1
The door opened, but it wasn't Sakura who had answered.
"Hello, how can I help you?"
The woman standing before me had some of Sakura's features, but looked a little old to be a sibling. I recalled some of the photos I had seen the last time I was over, and realized this must be her mother.
"I'm a friend of Sakura's, I was hoping to see her. Is she still here?"
I waited, hoping and praying that I wasn't too late. But her mother smiled.
"She's still here, she's currently getting ready to go out. Would you like to come inside?"
I nodded, unable to say anything as I was afraid I would lose it, being so close to finally saving her. I followed her into the house, and stepped into the dining room.
"Would you like to have some tea while you wait?"
Sakura's mom asked as she pointed me to a seat at the table.
"No, but thanks for the offer."
She smiled, and sat across from me.
"I don't think we've met before, I'm her mother."
I introduced myself, and she smiled.
"I can see why you two are friends, I take it that it was only recently that you became close. Am I correct?"
I nodded, shocked that she had figured out the timeline of our relationship so quickly.
"She's always been an upbeat girl, but the past few months I had noticed that she was a lot happier than usual. Thank you for being a good friend to her."
She looked happy as she spoke, though I could tell that she seemed sad at the same time."
"She's been a great friend, I couldn't ask for anyone better."
I hesitated, but continued on.
"Ma'am, this may be out of place for me to say, but I know about what Sakura is dealing with. I've known for a while, but I'm the only one at school that knows the truth."
She looked stunned.
"So you know about why she was really at the hospital then?"
I nodded. Tears began to fall down her face.
"Thank you for being there for her, you may not realize it but you've truly done so much for her. Thank you for making her life a little brighter."
She got up from the table, and I could hear her in the kitchen crying. I felt a little uncomfortable, I didn't want to make her mom cry. But before long she returned.
"I'm sorry for that, I truly am happy she has someone like you in her life."
I shook my head.
"I should be the happy one, without her I would have been a very different person."
She smiled at that, but no more tears fell.
"She has a way with people, I'm so proud of her."
She stood up from the table once again, this time heading towards the staircase.
"I'll let her know that she has someone here to see her."
I looked around the room as I waited, noticing all the photos scattered around. The last visit I had spent most of my time in her room, so I never had a chance to see how the rest of the house looked. I noticed that she had an older brother from the pictures, though she had never talked about him before.
Before long, I could hear the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. I looked over, expecting to see Sakura's mom coming back down. Instead, I saw the same surprise mirrored in Sakura's face that I imagined was on mine.
"I don't think our date was supposed to start here."
She said with a growing smile.
I had so many things I wanted to say, but I found myself speechless. I pinched myself, testing to see that this wasn't just another dream. But no, Sakura was really standing there, and I rubbed my arm as I stood up from the table.
"Were you just so eager to see me that you came all the way here? I'm sure this would cause quite the scandal."
She smiled teasingly, and came down the stairs. She was wearing the same outfit I had seen from that terrible day, and I quickly tried to forget that memory before it caused me to lose momentum.
"It probably would, but I wouldn't have come if it wasn't important."
Her face had a look of surprise, before slightly blushing.
"That sounds rather mysterious, and a little embarrassing."
She sat at the table, in the same spot where her mother had sat before.
My poker face must have slipped, and she was quick enough to notice.
"Hey, what's wrong? You don't seem like your usual self?"
If anyone could have caught on that fast, it was her. I took a deep breath in, the last calm before the storm that I was about to unleash.
"There's some things I have to say… and it may sound crazy but please just listen to what I have to say first. Afterwards, if you want to call me crazy, you can."
She tilted her head, thinking.
"I could think of a lot of things to call you, but crazy would never be one of them."
I prepared myself for her reaction, and finally said the words I had been dreading from the moment I saw her come down the stairs.
"Please don't leave the house today. If you go to that date with the other me, you… you'll die."
The stunned look on her face made it clear that I had her attention, and I was ready for her to freak out and run away like I had seen before in my dream. But instead, she stayed seated, though still shocked.
"E-Eh? What? Other you? I'll die? If this is some kind of joke, it's not very funny you know."
I shook my head.
"I wish it was a joke, but I'm serious."
I paused, finding the courage to keep going. Before I could continue, she got up from the table. I feared that it would be a repeat of that vision, merely a delayed reaction before everything went downhill.
Instead she stood up and sat next to me beside the table, placing her hand on mine.
