He was kneeling in front of the dogwood tree once more. Kneeling in front of it like he had almost every day for the last ten years.
This time was different, though. He wasn't alone. His wife and young daughter were with him.
And he had come to say goodbye.
"Hey, Mayumi," he said softly. "It's me. I wanted to tell you...I'm leaving today. I'm going to America. I got a job there."
"Shuichi, are you all right?" A young woman with short blonde hair looked out of the car window.
"Yes, I'm fine," he called back. He turned back to the business at hand.
"If only you could see me now...I'm sure you would laugh. I cut my hair...now people don't mistake me for a girl anymore. But...if only you were here..."
His eyes stung. "I just wanted to say that I still love you. And goodbye, Mayu-chan."
Shuichi stood up, looking at the tree's branches. He plucked off one of the blossoms, fingering its silky petals.
He smiled.
"Thank you for everything."
He walked back to the car. Back to his wife and daughter.
"Are you sure you're okay, Shuichi?" his wife asked as he slid into the driver's seat. "You were there for a while."
"No, I'm all right, Takara."
His bright-eyed girl spoke up. "He fine, Kaasan. Don't worry 'bout Otosan."
Shuichi looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Yeah. You're right, Midori."
He drove off, knowing that everything would be just fine.
Because in a special box that he didn't trust to the movers, there was a dogwood branch that still bloomed after ten years.
Because he had a wife and daughter that he cherished with all his heart.
Because he knew that somewhere, a beautiful girl with long black hair and blue eyes played with her faithful kitsune.
~OWARI~
So that's the end. Did you like it? Review!
This time was different, though. He wasn't alone. His wife and young daughter were with him.
And he had come to say goodbye.
"Hey, Mayumi," he said softly. "It's me. I wanted to tell you...I'm leaving today. I'm going to America. I got a job there."
"Shuichi, are you all right?" A young woman with short blonde hair looked out of the car window.
"Yes, I'm fine," he called back. He turned back to the business at hand.
"If only you could see me now...I'm sure you would laugh. I cut my hair...now people don't mistake me for a girl anymore. But...if only you were here..."
His eyes stung. "I just wanted to say that I still love you. And goodbye, Mayu-chan."
Shuichi stood up, looking at the tree's branches. He plucked off one of the blossoms, fingering its silky petals.
He smiled.
"Thank you for everything."
He walked back to the car. Back to his wife and daughter.
"Are you sure you're okay, Shuichi?" his wife asked as he slid into the driver's seat. "You were there for a while."
"No, I'm all right, Takara."
His bright-eyed girl spoke up. "He fine, Kaasan. Don't worry 'bout Otosan."
Shuichi looked at her through the rearview mirror. "Yeah. You're right, Midori."
He drove off, knowing that everything would be just fine.
Because in a special box that he didn't trust to the movers, there was a dogwood branch that still bloomed after ten years.
Because he had a wife and daughter that he cherished with all his heart.
Because he knew that somewhere, a beautiful girl with long black hair and blue eyes played with her faithful kitsune.
~OWARI~
So that's the end. Did you like it? Review!