Rain Of Cherry Blossom Petals

The third-year students of Shishigami High School gathered together in the gymnasium for one final goodbye. Groups of students could be seen crying silently, while others wore faces of determination and fondness for their days in high school. The chatter began to die down as the principal took his place at the podium, his own eyes filled with sorrow.

"We gather here today to celebrate. We, the staff at Shishigami High, congratulate you on your graduation ceremony. You've done it... You're all officially adults of the new era, and I couldn't be prouder. It is with my utmost gratitude that I hand this microphone to Kuromoto Souichi, the student council president."

Souichi whispered a silent prayer from backstage, his hands clasped together as his lips curled with each word. Nishi, his brother, gently patted him on the back.
"You ready, big bro? Go knock them dead with your speech."

The gymnasium erupted into a thunderous applause, students cheering and whistling as their beloved student council president took the stage. Donned in a red armband and his school uniform, he cleared his throat before grabbing the microphone.

"Students of Shishigami High School... How do you do? Much like what Principal Hanagawa said, we have gathered here today to celebrate."
Souichi gazed down at his speech paper, skillfully curled in his left hand.
"As you know, these past few years have brought with them all sorts of turmoil. Together, we faced our problems and came out stronger than ever. We were great; no, the best. Every day that I got to speak to one of you as my peers, I felt a special bond and connection with every single one of you."

Nishi met Souichi's gaze from backstage, offering an encouraging thumbs up. Souichi smiled, returning to face the crowd.

"As you all know, I have a younger brother. His name is Nishi, and he's one of my many comforts. He actually wrote this speech for me, since he's so damn skilled with a pen."

The crowd burst into laughter.

"But Nishi is a prime example of who I strive to be. I may be older, but I look up to my little brother with great fondness. Check under all of your seats, and experience what my younger brother has created for all of you."

The third-year students began to murmur. They all looked baffled as they reached for a stack of stapled papers beneath their chairs. What they found was a hand drawn manga, titled 'Makeinu no Tōboe' by Kuromoto Nishi and Tanto. The crowd sifted through the pages, quietly whispering.

"Whoa, this is good."

"Souichi's brother made this?"

"It's pretty dark. This would make a great series!"

Souichi smiled at the whispering crowd, grabbing the microphone once again.
"If my little brother can create a real manga in high school, then I see no reason why you all can't go achieve your own dreams. Amamiya-san, you can be a doctor. Sato-kun, you can pursue music as a career. What I'm trying to say is, be true to yourself, and your efforts will pay off. I have nothing more to say to you, class. Thank you for an unforgettable experience."

With a bow of his head, Souichi was met with a deafening cheer. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he stepped off the gymnasium stage for the final time. Nishi, who had been watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but fight back tears of his own.

Toward the end of the ceremony, Nishi and Tan-Tan gathered outside the gymnasium, enjoying a small snack underneath the falling cherry blossoms.
"That was really kind of Souichi-nii to praise our manga like that. I hope the third-years enjoy it."
Tan-Tan leaned her head against Nishi's shoulder.

"I think they will. Your story writing received a lot of praise from the school newspaper last night, too."
Nishi gently placed a sakura mochi in Tan-Tan's small mouth.

"Do you think Souichi-nii will be excited for our after party? I don't want to trouble him."
She glanced up at Nishi, her hand covering her mouth as she carefully chewed the sticky treat.

"He better be. Aki and Minami are already finished setting up the decorations back at my house."
Nishi watched as the third-years began piling out of the gym, sniffling and shouting in celebration. Amidst the sea of students, Souichi could be seen, mingling with his classmates one last time.

"Ready to go, Sou-chan?"
Nishi patted his brother's shoulder, giving him a sly smile.

"Go, where?"
Souichi raised his eyebrow in curiosity.

Tan-Tan mimicked Nishi's shoulder pat on the opposite side.
"Just follow us, Souichi-nii."

"Ah, where are you dragging me?!"
Souichi was forced into the back seat of a cab, heading in the direction of his mother's house. Tan-Tan eagerly bounced in her seat, while Nishi spoke in a hushed tone on the phone; ultimately, leaving Souichi to play a guessing game.

The taxi stopped in front of Nishi's home, and Tan-Tan paid the fare. Souichi couldn't help but chuckle to himself; after all, he loved a good mystery.
"Alright, we're at mom's house? What's really going on, Nishi?"