"I don't understand, so please try to help me understand."
The warmth of her hand touched the frozen tundra of my soul that I had endured these past few days.
"I've experienced today five times now. The first time, I waited at the cafe for you but you never make it because..."
I trailed off, unable to bring myself to tell her she had died.
"I die?"
She picked up the slack, squeezing my hand gently in a comforting manner. I nodded, unable to look her in the eyes as I confirmed it.
"I ended up splitting up into two, for lack of a better term, and the other me goes about the day as usual with no knowledge that the day is repeating."
I thought back to all the talks with Rio, about the syndrome and what was happening.
"There's someone who could explain things a lot better than me, but that's the basics."
She leaned back, but her hand never left mine. She gave a small smile though.
"It sounds like you made some new friends, great job."
I was taken aback, still sure that things would blow up and end badly.
"B-But what about everything I said so far? Doesn't it sound insane? Don't you think I've gone mad or something?"
She laughed.
"Of course you are. You'd have to put up with me and everything I've put you through all this time. But do I think you're crazy for what you're saying?"
She paused for a moment, thinking it over.
"No. I think I know you well enough by now. You wouldn't lie to me about something like this, as crazy as it sounds."
She squeezed my hand once again, before letting go. A worry flashed through my mind, that maybe she was just trying to get me to relax before she running away. But instead, she leaned over and hugged me.
"I don't understand everything, and I think we need to have a longer discussion about this. But if it's all true, and you've suffered so much for me, how could I be anything except happy?"
My walls finally crumbled, and as we hugged the tears began to flow.
"I… I'm so happy you're safe Sakura."
Her grip on me tightened, and I realized it was the first time I had ever called her by her name. I was glad we were still hugging, so she couldn't see how red my face had turned.
Meanwhile outside, Sakuta was explaining his stories of his past to Kyoko who was absolutely stunned that how much this guy had gone through these weird situation countless times.
"…then what did you say to her?"
Sakuta grinned and replied.
"I said I'd want her to sandwich me with her thighs… especially my face."
Kyoko took a few steps back and had a disgusted face.
"Eww! N-no frickin way you said that… What are you? A Rascal or something?!"
Sakuta gave a wide smirk at that remark.
"Well, she was in Mai-san's body anyway."
"But still! And here I always thought that Haruki was the weirdest one…"
Kyoko sighed. Sakuta then reminded her.
"By the way, you should go check up on them."
Kyoko remarked.
"I guess you're right. It's almost an hour since he went inside."
Kyoko then passed the gate and rang the door bell.
Ding-Dong.
Sakura loosened up from the hug, and I quickly wiped my eyes before she could notice. I wasn't quick enough, as she handed me a tissue before standing up.
"I should probably see who that is, since mom is in the kitchen."
Before she turned away, I could see a big smile on her face.
Relieved that she wasn't running away from me, I got up and followed her, staying a little behind to give her some privacy. She opened the door, and raised her arms up in excitement.
"Kyoko, you came too!"
She quickly turned to me, but I shook my head.
"It's okay, I'm not running away today. He told me almost everything."
"If he didn't, I'd just have a reason to be mad."
Kyoko retorted, but there was no malice behind her words like usual. She came inside, being enveloped in a hug from Sakura.
"What brings you here? I didn't skip out on plans we made, did I?"
But Kyoko never responded, simply holding Sakura close in joy.
I went downstairs and watched from the stairs, smiling and not wanting to interfere with the moment. Before long, the two of them joined me inside, Sakura once again sitting next to me.
"So you two are finally getting along now? I'm so happy!"
Sakura had a big smile on her face, finally seeing the two of us not at odds with each other.
"It's… complicated."
Kyoko simply said, giving me a look as though wondering how much I told Sakura.
"She ended up in a similar situation like me, and without her, today might not have even happened."
Kyoko blushed, perhaps not used to our changed relationship.
"A-anyway, what did he tell you so far?"
Sakura quickly recounted what I had told her, and Kyoko gave me a quick scowl.
"Well, I guess the basics are good enough for now. But what he said is true, believe it or not."
She gestured for me to take the lead. As much as it probably pained her to do so, at the end of the day I had a lot more experience in this situation compared to her.
Sakura looked over to me, questions clearly on her mind but saving them for later. I then said.
"I'm sure it's all a shock, but it's best if you just stay here today. You and Kyoko can spend some time together and then tomorrow we can go out."
She gave me a warm hug by wrapping her hands around my back and head.
