Chapter 7 As the Sakura Bloomed (1/2)

The remainder of Hinata's day, following his conversation with Mei-chan, was fortunately uneventful. Although, Akira kept his distance as they worked their businesses. It was just as well there weren't many customers to walk in on their silent stand-off.

Hinata closed up the shop and parted ways with the man without saying goodbye. As much as he wanted to apologise for their morning spat, his experience of Akira's stubborn silence meant his apology wouldn't be accepted yet.

The setting sun brushed the evening sky with fierce red, orange and blue streaks over the familiar path and green countryside back to his home. Squawking from a playful school of thrush birds flying along the warm autumn winds caught his attention. He paused his walk and closed his eyes to breathe in the cosy scent of sweet flowers.

His mind wandered to a day when he saw similar birds fly about falling pure and white cherry blossom flowers on his first day at his middle school in Tokyo.

He had been running late due to his morning duties at his parent's shop and found himself dressing on the run with a slice of bread in his mouth for his breakfast. It would've been just his luck to find himself locked out of the school's gates and miss his Entrance Ceremony, thus scoring a black mark on his school record before he had even stepped foot in a classroom. His heart had thumped painfully against his heaving chest when he slid through the closing gates, making school in the nick of time.

”You almost scored a warning mark on your attendance record.” Chuckled a young teacher who was a pristine image in his fresh dark brown suit, spiff trimmed short hair and neat tie that was positioned precisely at the center of his shirt's spread area.

Hinata figured the teacher was a newlywed. He had certainly that soothing and happy-go-lucky vibe going on.

”Well thank you for slowly closing the gate, so I didn't.” Hinata had wryly thanked the teacher.

”Ohno-sensei, can you lead this almost late comer to where the others are?” said an older teacher with moulted leather patches to the elbow areas of his grey-tweed jacket opened to reveal his slightly crumpled grey shirt.

The young teacher politely accepted the order with a nod.

”Come on. Like, 'the butterfly is perfuming,' let's get you to your ceremony,” Ohno-sensei said with a welcoming smile.

Hinata followed Ohno-sensei across the unfamiliar classroom blocks and main courtyard to where all new students were lined up out front of the school hall.