Chapter 20 Mono No Aware – Part 1

• The moon was bright and high above the dark gray sky. It was quiet and peaceful, and Sebastian stood there gazing out of his bedroom window, deep in thought. In the distance across the garden, he could see the slight figure of a woman. It was Sakura, and she was walking along the dragon bridge that stretched across the pond. Her gait was slow, as if she were strolling through a park, enjoying and appreciating the scenery. Then once she got to the middle of the bridge, she stopped and turned her eyes to gaze up at the moon. A moment later, she leaned both her elbows on the railing of the bridge and gazed down at the pond instead. He could sense her smiling even though he couldn’t see her face from this far, and he imagined just how beautiful she’d be. His heart glowed with delight at the thought.
• He noted it was quite breezy outside, with petals of cherry blossoms floating around her, and Sebastian felt his blood warm. She looked so at peace, and he felt his heart radiate with love toward her. Then before he changed his mind, he turned on his heel and headed out the door. In an instant, he was outside and rushing down the pathway that’d lead him to the pond—to her.
• He stopped at the base of the bridge, his heart thumping hard—not from the rushing, but from the sight of her before him.