"Well I was really excited to go out today, but it has been a while since Kyoko and I got to spend quality time together. But you better hold up your end of the promise then."
I couldn't look towards Kyoko, I'm sure the look on her face would have scared me off from being this close to Sakura.
Sakura let go of me except my palm and looked at Kyoko instead, and laughed.
"Oh come on! Don't make that face. Would you mind going up to my room? I want to talk with him a little longer first."
I still couldn't face Kyoko, so I didn't know what kind of look she gave Sakura. But she sighed, and went upstairs.
"Okay Sakura, just don't keep me waiting too long."
Sakura gave her a happy wave, and soon it was just the two of us in the room. I became increasingly aware of our hands touching, and felt a little nervous. It was the first time I'd ever really held someone's hand, and it being Sakura made me even more nervous.
She looked back to me, smiling.
"I didn't want to make her upset, though it does seem like you two are getting along a bit better now."
I could feel my face turning red, out of all the outcomes I had imagined, being praised and holding her hand was nowhere near the top of that list.
"Is this another item on your list?"
I squeezed her hand lightly to give an indication to what I was asking. She shook her head.
"Maybe I just wanted to hold your hand, so I can keep feeling your warmth."
She squeezed my hand back, and we simply sat there in the moment for a bit.
"Sorry, don't mind me."
Her mom had come back down, heading towards the kitchen. I was a bit embarrassed, but Sakura still didn't let go of my hand. Her mom just far enough that she wouldn't hear us talking, but Sakura still kept to a whisper.
"Thank you for coming today. I was so happy to be out of the hospital, to finally be free to go out again, to see you again. I really don't understand everything, but I know enough to appreciate what you've done."
She pulled me in for a hug once more, her words becoming softer that I almost missed what she said next.
"Does this mean you still want to eat my pancreas?"
I couldn't find the words to speak, she had read the text. I simply smiled back, and she drew me in even tighter.
"I don't want to keep Kyoko waiting too long in case she decides to come back down, but I think we should have a talk tomorrow."
She held on for a few more seconds, before letting go of me. I could see a single tear rolling down her cheek, and without even thinking I reached out and wiped it away for her.
"You should be more careful, that could be considered very scandalous."
There was no bite behind her words, the smile and blush of her cheeks saying more than her few words could.
We both stood up, and she walked me to the door.
"I promise to explain everything, but for today just have fun with Kyoko. And if you wanted, there's some people who are interested in meeting you."
She smiled.
"The new friends of yours, I'm assuming?"
I nodded.
"Without them, I don't think I'd be standing here in front of you right now. They've been a big help to me. One of them also came with me and Kyoko today. Wait, let me introduce you to him."
I called out to Sakuta who was leaning against a wall nearby outside the house. He noticed us and then looked at Sakura.
"Let me guess. You're the one we've heard so much about. I'm Sakuta Azusagawa, it's nice to finally meet you."
Sakura blushed, still curious about what exactly I had said.
"I hope it was all good things, I'm Sakura Yamauchi. Thank you for taking care of him, it means a lot to me."
Sakuta looked down, now noticing our hands clasped together and gave a gentle smile.
"Of course. I'm glad things worked out. Or I can see they worked out rather well."
Sakura and I both blushed, but I nodded.
"I guess its time to go back in Fujisawa."
She pulled me in for one last hug, this one feeling different from the rest. I could feel her shaking slightly, I tried to pull away to look at her face, but she held me without any slack.
"Thank you, for everything."
We didn't say anything else to each other, simply staying in that moment, as though we were afraid that by letting go everything would change.
After what felt like an eternity in heaven, we let go of each other. I promised to talk to her tomorrow, letting her know about my phone situation.
Me and Sakuta headed down towards the street, turning around to see Sakura standing near the door frame, waving me off before I was completely out of her view.
We started to head towards Fujisawa, and without realizing it, we reached the apartment after I told him everything that happened.
"So how did she take it when you talked to her? Did she freak out at all?"
I shook my head.
"I'm sure she might have been deep down, but she was mostly happy. Happy that I was there, happy for what I had done for her."
My words drifted away as I found myself thinking about earlier. Sakuta didn't say anything else, merely giving me a pat on the back.
2
Despite being the same day repeating for the past few days, I felt as though the world was much brighter than it had been today. I listened to the sounds of birds chirping, their song filling the air as we walked along. I may have had more hurdles to clear, but I could feel the biggest weight on my shoulders lifted away.
