Page 10 of The Vanishing Cherry Blossom Bookshop
Soon, her mother was gently patting her back.
Her crying must have woken her brother, as he suddenly emerged from the living room, rubbing his eyes with both hands and crying as loudly as Mio.
Walking towards his mother, Yoshihiro, too, clung to her.
Their mother wrapped her arms around the two of them, bringing them closer together. Then, her expression stiffened.
‘You’re right. I have to march on, don’t I? I have you two to protect.’
Her mother’s voice sounded nothing like before. Clear and resolute, it was the voice Mio had always known.
‘We won’t be defeated,’ she said as she tightly embraced Mio and her brother.
Mio felt as though her mother’s feelings were flowing into her body. She was certain that she had connected with her at that moment.
‘I’ll keep fighting so that you two can live your lives with your heads held high.’
Mio echoed her mother’s words. As she did so, she remembered what the girl had told her: the words are there, even before you give them form. Perhaps this is what she meant, thought Mio.
All this time, I had been receiving so much love.
Just as this thought drifted into her mind, Mio felt as though a cat’s meow sounded from somewhere. As if this were a signal, the sensation of her mother’s embrace suddenly faded. Still, the warmth lingered, quietly settling on her back and shoulders.
‘So, what did you think? If we were to give your little adventure a title, I think it would be something like … A Fleeting Dream of Twilight . Not bad, huh? You could draw a manga with that title someday, Kisanuki-sensei. I would love to see that on my shelves.’
The girl in the burgundy pinafore dress and the calico cat had reappeared. Tilting her head mischievously, the girl wore the exact same smile she had when they first met.
I guess there’s nothing that this girl doesn’t know, Mio thought to herself. Or perhaps it was the cat who knew everything. But there was probably no point in thinking about that, as she would never know the answer.
‘Well, I believe it is time for you to return to the place you came from. It’s still chilly in the mornings and evenings.
Please look after yourself and take care not to catch a cold.
Oh, and of course, I will not be accepting a payment.
What I would like to ask you is to remember us and the shop.
That will be enough. The name of the shop is Sakura. ’
With those words, the girl bowed deeply. At the same time, the calico cat, who had been sitting in a loaf pose on the table, let out a single meow.
Suddenly waking up, Mio found herself sitting on the bench under the cherry trees.
Not the enigmatic weeping cherry tree with the unusual colours, but the ordinary somei-yoshino trees in full bloom.
It was that familiar spot on the embankment.
Her bag was sitting on her lap, with The Little Prince peeking out from it.
The plastic bag containing the empty coffee can and onigiri wrapper was beside her, exactly where she had left it.
Was I dreaming?
But she remembered it so vividly, it was hard to believe that it was not real.
Drawn by a strange cherry tree, she had come across a mysterious bookshop.
There, she turned around to the sound of a cat, and discovered the door to the entrance.
She had stepped into a shop filled with the aroma of coffee and quiet music.
A girl had told her the story of Saint-Exupéry.
Then, she had an unusual experience where she felt like she was reliving scenes from her and her mother’s past.
Her phone vibrated inside her bag. It was a message from Takahashi.
I hope that you are okay. If there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.
We all miss you, and we can’t wait to get started on the next chapter.
Also, the editorial team at the publisher got in touch again to offer their condolences.
Our previous editor, Tachibana, gave us a call about that issue, too.
She asked me to pass on the message that you have nothing to worry about.
‘Thank you,’ Mio muttered to herself. Then sent the same two words in reply.
That’s right. I need to hold my head high, she reminded herself.
Maybe it was all just a dream. But even so, it didn’t matter to Mio. If she closed her eyes, she could hear her mother’s voice in her ears, and feel the warmth of her touch on her back. That was more than enough.
Before she knew it, dusk was settling in. Behind the cherry trees, the evening sky adorned with the brightest stars spread across the horizon. Could her mother be living in one of those stars? If so, then she would be laughing. Mio dearly hoped that this was the case.
‘ I hope from the bottom of my heart that you will live your life with your head held high.’
It felt as though her mother was telling her once again, but this time, her voice had come from the stars.
She’s really gone, isn’t she?
Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes, but she didn’t wipe them away. She didn’t want to. For a while, Mio stood still, her shoulders quietly shaking under the cascading petals of pale pink. The tears had come, at last.