With the year-end special exam and the graduation ceremony over, the students of ANHS finally entered spring break. The temperatures were growing mild; the wind was no longer cold.
If you had to put it into words, the spring breeze felt like a gentle big sister, softly rousing all things from sleep.
"Wow, Airi, how did you find this place? It's so pretty." Today Shiina had been invited out to help Sakura shoot a set of photos.
Sakura had found a great spot—the perimeter wall at the edge of the ANHS campus—now covered in climbing roses, like something out of a fairy tale.
Climbing roses are especially cold-hardy and need vernalization to bloom; that is, they must pass a period of winter dormancy at low temperatures so they can flower with abandon in spring.
After enduring the harsh cold of January and February, by mid-to-late March the campus roses burst into bloom, blanketing the wall.
Orange blossoms glowed amid a wall of green vines; words barely captured the grandeur of a wall-climber in full flower—like a night sky of stars after the colors had been shifted.
The wall of green was the black universe; the orange roses were the shining stars.
Seeing Shiina so delighted made Sakura happy too. Ever since Yukio introduced them, the two had gradually become friends who often chatted online.
Only, because Sakura was gathering intel for Class D, it wasn't convenient to meet openly; they could only arrange the rare outing to chat and take pictures.
Now that Shiina was as enthralled by the scene as she was, Sakura let out a long breath and her mood brightened, though she still seemed a bit reserved. "J-just… walked around more, and found it."
Thanks to the outside-world isolation, students rarely came out by the wall; only someone like Sakura, always hunting perfect shooting locations, would find it.
As she answered, Sakura felt a pinch of regret. Yukio had reminded her to change a little—to be more confident and sunny, to muster courage—but it was still hard.
She could only take it slow.
Shiina understood Sakura well. She didn't say things like "don't be so tense," and instead considerately linked arms with her. "Let's take some shots~ Airi, start by taking one of me!"
"Mhm!" When it came to her hobby and forte, Sakura perked up. The formerly constrained brows now carried a quiet confidence.
Soon she and Shiina discussed a pose—leaning in to gently sniff the blossoms. Once Shiina was in place, Sakura adjusted the camera and brought the scene into her viewfinder.
Peering through the camera at the frame—Shiina, face dreamy as she sniffed the roses—Sakura felt genuine envy. Hiyori is so pretty. Yukio-kun must really like her, right?
There was something she didn't know how to tell Hiyori: a few days ago, on White Day, Yukio had returned a gift—candy.
Everyone knows what candy means on White Day: a reply of the heart.
After all, on Valentine's Day Sakura had given Yukio a honmei chocolate. Of course, with her personality, even if it was honmei she hadn't dared say so.
She only managed to send it—and then, once she was safely back in her dorm, followed up with a text to say it was the only chocolate she'd given. The meaning was clear enough—tantamount to a confession.
She had been mortified for so, so long afterward. Every time she thought of it, her cheeks would heat up, her forehead warm, her heart race.
But she didn't dare ask Yukio for his reply; she could only wait… and wait… until the White Day candy came!
The instant she received it, Sakura was so happy she nearly melted on the spot, a bliss so sweet it felt her whole life had been worth it.
But a few seconds later she came to her senses—steam practically whistling from her head—and bolted.
Partly out of shyness—she didn't know how to face Yukio; it was too embarrassing. And partly because she knew about Yukio's relationship with her dear friend Hiyori.
It wasn't a secret; Yukio and Shiina being close was common knowledge on campus.
So she didn't dare ask what the return candy "meant," afraid she might, with one careless move, damage the bond between the three of them.
She liked Yukio very, very much—but she also cherished Shiina, the first true girlfriend she'd made at ANHS.
If possible, she'd rather stay confused forever—so long as she could keep standing beside the two of them, wouldn't that be enough?
Even this time, when she wanted to take photos…
She didn't invite Yukio like they'd agreed back in autumn; instead, she invited Shiina.
She didn't even know why she'd done that—maybe it made her feel a little less guilty?
"Airi, is it ready yet?" Shiina had been sniffing flowers for so long the pose was hard to hold.
"Eh? R-ready! I— I was just adjusting—shooting now." Called back to reality, Sakura straightened the camera and clicked—capturing a beautifully romantic shot of Shiina.
"It's so pretty~ Airi, your shooting is amazing!" Around those she knew well, Shiina often let her laughter show; she praised Sakura's photography sincerely.
"Glad you like it." Sakura drifted for a moment in Shiina's smile. This Hiyori—that's the one Yukio must like best, right?
And she herself was just a timid, self-effacing girl—nowhere near as clever or cute as Hiyori; she couldn't help Yukio-kun, and she wasn't a beauty…
"Airi, your turn~" Immersed in scenery and shooting, Shiina had no idea of her friend's sadness.
Sakura came back to herself. "Then please—everything's set in the camera; there shouldn't be any issues."
"Hehe, I'll try first." Modest as ever, Shiina quickly grasped some basics of framing and catching light and shadow.
After a few quick shots of Sakura, they also took several selfies with the rose-covered wall behind them. They chatted as they sat, and when it was about time, Shiina said goodbye.
Watching Shiina's retreating figure, Sakura didn't look at her beloved camera. Instead she took a small tin of candy from her pocket.
Yukio's White Day gift. She had never opened it.
Once she and Shiina were apart, some impulse made her open the tin, tip out one intricately shaped piece, and place it on her tongue.
Candy should taste very sweet. Yet to Sakura, it carried a slight bitterness.
What… should she do?
....
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