Two years passed, and as winter settled upon the town once again, the landscape transformed into a pristine canvas of white, blanketing everything in snow. Amongst the winter chill and snow-covered graves, there was one lonely tombstone, almost forgotten, obscured by wild weeds and moss. But today, Sakamoto was determined to change that.
With a tender smile, he knelt in front of the grave, brushing away the snow and clearing the overgrown vegetation. He wanted it to look cared for as if it were frequently visited. Once he was satisfied with the tidying, he placed his offerings – incense sticks, chocolate-filled imagawayaki, and fresh flowers – before the tombstone.
Then, he set up a thick-covered album next to the offerings.
A moment of silence passed as Sakamoto closed his eyes, deep in prayer.
Finally, he spoke, his voice soft and sincere. "No matter how hard I try to bring you into my life, for years… still… I don't know you. I'm not pushing you out of my life or being selfish, but nii-san… I prefer my life to be just how it is."
Taking an envelope from his coat pocket, Sakamoto carefully placed it under the front cover of the album.
"I may not have the memories of you, but I know you are cherished by Ueda-san. And because of that, I believe I should leave the memory of you with him."
Getting and standing in front of the grave, Sakamoto put on a smiling face.
"I'm leaving the city tomorrow with Yuuji to attend college. After my studies, I'll return to help Dad with the family business. As for Yuuji, he's still figuring out his path, but I hope we'll remain the way we are."
As Sakamoto finished speaking, he maintained his smile, but his eyes betrayed a touch of sadness. He bowed slightly before the tombstone, bidding farewell to the memories that could never be and the family he had only known through photographs.
Walking away from the cemetery, Sakamoto left Kaoru's grave behind, knowing that his brother's memory would be kept alive by someone who held him close in their heart.
***
As the incense sticks slowly burned down to their ends, the solemnity of Kaoru's grave stood undisturbed. The stone, etched with delicate kanji characters, exuded an icy coldness that seemed to permeate the surrounding air. One couldn't help but feel a shiver run down their spine when touching its cold surface as if the very essence of winter had taken residence within the stone.
The incense, once fragrant and warm, now released a faint, haunting aroma, as if carrying the memories of a past that could never be revisited. The smoke gently curled and danced in the frigid air, lending an eerie atmosphere to the lonely grave.
The stillness of the surroundings seemed to amplify the sense of emptiness that filled the air. No birds were singing, no laughter echoing, only the solemn silence that embraced the resting place of a child that Kenji stood before.
His heart was heavy with memories and emotions as he gently touched the cold, carved stone, feeling the weight of the past.
The album that Sakamoto had left behind then caught his attention, and he picked it up, flipping through the pages. Each photograph captured the happy moments of a child with his loving family.
Yet, as he reached the last page, he found a white envelope slipped inside. Opening it, he expected to find a letter, but to his surprise, it contained a photograph of Sakamoto and Yuuji, standing side by side, smiling under a bare maple tree.
The sight of those boys, their joy evident in the photograph, brought a warm smile to Kenji's face.