"I heard that after a gathering between both families, Sasaki developed a crush on the girl and started dating.

It seems that the place of engagement will be in Hawaii. Moji said that if he decides to get married, Sasaki will probably choose to take a year off and then return to school."

"Oh? It sounds quite elegant and enviable."

As a young man, Takiichi admired with envy. A long time ago, he had often thought about the scene of holding an engagement party with Sakura in the future.

Although that kind of thing can only be imagined in my mind.

"You can come with us then. Momo may not have time. That kid Bonai has been busy in the dance studio, so he will be even busier."

"Okay..." Taki agreed without thinking.

"If everything goes well, we can get engaged at the age of 18 and get married after a few years of dating. This is a very good ending."

Except for age... I can only say these words silently in my heart.

"Okasan thinks that if you get married when you reach adulthood, it will be very early. Like Sasaki, if you date for two years, by the age of 20..."

"How should I put it? If you are 20 years old, is it okay?" Miki Hirai tilted her head in thought.

"Just like when Moji told me that Sasaki was getting engaged and married, some people at the party were surprised that he was still in school, but age was a different story."

Her words meant something, but Takiichi knew that his mother would never urge him to find a good girl to date and bring home as soon as possible, and then discuss marriage.

"Have we, Taki, ever thought of changing our original plan?"

"Huh? What?"

"You said before that you would consider getting engaged after Sakura comes of age, but now that you are no longer in that kind of relationship, shouldn't you give up on that idea?"

Takiichi remained silent, and the topic of discussing Aunt Moji's Sasaki's marriage had shifted to his life.

As for what kind of person the girl who would marry him in the future would be, his mother was still full of longing, but he had lost the enthusiasm and desire to think about that kind of thing.

So Takiichi didn't know how to answer.

In this way, the separation from Sakura should be accompanied by years of growth and the deep-rooted concepts should also be abandoned.

In other words, unknowingly, those heartbeats that have always been regarded as the treatment of marriage and love have long been gradually diluted and their existence cannot be felt.

"Well, that's true, but...I probably wasn't prepared, I never thought about this..."

"What is the so-called love and the so-called other half to us Taki...

Without Sakura, open your eyes and look around, clear away the fog, and think about those girls who have been staying in your world and never left."

Is it really impossible to live without Sakura? What does the so-called other half mean to me?

Miki Hirai's words are not some ancient heavenly book. It seems that until now, Takiichi has not had the courage to truly step out.

Although those things already felt real,... Takiichi still felt strangely emotional.

He fell into a state of venting slightly.

Breaking up has become an established fact. This is a normal life experience. Why don't you want to get over the pain quickly and welcome the future life?

I have experienced the stage where I will be afraid of everything as long as I am alive.

But as I grew older, the explosion in the orphanage caused a fire when I was five years old.

On the contrary, later on, every time I celebrate my birthday, I will feel the joy of life, which was incredible at the time.

"Hey... when I was very young, I thought you would be the first to get married and inherit your father's hot spring house. Unexpectedly, he took the first step."

"We must get married. Give me some more time, oh Kasan."

Reminding him of some things from his childhood, Takiichi said to Hirai Miki.

"I have become accustomed to the days when Sakura was by my side. Sakura pulled me out of the haze of the fire in the orphanage and worked hard with momo and the others to return me to a normal life.

This feeling cannot be given up quickly, even if Sakura will not be by my side in the future.

If I just say that I don’t care about the relationship of more than ten years and the memories of acquaintances for many more years, maybe more people will be disappointed in me. Even myself is like that. I don’t want to be just that.

..."

Thinking carefully back to that time, Takiichi saw himself as an exchange student before coming to this world.

Being loved and accepted by others is something that will never happen to you.

It was a very solid belief at that time.

Outsiders are always resisted, whether this resistance is real or is an intangible emotion.

In my memory, it seems that after re-possessing the current body, those fixed world views were overturned in an instant.

That's right.

Every day I curl up my petite body and hide in a corner, occasionally carefully touching the earth that is illuminated by the sun.

The girl who was smaller than her, wearing a pink kimono with a cherry blossom pattern, squatted in front of him with a sweet voice, put her chubby little hands against his cheek where the bandage had been removed, and said something to him.

"It's okay, don't be afraid. Although the cherry blossoms will bloom and fall,... the world is not malicious to everyone."

Suddenly, the faint sound of the door being pushed open came to my ears.

Sakura, should I give up everything about you and move on?

Be persuaded by others and be cared for by others.

It is so happy to feel the kindness and care from the surroundings all the time, even if I feel disappointed in my heart because you are not here.

Sakura must have gone to bed at this time in Tokyo, right?

After finishing changing, he slowly walked from the second floor to the first floor while holding on to the wall with one hand. When he got to the exit, Takiichi suddenly turned around and looked at the full moon in the sky.

He began to care about the person who had been sealed in his memory for a long time, even if he missed him every minute and every second.

On that rainy day, when cherry blossoms were falling and flying all over the sky, Sakura gave him the most precious thing on the way home while lightly stepping on the railroad tracks.

Although it is still fresh in my memory, how should I put it, every touch after that should be something like "power".

At that time, they relied on each other and were inseparable.

Takiichi thinks that he and Sakura are like equals, sharing one person's vitality.

And in the end, they all survived.

...

"Speaking of which, it will be very unpleasant to get along with someone who has a slight misunderstanding of their ideals. Everyone has experienced this feeling.

Although Taki-san rejected me at the beginning, most people would not make such perfect demands to others. According to reality, Taki-san could still leave me enough face as a girl if she rejected me at the beginning.

Although I cried out of frustration, I can still maintain this normal interpersonal relationship, which is the luckiest thing."

Using a small and exquisite kettle, she simply poured some water on the flowers and plants in the room. Hitomi said to Kim Ji-soo in front of her.

"But many people lack this kind of tolerance, just like Taki-san's sister momo-chan.
Chapter completed!