Megumi slowed his steps.
He walked down the last stretch of corridor, passed through the round archway, and entered a small courtyard made bright and warm by the sunlight.
This was where he lived.
The courtyard was small but neatly kept. A little tree stood in the yard. He did not know its name, but it grew vigorously, its branches and leaves swaying gently in the morning breeze and casting scattered shadows on the ground like a painting torn to pieces. Beneath it stood a small stone table and several stone stools. A teapot and a few cups sat on the table, fine droplets of water still clinging to the cups.
On the other side of the courtyard was a small flower bed planted with flowers whose names he did not know, in a jumble of red, pink, white, and purple. They bloomed exuberantly in the sunlight, like a group of little girls huddled together, chattering and whispering. A low woven bamboo fence bordered the flower bed, every strip polished smooth and rounded.
Tsumiki crouched beside the flower bed, holding a little trowel in one hand and gently parting the flowers' branches and leaves with the other as she loosened the soil. Her hair was tied with a pale blue ribbon into a low ponytail that hung behind her head. She wore a light-colored dress with little flowers embroidered around the neckline, its skirt spread across the ground where she crouched like a flower in bloom.
Hearing footsteps, she looked up.
Sunlight fell across her face, making her eyes narrow slightly. Her skin was a healthy pale shade with a hint of honey, and faint freckles dotted her cheeks. She had a small, delicate nose and full lips that curved slightly upward at the corners.
"You're back, Megumi."
Her voice