FOREWORD: 

This fanfic is dedicated to you, and only you, Yamauchi Sakura. I do not consider myself a prolific writer at all. Every word I utter unto this piece of work derives from the deepest place in my heart. What I want the most from you readers is that please take this fanfic with a grain of salt, for it may sound wordy, bullshit and unreal. Yet honestly, the only outlet for all the pain that has been smoldering inside my heart due to Sakura's loss is through the essence of words. Should any of you happen to be Sakura, or look like Sakura, or even have a life like Sakura, please bear in mind that I have been and will be looking for you, always.

This, is a token of my gratitude. 

Now, without further ado, allow me to take you into...

TO OUR ETERNAL SPRING

"It's okay now. You don't have anything to worry about no more. You won't be lonely here with us. You may rest now. Your life has come to an end."

Upon hearing those words, I was supposed to feel relieved and accepting, yet...

Something is nagging at me.

A certain feeling of discomfort. 

"What about him? I...I just can't imagine an afterlife without his silhouette. I need him. He needs me."

"Why need you be so dedicated? You were stabbed cruelly and now the only place for you is the afterlife."

Cold. Terrifying. Colorless. Lonely.

The voice I just heard was ruthless, as if coming from the Grim Reaper himself.

I feel nothing. Pain. Happiness. Sadness. Nothing am I able to feel in this space. 

It's total darkness.

"I...understand that my time has come. I also understand that it is absolutely wrong to try to intervene with human fates.  I wish I could keep on living. With mom. With dad. With my friends. With Kyouko. With everybody.

And with him.

I am nobody without that person."

Ahh. What a terrible liar I am. Lying to even the Reaper, daring aren't I?

I don't understand anything. I am just being greedy to cling on every last hope of continuing my ill-fated life. 

"If so...

He opened his mouth out of the blue:

"Do you actually want to continue your life? However, there must be a price to pay."

I looked directly into his cold, deadly eyes. It was like as though I am staring into the abyss. How scary.

"I can see your will. Such a strong will that its light glows all around this place.

I will observe you from afar. It has been a long time since I see such fierce commitment.

Ahh, how reminiscent. 

Very well then, I will grant one more chance, at the cost of..."

A dazzling light shines upon my surroundings.

I opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling. I tried to look around but arghh, these life support equipment really hinders my movement. The sole thing I could see with my eyes is a teenage man sitting near the window, immersing himself in a book. My consciousness starts to recover.

Subconsciously, my mouth blurted out his name:

"Ha...ru...ki."

Like a deer woken up upon hearing the steps of predators, he was startled, putting his book down and directed his gaze upon me. His eyes were already filled with tears.

"Sakura!"

Ahh, I can never forget his calling my name. If I recall correctly, that was also the first time.

"Hey! Don't shout at someone who has just got out of a coma. That's rude!"

But deep down inside. I felt peaceful and serene. Just the sight of him is enough to make me a princess in a fairy tale. His voice was so warm, sincere and heartfelt.

He got up from his chair and approached me with a smile brimming with innumerable happiness.

"Please wait here. I'll go fetch the doctor to check your situation."

I tried to reach his hand. Arghhh these things are so troublesome.

"I have been missing you. A lot. You dummy!"

"Me as well.

You have no idea how happy I felt when I got to see you once again, Sakura."

The second time.

Upon finishing his sentence, his legs were already in a haste to get the doctor. I smiled. Ahh I must have been in love with him now.

The doctor and he came back after 3 minutes. The doctor asked how I felt at the moment.

Wait.

Something feels so wrong.

Now it is painful.

I grimaced. The doctor slowly explained:

"You were stabbed by the criminal but fortunately it didn't hit vital points. But we still had to remove one of your pancreas and replaced it with an artificial one. You will be much weaker than you were but you can live without worrying about your pancreatic disease again.

This technology has just been announced in Germany and you are amongst the first one we operate on, we are so glad that nothing bad has occured."

The doctor left after having his nurse assistant remove some of the equipment from me.

"Speaking of which, where are my mom and dad, and my brother as well?"

"It's my shift today to look after you. I just called them and Kyouko, they will be here shortly."

"Oh thank you so much. How long have I been in a coma?"

"3 months. During this time your family was concerned to death about you, but after seeing your heart rate return back to normal they were so relieved."

"3 months huh..."

After a brief silence

"Sakura."

The third time.

"Yes?"

"Welcome back."

"Of course I will be back, I wouldn't leave you alone remember? I promised that I will tell you before I die didn't I? You dummy."

He bent his head down, hiding me from seeìng him cry.

His hands were shaking.

They reached out for me.

They were the hands that gave me strength, gave me courage, and gave me hope.

I reached out my hands as well, in return, for deep down, I had always known we are connected by a string of fate. So solid that I guess even millions of years later we will still be able to find our very own "each other".

Our hands finally made contact.

