- Memories

Meanwhile, they are having dinner and even one of them does not want to talk because they feel awkward. As the time passed, they were almost done having their meal and now he only noticed that Asami is across from him on the table after he took a quick peek. He could not help but be thrilled with the feeling of happiness that master Asami was having dinner with him.

And Asami is thinking of opening a conversation with Ichinose because of the awkwardness they feel and Asami felt that Ichinose's stealing glances at him again. So, he decided to make a way for them to talk and Asami took a deep breath. Ichinose took one last look at him and suddenly he heard Asami speak...

"Did you enjoy working in the garden, Ichinose?" Asami asks him while he keeps looking at him and waiting for his response.

"Yes, I enjoy it a lot and I wanted to fix those withered plants and flowers. If you would agree, can you just buy fertilizers next time you go downtown." He replied to Asami but this time he is not looking at him since he got caught and their eyes met.

Asami thought that it is good to keep the flowers and plants healthy. Also, he needs to buy a bouquet of flowers for her mother's memorial death. It is the 40th day after the death. These are traditional memorial services, family gatherings, ceremonies, and rituals in memory of someone left on the 40th day after his/her death.

"Okay, let us do that on Saturday and I have no work to do. Would you accompany me to get some good flowers as I need it too?" Asami replies to him while he is about to stand up across from him on the table. And he looked at the maids if they were done, too.

"After you are all done, you can clean up and rest for the day." Asami follows another word before he goes to the balcony and looks at Ichinose. As he wants him to be followed and to have some nice talk while smoking. And the five maids nodded as to let Asami know they understood it.

Then he said to Ichinose, "When you are done, follow me and I would like to talk to you more about gardening and your ideas." Asami continued to walk straight away from the dining room, and he searched his left pocket for the cigarette.

As Ichinose only nods as agreeing he understood what Asami said to him and he waits until Asami leaves his chair and follows him to the balcony. While the five maids are looking at Ichinose wondering on their faces like 'What does Ichinose do that their master Asami needed to talk to him?'

And he just smiled at them and spoke, "Thank you for the dinner. It was good and delicious." Then he left the table and walked towards his master Asami who was waiting for him at the balcony.

Asami saw him entering and so he said, "It might be good if you come with me, so you can see which are good fertilizer for plants and flowers. I don't know anything much about the fertilizer here since I used a different one in my house." and Asami did not take his eyes off him while Ichinose was approaching one of the chairs to get a cigarette.

After he lit up his cigarette, he said that... "I know some stores that are selling good fertilizer especially for the plants and flowers. And I have an acquaintance there, so I guess we can get some discounts if we buy it in bulk. And thank you for the dinner. It was delicious." and he blew the smoke away to his face like he was playing to make some shape out of his smoke.

While Asami is looking at Ichinose, he suddenly remembers some of his childhood when he was young and living with his mother in this house. Asami remembers there is an older brother he always called out. It is just that he can't remember the face or anything beyond that, as he already thought that the 'brother' he calls (from when he was young) left the villa and moved to a different city.

Then Asami stops thinking and he asks Ichinose, "Do you know anyone who has worked here before? Like the same as you? I mean working here in the villa for more than 10 yrs. now."

Ichinose's eyebrow suddenly curled up as he looked at Asami thinking 'what a vague question?' So, he answered, "To what I know there are a few uncles resigning because they were too old to continue working here." while looking at Asami he also wondered, 'why is he so focused on thinking of the workers?'

He shrugged his shoulders as he didn't want to think of why Asami was asking about the worker in his villa. It could be that one of the uncle's retirement compensations that he forgot to sign the papers or Asami forgot to give the retirement benefits.

Either way it is not his problem to think as for him, he is still young to think about retirement benefits. Both of them are done smoking and Asami's about to say something but...

Aisha suddenly came in and said, "Sir, the room is ready to use on the second floor." and she turned her head to Ichinose, "Please feel free to use it any time by now as we know you work hard in the garden this entire day." to let him know that the room is ready.

"Thank you for fixing the room for him." Asami replied to her. And then she left along with the house helper.

He didn't know Asami was gazing at him, he felt that someone was looking. But when he turned his gaze to his side, he was surprised that his master Asami was staring and smiling at him. Like he wanted to ask me about something.

He pretends it was nothing, so he smiles back at him, and he takes another cigarette to remove the feeling of nervousness. So, to control himself it is much better to keep his guard up and keep his distance to Asami. Being close to him will not do any good since he was gay and had a lot of past boyfriends which make him scared more.

None of them wanted to stir up the silenced just feeling of the night breeze then all of the sudden Ichinose utter a word without thinking…

"You really forget, huh?" and he was shocked with a sudden great surprise even himself was startled for blurting it out like that. He should not have said that since master Asami was very close to him, and he might hear him clearly.

He turned his head to Asami to verify if he got him heard or not but after looking at him. Ichinose thinks that Asami did not hear him at all as he was busy blowing his smoke. And he only mutters in a faint voice, 'so let's just forget it anyway' Ichinose said to himself.

"Ichinose, are you busy on Friday or this weekend?" Asami spoke to him after hearing what Ichinose said blundered his thoughts out suddenly.

"I don't recall having work on the weekend and what's have on Saturday? Are you having a tough time fixing something inside the house except for those curtain racks?" he wondered why Asami asked him on the weekend?

Well, he had nothing to do that day except to go for a drink with Apollo. But he will cancel it because Asami needed him on Saturday also for the garden supplies on what they need.

"Then it's a date on Saturday and it is for the garden supply anyway. Also, I can offer you some alcohol and wine that I want to taste but it's lonely to drink alone." Asami replied to him. And he thought that it would be good to talk him through the night.

To be continued...