Before long, I could see the park that Kyoko and I had talked in up ahead. After passing that we reached the apartment building, I saw Rio sitting at the table and joined her.
Sakuta passed over a canned coffee from the fridge. Thanking him, I opened it and took a drink.
"Well seeing as how you seem to be in a good mood, it looks like things went well?"
Rio spoke up first. The image of Sakura's hand on mine flashed into my head, and I felt myself turning red once again.
"Yes, though it looks like one of your theories was wrong. I was able to reach her."
She raised an eyebrow, but smiled.
"I did say there was a chance I could be wrong, but I don't think my theory ended up being wrong after all. I think you simply found the willpower to make it happen regardless of what I said from the things we stole yesterday night."
She took a drink from her own coffee.
"Well anyway, you've cleared the first hurdle but that doesn't mean you're just done yet."
She was right, unless I managed to get out of this loop, today's efforts would end up being pointless. I pulled the paper I had highlighted the night before out from my wallet, and passed it over to her.
"You gave me this last night, and said this was the best chance to get me back to normal."
She took a look at it, before folding it back up and placing it in her lab coat pocket.
"I'll need to go grab some supplies, but we should be able to do this later tonight."
Not looking forward to being stuck with needles, but eager to get things back to normal, I nodded.
"Is there anything I need to do?"
Rio shook her head.
"You've already done plenty, now you can just relax for now."
Beside me, Sakuta raised his hand.
"Suppose this idea works, and you get back to normal. We'll need a way to contact you, so we can give you back the stuff you have at the apartment. Plus, I know Mai-san is pretty much eager to meet the person that you went through all of this for."
I smiled, grateful that I had been blessed to meet such good people.
"I'll give you guys my phone number, well the one that actually works. And thank you, for everything you guys have done for me."
Sakuta held out his hand, and I shook it.
"It's been really interesting, I'm just glad things are working out for you and Sakura."
Across the table, Rio smiled.
"It was worth getting to hassle Azusagawa some more, but I'm glad I was able to be of some help to you."
She stood up, getting ready to go buy the supplies needed.
"Meet me at the lab later, no one will be around and we have some machines I can use to monitor your vitals to make sure everything is going well."
Sakuta and I nodded, as she stood up and left.
"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry. Having to lean on the wall all day and telling stories to Kyoko have made me build up an appetite."
I had been so focused on this morning and Sakura, I had ignored the hunger I had been feeling. We then headed outside towards a nearby restaurant, it was quite similar to the one I had gone to with Sakura before.
Today, however, we went with a typical order, there would be no stomach or hearty meat on my plate. I savoured the taste of the meat, though I found myself constantly thinking back to the time I had eaten with Sakura.
"So what's the first thing you're planning to do tomorrow?"
I looked over to Sakuta, who had just finished with his meal.
"I haven't really thought it over that much, honestly. I've been so worried about getting through this that I never really found myself thinking about afterwards."
He mused that over, and nodded.
"That's understandable, though I think you can start thinking about now. You got the biggest hurdle out of the way, the rest is on Futaba now."
He seemed confidant in her, and it was contagious.
"I suppose I'd call Sakura first, to make sure it's not just a dream. After that, go back to sleep and enjoy being back in my bed again."
He laughed at that.
"There really is nothing like getting back into your own bed after being away from it for a while."
We went up to the counter to pay, but before Sakuta could pull out his wallet, I was already handing the money for the bill over.
"You guys have done so much for me already, this is the least I can do."
He nodded, not wanting to take this away from me.
By now, it was evening. The streets had filled up a bit with the usual dinner rush, but we weren't in any hurry to head back to the apartment. We found ourselves talking to pass the time, as our leisurely walk continued. Soon, we ended up back at the apartment building.
Once inside, I began to tidy up the room where I had been using during my stay. I handed over the bag to Sakuta, and gathered up everything into my bag.
I double checked, making sure nothing was left around. Placing the deck of cards and the copy of The Little Prince at the top, I zipped the bag up and placed it by the front door. All that was left was to simply wait for Rio to let us know that she was ready.
We managed to find a program on the TV to pass the time, something to do with local sites that were interesting to visit.
"I took Mai-san to Enoshima once, and there's a really nice view at this spot."
Ah, so he is trying to give me ideas for the future.
