Title: Autumn Has Begun
Genre: musings, (slight) angst
Rating: G
Comment: Indeed, it has been a while. I miss Kagrra, so much.. /sigh
It hasn’t been long since he last walked pass the same shops and intersections of this familiar city. Same are the array of vending machines found almost anywhere, offering services from the quenching of thirst to the needs of clandestine affairs; the colors of the poster chosen by the old man of the similarly old ramen shop near his former apartment remains the unfavorable despite his kind advises in the past; and the gray stripped cat with piercing jade eyes still frequent about the vicinity of an old house with a small cherry tree peeking out to the street.
All these small details he recalls so well, yet there lays a bordering feeling of distance; discord.
With a bitter smile, Izumi inhaled the lingering air of nostalgia.
Autumn has begun.
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Until now, he's certain, he can't face the spotlight.
Not anymore, most probably.
Not at the moment, he deliberates.
The breeze of that late afternoon suddenly picks up speed while the temperature drops along with the dry leaves starting to bid their homes goodbye, one by one, with a promise of return.
He knows, in time, everything will eventually fall back into place.
Everything has a home.
With a hopeful mind, Akiya listens to the message of the wind, nostalgia passing by.
Autumn has begun.
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Vibrant colors have always fascinated him, he suddenly realizes as a group of giggly youths clad in colorful yukata pass his eyes.
He recalls a time when the silk fabrics of kimonos, the intricate designs of traditional symbols, and waves of dedication evident in the needle work in each garment made his heart skip a beat and made him smile at the happiness of colors that seem to dance more once its worn. He basked in the bliss of shades of green, violet, red, blue, and gold passionately parading, singing, and dancing with him almost every day.
He remembers those colors, vividly in his head, and how well they created harmony together.
They remain as his favorite colors.
Warm hands in his pockets with closed eyes, Shin searches for those colors in his mind with a hint of nostalgia.
Autumn has begun.
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That familiar sound of summer afternoon is gone, he realized, looking around.
Very soon, the heat would end its annual torture to welcome a cooler temperature, and the trees would sway to a different rhythm, gracefully transforming into beauties with calm, earthy tones and shades, painted by nature's inevitable evolution. Time would move on, and people would change with the seasons.
Sudden exuberant voices of young kids running about a nearby park snap him out of his thoughts, earning his attention with their radiant smiles and playful motions.
He had been like them once: carefree but impulsive, crazy but happy, competitive but playful, and not-so-young but always ready with a pocketful of childish ideas. In his lead, always engaged as him in their random episodes, were his four best friends. They had been once like them, together and oblivious to what will happened next, making endless albums of memories, one day at a time.
With a toothy grin and a salute to the blue sky, Nao grips the arrival of nostalgia.
Autumn has begun.
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As the brilliance of the final days of summer fades within the hands of time, he grips his pen with a sigh, a piece of old paper and inspiration within sight.
And ever with a smile legendary to the ones whom he had loved, Isshi smiles from his place of paradise, watching over four men whom will embark on their days of nostalgia from there on.
Autumn has begun.
Author’s Note:
It took a lot of courage to write again, but it feels good. I miss Kagrra, and I miss writing about them. Thankfully, I can listen to their songs now without feeling sad.
Anyhow, I’ve always associated autumn with nostalgia despite the possibility of the feeling hitting us anytime, anywhere. It’s a bitter-sweet feeling, with a touch of affection and longing. This is probably the feelings I will always have for Kagrra, from here on. :)