The heat of the gymnasium still lingered on her skin. After jumping off the stage, Kinomoto Sakura pushed through the crowd without really knowing what was happening. The applause that had been almost deafening just moments ago gradually faded into the distance. (I just... shouted in front of the entire school...!) The moment she realized it, her face grew so hot it felt like it might make a popping sound. Even her ears were bright red. "[scared]H-Hoeee...!" Her head felt like it was going to short-circuit from embarrassment. Wanting to crawl into a hole didn't even begin to cover it. She wanted to vanish from this place right now. Before she knew it, Sakura had burst out of the gymnasium exit. The October night wind felt cold and pleasant against her flushed cheeks. Outside, it was already pitch dark, with only the scattered streetlights on the school grounds casting warm, orange light. From far away, the lively music of the post-festival celebration reached her ears, muffled and hazy, like hearing it underwater. Sakura leaned against the outer wall of the gymnasium and slowly slid down into a crouch. "[whispers]What do I do... what do I do..." She hugged her knees. She gripped the fabric of her skirt tightly. "[scared]I mean, I mean, I shouted so loudly, and everyone was watching... and my dad was watching, and my brother was watching...!" She muttered to no one in particular. The memories of a different world that had flashed back were still a jumbled mess in her head. The magic staff. The flying cards. And Syaoran-kun, who had protected them. When those memories suddenly came flooding back, she couldn't help but shout. "[sad]Ahh... seriously, how am I supposed to show my face at school tomorrow..." —At that moment. "[serious]...Found you." She looked up, and Syaoran was standing there. He was slightly out of breath. His unruly bangs were plastered to his forehead with sweat. "[surprised]Syaoran-kun...?" "[serious]Why did you run?" Syaoran's expression was as blank as ever, but his voice trembled just a little. Sakura looked down. "[crying]Because... because I shouted so loudly..." Tears welled up in her eyes again. "[crying]Everyone was watching... and you were watching too, from up on the stage..." Syaoran said nothing. But after a long silence, he murmured quietly. "[embarrassed]...I was up on stage talking by myself too." Sakura raised her head. "[serious]I don't think I said anything weird... but I was nervous." He said it with a completely serious face. Sakura blinked for a moment, then— "[laughing]...Pfft. Ahaha!" She burst out laughing. Because, of course. She was the only one acting all embarrassed, but Syaoran-kun had stood on the same stage and shouted in front of the entire school too. "[laughing]Right... that's right. You were there with me too, Syaoran-kun." She laughed while wiping away her tears. Syaoran's mouth relaxed, just the tiniest bit. "[whispers]...Shall we go?" "[surprised]Where?" "[serious]The schoolyard. There are fewer people." Syaoran reached for Sakura's hand—and stopped. Instead, he clenched his own hand into a tight fist. A sign of his nervousness. He had that habit of scratching his left ear. Sakura gently took that hand herself. "[gentle]...Yeah. Let's go." The two of them started walking, side by side. — The lights of the post-festival celebration flickered in the distance. Sakura and Syaoran stood at the edge of the schoolyard, beneath a large cherry blossom tree. It was October, so there were no blossoms, but this tree was still the most magnificent cherry tree in Tomoeda Town. Its thick trunk had stood here for decades, its branches spreading wide, wide toward the sky. When the night wind blew, the leaves rustled with a soft, gentle sound. "[gentle]Syaoran-kun." Sakura looked up at Syaoran directly. "[gentle]What you said on stage today. I heard it. Really clearly." Syaoran averted his gaze slightly. "[gentle]That you've been protecting me since long ago, and even if the form changed, you've always been by my side." Sakura placed her hand over her own heart. "[gentle]That's the same for me, you know. In that magic world, I was always fighting alongside you. You protected me, didn't you?" "[surprised]...You remembered?" "[sad]Not everything. Just a little bit, still. But... yeah. I remembered, clearly, that you protected me." Syaoran listened in silence. Sakura continued. "[gentle]And so, I thought about it too. I want to protect you too, Syaoran-kun. Don't carry everything by yourself. This time, I'll protect you." Syaoran's eyes widened. His amber eyes reflected only Sakura. Those eyes became surprisingly gentle. "[whispers]...Sakura." "[excited]You know, up until now, I was always just being protected. But today, I remembered. That