I took some mental notes of some of the sites, trying to think whether Sakura would enjoy going there or not. The program had ended, and a new one about shrines had come on. It had just started to discuss one that was located atop an abandoned building in Tokyo when the phone began to ring.
Sakuta got up and headed over to answer his phone.
"Azusagawa Sakuta speaking"
"..."
"Ah you're all set for us?"
"..."
"Okay got it, we'll be over there in a little bit then."
He hung up the phone, and came back to the couch.
"Well it looks like Futaba is just about to be ready, so if you're good to go we can start heading over."
I quickly looked around, making sure I wasn't missing anything. I stood up, turning off the TV with the remote lying next to me.
"Lead the way."
If I said I wasn't nervous on the walk over to the lab, I'd be lying. I was still elated over the events earlier, but now as I drew closer to the lab I started to remember what was coming next.
"You do trust her to do this, right?"
A silly question, but I still felt the need to ask, hoping it might calm my nerves to hear him say it.
"As long as I've known her, she's always been very precise. So, I don't think she'll make a mistake if that's what you're worried about."
I thought back to her words, when she told me I might not be able to reach Sakura. By all the evidence, she should have been right. But maybe she was right after all, and I really had simply overcome the hurdle.
She was waiting out front for us, and once we were close enough, she unlocked the front door.
"We are technically closed for the day, so it'll be just the three of us inside."
We headed inside, and she locked the door behind us. She led us to what looked like an operating room, with machines to monitor the vitals scattered around a stainless steel table in the centre of the room.
"You can set your bag down there, you have the items from last night still correct?"
I nodded, taking them out of the bag before hanging the bag off to Sakuta. Rio now looked slightly embarrassed.
"You'll need to remove your shirt and pants, but please keep your underwear on."
I followed her instructions, more nervous about the needles than having to slightly undress.
I sat on the edge of the table after, and waited for Rio to begin hooking me up the assorted machines. As she did, Sakuta took a look at the supplies Rio had gathered.
"Are you sure you won't get in trouble for burning incense in here?"
She nodded.
"There're vents in this room that lead to the outside of the building, the most that will remain is a faint aroma. Besides, we rarely use this room so the chances of anyone finding out is slim to none."
Then, Sakuta took a seat in one of the chairs along the wall.
Rio instructed me to lay down, finally finished hooking me up to the medical equipment. I could hear the steady beeping that indicated my heart was beating on one of the nearby monitors. I turned my head to see her taking an incense bowl from her supplies before walking behind me and setting it down somewhere.
I heard the click of a lighter, and soon could smell the incense burning. It was a calming aroma, and I felt a little more relaxed.
"It smells like lavender, but there's more to it than just that."
I remarked, hoping I didn't sound too nervous.
"It's a mixture of different scents, the research wasn't complete but I did some digging and did the best I could to fill in the gaps."
Next, she came over and began applying an ointment to the spots that had been highlighted on the paper.
"This is supposed to help channel the healing energy, at least that's what they believed back in those days. It's more of a numbing cream so you won't feel anything, but it has the added benefit of drawing out more chemicals in your brain which should help reverse your syndrome and get you back to normal."
She finished applying the ointment, washing off any remaining residue from her hands. Putting on a pair of gloves, she stood close by where I could see her from where I was laying.
"Are you ready?"
I tried to nod, only succeeding in hitting the back of my head on the table.
"Yes, I am."
She gave a small laugh, before getting serious once again.
"Azusagawa, do you mind flipping that switch by you?"
"I hope we don't forget about him the next day… cause if this works, I'm going straight back to my home on bed."
He yawned and got up, and soon relaxing meditative music began to play.
"Thanks. And no, as per my theory if he overcomes his loop then we will still remember him."
She placed the deck of cards and book on my chest, and instructed me to place my hands on top of them.
"The important thing is to remain as absolutely still as possible. If you feel yourself falling asleep, don't fight it. If you try to fight against it, you can cause some serious damage to yourself."
I almost wanted to stop right there, but we didn't have the time to find a different way at this point. I simply closed my eyes, trying to focus on the music that softly played in the background.
It was so effective, that when Rio spoke up again I didn't realize how long it had been since she last spoke.
"You're doing great, we're over halfway done."
I'd have to ask her where she had gotten the ointment, because it was absolutely doing it's job.
Soon, I could feel myself slowly slipping into unconsciousness, and it was becoming harder to hear her.
"This is the last one, after that it's up to you."
