Game Changer | Petalz 🌸🍃

Epilogue

"Zuha?"

"Hm?"

Kazuha looks over her shoulder and with a quick click of her pink digital camera, Sakura captures the moment into permanence.

They are standing just outside a quaint Parisian café, the rich aroma of freshly baked croissants and strong espresso still lingering in the air. The distant notes of an accordion float through the streets, mingling with the rhythmic clatter of dishes from the restaurants' outdoor tables.

Sakura lowers the camera and checks the outcome.

Kazuha's eyes are bright, her eyebrows gently arched, hair catching the sunlight, and a soft smile plays on her lips. Sakura's heart swells with familiar affection. Kazuha looks just so beautiful and ethereal. In moments like this, she's so glad she decided to take up photography as a hobby.

"Ooh, that's a good one," she says under her breath, smiling.

"I can do better. Here, let me show you."

Kazuha takes the camera from Sakura's hand, and then, snaking her arm around Sakura's waist, she pulls her closer and presses her lips to Sakura's cheek.

A quiet click follows and Kazuha hands the camera back to Sakura for inspection.

The sunlight plays across their faces, highlighting their expressions—Kazuha's playful and affectionate, and her own caught in a moment of gleeful surprise.

"Not bad," she admits, glancing at Kazuha.

With a satisfied smile on her face, Kazuha takes Sakura's hand and they start walking down the cobblestone street.

On each corner, brightly colored posters announcing the World Cup greet them. The opening match, France vs. Australia, takes place next week. Theirs with Sweden—their toughest rival in their group—is the day after.

"I can't wait for us to go out there and play." Kazuha gazes into the distance, her eyes fixed on the stadium that looms on the horizon, as she swings their interlocked palms.

"Mhm, me too," Sakura agrees and snaps a photo of the panorama with the stadium in the distance.

But the excitement stirring inside her isn't just about their first World Cup match—it's tonight that she can't stop thinking about.

"There they are," Kazuha says as she notices their friends walking from the opposite end of the street. "Yunjin! Chaewon!" she calls out, waving to them.

South Korea's team arrived just yesterday since they get to play in the last group. As they hug in greeting, Sakura takes this opportunity to whisper into Yunjin's ear.

"Do you have it?"

"Yup."

They pull away from each other, and Sakura has to fight the grin that threatens to break on her lips.

So far, everything is going according to plan.

🌸🍃

"I gotta admit, I'd have never suspected you'd come up with such a crazy idea," Yunjin says as she sits down on a park bench while Chaewon strategically leaves with Kazuha to get some ice-cream.

"It's not that crazy." Sakura rolls her eyes and takes a seat next to the blonde. "I've heard plenty of people do it."

"Sure, but you? Don't you think it's a little dangerous?" Yunjin asks as she hands her the keys.

Sakura puts them into her cross-body bag. "We'll be fine." She rests her hand on the backrest. "I just hope she'll like it," she says, propping her chin on her arm as she looks behind them at Kazuha and Chaewon, who are coming back with the ice-cream.