z

Young Writers Society


E - Everyone

Sakura 🌸

by AmayaStatham


🌸A symbol of hope 🌸

Kaori has always been fascinated by the beauty of sakura. Growing up in Japan, she had eagerly awaited each spring when the cherry trees would burst into bloom, transforming the streets and parks into a sea of pink and white petals.

But this year was different. Kaori had been diagnosed with cancer, and the thought of missing the sakura season filled her with despair. As the weeks passed, she watched from her hospital window as the trees outside slowly shed their blossoms until only a few stubborn petals remained.

Then, one day, her doctor gave her unexpected news: her condition had improved enough for her to leave the hospital and return home. Overwhelmed with relief, Kaori made her way to the nearest park to see the remaining sakura blossoms for herself.

As she stood under the trees, breathing in their sweet scent and watching the petals drift lazily to the ground, Kaori felt something shift inside her. The beauty of the sakura filled her with a sense of hope and renewal, reminding her that life is fleeting yet infinitely precious.

For the first time in months, Kaori felt truly alive. She laughed, cried and took in the beauty around her. And as she walked home that day, she whispered to herself, "I feel alive."

The following week, Kaori's health took a turn for the worse. But as she lay in bed, surrounded by her loved ones, she felt a sense of peace. She knew her time was short, but she was grateful for the chance to see the sakura one last time.

As she closed her eyes for the last time, Kaori's imagined herself back in the park, surrounded by the soft pink petals of the cherry blossoms. And in that moment, she knew that she had truly lived.

As the sun began to set, Kaori sat down under a particularly beautiful cherry blossom tree and closed her eyes. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of Japan's most iconic flower, she passed away peacefully, her spirit soaring like the petals of the sakura.

In the years that followed, Kaori's memory lived on in the hearts of her loved ones and in the beauty of the cherry blossoms that continued to bloom each spring. To those who knew her, she would forever be remembered as a true embodiment of Japan's rich culture and spirit.

🌸


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Mon Sep 18, 2023 9:06 pm
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vampricone6783 wrote a review...



Kaori lived a good life, at least. She cared so much about the beauty of life and all around her. At least Kaori got to see the sakuras before she died. She saw beauty before the end came along. She was able to have closure and pass on peacefully. That is as beautiful as the sakura itself.

I enjoyed reading this. I wish you a very lovely and amazing day and night.




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Mon May 15, 2023 5:00 pm
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Kaia wrote a review...



Wwwwhhhhaaatttt?? I didn't know "sakura" was a flower! Wow, I just learned something new today! One of my friends has a character named "Sakuro." I doubt she knew about the flower. I'm going to have to tell her. That's awesome! (I know, that's the craziest way to start a review, right?)

Okay, on to the review part...(Getting distracted by that flower emoji which I love). Life's been hectic. Okay, that aside...

First off, of course you came up with a name I like, Kaori. How do you pronounce that? (You know I'm always digging around for new character names for future books. ;) )

Overall, I really liked this snippet of lifetime. I like how the sakura is in itself a symbol of life. First it's so pretty and you think it might last forever, but then it wilts and fades. But all of that is romantic and beautiful. It makes it quite clear to me that you often think about the end of life. (Not that that's a bad thing. ;) ) And it bears the special message to enjoy life and the little things before they, like the sakura fade and disappear.

Kaori herself is a very romantic character. It is implied that she is young, (though I may have missed where you mentioned her age) Yet, she already knows a lot about life, and how fragile and short it is. But when her time comes, she is ready for it. Well written!

Okay, the critiques...

I felt like it was a bit choppy. One event didn't really flow into the next particularly well. Maybe have some place where you say "time passed" or something like that. Otherwise, it seems that all the events took place in maybe a day or two, which logically doesn't make a lot of sense, I don't think, but I wouldn't know. Just something to consider. ;)

Hope you do well on your Spanish exam!
-Kaia




AmayaStatham says...


