Chapter 92: Traces Left Behind
Were all these books read by Yu Xie?
At night, when everything was quiet, would Yu Xie sit at the desk and quietly open one of the books on the shelf to read?
Yu Xie was a serious person. Even when trimming the potted plants, he would do it with great care, striving to do it perfectly.
So when he read, he must have read every word carefully, right?
In the still of the night, when everyone else had gone to sleep, would he still sit here, reading?
What was Yu Xie thinking in his final days?
He must have been very sad, knowing he was about to leave, but not wanting anyone to worry, so he chose to keep it hidden, only revealing everything in his letter at the last moment.
Kitsune Saiguu deeply regretted why she hadn't said the things she had been holding inside until the very end. Why had she been so afraid?
Now, it was too late. Yu Xie would never come back, and those words would never be spoken. Were you sad about that?
But you had so many chances to tell Yu Xie those things! You always thought there would be time later, always thinking there would be a future.
What about now? There is no future.
After standing there in a daze for a long time, Kitsune Saiguu left the desk and went to the window. She opened it.
The sound of the rain from outside became clearer, and the chilly wind blew inside.
This rain, it looked so beautiful, just like that day.
But her heart couldn't find peace.
The soft, drifting rain hit Kitsune Saiguu's face, feeling almost like tears.
"Couldn't you… stay and watch the rain with me for a little longer?"
...
Makoto sat beneath the eaves of her small house, gazing out at the distant sea, its surface rippling in the wind.
It had been several months since Yu Xie's departure, but everything still felt as if it had happened yesterday.
Makoto remembered, the day before Yu Xie left, the last words he said were "See you tomorrow."
She never imagined that the next meeting would come in such a form…
You just sat there beneath the tree, so quietly as if you were asleep. Was that really what it meant to meet again?
No matter what I said, you didn't answer. When I called your name, you couldn't hear me anymore…
You once risked your life to save me, but I…
Makoto slowly turned her head to look beside her. The fifteen-year-old boy was sitting there just as he had when they first met, his face full of youthful vitality.
"See you in the next life."
Yu Xie's voice seemed to come with the wind, echoing in Makoto's mind.
She looked up at the giant cherry blossom tree on Mt. Yougou, slowly smiling, but her eyes glistened with tears.
...
In the indoor training hall.
Since that day, it seemed that Ei had changed in many ways.
She started locking herself in the training hall, practicing day and night.
She couldn't understand what this feeling inside her heart was.
That complicated feeling seemed to fill every cell of her body, making her restless.
Only by immersing herself completely in martial arts could Ei briefly forget the restlessness that plagued her.
But even so, Yu Xie's figure would still often appear in her mind.
Ei stopped her training and sat cross-legged.
She once again took out the letter that Yu Xie had written to her. The handwriting was a bit sloppy, and it took some time to make out the words.
Ei couldn't imagine how bad Yu Xie's condition must have been when he wrote this letter. Otherwise, his handwriting wouldn't have been like this.
But even so, he still wrote out his last words, one stroke at a time.
He hoped everyone would be okay and that they wouldn't be sad about his departure.
The letter was filled with thoughts of others, but what about you? Didn't you ever think about yourself?
You had said more than once that you were a selfish person. Is this how selfish you are?
She was still frustrated, but why was she crying?
...
Yae Miko transformed into her little fox form, lying on a branch of the huge cherry blossom tree, gazing into the distance.
Her pink body blended in with the cherry blossoms, making it hard to distinguish her from the flowers.
Even though it was autumn, there were no signs of the cherry blossoms wilting; they were still in full bloom.
The distant view was beautiful, with the horizon seeming to merge with the sky.
She suddenly craved some fried tofu.
But the person who could make the best fried tofu was no longer around. Once you've tasted the best, it's hard to go back—Yae Miko's taste had become quite refined.
"Yae Miko, let's be friends. I brought you some fried tofu again today, I made it myself. Think of it as an apology for poking your ear last time without your permission. But I swear, I didn't mean it—maybe it's just because you looked so cute when you transformed into a fox and fell asleep."
"Don't think I'm like the other young girls who would be flattered by such words. But… being friends is fine, I suppose."
Back then, when Yu Xie had called her cute, Yae Miko had clearly been happy, but she still pretended to be tough.
And ever since then, she had been stubborn for over a hundred years.
Why had she been like that? Wouldn't it have been better to be honest? Wouldn't it have been better to tell Yu Xie what was in her heart?
But now, it was all too late.
There's no such thing as a remedy for regret in this world.
...
Sasayuri sat in his family's garden. There was no one sitting across from him, but he still addressed the empty space in front of him.
"Let's drink to our heart's content today."
One cup after another, the alcohol slowly flowed. Time passed quietly.
"Don't drink too much, although your physical strength is strong, it's better to take it easy."
Suddenly, Sasayuri thought he heard Yu Xie's voice.
He quickly looked around. There was no one else in the garden, just him.
He looked at the wine glass in his hand, lost in thought for a long time, before placing the glass down.
"Seriously, you're gone, and yet you're still lecturing me…"
...
Li Yue, Huaguang Stone Forest.
Chiyo had taken a leave of absence, boarded a ship to Li Yue, and after arriving at the port, she traveled through the mountains to this scenic location.
The towering mountains rose up like stone pillars, many of these "stone pillars" making up the Huaguang Stone Forest.
She had promised Yu Xie that they would come here together.
Although she couldn't come with him, Chiyo still wanted to visit.
The view was incredibly beautiful, like something out of a fairy tale.
"This place really is beautiful, Yu…"
Chiyo stopped at the foot of a mountain and looked up at the misty mountaintop.
Her eyes suddenly became wet.
It always happened like this—at some point, the tears would just start flowing, not listening to her at all.
Chiyo raised her head, desperately trying to hold back the tears.
She thought to herself that Yu Xie surely wouldn't want to see her cry.
But it wasn't that easy to control, was it?
This time was no different, and the tears escaped her eyes.
How wonderful it would be if Yu Xie were here too, if they could enjoy this beautiful view together.
She was supposed to have already moved on from being the same "Chiyo" she once was. It was Yu Xie who had made her find herself again. But now, Yu Xie was gone, and she hadn't even had the chance to say goodbye...
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew through the mountains, scattering the clouds in the air.
A cherry blossom petal, carried by the wind, gently landed on Chiyo's cheek, as though it was trying to wipe away her tears.
Chiyo looked around in surprise.
It was already autumn, and besides, were there cherry blossom trees here?
End of arc 4
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