The Spring Flower

"Dear.

How are you? This is the first time I've written a letter.

I somehow became used to being alone.

On my way back, I saw the sakuras in full bloom at the park.

And I think of you.

I gasp for air as I float above the black sky.

Because a slight fever drapes the world, the scenery becomes unclear.

We breath faintly, for we are unsure how long our love will last.

A bud opens at the last moment.

Do you hear me? Hello? Hello?

Or is it just me?

A petal to which I prayed for seems to have been touched by you.

With brilliant colors and sound, the sakura blooms.

Love overflows in me as I search for your voice.

A spring flower falls when I look up.

Sakura leaves are being blown by the wind, and a storm of spring will come soon.

They are all scattered, but by fate I need to go.

They resemble love well; they look just like us.

I have done a private joke. (b)

Where are you? Hello? Hello?

What can I say?

A petal to which I prayed for seems to have been touched by you.

With brilliant colors and sound, the sakura blooms.

I made a thousand wishes that my essence will overflow them.

A spring flower falls when I look up.

Is it now impossible to see you once again? Here at which I danced with the sakuras.

I am in tears as I wake from this light dream, and it spills out.

With brilliant colors and sound, the sakura blooms

I bury all the significant things under this tree.

The spring when I say goodbye to you.

The spring when a flower falls if I looked up.

And I am left alone, on me, on me..."

A handsome and tall young man walked at the busy centre of Tokyo.This young man was called Watanuki Kimihiro; he was 24-year-old and was studying economies, his goal was to become a real, professional cook.His friends thought that he was better cook than anybody else, so it wasn't really hard to achieve for Watanuki.

He still saw his friends Dômeki Shizuka and Kunogi Himawari quite often, even though not as often as before. They were both busy with their university studies, especially Dômeki who was running his family's shrine at the same time. He had decided to continue running it, even though he wanted to complete his studies at the university first.They all were still good friends and it almost seemed that Ichihara Yûko with all her crazy pulls had connected the three of them with an invisible but strong bond.

Ichihara Yüko...
It had been over 5 years since he had last seen the strange time-space witch Ichihara Yûko. His wish (not to be haunted by ghosts or lost spirits) had been granted and there was no need to work for Yüko anymore. Actually, he knew he couldn't even enter her shop anymore: he saw only wasteland in the place her shop had been.
As annyoing as it had been at the beginning, working for the bossy and eccentric witch, he had started to realize how much he missed Yûko and especially their conversations. As cryptic as her advices were, they always turned out helpful.
And as annoying as the witch herself sometimes had been, she was a good friend.

"...Has it really been over 5 years since I last met Yûko?"

Watanuki slowly came back to his senses as he saw a young, about 10-year-old girl sitting on the street, leaning to the wide window of a supermarket.
She had covered her face with her small hands and she was obviously crying. There was no adult to be seen, so Watanuki made a conclusion that she was alone.

"Are you alright?" Watanuki asked from the girl as he walked closer.

"Y-yes", the little girl sobbed between her tears.

"Are you sure? You don't look alright to me. A nice girl like you shouldn't be sitting here alone crying," Watanuki replied gently as he sat next to the girl.

"Where are you parents? Aren't they worried?" Watanuki tried again.

"I don't want to know. I ran away because they are so stupid," the girl sniffed and looked carefully at Watanuki.

"Why are they so stupid?" Watanuki asked and studied the girl's face.

"They said that my dreams are silly and they won't come true. Why dreams can't come true? It's not fair!" The girl blurted out and started to cry even more.

Watanuki put his arm around the little girl and replied gently:"Well, your parents are wrong. Wishes can come true. Believe me, I know."

"H-how?" The girl gave a suspicious look, but there was a glint of hope in her eyes.

"There is this woman, they call her as a witch even though she's not actually scary or anything like that, she's just weird. But she can grant wishes," Watanuki replied deep in his thoughts.

"Really?" The girl looked more hopeful now.

"Yes, really. But when you wish something, you'll always have to pay a payment, it's part of the deal," Watanuki explained.

The girl hesitated for a moment but then asked: "How can I find her?"

"Well, actually you can't. You'll meet her if it's hitsuzen, inevitable that is," a sad smile crept upon Watanuki's features and for a moment, he seemed to be far away.

"How can I be sure I'll meet her?" The girl asked looking unsure.

"You can't be. But you'll meet her, if it's fated to be so. Now, don't look so sad anymore," Watanuki smiled and gave her a handkerchief.

The girl dried her face with the clothe and then suddenly asked:"Have you met her? This witch?"

Watanuki smiled sadly and remained silent for a while before answering.

"Yes, I have."

"Why are you sad then? Was she unkind?" The girl didn't cry anymore and was looking eagerly at Watanuki.

"No, she wasn't. Well, it seemed so first, but she's a nice person in her own strange way," Watanuki smiled at some distant memories.

"Will you meet her again?" The girl asked, still looking at Watanuki.

"I don't know," Watanuki replied softly and gave her another sad smile.

"Would you like to?" The girl continued.

"I think I would," Watanuki replied again, remembering things he had thought to be forgotten.

"I'm sure you will if it's fated to be so!" The girl announced happily and Watanuki laughed.

"I bet you're right. Now, shouldn't you go back to home? Would you like me to walk you home?" Watanuki asked as he got up and helped the girl on her feet.

"Yes, I very much would like that," the girl smiled happily and took Watanuki's hand.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later on, when Watanuki had returned the little girl to her worried parents and recieved tons of blessings from them, he was going back to his apartment.
Watanuki looked at the extraordinarily clear night sky of Tokyo.
This was one of those nights you actually could see the stars though all the dirt and lights of the city.

He stopped for a while and made a small prayer to the night sky.
He hoped that Yüko would be alright and maybe, just maybe, he would meet her again someday.

As he continued to walk he thought he heard steps.
Not just any steps, it sounded like a woman, walking on a high-heeled shoes.
It reminded him of...

He spun around to see who it was.

And he saw...

-A/N: I know, the ending's mean, but I just wanted to give you a possibility to decide if Watanuki and Yûko really met again. The random thought just hit me one day, I just realized that there would be no need for Watanuki and Yüko to meet after Watanuki's wish had been granted. And after all, Watanuki seems to relay quit much on Yüko's opinions nowadays... Sorry, I'm babbling. Anyways, the song lyrics are from Plastic Tree's 'Harusaki sentimental', I thought it kind of fit.