Spring was ending.
The sakura petals, once a vibrant pink showering the school grounds, were now scattered like soft memories on the wind. The air smelled of new beginnings and quiet farewells.
Himari stood beneath the old sakura tree, clutching a small bundle of letters tied with a faded ribbon—her collection of all the letters she and Haruki had exchanged. Each one held a fragment of their journey, of shy confessions and whispered dreams.
Today was graduation.
The hall buzzed with excitement, but Himari's thoughts were elsewhere.
---
She spotted Haruki across the courtyard, dressed neatly in his uniform, a small smile playing on his lips. He waved, and she walked toward him, heart beating like a gentle drum.
"I got accepted," he said quietly as she reached him.
Himari's eyes widened. "The Tokyo Academy?"
He nodded. "My father finally agreed. After seeing how much art means to me… and after meeting you."
She smiled softly. "I'm proud of you."
He took her hand, fingers intertwining with hers. "I'm proud of us."
They walked slowly together, past the blossoming trees and laughing friends, toward a future that felt as vast as the sky.
---
Later that evening, Himari sat at her desk.
She untied the ribbon from her letters and pulled out one last envelope—plain, white, and unmarked.
It was Haruki's final letter.
She opened it slowly.
> Dear Himari,
This is the last letter I will write to you… but not because the words will end.
Because now, I want to say them out loud.
Thank you for teaching me how to be brave.
Thank you for standing with me when I was afraid.
Thank you for being my spring.
Wherever life takes us, know this:
You will always be the light in my art,
The colors in my sky,
The reason I keep drawing.
Until we meet again,
—Haruki
Himari folded the letter gently and placed it back with the others.
She looked out her window to the sakura tree, where the last petals fluttered softly.
A new season was coming.
And with it, the promise of new letters—spoken this time, not written.
She smiled.
Because love, like spring, always finds a way to bloom again.
The End