The purplish blue sun was about to set and its light turned a shade darker, turning the sky of Hinotori metropolis the color of what Earthlings once called lavender. If not for the motion sensor lanterns lining the redbrick trail that zigzagged from the lavish chestnut oak gate of the Kinoya dojo all the way to the fenced-in backyard, Lee wouldn't be able to see a thing. It didn't usually get dark in Hinotori—or most megacities in the eastern hemisphere of Silver Pine for that matter—before five thirty in the evening, but this evening marked the beginning of autumn and daylight hours no longer lasted as long as it did last season. Despite the new season being officially called "autumn", however, the temperature stayed scorching hot and there were no falling leaves. One would be right to wonder why the Pineans bothered to even call it autumn.

It was only autumn in name, Lee thought sadly, because our ancestors stubbornly clung to what was common sense back in the northern hemisphere of Earth. We still use their 365 days calendar system even though it doesn't really lend itself well to the climates of Infernoan planets. Wait, what am I doing reciting history lessons to myself? I'm supposed to look for that tailless white cat or my wife would pout for the rest of the evening. Damn that escape artist of a cat!

"Miyuki! I bring sashimi!" Lee shouted. There was no sashimi in his hand, obviously. Even a wealthy man like the head of the Kinoya household knew it would be ridiculous to waste quality raw fish fillet on cats, but spoiled Miyuki typically responded well to any mention of sashimi.

"Meow?" Miyuki's voice could be heard from a distance. Before Lee had time to turn his head to the direction of the voice, what appeared to be an albino baby chipmunk dashed madly past him and a blurry white shadow followed a split second after. Blinking fast, then realizing that the "shadow" was Miyuki herself, Lee turned on his heel and chased after the mighty huntress.

He found Miyuki under an acacia tree, meowing relentlessly at the shivering albino chipmunk whose fluffy tail fluttered wildly. Sighing while fighting the urge to smile, he picked the cat up by the skin fold on her neck. Miyuki tried to wiggle her way out of Lee's hold to no avail.

"Bad cat!" Lee scolded. "Wait until your owner hears about you scaring the poor chipmunk."

"Grr!" Miyuki growled and unsheathed her claws, although that was a futile gesture since she was only clawing at the air. Not giving up, she dug her sharp fangs into Lee's arm.

"Hey, what was that for?" Lee winced as he reflexively let her go. Miyuki hissed and ran through the clover and chamomile-filled lawn, activating the automatic sprinklers. Sopping wet, the surprised cat stopped in the middle of the lawn and let Lee scooped up her trembling body.

----

"What in the name of everything holy happened to you, bro?" Aikawa couldn't contain his laughter as he opened the door to a drenched Lee and a grumpy cat. "You fell into the koi pond?"

"That would suck less." Lee grimaced. "Miyuki activated the sprinklers and now I look terrible."

"Really? Being outwitted by a cat is worse than smelling like a fish?" Aikawa laughed again. "Go change before you catch a cold. I'll see if Shiori knows where the hairdryer is."

"Hairdryer? Aikawa, you know this cat is deadly afraid of hairdryer!" Lee protested.

"Your problem, bro, not mine." Aikawa smirked playfully and then disappeared to find Shiori.

Mumbling some expletives under his breath and taking his soaked shirt off, Lee dragged himself and Miyuki to the master bedroom. Chiharu was sitting on her dresser, brushing her silky smooth hair and braiding it neatly. She chuckled quietly and said a quick greeting when she noticed Lee's reflection on the mirror but her chuckle turned into a groan when she saw Miyuki wrapped in Lee's torn shirt. The cat had mercilessly scratched the shirt and left it looking raggedy.

"Did you two get rained on? Was it raining outside? I haven't checked the weather, sorry. Is that why Miyuki seems cross with you? My poor, sweet cat, dripping wet like a mop. "

"It wasn't raining." Lee answered as he pulled a clean T-shirt over his head. "I found your cat wandering around the garden, frightening a chipmunk, and then the sprinklers got us."

Chiharu grinned. "Miyuki, you're lucky we love you to the end of the universe and back."

"That's not technically possible." Lee corrected his wife. "The universe is always expandi—"

"Sst, don't ruin it." Chiharu put a finger on her husband's lip. "Point is, I love that cat."

"I don't." Lee frowned. "I only let you keep her because I love you so much."

"Hey, lovebirds!" Aikawa peeked his head through the couple's slightly ajar bedroom door. "I found Shiori's hairdryer. Here, dry Miyuki before she catches a fever. Wait, can cats get fever?"

"They can." Chiharu stated coolly. "Thanks for the hairdryer, but shouldn't you grab a towel instead? Unless you want to see my cat shred your brother into an unidentifiable mess."