Heyyyyyy,

Yes Sakura %uD83C%uDF38, is the name for Japan their cherrytrees and their blossems. You should most definitly tell your friend about it, thats very nice. It is not crazy to start a review this way (*me thinking while writing that, It most definitly is. hahah)

Of course, You say it like.

Kha ~ oh~ ri

Thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate it.

Eeeepppppp......I dont really think about the end of life, but I just write about it. I didnt notice that, funny.

THanks for the suggestions I will try and work on those.

Thanks for the motivation too, I really need it.

Hope you do well on your physics final!
~ Rinisha ~



Kaia says...


Ha, ha! Yeah. You know I'm crazy.

I tried saying that one out loud. Hm. That was hard. Poor girl. Probably everyone else mispronounces it, too. (Or at least I hope I'm not the only one)

Glad to hear my words helped. :)

Taking it on Wednesday, probably. Ehhhhh...No me gusta.
-Kaia



AmayaStatham says...


Don't worry about the pronounciation and I'm a lil crazy myself too.
;) ;) ;)

Ofc.

Taking mine tmrw,....Me encanta
~ Rinisha ~



Kaia says...


Yep. Craizi together. :)

Wishing you a good grade on it!
Kaia



AmayaStatham says...


You2 girl!

Go ace that exam with a briljant grade as a slap in the exam paper's face. ;)

I am sure you'll be totally fine, and if you are still scared just think of me and Rehenowa chapter 10 and you will be fine again. ;)

One of your "loco" friends,
~ Rinisha ~



Kaia says...


Thank you so much! That makes me feel a little better about it.

I'll make sure to think of you during that exam. :)

-Fellow crazy friend



AmayaStatham says...


That's great to hear! I'm happy to have motivated you! You will be proud of yourself at the end of the exam Im sure of it.

Yessss, don't even think about forgetting me. %uD83E%uDD23%uD83E%uDD23%uD83E%uDD23

- Tu Loco Amiga



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Sat Apr 22, 2023 2:42 am
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Mikatsune wrote a review...



Hi, it's Mika.
I just want to say I love Japan, it's my favorite country and I love sakura! This story is beautifully written story and it captures the essence of life's fragility and the power of nature to heal and renew. The character of Kaori is expertly developed, making the reader feel as though they are with her every step of the way on her journey. The story's ending, while bittersweet, is incredibly moving and leaves a lasting impression on the reader! Wow. The character of Kaori is relatable and sympathetic! Really sweet and lovely story! Thanks for the amazing read.

have a good day/night/afternoon. Bye!




AmayaStatham says...


Thank you too! <3<3<3

- Rinisha



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Mon Apr 17, 2023 6:08 pm
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AkiraBaker wrote a review...



i love sakura trees! so im glad that this story revolves around them. sakura trees, specifically japanese sakura trees, are my favourite, so i can totally agree with Kaori. i like the name you chose for her, by the way. its pretty. im a bit sad with the ending though. she died of cancer. one thing that has always baffled me is that so many people die of cancer, and if the government would allow us to use plants and herbs we can save thousands of people per year. millions, even. but of course, the government wants to be a (beeeep). im glad Kaori got the see the Sakura trees again, though. its a wonderful short story!




AmayaStatham says...


Hi AkiraBaker,

Thank you for your review.
Im very glad you <3 the story.
Thanks for the support and the sprinkle of positivity!

%uD83C%uDF38%uD83C%uDF38%uD83C%uDF38
Rinisha



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Sun Apr 16, 2023 7:22 am
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KateHardy wrote a review...



Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening/Night(whichever one it is in your part of the world),

Hi! I'm here to leave a quick review!!

First Impression: This was quite a powerful little story. I've run into many little stories by you know that are so small but pack an incredible punch and this one is definitely no exception to that.

Anyway let's get right to it,

Kaori has always been fascinated by the beauty of sakura. Growing up in Japan, she had eagerly awaited each spring when the cherry trees would burst into bloom, transforming the streets and parks into a sea of pink and white petals.

But this year was different. Kaori had been diagnosed with cancer, and the thought of missing the sakura season filled her with despair. As the weeks passed, she watched from her hospital window as the trees outside slowly shed their blossoms until only a few stubborn petals remained.


