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In that dreamy world, peace was what defined Maribel's state of mind.
The entirety of the land was dyed in the colors of the world itself. A stroll that felt more like a night without sleep, a restless evening where she happened to end up in a street stained in small fragments white. The darkness of night enveloped her standing form, warm lights emitting from what looked like crowded buildings beside the place she stood.
Although, the maiden knew, that even if the town seemed to be so crowded that night, no one would be there to truly accompany her.
Even so, she was satisfied.
Maribel's socks and shoes, which were once dyed a dark color, were now drowned in the twinkling flakes and the rosy petals, albeit not fully. Even as she walked, small clouds of white formed in the air before her face, as if it was but a cold night amidst the spring.
It's been a while since she was to have such a pleasant stroll.
The calming scenery, the sights of children running around with their guardians chasing them in the bitter cold, and the soothing sound of–
A violin's melody?
A nameless tune echoed out amongst the cold of night, as if someone really was there to accompany her. Never has she witnessed a sight like this. Whether she was in the land of dreams or in the world she really lived in, no one would keep her company.
This time, however, was different.
A violinist was playing a tune for this dream of hers. That was more than enough to make her feel safe and sound, even if it's merely in this lonely street that she happened to set foot upon.
Beneath the cherry blossoms was a tree's trunk, and near the tree trunk was the violinist whose melody reached her ear. A concentrated, yet meaningful expression bloomed upon her face, eyes screwing shut as the wind blew before her while her fingers precisely pressed on the strings as she played out. That magnificent shade of brown that framed her face, tied back into a ponytail beside her neck, swayed so elegantly in the wintry wind.
And as the violinist's eyes unsealed themselves, a beautiful, charming, brilliant shade of hazel shone through the night as if gazing into the violin with nothing but pure concentration, her feelings put into that sharp gaze.
All of those fine features were more than enough to capture Maribel's heart in a single glance.
The melody she played, and that flawless figure before her... It felt like as if they were slowly putting her into sleep. It drove her into a state of serenity, the rosy cherry blossoms now blurred into the night's scenery.
The entire world seemed to sway before her eyes.
That was, before the melody came to a halt, an arm suddenly wrapping around her waist so to keep her in an alerted state.
"Miss," what sounded like a harsh, yet gentle voice suddenly spoke, soft enough so as to not startle her. "Are you alright?"
"Ah!"
Above her gaze was now that fine young lady, the soft fabric of her shirt brushing against her blouse as the two breathed. A worried expression soon made its way into the brunette's face, her arms supporting Maribel's body as the two sat beneath the cherry tree.
"D-did I startle you?"
"No, no, you didn't," the latter brushed off the other's words, settling for a comfortable position above the fallen petals. "It's just that... that melody of yours..."
"What about it?"
"It might've blown me away."
Hearing such words, the young violinist blushed and let out a flustered sigh as she looked away, the warmth of her breath wafting around Maribel as if embracing her in the cold of night. A faint stain of pink, not too dissimilar of the fallen petals beneath their hands, dyed her face with joy.
Upon seeing such a sight, the maiden couldn't help but to blush as well.
"Well... I'm glad you think so. It's been a while since I've heard those words coming out of someone's mouth, you know?"
All the laughing suddenly stopped. A bitter sigh soon came to greet their ears.
"Nevermind that. I'm just glad to have you here."
"That's quite nice to hear," the maiden smiled, leaning forward so as to face the other directly. "Ah, also, who might you be? Do I... know you?"
What a stupid question.
Asking someone whom she has never even laid eyes upon before with that sort of question like she's a childhood friend of hers or an old colleague? Asking someone before her, whom never laid eyes upon her form, even just for once?
Well, since those words slipped out so easily from her tongue and she can't take them back, she might as well play along with whatever this violinist says to that.
"Renko."
She gently smiled, as if she was but a prince placed beneath the moon's rays.
"Usami Renko."
That expression on her face continued to bloom into a sweeter one as time goes on. Maybe that's how it looked like for Maribel, who fell for her at first sight?
"Just call me anything you like."
Her smile...
It seemed to grow even more pleasant and delightful as seconds pass. As if Maribel didn't properly hear that question thrown back at her. Seeing Renko respond to such a simple inquiry in such a manner was way too impactful once inflicted upon her little heart, her feelings swaying along with the strands of their loosened hair.
Regardless, she continued to gaze upon that heavenly sight.
"Hey," the violinist chided. "You still there?"
That was, before the violinist's voice alerted her from her hazy state. A hand waved its way upon her dreamy eyes.
Now she's back to herself again. Thanks a lot, Usami. If only she didn't, how would you know her name?
"Ah! So sorry!" she lightly bowed as she apologized. "Now, what were you saying?"
