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Due to how quickly the flowers stop blooming, as well as various legends and myths (and classic literature) regarding them, sakura are connected to the concept of death in Japanese folklore.

translated by Bonnie Huie from Kajii Motojirous Under the Cherry Blossoms

My parents thought that since I went last year, I was obviously going to the flower viewing party again.

Ask me first! Say something at least!

I bet they kept it on the down-low on purpose!

I didnt wanna go.

But neither did I have the courage to try getting food poisoning again.

Never again, Reika.

I seriously thought I would die.

I swear I saw a bright light at the end of a tunnel

Okaasama was determined to pair me up this year so she enthusiastically dressed me in a furisode.

Cherry blossoms at night, and a furisode.

Scary

Please, no.

Maybe if it rained then all the sakura would be washed away, along with the party.

The skies were clear.

Oniisama was busy with work, so hed be arriving later.

He was busy quite a lot, recently.

He still hadnt taken me out to eat like he promised for White Day either.

My! Reika-san! Thank you so much for coming! greeted Mrs. Kaburagi, with literally open arms.

As usual, she was eye-catching and beautiful.

And Chairman Kaburagi still had that mature adult charm!

His legs were so much longer than Otousamas!

And he wasnt overweight, either!

Haah, so cool

Anyway, after Madam Kaburagi gave me some truly ridiculous praise for my furisode, the topic changed to her son.

I hear that that boy actually became the President of the Pivoine. Will that surly kid really be able to manage?

Masaya-sama is very popular, so I do not believe there is anything to worry about.

You think? He isnt causing you any problems, Reika-san?

Heavens, no. Masaya-sama is competent and always has it together. And his grades are always at the top, and

Since we werent all that close I was struggling to find things to praise him for.

Hmmm

Good points, good points What are his good points?

Too bad. Nothing comes to mind.

Dont hesitate to let me know if that stupid boy of mine causes you any trouble. Ill really let him have it.

My Ohohoho

He was causing me trouble right now, actually.

Anyway, please look after Masaya, okay?

I am in his care

I really didnt want to look after him though.

Uu, even my smile had gone stiff.

The Kaburagi pair gave me brilliant smiles before leaving to greet other guests.

After that, Otousama brought me around the venue to greet people.

It was exhausting keeping this act up

After we were done greeting my parents closer acquaintances, I was finally given my freedom.

Recently a lot of people had been recommending their sons to me, so I was having a rough time dodging all the bullets.

Thanks to that I had no appetite, despite the feast before me.

I picked up some sakura jelly and helped myself to a few bites while I took a breather.

Oh. This was pretty good.

Good evening, Kisshouin-san.

Gokigenyoh, Enjou-sama.

Someone thoroughly unpleasant had come my way.

So youre wearing a furisode this time, in deep scarlet, I think you call this? It suits you. You look lovely tonight.

Thank you very much

Haah, his smile was suspicious

I wonder if he was holding a grudge after that White Day rumour.

I just wanted to make a break for it

Arent you going to look at the flowers?

I admired them up-close not too long ago. At any rate, I think that the night-time sakura should be enjoyed from a little further away.

I could hear the guests praising the weeping sakura again. It had bloomed as gorgeously as last year.

And the yoshino cherries had bloomed just as well.

It almost looked like another world, which to be honest was a little scary.

I think I know what you mean. Dont the sakura seem a bit scary at night? Its almost like they bloomed by using human lifeblood as fertiliser. Say, isnt there a tale about burying-

A corpse under the roots of a sakura tree!

Exactly! Exactly!

Sakura are scary at night, right!?

I mean I like sakura, and theyre beautiful at night, but its because theyre so beautiful that it creeps me out!

Why?

Why did anybody think it would be a good idea to have a night-time banquet under the sakura?

You know, when I read Kajii Motojirous poem, I thought, I know exactly what he means. Theres just this indescribable discomfort when you see them in the night like this, isnt there?

Yeah! Yeah!

I know what you mean!

But they hardly seem so frightening in the daytime, do they?

Its because of the way the flowers seem to float in the darkness. It feels like youll get pulled in too.

That makes sense.

The weeping sakura here isnt too bad, since its just barely 50 years old. But as for those sakura that have lived for hundreds of years I can only imagine how much human blood theyve drunk.

You are scaring me, so please stop!

Youre going to make me imagine it.

How mysterious. Even though they are all flowers, neither the plum nor the peach blossoms feel at all scary at night, do they?

