he tried to add something nonchalantly: "You think she's pretty?" He did, too, of course, but then again, he thought most girls were. Especially the ones who had a fire burning behind their eyes. Especially the ones that were alive, and the ones that made him feel alive, too.

"Of course!" "She's one of the prettiest girls i've ever seen!" "She's just like a princess!" "Course i was never really into princesses, but I felt like i met a real one!" "She's so spirited, too. I can definitely see why you like her!' "Waita grab her before someone else did." Kazu said with a mischievous grin and wink.

Chase coughed, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I think so, too," he agreed quietly. Mia was a strange subject for him. He could write volumes about her...in invisible ink. "She reminds me of someone. I can't really put my finger on it, though. I try not to overthink it. I'm afraid if I do, I'll ruin it. I'm too analytical. She's the more lighthearted and spontaneous one." He smiled at the sky, and then snapped out of it. "Sorry. I babble a little." He laughed.

"Don't worry, i babble all the time!' "Anyway, i should probably get on home." Kazu leaned up and kissed Chase on the cheek-something she had now indicated as a friendly hello or goodbye. I"ll be at work bright an early Monday! Promise!" Kazu closed her eyes and flashed a white smile. "So i'll see you then?" Kazumi said happily.

Chase nodded. "Monday morning. The store opens at around seven o clock; you might want to get there around six thirty so I can show you the ropes." He stood up and brushed dirt off his pants as she kissed him goodbye, and then headed off. "Bye, Kazumi. See you then!" he called after her, waving.