The soft rustle of sakura petals marked the arrival of spring at Kazehana High. Yuto Kisaragi and Noa Kanzaki, now sixteen, walked side by side beneath the cherry blossoms, their school bags swinging gently at their sides.
It had been thirteen years since they first met under a sakura tree, giggling as children, and now here they were—hand in hand, hearts quietly beating in sync.
"I never thought we'd end up like this," Noa whispered, brushing her pink hair back, cheeks tinged the color of the blossoms overhead.
Yuto smiled. "I always did."
Their peaceful moment was interrupted by a voice—quiet, sharp, yet filled with restrained emotion.
"Noa," said Aya Nishimura, her sketchbook clutched to her chest. "I want to challenge you. For Yuto."
The air stiffened.
It was art class, and everyone was buzzing. Aya, known for her breathtaking pencil sketches, was calm and elegant—quiet and often unreadable. But that day, her voice carried weight.
"I know you're together now. But… I've liked Yuto for a long time," she said, eyes focused, not on Yuto—but Noa. "Let's settle it. Drawing contest. Tomorrow. Sakura Park."
Noa flinched. She wasn't the best artist—her drawings were playful, emotional, not precise. But when Yuto reached for her hand under the desk and gave her a look of confidence, she nodded.
"I accept."
The next day, under the very same sakura tree where their story began, two easels stood.
Aya's lines were elegant—her composition striking. She sketched Yuto from memory, sitting alone under the blossoms, lost in thought.
Noa's drawing was simple—a memory. Two children holding hands under a blooming tree, stars above them, eyes glowing with wonder.
When the timer ended, the crowd looked between the two artworks.
Aya's was perfect.
Noa's… made people tear up.
"I remember this…" said Yuto, his voice cracking. "That night... that was the first time I promised I'd never leave your side."
Even Aya's lip trembled. Her fingers clenched the edge of her sketchbook. She closed her eyes.
"You win," she whispered. "It was never about skill. It was about heart."
She walked away before the tears could fall.
Just as the tension settled, Riku Kamishiro stepped forward. With windblown hair, eyes gleaming with challenge, he tossed an energy drink to Yuto.
"Let's raise the stakes," he smirked. "100-meter race. If I win, I treat everyone to the café of my choice. If you win… you pick."
Yuto cracked his knuckles. "Fine. I've been waiting for this."
Riku was the fastest in school, captain of the track team. But Yuto had one thing Riku didn't—determination carved by years of chasing Noa's gentle smile.
The whistle blew.
It was neck and neck. Feet pounding, hearts racing. In the final ten meters, Yuto clenched his fists, leaned forward, and pushed through the wind like lightning.
He crossed the line a breath ahead of Riku.
Everyone cheered.
Riku laughed, panting. "You got faster."
Yuto grinned. "I have someone to protect now."
Riku smirked. "Tch. Guess I'm buying strawberry parfaits for the whole class."
That evening, Noa and Yuto walked home beneath the growing twilight. Fireflies blinked around them, matching the rhythm of their hearts.
"I thought Aya would win," Noa said quietly.
"You won because you drew from your heart," Yuto replied. "That's why I love you."
She blushed, stopping near the riverbank. "You really mean that?"
Yuto looked up at the sky, then back at her. "Noa… even if the whole world redrew itself, I'd still find you in every version."
She laughed gently. "That was cheesy."
He shrugged. "But true."
And then, under the glow of a firefly, he kissed her.
Summer arrived with cicadas and star-filled skies. The festival was loud, colorful, and packed with classmates. Yuto wore a dark blue yukata. Noa wore a soft pink one, with her emerald eyes glowing like twin lanterns.
Aya was there, sketching the crowd from afar. Riku was chomping down three sticks of yakitori, teasing Yuto from behind.