Another boring class meeting at the start of the September semester.
Logan sat below, listening to the chatter around him. Compared to high school, relationships among university classmates seemed more cautious and reserved, most people were only familiar with their roommates.
The homeroom teacher, whom they rarely saw throughout the semester, stood on the podium, half-heartedly delivering a speech no one cared about.
Potted plants on the windowsill stood firm, reaching toward the sun.
On the shaded paths of the university campus, laughter drifted through the air. Senior and junior sisters, lively and graceful, passed by Logan's line of sight.
"What exactly is Sumika's surprise…" His gaze wandered over swaying skirts and fair thighs as he lazily wondered.
A while ago, Sumika had mentioned giving him a 'surprise' and told him not to come looking for her to hang out.
"The wind's a bit lighter today…" He stretched out his hand, gauging the sunlight, and muttered. He'd been quite bored lately.
"Alright, settle down, classmates. There's one more relatively important matter: this academic year, a new student will be transferring into our class…"
The homeroom teacher, mid-announcement, received the highest level of attention since the start of the term.
"It's an exchange student from Japan. Everyone must get along well…"
Whispers broke out.
Someone walked in from outside, eliciting gasps of admiration.
Logan turned his head casually, then nearly dropped his jaw in shock.
"Good morning, everyone."
A girl, more dazzlingly beautiful than the sunlight outside, bowed gracefully and spoke with poise, "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Hoshino Sumika, from Japan. I look forward to your guidance in the future."
In the moment before anyone could react, Sumika found Logan and gave him a playful wink.
She has come to attend university with him.
…
"Hanazawa-sama, Hanazawa-sama-"
In the Etiquette Ministry of the Land of Fire's capital, a maidservant hurried down the corridor with a message.
"So flustered! Where are your manners!" Hanazawa Kana, who had just discarded several marriage proposals while handling affairs in her study, was irritated and snapped angrily.
"M-my apologies, my lady." The young maidservant quickly bowed her head to her chest, then extended her tender hands, "Someone outside… gave me a letter for you."
An ordinary letter.
"Really, you'll accept anything from anyone?" Kana sighed in exasperation, taking the letter impatiently. She had planned to dismiss it and immediately scold the maid, but the moment she saw the first line of writing on the paper, her expression changed.
She suddenly rushed outside.
"Hanazawa-sama, slow down, Hanazawa-sama…"
Ignoring her subordinates' calls, Kana ran recklessly out of the residence. The street outside was empty, with nothing but a few scattered pedestrians.
Samurai followed her out, hands on the hilts of their swords. She said, 'It's nothing.', and stopped the crowd.
Taking a deep breath, Kana calmed her turbulent emotions and slowly unfolded the letter. As she read, her eyes gradually welled with tears.
It was a letter written to her personally by Sumika.
"Seeing these words is like seeing you… Kana, how have you been? It's been so long since we parted, I miss you and everything about the capital dearly…"
"I'm sorry for leaving without saying goodbye back then. Don't worry about me, I'm doing very well now…"
"…I'm living happily with that guy."
Holding back tears, she finished reading. There was a smaller piece of paper attached, but the handwriting on it was rather crude, and the paper looked like it had been torn from somewhere casually… No doubt, this was from that man she despised and looked down on.
Even though it was written by that guy, Kana read every single word line by line.
Tap.
A stiff, paper-like object fell out from the unfolded letter and landed on the ground.
She bent down to pick it up.
It was a photo, seemingly newly taken… Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and tears finally streamed down her face.
Kana gazed down the wind-swept street, looking out over the capital as if she could see all the way to a distant, far-off place. She smiled softly and whispered, "Congratulations on your marriage."