Afterword

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

Antoine De Saint-Exupéry, the Little Prince.

And when it blooms, it's not just important—it’s also beautiful.

***

Hello, friends! Sorano Yume here.

If you made it here, I guess you’re on the finish line. Congratulations! I really, really, badly hope you enjoyed the ride and the story (if I made someone emotional, sorry!)

[The Golden Flower I stole on That Rain] was meant to be just a side project but it seems like I outdid myself and the other stories I made before.

Damn, I also finished this first before Fushikano! (jokes, this came first! I wrote it last year...and I just did the major rewrite and editing recently!)

So, can I narrate what made me write this?

It was always raining in our country. And at the school windows [Yes, position of an anime protagonist], I’ve always seen that peculiar calendula always drenched in the rain, every single day, in the same place and the same time I came and left.

So, what if we could make that calendula, a woman? Someone you spot out randomly and everything by then becomes a routine, and makes it a tragic love story? A creative spark, right? I had to plan it out for so, so long, and I do not regret living in the characters of Kousaka Akari and Shimizu Itsuki.

Man, what a ride.

I sincerely want to take the time to thank Napryzon for his [Soft Chords, Loud Hearts] that told me how to handle relationships between people maturely and Asterisk Ace for his [The Sonata You Played Without Looking At Me] that told me how two people can find each others even though they are on the flip side of the world, with contrasting desires until it becomes their common ground. Then, Felipe Eliz for his [The Curious God of Death Falls In Love in the Human World] that told me about the nuances of romantic relationships, the art of slow burns, and the art of conflict between lovers that transcends boundaries. Last but not the least, I also want to thank Leanna (so much) for her [Weight of Being] that inspired me to create character dynamics complemented with philosophy. Not just that, also for her constant support and encouraging words that kept me moving forward.

Thank you for giving me the inspiration and power to write this novel.

Without all of you, I wouldn’t even be in this position where I finally finished my first novel (Ah, damn it, I’m so elated!)

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR SURVIVING THOSE 70K WORDS!!!!!!!!!

With all that being said, I guess this is the end of the story. I really wanted to have them spend more casual moments (Itsuki suffered so much) or at least explore other characters like Shimizu Kaori or Tsurugi Konomi but yeah, I guess I'll leave it for someday.

There’s also an impulsive thought at the back of my head to make another part of this story again, maybe their college life, but I would leave that for the readers if they wanted it or not.

Friends, if you enjoyed this novel or not, I would really appreciate it if you'd leave me reviews so I could see your thoughts about the story and bring that wisdom into the next projects. Thank you so much!

Recommend to friends? Re-reading? Heck yeah!

Sora out!