Will You Be Mine 2023 First Place Winner

Where the Sakura Blooms Forever by RipperGirl88

Warm snow. That's what it was. A warm snow.

It swirled around me in a gentle flurry, soft pinks and whites dancing in the breeze. Like a child, I cupped my hands to catch them, tumbling them back and forth in my palms. They caressed my skin like satin. But unlike the snow of my childhood, these would never melt. Only fade away.

"Just like snow."

The soft voice helped to snap me out of the trance I'd been in. I blushed and dropped my hands, letting the sakura petals scatter around me. My grandmother smiled at me gently.

"Why are you so shy, Sa-chan?" She asked. "You should love them. After all, they are you."

I rolled my eyes at this. "Come on, Baachan. Even you have to know how corny that sounds."

She chuckled and gave me a small nod, turning back toward the path we were walking on. She wasn't moving very fast, but I still hurried to catch up with her. The last thing I wanted was to get lost here.

Why was I even in Japan? Aside from my ancestry, I didn't really have any connection to it. I wasn't born here like Baachan, I didn't grow up here like Mom or Dad. In fact, I think I'd only ever visited here maybe once or twice. So, why was I here now?

For some reason, my eyes returned to the sakura trees. I watched as the branches swayed gently in the breeze, releasing another sprinkling of petals around me. Their rustling calmed my soul.

"We always return to the place where we were the happiest," Baachan sighed longingly.

I was startled. The way she spoke was almost like she was answering my question. "What do you mean, Baachan?"

I waited, but she didn't respond. I looked back at the path, half-worried she'd continued on without me. But she hadn't. She stood at a distance, hands folded in front of her, smiling softly. Waiting for me.

In all these years, she hadn't changed a bit. This is exactly what she looked like the last time I saw her. Her silver hair, twisted into a bun and secured with a beautifully decorated pin. The slight hunch in her back, time's parting gift from all the years spent keeping her household and holding her children. The deep lines around her eyes and mouth, carved from every smile she had ever given.

And her kindness. The gentle way she looked at me right now. A look of love and patience. A look that said, Take your time. We'll continue when you're ready. The same look she'd had since I was a child. A look that was so distinctly Baachan, that it would be forever etched into my memories.

"Baachan?" I called out to her again.

"We're here."

She turned her back to the sakura trees and raised her arm, gesturing toward something on the other side of the path.

I couldn't see what it was from where I was standing. Large, lush wisteria lined the opposite side of the path, blocking my view. But Baachan didn't move. She stood as still as stone. Her arm didn't even waver as she kept it extended towards the mysterious object. As I stepped forward, what she wanted to show me slowly came into view.

It was another path. Different from the one we were on now. This one was unpaved and weather-beaten. The wisteria surrounded it on either side, twisting together to form a sort of tunnel overhead. It stretched on forever. I couldn't even see the end of it. If it ended at all.

I looked back at Baachan. She had her hands folded in front of her again, the same gentle smile on her face. She nodded slightly as if to tell me to follow it.

"Where does it go?" I asked.

"To the end, of course."

I frowned and turned towards her. "Baachan!"

She chuckled softly, further deepening the wrinkles on her face. She stepped towards me and reached out, stroking my hair in the same way that she did when I was a child. There was a nostalgic comfort in it. Her hands moved to my cheeks, cradling my head. A sad smile filled her face.

"The last time I saw you, you were so small. I could fit your whole head right here in my hands," she mused. "I can't believe what a woman you've become."

"Baachan..."

"But you're not a child anymore," she continued. "I can't guide you forever. Eventually, we all must walk our own path. And that is yours."

She lowered her hands and motioned again to the wisteria-covered path. What was at the end of it? I still didn't know. I could only hope that it held answers.

The moment I stepped through that arch, it was like stepping into another world. Tiny, purple blossoms reached down, kissing my cheeks as I walked past them. I had to brush them aside as I continued down the narrow path. Sunlight streamed through the top of the tunnel giving everything a hazy sort of feel. The sweet scent of the wisteria surrounded me, filling my lungs with their intoxicating perfume. It felt like walking through a dream.

However, it didn't take long for that dream to fade. Just as I had feared, the path seemed to continue on forever. I walked for what felt like hours. My only clock was the way the light around me shifted from bright, to dull, to amber.

The once-beautiful wisteria now started to scare me more than enchant me. Would this purple maze be the last thing I ever saw? Were these vines and blossoms destined to be my tomb?

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an anomaly. A large, orange and pink space among the sea of purple. My heart raced as I realized what it was.

An opening at the end of the tunnel.