Oh my. Given the title I was expecting a bit of a wholesome tale but wow we're starting off with some pretty heavy hitting stuff there. Definitely the sort of opening that instantly hooks us readers and gives us quite a bit of emotions to work with even if we hardly know this character.

Then, one day, her doctor gave her unexpected news: her condition had improved enough for her to leave the hospital and return home. Overwhelmed with relief, Kaori made her way to the nearest park to see the remaining sakura blossoms for herself.

As she stood under the trees, breathing in their sweet scent and watching the petals drift lazily to the ground, Kaori felt something shift inside her. The beauty of the sakura filled her with a sense of hope and renewal, reminding her that life is fleeting yet infinitely precious.


Oooh well I am absolutely loving the fact that things got better here. It seems there is some hope here after all and that transition there is beautiful. Going from things fading until there was hardly any blossoms left to Kaori being able to experience the last few, it feels very much in line with her own story of being so down from cancer and having a bit of improvement.

For the first time in months, Kaori felt truly alive. She laughed, cried and took in the beauty around her. And as she walked home that day, she whispered to herself, "I feel alive."

The following week, Kaori's health took a turn for the worse. But as she lay in bed, surrounded by her loved ones, she felt a sense of peace. She knew her time was short, but she was grateful for the chance to see the sakura one last time.

As she closed her eyes for the last time, Kaori's imagined herself back in the park, surrounded by the soft pink petals of the cherry blossoms. And in that moment, she knew that she had truly lived.


Well ahhhh that was a twist I was not expecting and now you have me smiling and crying at the same time. A beautiful moment of hope and that declaration was just amazing only for life to take its course. I suppose it does represent the blossoms because those last few do eventually fade. I think ultimately though this still end up being happy as Kaori's feeling of being alive comes full circle for her to feel much more peace when things finally come to their end.

As the sun began to set, Kaori sat down under a particularly beautiful cherry blossom tree and closed her eyes. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of Japan's most iconic flower, she passed away peacefully, her spirit soaring like the petals of the sakura.

In the years that followed, Kaori's memory lived on in the hearts of her loved ones and in the beauty of the cherry blossoms that continued to bloom each spring. To those who knew her, she would forever be remembered as a true embodiment of Japan's rich culture and spirit.


Well that's a beautiful little note to end. As sad as this story definitely happens to be I think it ends on just the right amount of wholesomeness to really nail that bittersweet ending here.

Aaaaand that's it for this one.

Overall: Overall I think its a nice tale. The bit of similarity we can draw about the life of those blossoms and Kaori is an interesting little extra detail too especially given the title and on the whole I think it comes together to be a really nice tale.

As always remember to take what you think was helpful and forget the rest.

Stay Safe
Kate




AmayaStatham says...


TYSM

- Rinisha



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Sun Apr 16, 2023 2:34 am
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LuminescentAnt wrote a review...



Hi, quick review for this story!
Dang, I didn’t think this story would make me so sad but it really did. That’s not a bad thing, by the way. You were able to write a story that was truly emotional with heartbreak that the readers could, too, feel.
Cherry blossoms are one of my favorite flowers, so this was a really enjoyable read for me. You described the flowers really vividly, and i could paint a picture in my mind of what they looked like. You also described Kaori's emotions really well.
It's a really short story, but yet holds so much meaning and emotion, it really reminds you about life and its beauties, and how we must cherish it, especially since cherry blossoms are beautiful but only last for so long.
Ultimately, this is a really beautiful story with a message about the preciousness of life, and how cherry blossoms symbolize hope and can make you fee better, even in the darkest of times.
Keep writing, hope you write more stories like this!




AmayaStatham says...


Hi @LuminescentAnt ,

Thank you so much for the review! I'm glad you liked it and I will definitly try and write more stories like this. Thanks for the motivation!

- Rinisha




GET YER EYES AWAY FROM MY EYE SOCKETS >.>
— herbalhour