A Tale of Weeds

* A Tale of Weeds
* Azalea Corner
* Castle in the Bushes
* To a Nameless Flower

## To a Nameless Flower

### Author

Yuikawa Kazuno

***"A Tale of Weeds"*** (雑草譚 Zassou Tan) is the twelfth chapter of the first volume of *éclair*, written by Yuikawa Kazuno. The story continues through *éclair rouge*, and is the title story in *éclair Special: A Tale of Weeds*.

## **Summary**

### **A Tale of Weeds**

Azami and Hinako have a secret garden by the river. There, they give their own names to the plants that live there.

One day, Mashiro is transferred into their class from Tokyo. She starts getting a lot of attention from her new classmates. Hinako notices her scrapbook full of flowers, and starts calling them by Azami's secret names without Azami, with Mashiro correcting her with their real names.

Azami walks home alone, feeling somewhat betrayed that Hinako so readily gave away their special names to someone else. However, she finds Hinako by the riverbed, tearing apart Mashiro's scrapbook. Hinako tells Azami that it's their secret garden and walks away.

At school the next day, Mashiro had been asking around for her notebook. Azami covers for Hinako when asked about it, and Hinako plays dumb as well. However, Mashiro knows that it was Hinako when she sees the burs stuck to her bag, calling her out in front of the class. Hinako tries to usher Azami away, but Azami doesn't go with her. Hinako says that she just let Azami be her friend and walks away alone.

Azami apologizes to Mashiro, and Mashiro forgives her.

### **Azalea Corner**

In class, the teacher announces that someone has been tearing up the school's azalea bushes, and to let him know if anyone sees anything.

Yuzuka, a girl in the same class as Hinako, thinks that Hinako is a bad person. She says that she puts on such a sweet appearance, that it's only natural for people to flock to her. But she only keep people who agree with her completely around, cutting off anyone who doesn't. That includes Azami, even though Azami was her closest friend.

Yuzuka is working on a group presentation with Hinako and her group of friends at Hinako's house. Azami isn't invited there anymore. Hinako acts very kindly to them, making them drinks and offering to have her dad drive them to pick up supplies.

While the group is walking together, they see Mashiro and Azami picking azaleas and putting them to their lips. Hinako and her friends make fun of them, Hinako calling Azami "dirty". They wonder if they should report them for destroying the azaleas.

Yuzuka, while running late that evening, spots Hinako tearing up the azaleas. She watches Hinako behind the corner, pondering about how well she put on a calm face despite her selfishness. Hinako then picks up one of the azaleas and puts it to her lips just as Azami did, blushing as she does so.

Yuzuka runs off. She says Hinako gives her the creeps with her cute face and malicious actions. She blushes remembering how she looked amonf the destroyed flowers. She tells Hinako's friends that they shouldn't draw conclusions so quickly and tell on them. Yuzuka once again calls Hinako selfish and cruel, but says that she doesn't want to share that side of her with anyone else.

### **Castle in the Bushes**

Hinako's class is cleaning up around town. Hinako and Yuzuka are slacking off, while the rest of the students work hard.

Yuzuka points out the poor vine, which makes Hinako angry with Azami. Azami recounts how she compared HInako with the poor vine, also called the bushkiller vine, when they would hang out together. She said HInako was like the pretty pink flowers among the green vine.

That evening, after the students have gone home, Mashiro finds Hinako with bags full of the poor vine. Hinako is very embarrassed, yelling at Mashiro to go home. Instead, Mashiro tells her that she shouldn't keep her true feelings inside.

She tells Hinako that she transferred out of her old school because she was being bullied. She never told anyone, and eventually, the stress made her become physically ill, so she had to transfer. Mashiro figures that Hinako likes the flowers in the flower bed, since she didn't become angry when Azami originally compared her to the bushkiller.

Before she can finish, Hinako dumps the bag of poor vine onto Mashiro. Though she tries to make fun of her, Mashiro doesn't care, instead saying that this side of Hinako is much more likeable. Hinako threatens to tell everyone how she was bullied if she tells on her. Mashiro says she would never do that, and that Hinako should tell people how she feels with her own mouth. Mashiro leaves Hinako alone.

Hinako thinks back on the people in her life, and realizes that Azami was the only positive influence on her. She remembers when she first showed her their secret garden by the river. She tearfully regrets her actions.

### **To a Nameless Flower**

The class's teacher announces that graduation is coming soon, and that he hopes they haven't left behind any regrets. Azami, Mashiro, and their male friend are talking about what middle school might be like, hoping that they can all still hang out.