I raced towards it with my spirit renewed. Finally, finally, I could escape this cage of vines and flowers. I didn't even care where it led anymore. As long as it was out.

I burst through the final curtain of wisteria and into the blinding light. I grunted and covered my eyes, waiting until the stinging in them started to fade before I dared to uncover them. I still had to squint as I did so, but after a moment, my eyes started to adjust to the light. That's when I finally noticed where the path had led to.

It was a large, open field. Towards the back, a small pond lay still and undisturbed. Another sakura tree leaned over it gently. However, this tree was much larger than the sakura I'd seen on the path before. It towered in the distance, breathtaking blossoms filling every last branch. I never even thought it was possible for a single tree to have so many flowers.

Petals drifted down little by little, slowly dotting the surface of the water. As the sun dipped lower, its setting light bathed everything in a soft, warm glow. It was the kind of indescribable beauty you only experience once in a lifetime. And it wasn't even the focal point of the field.

Instead, I found myself looking at a small, wooden shack standing in the middle of it. The shack was elevated slightly by a stone platform. The corners of the roof curved upwards toward the sky, small talismans dangling off the ends of them. Large statues in the shape of Japanese lanterns sat in the corners of the platform. The thick, green moss that covered them told me that they had been there for quite some time.

A tall, wooden post driven into the ground acted as a kind of sign. Although the wood was badly weathered, I could still faintly make out the characters carved into it.

That being said, I couldn't read a word of it. Much to my ancestors' disappointment, my Japanese wasn't exactly the strongest. I didn't know too many of the kanji and the hiragana I could make out weren't very helpful.

If I had to make a guess, then I'd probably say that this place was some kind of shrine. I vaguely remembered Baachan pointing out temples with roofs like this when I was a kid. Besides, why else build something like this in the middle of nowhere? Especially in a way that gave it so much authority.

The air cooled around me as the sun continued to set. Small wisps of fog started to form on the lake. They danced over the dark surface like spirits in the night. Something about it made me shiver. I turned back to the shrine, but the feeling didn't go away. If anything, it increased.

At the front of the wooden structure was one of those old, sliding paper doors. Maybe it was my Western upbringing, but I always thought they seemed a little impractical. Easy to rip, weak against the elements, and it didn't really seem to add much in terms of privacy.

Which is why I could easily see that a candle was now burning on the other side.

My heart stopped in my chest. Where had that candle come from? I could have sworn it wasn't there before. And even if it was, that still meant that somebody had to have lit it. Who was it? What were they doing here? And, most importantly, did I really want to stick around to meet them?

The fog was practically pouring off the pond now. It didn't take long for the grass to vanish completely beneath it. The world around me was quickly becoming shrouded in this thick, grey mist. And I didn't like it. At this rate, I wouldn't even be able to see my nose in front of my face, let alone actually make it out of this place. I turned back towards the wisteria tunnel, hoping to head back before I lost sight of it completely.

"Leaving so soon?" A voice called playfully from the mist.

I whipped around, but I didn't see anybody there. Then again, I couldn't really see anything anymore. Only fog.

"Why not come inside for a chat instead?" It asked.

"Inside?" I mumbled to myself, confused.

That was when I realized I could still see the candle from the shrine glowing faintly through the fog. Wait, had somebody been watching me this whole time? That was creepy.

That said, it didn't sound like whoever it was had any ill intentions. Besides, even if they did, what did I really have to lose at this point? I sighed and resigned myself to their invitation.

My steps were small and tentative as I made my way toward the faint light in the distance. Again, I found myself walking for what felt like an eternity. The only thing that told me I was making any progress was the way the light shined brighter and brighter with each step.

The fog had consumed everything by now. I couldn't see a thing. Which is why it shocked me when my foot suddenly bumped into something hard. I leaned down, hoping to get a better view of whatever was in my way. Relief flooded my body as I finally recognized what it was.

The stone platform. I was there.

I stepped onto it and stumbled my way across. As I did, the shrine slowly came into view. I was surprised to find the door in such good condition. It didn't seem at all affected by the moisture outside.

That made one of us, at least. I was practically soaked to the bone by now. I reached for the handle of the door without any hesitation. The instant I could fit through it, I rushed in, slamming it behind me. No way in hell was I giving that fog a chance to sneak in.

A small chuckle behind me nearly made me jump out of my skin. I whipped around to see a figure at the back of the room. Despite the candle beside them, they seemed completely shrouded by the shadows. I could only see the vague silhouette of them raising their hand to their mouth.