"Nothing much. I only told you that it's fine for you to call me whatever you want. Would you mind telling me your name, too?"
"... Maribel," the girl chuckled. "Maribel Hearn."
"I see, I see. Well then, mind if I call you 'Merry'?"
Silence.
Another faint giggle emitted from her form as a content expression bloomed on her face.
"Not at all."
"That's good," Renko chuckled. "Well then, since it seems to be getting later, is it okay if I play a tune for you at this hour?"
"Do as you wish, Renko."
The girl stood up as she took hold of the violin once again, placing it on her shoulder as she brushed the bow onto the strings as she played out another melody just for her. Someone she just met on this fateful night of a dream. Someone whom she knows nothing about, though she knew one thing.
Hearn seemed to have fallen for her, just like how she did as well.
This tune she weaved out of the air was nothing more than a meaningful melody of love for a dear friend who came across her on this very night. Though, it'd be even more fitting to call her something more. Such a simple word was way, way too mundane to even define someone as adorable and as perfect as she is.
Someone she loved, maybe?
Maybe the two of them were destined to meet upon this fleeting moment, on this fateful night?
That made her truly feel...
Destroyed.
No, not because of Renko's presence.
No, not from this nameless tune she'd hum over and over once she leaves for her home.
Lastly, not from this warmth that enveloped both of their forms as they rejoiced beneath the dreamy cherry blossoms.
'Twas from the sadness that dyed it mercilessly as the song continued to waft itself through the night. The truth, that dyed her heart with sorrow for so long, has weighed her heart down even more.
The truth that she'd never, ever be with her dear Usami.
A stranger from a foreign town—perhaps even from a foreign land, a boy from a wealthy family, has been arranged to have a marriage with this fated maiden. Though, none of them felt true love upon seeing one another, unlike how she felt when she encountered the violinist on this very night.
That day, this profound happiness she imagined she'd adore for the rest of her life has lost its color as the night continues to dye this selfish dream. Someday, she'll have to bid farewell to this dear friend of hers, Usami; maybe even a goodbye without being able to utter anything before the violinist she loved. How she believed that this happiness would last so long the moment she first heard Renko's melody, now sounded like a complete farce to her, a lie upon her own heart, something she'll never accomplish.
She'll have to mature sometime.
She'll lose her awkward grace as she grows.
She'll have to marry the man whom she was engaged to.
Will she ever be the same? Would her heart still have this undyingly selfish love for the girl who stood before her as she danced with the wind's blow?
Of course not. Such was but an easy question to answer. And how she'll have to leave this 'dream' soon, too...
Those thoughts were too much. They're whelming her mind endlessly, as if muddling it with everything else that escalated in their land of dreams.
She wanted Renko's melody to last forever. She wished for it to never end. Never has she ever thought of this night having an end.
But of course, such wishes were to be considered so greedy and selfish by whoever's hands draw stories upon the land of dreams.
Now, the last thing she heard was a girl's laugh before her consciousness melted away into the night.
The next day (or night, to be more specific), Usami endlessly stared at the starry skies. Standing outside her house was she, beneath the very same tree from yesterday. Her violin remained still in her grasp, her bow doing the same as she breathed. The cold winds that blew against her skin kept her awake.
"Renko!"
Her voice rang in her ears, albeit in a soft, kindly way. A delicate voice, one that greeted her at that very moment.
"Merry," she called out to her name as well. "It's good to see you here again."
"I'm happy to see you here, too."
A hopeful smile, one that gleamed with pure joy upon those hazel eyes, shined through the young violinist with all its brilliance. As if her once despaired heart that once lost every remaining trace of happiness, now had the fragments of glee restored to it as she witnessed her smile.
Ever since many left her years ago upon a terrible accident inflicted by the hands of the gods who shook the earth, never has she felt this content while she saw another smile before her.
No one has given her this much hope in her dying heart.
"So, what shall we do tonight?"
"I'll just stay here while you play a tune for me like how you did yesterday. That'll do."
"Why, I expected something more, but..." the girl trailed off, glancing at the starry skies before looking back at Maribel's precious smile. "If that's what you wish for the night, then I guess that'll do."
Placing the instrument on her shoulder, she swiftly let her bow dance upon the strings, her form moving and swaying so elegantly beneath the moonlight as if dancing. Waltzing without anyone in sight besides her beloved companion, watching the magnificent moon shine upon the skilled young lady who seemed to be dancing with the stars as she played on.
That beautiful sight...
It will always be remembered in her memories. She'll always come back to her every night, after all.
Well, at least, for the remaining time being she had before her scheduled marriage.
