I had only been in Japan for two months, but it already felt like a dreamy lifetime. It was February, the month of love, when I first set foot in this beautiful country. March soon arrived, and I was now living in a new apartment near an enormous cherry blossom tree. Its branches were filled with soft pink petals that glimmered in the dappled sunlight like tiny, sparkly stars. There was everything to love about the season of Spring here in Japan. The glorious view of Sakura trees and the food that matched the joyful season were enchanting.

After work, I changed into my comfortable clothes, drank my favorite melon soda, and took a warm shower before sleeping time. As usual, I opened the pastel-colored curtains to get one last glimpse of the cherry blossoms outside my window before going to sleep. I yawned and started to close my eyes, near my window. For the past few nights, strange yet surreal dreams of a handsome young man with dark hair and eyes, who smiled a cute yet charming smile and said nothing but "Koibumi" kept waking me up in a daze.

I opened my eyes, and I was surrounded by a sea of pink cherry blossoms. I had no idea how I got here, but it didn't matter; I sat under the tree in a state of awe, captivated by its beauty. The petals were in full bloom, and the sun created an ethereal light that made this sight even more gorgeous. Was I sleepwalking?

My attention was soon diverted away and went back to my dream as my mind began to dwell on the meaning of "Koibumi," trying to decipher what hidden message it could contain. After a few moments, I said my goodbyes to the cherry blossom tree and walked back to my apartment - lost in deep thought about the mysterious word. Once inside, I eagerly took out my phone and typed "Koibumi" into the search engine. To my surprise, "It means love letter," read the words displayed before me.

The realization made sleep creep upon me quickly, leading me deep into a dream about the same guy. He stood there with warm eyes beneath his tousled hair. His lips curved into that same charming smile as he buried what seemed to be a love letter beneath an array of leaves at his feet. I watched silently, feeling like I had seen this moment before. He then looked up at me with his twinkly dark eyes and saw me standing there - our eyes met in an instant and he whispered, "You came back. Do you still remember me?"

I woke up from the dream only to find myself surrounded by stars - the night sky blanketed with countless glittering lights above me. A sheet of cherry blossoms lay before me, light pink and delicate.

As I felt a presence behind me, I turned my head and spotted a pink umbrella. "How did this get here?" I wondered aloud.

As if on cue, rain began to pour down heavily from the gray skies above. I quickly opened the umbrella and held it above me, grateful for the shelter it provided.

But as suddenly as it had started, the rain stopped, and I found myself in a completely unfamiliar place. Everyone around me was dressed in kimonos, and the old apartment building I had been staying in was now a vibrant new color.

As I tried to make sense of my surroundings, I was nearly hit by a woman on a bicycle with golden braids. I instinctively screamed and covered myself, only to realize that the bike had passed right through me. "What on earth is going on?" I muttered to myself.

Determined to find some answers, I chased after the woman on the bicycle, shouting, "Hey! Watch where you're going!"

But she didn't seem to hear me, even though I was yelling at the top of my lungs. When she reached a man running towards her, she called out his name - "Haruto!" - and I couldn't help but feel a jolt of recognition at the sound of it. It was so similar to my dad's name.

Confused and disoriented, I stood there watching as the two spoke. "Pixie," the man had called her. Her name was the same as my mom's. Who were these people, and how had I ended up in this strange place and time? Were they my parents?

As I stood there, watching my teenage parents gaze up at the fireworks display, a sense of disbelief washed over me. Could it really be true? Had I actually traveled through time?

My confusion only grew as I watched the other people around me pass right through me, confirming that I was indeed a ghost from another time.

But as I followed my young parents, I couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and amazement. Here they were, two teenagers in love, completely unaware of the incredible journey their future held.

My dad's smooth words as he asked my mom to be his girlfriend made me smile. "He's got the moves," I thought to myself.

As they leaned in for a kiss, I closed my eyes, not wanting to intrude on their moment. When I opened them again, I was surprised to see that the pink umbrella that had brought me here had disappeared.

But just as I began to panic, it reappeared right in front of me. Without hesitation, I grabbed it just as the rain started to fall, and suddenly I was transported again - this time to my dad's twenties, as he sat at a desk writing a love letter.

As I read through the letter my dad had written, tears streamed down my face. It was so different from the story my mom had told me when I was younger - the truth was much more painful.

My mom left Japan at that time, she told me when I was little, that she went back to her home country to visit the grave of my grandmother. My dad stayed and when my mom came back, he already left.

