Chapter 5
The back mountain.
A wide mountain path led straight to the summit, lined on both sides by plum trees stretching along the trail.
Flat stones were embedded in the soil to form neat steps, allowing steady footing.
Kanzaki Tomomu used no technological tools. He tended to the plum grove with meticulous care—fertilizing, pruning, pest control—handling every task personally.
In winter, this wilderness was often blanketed in heavy snow. Most birds had already flown south, leaving the entire area in quiet solitude.
Only the faint sounds of his labor added a touch of life to the tranquil back mountain.
Time slipped by unnoticed. Just as Kanzaki Tomomu neared the summit, the weather changed abruptly.
The warm late-autumn sun was swallowed by thick gray clouds, and low thunder rumbled.
Rainstorms were rare in this usually dry season.
Kanzaki Tomomu glanced up at the sky but didn't stop what he was doing.
Soon, a misty drizzle began to fall.
The light rain curtain moistened the dry air, gradually turning into a steady patter that soaked his clothes.
Raindrops splashed against the stone steps, creating tiny bursts of water, while the sparse rhythm of dripping echoed clearly.
Autumn wind carried the rain across the plum branches, helping the withered leaves return to the earth and quietly gathering strength for the new life that would bloom after the bitter cold.
"Mr. Kanzaki—!"
A girl's voice approached from afar.
Kanzaki Tomomu turned around and saw Clarisse hurrying up the path, holding an oil-paper umbrella.
The autumn wind tilted the fine rain. A single oil-paper umbrella couldn't provide full protection.
Unaware that the hem of her skirt was already wet, Clarisse ran straight to Kanzaki Tomomu's side and stretched her arm to hold the umbrella over his head.
"Why did you run out without wearing a coat?"
"Ha… you… you'd get soaked." Clarisse's cheeks were faintly flushed, her breathing a little hurried.
Kanzaki Tomomu felt a warmth in his chest and showed a helpless smile.
"Silly girl, curing a cold is much harder than drying wet clothes. You don't need to hold the umbrella for me. Go back quickly."
"No!"
Clarisse shook her head stubbornly.
She had finally found something she could do for Mr. Kanzaki.
"Mr. Kanzaki always knows how to care for others… but as a doctor, shouldn't you care for yourself too? At least…"
"Save some of the gentleness you give to the world… for yourself."
Kanzaki Tomomu was momentarily stunned. The corners of his eyes curved into a soft arc as he nodded gently.
"Then I'll have to trouble you, little Clarisse."
"I'm already 18. I'm not little anymore."
In any country on her homeworld or this planet, 18 was already the legal age to marry…
"Hehe…"
Hearing the girl's soft protest, Kanzaki Tomomu couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Youth really was wonderful.
Thinking back to when he was eighteen… hm?
His memory suddenly hit a snag. He couldn't recall anything particularly memorable from that year.
Maybe there wasn't anything.
Or perhaps, after more than a hundred years, he had simply grown too old to remember.
The two figures shared a single umbrella as they walked past row after row of plum trees, finally entering the grove at the summit.
The rain grew denser, enveloping them in a hazy watercolor mist.
Clarisse quietly tilted the umbrella more toward Kanzaki Tomomu, not noticing that her own shoulder was getting wet.
"Wait a moment. This plum tree's branches need pruning."
Kanzaki Tomomu stopped, neatly snipping away the excess twigs.
Clarisse quickly raised the umbrella higher. In the motion, Kanzaki Tomomu's sleeve brushed past her forehead, carrying a faint, clean scent.
Mr. Kanzaki always smelled like a mix of medicinal herbs and some unknown flower—pleasant and comforting.
The girl suddenly wished time could stretch a little longer.
The rain grew heavier. One oil-paper umbrella was no longer enough, so the two took shelter beneath an old plum tree.
Unfortunately, its sparse branches couldn't form a natural roof. Raindrops slipped through the gaps and bloomed into tiny splashes on the umbrella.
"Are you cold?" Kanzaki Tomomu took the umbrella from her and asked with concern.
"Not cold."
Even as she said it, Clarisse unconsciously moved a little closer to him.
The wind carried Mr. Kanzaki's scent, making her heartbeat quicken. She flicked her pale-purple hair forward to hide her burning ear tips.
They might have turned red…
Puddles formed at their feet, reflecting the two figures standing side by side.
She secretly shifted half a step closer and accidentally brushed against Kanzaki Tomomu's arm.
"Don't force yourself."
After a brief hesitation, Kanzaki Tomomu stepped behind the girl and used his height to shield her from the chilly wind blowing from behind.
At that moment, only heaven knew how much Clarisse wanted to lean into his embrace.
"In another two months, when the cold winter you like arrives, these plum trees will bloom. I'll come help you pick the blossoms then."
The words slipped out. Worried they sounded too obvious, she quickly added,
"And while I'm at it… I'll pick some for myself. I want to make sachets with plum blossoms for you, Mother, and me…"
"You're very thoughtful."
Kanzaki Tomomu did not refuse the girl's sincere offer.
Clarisse suddenly recalled a romantic saying:
If you share an umbrella with your beloved in the rain, the droplets falling from the edge will become seeds of memory that bloom and bear fruit in the years to come.
But the tarot reading…
While she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard something unexpected.
"Actually… I don't really like winter."
"Eh? Why not?"
"When I was a child, the only blurry memories winter left me were famine, war, corpses, and the fear and nightmares of hovering on the edge of death…"
"Then… are you doing all this because you really love plum blossoms?"
"I'm not sure how much I like them. But I remember that Teacher loves plum blossoms very much. She also loves drinking plum blossom brew and eating pastries infused with their fragrance."
"…"
So it was all because of that teacher…
Clarisse's understanding of how important that teacher was to Mr. Kanzaki deepened once again.
A trace of envy rose in her heart, but she didn't continue the topic.
The atmosphere grew quiet.
The rain eased a little. They continued walking through the grove until they reached the last few plum trees.
Kanzaki Tomomu reached out and lifted a low-hanging branch so she could pass underneath.
"Watch your step."
His gentle reminder came naturally. He didn't notice where the girl's gaze lingered.
Holding the umbrella, lifting branches to let someone pass… Mr. Kanzaki's movements were so effortless, as if he had repeated them countless times before.
Clarisse suddenly wanted to ask: Had anyone ever held an umbrella for him in the past?
The thought made her throat tighten. She didn't even need to guess the answer.
Most likely… no one had.
Despite Mr. Kanzaki's youthful appearance, she clearly remembered that when she first learned of his existence, the information was already more than thirty years old.
By then he had already settled here.
At the most conservative estimate, Mr. Kanzaki was already over forty.
Who had he held an umbrella for, year after year, to make such a gesture feel so natural and instinctive?
It was probably… still that mysterious teacher whose name he never mentioned.
From the scattered clues, Clarisse had already deduced that the teacher was most likely a woman.
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Bonus chapters
200 Stones - 1 chapter
400 Stones - 2 chapter
600 Stones - 3 chapters
And so on