Shhh. If Masayas mum hears you say that shes going to plan something big, and all because Reika-san likes peach and plum blossoms okay?

Oh dear.

I quickly clamped my mouth shut.

Madam Kaburagi loved her events, so I could actually see her doing it.

Enjou smiled at me in amusement.

But as scared as you seem to be of the sakura at night, youre fond of sweets made from them, no? For example, sakuramochi.

Why and how did he know this?

Flower-themed sweets from the West tasted a bit strange, and I wasnt sure what I thought of them. Rose jam for example.

But I was really quite fond of the Japanese equivalents.

Sakuramochi for example, or umegaemochi.

Huh. It was all mochi.

Yes. I enjoy eating them because of how festive they are. It really drives home that spring is here. I think this is the same for all the desserts of each season.

I made very sure to emphasise that I wasnt some glutton character.

Didnt mean I wasnt gulping down green tea at home as I nommed on sakuramochi though!

I see. Wow, youre so refined, Kisshouin-san.

Thats right. I am refined. Im not a glutton at all.

Damned Enjou.

I could see the laughter in his eyes.

He didnt believe me in the slightest, did he?

As expected of you, Kisshouin-san. No wonder you seem to be enjoying that sakura jelly so much.

See? There he goes.

I had to get back at him somehow.

Speaking of which, Masaya was looking for you.

Is that so?

So Kaburagi was serious about talking about his love troubles in the middle of this huge crowd?

Speaking of which, are you not together with Kaburagi-sama this evening? How novel.

Why does it feel like you think of us as a set?

Well, you two are famous for being awfully intimate

Come on, you wouldnt call that intimate, right? Kisshouin-san, did you just choose that wording just to mess with me?

Ah, did I go too far with my teasing?

This snake could show his true colours.

Oh dear.

Was he going to do it?

Was he going to attack!?

While I was looking at him guardedly, somebody else appeared.

Here you are, Shuu.

Coming in from my five was a white hand that softly took Enjous arm.

It was Yuiko-san.

So she was here too

Yuiko.

I was worried when you suddenly disappeared like that, you know? she looked up at him, leaning into his shoulder.

Yuiko-san, beautiful and fragile, had drawn the attention of all the males around us.

You seemed to be having fun with those guys, so I thought it would be fine to step away.

My, is somebody jealous?

Who knows.

I looked around at all the men staring jealously at Yuiko-san and Enjou.

Apparently they had all been fussing over her until very recently.

Unfortunately they didnt stand a chance against Enjou.

The two of them were picture perfect, after all.

Enjou gently tapped the hand on his arm.

Yuiko, this is Kisshouin Reika-san. Shes in my grade at school.

Kisshouin Reika-san? she asked as she distractedly turned my way.

Big, dark eyes took me in.

I shivered a little.

You know about Yuiko, dont you? Shes a relative of mine. Uryuu Yuiko.

Gokigenyoh. My name is Kisshouin Reika, I smiled, as confidently as possible.

Uryuu Yuiko. Have we perhaps met before?

Why yes. At the Suiran School Festival.

Languid eyes gazed at me for a while, before Yuiko smiled softly.

Ah, I remember now. You were wearing a lovely china dress, no?

Yes.

Huhu, she laughed, seemingly pleased with hitting the mark.

That smile had entranced everyone around us.

Hey, Shuu? Im a bit thirsty.

Then shall we go get something for you to drink? Kisshouin-san, will

I think I shall admire the sakura from a little closer. Please excuse me, Enjou-sama, Yuiko-san.

Enjou frowned faintly.

Yuiko-san looked at me again with those jet-black eyes of hers, and smiled at me.

Good joke, Enjou. Who on earth would go anywhere with you two?

Scaryyy.

To escape as quickly as possible I busted out my ultimate skill, power-walking, but my furisode was making it impossible!

I messed up!

A penguin!

I looked like a penguin right now!

Ahh, and somehow I could feel Yuiko-sans eyes on me from behind

Happy thoughts, Reika, happy thoughts.

I swear I saw a bright light at the end of a tunnel

was actually

I saw higanbana(red spider lilies).

These are said to bloom in the Buddhist underworld.

Happy thoughts, Reika, happy thoughts.

What she actually said was tsurukametsurukame, a charm to ward off bad luck. Cranes and turtles are fortuitous symbols of longevity.

(tsurukametsurukame; crane, turtle, crane, turtle)

Fan art by . Relevant chapters are linked for your convenience.

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