221 Cherry Blossoms Fall as the Curtain Closes

"But this place is way too far from my house…" Eriri muttered with a pout as she stood in the garden, frowning at the three-story mansion behind her.

"Haha, it's only a little over ten minutes by motorcycle. It's convenient for both school and visiting your place. We could even grab a late-night snack on the way," Kyousuke replied with a grin.

As he looked at the many windows of the mansion, he started calculating how much time it would take to clean the whole place.

That's right—they were currently standing inside the sprawling 400-square-meter mansion.

Unlike the listings Kisaki had found through a real estate agency, Eriri's father personally knew the owner of this house.

In fact, he also knew the owner of the equally extravagant villa next door—the one with a small soccer field in the yard.

And behind this house stood three similarly styled single-family homes, like triplets, but even all three together weren't as large as this place.

Just when Kyousuke thought he had seen the most ridiculous property around, he was proven wrong.

"This neighborhood really does have a ton of shops," Eriri murmured, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "But seriously, do you really need this many rooms?"

They could share a studio for writing and drawing while she worked on her manga, Kyousuke could be at his desk writing, the sound of his keyboard clicking away as her ambient background noise.

It was the perfect setup, even more convenient for her to help him as his assistant.

They could turn one room into a walk-in closet wearing casual clothes while working, and then changing into something nice to explore the area together afterward.

Who knows? That could even become its own manga: The Artist and Her Author's Gourmet Tour.

Oh, and one room could be just for all their merchandise and collectibles. They could wear cosplay and play silly little games…

"Well, like I said before, my family is pretty big. They'll all be in Tokyo for graduation in March. You should come over and visit then, my mom's been wanting to meet you," Kyousuke said with a smile.

"M-Meet your mom?!" Eriri spun around, her cheeks turning crimson. "W-Who said I'd do that? Don't get the wrong idea!"

"I'm just your manga assistant—why would I go out of my way to meet your mother?!"

'Oh no, what if Kyousuke's mom thinks I'm some kind of delinquent just because I my hair is blonde? And she's from Hokkaido, right?'

'Would she dislike me for being half-English…?'

'No, no—this calls for an emergency strategy session with my mom!'

"My family won't be here until March," Kyousuke added casually, ignoring Eriri's textbook tsundere reaction.

'Phew. That gives me time to order a custom outfit.'

'But what to wear? A dress? A kimono? Wait—this is Japan. A kimono would be more appropriate, right?'

Eriri breathed a sigh of relief, only for it to be replaced by new worries.

That evening, the two of them had grilled eel and yakitori at an izakaya near the residential district.

This area was known for being a high-end neighborhood, not just because of the famous deceased residents, but also because of the many schools clustered nearby.

And of course, where there are schools, there are always shopping streets.

The next morning, Kyousuke returned to the house for the third time this time with Kasumigaoka Utaha by his side.

Of all people, it seemed that Utaha was the most pleased with the property. She stood in the living room, carefully studying a large map filled with red circles.

Kyousuke peeked over her shoulder and realized the circles marked kindergartens, elementary schools, and hospitals.

He glanced at her beaming face and immediately felt a chill run down his spine.

"Kyousuke, have you ever visited Natsume Soseki's grave?" Utaha asked suddenly.

"No. Not like there's loot or anything to collect there," he replied, deadpan.

"Let's go together, then." Utaha looped her arm around his, looking delighted.

For two authors, this neighborhood practically screamed home.

And with this many rooms, they wouldn't even need to buy a new place if they ever had kids.

"Sure. There's a sushi restaurant near the cemetery, we can have lunch there."

Later that afternoon, Kyousuke brought Yamauchi Sakura to see the house.

"Shinko Manor, Fukujyu Manor, Seifu Manor…" Sakura recited as she looked at the nearby estate names on her phone map.

Then she turned to him with a curious smile. "So, Kyousuke, what are you going to name this house?"

"Name it?" Kyousuke scratched his head as he unlocked the door. "How about… the Hojou House?"

"Oh~ so everyone who lives here is a Hojou, huh?" Sakura teased, hands behind her back as she followed him inside with a mischievous grin.

"Well, that's what all the nameplates say, don't they?"

"Hehe, I'll let that slide for now."

It was the coldest part of the year in Tokyo, and Sakura was bundled up in a thick blue down jacket.

Unlike most girls in the city, she wasn't bare-legged—she wore warm, matching thermal pants just like Kyousuke.

She spun slowly in place, admiring the understated Japanese-style rooms, the reddish-brown hardwood stairs, and finally set her gaze on the enormous floor-to-ceiling window.

