By A. Z. Arata
For Sakura, the next few weeks passed as if through a magical mist. Every morning as she went to school, her subconscious mind searched for only one silhouette. Those calm eyes and that melancholic smile—Ren Takahashi.
During the lunch break on the school rooftop, the sky looked exceptionally blue today. Sakura and Aki sat together, opening their lunch boxes, or 'Bento.'
"Sakura, did you know that Ren Takahashi spends most of his time in the library?" Aki said with a teasing smile. "I've heard he plays the guitar really well, but he never plays in front of anyone."
Sakura didn't say anything; she just moved her rice ball around with her chopsticks. An unrest stirred within her. Was she truly being drawn to Ren, or was it just the lingering aftershock of that first day's collision?
The First Journey: Odaiba Island
One day after school, Sakura plucked up the courage to ask, "Ren-kun, are you going to Odaiba today? I heard the sky will look beautiful there this evening."
Ren looked at Sakura, initially a bit surprised. The familiar melancholy in his eyes seemed to brighten for a fleeting moment. He smiled gently and said, "When the Sakura flower wishes to see the sky, would it be right to say no?"
The two of them boarded the automated 'Yurikamome' train toward Odaiba Island. Outside the train window, the blue waters of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge passed by like a scene from a movie.
Walking along the sands of Odaiba beach, Sakura said, "Ren-kun, when I look at you, it feels like you aren't of this world. Are you always this calm?"
Ren gazed toward the horizon of the sea. The wind ruffled his hair into a mess. Suddenly, he looked into Sakura's eyes and asked in a very slow, enchanting voice—
"Sakura, if I ever disappear, will you look at the sky to find me?"
Sakura froze. For some reason, Ren's words pierced her heart like a needle. She gently touched his elbow and said, "Even if the curtain falls, I will at least be by your side. You won't need to look at the sky, because I'll know you are right here with me."
Ren turned to Sakura, a strange look of wonder in his eyes. He took her hand. His hand was as ice-cold as it had been that first day. But to Sakura, that coldness felt like the safest sanctuary on earth.
An Afternoon at Shinjuku Gyoen Park
The days were flying by. Their meetings had now become a habit. One day, they were sitting under the cherry trees at Shinjuku Gyoen Park.
Ren took out his guitar. In a very low voice, he struck a chord—a melancholic yet impossibly magical melody.
Sakura rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt as if she were floating in an endless sea of happiness. She whispered, "Ren, can't we always stay like this?"
Ren didn't stop playing the guitar. He simply looked at the sky, sighed, and said, "Human time is very limited, Sakura. We can only live by holding onto the present moment as tightly as we can."
At that time, Sakura didn't understand the deep meaning behind Ren's words. She didn't know why Ren would suddenly turn pale sometimes, or why he occasionally clutched his chest and took long, deep breaths. Sakura only knew that she loved Ren. Without him, her world was meaningless.
As the evening sun set behind Tokyo Tower, Ren gently kissed Sakura on her forehead. That moment was perfect, just like a poem.
Sakura thought to herself—if only life could be like this forever! She didn't know that behind this happiness, Ren was hiding a terrifying truth. She didn't know that inside Ren's body, his mother's fatal illness was slowly stealing his life away, bit by bit…..