She sounded as though she was standing right near my head, but her voice sounded far away. I never heard her say anything else, as I soon faded into the blissful black of sleep.
3
"Have you ever heard of Adolescence Syndrome?"
"You've been so happy since you got yourself a girlfriend."
"It's like a fairy tale, isn't it?"
"What are you to her?"
Disembodied voices filled my mind, as I floated in a black void.
Where was I?
What was this?
I tried recalling how I had ended up here, then remembered the acupuncture. I had thought I would simply wake up in my own bed again, but it didn't seem like it would be that simple.
I could see pulses of light around me, like I was floating in space staring at the stars. I drifted close to one, and I could see myself walking with Sakuta along the Shichirigahama beach.
Was this all the memories of the past few days?
"Someone once told me, the three favourite phrases of her life are: Thank you, You did your best, and I love you."
I knew these words, I had imprinted them into my mind after that day, determined to remember them for the rest of my life.
But why was I seeing this scene again? Was there a lesson I had yet to learn?
I tried to keep watching, but as Sakuta and I continued walking, I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. I continued to drift in the void, spotting another light close by.
I could see Sakura now, the day where we ended up at the beach in Takaoka.
"If I said that I felt like making a boyfriend, would you do all you could to help me?"
I remembered being flustered by that question, unsure of what she was really asking me. But before I could hear my response, I was already headed towards the next light.
"Does this mean you still want to eat my pancreas?"
This time I could see Sakura's face, tears silently falling as we held each other in that tight embrace.
Was she really this moved by my words, my actions? I felt a tightness in my chest, as I looked upon her face.
But soon, that scene too drifted away from me, and I once again wandered the void. I could see more scenes as I passed by more of the lights, the time I spent with Sakura dominating most of them. Yet, some of the scenes I could see nothing, only hearing voices.
"We've heard so much about you, it's nice to finally meet you."
That sounded a lot like Mai, and I couldn't recall ever hearing her say that. Before I could ponder it for long, I was drifting along once again.
"So you're actually going to man up? I'm surprised."
Now I could hear Kyoko, yet still I couldn't see anything.
What was this? Were these events that were going to happen?
Once again, I drifted on from that light. I noticed that despite appearing randomly scattered, there was a sense of order to the lights. I could see that there was only a handful remaining on my path, so I continued onward.
"It's an experimental procedure, but there's a chance it could work."
That sounded like Rio, but what procedure could she be referring to? Was it for me?
No, she must be referring to Sakura. I tried to stay and hear more, but found myself drifting along involuntarily.
I soon found myself at the last light on this dark path. I could hear Sakura once again.
"I have a request, but you don't have to say yes. I want you to decide if it's something you really want."
What I want?
"Ask me anything."
I heard my own voice, surprised that I was getting more than just one line.
But my time was up, and I never heard her question. I could see all the lights in the distance, shrinking into nothingness as I drifted further away from them. Soon, all I could see was the darkness. But above me, the scene began to lighten as I felt my body drift upward.
The sound of an alarm clock dragged me back to reality. I reached over, eyes still closed, and turned off the alarm. Slowly, I cracked open my eyes to see my surroundings. Piles of books lined around the room, the familiar walls I was used to. I was finally home.
I was home. I jumped out of bed, pinching myself to make sure this was real. I looked down at the nightstand, seeing my phone, my real phone, sitting atop it. I flipped it open, noticing I had a few messages. I scrolled down and opened the first one.
"Hey! I know our time was a little short yesterday, but I'm excited to see you today! Let me know what you want to do!"
It seemed like Sakura didn't waste any time.
I opened the second message, also from her.
"And since I forgot to say this in the last message, good morning!"
I smiled, quickly typing out a text back to her.
"Good morning. Shall we meet up for some lunch? You can pick where we would eat."
I pressed send, then backing out to the other unread message.
"Hey it's Sakuta. Hope things worked out, let us know when you want to meet up."
Before I could respond to his message, I received a text back from Sakura.
"Do I really have to wait that long to see you? Why don't you come over at 10 am and we can make our plans for the day. I'll be waiting!"
I suppose I don't have a reason to delay seeing her. Smiling, I headed to the bathroom to get ready, the memories of the dream already fading as my excitement grew. I left my bedroom, only to run into my mom heading up the stairs.
"Oh you're up, I was just coming to get you up."
She smiled.
"Someone is in a good mood today, just don't forget what I said yesterday. I'd really love to meet your friend sometime."
I smiled back and nodded.
