Cherry Blossoms: Part 1

[TV Broadcast – Evening News, Tokyo]

The camera zooms in on a man standing at a shoreline research site, floodlights blazing behind him, glinting off a metallic, diamond-shaped object half-submerged in water. He’s dressed in a crisp lab coat, hair neatly slicked back, his presence calm but electric.

“This,” he says into the cluster of microphones, his voice steady but alive with awe,

“is something truly fascinating—an unknown object that appeared on our shores just three nights ago. My name is Dr. Haruto Kenji, Chief of Advanced Particle Sciences and Lead of Japan’s Helix Research Division. With my elite team, we will make certain this object is understood. We’ll uncover its purpose… and share its astonishing possibilities with the entire world.”

Flashes of cameras light up the scene.

[Meanwhile…]

“Look, Momma, Daddy’s on TV!”

A little girl, maybe six, with tangled black hair and bright eyes, sits cross-legged in front of the screen, still in her school uniform.

Her mother kneels beside her, softly running a hand over her daughter’s hair. She forces a gentle smile.

“That’s right, honey. Daddy’s doing amazing things for all of us… Looks like he won’t be home for a while.”

The little girl turns, grinning wide.

“Then we’ll send him lunch in secret!” she says, giggling.

Her mother chuckles and pulls her into a hug.

“Yeah… we’ll have to make a lot of lunch boxes, huh?”

“But Mommy, what about the cherry blossoms? Daddy promised we’d see them together this year.”

The mother’s smile falters, just for a moment, before she brushes it away.

“We’ll still see them. Just us. And when Daddy finally comes home, we’ll tell him all about it.”

The girl beams, nodding.

“Okay, Chiyo, it’s bedtime now. Tomorrow, we’ll go see those trees, just like we planned.”

“Okay, Mommy!” Chiyo says, scampering upstairs, her tiny footsteps fading.

Later that night…

(2:00am)

The house is silent, save for the hum of the refrigerator. A single lamp glows dimly over the kitchen table, where Chiyo’s mother sits, staring at the silent phone in front of her.

Suddenly, it rings.

She snatches it up.

“Yes?”

On the other end, his voice—cheerful, exhausted.

“Hey, baby! Did you see me on the news? I finally have the chance to show the world what science is really about!”

She leans back in her chair, staring at the empty wineglass in front of her.

“Yeah… I saw it.” Her tone is flat. “How many days this time? Days?”

Silence.

“Weeks?” she presses, voice sharp now.

Still, no answer.

Her grip tightens on the phone.

“How many times have you run off like this, Haruto? You say it’s for us, but what about your daughter?

“Isn’t she more important than anything?”

He doesn’t respond.

Her voice cracks slightly, caught between fury and resignation.

“Me and Chiyo are going to the cherry blossom exhibit in Shinjuku… without you.”

She doesn’t wait for his reply.

“Goodnight.”

She sets the phone down face-first with a dull thunk.

After a long moment, she opens a kitchen cabinet, pulls out a popular bottle of Japanese red wine, and pours herself a drink. She leans against the counter, eyes hollow.

“Fuck me…” she mutters under her breath before taking a long, slow sip.