"Kyousuke, do you remember?" Her golden eyes sparkled like a cat's, lit up with emotion.

"Of course I do."

He stepped beside her, and their hands naturally found each other.

Sakura pressed her lips together and leaned her head against his shoulder, a faint smile on her face.

She remembered watching TV with her mom when she first learned the words "marriage," "husband and wife," and "home."

Still too young to understand their full meaning, she'd run out the front door in her slippers, burst into Kyousuke's house, and flung herself onto him while he was also watching TV.

"Idiot Sakura, you're squashing me!" young Kyousuke had protested, trying to catch her with both arms so she wouldn't hit her head.

"Hey, Kyousuke," little Sakura had asked, eyes gleaming, "do you think we'll have our own house one day?"

"H-House?" Kyousuke had been totally caught off guard.

"My my, little Sakura's already thinking about the future?" Hojou Mikiko, who had been in the kitchen preparing snacks, laughed as she walked in with a tray of strawberries.

"Yup!" Sakura had nodded eagerly.

"But isn't this already Kyousuke's house? If you marry him someday, then it'll be your house too," Mikiko teased.

"Nuh-uh," Sakura had shaken her head seriously. "This is Hojou mama's house. Everyone has their own house when they grow up."

"Oh? So Kyousuke has his, and Sakura has hers?"

Mikiko, amused by the little girl's earnest expression, continued teasing her.

"Nope!" Sakura had said firmly. "Kyousuke and I will have the same house!"

"We're definitely going to have our own home," Kyousuke said, shooting a helpless look at his mom before ruffling Sakura's hair, which was tied into two cute pigtails.

"Really?" Sakura asked, wanting to hear it again just to be sure.

"Of course! A house for you and me," Kyousuke replied with full sincerity.

"Will there be a forest where we can play hide and seek?"

"Yep! We'll plant oak trees, cedars, and pines. I'll even build you a little wooden cabin."

"Wow! Can we go camping in it at night?"

"Nope. I'll sleep in the house while you stand guard in the cabin," Kyousuke teased.

"Okay! I'll protect the Kyousuke estate with my life!" little Sakura declared, nodding earnestly.

———————————————————————

The childhood dream of building a home together was slowly becoming a reality.

As she gazed out at the yard filled with familiar trees, Sakura's face lit up with pure happiness.

Kyousuke, who had memories from a very young age, was lost in nostalgia too.

Feeling her head rest gently against him, he shifted his arm, wanting to wrap it around his childhood friend.

"You prepared so many rooms, is that because you plan to have Shouko and Naoka live here too?"

———————————————————————

His movement froze for a moment.

As the old saying goes, life is full of nine disappointments out of ten.

He often reflected on how things had gotten to this point—where even the number of rooms had to be carefully considered.

In the end, he could only sigh in resignation.

Life never goes exactly as planned.

Unexpected things always happen.

"Of course. It'll be fun to all go to school together," he nodded.

'Idiot Kyousuke!'

Sakura let out a silent, helpless sigh.

So greedy. The Kyousuke who used to only play with me was way cuter.

Kyousuke noticed the silence from the girl beside him and grew a little anxious.

"Sakura…"

"So, how much rent are you planning to charge?" Sakura suddenly asked with a cheeky smile.

"Huh? What rent? Like I'd ever charge you rent," Kyousuke replied, caught off guard and a bit annoyed.

"Nope. I insist on paying rent! Didn't you say when you were little that your dream was to be a rich woman's kept man?"

"That was just childish talk! And how do you even remember that? You're wasting your memory on the wrong things," he quickly denied.

After all, he was about to pay for a luxury mansion in full with his own hard-earned money.

"I remember everything about Kyousuke. Like how you wet the bed on your first birthday…"

"Okay, okay—stop! You were still living in Kyoto back then!"

"Your mom told me! She even said—"

"1,000 yen. I'll charge you 1,000 yen a year, okay!?"

"Hehehe." Sakura grinned mischievously, nodding in satisfaction.

With that settled, the two of them continued their tour of the house without a realtor accompanying them, since Kyousuke was already in the process of finalizing the purchase.

"Now, allow me to present something truly special—" Kyousuke announced grandly, stopping at a corner of the kitchen.

He bowed, then gestured toward a small door with a walnut handrail.

"No way… Is it what I think it is?" Sakura's eyes widened as she covered her mouth in disbelief.

"That's right!"

"A dumbwaiter! A food elevator!!" Sakura squealed, grabbing the handle and pulling it open to reveal a small compartment just big enough for a box of drinks.