And so, the girl returned to the dreamy cherry tree, its blossoms raining down fragments of themselves upon both her and Usami's forms. The moon and the stars, which kept changing as their endless nights went on, seemed to adore watching them spend their time together beneath their rays.
As those nights continued on, Renko continued to play her violin while Maribel hums along to the melodies she freshly weaved out of her hands on each and every evening when they were to meet. Their harmony that resonated in the night was more than enough to make the two of them feel joy and happiness, content from one another's company.
And maybe—just maybe—they also felt warm from seeing each other grow happier and happier with each and every encounter.
Many memories were carved into their hearts as those nights endlessly rolled in their lives. Those nights where they ramble out their problems to one another, how Hearn needed to say goodbye to her soon and how Usami told her she had to do the same as well to weave a way to reach the peak of her dreams. Evenings of tears and comfort that came soon after, their sweet words reassuring one another from despair, even if they were but lies as white as the melting snow. A lie as pure as the remainings of the twinkling flakes.
One of those memories, however, was even more unforgettable than the rest. It was but a precious one to behold.
Their last night.
The last of evenings they could spend with each other's company before bidding farewell.
That night, the two of them stood before the cherry tree after Renko finished another song of hers, smiling before her dearest's gaze as she chuckled. Seeing such an expression on the violinist's features, the maiden giggled as well, before a question rose in her mind.
"Renko," she called out. "What will you call that one?"
It is, indeed, an ordinary occurrence for her to ask whatever word shall be kept as a title for the great violinist Usami's wonderful melodies and tunes. Upon giving a title to each and every one of her works, she'd always smile in sheer pride and joy.
And that was the same expression she held on her face that day, even as she set aside her violin and bow on the ground.
Even if a faint—no, a deep sadness was engraved inside of her heart before their bitter parting was to happen, her fabricated smile was enough to mask it all.
Was it really that much a fake expression if she really is happy with Hearn by her side, though?
"Ah, let me think..."
Fingers were now placed on her chin, as if she was thinking hard.
"I think I'll call that one..."
A silent pause. A brief interlude.
"'Dreamy Cherry Blossoms'."
"Hm?" Maribel stood up, approaching the other as she spoke. "Why so?"
"It's because..."
Once again, Renko's voice trailed off into the stars, an arm now wrapping around Maribel's waist. Their warm breaths tickled one another's necks, the pair embracing beneath the stars' grasp. A gentle smile found its way on the violinist's face, her lips curving upwards softly as a faint shade of pink dyed her cheeks amidst the darkness of night.
Fingers now intertwining with the maiden's own ones, pulling her closer before their lips brushed against one another.
"Because?"
A gentle kiss on the lips before Renko answered her soft voice.
"Because... I want to remember these moments with you," she murmured, attempting to hide her reddening face from Maribel as she smiled. "No matter how many times I'll play it."
The moment she released her grasp from Maribel was the moment tears started to fall so freely out of their bleary gaze. Whether it was from the overwhelmingly joyful feeling, or from the sadness of realization that their bitter parting is no longer so far away from them, the two shed their tears, burying one another's faces upon their forms. Weeping was the maiden, for her beloved Usami will no longer meet her again. Meanwhile, there the violinist wailed into the night, her cries sealed by her throat that ached as she restrained herself from doing so.
Earlier that day, the two of them has 'killed' their feelings for one another, as if drowning them in a sea of denial, promising to themselves that those feelings shall never rise in their hearts, ever again. None of them will be forgiven if they were to sacrifice everything selfishly for their feelings.
Truly a rapacious act, they thought, swallowing bitter tears as they desperately tried to erase every remaining memory so to never, ever remember the other, ever again.
Upon an early morning, in her room, the maiden weeped, asking herself a question never to be answered.
"Will I be forgiven if I were to forget everything for my selfish feelings, Renko?"
Meanwhile, on the other side of town, there the violinist pondered. As if being able to hear and understand her dearest Hearn's call to whoever shall answer that utterly useless question of hers, Usami smiled bitterly as she continued to melt away the feelings she had for the girl she loved.
"I won't be forgiven if I was to forget everything, and so will you. Isn't that right, Merry?"
And so, they both cried, not too dissimilar of what they did on this fateful night.
"Ah, well... I guess that concludes our meeting for the night."
Her voice brought them both back to reality, the musician releasing her grasp on Maribel as she childishly wiped her tears away.
"Oh... I see. Well then, I'll be going now, I suppose."
The two of them lightly bowed, the maiden soon walking away from the violinist that remained still upon her stature. Seeing her back retreat further and further away from her, never to be seen again. She'll marry someone she's made for, Renko thought. Someone way better than her, a good-for-nothing violinist who knows so little about Maribel Hearn.
