When the flowers bloom

The hallway was quiet, as it was every morning at this hour. Empty, subdued, not yet filled with the chatter and stomping of her classmates.

Ayaka was always the first to arrive. This way she could avoid the stares of others and spend as little time at home as possible. Her freshly washed school bag hung over her shoulder, though faint ink stains were still visible. She hesitated for a moment, but quietly slid the classroom door open with a soft creak.

Inside, it was still. Only the rustling of the curtains at the open window, like little ghosts dancing in the wind. The air was cool, dew still clung to it, and through that very window drifted a faint scent of Yamabuki. A gentle, almost fairy-tale-like scene unfolded before her.

She stood in the doorway and let the peaceful view sink in. She didn’t know why but something inside her told her that today’s day would be different. Better or worse, she couldn’t say.

Ayaka walked slowly, lightly, toward her seat. But halfway there, she stopped.

There were notebooks on her desk. Carefully stacked. Edges precise, the paper untouched, as if they had just been purchased. The cover from the one laying on top looked different than the one she had.

What…? Did someone forget their notes here?

She stepped closer, puzzled and curious, her gaze gliding over the cover. Her name was written on the front, in fine lines. The cover art showed mostly black with little white stars and a blue planet in the corner.

But… what… my notebooks were… yesterday…

She sat down, hesitantly, and slowly lifted the top one. The pages were complete.

She flipped through them. Everything was there. The lessons from the beginning of the school year. Even neater and more detailed than her own notes had ever been. She noticed the handwriting being a little bit like printed. Absolutely not hers.

It can’t be… no one could’ve known. Wait, was it him? Did he write all this? For me?

Every single subject was there. But it was more than that. Between the lines she found notes she had never made. Small side comments. Additional explanations and examples that had never come up in class.

Her fingers held the notebook a bit tighter. She was trembling slightly. Just a little.
She opened the last notebook. The subject he taught.

When she reached the last page, she found a small sentence at the bottom. Subtle.

You can do it!

Ayaka blinked several times. Her mind went blank.

Why… why would he do that? I’m a nobody. Not even worth the trouble. I am… I am the problem.

And yet, it was that sentence. Just a few words. She traced the letters with her fingers, as if trying to feel the pen’s indentation. Just to make sure she wasn’t imagining it. But it was real.

This must be a mistake. Why would he write that? This notebook must be meant for someone else. It can’t be for me.

A warm feeling spread in her chest. Carefully, without her even noticing. Almost like… hope.

Maybe… maybe… No, that’s nonsense. A mix-up. That must be it. Something like this wouldn’t happen to me. Why would it?

Ayaka felt a tear running down her cheek. But this time, it was different. For the first time…
…a tear of joy? Or perhaps just…
Weakness?

Her gaze wandered out the window, into the distance, searching.

Maybe this spring wouldn’t just bring a new school year… but also something that had always eluded her. Something she had never known. Something she couldn’t believe in… and yet deeply missed.