"You guys are cruel." Lee grumbled but nonetheless turned the hairdryer on. "Help me, oh, kami-sama, I'm gonna get mauled by a ball of fur. Is this how I'm gonna die, young and stupid?"

As soon as the hairdryer was on, Miyuki let out a shrill screeching meow and got to work pawing at Lee's thigh. Fortunately, Lee's khaki pants were made out of thick synthetic fabric and Miyuki's claws could not tear it as easily as she had done to the shirt just minutes ago.

"You're good to go, you pampered ball of fur." Lee released the cat from what she must had perceived as a torture. "Aikawa and Shiori will watch you, so don't think of escaping."

Miyuki strutted off, holding her head high in the air as if to say she didn't take Lee seriously.

"Oof. That cat's a handful." Lee remarked. "By the way, Chiharu, didn't you say you want to listen to Akira and Kenta manning the school's radio? We might have missed a big portion of it but I think they're still gonna be broadcasting for the next half an hour or so. Imagine it, our shy Kenta being on air! I wonder how Akira convinced him to go live."

"She probably bribed him with a pot of succulents or a bag of rare hybrid seeds." Chiharu said as she wheeled herself to her nightstand where the radio was. "Either that or baking supplies."

A commercial for an ice cream shop blared through the radio. Lee grimaced at the cheesy jingle and asked Chiharu to "stop that thing from blasting or it's gonna make our eardrums bleed."

Chiharu turned the volume down and soon the jingle came to an end, replaced by Akira's voice reading an announcement with Kenta adding short commentaries to add to what she broadcasted.

"Our school's very own botany club is hosting an excursion this Friday! That's right, everyone, instead of sitting in two-hours botany lectures indoor you guys can choose to go on a field trip!" Akira announced cheerfully in her most professional reporter's voice. "So, if you are a tenth grader or older, register with the head of Natural Sciences department, Ms. Amelia Smith, on Thursday before 4 PM at the latest. Our club president, Kenta, has more info to share."

"Admission into the field trip program is on a first come first served basis." Kenta said. "Beyond club members, right now we can only accept up to six students. Each student, however, is allowed to bring a maximum of three guests because we do want to make our botany club known to the public in hopes of securing more donation. Remember, our school is a private school, not state-sponsored, and club activities are made possible through the generosity of donors. To get your three guests approved, speak to Ms. Smith during your registration and she would see to it."

"I see. Where exactly is the botany club going?" Akira engaged him in in a conversation.

"We're going to Flaming Sand Oasis, a sanctuary for many desert animals and plants. It can be reached by riding an underground train for an hour to Mizunotori, the town just south of our city. Please bring your own lunch box and dress for hot climate, hot enough to make you drip with sweat like a sinner in church, and don't forget to pack something to drink. Stay hydrated!"

"And it's time for yet another advertisement." Akira said. "We'll be back after the break."

The advertisers droned on and on about a new haute couture boutique opening in the heart of Hinotori. Turning down the radio once more, Chiharu cocked her head and asked Lee for his opinion on the botany club's planned excursion, which she said she would like to attend if only she was healthier and the underground train was more accessible to wheelchair users.

"I wish you could go too." Lee squeezed his wife's hand. "As for my opinion, I'm so glad to know that, despite the hardship Kenta and Akira have to endure with the constant bullying, they seem to thrive in extracurricular activities. This should serve them well when they're assembling their portfolios for college application a few years down the road."

"You're going to expect them to go to Blue Orchid University and study xenobiology, don't you?" Chiharu studied Lee's expression. "Speaking of, isn't your sabbatical ending soon?"

"Yes, my sabbatical ends in three months but I can always ask the Dean of Xenobiology for an extension. All professors who have been teaching for at least seven years are afforded the right to take a sabbatical for a full year and so far I've only been using half of the allotted time." Lee reassured her. "Don't worry, Chiharu, your health is my priority. I can always go back to teaching when you're healthy enough not to need round-the-clock care, but I can never get back the time I'd lose if I don't prioritize being with you."

"This is why I'm still in love with you after all these years." Chiharu kissed Lee's forehead tenderly. "By the way, you haven't answered the first part of my question. The kids' future?"

"Ah, well, our nephew might be interested in studying xenobiology, but I'm gonna let him decide which university he thinks he's the most likely to be happy at. As for our daughter, I don't think she's as interested in my field of expertise. Maybe she's more inclined to study yours. She has always enjoyed hearing about your research into the mythologies of Crystal Lilacs tribe and other Black Elm tribes. Hey, do you miss your planet of birth, Chiharu?"

