It's April. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom, exploding with beautiful shades of pink and red and white like they do every year. Their fleeting existence will end soon enough, but for now the Season of the Sakura has come again to Japan. I turn to her, standing at my side, and speak. "The Sakura were in bloom the day we first met. Do you remember?" She smiles at me. I know that she is happy. I look up at the Sakura once more, and speak again... "That's right. That was the beginning of it all..." I remember those first weeks of school. Nearly crashing into the tall, grown-up Reiko outside the school gate. Then there was loyal Kiyomi, who searched for me for a year. I met Mio under the Sakura tree, her hair falling into my face. In my class were Meimi and Seia, lifelong friends despite their different personalities. Ruri and Aki came along later, as the Sakura were fading... I turn to her again and smile. She squeezes my hand. "Yes," I say, half to myself. "That was it. The beginning of it all..."