The End and The Start - 1

Earlier that day…

Sakura was dead asleep inside the cab on her way to Tokyo that morning. Because of the excitement and the nervousness of moving to a new city, she had butterflies in her stomach the whole night and only got three hours of sleep.

As soon as she arrived at her destination, she excitedly entered a 10-story apartment building and greeted the guard and the front desk receptionists in the lobby.

She then rode the elevator after speaking with the female staff. Upon reaching the 10th floor, she went inside her new small one-bedroom room, still unfurnished, with unopened boxes on the floor and a mattress nearly placed beside the bedroom window. She left her luggage at the entrance and pranced across the living room before resting her hands against the window, momentarily admiring how the sunshine brightened the cityscape and the blooming cherry blossom trees down below.

"It's going to be a good day," she muttered, smiling widely afterward. She took her phone inside a small nude clutch bag, her head tilting to the side after checking her notifications. 'Seen again,' she thought.

"He must be busy preparing," she shrugged off the idea of her boyfriend ignoring her for the nth time, not wanting the day to be ruined by this. She bit her lower lip while composing a message in LINE.

(8:45 AM)

Babe~ You're probably busy right now, but just want to let you know that I'm already here in my new apartment. Can't wait to see you soon~"

(8:50 AM)

What do you want to eat for lunch?

(8:51 AM)

Actually, I already picked some, but lemme know what you like~

(8:57 AM)

Take care, babe. I love you~

Sakura gazed at the surroundings once more as she waited for another 10 minutes before checking her phone again. Pouting her lips, she walked into the bedroom and slumped herself on the bare mattress. She stared at her phone until she fell asleep, with her belly on the bed and little sun rays on her face.

Three hours had passed, her boyfriend had seen all of her messages, but there were still no replies sent. Sakura lazily sat up, her head still feeling light from lack of sleep. She checked her saved bookmarks online for the list of restaurants her boyfriend might like.

It's been a year since the last time they'd seen each other and as she glanced outside the bedroom window, she wondered if he still loves Italian food. She tapped the side of her phone with her thumb, chuckling softly upon realizing that most on the list were Italian restaurants.

(12.30 PM)

"Where are you now? I'll be on my way to Ristorante Amanti. Just near my apartment. See you!"

She freshened herself up, applied the prettiest make-up, and changed her attire to a white square-neck spaghetti top and blue linen pleated pants. Even if Ristorante Amanti's only a 15-minute walk from her place, she took a cab. She held to her phone tight; there was still hope in her heart that things would be alright.

"Table for how many, ma'am?" a waitress greeted Sakura before bowing her head.

"For two please," she beamed whilst she scanned the place, pretty satisfied with her choice.

The waitress led her inside the high-ceiling restaurant, designed with a soft mix of muted pastel-colored interiors. The hanging plants and potted plants created a relaxing botanic atmosphere in the area. She was then ushered to a two-seater round dining table in the middle part of the dining area.

"Thank you," she said to the waiter who was pouring water in the goblet glass. "I'll order… probably after 15 mins? I'll just wait for my boyfriend."

The waiter handed her the menu and smiled politely at her before leaving. Sakura finally had the chance to look at her phone, but as expected, her last message was not seen yet. She browsed the menu for a moment, clicking her tongue, before messaging him again.

(1:00 PM)

"Are you near? I'll older their set lunch menu. Do you want the same or you wanna get pasta?"

(1:08 PM)

"Do you want Linguine with Lobster & Tomato or Spaghetti with Clams, Garlic with Chili, & Olive Oil? If I were you, I'll choose the first 😉"

(1:14 PM)

"I'm hungry. I'll order mine first, then yours later okay? See you~"

Sakura called the attention of the waiter and ordered the set lunch menu. Her mood has slightly lifted up as 'O Sole Mio' by Jack Jezzro started playing in the background. She skimmed through her gallery while waiting for the appetizer. She scrolled through it and looked at the photos of their first date in an Italian café and couldn't help herself from smiling.

They were seated outside the café where tables were covered with plaid cotton tablecloths and had candles as centerpieces. They enjoyed a bowl of seasonal salad, spaghetti aglio e olio with chicken, and a classic pizza margherita. Oh, how she wished she was with her boyfriend at the moment to enjoy the music, the relaxing ambiance, and the good food which was about to be served.

"Here's your frisella caprese with tomato and mozzarella," a plate of frisella bread with mixed tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil on top was served.

Sakura returned the smile to the waiter before taking the salad fork and slicing the caprese, making sure that all the ingredients were on top of the bread before eating it. She enjoyed the flavors of the caprese, even the taste of the black pepper and extra virgin olive oil in her mouth.

(1:35 PM)

"The frisella caprese IS SO GOOD!! You're missing out A LOT 😉"

(1:47 PM)

"Where you at? My citrus salmon with broccoli is here 😊 "

RUKI (2:10 PM)

"Enjoy the food, Sakura. Sorry for replying so late and for not being there."