Chapter Text
Several years had passed since Sakura closed the last letter from Kotoha.
His days were no longer filled with her voice but with the shadow of what they had once been. And Sakura knew he didn't want to drown in that loss.
So he got up. He continued to live. And finally, he opened a small shop at the end of Makochi Town.
Kohana — a small flower for someone who once brightened up his life, even for a moment.
A simple cafe with a white wooden frame, decorated with small vases of sunflowers and a sprig of baby’s breath. In the window, there is a small handwritten sign:
“For those who miss someone.”
Inside, soft music played in the background. The air was warm with the scent of cakes and coffee. And at the far end, by the window there was always one empty table, with a single sunflower placed on it.
Not for customers. But for someone who had once waited for him to open his eyes.
That afternoon, Sakura wiped the tables slowly. A customer —schoolgirl walked in, asking about the menu. Sakura smiled and pointed to the café’s popular omurice.
“Do you want me to draw a heart with ketchup?”
“Eh?! Yes, please!”
Sakura laughed softly. The sound of laughter… Not the same as before but there is a new strength, a voice that has learned to stand on its own.
And when night came, when the customers had gone home… Sakura would sit at the end table. A table that had not changed since the cafe opened.
He would put down a small book, open a new page, and write:
“The sky is beautiful today, Kotoha. I cooked three plates of omurice. The schoolgirl smiled when I drew a heart-shaped sauce. I'm sure you'll like looking at her.”
He smiled. He looked out the window.
Sometimes, the night breeze would gently move the curtains. And in the silence, he knew even though Kotoha was no longer by his side…
She's still here. In every flower. In every smile. And in every new life she helped touch through one table, one little cafe, and one promise that never forgotten.
———
🌻 “She is gone, but her love remains in the place she left behind for the world.”