But we both never knew he wrote a love letter to me and my mom and there was a reason why he was gone.

I hugged my dad tightly, cherishing every moment. He was clearly unwell, coughing as he wrote, but his love for us was stronger than ever.

After he finished the letter, he went to a nearby sakura tree and buried it under the leaves. It was a bittersweet moment knowing I would never see him again.

He made the decision to leave the apartment, bidding farewell for good. Despite my hopes to alter the past, I trailed after him to no avail.

As the rain began to intensify, I saw the pink umbrella reappear, yet I chose to let the rain soak me instead. But it was a pointless endeavor, for this was rain from the past and I knew I needed to return.

Though the winds grew stronger, I felt nothing. As I watched my father leave, my heart ached to see him so alone.

That was when I made the decision to take the umbrella. I reached out and grasped it tightly, holding it over me to shield myself from the rain of the past.

Suddenly, I found myself back beneath the cherry blossom tree. I began digging with my bare hands until I discovered an old, yellowed envelope with elegant calligraphy and the name "Haruto" written as the sender. When I opened it, there lay a piece of paper addressed to Pixie, in red ink, decorated with beautiful cherry blossom designs that matched the season of Spring very well and adorned with writing that read "watashi no ai" (my love). Tears again welled up in my eyes as I read the contents of the letter:

"Dear Pixie,

As I stood staring out the window of our small apartment, my heart sank when I spotted you from afar. The glint of the sun reflecting off your golden braids and dazzling floral blue dress was almost too much to bear, yet I was mesmerized by how you gracefully rode your bike below the cascading cherry blossom petals that swayed in the cold yet refreshing spring breeze.

My stomach churned as I hesitantly stepped outside to finally introduce myself to the girl of my dreams. I was so afraid that our conversation would be filled with awkward pauses and uncomfortable silences, but instead, our laughter quickly filled the air until it felt like time had stopped. When we shared our first melon soda together, I knew deep down inside this was fate – that if I hadn't taken a chance on meeting you, then we would have never been meant to be.

We could never have imagined what came next: the countless bike rides around town, afternoons spent exploring manga bookstores, days filled with nothing but joy and laughter.

We became closer than ever. Until I decided to confess to you just like in your favorite shoujo manga and anime. I wasn't as cool as your favorite heroes or as handsome as they were. But what made everything in my confession truly special was my honesty and soul poured out to every single word I told you that night.

On that night, you held my hand and told me you love me too. I hope you still remember. I will always keep your memory close to my heart.

We watched the fireworks together, and we kissed for the first time.

We still get to enjoy bike rides around town or even just at the park, and we even watched romance movies in the cinema and had dates at the nearby convenience stores. What matters to us those days was our precious moments together that would never falter.

Then, after three years, I proposed to you in the same place I confessed to you for the first time.

We got married in a simple church wedding, and I knew our love would last forever. Our love story was one of a kind, for us, maybe even better than our favorite romance stories.

Then a moment changed us and took our breaths away - when our daughter, Hina, entered into our lives.

Now, as I'm about to leave for good and must say goodbye, I write this letter of love for you both from beyond the stars. I can only hope Hina finds my letter and uses it to guide her path back to this same apartment where we once lived. She may never see the cherry blossoms that watched over us as we fell in love—but if dreams are meant to come true, then maybe mine will too.

I won't be here to share the warmth of my embrace with you, or the comfort of our entwined hands meandering through the manga shop, or feel the fleeting freedom of a carefree bike ride. I will never experience the joy of gazing into Hina's bright eyes for the first time or seeing her smile sparkle with brilliance - all these precious moments snatched away from me by an icy hand of death. But I pray that this love letter, carrying my last breath of devotion and sorrow, reaches its destination to you.

To my beloved Hina, I cannot fathom the magnitude of your pain but may that same cherry blossoms we once treasured bring you peace in your grief. Take care of your mother and tell her how much she is cherished even though I have left without a farewell. My heart crumbles at the thought of not being able to provide guidance and support as a father figure to both of you. Hold this letter close and may it keep us connected until that day when our arms meet again.

Hina, my angelic one, this is your dedicated otōsan speaking. Even though I cannot be with you now, know that I am always there with you, watching over you lovingly. Please forgive me for departing without saying goodbye. Most importantly, convey to your mother how much I adored her and how regretful I am for not having the fortune to stay with her until I take my final breath. I want you to know that I love you both so, so much.

Love always,

Haruto