wanderer's moon | kaedehara kazuha

01 | streets at dawn veiled in dew

The moon is bright and blue in the midst of a million stars. Its glow humming among the winds and dancing among the waves where sailors sleep. When night arrives, the moon conquered and crossed the sky compared to a thousand suns across the galaxies. This splendour, perhaps, is an anchor to many wanderers, a north star to navigate them on their travels, guiding them to wherever they need to be where anywhere is home.

But, what is the moon, if it has no purpose for non-wanderers like Mizuki Nara? A lone young lady who lives among the humble elderly somewhere in Konda Village, away from the bustling city of Inazuma.

One night, the last of her kin took their final breath, their whispers of life lost in the wind with the full moon witnessing the mother and daughter sharing their final moments, with Nara promising that she would live on, but with an uncertain purpose.

After the funeral, with the help of the chief of Konda Village, Nara was left alone behind her home, sitting on the porch just outside the opened doors. It was for a moment that she looked up from the daze she was cast into, sombre eyes latched on the moon.

There, the weight of the last of her kin's death fell upon her shoulders.

For what was lost, the moon is what accompanies Nara to fill her home, to fill what's left of it, and to fill the title she once longed to be forever.

When days passed to present, Nara is just another young lady living beside the chief elder. The village's mornings are greeted by the frogs' mating calls on rainy days, the cool breeze swaying the fields on sunny days and the endless stream of water cascading down the stony canals along the street. Kids like Takeru and Futaba adore Nara like how they bonded with her parents. The villagers are one family after all, despite being unrelated to one another.

"Nara nee-san!" The lady turns to see one of the kids calling from the other side of the street, after closing the door to her house. It was Takeru and Futaba running down the path before stopping behind the fence. "Will you come and make flower crowns with us?"

Nara's eyes soften, a small smile curling up on her lips despite the sun glowering down on her. Making flower crowns was a habit she took upon ever since she was their age, young and lively. They even suggested selling them to make a profit, but Nara only chortled at the idea and entertained the little ones with a humble mindset.

"Sure."

There was nothing much to do except clean the house or help to tend the garden at Tejima's house. The sun was intense, but the wind is strong and cool. It could be a sign of heavy rain in a few hours. Nevertheless, Nara follows the trail of where the kids usually lead her to—a small patch of flowers grown outside towards the city.

There, they pick an assortment of different kinds—lilies, daisies, clovers and even dead leaves that is still hanging on to life with their green hue. Nara couldn't stifle her laugh when Takeru could not carry any more than his small arms could offer. Sticks were tangled with the stems connected to the variety of flowers he collected, though Nara could only let an amused smile rest on her lips. Futaba on the other hand takes her time trying to find the ones with petals left untouched by wildlife, mumbling to herself that she wants her flower crown to be as pretty as Nara's kimono.

The three of them walk back to Nara's home. In fact, the kids practically ran to sit on the wooden porch with excitement and the giddiness of wanting to make the loveliest flower crown to impress the lady herself or compete with each other. It's moments like this that make Nara's days a little more...joyful.

They had already started their craft by the time Nara placed her own pick of flowers and herbs on the flat surface, then sat on her side before individually picking each flower according to size and colour to arrange a well-balanced but appealing crown. There was no one to impress, at least, for her. But if it means bringing a smile to the kids' faces, she can live with that.