#echoheart

Cw- Accidental inappropriate touching

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Cw- Discussions of child abuse

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UNDER FADING PETALS — NEKOMI, MID‑APRIL

The morning air carried a fragile softness, as if the world had only just woken and wasn’t ready to speak yet.

Sakuraoka’s quiet streets stretched ahead of Nekomi in pale gold light, the sun still low enough that the shadows of the cherry trees reached long across the pavement. A breeze drifted through the branches, gentle and unhurried, lifting the last of the sakura petals into slow, weightless spirals.

Nekomi walked alone, her steps light but careful. Her uniform ribbon — a soft pink‑purple that matched the blossoms — fluttered against her collar. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and watched as a petal floated past her cheek, catching the sunlight just right so it glowed for a heartbeat before settling onto the ground.

Most blossoms had already fallen. The branches above were mostly green now, dotted with only a few stubborn petals clinging on. But the ground still remembered — pink scattered across the sidewalk like tiny pieces of a dream that hadn’t fully faded.

She liked this part of the walk. The quiet. The stillness. The way the world felt softer before everyone else woke up.

The houses she passed were familiar: the old wooden one with the wind chimes that always sang in the morning breeze, the small bakery that wouldn’t open for another hour but still smelled faintly of sweet dough, the narrow alleyway where stray cats sometimes lounged in the sun.

Sakuraoka wasn’t a big town, but it held its own kind of gentle charm — the kind that made the seasons feel a little more vivid.

Sometimes she wondered if anyone else noticed these things. The way the light shifted between the branches. The way the petals clung to the cracks in the pavement. The way the world felt softer when no one else was around.

Maybe they did. Maybe they didn’t. Maybe it didn’t matter.

But Nekomi noticed. And noticing made her feel both connected and strangely alone.

She breathed in the faint sweetness of lingering petals and let her eyes drift toward the forested hill behind Sakuraoka High. The trees there were tall and old, their leaves whispering in the breeze. The school sat just beyond them, tucked away from the busier streets — a place that felt almost hidden, like a secret only the morning knew.

A small ache stirred in her chest. Not sadness. Not exactly.

Just… that familiar feeling of being slightly out of step with the world. Like everyone else had already found their place, and she was still searching for hers.

She wondered, not for the first time, if today would feel any different. If someone might talk to her. If she might talk back. If she might feel a little less like a quiet shadow drifting through the halls.

Her fingers brushed the ribbon at her collar. The color reminded her of blossoms. And of something else — someone else — she couldn’t quite name without her heart tightening.

Another petal lifted from the ground, caught by the breeze. It rose, twirled once, drifted toward her—

And the world softened.

The breeze warmed. The light shifted. A memory opened like a blossom.

  WHEN THE BLOSSOMS WERE FULL — EARLY APRIL 

The courtyard had been a sea of pink.

Petals fell like soft snow, swirling through the air in shimmering waves as students gathered beneath the trees. Laughter echoed across the school grounds, mixing with the distant hum of the opening ceremony preparations. The air smelled sweet — fresh blossoms and spring sunlight.

Nekomi stood alone near the edge of the courtyard, hands clasped lightly around the strap of her bag. Her heart felt too full and too empty at the same time. She wanted to step closer, to join the clusters of girls taking photos under the blossoms… but her feet stayed rooted where they were.

Maybe high school will be different, she’d thought. Maybe she’d find someone. Maybe she wouldn’t always feel like this.

A breeze swept through the courtyard, sending petals drifting around her. They brushed her hair, her shoulders, her hands. For a moment, she felt like she was standing inside a dream.

And then she saw her.

A girl with soft eyes and warm posture, standing with her class beneath the largest cherry tree. Her ribbon fluttered gently in the breeze, the same pink‑purple as Nekomi’s. She was smiling politely at something a classmate said, but there was a quietness in her expression — a softness that didn’t quite match the noise around her.

Nekomi didn’t know why she noticed her. Or why the sight made her chest tighten. Or why the moment felt strangely important.

Their eyes met.

Just for a heartbeat. Just long enough for something small and warm to spark in Nekomi’s chest.

She looked away first. The girl looked away second. Neither moved. Neither spoke.

But the moment stayed.

A petal drifted between them, catching the light—

And then the memory dissolved.

  THE WIND THAT CARRIES WHAT REMAINS — PRESENT DAY 

The memory faded with the breeze, carried off like the last of the blossoms.

Nekomi blinked, the early morning quiet settling around her again. The petal that had triggered the memory now rested at her feet, pale pink against the pavement.

She exhaled softly, unsure why her chest felt warm and hollow all at once.

It had been weeks since the opening ceremony. Weeks since that moment beneath the blossoms. Weeks since she’d seen that girl again — or at least, since she’d dared to look closely enough to be sure.

Sometimes she wondered if the girl even remembered her. Sometimes she wondered if she’d imagined the whole thing. Sometimes she wondered why that single moment lingered so stubbornly in her mind.

She adjusted her bag strap, her fingers brushing the ribbon again. The same color. The same softness. The same quiet warmth she remembered from that girl’s eyes.

Sakuraoka High waited just ahead, its gates framed by the forest and the last drifting petals of spring. Students would start arriving soon, filling the halls with chatter and footsteps and the soft chaos of a new school day.

Nekomi took a slow breath.

A magical‑girl light novel about music, resonance, and two girls slowly falling into harmony.

Hi! I’m Sarska, and this is the official blog for my original light novel EchoHeart — a soft, emotional, music‑filled story about magical girls, quiet feelings, and girl‑love.

Here you’ll find:

🎵 Chapter updates 🌸 Character art & aesthetics 💗 Soft sapphic vibes ✨ Worldbuilding + behind‑the‑scenes writing

Start reading here: 👉 [CHAPTER 1 — (UNDER FADING PETALS)]

Tag to follow updates: #echoheart ln