The musician's mind, however, helplessly remembered that final kiss before the girl was to depart from her world for a long, long time.
That kiss, and how warm and comforting it felt, seemed to be a jumble of unspoken promises, sealed by their lips, the two of them never wanting their last words to one another said aloud.
"Let us never meet each other here, again."
"Let that be our first, yet last, kiss."
"May you be happy with whoever you love, Merry."
"May you be happy with your dreams once you've achieved them, Renko."
And so, there the violinist weeped once again, her throat choked with tears as she fell onto her knees before the tree. Upon rising her hands so to cry into them and let her tears pool inside, the cherry blossom petals brightened before her gaze. As if trying to bitterly remind her of the memories this tree harbored, ever since they were to encounter one another.
Their laughs, their tears, and how it felt as if the tree stored it all in those vivid, rosy petals.
How is she going to forget all of this now?
Hopelessly collapsing as she struggled to breathe, the fragments of emotions that reflected herself upon the petals continued to haunt her until her breaths grew short. The tears that choked her until she was no longer able to breathe, along with the nostalgia the petals harbored as she cried, strangled her to the point where she could do absolutely nothing but to let out a despairing weep.
Reaching out to the violin somewhere beside her, she embraced it close to her form, alongside the bow it came with. As if trying to get a strong grip on her ambitions and dreams, even if someone she really loved has left her to cry on this cold floor dyed in the blinding petals.
But of course, no matter how hard she tried to get a grasp onto those dreams, it felt like nothing else besides her beloved Merry should appear in thought.
As if her dreams just vanished, only in one night.
"Merry..."
She choked out her words as her throat threatened to let out a scream of unbridled despair, her eyes wet with tears as she spoke.
"If only..."
Her eyes screwed shut, that once brilliant shade of hazel now blurred into a bleary gaze.
"If only our love could last..."
There the girl cried upon the fallen petals, gripping them as if trying to bring back those old memories that will never, ever come back. Little did she know, her dearest still hasn't left for her home. Although, the maiden still remained unhappy, crying on the other side of the buildings in the town square.
"Renko," she whispered in the cold of night, the pedestrians walking by getting blurred into a distorted blob by her teary eyes. "If only we could love each other... for the rest of our lives..."
Smiling bitterly into the starry skies was she, sighing as she uttered a few more words before they truly part ways. Drying her watery eyes, the violinist did the same from afar, staring hopelessly into the sky as her bleary gaze focused onto the petals and the stars above.
"Please, let us dream of an endless world composed of our feelings and undying love..."
It felt like mere days after she's last seen Renko stand beneath the cherry tree. Though, in reality, it's been years, maybe even decades since the two of them first met.
Now, there she stood, beneath the remains of the once magnificent tree that let the sun's rays shine between its delicate petals. As expected, no one was to accompany her to visit this old cherry tree. Not even her husband whom she thought she loved dearly back then.
That arranged marriage did nothing but break the bond between her and the violinist she met on that fateful day.
Nothing good had came upon her ever since the day she bid farewell to her dear Usami. As if everything she cherished suddenly disappeared before her eyes. No one really cared for her as much as her beloved musician. No one gave her a shoulder to cry on like she did. No one lended an ear to listen to hear problems.
No one.
No one ever did.
Only Usami Renko.
As if all of that wasn't enough to make her heart sink with utter disappointment and sadness, not long ago, that musician, whom she adored and admired so dearly, has passed away, departing to the stars, as if returning to them after living a life of achieving her old dreams.
"She must've had a happy life," she thought to herself, sitting beneath the cherry tree upon the midnight breeze, just like how she did back then in their younger years. "Well, good for her, I suppose..."
Beneath that lonely cherry tree, she witnessed the falling petals, glancing at the stars from between the dried branches. Upon seeing how they shined so brightly in the late evening, the maiden shifted in her position so to see them clearer, and how they gleamed like the twinkling eyes of the violinist's gaze.
As if Renko gazed back at her from above, upon the sea of stars while she nostalgically cherished the old cherry tree.
"Renko, I wonder," the lady mumbled as she stared into the skies. "Mayhaps, do you see me... standing here?"
The moon and the stars suddenly brightened in Maribel's eyes. While the petals seemed to continue falling, they felt softer, even more delicate as she touched them and ran them between her fingers. A sense of a cold breeze, and at the same time, warmth, enveloped her once trembling being.
From a place not too far away from where she stood, that once nameless melody soon played out in the distance. As if saying, "I'm here, with you," amidst the cold wind of night that was now embraced with pure warmth.
The very same sound of the strings brushing against the bow resonated in her ears.
Their memories, and that melody...
It soon came back to her.
And their feelings for one another...
It seems that they weren't too far gone, after all.