"Ah, sorry. Forgive me for laughing. You must be very cold. Please, have a seat," they insisted, gesturing toward the low table in front of them.

The fabric of their sleeve seemed to dance through the air. Whatever they were wearing, it certainly wasn't anything modern. Maybe a kimono or a robe? A robe would make sense. Maybe whoever this was was some kind of monk. That would certainly explain what they were doing at a shrine in the middle of nowhere.

Somehow, knowing that put me at ease. I didn't feel as nervous as I stepped forward. I did my best to be respectful as I sat across the table from them.

"Umm... Shi-tsu-rei-shi-masu," I said choppily, bowing slightly.

This made them roar with laughter. They were laughing so hard that it took them a few seconds before they could compose themself. Despite their best efforts.

They coughed and cleared their throat, trying to dispel the rest of the laughter. "Ah, I'm sorry. I keep behaving so rudely around you for some reason."

I waved the comment off immediately. "No, no. I get it. My Japanese is terrible."

"Oh, no, it's not that. Your pronunciation itself is fine," they reassured me. "It's just the way you speak is very... cute."

"Cute?"

"You speak like a child reading," they explained, a playful tone in their voice. "Slow and deliberate, trying so hard to pronounce every syllable correctly. It's cute in an innocent sort of way."

"Thanks..." I mumbled awkwardly, blushing. I paused a second, searching desperately for another line of conversation. "Umm... Your English is very good. I almost forgot I was in Japan for a moment. Have you studied long?"

Again, I heard a small snicker, but they quickly caught themself. "I suppose you could say that, yes."

As my eyes began to adjust to the darkness, I started to see the stranger more clearly. Their voice was so melodic, that it was hard for me to tell earlier, but looking at them now, it was clear that I was talking to a man.

Although his voice had been nothing but pleasant and light-hearted this whole time, he looked very serious for some reason. I think it might have been his face. It was slim and narrow, giving him a more mature sort of look. The way his dark eyes pierced right through me certainly didn't help either.

However, the thing that caught my attention the most was his hair. It was long and silken, flowing down his back like a black river and disappearing somewhere into the depths of his robe. It wasn't the length of his hair that surprised me though. Instead, I was more surprised by the fact that he had any.

Didn't monks usually shave their heads? Or maybe that was only certain religions. I couldn't claim to know much about any religion, honestly, let alone any of the traditional Japanese ones. I wasn't even sure what this shrine was for.

Which, luckily, gave me some more conversation fodder. "I was surprised to find a shrine all the way out here. Can you tell me what it's for?"

"You didn't see?" He asked, confused. Barely a second passed before he raised his hand to his mouth as if catching himself. "Ah. Right. I forgot. You don't speak much Japanese. You probably can't read it either, can you?"

I shook my head. "I'm okay with the hiragana, but the sign outside was mostly kanji."

He nodded his head slowly in understanding. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but paused suddenly. Instead, a playful smile filled his face.

"Can I offer you some tea? It will help you to chase off the rest of the cold."

"Umm, sure. That sounds nice," I said, returning his smile.

He nodded slightly and stood up from the table. As he did, I got a much better look at his robe. Again, I found myself surprised by his appearance.

The first thing that caught my attention was the actual shape of the robe itself. The top of the robe was fairly traditional. Loose and flowing, but well fitted to his shape. However, the bottom of it seemed to billow out around him. It looked like he had something puffing out the back of the robe, but I couldn't tell what it was in the faint lighting.

What surprised me the most though was the quality of the robe. The white top and black bottom had seemed simple enough on their own. However, the way the fabric shone as he stood up made it clear this robe was anything but simple. It had to be made of some kind of satin or silk, and as he walked past me I could just faintly make out some kind of patterned embroidery in the fabric as well.

This was no monk's robe. It was too elegant, too indulgent to ever be worn by someone who had sworn themselves to a life of modesty and simplicity. But if this guy wasn't a monk, then who was he exactly?

I cleared my throat and smiled gently. "So, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you to the shrine today?"

"What do you think? I live here, of course," he chuckled, moving some items onto a tea tray. "Or did you think it was common for people to make themselves so comfortable inside a shrine?"

Fair enough, but I decided to ignore the comment. "I'm not sure what I thought, honestly. I mean, it's not like you're a monk. So, why do you live at this shrine?"

"It's my shrine, of course. Why shouldn't I live here?"

His shrine? I looked him over again. He didn't seem to be that old. Maybe his twenties, thirties at most. The shrine had obviously been here much longer than that.

"Come on, there's no way you built this thing."

Another chuckle as he knelt down and set the tray on the table. "Of course not. That's ridiculous. And a little egotistical. Why would I build a shrine for myself? The humans built it, of course."

