The glow of Sakura's Todai acceptance didn't diminish, but as the weeks passed, the abstract idea of "university" solidified into the concrete reality of "Todai – a specific place, far away, with intense demands." This shift in focus from getting in to preparing for being there brought new pressures and made the potential for diverging paths feel more imminent.
We started seeing Todai merchandise around Sakura – a subtle keychain, a university-branded notebook she started using. It was a physical representation of the future she was stepping into, a future that felt both exciting for her and slightly intimidating for me.
Conversations shifted too. While we still talked about school and the club, increasingly the topic would turn to Todai – the different departments, the professors, the campus life. Sakura was doing extensive research, her usual dedication now channeled into preparing for this next stage.
I listened with genuine interest, happy for her, but sometimes a pang of anxiety would hit me. Her world was expanding, becoming more specific, more elite. My own university plans, while solidifying around local literature programs, felt less grand, less... Todai.
"Have you thought about visiting the campus, Sakura?" I asked one afternoon, as she was showing me pictures online.
Her eyes lit up. "Yes! They have an orientation session for accepted students next month. I'm planning to go. My father thinks it's important to get a feel for the environment early on."
"That's cool," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "Will you... uh... go alone?"
She paused, her expression thoughtful. "My father might come with me. Or Akane might. It's a chance to meet other future students too." She didn't explicitly invite me.
And I understood why. This wasn't just a casual visit; it was part of her official step into the Todai world, likely involving meetings, networking, and interacting with people who operated at that high level. My presence, while accepted in some parts of her life, might still be seen as... irrelevant or even a distraction in that specific, high-stakes environment.
The realization, though not explicitly stated by her, stung a little. Our worlds were different, and there were still parts of hers that felt inaccessible to me, or where I didn't naturally fit.
Sakura must have sensed my quietness. She looked at me, her expression softening. "Hiroshi-kun? Everything okay?"
"Yeah," I said, maybe a little too quickly again. "Just... thinking. Todai seems... like a whole different world."
Sakura reached out and took my hand. "It will be different," she said softly. "But... it's still me, Hiroshi. And... I want you to be a part of it, as much as you can be. Even if... even if the campus visit isn't something we can do together."
Her reassurance helped, but the reality of the situation lingered. Todai was on the horizon, a concrete destination that would physically distance us and immerse her in an environment that felt far removed from mine.
The conversations about the future became more practical, and sometimes, more difficult. We talked about distance – train tickets, travel times, the possibility of weekend visits. It wasn't just abstract anymore; it was about logistics, about managing our time and resources to keep the connection alive across miles.
"It won't be easy, Hiroshi," she admitted one evening, as we were looking at train schedules between our potential university locations.
"I know, Sakura," I replied, squeezing her hand. "But we'll figure it out. We figure things out."
She smiled, a hopeful but also slightly worried smile. "We do, don't we?"
Todai on the horizon wasn't just about her future anymore; it was a looming challenge for our future. The acceptance letter was a victory, but it was also the first step towards a path that would require conscious effort, difficult conversations, and perhaps those "sacrifices" Akane-san had mentioned, to ensure our unexpected love story could continue across the distance. The preparation for Todai wasn't just academic; it was also a preparation for the potential challenges it would bring to our relationship.