I was fighting properly too. Together with you." Syaoran paused for a moment, then opened his mouth. "[serious]I've... been protecting you since long ago. In my dreams, and here." This time, he didn't stumble over his words. "[serious]I'll keep protecting you from now on. I'll never let you go again." He looked straight into Sakura's eyes and said it with conviction. A warmth spread deep inside Sakura's chest. "[gentle]Yeah. But I'll protect you too. So don't carry everything by yourself." Syaoran silently, gently took Sakura's hand. It was a big, rough hand. A hand that gripped a sword. But now, that hand enveloped Sakura's small hand with a gentleness as if handling something fragile. Sakura squeezed back tightly. The two of them stood there, holding hands. Only the night wind passed softly by. —What cut through that quiet, warm silence was. "[whispers]This is the most wonderful moment..." From the shadow of the cherry tree, an ecstatic sigh was heard. "[scared]Hoe!?" Sakura turned around, and there was Tomoyo. Her waist-length, straight black hair swayed in the wind, and in her hand, of course, was a video camera. The recording light glowed bright red. "[scared]T-Tomoyo-chan, you were there!?" "[gentle]There's no way I could miss Sakura-chan's happy moment." Tomoyo wore an angelic smile. "[angry]Are you always just... there?" Syaoran said with an exasperated look. "[gentle]Recording is my duty." Tomoyo was completely unshaken. She peered into the monitor with a calm expression. "[crying]And it was such a nice atmosphere, too!" When Sakura was on the verge of tears, Tomoyo smiled brightly. "[gentle]Rest assured. I've captured it perfectly from the best angle. Now, please continue." No sooner had she said that than Tomoyo turned on her heel and walked away across the schoolyard. Her retreating figure seemed to bounce with a cheerful energy. "[whispers]...She's something else." Syaoran muttered. "[laughing]...Yeah. But that's Tomoyo-chan for you." Sakura started giggling. Drawn in, Syaoran also let the corner of his mouth lift slightly. The distance between them shrank considerably with laughter. — Tomoyo had left, and they were alone again in the schoolyard. The music from the post-festival celebration drifted gently from afar. The cherry tree swayed in the night wind. Rustle, rustle. "[gentle]A cherry blossom tree... we share the same name." Sakura looked up at the large cherry tree. "[whispers]...That's why I chose this spot." Syaoran answered quietly. "[surprised]Huh?" Surprised, Sakura stared intently at Syaoran's face. Syaoran averted his gaze just a little. His left ear was slightly red. But immediately, he looked at Sakura once more. His amber eyes reflected her directly. Something pounded fiercely deep in Sakura's chest. Syaoran slowly brought his face closer. Sakura naturally closed her eyes. —And then. Beneath the cherry tree, the two of them shared their first, gentle kiss. It was soft, warm, and just a little ticklish. It felt as if time had gently stopped. In Sakura's mind, the memories of the world where she was a magical girl and the happiness of this very moment overlapped. —Syaoran-kun is right here by my side. That fact was warmer than anything else. A single tear spilled from Sakura's eye. — At the edge of the schoolyard, in a place where the streetlights didn't reach, a boy watched that scene. Hiiragizawa Eriol, his elegantly curled, deep indigo hair tied back in a single bunch. His mysterious blue eyes, which seemed to see through everything, gazed intently at the silhouettes of Sakura and Syaoran. "[whispers]...Ah, with this, my role is over too." A gentle smile appeared on his lips. "[gentle]Sakura-san, be happy." He murmured, then turned his back. He began to walk slowly into the night of Tomoeda Town. His steps were light. But they also seemed just a little bit lonely. —A short distance away. Tomoyo held her camera, peering intently through the lens. Inside the viewfinder, the two beneath the cherry tree and Eriol's retreating figure were captured simultaneously. "[whispers]I've recorded everything properly." Tomoyo smiled quietly. Inside the camera's monitor, the couple's happy night and the afterglow of magical memories were reflected, overlapping. That was the final radiance of the mysterious power held within Tomoyo's videos. Still pressing the record button, Tomoyo gently looked up at the sky. In the night sky over Tomoeda Town, countless stars twinkled silently. As if the magic cards gathered in a distant world were showering down a blessing of light—. And so, the memories of the two were etched forever into precious footage. Beneath the gentle night of Tomoeda Town, the story quietly, and surely, closed its curtain on a happy ending.