Intertwined.

The last rays of the sun at dusk were dancing beneath the window bars. Every delicate essence of it seemed to cherish our little private moment.

Has the sunset always been this graceful?

Something suddenly dawned on him. From his schoolbag, he pulled out a small notebook.

I recognized it on the double.

Our very existential verification.

"Living with dying." 

The words I heard then were one of those I will never forget, even after a thousand afterlives have passed.

"I...I didn't have the courage to visit you after hearing you were stabbed. I thought you were dead. I was depressed for 2 weeks straight then I decided to come to your house and asked your mom for the "Living with dying"..."

He stopped for a moment, as if his feelings were at their climax.

"I finally understand now. The time we spent together. The moments we cherished. The feelings we have been through. All of them are precious to me.

I don't know what to say. Maybe the most succinct way to put it is:

I want to eat your pancreas."

"Heyyyy that's my line. I know you are emotional but this might not be the place to..."

"Ahaha I'm so sorry I was carried away a bit too much. Anyways, look, they have come."

This is the best. I got to see everybody again. I got to live my life at the cost of my pancreas.

Thank you medical advancement.

I guess the reaper can sometimes be generous can't he?

ONE MONTH LATER

I am slowly regaining my well-being I had before being stabbed. The past month has witnessed remarkable improvement in my physical state although I have to go to the hospital for occasional medical check-up.

It's winter break so I'm having a lot of spare time. I reached out to my phone on the desk from my warm bed and started typing some words:

"Good morning Mister Worrywart Classmate, how are you doing? It's winter already right? You got any plans during this winter break yet?"

It didn't took long for me to receive a reply back.

"Stop calling me that. Anyway, I am still playing around with my old, tedious hobby: reading books and being engulfed in imaginary worlds, and I've just finished the homework the teacher gave us before break."

I'm not even surprised anymore at the moment, that's truly him and his daily routine.

But I'm bored as well.

Let's make a daring move.

Quickly, my fingers surfs across the keyboard.

"Wanna enjoy this winter with me?"

I wasn't expecting it, not in the least.

"Sure. I'm free anyway."

My heart stutters. Just the bare thought of getting to see his face during this snowy winter really gives me butterflies.

"How about we recreating that trip we once had? I heard that in winter more activities are held and the weather there isn't as extreme as here."

"Okay, I'll meet you at 8 this Sunday at Cafe Spring."

SUNDAY

How amazing the weather is today. The high sunlit clouds drifted across the blue sky. A lovely space of multitudinous spilling light all over the place, although a chill in the air can still be felt.

I arrive at the place 10 minutes earlier than our appointment time and it really baffles me to know he's already inside and, as usual, reading a book.

Opening the door, I walk towards his seat.

"Good morning Sakura, the weather is excellent today isn't it?"

He called my name again, maybe this is the fourth time or so.

I have already lost count of it, knowing that from now on, deep inside the heart of the boy sitting in front of me, I will always be his "Sakura".

"Hello. The weather is indeed lovely today, must indicate a safe and sound journey of ours heh?"

Ending that sentence with a playful smile, I situated myself onto the seat across him.

"The train arrives at 10 so there is ample time till then. Let us enjoy our morning coffee shall we?"

"Where did you learn to speak like that? It's not like you at all haha."

"From the book I am reading. Coincidentally the part I am reading is also a conversation inside a cafe."

"All right all right I don't wanna hear that."

After a brief silence.

"You were waiting for me at this cafe that day when "that" happened, weren't you?"

"..."

Upon the drop of his mood visible on his face, which I can see at a quick glance, I change my question.

"Did you know that this cafe really suits you? It literally has your name on it."

"I have realized that a long time ago. I want to regard it as a coincidence but you said that everything happens as a result of our choices so I decided to keep that to myself.

And that's also why I wanted this place to be the first where we met after your recovery."

"Pretty deep coming from you huh Mister Wordy Classmate?

It's a pity that cherry blossoms do not bloom in winter."

"Sakura."

He closed his book and put it on the table, with a serious look on his face.

"Listen.

Only since our fated encounter under a sky full of cherry blossom flowers, did the "spring" inside me actually lighten up.

To me, in every season, you are the embodiment of a thousand, no, a million, cherry blossom flowers, Sakura."

Damn.

Now my face is as red as a beetroot.

"Don't say that in front of so many people here, they might hear you. Geez you really know how to say embarrassing things so straightforwardly."

He sheds a mischievous smile on his face.

"I can be romantic sometimes. I read a lot of books after all.

It's 9:50 AM already, we need to leave soon."

We went to the train station together shortly after he said so.

And hey, Haruki, that goes the same for me.

Ever since you stepped into my life, my inner "Sakura" has bloomed thanks to the spring I have long yearned for.

TWO HOURS LATER

Eventually, we have arrived at Kyoto. For the last two hours we were spending our time on the train talking about everything in this world, about the stories we always tell each other.

