Episode 51 The Weight of a Yes

Sakura's acceptance into Todai wasn't just a letter; it was a confirmation of a destiny, a validation of years of relentless pressure and hard work. Standing at the school gate, watching her walk away with her father and Akane-san, the Todai envelope clutched in her hand, I felt a swirl of emotions – immense pride for her achievement, relief that her agonizing wait was over, and a quiet, underlying apprehension about what this highly anticipated future would mean for us.

Her text arrived a little later, just as I was trying to process the scene at the gate.

Sakura: HIROSHI-KUN!!!! 🎉🥳🎊 I'M STILL SHAKING!!! IT'S REAL!! I GOT INTO TODAI!!!!! Me: I saw! Congratulations again, Sakura! That's incredible! I'm so, so happy for you! You totally deserve it! Sakura: 😊 Thank you for being there, Hiroshi. At the gate. It meant a lot. Me: Wouldn't have missed it. 😊 So, what's happening now? Big family celebration? Sakura: Just home for now. Mother was crying. Father is... quietly proud. Akane is coming over later. It's all a bit surreal! Me: I can only imagine! You must be exhausted but also buzzing! Sakura: Both! Definitely both! My head is spinning!

We texted back and forth for a while longer, her excitement flowing through the messages. She talked about the program she got into, the campus, the feeling of relief. It was pure, unadulterated joy, and sharing it with her, even through a screen, felt special. This was the culmination of so much of her life's effort, and I was part of the immediate aftermath of her triumph.

Later that evening, after the initial excitement had perhaps settled slightly, she messaged again.

Sakura: Hiroshi-kun? Still awake? Me: Yeah, what's up? Sakura: Can we... can we talk properly? Maybe video call?

Her tone was different this time, quieter, more reflective. The pure joy was still there, but something else had joined it. The reality settling in.

"Hey," I said when I answered the video call. Sakura was in her room, the background a blur of elegant simplicity that was her world. Her eyes were still bright, but the initial frantic energy had subsided.

"Hey, Hiroshi," she said softly, a small, tired smile on her face.

"How are you feeling now?" I asked.

She sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Happy. Relieved. But also... a little overwhelmed. It's real now. Todai. The future."

"It is," I agreed, a knot forming in my stomach.

"My father... he was really proud," she said, her voice quiet. "He even... smiled properly. He hasn't done that in a while."

"That's great, Sakura," I said genuinely. Seeing her father acknowledge her achievement with pride was important, given the pressure.

"Yeah," she said, a small smile touching her lips. "And... and he looked at you, Hiroshi. At the gate. When... when I hugged you. He looked... thoughtful. Not... not dismissive like before."

My heart skipped a beat. His reaction to me in that moment had been something I'd pondered after the dinner. "He did?"

"He did," she confirmed. "Akane noticed too. She said... maybe... maybe seeing how happy I was, how important that moment was, and that you were the one I wanted to share it with immediately... maybe it showed him something."

That flicker of potential acceptance from her father, even just a "thoughtful" look, felt significant. It was a tiny crack in the wall of expectations.

But then, Sakura's expression grew more serious. "But the first thing he talked about afterwards... once the initial excitement was over... was the preparations. The intensity of the program. The need to stay focused. The importance of... not getting distracted."

Ah. There it was. The other shoe dropping. The expectation shifting from 'get in' to 'excel, and don't let anything stop you.'

"He was talking about... us?" I asked, my voice quiet.

Sakura nodded, her gaze direct. "He didn't say it directly. Not this time. But... the implication was clear. With Todai secured... the focus needs to be absolute. Anything that could be seen as a distraction... needs to be managed."

The 'weight of a yes' was the pressure to ensure that the answer remained 'yes' to all subsequent expectations, and that nothing, not even our real relationship, would jeopardize that.

"What does that mean... for us?" I asked again, the same fear from our earlier conversation about the future resurfacing, amplified now that the future was concrete and imminent.

Sakura met my gaze, her eyes holding a mix of resolve and uncertainty. "It means... the pressure is still there, Hiroshi-kun. Maybe even higher now, because the stakes are so high. And it means... we need to be strong. Stronger than ever. To face it. Together."

The joy of her acceptance, the pride in her achievement, was now intertwined with the reality of the challenge it presented to our unexpected love. Todai was a victory, but it also drew a clear, physical line towards a future that might try to pull us apart.

We had navigated the fake relationship, the public eye, the family introduction, the waiting game. Now, we had to navigate the very real, very demanding future that had just been confirmed. The 'weight of a yes' was heavy, but facing it together, as a real couple, felt like the only way forward.