Sakura Urameshi: Chapter Black (Book 3)

29. I'll Show You (Part 3): Bloodshed

Haruki woke the next morning with aching muscles and a sense of excitement he hadn't felt in a long time.

The idea of surprising Sora with a new fairy garden might have started as a fleeting late night thought. But as he lay in bed pondering the idea, Haruki came to some key conclusions.

For one, Sora had been so fixated on finishing Kenji's birthday present that she'd all but brushed Haruki off when he floated the idea of a replacement fairy garden. This hadn't surprised him; it was typical Sora. The entire time they'd been friends, she was constantly making things for other people. To his knowledge, nobody had ever done the same for her, and she'd never asked to begin with.

The only person who knew about the first fairy garden was Kenji, and their other classmates were all very young. This would be a meaningful gift, one that only he could give her.

The thought of Sora's joy when she saw her new refuge clinched it for Haruki. He didn't just want to make something special for Sora. He needed to.

With his mind made up, Haruki quickly got to work.

The first task was to find the perfect spot, one where Sora wouldn't think to look. But where?

An area the Golden Trio hadn't explored seemed like a good idea. This might make the search longer, but that was a minor issue. He would know what he was looking for when he saw it.

Haruki managed to slip away during free time and headed back towards the south east forest. Sora would never follow him here; she was spending every possible second on Kenji's playground and had no time for anything else.

After a decent search, Haruki stumbled upon a small glade, sheltered lightly by twisted cedar trees,

Instantly, he knew this was the place for the fairy garden. It had a beautiful pond surrounded by moss-covered rocks, a large array of woodland plants, and best of all, a flock of wild birds had already made their home nearby.

Haruki started construction on the spot. He might not have Sora's flawless technique, but he was experienced enough to get started.

By the time his break was over, he'd made progress. It was nothing too elaborate; just a few basic elf houses and a small bridge. A simple and solid foundation to work with.

After surveying his efforts that first day, Haruki was confident of the plan. With lots of hard work and a pinch of luck, he was adamant that he would finish Sora's garden in time to surprise her after Kenji's birthday party.

And so, a whole new routine began for Haruki. He juggled morning academics, sneaking away to work on the fairy garden during break, and intense afternoon psychic sessions followed by training with Kenji at night.

It was a lot, and the schedule gave Haruki very little time to play with his other friends, but that was fine. Energised by the secret he was keeping, he ploughed ahead. Nothing could cause him to fall off the track now.

*~*~*

"I just wanted to make her smile again," Haruki muttered. "That's all. It still doesn't seem like too much to ask for,"

"Of course not, my boy," Sensui said from far away. "But you were denied that. You were kept in the shadows, a mere pawn in a larger game. And that's why we're going to judge this world. For the sake of divine justice."

Sakura closed her eyes. She didn't know what else to do at this point.

The flowers, the candles, the dress...it's exactly like it was with Sora. He wanted to make something special for me.