Chapter 86: Echoes Beneath the Cherry Blossoms
The early days of spring had begun to awaken Hoshikawa City from its long winter slumber. The cherry blossom trees lining the schoolyard, once bare and skeletal, now blushed with soft pink petals, whispering promises of change in the breeze. But while the city bloomed in vibrant colors, an unmistakable heaviness loomed over the group that had once found so much laughter together.
Naoto stood quietly by the school gates, his uniform neatly pressed, his bag slung over one shoulder. He watched the wind sweep fallen petals across the pavement as a distant voice echoed in his mind.
"Do you ever think about what comes after?" Himari had once asked him, her eyes tracing the clouds. "When all this is over... what do we hold onto?"
That memory stung now more than ever.
Inside the classroom, the atmosphere was subdued. Rika sat at her desk, her eyes fixed on the cherry tree outside the window. Souta sat nearby, sketching idly in his notebook, glancing at her every so often. Their conversations had grown more tender over time, woven with understanding and quiet companionship.
"You know," Souta finally said, keeping his voice soft, "when I was little, I used to think cherry blossoms were sad. They bloom beautifully, but they fall so fast. Like they're scared to stay too long."
Rika blinked, then smiled faintly. "Maybe they fall because they're brave. They don't hold on to something once their time is up."
Souta turned his head slightly, observing her. She had changed. The once sharp edges of her frustration and defiance had softened. Beneath it all, though, the weight she carried was visible.
He wanted to say something more, but before he could, the door opened. Naoto entered, and the air shifted. Conversations quieted. Eyes followed him.
Rika's expression remained unreadable as their gazes met. A flicker of recognition, of longing, passed between them. But that was all.
The lesson went on. Naoto didn't sit near Rika anymore. They still shared classes, still lived under the same roof, but they had grown used to the quiet distance. The emotional storm had passed—but the wreckage remained.
Later That Day
Naoto sat with his mother, Hana Hayashi, at the hospital. She was smiling, her cheeks flushed with more color than he'd seen in months.
"I saw the cherry blossoms today," she whispered. "They reminded me of your father. He loved them, too."
Naoto's hand gently clasped hers. "You're getting better, Mom. The doctor said so."
She laughed softly. "Getting better doesn't mean forever. It just means... we have today. And maybe tomorrow."
He didn't respond. His throat felt tight.
She squeezed his hand. "Live, Naoto. Don't carry my illness as your burden. Promise me."
He hesitated. Then, nodding slowly, he murmured, "I promise."
Evening — Rooftop
Rika stood alone on the rooftop, the wind pulling at her hair. She held a letter in her hand—one she hadn't yet found the courage to give Naoto.
Souta approached, hands in his pockets. "You've been writing that for days."
"It's not finished," Rika replied. "Because every time I think I'm ready to let go... I remember something else. Some smile. Some word. Some moment."
He moved beside her, letting the silence stretch.
"Then don't force it," Souta said eventually. "You'll let go when it stops hurting. Or when it hurts less."
She turned to look at him, her voice low. "What if it never stops hurting?"
Souta met her eyes. "Then I'll be here. Until it does."
Rika stared at him, eyes glistening. In his presence, she felt no pressure to pretend. No need to explain. Just... space to exist, broken pieces and all.
Flashback — Childhood
A memory stirred in Naoto's heart that night as he lay in bed. He was twelve again, standing beneath a wide blue sky, holding hands with a girl whose laughter could chase away clouds.
"You'll marry me one day, right?" she teased.
He laughed. "Only if you promise to always be weird."
"Deal. But you have to promise something too."
"What?"
"Never forget me. Even if the world pulls us apart."
Back in the present, Naoto blinked tears from his eyes.
Final Scene
At school the next day, the group gathered beneath the cherry trees. It was a tradition now—to sit together during lunch, even if some bonds had frayed.
Mei, Aiko, Souta, Kenta, Haru, Rika, and Naoto.
They laughed. They reminisced. And then Rika stood, brushing petals from her skirt.
"I want to say something," she said. "Not to everyone. Just to Souta."
The group quieted. Souta looked up, surprised.
Rika took a deep breath. "Thank you. For being here. For not trying to replace anyone. For just... being."
He nodded, eyes soft.
Naoto watched from the side, silent. A bittersweet smile touched his lips.
As cherry blossoms drifted down like snow, the group sat beneath them—not as they once were, but still together. Changed. Hurt. Healing.
And far off, in the corners of the heart, the echoes of unwritten feelings still lingered.
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