Chapter 1
Sitting beside her memorial grave, I remembered the day we met.
It was exactly seven years ago.
Many people can tell you the story of what happened. A few might even think they know it. But the whole truth, what I truly experienced, is something only I can tell. I have always wondered what her side of the story was.
Seven years back, on this same day in February, our paths crossed. To understand how it happened, you will have to follow me on a journey I wish, more than anything, I could relive.
The alarm rang and pulled me out of sleep.
I brushed my teeth with cold water before stepping into a hot shower. The warmth seeped slowly into my skin as the bathroom fogged up around me. When I opened the door, the steam followed me out into the hallway. I dried myself quietly, droplets sliding down my arms and falling onto the cold wooden floor.
I got dressed for school. Another day of the lie I lived in.
My mother’s voice came up from downstairs.
“Sae, hurry up. You do not want to be late again. Breakfast is ready.”
I grabbed my bag, twisted the cold metallic knob of my door, and headed down.
Breakfast was simple. Warm bread with salted butter and coffee. I preferred mine black, no milk, barely any sugar. My mother always added both anyway.
I blew the steam away and took a sip.
“You know I like it black,” I said, dragging my voice.
“Too much caffeine at your age is not good,” she replied. Her voice was soft. Too soft to argue with. “It will ruin your sleep and your skin.”
The clock read five past seven. I stuffed the bread into my mouth, gulped down the coffee, grabbed my lunch, and rushed toward the door.
“Bye, Mom. Getting late. Love you.”
She called out from behind me. “I packed extra tofu sandwiches for your friends. Buy something to drink with them.”
“Okay. See you in the evening.” I was already halfway out.
As the door closed, her voice faded into the quiet morning.
“He is always in such a hurry. I wonder when he will finally grow up.”
Outside, my breath slowed as I walked. The river beside the road murmured softly, its sound drifting through the cold morning air. And like every day, my mind wandered on its own.
What does it mean to grow up? Does it mean leaving what you love behind? Or sacrificing everything for family? Or simply accepting the world and learning to stop complaining?
A passing car snapped me out of it, and before I noticed, I was standing at the school gate. The world I wished did not exist.
The walkway leading to the building was lined with sakura trees. Their pink petals drifted down like gentle snow. One petal landed right in front of me. I leaned down to pick it up.
Someone bumped into me.
I straightened quickly and bowed.
“Sorry. I stopped suddenly. It is my fault.”
At the exact same moment, she bowed too.
“No, it was my fault.”
Our foreheads collided.
“Ouch,” she murmured, rubbing her head.
I lifted my gaze.
And everything froze.
A breeze swept past us, yet time itself seemed to pause. Her hair glowed like the color of a rising dawn. Her eyes were blue like sapphires, sparkling with something I had not seen in a long time. Sakura petals hung in the air around us, unmoving for one single heartbeat. Her hair swayed gently, as if the world had slowed down just to watch her.
For that moment, I forgot how to breathe.
Then the school bell shattered it.
She hurried past me toward the building. I stood there for five full minutes, replaying her face in my mind like a scene I never wanted to end.
“Hey, you there.” The security guard’s voice cut across the path. “School has started. Hurry up.”
I snapped back, bowed awkwardly, and rushed inside.
