The talk of potential distance after high school wasn't just abstract anymore. With Sakura preparing for her Todai orientation next month, and my own university decisions looming, the reality of physical separation felt closer than ever. We hadn't been apart for more than a day or two since our real relationship began, and the thought of being in different cities, with different schedules and lives, was daunting.
One weekend, Sakura had a family obligation out of town. It wasn't a long trip, just one night, but it was the first time since we started dating that we wouldn't see or even text each other constantly for a full day. It felt like a small, unplanned practice run for the potential future.
The day felt... quieter. Different. I missed our usual rhythm – the morning "good morning" text, seeing her at school, our lunch together, our time after school or at the club. I found myself checking my phone more often than usual, even though I knew she was busy with her family.
Kenji noticed. "Dude, you look like someone stole your favorite book," he commented as we were walking home from school.
"Just... quiet today," I admitted. "Sakura's out of town with her family."
"Ah, right," he said. "Missing her already, huh?"
I shrugged, feeling a little sheepish. "Yeah. I guess I didn't realize how much I relied on seeing her, or just knowing she's around."
Kenji clapped me on the shoulder. "That's normal, man. You guys are glued at the hip these days. It's good you're getting a little practice for the future, though. Long distance is gonna be a whole different ball game."
His words, meant to be encouraging, just amplified my anxiety about the future. A single day felt long. How would months, or even years, feel?
I spent the evening trying to distract myself – reading, watching a movie, even trying to get ahead on some studying. But the quietness of the apartment felt more pronounced.
Sakura texted me that night, just before bed.
Sakura: Hey, home safe! 😊 Long day! Just wanted to say goodnight. Missed you today. ❤️ Me: Hey! Good to hear you're safe! Missed you too, Sakura. It felt weird not talking all day. Sakura: I know! It did for me too! It was strange not having you around. 😊 Me: This feels like a weird practice run for university distance... Sakura: (Pause) Sakura: Yeah. It does. (Her reply was soft, tinged with a touch of the same anxiety I felt). But hey, we survived one day! 💪
That simple message, "we survived one day," offered a small comfort. It was a tiny step, a brief glimpse into the potential challenges of distance, but we had gotten through it. And we had both felt the absence. That mutual feeling of missing each other, even after just one day, felt like a testament to how real our connection was.
The next day, when Sakura was back and we saw each other at school, the simple act of seeing her, of being able to talk to her face-to-face, felt incredibly good. There was an unspoken understanding between us, a shared experience of missing each other.
"It was definitely... different," Sakura said, as we walked hand in hand to the clubroom. "Being away. Even just for a day."
"Yeah," I agreed. "Made me realize how much our routine is built around... being together."
"Me too," she murmured. "It makes the future feel... real."
Our brief, unplanned day apart was a small taste of the potential challenges ahead. It was a little bit difficult, a little bit anxious, but also a confirmation of how much we had become a part of each other's daily lives. Facing the future distance wouldn't be easy, the one-day practice run had shown me that. But knowing that the missing was mutual, and that our connection was strong enough to make even a single day apart feel significant, gave me hope that we could face the larger distances too, together. It would just require conscious effort, communication, and a shared commitment to bridging the miles.