Chapter 8

EPILOGUE “I’ve got something I want to give you, so go to the Mermaid’s Garden today.” Sakuya had said that to her in the morning, so after classes were over, Asana waited in the Mermaid’s Garden alone for his arrival. Asana still lived at the Tsuno house. She wondered why he couldn’t give her whatever it was at home, but she had been intending to go to the Mermaid’s Garden anyway, so she had agreed without argument. There were still a few signs of the storm left in the Garden. Asana had been repairing the damage every day, but the water in the pond was still somewhat murky, and there were spots here and there in the grassy areas where the dirt showed through. The camellia trees were also stained light brown at the bottom of their trunks with dried mud. But that, too, would likely be washed away by rain when the imminent rainy season arrived. For the first time in a while, Asana sat on the stone wall surrounding the shrine in the center of the pond, after spreading out her handkerchief so that her hakama didn’t get dirty. She gazed absentmindedly at the glittering surface of the water. There were so many things Asana needed to make up her mind about. She expected that, at some point, she would have to return to the Amamizu house. However, when she returned, she would not be kept like an animal, the way she had been before. She would go back to live there as a proper member of the Amamizu family. If she did that, Sakuya had said he would stay close to her all her life. Whatever his reasons, if Sakuya was willing to support Asana, she would likewise spend her whole life repaying the favor to him. She would do whatever she could to see that he was happy. She was simply grateful to him for being with her. Before long, Sakuya appeared in the Garden. In both arms, he was carrying a stack of several flowerpots and a shovel. “Sorry, I kept you waiting.” “Professor, what on earth were you doing?” Asana, still barefoot, hurried out of the pond and approached Sakuya. Sakuya set the empty flowerpots he was holding down on the ground, then took a small cloth bag out of the one that was on top. He showed Asana what was inside. The bag was filled with lots of small black beads that looked like beans. “Seeds?” Asana tilted her head questioningly, and Sakuya nodded at her. “Yep. These are morning glory seeds.” “Morning glories…” “I thought we could plant these seeds in the pots and try to grow them here.” They could plant the morning glories in the Mermaid’s Garden. A new flower, something other than the camellias, one that would not continue blooming for all eternity but had a beginning and end. It was a welcome thought. Just imagining it felt exhilarating. “That’s marvelous. I want to try growing them.” “I’m glad.” “But why morning glories?” Morning glories were indeed summer flowers, so it was perfect timing to plant the seeds, but…she wondered if there was some other reason. Sakuya answered Asana’s question with a smile. “Yeah…earlier, you said you don’t have a favorite flower, right?” “That’s right.” Asana nodded without really understanding why he was talking about that, and Sakuya asked her, “Do you know the other name for morning glories?” “No…what is it?” “Asana blooms. In other words, they’re your flower.” She had never considered having a flower of her own. The camellia flower represented the Yaobikuni, as well as the Amamizu family. To Asana, it only seemed like a curse. However— “My…” “Because if you only look at camellia flowers for all eternity, you’ll get depressed, right? So I thought, why don’t I introduce you to the flowers that share your name? I have the seeds and also this.” Sakuya dug through his pocket and pulled out something that looked like a bit of fabric. A cute ribbon. When Asana took a closer look, she saw that it was embroidered with a pattern of morning glories. “Here.” Asana silently accepted it. She couldn’t lift her head. She couldn’t get any words out. She thought of those lace gloves, which for so long had been the only things Asana really owned. Sakuya was once again giving her something to treasure. He saw Asana, truly saw her, and he kept her in his thoughts. That alone was incredibly important to her and made her very happy. She was sure Sakuya didn’t know that. He always let her be herself, not the girl with mermaid’s blood, but just Asana Amamizu. “Thank you very much. Professor…” “Oh no, is it really ugly enough to make you cry?” Asana could tell that Sakuya was bewildered by the way she expressed her gratitude with a choked, trembling voice. Asana shook her head desperately side to side. “No…no! I’m just so…happy.” “I’m glad to hear that,” Sakuya said awkwardly. “As long as you can smile from the heart, then I’m satisfied, okay?” A refreshing, gentle breeze blew through the Mermaid’s Garden. It was rare for the season. The camellia leaves made a rustling sound as they swayed in the wind. Asana looked at the ribbon he had given her and at the seeds in their pouch. She hoped that peace would come to her by the time these seeds budded, grew, and bloomed into flowers like the ones in the embroidery on the ribbon. She had lost a lot, but if she could build something new… The two of them stared at each other. And then they smiled a little.