"Maybe I'll bring her over some day."
She looked surprised, but smiled.
"I'll be looking forward to it."
She gave me a quick hug, and headed back down. I got cleaned up as quickly as possible, and made my way down stairs.
On the TV, the reporter read the news.
"Good morning, and thank you for joining us. Breaking news. Authorities have apprehended a suspect in connection with a chilling series of crimes. A man, believed to be responsible for multiple murders of young girls, has been taken into custody following an attempted murder that occurred late last night."
"The incident unfolded in the downtown area of Takaoka when police received an emergency call reporting a violent assault. Officers responded swiftly, managing to intervene before the situation escalated further. The perpetrator confessed his crimes to the authorities. Fortunately, the victim wasn't harmed and is under police protection. Further investigation is still ongoing for the search of more eye witnesses."
I gave a sigh of relief after hearing that.
As the reporter continued with other news, they were discussing a parade that was supposed to be happening later in the day. At the bottom of the screen, I could see the date, time, and venue.
August 20th, 8:40 A.M.
I had finally done it.
I sent Sakura a text, letting her know I was on my way. I had her copy of The Little Prince with me, I still had yet to read it but I decided that maybe reading it with her wouldn't be such a terrible idea.
I then remembered the other text from Sakuta, and quickly sent out a response, letting him know things did work out and that I would talk to Sakura about when we could all meet up.
It was a pleasant walk, and I found myself humming to myself as I made my way to Sakura's house. I turned the corner on her street, and could see her house. Sakura was already waiting outside, and once she spotted me she ran towards me.
Her arms reached out and pulled me into a hug, and I wrapped my arms around her.
"You made it, I was starting to get bored waiting."
I laughed.
"Sorry I ended up sleeping in a bit."
Her only response was to hold me even closer, and I simply enjoyed the moment.
After what felt like an eternity of bliss, we pulled back from each other.
"Do you want to come inside? I know my mom is interested in talking to you some more."
I nodded, ready for whatever was to come.
Her mom was in the kitchen, making some tea for the three of us. We took a seat at the table, and she soon joined us, placing a cup in front of Sakura and myself. I thanked her for the tea, and mentally prepared myself.
"So you mentioned that you know about my daughter's condition, I wanted to thank you again for being there for her."
Beside me, I could feel Sakura staring at me. I shifted uneasily, realizing I should have mentioned that to her.
"So much for being able to keep a secret mister."
Her teasing tone made it aware that she wasn't really angry with me, but I made a mental note to make it up to her later.
"Don't be upset with him dear, he was quite respectful about it. You did a fine job, finding someone that was willing to keep it a secret for so long."
Her mom flashed a smile toward me, perhaps trying to ease my conscience. I looked over to Sakura, who was now trying to avoid my gaze as her cheeks began to flush with embarrassment.
"I couldn't find a reason to be upset with someone who was brought so much joy to your life, and I don't think you will be that upset with him either."
Her smile now seemed to have some mischief behind it, as though she was thinking of a joke that only she understood. I seemed to be the only one left out, as Sakura turned even more red. Laughing lightly, her mom stood up from the table.
"I do hope you'll come by again, after all you're always welcome here."
Now I felt myself becoming embarrassed, but I simply nodded and hoped the embarrassment wasn't too apparent on my face. That hope was quickly dashed as she let out another small laugh, before waving to us and walking up the stairs, leaving the two of us alone. I looked over to Sakura, noticing that she was trying to avoid me.
"She seems very nice, the tea was very good too."
Slowly, her gaze reached mine.
"Um yeah, she's really nice."
Clearly she was distracted, probably by whatever her mom had said. She shook her head, trying to clear up her mind.
"So would you want to, um, come upstairs?"
I had never seen this side of her before, it was almost cute seeing her so flustered. I nodded, then remembering what I had brought in my bag. I pulled out the book, placing it on the table.
"Oh, you finished reading it? Did you like it?"
Immediately, her tone changed, sounding excited to hear my thoughts on her favourite book.
"Actually, I haven't had a chance to start it yet. But I was thinking we could read it together."
At first, she looked a little disappointed but then perked up as I finished.
"Yes! That sounds like a great idea!"
Her smile in that moment made everything I had endured worth it. I followed her up the stairs, and once again found myself in her room. I expected us to sit where we had when we had played video games together, but instead she sat on the bed.
