Chapter 10
It Can't Possibly…
Sakura hesitated for a moment as she saw in Shin's eyes the same sadness she knew he saw in hers, but she knew what she wanted, she wanted to end all of this― she wanted to have a talk with him privately; she had no choice, "Okay."
As they both went inside the dark house, she sat down the couch uninvited; she saw Shin take a glimpse of her and sighed as she did so. She knew something was wrong, they weren't okay.
"Here," Shin mumbled as he handed out a cup of milk to Sakura, drinking from his own cup.
Sakura reached out and took the cup in her hands, slightly touching Shin's. She looked up at him and gave him a weak smile, noticing milk marks on his lips as he sat down on a far off chair. She knew that if they were just okay… then maybe she could laugh at him and wipe off the marks on his lips; they would be comfortable with that but it killed her that they weren't at the moment. Oh, how she wished they were back to the same comfort they both felt for each other.
"So… What did you want to talk about?" whispered Shin, not looking at her, avoiding her eyes as he searched his desk next to the TV.
Sakura knew that Shin was avoiding her daze on him, but she didn't mind, all she wanted and minded at that time was that she knew he was listening to her, to her every word― explanation. She wanted to explain to him as much as he wanted to know; she just knew that they both wanted a settlement, maybe even a compromise, to get everything over with, "Shin? Can I ask you something?"
Shin seemed not to notice her by not stopping on whatever he was searching for but Sakura waited for his answer. It took several minutes before Sakura's message finally sunk in him, and he nodded, "Un."
Sakura looked away, her eyes took sight of a chest, and she locked her eyes on it, observing it. It had beautiful carvings and beads, it seemed antique but remained beautiful; irreplaceable. She stood up, wanting to see what was inside of it, she walked up to it and put her hands on it as she felt it's smooth and glistening cover. Something about it was drawing her closer.
"Don't touch that!" Sakura looked to Shin's direction with surprise, her hand jolting away from the chest. Hey eyes locked on Shin's enraged ones as he pointed to the chest, his arms almost shaking. She stiffened and stood still as Shin approached her and took the chest into his arms, hugging it on his body with longing and protectiveness. She noticed him holding a rusty key in his hands that he had put in the chest's lock; it was what he was looking for. She watched him as the chest swung open slowly.
Melody filled through her ears as the chest swung open widely, it gave off a song so familiar and beautiful, like the humming of a bird. She closed her eyes as pictured flashed through her misty mind.
Flashback
"Do you really have to? Will you really be transferring to another school, Sakura?" A dark-haired boy she knew as Ryu whispered to her as they both sat down on their school's park.
She looked at his dark green orbs and frowned, she knew she was going to miss him so much, leaving him like this; she knew that he can't transfer with her, he was two years older than her and had fully adapted to their school. She can't be selfish to him, "I guess so, that's what my mother told me."
Ryu returned her look and smiled, making her feel happier, "Don't worry. There's always the sky to guide us, remember?"
She smiled in amazement, how could he smile at her when he knew that they can possibly never see each other again, "What do you mean?"
"See that?" He started as he raised his hand and pointed up the sky, "Always look up and when you see a star, brightest of them all, and as if it was blinking at you, remember that when I die, I'll be that star and always blink at you at night, protecting you."
Sakura wanted to laugh but forced not to, she looked up to where he was pointing to and grinned, she knew very well that she won't forget him. He looked at her and smiled as he took her hand and pulled her towards their classrooms.
He gave her a soft smile at her as he took a chest out from his bag and slowly opened it with a glowing key, and a sweet and soothing melody filled the air, it was so beautiful to listen to, Sakura knew she can't get tired of it. She closed her eyes as she hummed with the melody, finally memorizing it at its second play. She opened her eyes once again and gave Ryu a weak smile.
"Sakura, put your most valuable thing in this chest," he mumbled as he took out a bandage out from his pocket and put it in the chest, whispering, 'For you words, Onee-san, that everything can be healed with a simple smile,' and handed the chest over to Sakura. She realized what he was doing; a remembrance― a connection for both of them.