Azami thinks about Hinako and her regrets. Their friend thinks it's a relief that they can all cut ties with Hinako, but Azami says that no one else tolerated her "weird stuff", though she thinks that the only one who enjoyed hanging out was herself. Their friend tells her to just forget the bad memories.

Hinako and Yuzuka overhear their conversation from inside the classroom. Yuzuka tells Hinako that she and Azami just aren't good for each other, and that she should accpet that and move on. She tries to change the topic by complimenting Hinako's nails, but that only makes Hinako remember how she and Azami would make flower crowns together. Azami told Hinako that pink flowers suited her best, and, even though Hinako was terrible at making the flower crowns, she still says pink is her favorite color.

At the graduation ceremony, Hinako talks with her friends. Her father is there too, and finds out that Hinako hung out with Azami by the river. He scolds Hinako in front of everyone for playing somewhere he forbid her from going. Hinako tries to stop him from confronting Azami too, saying that she isn't friends with Azami anymore, but her father just tells her to choose people who will value her.

Hinako confronts her father, telling him outright that he neglects her all the time. She says that the one who truly treated her like a princess was Azami. Yuzuka, Mashiro, and Azami all witness her telling her father off, then running away. Azami follows her.

Hinako cries by the sinks. Azami gives her a handkercheif, and Hinako calls herself stupid for pretending to be a princess all the time. Azami tears up and tells to just forget those bad memories. Hinako does, putting a cherry bloom petal in her mouth, something she wouldn't have done previously becuase it was "dirty".

The two part ways. Azami once again thinks back on their time together, saying she'll never forget those special names for the flowers.

## **Author Comment**

### **A Tale of Weeds**

"I love seeing a girl become a little twisted because of another girl and not even be able to make sense of it herself."

### **Azalea Corner**

"I was deeply honored to be invited back. I like troublesome girls."

### **Castle in the Bushes**

"Thank you for inviting me back again. I ended up continuing the story from last time and the time before. Girls' evil faces really hit home with me."

### **To a Nameless Flower**

"This feels like the ending of the Plant Tales series I've been cultivating since the first éclair. I was happy to be able to dress them up for the cover this time. Going for walks to take reference photos of flowers made me feel nostalgic. Thank you very much!"

## **Gallery**

### **A Tale of Weeds**

Hinako and Azami on the cover of éclair Special: A Tale of WeedsHinako kisses Azami's foreheadHinako and Mashiro talkAzami feels left outHinkao tears up Mashiro's notebookHinako wants to keep this a secretAzami denies seeing anythingHinako is resentful of Mashiro for accusing herHinako is angered by Azami's betrayalMashiro forgives Azami
### **Azalea Corner**

Hinako appears cute and innocentAzami used to be Hinako's favoriteHinako ignores AzamiAzami and Mashiro put the azaleas to their lipsHinako blushesYuzuka runs away from HinakoYuzuka blushes from Hinako's true self
### **Castle in the Bushes**

Hinako holds trash bags full of the bushkiller vineEmbarrassed, Hinako shoves the weeds back into the bagMashiro was bullied till she became sickMashiro's speech is interruptedHinako dumps the weeds onto MashiroHinako tries to intimidate MashiroMashiro tells off HinakoHinako remembers how much Azami meant to herHinako stares at the flowers of the poor vineAzami shows Hinako her secret gardenAzami smilesHinako cries
### **To a Nameless Flower**

Hinako and Azami on the cover of éclair rougeAzami smiles with her friendsHinako overhears AzamiYuzuka tells Hinako to let Azami goHinako still likes the color pinkHinako is embarrassed by her messy flower crownHinako crushes her flower ribbonYuzuka watches Hinako changeHinako tells her father offHinako criesAzami tells Hinako to forget the bad memoriesHinako forgets the bad memoriesAzami crowns HinakoAzami will never forget Hinako

## **Trivia**

* The full story was compiled into the collection manga *Éclair Special: A Tale of Weeds: Yuikawa Kazuno Yuri Works Masterpiece Selection*, along with another old work of Yuikawa's.
* This is one of three stories in *éclair* to have multiple chapters, along with *The Unemployed Woman and the High School Girl* and *Open Your Eyes*.
* The characters were featured on the front and back covers of *éclair rouge*.
* Hinako and Azami gave different names to the weeds and flowers by the river. These include:
	+ "Watermelon grass" for blue-eyed grass
	+ "Twisting flower" for the screw flower
	+ "Firework grass" for crabgrass
	+ "Wheat grass" for rescue grass
	+ "Honey-sucking grass" for an unknown plant, presumably azaleas by the scene's context
	+ "Star candy" for an unknown plant