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木曽町,日本 KISO、NAGANO| JAPAN
14 MONTHS LATER . . .
Cicadas sing curled up in the lap of the maple tree standing uprooted to the earth for over a fifty years—Children around the neighborhood often whisper about the legend of the lost princess sleeping inside its bark as they climb up to see the world passing hushed whispers. The maple tree stood tall and strong with pride hugging the history it has witnessed close to its heart dancing along the breeze.
"Haruto was lovestruck?" Aerum laughs throwing her head back in amusement with tears threatening to spill out her eyes. After moments of gasps to catch her breath and followed snorts, she sits back cross-legged staring onto the blistering field in front of her—her eyes never leaving the sweet honey skinned farm boy struggling to balance his straw hat and the huge bucket of water in his grasp. She licks her lips, the taste of watermelons back on her tongue, "Cute."
Naomi bursts into a fit of giggles before collapsing on the floor beside the older with a roar holding onto her stomach as tears well up in her eyes. She chokes, "Cute my ass!" She laughs harder kicking her legs in air, "Mom was convinced somebody had a love spell casted on him," She clicks her tongue before continuing, "You know how it is in the countryside, witches, spells and blackmagic. . ."
Aerum hums in understanding biting onto the watermelon slice in her hands, its juices trail along her forearm to elbow before dropping on the floor drop-by-drop as Naomi continues, "He would write freaking songs for the sleeping princess and then sing them as lullabies to her! Sometimes he won't return until very late in the evening and dad would find him nestled onto the branch of the maple tree snoring peacefully like a monkey with no worries in the world."
Aerum chuckles as she sees a sulking Haruto being nagged on the field by his dad while his mom stiffles her laughter behind him.
Naomi clicks her tongue again sitting back upright, her legs dangling down the floorboard squeezed between the shoji and the blonde beside her, "He truly won with you honestly,"
Aerum glances at the cute buck-toothed girl as they share a grin, "Same."
"NO you don't get it—You're so pretty I swear Haruto—Ow!" Naomi winces getting smacked by her brother with a newspaper roll on her head before she could continue, "What is wrong with you monkey-faced?!" She sulks.
"What is wrong with you monkey-faced," Haruto mocks his little sister sticking a tongue out at her, "How about you get up and wrap up Algebra for today instead of filling nonsense into my girlfriend's head huh?"
Naomi scoffs. "My girlfriend," She makes a face, "We are best friends now and according to the universal bro code it's always bros before dudes. Right Aeri?"
Aerum nods in agreement locking sticky arms with her new best friend with a huge smile while the younger smirks gleefully rubbing the apex of her nose.
Haruto scoffs in disbelief, "Wow that's a lot of loyalty both of you." Naomi stifles a laugh at that, "Anyways, Can I get you anything, baby?"
Aerum flushes red. She still wasn't used to these casual displays of affection and Haruto knew that—using it to his defense for a guaranteed win against her. In her defense though, she likes to argue, it's because of his voice. "I'll never be used to it," She remembers telling Sakura over the phone listening to the faint coos of her babygirl after Haruto had convinced her to join the couple baking club with him on weekends using that sultry voice of his.
Haruto clears his throat, smirking evilly to himself as she mumbles a little, "No." to him clearly flustered.
Naomi awkward with the obvious tension around gets up with an excuse to get herself some water from the kitchen leaving Haruto to have the empty space beside his girlfriend all to himself.
"Naomi absolutely adores you," He chuckles casually taking her hand in his, "Mom and Dad have had such a hard time pushing her out of her comfort circle and get her to socialise with other people, I am awed how easily she bonded with you—as if you guys have known each other for years."
Aerum lets out a breezy laugh at that, "Right? With the magic of Park Sooyoung over little reveluv-rots and a fair share of girl-trauma-dump it had to be achieved love,"
"I like the way your hands fit in mine," He states interlocking his fingers with hers placing it on his lap while his other hand traces a star on the back of hers.
"Hm, What else do you like?"
Haruto chuckles. "I know where you're getting baby but I'm afraid we don't have that privacy or time with us today," He sees the flicker of disappointment pass over the blonde's face and hastily adds, "How about I show you instead?"
"What?—" But before she could raise her objections she is dragged by the younger past his unfazed bickering parents towards the big maple tree across their field holding onto her straw farm girl hat with one hand.
"This—" he lets go of her hand spinning on his heels under the big tree which held onto his young dreams in its roots and takes a deep breath, "—is where I spent most of my childhood."
"Because you were in love with the sleeping princess inside?" She grins teasing.
"What?! No!—Naomi told you that let me guess?" She shrugs and he sighs exasperatedly, "This tree was planted by my grandpa." He places his palm on its bark delicately and Aerum sees a little boy in his place, "I was in a habit of running into his arms whenever the world seemed too daunting and so when I lost him, I lost a home," He pauses glancing at her dark eyes, "But this place reeked so much of him I found myself returning here whenever I felt scared, small and alone. I built a home around whatever remained of him drowning myself in his essence away from the harsh reality,"
"But ever since I found you Aerum I found peace—strength—that no matter what the world pushes me through, I will be okay with you by my side, I won't hide. Not anymore." Before she realises, the distance between their faces had fairly reduced and all she could see was a sea of amber; feel the bark of the tree their bodies were pressed against and breathe in more of him. "Maybe home isn't a person or a place? Maybe home is just where love resides—where you are at peace. Home is love. Home is you, Park Aerum."
She feels the softness of his still lips against hers and the wetness pooling around her eyes. A fire ignites inside her bones like a dead star coming back to life as she holds onto his hands (his pinky finger) tightly.
"You love robbing me of words, don't you?" She murmurs against his lips.
"Shut me up then,"
"Gladly."
And when she embraces him in her arms ever so delicately in the hot june afternoon, a little sigh escapes out of the sleeping princess as she smiles to herself turning to the other side letting the love arcanely water the roots of the old tree.
