You Had Me at Sakura
A LOVE STORY AMIDST THE PANDEMIC
BY SHEELA KUNISHIGE
It was a cool spring afternoon in Gunma-Ken, Japan. The man was on his way to do his laundry at the Coin Laundry—his Sunday routine—when he decided to call her. She was on lockdown and singing live via “Facebook Live” at her home in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was only the first week of the pandemic, and COVID-19 had taken the world by surprise.
They were childhood friends. Their history of knowing each other went back to the Philippines when they had first met—she was nine years old, and he only five. It was 27 years ago that they last saw each other at her Debutante Party. Then, she was 18, and he was 14. It was puppy love for him. She was the object of his affection—young love, sweet love—while she, on the other hand, loved him like a brother. They both loved music. She’d always been a singer, while he was a dancer and rapper.
He invited her to do laundry with him virtually. She was delighted to accept. After all, she liked adventures, and spending time with him was an adventure. It was all so new for her—Japan and the idea of a budding virtual romance and, most of all, him. How had he become this handsome, romantic, and sophisticated man? She asked herself. He now spoke fluent Nihonggo, some Portuguese, fluent English, and of course, their native tongue, Filipino (Tagalog and Ilocano).
Completing the laundry, he announced it was time for lunch.
“Ramen, please!” she exclaimed.
“For you, I will, although, in my 18 years here in Japan, I’ve never eaten ramen for lunch. I usually eat it for dinner,” he replied.
Ramen, it was! He took her to the Ebisu Ramen House. Being a foodie herself, one of her favorite cuisines was Japanese, and ramen was like “food for the soul” to her.
“What’s your favorite ramen?” he asked.
“Tonkotsu!” she eagerly replied.
“With egg?” he asked.
“Yes, and nori, too, please.”
He succumbed and ordered as she wished. He began to eat and did so with passion. That was the moment she first became smitten by him.
She said to him, “You eat with so much gusto. I smelled the aroma. I tasted every bite. My lips felt the warmth of the hot broth.”
Photograph by Jeremias “Byron” A. Tacuban from Gunma-Ken, Japan.
Surprisingly, he was satisfied more than ever. His first-time having ramen for lunch was unforgettable—because it was with her.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said as he headed out to his car. She became excited because she loved the element of surprise. He told her that it was going to be quite a drive. Her heart started beating fast.
“I’m in for some adventure!” she exclaimed.
They continued to talk by video Messenger as he drove. They talked about everything under the sun. He was heading toward Mizunuma Koen, and along the way, there were trees of delicate cherry blossoms—almost scarce rather than robust for it was already April 12. The peak season for cherry blossoms in Gunma-Ken, Japan, is in March.
“Sakura!” she exclaimed. Tears of joy filled her eyes. One of her dreams was to experience the Sakura season in Japan. “You just made one of my dreams come true,” she told him.
Photograph by Jeremias “Byron” A. Tacuban from Gunma-Ken, Japan.
“That’s not all. I’ll take you on a little hike to see more,” he responded.
In his mind, he wanted her to be able to see cherry blossoms in her favorite color—pink. He prayed that there would be more cherry blossoms, especially pink ones. He even called one of his friends to ask if there would be more Sakura up on the hill. His prayers were answered instantly! When he got to the top of the hill, he showed her the most beautiful cherry blossoms—in white and pink! She was overwhelmed with joy. There was even a river adorned by cherry blossoms.
“We just had our first virtual date,” he told her.
“Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world!” she replied.
The next day, it rained in Gunma-Ken. The rain washed away the very beautiful, yet fragile, cherry blossoms. He told her that it was like a miracle that they were both able to visually enjoy the cherry blossoms the day before—just one day before the heavy rainfall.
Their love is like those cherry blossoms—beautiful yet fragile. It has been a year since they committed to a long-distance relationship.
They have to work hard every day to maintain trust, respect, love, and romance in their relationship. Just like the cherry blossoms whose beauty is fleeting, being in-love may only be fleeting if two people do not invest time, dedication, focus, and commitment into their relationship—especially a long-distance one. Someday soon, when the pandemic is over and Japan opens its borders to Americans, they will finally see each other again after almost three decades.
To this day, he asks her why she accepted his love. She always answers, “You had me at Sakura.”
Photograph of river lined with cherry blossoms in Gunma-Ken, Japan by Jeremias “Byron” A. Tacuban.