"It would be nice to see Akira grows up into a mythologist but I'll let her have the final say." Chiharu replied. "And yes, I do miss Black Elm. I miss the ocean waves and the ultra-cute dolphin-seahorses creatures, the Kulambas. However, Silver Pine is beautiful too."

"I figure. How about this? Get healthy again and then in a few years I will retire and I will bring you on a second honeymoon to Black Elm. You can visit the ocean as much as you want."

"What if I never beat my thalassemia?" Chiharu's pale face turned even paler. "Don't make promises you're not sure you can keep, Lee. Don't let my heart break for an improbable dream."

"Boku no hana." Lee took his wife's hand onto his own. "My flower. Please don't be disheartened. I need you to keep on fighting. I'm not giving up on you, so don't give up on yourself. Don't think about death, please. Just be happy with me. I'm not saying you can't be sad, but life is too short to magnify all the sad things and minimize all the happiness we have."

"You're right." Chiharu nodded weakly. "I want to keep on being happy with you."

"That's my flower." Lee smiled and kissed Chiharu's cheek. "Let's listen more to the kids."

The couple turned their attention back to the radio and Akira's voice filled the room. She was talking to Masuda-sensei, who seemed to be the de facto advisor for the radio club.

"Masuda-sensei, great timing. We got a song request in just now. A listener from Mizunotori requested a song just like we played in the school assembly. Do you have a recommendation?"

"Oh yeah, you bet I do!" Masuda-sensei answered enthusiastically. "Do you have your trombone with you?" he asked. Akira said yes. "Good, get ready to perform live and do sight reading."

"What's the song's name?" Kenta asked. "I can do a commentary on the title."

"Hope Rains Down Like Cherry Petals. Your grandfather Shigeru-san wrote that lullaby. Maybe you didn't know he did, but if I let you read the lyrics I'm sure you'd recognize it."

"Okay, give me the music sheet." Kenta said. "Dear listeners, we've got a beautiful poem here."

Kenta proceeded to read the first two stanzas of the poem aloud.

When my world seems bleak

And my heart could burst

And my mouth, it does not speak

And my feet feel weak

I sit by the cherry tree

Wishing for good signs

That one day I can be free

So I count to three

"It doesn't sound very hopeful so far." Akira remarked. "Keep on reading, Kenta. See where it goes. I mean, the title mentions hope so the poem can't end on a bad note, can it?"

I ask: "Why am I so small?"

I cry to the sky

As the petals fall

I say "Sky, let me stand tall"

To this weird waterless rain

I tell my secrets

I let its touch wash my pain

Wash them down the drain

"Who knows what our grandfather was going through when he wrote this sad poem?" Akira wondered. "But in our culture cherry blossom is a symbol of renewal and the changing season, so maybe he was hoping for a new beginning? But then again it is also a symbol of transience, a reminder that life is fleeting. Kenta, could this be the very last poem he ever wrote?"

"I doubt it." Kenta said. "There's still one stanza left and it doesn't sound quite as sad."

Rainbow comes after the storm

My tears slowly dry

A new hope takes form

My life I shall now reform

"A riveting poem!" Masuda-sensei clapped. "Kenta and Akira, any further comment?"

"Dear listeners, I hope I won't bore you with my botanical info dump, but did you know that cherry blossoms have many health benefits too?" Kenta broke into a laughter. "You can extract the blossoms and add that to green tea as a flavoring. My family does that. We love to drink what we call sakura sencha. My mom, a florist, believes the cherry blossoms are high in antioxidants and can also be used as an ingredient for bath bombs to enhance your skin's natural barrier against bacteria and might also be used in body lotion to reduce damage from sun exposure. I don't know much about beauty products myself but I do know cherry blossoms do have soothing properties. All hail cherry blossoms. Ah, sorry for rambling. Back to our music program."

"Our nephew is so nerdy." Chiharu elbowed Lee. "Just like his uncle. You've taught him well."

"You calling me nerdy?" Lee pretended to be angry. "Just kidding. I know I am."

On the radio, the sound of Akira's trombone came to a gradual halt as Masuda-sensei did a solo on his piccolo and then the student and teacher duo did a duet while a faint sound of tapping in the background hinted at Kenta drumming his fingers on the microphone to the rhythm of the melody. Lee realized Kenta missed some beats, but in his opinion his nephew's impromptu finger drumming didn't distract from the main performance and only made it sound nicer.

"Thank you so much for tuning in! That's all for today. Until next week! Remember, we are on air every Wednesday at 4.35 PM on the dot, so clear your schedule!" Akira ended the live show.

"We certainly will keep on supporting the school radio, right, Chiharu?" Lee grinned widely.

"Yes, definitely." Chiharu grinned even wider than her husband did. "And I hope they will get to play even more of Shigeru-san's songs. They deserve to learn more about their grandfather."