I was dumbfounded. The humans? The humans. What the hell did he mean by that?

I jumped slightly as something touched my leg under the table. I was about to go off on him before I realized that both his hands were currently occupied making tea. I glanced down to see what it was. Something long, black, puffy. A piece of his robe? But how did end up on my leg?

My question was answered as it suddenly lifted itself and shifted back into position with the rest of his robe. I screamed and fell back. He looked at me, surprised.

"Are you alright? What's wrong?"

I was about to answer him when something else caught my attention. An intricately carved wooden sign, hanging on the wall above his head. The hiragana stood out in dark, bold characters.

Ki-tsu-ne. Fox.

I glanced down again at the back of his robe. The way it puffed out behind him. Originally, I'd thought they were some kind of decoration, but now it was more than clear what I was looking at.

A cluster of black tails.

His eyes followed mine down to them. He raised his hand to his mouth again.

"Ah! I'm sorry. Did one of them touch you? Please, forgive me. They have a mind of their own sometimes."

I sat there dazed. Unsure of what to do. He grabbed a cup and set it gently on the table in front of me. Calm, cool, a gentle smile on his face, he poured tea for me. As if he were completely unaffected by what was happening.

"I am a 'kitsune.' Or, as your kind may call it, a 'fox spirit,'" he explained. "This shrine was built for me by humans centuries ago. I used to only visit here occasionally, but I began to live here about a decade or two ago.

Despite any legends you may have heard, I am neither dangerous nor a trickster. That said, I do fully admit to being dishonest and a bit manipulative of you not long ago. I was the one who created the fog that brought you here. I had no ill intentions in doing so. I only wished to speak with you and feared you might not do so otherwise. However, that is still no excuse for the underhandedness of my actions, and I truly do ask for your forgiveness."

He turned towards me and bowed deeply, pressing his head to the floor. I was too stunned to say anything. Although, whether that stunned silence was from his extensive monologue or the fact that a literal spirit was bowing to me was anyone's guess.

He glanced up and gave me another small smile. "Apologies for my long-winded introduction, but I thought it might save you the trouble of asking me the actual questions. Now, I do hope you won't mind me asking a couple of questions in return. For example, your name?"

That broke me out of my daze. I frowned and looked at the floor. "Sakura."

He tilted his head to the side, confused. "Why such a bitter response? It's a beautiful name."

I let out a dry laugh. "Beautiful? It's a curse. Tell me, what does 'Sakura' mean?"

"Cherry blossom," he answered. "A flower with a beauty beyond compare. Made all the more beautiful and tragic by how short its existence in this world is. It blooms in the spring for just a few weeks, then slowly fades away."

"Exactly," I hissed, tears welling up in my eyes. "A fragile flower with a short existence. Barely bloomed and already destined to die. Just like me..."

I had to stop as the tears finally spilled over. I sniffled, wiping them with the edges of my sleeves.

He didn't say a word. He didn't try to stop me or comfort me. He didn't offer me any empty phrases about having lived a good life or things not being so bad. He just watched me as I broke down, a deep sadness in his eyes.

"You already know, don't you?" I commented, wiping the rest of the tears from my cheeks. He nodded solemnly. "I'm dead already, aren't I?"

"No, not yet, but... soon," he explained gently.

Silence filled the air. A deep, solemn silence of misery and mourning. I let out a deep sigh, lowering my eyes to the floor again.

I wasn't surprised really. I'd been sick for as long as I could remember. Besides, I already knew what was going on the moment I saw Baachan. She'd been dead for years already. The moment I saw her, I knew it was time.

"So, what are you?" I asked finally. "Some kind of grim reaper? Here to carry my soul away to the afterlife?"

"No, I'm not. There are separate spirits for that," he explained.

"Then why are you here? Or, more specifically, why am I here? The only thing Japanese about me is my heritage. I can barely even speak Japanese. Hell, I'm dying in a hospital room in America right now. Why am I in Japan? Why did Baachan send me to this shrine? Why am I here?"

He stood up suddenly and extended his hand toward me. "Come with me."

I wasn't sure what he wanted, but I saw no ill intentions in his eyes. Only a small pleading look, almost begging me to follow.

I reached out and took his hand. He helped me to my feet and offered his arm to me. I thought about declining until I remembered the fog. I really didn't want to get lost in all that. I linked my arm with his and let him lead me outside.

Apparently, I shouldn't have worried so much about the fog. It was already gone by the time we got outside. In all the confusion I forgot that he'd already admitted to making it himself. I guess there wasn't really a reason to keep it around anymore.

