🌸| Cherry Blossoms |🌸

Chapter 2

After a week, the boy was still visiting and sitting a the same table as usual, and he ordered his favourite beverage, all like usual, as well as staring at the window. For a while now, he would stay until the sun had fully set, until near the end of Sakura's work shift.

When there were not much of customers left, due to being late, she walked toward the boy's table and sat. Expecting her to do so, he simply quickly glanced and he turned his head back to the window to his right. He was looking at nothing in particular; just lost in thoughts. Sakura was sad of his condition and she always gave him a warm smile every time he looked at her, even though most of the time, he wasn't returning it.

After staying in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, she started, "You know, you can tell me what's wrong." she said in a sweet tone. He turned his head, "Why would I trust you?" he said in an expressionless tone. She still smiled, "I know you probably don't find any reasons to tell me since we don't know each other well, but I just want to help you."

He simply sighed and didn't add anything.

"Take all the time you need, I'll wait" she finished. He didn't tell her that day.

****

One day, she wasn't working and she decided, on a beautiful night, to gaze at the sky full of stars above her in her favourite cherry blossom forest. There was barely anyone going there at night, so it was all calm.

She sat on a bench and laid her head back. Suddenly, she heard footsteps, of someone who seemed to be running. She lifted up her head, searching for the person. All of a sudden, she heard someone panting and coming nearby. As the person came closer, she also heard something that sounded like sobs. There was a small light, hung onto a tree branch, illuminating only a small area of the forest, which was the bench. She then turned her head to her left, when she saw who it was; the boy who is a regular client at her workplace. She stood up and walked towards him, "Are you alright? You seem to be bruised--" she said, as she lifted her arm towards the bruised zone on his cheek. He turned his head, trying to avoid the touch, "D-Don't touch me." He managed to say, between two sobs.

"Alright." she simply answered, taking her hand back. "Want to sit for a while? No need to talk if you don't want to." Sakura proposed. Without saying anything, he walked to the bench and sat, Sakura, sitting next to him. They were sitting in pure silence, only listening to the relaxing sound of the wind brushing off the leaves in the trees, a sound that Sakura loved.

"Why are you always smiling?" the boy asked, out of the blue. She turned her head towards him, "Simple. I try to see life on the positive side. I do have some ups and downs, like everyone else, once in a while. I just try to deal with them differently." She answered.

"Have you.... Have you ever felt pain?" he asked, quietly and slowly, not sure if he was allowed to ask such a question to someone he barely knew.

"Yes, I did. I lost my mother at the age of 12 and my father was already gone before I was born. My older sister is living far away, but we have never been in a good relationship, so I haven't talked to her for about 8 years and I had to live with my grandmother. She died two years ago from a disease, back when I was 16." Dahlia said.

The boy looked at her with wide eyes, wondering how she could have been through all that. "Woah, it must have been hard. You surely are strong." Sakura lightly chuckled, "Yeah, I think so."