Work Text:
Koga sets a bouquet of white lilies on a single gravestone in the graveyard of Yumenosaki's students, students who couldn't take the pressure of being an idol, every month at the same date.
They're the only flowers left on that headstone, except for the rare times Rei Sakuma is back in town. Koga hasn't seen him since he graduated. Koga isn't really sure he cares, not anymore. The only flowers Rei leaves are four pink carnations whenever he visits. It sticks out like a sore thumb in December, against the snow falling on the headstone and ground. Koga's lilies blend in seamlessly. He hates that he still lives in Rei's shadow, even in something this small.
Adonis comes with him, sometimes, like today. Watches him as Koga sits at the foot of the grave, crying and talking senselessly to himself in a rare moment of weakness for the wolf. Like his former upperclassman, Koga had changed much upon hitting his third year. Adonis remembers when he was loud, outspoken and aggressive. Now he keeps to himself, never to show an ounce of weakness or emotion, only violent arrogance and apathy. He's taken over as UNDEAD's leader, and they've long since given Fine a run for their money, nowadays. They've come so far.
They've also lost so much, and Adonis would give anything to have the old Koga back, as he watches the wolf howl pitifully and regretfully as snow begins to fall, longing to turn back time to his second year and prevent the turning point for UNDEAD.
"Ritsu-senpai?" Tsukasa's tone is wary and a little uncertain, as he approaches Ritsu after practice, and Ritsu only looks at him, raising an eyebrow and waiting for him to continue. "Your friend... Koga, is it? He visits the graveyard every month, in a similar way that Narukami-senpai used to. Why... why is that? Do you know?"
Ritsu is silent for a minute, and Tsukasa wonders if he should've asked. He's about to tell Ritsu to forget it when the vampire speaks.
"...Yes, I know why Corgi visits. It's just like you say, Suu-chan, it's similar to why Natchan visited. Corgi... lost someone very dear to him, in his second year. So I think he'll keep visiting, even after he graduates."
"...Ah. This academy... it sure has taken a lot of students' lives, hasn't it, Ritsu-senpai?"
"...it sure has, Suu-chan. It sure has."
The two of them watch the snow fall outside from the school windows in silence after that. Though neither of them acknowledged it, they were both thinking about the members of Knights who had graduated, and how close they had come to losing one of their own.
Rei Sakuma visits Yumenosaki every chance he gets, to pay a small tribute to a dear friend he'd lost during his third year. Four pink carnations, to symbolize the four members of UNDEAD, and what they had. What they lost.
He sets the carnations against the gravestone, covered in snow from the recent snowfall, only managing a sad smile at how much the color stuck out against everything around it. Lilies were always at the base of the headstone, every month like clockwork, so it was impossible for him to mistake the grave, even with the headstone covered in snow. As he moved to stand back up, he brushed the snow off of it, shutting his eyes for a moment as the sunrise light fell on the now-uncovered name on the headstone.
"Kaoru..." He murmurs it softly, more to himself then anything, glancing reservedly at the words carved onto the stone. "I hope you're doing better than you were here, Kaoru. ...We miss you."
Rei stays there for a little longer, musing about their final conversations before leaving as the sun rose ever-higher in the sky. Today was Koga's visiting day, of course. White lilies every month. The vampire didn't want to hang around any longer than he had to.
As the morning sun grows brighter, four pink carnations glitter brightly among the snow and ice against the grave marked 'HAKAZE KAORU'.