Bloom

I pressed a final crease into the flower before flopping against the shaded floral sofa. 

“Thank you for your sacrifice,” I breathed into the crane with a nod of my head. Setting down the fallen spirit gently, I let out a loud sigh, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. I opened my eyes again to stare at the thatched roof, paper figures tied and hung from the ceiling. I sat up slowly, taking in the space. 

The strings of cranes were abundant, with other lines holding folded flowers and lilies. 

The room was white. Empty. Silent. 

Soon. 

I sat up shaking my head and smoothing out my long hair while grabbing the textbook I had laid on the floor. Ignoring the math in the book, I focused on the comic I had placed between its pages, peering at my rough draft. 

Hmmm… her eyes were too big… 

Sticking out a tongue I erased her eyes, narrowing her brow and sharpening her pupils. I chortled after staring at the page then closed the book again and sliding onto the floor. 

Still so much work to do. 

I slowly stepped over the papers littering the floor, unsure of which were crumpled up storyboards and which were failed flowers. 

I tied my hair back into a messy bun, making my way in the kitchen to the microwave. 

I smelled the ramen with a content smile and grabbed some chopsticks before making my way back into the art room. 

The festival would begin soon, calling me away to my tree. 

I had to have the comic done by then. At least the rough draft. 

Winter just had to end so quickly didn’t it. 

I began to gather papers together, kicking crumpled pieces of work together into piles to clear a path to my desk. 

I was still afraid of the inking stage, what if I messed up? I would then have to resketch, retrace, and restart. Again. 

I groaned and instinctively began folding a paper crane. My nervous habit had definitely refined my skill when it came to folding paper. 

It wasn’t that I disliked springtime, or my tree. But having the winter to hide away my true form and to experience a simple human life; what more could a Kodama want? 

I would return to my tree soon, bringing the cherry blossoms people traveled so far to see. 

I stapled the comic pages together, wincing slightly at each paper’s crunch. 

The other Kodama had called me barbaric. To be using the remains of our ancestors for “silly garbage”, but how else was I to display my art unable to bloom? 

If I bloomed too late, I would come down with a nasty headache. And too early would leave me frozen and entombed. Like the pine trees I had heard of. But they weren’t the artistic type like me. 

And I had grown fond of drawing and origami anyway. 

Once I finished this piece and left the book for Raiden, my human companion, I would become famous for not only my petals but my words. 

My story. 

I shivered with delight as a sensation ran down my spine. I pulled my hair into my vision, noting the black bark color seeping into my pale hands and the blossom pink moving from the tips of my hair towards my head. 

I would bloom soon. 

I shrieked in excitement, to be reunited with my tree! After a long winter of hard work. 

Then I stopped short, now I would be torn from my work. Of course Raiden was not here for my final hours before spring overcame me. 

I sighed, feeling my feet slowly float off the ground. I was returning to my sprite form. 

It was time to return to the tree. 

“Sakura!” 

I turned at the sound of the voice, smiling softly as Raiden burst into the room. I opened my arms for an embrace and was met with a tight squeeze. 

“It’s almost time, isn’t it?” Raiden spoke softly, hushed and in awe as I continued to morph. 

I began to open my mouth but found myself unable to speak. My tree was calling for me. 

I nodded enthusiastically before grabbing Raiden’s hand. I wanted him to be the first to see me bloom. My hand passed through his after a moment and I looked at him desperately, beckoning that he follow me. 

He rushed past me and grabbed the manga outline before looking at me with a beaming smile. 

“Show me to your ki(木),” 

I smiled gratefully before zooming out the open window. The winter breeze chilled me and I shivered, looking down to see Raiden run out the door of his home. 

I squealed in my natural tongue as I recognized other Kodama flying past me on their way to their own trees. 

Guided by the breeze and the beating of my heart, I lead Raiden down streets and gardens towards my tree. Spring was nearly here and I was about to bloom. 

I zipped around happily as I spotted my tree and swirled around Raiden, urging him forward still. 

He clutched my comic proudly and nodded, placing a hand on my tree’s bark. 

With a swift movement, I left a shimmering mark of a human kiss performed by a Kodama upon his cheek before I leapt back into the tree. 

Raiden stepped back in awe, holding a hand to his cheek as I bloomed in a cherry pink delight. 

Looking down at his wide eyes made me chuckle, shaking the branches of my tree. 

He looked from me to the comic in his hands before grinning at me and running away. 

He would edit his part of the comic now, to prepare for the fall. 

I would remain in my tree til autumn came, when Raiden would return for me. 

He would show me the work he had done and we would laugh as we had done for the past several seasons. I sighed as people began to swarm around me, taking photos of my branches and posing against my trunk. 

Time would pass again, and I would return to Raiden and my other work. 

Until then, I would bloom.