The Lying Cherry Tree

Epilogue

Do You Believe In Fairytales?
(Third Person Point of View)

Futakuchi Kenji did not know where he was. He was completely lost. Was he holding the map upside down? Is his compass' magnetism broken? What the fuck? Is Lady Luck playing with him again?

He has no choice. He had to ask directions from someone who was from the place. 

He was in a kingdom where cherry blossoms were abundant on that particular spring day.

There was someone sitting below on one of the trees. Perfect timing! Maybe he was not such a hopeless case for Lady Luck.

"Hello." Futakuchi greets the resident as timid as he could. "I am Futakuchi Kenji... An adventurer. If I may impose upon you a humble favour, I would like to ask directions for I am lost."

The resident hummed. "Hmm."

"Where is the kingdom of Orel?"

"Ah, you have to pass by the kingdom of Rasteniya before you get to Orel. Let me warn you. Orel is swarmed with weird animals while Rasteniya has weird people. They are not both good for travelling adventurers."

Futakuchi felt like his morale had come crashing down upon hearing those words. Maybe Moniwa Kaname wanted him to die by sending him all the way here. 

"It is fine, I was just asked to deliver a parcel anyway."

The resident looked at him. "Ah a postknight."

"Correct. Where am I?"

"You are in the kingdom of Vorona. I am Miya Atsumu. I am a merchant here. Follow the path where the cherry trees end and you will get to the kingdom of Rasteniya before nightfall. Just ask the people there how to get to Orel. Do not speak to the king about the kingdom of Orel, though. I heard he was quite fed up with it. I see that they are not on good terms."

"Ah..." Futakuchi smiled nervously. "I see."

"Want some onigiri? My twin brother made too much."

"Wow! Thank you, Miya-san!"

Futakuchi sat next to Atsumu as he munched on the onigiris given to him. 

Maybe I will explore Vorona first and spend the night here. I can just go to Rasteniya tomorrow morning. I am deadshit tired.

The cherry blossoms began to fall.

Atsumu smiles. "Futakuchi, do you believe in fairytales?"

"Huh?"

"They are wonderful. They keep the system going. They keep the story happily ended. But there are two sides to every story, you think not?"

"I am sorry, for I am confused."

Atsumu laughs. "There was this fairytale that is really famous here in this kingdom, mind lending me an ear?"

"Sure thing, I guess."

"Let me tell you the tale of a strong man. Once upon a time, there was a strong man. A strong man he was! Nothing lets him down. Power, Speed, Agility, and strength. He has them all. Indeed he was formidable. But his heart breaks. It was quite a fall."

Futakuchi blinks. "Heartbreak? Literally or Figuratively?"

Atsumu continued nonetheless. "Once upon a time, there was a strong man. He met that wonderful someone. Such beauty! Such grace! Indeed was captivating! The strong man fell in love with that wonderful someone, but his heart breaks. It was quite a fall." 

"Ah, I knew it. Figurative heartbreak."

"Once upon a time, there was a strong man. His heart breaks, it was quite a fall. To that one wonderful someone who had already been taken by another one who was stronger than that strong man."

"Wow, that has got to hurt."

"He was everything that the strong man could never hope to achieve. It was no wonder that he took away his wonderful someone. His heart breaks, it was quite a fall."

"..."

"Still he stays, he stays by his side. The strong man who swore to protect that one wonderful someone, even if his heart breaks. It was quite a fall. The strong man was not so strong after all."

"Damn, I do not know what to feel."

"This was the tale of that strong man, masking behind the indifference of a smile. He stays by his side to protect him, who chose to protect someone else. His heart breaks, he was not so strong after all."

"Is he real?"

Atsumu looks at him. "Who?"

"The strong man."

Atsumu hummed. "Not many people know him. Only the monarchy, a handful of Knights, the town doctor, and the perfumers down the block know him. He is not that special. He is not that famous. But he is real, indeed."

"How does he cope these days?"

"He is absolutely better than last year. But you know? The battle scars always remain no matter how fused shut the wound is right now. There will always be scars left to remember."

"I see... Do you know him?"

"Why, of course!"

"Really?"

Atsumu gets up from his seat and took his belongings. He had a delivery to make that day.

"He is me. Miya Atsumu, the merchant, who once fell in love with someone who already loved someone else. Guess I was not so strong after all."