That day, I lost track of time and ended up getting late heading home; by the time I checked, every last train had already departed. Seeing my situation, Sakura's mother kindly offered to let me stay overnight at their place. With no other way to get back, I had no choice but to agree. We shared a quiet dinner that night, reminiscing about our old memories from the village. Once the meal was over, she showed me to my room. I climbed into bed, yet sleep remained elusive.
As I lay there in the silence, my mind drifted back to the very beginning—the story of how we first became friends. I remembered the day Mr. Yoshida approached my father to ask for advice on the best school for Sakura. Without hesitation, my father suggested the same school that I attended.
Mr. Yoshida and my father agreed that Nekoma Junior High was the best choice for both of us, hoping the shared environment would foster a strong friendship. Following through, Sakura was admitted the very next day, and within a week, she began attending classes. By some stroke of fate, she was assigned to my class. I was stunned when the teacher instructed her to take the empty seat right beside me; everything was moving so fast. As she stood before the class to introduce herself, she radiated a level of confidence that left me in awe. She sat down next to me once she was finished, and from that day on, we became inseparable friends.
I was still immersed in the depth of these memories when my bedroom door creaked open. Lost in thought, I didn't even register the sound until I felt a pair of arms suddenly wrap around me from behind in a tight hug. Jolted by the sudden contact, I spun around in fear, only to find that it was Sakura.
I was utterly stunned, but I managed to compose myself and asked, "What are you doing in my room this late at night?" She simply replied that she just wanted to see me. Then came a barrage of questions—how I had found her address and what exactly I was doing in Tokyo. I answered her as simply as I could, without overcomplicating the details.
Suddenly, she caught me off guard with an awkward question: "Did you get a girlfriend after I left school?" I told her no, absolutely not. I explained that after she left, I had been so depressed that I didn't even attend school for several days. She had been my only friend since we were children, and her absence left a void. She then asked if the bullies had hurt me even more after she was gone. I told her that her departure became my motivation to work on myself and improve my physical health. I trained incredibly hard every single day, never letting laziness or exhaustion stop me.
When I told her about everything that had happened and how I had changed since she left, her eyes welled up with tears, and her cheeks flushed a deep crimson. She gave me such a beautiful smile that I felt a sudden urge to pinch her cheeks, but before I could, she threw her arms around me and began to sob uncontrollably. Within minutes, she cried herself to sleep right there in my lap. I remained perfectly still, not wanting to disturb her rest.
As she slept, she began to whisper in a trembling voice, "Don't leave me, Estival... stay... stay with me". I took her hand in mine and replied in a soft, steady voice, "I'm right here. I will never leave you again; we will stay together forever". My words seemed to calm her, though she tightened her grip on my hand even more. The moonlight streaming through the window fell directly onto her face, making her look like a radiant Moon Princess. I was so mesmerized by her beauty that I completely lost myself in the moment.
Bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight, her face looked so breathtaking that I could barely maintain my composure. For a fleeting second, I leaned in, stopping just a centimeter away from her lips. I desperately tried to distract myself, yet I found it impossible to look away. Eventually, I began to gently stroke her hair. Feeling the warmth of my hand, she seemed to find even more comfort, settling deeper into her slumber on my lap.
In that quiet moment, I finally understood why Sakura had become so popular during her first year. She was truly beautiful—possessing a grace that I simply cannot find the words to describe on this paper. After a few hours, exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I drifted off to sleep, having had no rest the night before.