After spending two weeks in the countryside, with only a few days of spring break remaining, Sato returned to Chiba City with Kanna.
Traveling with them was Fujimiya Konomi. Once the new school year began, she would officially become a university student. Since the start of the semester was drawing near, she headed to Chiba together with Sato.
At the end of spring break, the cherry blossoms had already burst into bloom across the mountains.
Whether planted or growing wild, cherry trees could be seen everywhere in the countryside. Their pink blossoms stood out vividly against the lush green mountainsides.
Asahigaoka Station.
As the train slowly began to move, Kanna and Miyauchi Renge waved goodbye to each other with great reluctance.
"Kanna-chan, make sure you come back with Sato-niichan again during summer vacation!"
"Mm!"
Kanna nodded seriously.
"Kanna-chan, goodbye!"
"Goodbye, Ren-chan!"
As the train gradually disappeared into the distance, Kanna kept watching until the platform vanished from sight. Only then did she reluctantly look away, appearing somewhat wistful.
"Hey, Sato."
She suddenly looked up at him, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"We'll come back during summer vacation too, right?"
Sato gently rubbed Kanna's head and smiled.
"We'll come back."
Sitting across from them, Fujimiya Konomi smiled.
"Ren-chan really likes Kanna-chan."
"After all, Ren-chan doesn't have any playmates her own age."
Sato understood the reason very well.
Asahigaoka was deep in the countryside. Most of the younger generation had already moved away, and there were very few children being born.
The train clattered steadily along the rural tracks.
The rhythmic sound of the wheels reminded Sato of the old green trains from his previous life. Looking at the wild cherry blossoms flashing past outside the window, he suddenly felt that everything had become strangely poetic.
Ever since those turbulent times, slow-moving trains had left their mark on countless works of literature.
For example, the famous line, "Stay here. I'll go buy you some oranges."
Nowadays, however, with the Shinkansen and high-speed rail, there seemed to be very few literary works featuring trains like those.
He wondered why.
Most modern writing only compared the experience of riding old trains and high-speed rail, talking about how much faster one was than the other.
High-speed rail really had shortened the distance created by time.
Without those leisurely old trains, even journeys spanning a thousand miles could be completed in an instant.
But somehow, that also meant losing a little of the melancholy of parting.
Perhaps the trains were simply too fast now, so fast that there wasn't even enough time to feel sentimental.
Another work that came to mind was Yosuga no Sora. If he remembered correctly, the anime began aboard a moving train.
The Kasugano siblings sat on the train returning to the countryside beneath a bright blue sky.
Perhaps that story-filled train itself symbolized how extraordinary their journey would become.
Sato glanced at the wild cherry blossoms blooming across the distant mountains.
The cherry trees at Aoyama Apartments were probably in full bloom by now as well.
Cherry blossom season was also confession season.
Sato's gaze suddenly shifted to Fujimiya Konomi, who was sitting across from him with one hand supporting her cheek as she quietly admired the scenery outside.
Her fair face looked as smooth as a freshly peeled egg.
No, perhaps goose egg would be more appropriate.
Her face was slightly round, giving her an extra touch of adorable softness.
If someone did not know about her slightly devilish, mischievous side, they might think she was the gentle, dependable older sister type.
But as childhood friends who had grown up together, Sato knew her personality inside and out.
The spring breeze drifting in through the window still carried a lingering chill, gently lifting her silky hair.
Only then did Sato notice that she had cut it a little shorter.
It now rested around her shoulders.
"Konomi."
"Hmm?"
Fujimiya Konomi turned toward him curiously.
"When did you cut your hair?"
The girl rolled her eyes, looking slightly dissatisfied.
"You're only noticing now? It's been several days already!"
After saying that, she puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
Her round little face looked so adorable that Sato could not help laughing.
But as he laughed, the smile gradually disappeared.
Suddenly he said,
"Konomi... be my girlfriend."
Whoosh.
A sudden gust of wind swept into the carriage through the open window, carrying several cherry blossom petals from somewhere unknown.
They drifted gently down onto the table between them.
A ray of sunlight fell across the tabletop, where the golden light and pink petals complemented each other perfectly.
Kanna looked up at Sato curiously.
Fujimiya Konomi was briefly stunned before smiling.
"Why so suddenly?"
She looked remarkably calm, without much surprise.
Even Sato did not know why.
After thinking for a moment, he looked at her seriously.
"I don't know either. I just suddenly thought of it... and then I said it."
It had come out naturally, as though everything had simply fallen into place.
Fujimiya Konomi reached out her fair hand and picked up one of the cherry blossom petals from the table.
The pale pink petal rested quietly in her palm.
"This really is sudden."
Just as sudden as the cherry blossom petals that had suddenly appeared inside the train.
She rested her cheek in her hand, propping her elbow on the table between them as she looked at Sato.
A trace of mischief flashed through her eyes.
"Are you really ready?"
She suddenly asked.
Sato also felt somewhat at a loss.
A rare trace of uncertainty appeared in his eyes.
Was he really ready?
Thinking back on it now, he suddenly felt that such a confession might have been rather irresponsible.
After all, his views on romance had always been clear.
A relationship that was not aimed toward marriage was nothing more than fooling around.
"It seems you're not ready yet."
Seeing the hesitation on Sato's face, Fujimiya Konomi smiled.
Just as Sato understood her personality completely, she understood his just as well.
"I was too impulsive."
Sato let out a quiet breath.
Still, he took it rather well.
"But I'm still very happy that you took the initiative."
The girl's smile blossomed like a flower.
She blinked at him and said,
"Actually, I wasn't ready either. So let's call this a draw."
"However, since you've confessed to me, I'll generously give you a chance."
"From now on, you're officially my probationary boyfriend."
Fujimiya Konomi patted Sato on the shoulder as she giggled.
Sato looked at the girl in front of him with a strange expression.
"So... should I thank Your Majesty for your boundless grace?"