Chapter 1:

I — Those Gentle Snowflakes...

Under the Cherry Blossoms, A Rule Left Unspoken

Anna Kanzaki sat under the old cherry blossom tree, the soft pink petals falling around her like gentle snowflakes.

Her back resting against the rough trunk. The afternoon sun filtered through the branches, turning the falling petals into flashes of pale light, as if intended to be that way.

Silently, she closed her eyes thoughtfully and took in a deep breath with a sophisticated elegance, feeling the sweet scent of the blossoms filling her senses. The sight was too natural to be true.

Her lips moved slowly, wincing as they cut through the air gently.

Thus, hereby lies Anna Kanzaki.

And no, she is not dead yet.

Even so, for her, death wouldn’t be so hard to ask for...

And perhaps, she wished for it.

Or else...

Silence. Safety. Harmony.

The quartz of serenity.

Indeed. This place had always been hers.

As always.

When the hallways became too loud for her own well-being…
When the classrooms felt too crowded with those static noises…
When people expected conversations she didn’t know how to have—

Anna simply came here, doing what she always wanted to do.

A breeze stirred those branches above her head.

As petals fluttered down onto the open philosophical book resting on her lap.

"Metaphysics of Love" was displayed on the paper.

A short essay by Arthur Schopenhauer.

Along with her personal favorite: the ‘Love is an illusion.’ trademark.

She loved coming here, it was her own little sanctuary away from the chaos of high school.

A mundanity that she could never, ever grasp.

To her, it was all rustle and bustle, background noises that always whimpered for her attention.

However, she wasn’t entirely without trouble herself either.

And yes, currently.

At seventeen, she had already earned quite a reputation at school.

That boring honor student.

Timid. Quiet. Distant.

The girl who always sat alone.

To be fair, it wasn’t exactly wrong.

She always preferred heavy books to light conversations.

Deafening silence to those loud laughters echoing in crowded corridors.

Nature to people who always seemed to speak in a language she couldn’t quite understand.

Sometimes she often wondered if something was truly wrong about her at all.

After all, most girls of her age would have talked about crushes, love, and relationships...

Anna Kanzaki? No, she felt none of these in the slightest.

Or at least… she never believed that she did.

"I wish everything were different."

She muttered those forbidden words, the line she shouldn't have said in the slightest.

Why? Because... every word is a prayer.

The one that would be answered.

Soon.

And that should be obvious and predictable as to what happens next.

And all of a sudden, a few footsteps approached her whereabout.

Anna then opened her eyes wide. Her mouth slightly agape.

These familiar steps...

She can tell, not from its presence. But instead, its sound.

And no, she didn’t even need to look up to know who it was.

Riku Reita.

Her stomach flipped, and her heart tumbled almost immediately.

Why? Because... obviously, there was no running away from this.

She could have ignored him, pretending he was never there to begin with.

But even if she tried, it would have been impossible.

Why? Because everyone knows him. I mean... who doesn't know Riku Reita?

The kind of good-natured person who would fill the space he walked into.

Always smiling. Always surrounded by friends.

The kind of boy that teachers trusted and students admired for his kindness.

In every single possible way, he was truly her polar opposite.

Quite an infuriating one, in fact.

Especially for her, who has never encountered let alone talked to anyone else before.

And yet—

For reasons she couldn’t explain, he always seemed to notice her.

The footsteps then stopped. She noticed that pair of shoes in a glance.

Her observant, melancholic eyes slowly lifted in silence.

Riku stood there a few feet away from her, almost casually.

As if nothing truly happened.

Those labelled trademarks: his laid-back uniform, hands in pockets, sunlight cascading over his messy blonde hair, marking his very own character—each detail seemed to define his personality.

He looked strangely hesitant—an expression she had never seen on him before.

For a moment, neither of them truly spoke.

Petals still slowly drifted between them.

Waiting.

Then Riku smiled.

"Hey, Kanzaki-san!"

Her heart skipped.

No, not again...

She hated how her heart always skipped when he spoke.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Anna hesitated.

This tree had always been her luxury.