CH 20 A Friend Found Beneath The Petals: Ayaka, the Colorful Flower

Under the only cherry blossom tree in the citadel—a hidden grove where the wind carried a soft fragrance of petals—Isao sat quietly, hugging her knees. The pink blossoms fluttered above her, their gentle fall painting the air in color. She smiled faintly, a fragile kind of peace flickering in her eyes.

“Ah, I finally found you, Ayaka.”

Sayuri’s calm voice broke the silence as she approached with graceful steps, her samurai kimono brushing lightly against the grass.

“Oh… Nee-chan…” Isao murmured, her tone small, the smile on her face not quite reaching her eyes.

Sayuri smiled tenderly and sat beside her, their shoulders almost touching. “You know,” she began softly, gazing at the petals above, “back then—before you were even born—Mother used to sit under a cherry blossom tree just like this one. She always said she wished for her daughter to live happily.”

Isao’s smile faltered. “I… I wish I wasn’t born,” she whispered. “Everyone always compares me to Mom. Just because I look like her…”

Her voice trembled, her hands tightening on her elegant kimono.

“Father hates me. He doesn’t even try to hide it. The servants whisper behind my back—how I look exactly like her, how useless I’ll be because Mom didn’t have any combat ability.” Her eyes glistened as she tried to force a smile, but it came out broken. “That’s why I trained every day, Nee-chan… I wanted to prove them wrong. I practiced the Kaminari style until my hands bled. I even begged you to teach me when we were in the East.”

Sayuri listened in silence, her gaze soft but pained.

“But after you became the Katana Saint,” Isao continued, her voice almost cracking, “I didn’t have anyone to talk to anymore. Every day in that castle felt… suffocating. I ran away just to breathe, even if it was just for a while. The guards would chase me, the maids would scold me, and when they caught me, I’d just laugh… I laughed because, for a few moments before they found me, I was free.”

The wind blew gently, scattering petals between them.

Sayuri reached out and rested a hand on her sister’s head, brushing her hair softly. “Ayaka…” she said in a voice filled with quiet regret.

Isao didn’t cry, but her lips trembled as her shoulders shook slightly, tears threatening to fall but never quite coming.

Under the cherry blossoms, the sisters sat in silence—two hearts scarred by the same home, bound by blood, and finally beginning to understand each other.

“Ayaka…” Sayuri whispered softly again, her voice gentle as the wind that stirred the falling petals. She smiled, her eyes warm with affection. “Isao Ayaka Kaminari… That name is very precious, you know?”

Isao blinked, looking up at her sister through tear-streaked lashes.

“‘Isao’ means bravery, hero, achievement,” Sayuri continued, her tone light and nostalgic. “And ‘Ayaka’… it means colorful flower.” She chuckled faintly, brushing a petal off Isao’s hair. “Father was the one who gave you the name Isao. He said he wanted you to achieve heights that would make the clan proud.”

Sayuri paused, her smile softening. “But to me, your name means bravery. Because even when everything felt heavy, you never stopped smiling. You ran, you laughed, even when everyone tried to cage you. You’re brave, Ayaka. You always have been.”

Isao’s lip trembled. “Nee-chan…” she whispered.

Sayuri’s hand moved to wipe away her sister’s tears, her touch warm and steady. “And the name Ayaka… Mother chose that one,” she said, her voice becoming tender and wistful. “She said she wanted her daughter to be as bright and colorful as a field of flowers—to bloom even in harsh seasons. If she saw you now, Ayaka, she’d be so proud.”

Sayuri smiled wider, eyes glistening but full of pride. “Her Ayaka… still smiling, still free-spirited, still chasing after life with laughter.”

Isao sniffled, the tears finally falling as she smiled through them.

“Crying is good sometimes,” Sayuri said, wiping her sister’s cheeks again, her thumb lingering gently. “But don’t let sadness swallow you. You’re braver—and more colorful—than you know, Isao.”

The cherry blossoms fluttered around them, the petals carrying their quiet promise through the air. For the first time in a long while, Isao felt her heart lighten—like the first bloom of spring after a long, cold winter.

Suddenly, a familiar voice called out. "Ayaka!"

Sylveria stood there, chest heaving, hair slightly disheveled, and her pristine uniform wrinkled from running across the Citadel grounds. Sayuri blinked in mild surprise—she had never seen the usually composed princess so unrestrained, so human.

Isao stared in shock. “S-Sylvie!?” she blurted, eyes wide. The blue-haired princess looked nothing like her usual perfect self—no cold poise, no regal calm. Just a girl desperate and out of breath.

Sylveria took a shaky step forward, clutching her chest as she tried to catch her breath. “I-Isao! … haa… haa… I’M SORRY!!!” she shouted, her voice cracking. “I didn’t mean what I said back then! I honestly like your stories, your laughter, your ridiculous little flower talks—” she paused, tears welling in her eyes, “—even if they sound childish sometimes! I was just so… so painfully stubborn and logical to a fault! But you know what!? I don’t care anymore!”

Isao’s lips parted, her hands trembling slightly. “Sylvie…”

Sylveria continued, her voice trembling but fierce. “I don’t want to be the perfect, untouchable princess anymore! I don’t want to keep pretending I’m above others just because I was born into a castle! I want to laugh like you do! I want to be free like you! I want to make friends without worrying about being elegant or proper!”

Her voice broke as tears finally streamed down her cheeks. “I’m not in a castle anymore… I’m just me! So… please! Will you forgive me? Will you be my friend again?”

Isao covered her mouth, her tears spilling out uncontrollably. For a moment, she didn’t say anything—then she suddenly ran forward, nearly knocking Sylveria over as she threw her arms around her.

“You total sap!” Isao cried, sobbing into Sylveria’s shoulder. “Of course I forgive you! You think I hate you just because of one argument? Just because you got annoyed at me? I was just hurt because I thought you really didn’t like me!”

Sylveria hugged her back tightly, her body trembling. “I do like you, you talkative pink menace!” she said between tears, half laughing. “Even if your personality is blindingly cheerful and you never stop talking!”

Isao laughed through her tears. “Hehe~ And you’re still the same cold-faced blue blue I know!”

“Hey! Don’t call me that!” Sylveria snapped—but this time, she was smiling too, tears and laughter mixing freely.

Sayuri watched the two girls hugging under the cherry blossom tree, petals swirling around them like falling snow. She smiled softly and murmured, “It looks like you finally made a friend, Isao.”

For once, the cold princess and the cheerful flower were just two little girls—laughing, crying, and finding warmth in each other’s arms.