Chapter 1 : The First Day, The Last Goodbye

The first day of college is supposed to be exciting. For Haruto, it was just another ordinary morning.

He kept his head low, blending into the crowd of new students rushing across the lush green campus. With his black hair neatly parted in the middle and eyes that rarely held anyone’s gaze, Haruto wasn’t used to standing out — and he liked it that way.

But everything changed in a moment.

Under a blooming cherry blossom tree near the courtyard, he saw her — a girl with long, chestnut brown hair that shimmered like it had been kissed by light. She wore a soft cream coat, and around her neck was a deep burgundy scarf. Her brush danced across the canvas as if painting came as naturally to her as breathing.

Haruto couldn’t look away.

She seemed untouchable, like a scene from a dream. But something about her presence pulled him in. The girl looked up, caught his gaze for just a second, and smiled — not politely, but warmly. Genuinely.

He looked away, heart racing.

From that day forward, Aoi became his silent muse.

Haruto started sketching in secret, trying to capture that moment beneath the cherry tree. Somehow, his hand knew what to do. Art that once seemed impossible now poured from him like second nature. His grades improved. He picked up his old guitar and found melodies waiting at his fingertips. His voice, once quiet, began to carry when he sang.

And slowly… they became friends.

Aoi was more than just beauty and talent. She had a mind that danced between books and brushes, a voice that soothed every room she entered, and a kindness that always found a way to lift others up. Haruto spent the whole first year falling deeper and deeper — not into a crush, but into love.

But he kept it hidden.

Until the last day of the first year.

They sat side by side on a bench outside the library, the evening sun painting the sky in shades of orange and gold. He could barely hold the words in anymore.

“I like you, Aoi,” Haruto said softly. “I don’t know if I’m saying this right, but… you’ve changed everything for me. I see the world differently now. I feel alive when I’m around you.”

Aoi looked at him, eyes gentle, but unreadable. Her smile was soft — too soft.

“Haruto… I’m really glad I met you,” she whispered. “But… I need to focus on my career right now. I hope you understand.”

His chest tightened, but he managed a smile. A real one.

“I do,” he said. “I’ll still be cheering for you.”

They kept talking after that. They laughed, painted, studied — just like always. Everything felt okay. Not perfect, but okay.

Then the messages stopped.

One week. Two weeks. A month. No replies. Silence.

Haruto’s worry turned into unease. He asked around, but no one had answers — until he spoke to her closest friends.

Their expressions changed the moment he asked.

One of them placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

“Haruto… Aoi’s gone.”

He blinked, not understanding.

“She passed away last month. She had a rare illness… she knew she didn’t have much time left. That’s why she said she wanted to focus on her career. But the truth is… she loved you too. She just didn’t want to hurt you.”

The world froze.

No air. No words. Just a sharp, aching silence.

That evening, Haruto returned to the cherry blossom tree where it all began. He sat beneath the branches as petals fluttered down around him like snow. He took out his sketchbook and flipped to a drawing of her — her scarf, her smile, her light.

He didn’t cry.

He just sat there, letting the silence speak.

And the chapter closes with him whispering to the wind,

“I wish I had told you sooner.”

---To be Continued..

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