CHERRY | Hoshina Soshiro

𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 | cherry blossom

Like cherry blossom that blooms the most beautifully.The story of a fallen martial art prodigy

She recalls a childhood filled with blood, sweat, and bruises - a relentless cycle of enduring punches and kicks, leaving an indelible mark on her formative years. The dojo were like her home, each training with her father always leave a smile on her face. Each play fight with her friends, running across the dojo and to the garden. Tackling each other down. They share laughs and cries.

" Stand up straight Sakura! Your stances are wrong yet again. " She remembered her father who scolded her. He was strict and harsh, but at the same time the best and the most caring person she knows. She remembers when she first landed the hit. She remembers the look plastered across her father's face. She remembers her first kick, her first block, her first dodge. She remembers the proud look from her father and the cheering from her mom and her friend. She remembered when she picked up the wooden sword, swinging it around playfully as she tried to play sword fight with her friend.

" Ne, ne, Sakura-chan! Ya wanna watch fireworks with me?"

" OH yeah, sure ___________- kun!"

Sakura's fists collided with the punching bag with intense force, causing it to rupture and spill its contents. As she stood there, breathless and wheezing in the stuffy air, she clenched ruined gloves in each hand, feeling the weight of exhaustion in her every breath. The beads of sweat trickled down her neck as her gaze drifted to the now fallen punching bag. Her worn-out hands, adorned with blisters and calluses from years of training. She could feel her fatigued muscles twitching from the intense workout.

As she drew in each breath, she could feel a sharp, piercing pain emanating from a specific point and spreading steadily across her entire body, causing her to wince with each intake of air. She felt the boxing gloves slid of her hands, she felt her eyes grow blurry. She felt her knees grow weak.

She lowered herself onto the floor, the silence enveloping her as she gazed across the empty dojo. The room, once brimming with joy and warmth, now lay cold and dark, the only sound the creaking of the old wooden floor. In the corner, a desiccated plant stood as a testament to neglect, and a broken picture frame hung forlornly on the wall. Finally, unable to contain her emotions any longer, she wept.

" I'm sorry,..." She mutters through her sobs, with her head hanging low, touching the wooden floor as she cries. Puffy eyes and teary vision. Her hands hold tight, her fingers dinging her palm till it draws crimson's blood. "Stop crying you crybaby..." she told herself, whispering through the sobs and the tears.

" Sakura! What happened to you? Your grades have been dropping so suddenly and you have been slacking off in your physical training!" Sakura heard her teacher say angrily, slamming the thick stacks of books on the table.

" ..." Sakura only look at her teacher with empty eyes, unable to muster up a word. Her fingers scratching the wooden table, digging her nails into the soft wood.

" I know that those past few months was hard for you because of-"

" Don't mention that!" Sakura yelled, fuming red as she stood up from her seat. Accidentally knocking the table over. She felt silent again, she felt the world gone quiet with white noises echoing through her ears. She felt shame, unbearable shame as everyone in the class continue to look at her with their judging eyes.

"..." the teacher fell silent. Everything was silent, and the only thing she could hear is the sound of the clock ticking in the corner of her ears.