"Patience, big bro. Close your eyes."
Nishi guided him into the home, whispering something inaudible to Tan-Tan.

"Alright. Three, two, one!"

"Congratulations on graduation, Souichi!"

Souichi's eyes shot open. Standing before him, were Akinari, Minami, Aoi, and all of the student council club members. Everybody showered him in confetti and ribbons.

"You guys... this is amazing!"
He laughed loudly, watching as Akinari and Minami cut into a large cake.

"Have you gotten taller, kid? You're looking more handsome every day."
Aoi, Souichi and Nishi's mother, roughly wrapped her arm around his shoulder; giving the boy a harsh noogie on his hair.

"I missed you, too, Mother."
Souichi leaned into her embrace, enjoying the moment of peace brought by the party.

The crew began a competitive game of a popular Nintendo game, everyone selecting their favorite characters as they sipped on cola and stuffed their mouths with Aoi's homemade cooking.The manga club vs the student council; the fierce battle raged on as they playfully slandered each other over the game. It wasn't long before Nishi found himself stepping away from the chaotic living room to take an incoming call outside.

"Hello? This is Kuromoto Nishi."
He leaned against the railing of his doorstep, fidgeting with his glasses.

"Kuromoto-san, this is Sato Kokoro calling from J-Fantasy Publishing Company. We spoke briefly the other day about your manga submission."

Nishi's heart skipped a beat. He clutched his chest firmly, gazing back at the ongoing party just inside his home a few feet away.

"Y-yes. My submission was the crime drama, 'Makeinu no Tōboe'."

"Yes, indeed. From what it sounds like, our editors and head chief really enjoyed your work. If you are free this Sunday, we would love to schedule you to speak with an editor about publishing your manga in our magazine."
The woman on the other end sounded cheerful. Nishi froze in place for what seemed like an eternity. His hands began to shake, but he quickly took a deep breath to calm his nerves.
"Y-yes! Sunday works!"

"Excellent. Please visit between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM on Sunday. Ask for Akibane-san in the publishing department. See you soon, Kuromoto-san, and congratulations!"

The monotone beeping on the other line signaled the end of the phone call. Nishi stood completely still, not daring to move a muscle. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he let out a guttural victory cry into the night sky; unfortunately, annoying his neighbors. Guests inside the house rushed outside to identify the source of the commotion; only to be met with the sight of Nishi, sobbing into his palms.

Tan-Tan quickly knelt down beside him, stroking his back in a soothing manner.
"Nishi-senpai, what's wrong?! Are you okay?!"

Nishi finally revealed his face. It was ugly and raw, full of pure joy and unbridled happiness; tears flowing freely down his cheeks and on to the concrete below.
"Our manga... they're going to publish it!"

Minami broke the silence, screaming so loudly that everyone was sure the police would be called.
"LET'S FREAKING GO!!!"

Akinari soon joined the frenzy, yelling loud enough to rattle everyone's brains.
"YOU DID IT!!!"

Tan-Tan found herself caught in the crossfire of a group hug, being suffocated by the many arms of her friends. She couldn't help but break down into tears of her own; her screams of joy muffled by the bodies of her friends. Aoi emerged from the doorway, gently enveloping the teenagers in her maternal love.
"I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

Souichi pulled back from the hug, admiring the moment of shared joy.
"When are they planning to meet with you?"

"Sunday at noon. I have to set a million alarms so I don't miss it!"
Nishi began rifling through his phone, making sure to set multiple alarm chimes at an early time on Sunday morning.

Tan-Tan hugged Nishi tightly, nuzzling her face into his chest.
"Our dream is finally coming true. We're about to be real manga artists, publishing in the same magazine as Azurbön!"

Nishi tilted her chin up, staring lovingly into his girlfriend's eyes. He placed his free hand over hers, giving it a few soft rubs with his thumb.
"It's all thanks to your story writing, Tan-Tan. We couldn't have done it without you, or Aki, Minami and Meguro-kun for helping us add the final touches. Come, Sunday evening, we will officially be high school phenomena."

"Come now, kids. We've got one more event to celebrate tonight."
Aoi held the house door open for the guests, watching as they piled inside to chat about the life changing evening.