We begin our trip by going to the motel and obtaining the room key we had previously booked.

My feelings are on cloud nine right now.

"Quick quick quick we have a lotttt of places to go. Don't waste too much time rearranging your suitcase!"

"I can see that you are in such a high spirit huh? Alright alright I'm almost done now."

Let's tease him a bit.

I run to where he's standing at a blistering pace, push him to the wall, as if I am doing a kabedon.

I try to act cool.

"Time is not on our side, Ha. Ru. Ki. So mister, please hurry up. I am sooo excited to go out right now."

Contradictory to my expectations, he is blushing red and mumbles: "Let's go then."

This does put a smile on my face.

We had decided that our first place to visit would be the Yasaka Shrine. I've read somewhere on the Internet that it is popular as a place to earn the grace of the gods for protection against evil, warding off of disease, business success, matchmaking, and beauty among other things.

"Let's make a wish."

I clasp my hands, whispering:

"I plead to you o God. I wish that everyone dear to me will live a wonderful life, without any obstacles and they may live to the fullest.

Especially to the boy standing beside me."

"ANNND...I'm done. What did you wish for? Was it about me? Right? Right?"

"I won't tell you. If I say it out loud the gods will not answer my wish. You already know that too well."

All of a sudden, a weird voice blurts out from my belly.

"Ehehe I feel a little hungry now. Why don't we head for that restaurant over there?"

We walk to a local food house adjacent to the temple. Food is delicious. Since I woke up from my coma, I have yet to taste such delicacies.

We continue our trip in Kyoto after filling ourselves up. The next destination for us are the Kinkakuji, Kiyomizu-dera.

No sooner had we ended up at our final destination, Gion, the most bustling downtown streets in Kyoto, than we realized it's already 7 in the evening. Guess we have really enjoyed ourselves for the last 6 hours. 

The weather is getting colder. I slightly shorten our distance by walking closer to him.

A strange peculiar question out of nowhere comes from my lips.

"Haruki. What do you think happens when we die?"

Without hesitation, he responds:

"I know that the ones who love us will miss us."

That was the most genuine and heartfelt answer I can think of.

He continues:

"Whoever said that loss gets easier with time was blatantly lying. What actually happens is that the spaces between the times you miss them grow longer. Then all of a sudden, you do things, read things, talk about things that would remind you of that person, it's a stabbing pain in the heart. And you have guilt. Guilt because it's been too long since you missed them last."

Tears starts to well up in my eyes. I cry because I know how important an average individual like me is to him. I cry because I want to live. Live to listen to these words.

He comes closer to me and consoles me, weeps my tears with his handkerchief, fortunately there are not many bystanders around us.

"Sakura."

He calls my name.

"It probably is the right time now for me to say what I have been concealing to myself

You are the only person that can understand me.

The only person that accepts my true self.

The only person that looks me in the eyes.

And

You are the one that I hold dear.

The one whom I consider my raison d'être.

I want to embrace you in my arms.

I want to embark on all of my life journey with you, and only you.

Will you go out with me, Sakura?"

Swiftly, I let myself fall into his arms and entirely wrapped in his warmth.

"I agree.", I mumble.

"You should have said it earlier you dummy. Do you know how long have I been waiting for this?"

His chest feels nice to lean on.

Our lips gently touch.

"I love you."

"I love you more you dummy. Don't say that with such a calm and collected attitude after you have just melted a teenage girl's heart.", I said with my face pouting.

Snow has started to fall, indicating the final season of the year.

To each of us, we are merely souls who just happen to meet on the crossroads, binded by the string of destiny. Either our fated encounter was prearranged by the god himself or it was simply our choices that lead us together, I have found the one to walk on the path with me

To our eternal spring.

CREDIT

Main writer: Mordred#7244

Proofreaders: @QuadricKnight, @SANSbura_xD, @Rohit123456

AFTERWORDS

4 months ago I decided to write a fanfic about Haruki and Sakura. Sakura is the light of my life, after witnessing her death I grieved myself everyday for 3 years. 

I just cannot stand the fact that she's no longer here.

I want her to live.

I want her together with Haruki.

This is the first time I have ever written such a work so once again I ask for your pardon should it be not to your taste. 

I took the risk of writing under Sakura's point of view so that I am able to sympathize with her more and this is also a way for me to redeem myself after her death.

I also am having a hard time in my life as well when I write this therefore tons of procrastinations have been made and there were days when I did not feel like doing anything. Being in the right mood and seeking for the perfect emotions sure is difficult.

I'm glad I have made this far. Special thanks to my proofreader again, without you all I cannot fulfill my dream and create a future with my (our) beloved Yamauchi Sakura. :D I would like to express my gratitude to you for helping me finish this before Christmas.

Special thanks as well to my readers. Your support is my greatest inspiration.

Happy holiday!