"Haha, I was shocked too when I first saw it." Seeing the delight on Sakura's face, Kyousuke felt deeply satisfied.

They had once seen something like this in a cartoon when they were little—a dumbwaiter that carried food straight from the kitchen to a bedroom.

Back then, they had both been so jealous.

Who would've thought their future house would actually have one? Of course, even if it hadn't, Kyousuke would've figured out a way to install it.

"Does it actually work?" Sakura asked eagerly, practically ready to climb inside and try it herself.

"Yep! Though it doesn't go straight to a bedroom. Just to the same spot on the second and third floors."

Kyousuke opened a cupboard above the kitchen counter, and inside was a bag of honey-flavored potato chips.

Instantly catching on, Sakura darted upstairs.

He placed the chips in the dumbwaiter and hit the switch, then ran to the second floor himself. No way was he going to miss this historic moment.

At the end of the second-floor hallway, Sakura crouched down, eyes locked on the little light above the door.

"Kyousuke! Kyousuke! It's really here!" she cried with joy as the blue light turned on.

Opening the small door and grabbing the chips, they went over to a window, where the red leaves had already fallen from the maple tree below.

Evergreen trees still stood tall in the yard.

Silently, peacefully, the two of them munched on chips, relishing the joy of a childhood dream coming true.

Sakura never asked if it was hard for Kyousuke to buy the house.

Every time he signed a contract, he would excitedly tell her first, share what they could buy or where they could travel to next, and ask her to think hard about what she wanted.

"A home is the container of life."

That's what Aunt Mikiko had taught Kyousuke and something he repeated often.

It was also the reason why, even though they barely lived in Suimon City, they never thought of selling that old house.

Here, in this new place, Sakura believed they would create even more memories together.

The house was fully transferred into Kyousuke's name before the school year started.

It was a luxury home located on the border of Bunkyo and Toshima wards, at 3-chome, 25-7, Mejirodai.

With a land size of over 400 square meters and a floor area of 200 square meters, it came to a total of 350 million yen after taxes—paid entirely in cash.

From that day on, it was officially Kyousuke's.

———————————————————————

"The author of The Devotion of Suspect X... A rising star in mystery fiction... This year's leading contender for the Naoki Prize."

"A manga artist who's topped sales charts two years in a row. Turned down an early admission offer from the University of Tokyo. Two-time national kendo champion…"

A stack of documents full of Kyousuke's accomplishments sat on a low table.

A woman in a green kimono with a family crest embroidered on the back sat there reading them carefully.

Her hair was neatly tied up with a decorative pin, and even though she was alone indoors, she carried herself with impeccable poise.

Her name was Yukinoshita Chiyo.

[TL Note – Yoshaaaaaaa!]

The documents were a report submitted by one of the Yukinoshita Real Estate Company's agencies.

A property they'd held onto for years had finally sold and for the full asking price.

Naturally, a buyer like that had to be reported to upper management.

Tapping a white folding fan against her chin, Chiyo's pale blue eyes glinted thoughtfully.

Her husband had married into the family.

They had two daughters, and it was already a given that one of them would need to marry into another household.

The eldest was already in university.

Now was the time to start thinking ahead.

———————————————————————

The final semester of Kyousuke's third year of junior high had begun.

With no need to worry about grades, he poured most of his energy into renovating the new house.

The situations with Yukino and Mitsuha were set aside for now, they hadn't vanished off the face of the Earth, after all.

He was sure Yukino Yukari was somewhere in Tokyo.

They will meet eventually—somewhere, somehow.

As for Miyamizu Mitsuha, he'd already heard from Ryoma's older sister that Mitsuha would be coming to Tokyo for college.

When that time came, he'd just find her on campus.

In fact, just last week while wandering around with Kisaki, Kyousuke had even seen Mitsuha's father, Miyamizu Toshiki.

After gathering some intel, he discovered the man was now the head of the Special Disaster Unit at the Tokyo Fire Department and lived in Bunkyo ward.

As for the house renovations, the focus was primarily on soundproofing and insulation.

More bedrooms made it easier to accommodate people, but the lack of soundproofing was a real issue.

He didn't want everyone knowing exactly what he was up to just because the walls had ears.

Maybe not studio-level soundproofing, but it definitely needed to be handled properly.

Those large floor-to-ceiling windows were beautiful, sure but they leaked heat like crazy.

So, all of them were replaced with triple-glazed glass.

Originally, only the main living room on the first floor had a thin layer of gas floor heating.