She patted the spot next to her, pointing out where she wanted me to sit. I hesitated, but followed her instructions. She leaned over immediately, excited to read the book together. The scent of her shampoo filled the air, and I soon found it difficult to focus on the book.
After we had made some headway into the story, I looked over to her. I typically finished the pages faster, so I left it up to her to flip the page once she was finished. The look on her face was a peaceful one, the last time I had seen that look was when we had seen the fireworks together.
She finally noticed I was no longer looking at the book, and looked up.
"What? Do I have something on my face?"
She looked a little embarrassed, as though I was doing something bad.
"Just your face, but I don't think there's much we can do about that."
She gave me a light tap on the arm.
"You should be nicer to me, after all I am letting you have the pleasure of reading this with me."
I rubbed the spot where she had touched me, acting as though I was in pain.
She rolled her eyes, then looked as though she was trying to work through a problem.
"There's something I want to do, if it's okay with you."
Behind her voice, I could tell she was almost nervous to ask.
"What is it?"
I asked, wondering what she could have in mind now.
She scooted closer to me, leaning her head until it was resting on my shoulder.
"Is this okay?"
Her voice was almost a whisper, I had no choice but to lean my head on hers.
"It doesn't seem so bad."
She had slightly jumped when our heads touched, but she simply sighed and somehow leaned in even closer. Her soft hair formed a pleasant pillow, still smelling as wonderful as before. If this wasn't what heaven felt like, I wasn't sure if I was very interested in going.
We silently kept reading, constantly aware of one another as we leaned on each other. The sound of her breathing was the only other sound besides the turning of the pages, and I found myself staying in her rhythm. It was as though we were simply two halves finally fitting together.
The last page flipped over, and she closed the book. I expected her to move away, but she simply stayed as she was. I wasn't going to complain, perhaps in the past I would have hated this contact for this long. But now I treasured it, hoping to make it a memory that would never fade.
"Did you like it?"
Sakura spoke up a little bit after we had finished reading, her voice quiet as though she didn't want to break the spell that was at work.
"I'm glad I got to read it, and even more glad that I waited to read it with you."
My response, just as quiet as hers, came without any hesitation. I could almost feel the warmth rising from her face as she blushed.
"I'm sorry I'm not a very fast reader, you could have finished a lot faster by yourself."
I smiled, and I was sure she could feel it.
"You're probably right, but then I would have missed out on this."
The words again came without hesitation, though now I realized what I had said. Feeling that same burning sensation, I was grateful we couldn't see each other's expressions.
But only for a moment, as Sakura pulled away and looked away. Had I said the wrong thing? I began to worry, and tried to think of what to say to fix things. But Sakura spoke up first.
"I have a request, but you don't have to say yes. I want you to decide if it's something you really want."
Those words sounded so familiar, yet I couldn't quite place where I had heard them.
"Ask me anything."
Something compelled me to say those words without hesitation. Sakura, however, did hesitate.
"You know I won't be around forever, so I can understand if you say no. I may have been interested in you long before the hospital, if you ask me I can neither confirm nor deny that."
She paused for a moment, clearly nervous about her request.
"I've come to cherish all of our time together, both the good and the bad. I know we promised to be friends until I'm gone, but I think I want more than that. I want more with you."
Part of me had expected this, she had teased the boyfriend role in past. But now, it didn't seem like a joke.
"Are you asking what I think you're asking?"
I finally responded, wanting to be sure that I was understanding her request.
She blushed, but didn't look away.
"Will you go out with me?"
Now it was my turn to blush, I wasn't sure who was more red.
"Are you… sure you want to go out with me? Like Kyoko said, there's better guys out there. Plus, it's me we're talking about."
She shook her head.
"If it was anyone else but you, I wouldn't be asking. Besides, that was Kyoko before you guys melted the ice between you two. I don't think she sees you that way anymore."
She was probably right on the second part, but the first part of her response tripped me up that I had almost missed the rest of her answer.
"You're really sure?"
She nodded.
I looked down, in her eyes I'm sure she thought I was thinking things over. But I had already made my decision.
I reached over and held her hand, looking back up to her.
"Sakura."
I could hear her breathing stop for a moment, whether it was from saying her name or holding her hand I wasn't sure.
"I may not be the smartest guy in the world, but I'm smart enough to know a good thing when I see it."
I let go of her hand, and put my arms around her in a hug. I dropped my voice to a whisper, a moment like this deserved some level of respect.
"Yes, nothing would make me happier in my life other than you."