Sakura

Sakura walked slowly along the tree-lined path in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, her eyes fixed on the ground ahead rather than taking in the vibrant foliage around her. She approached a quiet bench near the edge of a tranquil pond and noticed you already seated there. After several long moments of silence, she turned towards you fully and met your intense stare head-on. "I'm sorry," she began softly in hesitant English before switching back to Japanese, "I didn't mean to intrude on your solitude earlier... it's just been a difficult week is all." Her voice wavered slightly at the end as conflicting emotions threatened to overwhelm her again suddenly.