CHERRY BLOSSOMS:They blooms only to remind us how beautiful it is to let go

The hall of the Takagi mansion was so quiet that Kyumi could hear the rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock echoing off the marble walls. She stood before a tall, gilded mirror, looking at the reflection of a girl she barely recognized. Her hair was perfectly styled, and her new uniform felt heavy with the crest of the Academy. ​She took a deep breath and spoke to the empty, opulent room, her voice small but eerily composed. ​"Hello. I didn't know my real name once," she began, her eyes tracing the embroidery on her sleeve. "But my name is Kyumi Misaki now. It was given to me by my step-parents, the ones who hired me to marry a rich boy just for their profit. They tell people Kyumi represents the beauty of nature. But I have a good memory—I know the hidden meaning. It means someone who is stretched to their very limit for the sake of money." ​She turned away from the mirror, looking toward the wide, winding staircase. ​"I’m eight years old. And I am already married. My husband is six years older than me—his name is Rei Takagi, the only heir to the Takagi Group. I don't know much about him yet, but his world is now my world. Today, I start at the ‘Elite for Elite’ school. It is a place where only the wealthiest families are allowed to send their children, and now, I am one of them." ​She glanced toward the closed door of the suite they shared. The room was beautiful, filled with toys and silks that felt like a bribe for her freedom. ​"I am forced to live here, in this mansion, sharing a room with a stranger because his parents willed it so. There are no secrets for us," she whispered, thinking of the cameras and the flashing lights. "The media has made sure the whole world knows about this marriage. I am a child, but I am also a contract." ​From the hallway, a heavy footstep sounded. Kyumi stiffened, her gaze shifting toward the door as she waited for the heir to appear, the silence of the house pressing in on her like a weight.