She hesitated for a few seconds but slowly took a small teddy bear out of her pocket, she reached out and put it in the chest, copying what Ryu did and whispered, 'For you, Dad, for saying that everyone has their own priorities and value.'
She looked at Ryu and saw that he had a broad smile on his fair face, "We'll bury it at the school park and maybe― maybe someday when we meet again, we'll bury it out again."
Sakura nodded with agreement and walked right beside him, taking his hand in hers as they made their way towards their school's park once again. They both kneeled as they reached the center, under the shade of the big cherry blossom tree, and Ryu started digging until it was deep enough for the chest.
Sakura held his hand tighter as they both looked at the chest for the last time, both whispering, 'For all the memories.'
As they finished covering the hole with mud again, they took several stoned and had put it around the hole. They stood up with smiled on their dirty faces and admired what they had done, knowing even if they're far from one another, there were things that connected both of the, drawing them together.
"Goodbye, Ryu."
He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug, his last one, "Goodbye, Sakura."
End of Flashback
Sakura opened her eyes once again as the music stopped playing; Shin had closed it. She looked at Shin with astonished eyes, 'Ryu… It can't be possible…' she thought as she tried to observe Shin's features; the same dark green eyes, the same dark hair, the same sweet, melting smile.
"Shin… A― are you p― possibly…" she trailed off.
Shin looked at her as he caressed the box in his arms for the last time and laid it gently on his desk as he looked back at Sakura who was now staring straight at him, "What?"
A tear flowed own Sakura's cheek as she struggled to move an inch closer to where Shin was, "S― Shin… p― possibly… R― Ryu…"
Shin's eyes opened widely as he heard Sakura stutter on a name he wasn't called in so many years, he looked at her with the same curiousness she had in hers earlier and muttered under his breath, 'Sakura… No, it can't possible…' he looked at her and observed her quickly; the same girl from the past flashing through his mind.
"Wha― What did you say?" was all he could afford to say.
"Shin… Are you? R― Ryu?"
His closed his eyes, that was why, that was why he was so drawn to her. He was right; she was the girl he knew before, Sakura, the girl he met when he was still six years of age, the girl he made friends with. She's the one he was hoping to meet for years now, "Sakura? Are you…?"
Sakura raised her head up and ran towards him, taking him in her arms as tears continuously flowed down her cheeks, she was amazingly happy. It was him, the person she was truly looking forward to all of these years.
"You are! You are Ryu!" she repeatedly mumbled.
Shin wrapped his arms around her, too, returning her happiness. They stood there for a moment, waiting for something to possibly happen, as minutes passed by, they didn't mind, they found one another.
Sakura removed her grasp from his as she sat back down his couch, still awestricken, 'Thank God, I found you, Ryu…' she thought as she stared straight ahead on nothing, wiping her tears away.
Shin looked the other way and took the chest in his hands as he sat beside Sakura, handing it to her, like an innocent child, "Here, Sakura, you can take it."
Everything was revolting― unexpected. Sakura looked at him and took the chest, gripping it harder and harder as she drew it closer and closer to her; her heart throbbed with excitement and familiarity, wanting to let memories flow to her mind. She opened it widely as the sweet and peaceful melody rose up again in mid air, relaxing the tensed emotion in both of them.
A tear flowed down her cheeks as she locked her eyes on a teddy bear; it was what connected her to Shin. It had what seemed like a pale colored jumpsuit stitched onto it, she silently raised her hand and touched it, as if it was too fragile. She lifted it up and pulled it near her heart and hugged it gently, 'Dad…' she whispered.
For a few minutes she just sat there, frozen, caressing the bear in her hands, but she had to let it go some time, she held it away from her and delicately lowered it to the chest, laying it next the bandage Ryu had left there. A smile formed across her face, "Look, Shin, your bandage…"
Shin moved closer to her, looking at where she was, too. He took sight of his old bandage that was given to him by his older sister, he smiled and unexpectedly hugged Sakura as a tear fell down his cheek, he was thankful, so thankful that they found each other again, 'I'm so glad I've found you, Sakura…' he whispered to her ears.
Chapter Ended.