Fiction Academy: CAS' Never Ending Story 2022

|61| On A Summer Night of 15th August

On A Summer Night of 15th August
by Jesse Mae Abuyador

Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful princess in a wonderful and peaceful place called Kyoto, Japan.

Every year, on the 15th of August, people celebrated the Odori festival to welcome the spirits who had passed away. Princess Hinode, Sakura, was enormously happy to celebrate the Odori festival to visit her mother's spirit who had passed away. On that day, Princess Sakura felt her mother's presence, which made her cry heavily and run to hide in her favorite spot under the tree.

To her surprise, she saw a young man named Takashi painting under the tree. Curious, the princess asked, "Who are you, young man, and why are you here?"

"I am Takashi. I am here to visit my father and bring an offering to the temple. How about you?"

The conversation unfolded, and after that day, they became friends. Years passed, and they grew up, deciding to enter into marriage. Unfortunately, the King, Sakura's father, did not approve of their marriage and planned to arrange her marriage to a prince.

Princess Sakura angrily shouted at her father, "No! I don't want to marry someone I don't love! Please, Father, let me marry Prince Takashi."

"No! You will marry Prince Hiro, and that is my order! You are not allowed to go out and see that prince," said the King.

Devastated, the princess cried, locked herself in her room, and refused to eat. The prince attempted to enter the palace to see the princess, but the entire palace was heavily guarded. The princess tried to escape with Prince Takashi to a faraway town, but her father caught them, and she was locked up again.

Months passed, and the princess was devastated, contemplating suicide. Seeing the pain of his daughter, the king agreed to test the prince's love and loyalty. The king asked, "Do you love my daughter?"

"Yes, my king," the prince replied.

"Do you promise to do everything for my daughter?"

"Yes, my king, I will do everything."

"Okay, if you pass the two tests, I will approve your marriage. Now, bring me the Netsuke Ojime White Diamond. You have two days. If you do not have it, I will send Sakura to another place, and you will never see her again."

The prince, fearing for Sakura's life, searched and found the rare item within two days. The king was shocked and amazed, so he set the next test. "Now, I want you to wait for 10 years."

The young man and the princess were clueless, and the princess exclaimed, "Father, that is too long!"

The king replied, "Stand on your own feet." The young man firmly said, "My princess, wait for me, and we will be together."

In the years of waiting, the young man faced challenges, losing his job as a fisherman. However, his love for the princess motivated him to start his own business, selling his paintings, which gained recognition in different countries.

After ten years, as promised, the young man returned to the palace. The king said, "You came back as agreed, but it does not mean you have passed the test."

The princess argued, "But, father, he waited for five years!"

The king explained, "Yes, he waited, but this is the final test. What did you do for the past ten years besides waiting?"

The young man replied, "My king, I found a job as a fisherman, and though I felt like giving up, my love for your daughter is stronger than anything. Now, I build and sell my paintings, discovered in different countries. I understand your test, my king, and I promise to take care and provide everything my family needs."

The king, amazed by his courage, gave his blessing to both of them. The young man and the princess lived happily together, and Princess Sakura gave birth to her son, named Yamamoto Hinode Akio.

A crane, disguised as an old miner, who witnessed the hardship and love of the young man, visited. The old miner blessed and guided the young man's son.

The End