Jan 26, 2026
To:lolitroy
Thank you so much for your comments. They give me a more complete picture of what I can improve and what I know I did well. Now, the names did sound strange when you mention Takumi and Ren. I didn't realize the coincidence of the names until later, and believe it or not, when I started writing the story, Sachie had a different name (guess what it is), but I wanted to change it to fit the symbolism of "happiness" that I used in the story. Perhaps Yazawa's work influenced me so much that, unintentionally, the characters have names from his work.
In fact, the name Ren just happens to fit into the connections I use with the flower theme. Sunflowers connect the Apricot sisters. Hydrangeas connect Takumi to Sachie, and the lotus flower connects Takumi to Ren. Do I really need to explain that Himawari means sunflower and Ren means lotus flower in Japanese? (If not, the meaning is there). That's why Ren's letters always featured the lotus flower.
Now, this is my first serious story in quite some time, so of course I know it has its flaws, but again, these comments help me realize how I can improve.
