Chapter 45: Falling Like Sakura

One day, as evening approached, Tsukiko and her Lunar Petals team gathered for dinner at a cozy restaurant near the lab. 

The table buzzed with laughter and conversation. Stories about late nights in the lab, unexpected breakthroughs, and even the occasional mishap were shared, bringing everyone closer as they reminisced about the months of hard work they had poured into the serum.

"Remember when Souta dropped that entire tray of samples during testing?" Midori asked, barely able to contain her laughter.

"Don't remind me!" Souta groaned, covering his face. "I thought Dr. Takamura was going to fire me on the spot."

Tsukiko raised an eyebrow, teasingly. "I'll admit, the thought crossed my mind."

The table erupted in laughter, but Tsukiko quickly added, "But you made up for it when you stayed overnight to redo the tests. That was impressive."

Souta grinned and raised his glass. "To teamwork and survival!"

"To teamwork!" everyone echoed, glasses clinking in a harmonious toast.

"You were terrifying back then," Reika said, half-laughing, half-serious. "I swear, Dr. Takamura, I was scared of you at first. You always seemed so… unshakable."

Tsukiko blinked, taken aback. "Scared? Of me?"

Reika nodded. "Yeah! You were always so focused, like nothing could faze you. But over time, I realized it wasn't that you were intimidating—it was just that you cared so much. It made me want to work harder, to prove I could keep up."

Midori chimed in, raising her glass. "Same here. You had this way of pushing us, but it was never about tearing us down. You made us feel like we were part of something bigger, like what we did actually mattered."

Tsukiko's lips softened into a warm, bittersweet smile. "I guess I can come across as intense sometimes," she admitted. "But honestly, I couldn't have done it without you all. You weren't just a team—you were my support system."

The table grew quiet for a moment, the weight of the sentiment settling over them. Then Reika broke the silence with a sly grin. "Speaking of support systems… Dr., who's Haruki?"

The table went silent. Tsukiko blinked, masking her surprise. "Haruki?"

"Yeah," Reika continued, leaning forward with a playful smirk. "You mentioned him in your speech earlier—how he inspired you or something. Who is he? A friend? Someone special?"

The rest of the team perked up, grinning at the chance to tease their usually composed leader.

Tsukiko's expression darkened, her gaze sharp as she set her glass down with an audible clink. The playful energy at the table evaporated in an instant.

"Haruki?" she repeated in a low, serious tone, her eyes narrowing.

The room fell into an uncomfortable silence, her teammates exchanging worried glances.

"S-Sorry," Reika stammered. "We didn't mean to pry—"

Tsukiko suddenly burst out laughing, leaning back in her chair. "Relax! I'm just joking!"

The team collectively exhaled, groaning in unison as the tension dissipated.

"Dr. Takamura!" Reika whined, throwing a napkin at her. "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Serves you right for being nosy," Tsukiko said with a grin. "Its just as I said in the speech, I believe no more information is needed. Now let's eat—the meat is getting burned," Tsukiko said, her tone light and amused.

"Aww…" Reika pouted, clearly disappointed, while the others sighed at their failed attempt to dig out some juicy details.

"Yeah, yeah," Souta chimed in, waving them off. "Leave her alone. Let's just enjoy the meal before it gets cold."

The teasing resumed, but Tsukiko managed to laugh along, deflecting their questions while keeping the details to herself.

As the dinner came to an end, the group shared heartfelt goodbyes, hugging and thanking one another for the unforgettable journey they'd been on together. 

Tsukiko walked away feeling lighter, though her heart still carried the weight of parting ways with the people who had become like family.

As she wandered, her eyes wandered to the familiar shops lining the street, and then—there it was. The warm glow from the windows of her favorite bakery. The warm, sweet smell of freshly baked goods invited her in. 

With a smile, Tsukiko decided to treat herself with her favorite pavlova to mark her success and as her decision for a second chance in love. The warm glow from the windows of her favorite bakery beckoned her inside, the sweet smell of freshly baked goods filling the air.

As she stepped in, the familiar voice of Mrs. Nami, the bakery owner, greeted her warmly. "I haven't seen you for ages, Tsukiko-chan!"

Tsukiko smiled. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Nami. It's been so long. How have you been?"

"Same as usual, dear. What about you? Still as pretty as ever!"

"Stop it, Mrs. Nami," Tsukiko laughed, brushing off the compliment. "I guess I'm the same as always too."

"Take care, honey. Oh, here—have these freshly baked cheese tarts as a treat!" Mrs. Nami insisted, handing her a small bag of pastries.

"There's no need for that, really—" Tsukiko began, but Mrs. Nami waved her off.

"Just take it!"

Unable to refuse, Tsukiko stepped out of the bakery with more treats than she had planned for. Laughing to herself, she glanced at the bag in her hands. "I guess it's my lucky day."

As she walked down the street, the warmth of Mrs. Nami's kindness filled her heart, stirring memories of the flower shop owner, Mrs. Kaname, where she had worked part-time during her high school days. Those simple, happy moments reminded her of a time when she believed in fresh starts and new beginnings.

She was about to turn a corner when something caught her eye. Her steps faltered, and her breath hitched. There, standing under the golden glow of a streetlamp, 

was Haruki.