The rest of the house didn't even have heating.

Whether the old AC units had been removed or were never there to begin with, he had no idea.

Middle-class and above households often install floor heating.

But due to the load-bearing limitations of wooden houses, it is usually only installed in the living and dining areas typically referred to as yukadanbou (floor-warmed rooms).

As for those girls on the street who expose their legs in winter, outsiders might wonder if they're cold or not.

Well, from what Kyousuke knew, Sakura definitely felt the cold.

Still, no matter how cold it gets, people only need to be outside briefly most in trains and school buildings have heating anyway.

That's why when Kyousuke told the renovation contractor that he bought a full Toshiba central air-conditioning system with floor-heating modules, the person in charge looked a bit surprised.

"Isn't a kotatsu all you really need in winter?"

Of course, that's just what Kyousuke imagined him thinking.

A seasoned professional who could read the room would never say something like that out loud.

Instead, he simply nodded and said he'd coordinate things with the installers.

Then came the matter of the en suite bathrooms.

After thinking it through, Kyousuke decided to install a bathroom in every bedroom.

For a moment, he'd considered installing an ultra-luxurious one just in his own room—for "recreational" reasons, so to speak.

That would definitely spice things up.

But he quickly gave his darker self a metaphorical slap.

Was he short on money? No.

So—one bathroom per person it is!

Thankfully, the house was big enough.

It'd be more work for the contractors, but that just meant more profit for them.

Besides home renovations and drawing manga, Kyousuke spent most of his time tutoring Shouko and Naoka at their apartment.

Sakura would sometimes join as well.

All three girls had always done well in school, but as the entrance exams approached, nerves were inevitable.

In February, the four of them took the entrance exam for Toyogasaki Academy, a private school.

Kyousuke silently gave thanks that the entire school had a day off—otherwise, he'd be walking into a battleground with the others.

Eriri and Utaha-senpai had both offered to come see him off that day, but he refused with a straight face.

"I'm not a little kid."

In Japan, high school entrance works similarly to college, besides prefectural and national center exams, each school holds its own entrance exam.

Public schools tend to prioritize prefectural exam results.

A week later, Toyogasaki Academy posted the results.

All four of them passed without a hitch.

Honestly, even if Kyousuke had handed in a blank test, they probably would've let him in.

The moment they received his application, the school had already started using his name to promote admissions.

They called him "The Once-in-500-Million-Year Genius." That nickname came from Weekly Bunshun.

In a country with only about two thousand years of history, it was almost comical how casually they threw around five hundred million years for a junior high student.

That kind of exaggeration… what kind of twisted love was that?

Kyousuke found himself explaining over and over that he hadn't paid Weekly Bunshun a single yen for PR.

He hadn't even agreed to an interview.

The over-the-top affection was a bit much to handle.

Eriri was the one who brought the acceptance letter and also a freshly finished Sword Art Online illustration.

"I used myself as the model, so you'd better be grateful!" Eriri announced proudly, her expression saying come on, praise me already.

Hmm…

Sure, he could see some resemblance if she meant she drew the face based on herself.

But this version of Asuna, with her curvy, mature figure… yeah, that wasn't quite Eriri.

Kyousuke just smiled, ruffled her hair fondly, handed over her payment, and poured her a cup of hot milk.

'You've got a long way to go, kid.'

By the time renovations were complete, it was late March—the season of cherry blossoms and graduation.

Why do Japanese graduation ceremonies feel so magical?

It's not just the formality of the event—it's the cherry blossoms falling like snow. In a season like this, everything feels touched by happiness.

The final semester of junior high came to a peaceful end.

Kyousuke put on his school uniform and walked into school.

His parents and grandparents had arrived in Tokyo three days earlier to attend the ceremony.

His mother, Hojou Mikiko, secured a prime seat inside the venue, while the others wandered the school grounds.

With the host's formal announcement, stirring background music, and enthusiastic applause from parents, the ceremony began.

His homeroom teacher, who hadn't mentioned Kyousuke's name even once in three years (yet was undoubtedly a good teacher), led the class while wearing a simple kimono.

Kyousuke, dressed in a perfectly pressed black uniform with a small yellow flower pinned to his chest, followed at the head of Class 3-1 as they entered the auditorium.

Once at their seats, the students turned in unison to bow to their parents.

At the back of the hall, Hojou Mikiko started crying the moment she saw her tall, handsome son.

Soon, the other parents around her began weeping too, as if competing.

Among the students, Kyousuke's smile remained bright.

He knew what his mother wanted most on this day was to see him smiling.

