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Chapter Eighteen

Sakura remembered when she met Sayuri at the university.

The moment the smaller teen walked through the door, she immediately recognized her.

The girl she hung out with when they were kids.

And the girl she decided to leave.

For some reason, the memories of her leaving Sayuri were too painful to remember.

But Sakura wanted to bury their memories down deep, to the point where she could forget them. She hoped Sayuri never remembered her, that Sayuri was happy without her.

Maybe they could start new.

But there were things about Sayuri that Sakura could never forget.

Sayuri's musical talent.

Her long, wavy hair.

Her big, brown eyes.

Her ruby lips--her bright smile.

But when Sayuri walked through the door, saw the bed, and collapsed into the mattress, Sakura saw the expression on the teen's face.

It looked like she hadn't smiled in years. That the expression Sayuri wore was only a ghost of a smile. What would have caused her to look so unhappy?

And then Sayuri looked up at Sakura, her brown eyes widening in recognition. Sakura's hope of the girl forgetting her was diminished.

But Sakura couldn't help but notice how thin Sayuri looked, and how her limbs looked like noodles. She saw the girl's hollow checks and collarbone. But what surprised Sakura even more was that Sayuri's long, luscious waves of hair were now cropped short.

Sakura could tell her roommate wasn't having a good day.

So Sakura spoke up, her heartwarming smile gleaming brightly in the sunshine. "Nice to see you again, Sayuri-san."