Chapter 3: So it's called Hana-akari, huh?

The next day, Sayuri drifted once again to the abandoned shrine.

It was evening. The bustle of the previous day had completely vanished, leaving the shrine grounds wrapped in silence.
Yet, Sayuri felt content just seeing the cherry blossoms in full, magnificent bloom.

As the sun set, shadows stretched across the grounds.
The darker it grew, the more bewitching the blossoms became.

—How long had she been gazing up at them, she wondered.

“…Are you watching the blossoms?”

It felt as though someone had called out to her that way.
Before she realized it, the sun had already set.

When she lowered her gaze from the blossoms, a girl was standing there.
She wore a pale-colored kimono, her long hair flowing down.
Her form wavered here and there, indistinct and flickering—
a ghost, and one that seemed to belong to a rather distant age.

“Ah, sorry. I didn’t notice you at all.”

“…Just now…”

Her voice was quiet, detached.
It was unclear what those unfocused eyes were seeing.
There was no expression on that face.

“The cherry blossoms at night are beautiful, aren’t they?

They look like they’re glowing.”

“…Hana-akari…”

“Hmm… is that what it’s called? I didn’t know.”

For a while, they both gazed up at the hana-akari in silence.
Sayuri turned a gentle smile toward the girl.

“I’m Sayuri. And you are?”

“…n’t… w…”

Her words carried neither sorrow nor confusion.
They came out flat—
as though even the act of feeling had been lost.

“I see. Well, that happens sometimes… being a ghost and all.”

Sayuri gave a light smile.
But the girl’s expression did not change.

“…m… bo… nd…”

Only her voice trembled, ever so slightly.

“…Your body, huh.”

Sayuri tilted her head slightly and looked around the shrine grounds.

“I’m a ghost too, you know. So I can’t really go digging holes or anything.”

“…I… can’t…”

“I see. Not even a single step?”

The girl silently nodded.

“…n’t… ny…”

Sayuri let out a small, quiet sigh.

“Then hey, if I find your body, do you think you’ll remember everything?”

The girl gave a quiet nod.

“Yeah, I thought so. Of course you’d want to remember who you are!”

Sayuri flashed a bright smile and gave a thumbs-up in front of her chest.

“…Night…”

“Night, huh? Then I’ll come here every day until I find it.”

“…Thank you.”

The voice was as faint as the wind.
Yet Sayuri heard it clearly.

In that instant—she thought she felt a breeze.
The cherry blossoms didn’t sway, but the hana-akari shone with even greater beauty.

“…Wow…”

Sayuri was at a loss for words.

—My… blossoms…

On the once-expressionless girl’s face, a faint smile began to bloom.