Once everyone was seated, the host began calling names from the graduation roll. Naturally, Kyousuke was first.

As he walked up, memories of his elementary school graduation floated through his mind.

He vaguely recalled the homeroom teacher and principal looking at him like they were seeing the sun after three months of darkness as they handed him his certificate.

As he stepped onto the stage, a sudden eruption of applause filled the previously silent room.

His classmates, who should have followed him up, stayed in their seats—clapping as hard as they could.

'These guys…'

Kyousuke's lips curled into a wide grin.

He raised a hand and waved it with gusto before walking up to the podium amidst thunderous applause.

The principal, another figure who had never once said his name in three years but was otherwise a decent person, handed him the diploma…

Or tried to.

Instead of releasing the certificate, the principal locked eyes with him, gaze full of emotion.

"Kyousuke-kun, are you really not staying at Higashi for high school?"

His heartfelt voice echoed through the mic.

If this kid stayed, the next three years of school performance would be practically guaranteed.

The moment he finished speaking, the entire hall exploded in shouts again.

"Captain! Stay with us! Let's aim for nationals next year!"

"President! Higashi needs you!"

"I can't go to a school without my big bro!"

———————————————————————

Since it was an all-boys school to begin with, the entire crowd erupted into cheers. The enclosed auditorium instantly transformed into something like a boy-band concert.

Over the past three years, whether they were part of the "Rampaging Angels" or the kendo club or neither at all.

This entire graduating class had been utterly captivated by one person: The Genius Who Comes Once Every Five Hundred Million Years.

Unrivaled in combat, unmatched academically, and so handsome there wasn't a second like him in all of Japan… a guy their age who had that many talents, yet walked the same school halls with them every day without even a hint of arrogance.

Whether it was schoolwork, life advice, or even love troubles, if you ever asked him for help, he'd give it to you—generously, sincerely, without ever asking for anything in return.

How could you not admire someone like that?

But not everyone had Kisaki's ride-or-die spirit to follow their big bro all the way down the path—no matter where it led, even if that place was Rome.

Whether it was family pressure or thinking ahead about their future, most students couldn't pass up the opportunity to go straight to Higashi High.

So now, filled with guilt for "betraying" Kyousuke, many of them were crying, tears streaming down their faces and even into their mouths.

In the back rows of the auditorium, the parents—who had just been crying themselves were at first confused by the principal's announcement.

Then, when they saw their sons suddenly bursting with emotion, they were completely dumbfounded.

Since each student's seat was directly paired with a parent, Hojou Mikiko (Kyousuke's mother) suddenly became the center of attention.

It was like she had been possessed by Eriri herself one moment crying like a tragic heroine, the next lifting her pale, graceful neck with pride, and humbly explaining her son to the curious parents around her.

"Oh dear, he's always been like this since he was little. Too popular for his own good, really."

Seeing the atmosphere getting a little out of control, and with some of his classmates literally sniffling into their mouths, Kyousuke quickly took the microphone from the principal and said:

"If I stay at Higashi, I'll stop growing. I need new challenges to keep pushing my limits."

"If miracles really exist in this world, they're just another name for hard work."

"Even without me, Higashi will still be the unbeatable school it's always been—because you all built that honor together."

"I hope we'll meet again at Tokyo University."

Then came Kyousuke's rare and perfectly executed 45-degree bow before stepping down from the stage.

The students who followed after him were visibly emotional, some still sniffling.

Thankfully, their uniforms were black—hiding the evidence of their tears. If they'd been wearing blue, it would've been a mess.

After the diplomas were handed out, it was time to sing the school anthem.

Everyone stood up and turned to face the parents. Once the student conductor took position, they all began to sing.

Everyone gave it their all—even Kyousuke.

That's the great thing about an all-boys school: even if you're completely tone-deaf, you can still belt it out in the crowd without a care.

"Love and tears—you'll see them both."

"At the end of this maze, there's hope, filled with confidence."

"The more I understand sadness, the kinder I become."

"Goddess of Time, tell me… will you ever hold my hand?"

The Higashi school anthem was beautiful—deeply moving.

Even Kyousuke felt like crying as he listened.

Though when he wiped the corner of his eye, it turned out to be a false alarm.

Then came the farewell video clips from kendo tournaments, sports festivals, school trips…

At the end, a golden paper ball exploded above the stage, showering the audience with slips of paper printed with graduation messages.

After the group photo, Kyousuke kicked away a few punks trying to steal his jacket button as a souvenir, and just like that—his middle school life came to an end.