Ikeuchi-kun, good morning.

Good morning.

Are you on duty again today?

Uh huh.

Today I have to prepare the bulbs for the newly joining 1st years.

Hmm, is it a pain?

Not at all. It's fun.

You seem like you're in high spirits, Oki?

Yesterday, I left school with Sanada-san.

Oh~ Good job!

But! All Sanada-san did was talk about you.

Let me flick your forehead.

Why! No!

Good morning.

Ah, good morning.

Mornin'

It's a secret.

That she and I are best friends...

It's a secret.

The Crocus' Bloom, In the Courtyard Last Part

Ikeuchi-kun, you never talk about Kuroda-kun.

No Ent- For Stu-

Ah, I guess guys and girls are different about that.

The other guys also don't talk about things like that as much as girls do.

Hmmm

It's really windy.

We really shouldn't go on the rooftop on windy days.

But there's nowhere to sit in the courtyard.

Ah, then I'll go somewhere else, and you can invite Sanada-san to eat here.

Eh, no way, that's embarrassing.

If she turns me down, it'll be too big of a shock. And Sanada-san has long hair, so I don't want to invite her somewhere windy.

Oki's a girl who talks really loudly.

But during class, you can't hear her enough, and during Japanese class, she has to read the same sentence over and over again.

Uh-oh.

That's Kimura from the soccer club.

S-Sorry, we'll

But, the teacher...

Oh

Kimura runs quickly, so he'll come here in no time!

Oki's running.

Well, that's natural, but...

Oki's pretty quiet, huh.

I know.

It seems like she's always watering the plants.

I haven't eaten my croquette yet! This sucks!

And during PE, she's the only girl who can't jump over the vaulting horse. Not even 3 boxes!

Oki's got no athletic will!

No, no

No, no, she's athletic.

She's really fast.

Somehow, she's even cooler

Than the guys.

Hah

Hah

I bet the guys in the class would be shocked.

HAH

Oki really can run.

She's fast.

Hah

HAH

AAAAAA

I

I can't

Run like that

Anymore

Hah

Hah

Ahh

Hah

I'm beat.

Hah

Haha

HAH

My stomach hurts.

Me too.

I have a huge sideache...

Hah

Your hair's disheveled.

What? Mine?

Yeah.

And you're sweating hard. We can't go back to the classroom.

Ikeuchi, come to the window.

It's refreshing.

Really?

The wind was warm.

It felt like winter had ended.

I... Guess I'll never say anything.

To Sanada?

Yeah.

Why? You said you wanted to tell her.

That's true, but...

So, why don't you say anything to Kuroda-kun? You don't even talk about him to me.

...I think

It would be a bother to Kuroda.

Hey.

No, but you see, that's how I think...

You...

You should do what you think, that what you think is right...

Ah, if I were you,

And you were me, then everyone would be perfectly happy.

Is what I thought, but why couldn't I say it then?

I couldn't put it into words very well.

Oki

Ah

Ummm...

Do you have your committee work now?

Sorry.

No, it's ok. What is it?

Ah, well it's not us, it's...

Ummm...

Sanada...

Sanada-san...

Oki, ummm, I told you before.

That if you were going out with Ikeuchi-kun,

To tell me.

But you... Said... you weren't... But, but...

Everyone sees you.

You and Ikeuchi-kun are always in the courtyard

talking like you're very close.

Ah! Umm, I'm not angry or anything!

Just, I wanted you to tell me.

Because... I look like an idiot.

Talking about how I one-sidedly love someone, even though they're already are going out with someone...

"Look like an idiot"...

If I knew that Ikeuchi-kun and you were going out, then I'd...

Is having an unrequited love "looking like an idiot"?

I-Ikeuchi-kun and I are...

B-

Friends...

You're worried about me, right.

Oki.

Thank you.

But it's ok.

Even if you and Ikeuchi-kun are going out,

Nothing will change between us.

Oki didn't come.

We had agreed to meet after school today in the courtyard, like always. She told me to come by any means, because there was a lot of work.

Oki?

But Oki didn't come.

I thought that maybe she was still in the classroom.

I...

The one I love is...

...I

I thought I'd go back to the classroom.

Mmm?

It was before the test.

There weren't any people in the hallways or on the fields.

I love is...

What was that type of flower that Oki is taking care of now...

Is Sanada-san...

Corocas, Carocos, no those are wrong...

Ah

Crocus.

Eh?

Eh?

Eh?

Is she serious?

N, No, Oki...

You don't have to be that worried about me...

It's true...

It's true...

...Huh?

Disgusting...

Oki?

I-Ikeuchi, listen!

Ah

Oki started to say something weird.

Haha

She suddenly confessed to Sanada.

Haha... That surprised me.

Oki, you... can even tell those kinds of "jokes".

My best friend looked like she was about to cry.

Actually, that means she's one of those, right? A lesbian?

Right?

Really? Are you really? Oki?

...I...

My

Precious best friend was

Right?

Eh, really?

Ain't it obvious that it's joke.

Oki is... going out with me.

Ah

Ah...

I

I turned my best friend's courage into nothing.

What were you doing, chatting in the classroom, Oki?

We promised we'd go home together today.

Oh, so it was just like we thought.

In an instant, I turned it into nothing.

Oki...!

Umm...

I'm... sorry...

Same with me, I'm sorry for telling such a weird joke!

See you tomorrow!

That day, my best friend had her heart broken.

Ikeuchi-kun, let's go.

Umm, Sanada-san said that she likes quiet and cool people!

Is that so?

Yeah! So I thought I should read short stories during breaks.

Well, actually I like manga more.

What the hell, you're really trying to act like a girly girl.

Well, I like manga more too.

Oki, ummm, I might have done something unnecessary.

I'm sorry.

Th-That's not...

true.

Ikeuchi-ku

I'm happy you came, and protected me.

And, and...

I was able to say it!

I was able to tell the person I love I love you!

Ah, that's great Oki.

You yourself confessed, and got rejected.

I don't have the courage to confess, or to be rejected, myself.

Rejecting my best friend like that

what was she thinking?

Seriously...

Even though you're such an interesting and good person...

And strong and brittle.

She loved a classmate.

She was an ordinary girl.

Ikeuchi-kun, look.

This flower is called a crocus.

Oh~

In just a little bit, the first years will be entering.

So I won't have to water after school anymore.

Eh! Is that so...?

Yeah, because that job is for first years.

So you don't have to accompany me in doing these odd jobs anymore.

Thank you for everything.

You really helped me out.

Ever since then, lots of people in our class still think that Oki and I are going out.

Including Kuroda.

I see. In that case,

I'll have free time after school.

Umm,

You know, the biology club.

The biology club grows stuff in the courtyard too.

I don't have anything to do after school, and I'm terrible at athletics, so I thought I'd join it.

What about you?

What the hell?

Biology club?

Ikeuchi-kun, you're going to do club activities?

You never consulted me about this.

Why would I? It's fine if I don't!

It can't be helped. You'll be helpless by yourself.

You're my best friend.

The Crocus' Bloom, In the Courtyard The End

The Crocus' Bloom, In the Courtyard

Thank you very much for reading until the end. When it comes to flowers growing at school, I think of crocuses, morning glories, chrysanthemums, hyacinths and lots of others, but even though I'm trying really hard to remember some, the word rafflesia comes up and I can't remember anymore. Ah, tomatoes... cherry tomatoes... Ah, tomatoes aren't flowers...