Is this okay?
I started feeling flustered, about to rush forward, when a soft voice called out, “Keiichi-kun, this is a cherry blossom tree.”
I turned toward the voice.
Saki had stopped and was gazing at a tree that stretched out over the river, devoid of any blossoms. Curious, I joined her, looking up at the sky. The young green leaves formed a vast canopy above our heads.
“Is this… a cherry blossom tree?” I asked as I walked a few steps closer to her, returning to her side. Without any flowers, it was difficult to determine.
“Yeah. It says Somei Yoshino here,” Saki pointed to a tag attached to the tree.
“Really?” I responded. “I wonder if it would be even more beautiful in spring?” I imagined the sound of cherry blossoms blooming in the sky, their pink petals gently falling like snowflakes around us. I had never really considered what it would be like if it were spring or autumn at that moment.
People hurried past us on either side, their footsteps blending into the night’s noise. It had become a habit of mine to unconsciously match the brisk pace of people, even back when I lived in Tokyo.
However, Saki didn’t get swept away by the current of people. She stopped and savored each view, cherishing the beauty of the scenery before her, etching it into her memory.
“But I also like cherry blossom leaves. They’re beautiful even without flowers, don’t you think?” Saki referred to them as hazakura.
So this is what they callhazakura…
“Maybe it’s because it’s nighttime. They look especially beautiful…” I murmured, my gaze fixed on the cherry blossom leaves. Her gentle smile in response caused my heart to tremble.
As a man, I knew I should take the lead. I should navigate this date confidently and stylishly. Yet, something nagged at my heart, as if embedded with a thorn, making it difficult to notice the subtle beauty of the town.
The noises of the night faded into darkness.
“Hazakura, you say?” I recalled wanting to continue the conversation and divert my attention from my pounding heart.
“Yeah. Didn’t you know?” she replied, surprised by my lack of knowledge.
“I’ve heard the term before, but I think this might be the first time I’ve actually seen it. Normally, I don’t pay attention to cherry trees without flowers.”
She nodded in agreement with my honest remark.
“That’s true. I only found out because I happened to see a sign.”
Her gentle smile and serene presence comforted me. The young cherry blossom trees, drenched by the rain, drooped toward us. The row of trees appeared to stretch endlessly along the road.
“I wonder how far it goes.”
“Let’s go and find out.”
“Yeah.”
I released the mental map from my mind. It felt reassuring to have her say that.
The row of hazakura trees continued along the riverbank. As she had mentioned, in spring, this road would transform into a beautiful avenue adorned with cherry blossoms.
“Perhaps it runs along the riverbank all the way.”
When we reached a major street named Sanjō-dori, we found the place we were looking for. The sign read Sanjō-Kiyamachi, marking the intersection of both streets.
This was it.
As soon as I let go of the fragmented map in my head, my grandmother’s voice resurfaced vividly. It was interesting how my mind could recall it so clearly once the stress had dissipated.
“Keiichi-kun, where are you heading?” asked Saki.
“We came all the way to Kyoto in summer, so how about trying kawayuka ?”
Kawayuka were terraces erected over Kamogawa River, built with wooden towers and scaffolding. During summer, the shops along the river collaborate to set up temporary platforms over it.
Saki expressed her concern as she walked beside me. “Isn’t kawayuka riverside dining expensive?” At the same time, we turned right at Sanjō-Kiyamachi, heading toward Sanjō Ōhashi Bridge. Being from Kyoto, she was likely familiar with the kawadoko tradition on Kamogawa River, kawayuka, and I had heard the food there could be pricey.
“It’s alright. I was told about a good place to go.”
I considered that the cost might be high for high school students, but today, my grandmother had told me about it. “There’s a coffee shop at the foot of Sanjō Ōhashi Bridge that has a kawayuka. You don’t have to pay for the seating, so why not give it a try?”
I wanted to go there. I wanted to enjoy Kyoto’s summer tradition with Saki.
“Is this…?”
Her eyes moved slowly up and down the brick building.
“It’s my first time here.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She entered the store with the words Starbucks Coffee on it, her childlike eyes lighting up. “Wow, what’s this? How is it made?” she mumbled to herself and followed me.
“Oh? Aren’t we going to order…?” I heard Saki’s voice from behind again as we passed the long line of customers in front of the register. It seemed a naturally vocalized thought. Even if it was another mumbled monologue, this time I turned my head. “I thought I’d get a seat first.”
“I see.”
We left the ground-floor shop and made our way to the terrace. A cool breeze flowed in from Kamogawa River.
“Wow…” she exclaimed with delight in a space where we could overlook the river and the cityscape of Kyoto.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
She looked up at me while speaking. As expected of a popular café, every seat was occupied. Each person spent their time differently on the riverside — some were embracing the unhurried passage of time; others relished the cool night breeze, immersing themselves in the sounds of the river and the rustling of the wind against their skin.
“It’s crowded, isn’t it?” Her voice lowered.
Perhaps we should move to another floor where there might be vacant seats? That thought crossed my mind as I scanned the area, but a seat in the farthest corner became available. It was the prime spot closest to Kamogawa River.
“It’s open now.”
“Lucky.”
We’d managed to secure the best seats in Kyoto for summer. Each with a cup of coffee in hand, we returned to our prime spot by the riverside. The cool breeze gently brushed our cheeks, and Saki exclaimed, “It feels so good.”
In front of us, we had a view of Kamogawa River, Sanjō Ōhashi Bridge, and the expansive mountains beyond. Along the river, couples sat at regular intervals, just as rumored. Though we couldn’t hear each other’s voices, we felt a sense of companionship, as if we weren’t alone.
The night transformed Kamogawa River into a beautiful sight, illuminated by the lights along its banks. In the dark sky, the blue moon appeared once again. The blue lights reflected on the water, shimmering brightly.
For some reason, I felt a tinge of something special.
“I didn’t know… when was it built?” she murmured quietly.
I chuckled and called out to the green-aproned staff member cleaning up nearby, “Excuse me, when was this place built?”
“The riverside platforms? We started about five years ago.”
“It’s wonderful.”
“Thank you very much.”
She smiled politely and bowed before returning to the kitchen. I thought she was a very courteous staff member.
“But still…”
When Saki turned toward me and said that, her expression momentarily froze in surprise before quickly transforming into a smile as she said, “Thank you.”
“So, this has been here a long time. I’ll brag about it to my friends at school tomorrow,” Saki said, scrunching up her nose.
“Are you meeting friends?”
“No, they invited me to hang out, but I’m not good with crowds, so I rarely go out in town.”
“What?” My expression froze for a moment, which Saki immediately noticed.
“But it seems I’ve convinced myself that I’m not good with crowds. Today, I don’t even think about that, and it’s so much fun.”
“I’m glad.” I let out a sigh of relief from the depths of my heart.
Orange lights dotted the raised platform along the riverbank, resembling fireflies. The orange streetlights around us blurred, making it difficult to distinguish where the land ended and the sky began as they extended toward the river.
“The view from here is truly beautiful. It feels like it will be a cherished memory.”
Standing on solid ground, I felt as though I was floating in a peculiar space. In this space, her profile illuminated by the orange light appeared even more captivating.
Time gradually passed as our conversation continued. There were so many things I wanted to know and ask her. She seemed to open up more with me, and before we knew it, time had flown by. It seemed the same for those around us — suddenly, I noticed the number of couples had multiplied.
I wonder if we look like one of those couples.
“Did our team win the game today?” she spoke softly.
“Was there a Sanga game today?”
When I heard the word game, my mind automatically went to soccer. She was an avid fan of Kyoto Sanga.