Epilogue

“Dear Ichi-Sensei, I hope this letter reaches you. I wanted to let you know, that you were right. Each moment in life is fleeting, and you don’t always get that climatic movie-like moment to let prepare you for change. Sometimes, life is much more gentle than that. It slips someone into your life who can change your world, and then without warning, quietly take them away. It’s a fact of life, one that none of us can run from. The key is to find the sort of people you want to keep with you for as long as possible, no matter how much it may hurt when they’re gone. I hope to visit you again soon, I want to sit with you in your rooftop garden and play chess. And I want Sentaro and Aiko to be there when it happens, and it will. Without you, I might have lost my way. I hope you continue to find reasons to move forward, just know that you are someone I will keep with me forever.”

Your Friend,

Ren Natsukashi