Prologue: Separation

She had a beautiful name, Sasaki Yui. We lived next to each other since we started to understand. Just like stories in novels, we are childhood friends. We went to the same kindergarten and elementary school. We would always hang out together after school, and we are so close that we sometimes come to each other's house.

I had always thought that my ordinary days with her would continue without any disruption — or at least something that would not be fateful enough to pull us apart. But when I was at the age of nine, the tragedy came before I knew.

One afternoon, I was in school like usual, thinking of another peaceful and ordinary day. During lesson, I was concentrating in class like usual until a sudden and loud voice broke through the silent classroom. It was my class teacher.

"Tsukishima! Come out with me now real quick!"

She seems like something urgent is happening. I wonder what the matter is.

She took me out and explained the situation to me.

"Tsukishima, I just got notified that your parents were in a serious car accident, and was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment!"

My eyes widened, and I couldn't believe what I heard. I never expected that something like this to happen on me.

"Your uncle is now here to pick you up to the hospital, hurry up and get your shoes!"

I rushed down to the front door to wear my shoes. Meanwhile, I see my uncle sitting in his car, looking down and sad. I got into his car and he drove us to the hospital.

When we arrived at the hospital, we dashed to the waiting corridor, my heart pounding, hope in my every step. When we reached the waiting corridor, my parents were still in surgery. We had no choice but to wait. I sat down beside my uncle, hands clenched tightly in my lap.

The red operation indicator light above my head kept reminding me not to relax. After what felt like ages, the door swung open, and a doctor approached us.

"Are you the family member of Mr. and Mrs. Tsukishima?" he asked, voice low but steady.

My uncle instantly jumped to his feet.
"Yes! I am Mr. Tsukishima's brother!"

The doctor looked at me, then whispered something to my uncle. His eyes dimmed, and in that moment, I knew — it wasn't good news.

After that,  with a final sympathetic glance at me, the doctor walked away.

Seconds later, my uncle crouched down beside me, his hand trembling as he raised it up and rested on my shoulder. He opened his mouth, then hesitated. After a moment, he opened his mouth again — this time, his voice came out with a shaky, tearful tone.

"Shun... your parents...they didn't make it."

My mind went blank.

The words echoed in my head, but they felt unreal. I stared at my uncle, but he wouldn't meet my eyes. Even so, I can still see the sorrow in them, filled with tears he was trying to hold back.

I was nine. Old enough to understand what death meant. But too young to know how to respond to it.

During the funeral, I tried to cry but my tears wouldn't come out. I felt completely lost and hollowed out — like something is missing...or rather, taken from me. I didn't know what to feel, or what to do next.

Where am I going now? 

The funeral ended.

I sat alone in the corner of the room, while the adults spoke in hushed voices. They occasionally glanced at me — filled with uncertainty and guilt.

I could tell that they were talking about what to do with me.

"He can't live alone."
"We don't have the ability to raise one more child."
"Maybe we should call Sakura. She's still family and she lives alone...even if she's far away."

Fujimiya Sakura. My aunt. My mother's youngest sister, living all the way in Nagano. I barely remembered her face. She hadn't visited in years.

One of them pulled out their phone and stepped aside. I couldn't hear much of the call, though I caught my name occasionally mentioned. Then, a short while later, she came back and gave a soft nod to the others.

"She said yes."

And just like that, my life was being packed into a suitcase.

Soon, the day for my departure came. The sky was gloomy, as if it was mourning with me.

I stood at the front gate, suitcase in hand — looking back at the house which I used to live in. Memories came flashing back in my head. Finally — tears, that were absent during the funeral, started rolling down my cheeks. I was sobbing when I suddenly heard a familiar voice behind me.

Yui. She was there — waiting for me. My tears came to a stop as I turned and walked towards her. She looked up at me with red eyes, trying her hardest not to cry.

"Will you come back someday?"

I...I don't know. I don't want to leave her...

I hesitated, then gave her a nod.
"Yeah...I will."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out something small — a black rubber band with a small golden bear attached to it. I instantly recognized it. It's the rubber band she had always used to tie her hair with. She held it out to me.

"Then take this."

She placed the rubber band in my palm.
"So you won't forget me."

I stared at it for a while, feeling dazed.

Without a word, I reached into my bag and pulled out a purple ribbon — my mother's favorite hair ribbon, the one she used to tie her hair almost everyday. It gave me comfort since she passed away — now, I want to pass this comfort to Yui.

I took her hand gently and placed the ribbon in her palm.

"Then you keep this. So that it gives you the sense that I am still by your side."

She looked down at it, then closed her fingers. She looked up at me again — smiling but with tears gushing out of her eyes.

"Then promise me..."

She hugged me and whispered into my ear.

"Promise me that when we meet again...you'll marry me."

I stared at her, stunned. But in that moment, I saw it in her eyes — the fear of losing someone she truly cherished.

At that moment, a firm answer came to my mind.

"Then let's pinky promise — promise that no matter how far or how long, my love will still be yours."

We crossed our pinky fingers.