The moon was high in the sky. It lit the way for us as he led me across the field and to the pond. He walked me around the edge of it in silence.

So, I waited. He brought me out here so he could say something. Whatever it was, I was sure he would tell me when the time was right.

In the meantime, I found myself captivated by the world around us. The stillness of the night, the gentle chirping of crickets in the distance, the way the moonlight covered everything around us in a soft glow. Including him.

Despite everything that had happened today, I still wouldn't say that I regretted meeting him.

He knew why I was here from the very beginning. He could have pitied me, he could have tried to comfort me, he could have reminded me that I was doomed to die from the moment I first arrived.

Instead, he teased me lightheartedly. He treated me courteously in his home. He did his best to make me feel comfortable around him. For a time, he made me forget why I was here. He made this field into a place that I wanted to be.

He stopped so suddenly that I almost tripped. He pointed to something just ahead of us.

The sakura tree.

"That," he said softly. "That was the moment I decided to live at this shrine."

I stared at him, confused, but he didn't look at me. Instead, he kept staring at the tree. A soft, nostalgic smile on his face.

"You know, after being alive for so many centuries, you come to realize that a typical human life is often short, boring, and insignificant," he murmured, more to himself than to me. "Yet, without even trying, they can somehow manage to capture your heart in an instant. And when they do, you realize exactly how devastating that short existence can become to you."

On the surface, I could understand what he was saying, but I had no clue what any of it was supposed to mean to me. "I... still don't understand why I'm here right now."

He chuckled softly. "For the same reason that I'm here. We always return to the place where we were the happiest."

Baachan's voice echoed in my head as he said that. But before I could ask him anything, he turned towards me, taking my hands in his.

"Stay with me."

"Huh?!"

I couldn't even pretend to hide my shock, but he didn't waver. He squeezed my hands gently. His eyes only increased in their intensity as he looked at me.

"Stay with me. Here. Forever."

All I could do was blink. Stay where? Here? Was I even allowed to do that? I mean, wasn't I supposed to be, you know, dying?

I didn't say a word, but he nodded as if he understood my confusion. He lowered his arms but kept hold of one of my hands, leading me around the pond again. He only released me once we were underneath the sakura tree.

"There is an afterworld waiting for you," he murmured, looking up at it again. "And, if you like, then you are still more than welcome to go there. I will even take you myself if you like. But... I want you to stay with me. I've always wanted you here with me.

Such a short time in my endless existence, yet these past couple of decades have felt like an eternity. Now, I finally have you. And I never want to let you go. I want you to stay by my side forever."

A sudden breeze blew through the field, releasing a flurry of petals from the branches. In the moonlight, they looked even more like snow than they ever had before. I was mesmerized by them. I didn't even think about it as I reached out to touch them.

However, what my hand met wasn't soft petals, but the warmth of his hand. I jumped a bit, startled by his sudden touch, but he didn't hesitate once. He pressed my fingers to his lips before staring at me longingly again, a gentle smile on his face. He took a step closer to me, grabbing my other hand.

"Please... stay with me," he almost begged. "Stay here and let me love you forever. Let me show you a world without all the pain you endured while you were living. Let me give you a home where you can always laugh and smile. Let me call your name until it no longer causes you misery. Stay with me, here, in the place where the sakura blooms forever."

And just like that, it all came flooding back to me. Flashes of memories long since forgotten. Twenty years ago. The last time I came to Japan. Walking on a pathway in the park with Baachan. Running through a wisteria shrub. Purple flowers that surrounded me like an endless tunnel. A pond underneath a sakura tree. A tree so full of flowers, I wondered if it would bloom forever. A tree that made me wonder if I could bloom forever too. A fox with fur the color of night and a tail like a folding fan. I stroked its soft fur and told it stories about my life. It stayed on my lap, listening, while the sky darkened and the petals fell around us. And for once in my life, I felt truly at peace in the world.

"We always return to the place where we were the happiest," I murmured to myself.

He gave a small nod of confirmation. I finally had it. The answer to my question. I finally knew why I was here.

I looked down at my hands, still cradled in his. A single petal landed on my fingers. I bit my lip, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Can... can I really bloom here forever?" The words barely managed to escape my lips.

"No," he said playfully, pulling me closer and wrapping his arms around me. "You'll bloom for much, much longer than that."

Without another word, he leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. And for the first time in a long time, I finally felt at peace.

Somewhere, in a hospital room in America, a sickly girl took her final breath. But I would stay here. In the place where the sakura bloomed forever.