Ch. 87.2 - Cherry Blossoms Pt2
Following her gaze, he thought that though they were all cherry blossoms, those at Chidorigafuchi seemed deeper, redder in color.
Even after seeing them again and again on the way to and from school, even after enjoying a picnic beneath them in Kitanomaru Park not long ago,
Different times, different places, different companions, the feelings they stirred were never the same.
He thought of Shirasagi-senpai, who often sat beneath cherry trees by the stream, watching petals drift along the water. What thoughts lay hidden beneath her icy exterior?
If it were Nogami, Shihou, Sanada, or Sae, how would they feel, what would they do, watching the cherry blossoms fall like this?
Nogami would probably flash a wicked grin, kick the cherry tree a few times, delighting in the petal-snowstorm, then proudly seek praise from him.
Shihou would run and jump like a child over ground carpeted in blossoms, scoop up petals and throw them skyward, or sneak some down the back of his collar, just like a winter snow prank.
Sanada might pinch a petal and murmur seductive lines in a sultry voice, then burst into laughter at his flustered reaction, pulling everyone else in to tease him.
As for Sae… she’d definitely start craving sakura mochi or sakura-flavored sweets.
As he imagined each vivid scene, a sense of happiness quietly welled up in his heart.
So what about him?
What would he do now, holding Ayaka in his arms?
And what was Ayaka thinking, being held like this by him?
“You’re just Harutaki right now…”
Ayaka muttered softly, her words vague and indistinct.
“Just as Ayaka and Harutaki, just once, it’s a necessary step for date practice…”
Being a little selfish is fine too, right?
He thought that since the girl had already gently closed her eyes and offered an invitation, making a lady wait at a moment like this would be terribly ungentlemanly.
“Mm…”
“……”
“?……??……”
“?……??……”
Like a startled cat, Ayaka jolted violently, then scrambled in a fluster to the other end of the boat. Gripping the edge, she glared at him viciously, as if she’d jump straight into the water if he made even one more move.
“Wh–who told you to… do that?!”
“Wasn’t that what you wanted, Ayaka?”
Watching her rub her lips hard with the back of her hand, he couldn’t help but laugh.
Even without checking his pulse or chest, he could clearly feel his heart pounding like a high-revving engine.
“And besides, being a little selfish is okay, right?”
“Y–you you you, why are you so skilled at this?! Why are you this skilled?!”
Ayaka recalled that suffocating sensation just now, like she was drowning, her head and heart stirred into a thick, dizzy mess,
No matter how she resisted, the invader named Harutaki effortlessly dissolved everything, even turning her force against itself with exquisite finesse. Or perhaps it was more like an overwhelming gravitational pull, a black hole, until in the end, it almost felt like she was the one taking the initiative.
And the biggest problem was,
Wasn’t that idiot Harutaki supposed to be a first-timer too?!
“I swear, this really is my first time~”
Harutaki thought to himself that kisses like the kind he’d had with Nogami, where they’d pull away the instant their lips touched, could be temporarily expelled from the category of real kissing.
Even so, despite his outward composure, his heart was still in turmoil,
No matter how many times he’d kissed before, those flirtatious, almost routine kisses had done little more than ignite desire. They had never once brought about this kind of racing heartbeat, this bittersweet aftertaste rising in his chest, like what he felt with Nogami, or with Ayaka.
Perhaps this was what love felt like.
The grassy banks on both sides were lush and green, set off against the drooping pink cherry blossoms hanging in midair.
Rustle.
Rustle.
A spring breeze swept suddenly through the scene, like invisible hands brushing the cherry trees along the shore, sending petals scattering down. They spun lightly as they fell, drifting at five centimeters per second, like ballet dancers touching the water with their toes, or mayflies rising and falling with the shimmering ripples…
Unwilling to disturb that tranquility, he paddled to guide the boat backward. But just as he leaned back, by sheer coincidence, a few cherry blossom petals fell straight into his mouth.
Sour, sweet, with a hint of bitterness. He chewed thoughtfully, and it tasted exactly like how he’d always imagined first love to taste.
Cherry blossoms really were a wondrous kind of flower, he thought. Not as intense and overbearing as roses, nor as vividly seductive as peach blossoms, plain at first glance, yet quietly elegant, carrying a pure affection and gentle happiness.
“Cherry blossoms really are wonderful.”
They bloom in spring, the season of beginnings, displaying an unrivaled beauty, yet even so, they leave behind an impression of warmth without contention.
Like a first-love girl in a dream, veiled in thin mist, quiet and pure. Before one even realizes what love is, they leave behind the most beautiful, the vaguest, and yet the most unforgettable longing.
“…Want to try the sakura mochi and salted cherry blossoms I made?”
Ayaka suddenly spoke, bringing up a way to taste that imagined cherry-blossom flavor, and preserve its fragrance.
“I think I ate Mom’s once, a long time ago.”
“It’s a secret recipe passed down in the Hoshikawa family. I tried learning it from Mom when I was little.”
That sounded suspiciously like a tourist scam pitching local specialties.
But still,
“Ayaka will definitely become a great mom someday.”
“A g–great mom… h–having kids and stuff… guuu, idiot Harutaki, your standards are way too weird, okay?!”
……
[Literature Club – Kohara-senpai]: Sorry, Sato. Tomorrow’s get-together has to be canceled 🙇♂️