I Love Kyoto, But I Love You More

I LOVE KYOTO

Yuzuko’s favourite song blasted on the radio. A celebration of tradition, modern life, matcha and geishas. A song about her hometown, the best city in the world, what was there not to love? The song was special to her because the AI model used to create the vocals were created by her grandfather. The synthetic orchestra and low base lifted the mood in the dim-lit tea house. To have it played with Sakura brought spark that only Yuzuko could see.

Sakura was the last person she expected to fall in love with. Sakura made no attempts to hide her sexuality in a climate where getting married and having at least one child by the time you were eighteen was compulsory. Yuzuko could understand the government’s intentions. They were trying to solve the population crisis…at the expense of mental health.

Yuzuko lost her husband to suicide, and if she wasn’t careful, she would lose another love of her life. Yuzuko was happy to do her part in maintaining Japan’s society, but there times she wished there was more time to be Sakura without the crying babies or the list of ever-growing duties attend.

AI and technology would continue to thrive and evolve beyond Yuzuko’s living years. Her grandparents’ time left in this world was limited, but her Aunt Kiki will live forever. Like a flower, Yuzuko too will wilt with age. Her physical body will perish to dust.

With her grandfather being the main gaurdian in her life, Yuzuko felt older than her eighteen years. One look at Sakura would make one hard to believe she was twenty.

Sakura was a rebel, and struggled with basic maths and literature. But what she lacked in brains she made up for in brawls and spirit. Her outspoken honesty and ability to have her heart by her sleeve was what made Yuzuko fall for her in the first place.

They would laugh about the dodgy customers Sakura had to serve at the maid cafe. How she almost got sacked when a guy helped himself under Sakura’s skirt. Yuzuko gasped hearing the customer got nothing more than a slap on the wrist.

Then Yuzuko rambled about her life. It seemed boring and safe in comparison to Sakura’s but she listened with her eyes, ears and heart wide open. Yuzuko went on about how her son called Sakura his other mommy, and how she has no idea how the family cats, Punchy and Stinky are still alive after so long.

After a cheeky cup of warm sake their conversation went south. Sakura declared the first time they made love was the happiest day of her life and nothing, and nobody could take it away from her. It made all the trauma from a loveless marriage worth it.

There were still many things Yuzuko did not understand about Sakura. Why couldn’t she just comply and be a good student and housewife like everybody else? Kindness and modesty were also beautiful traits of strength. Then with one of Sakura’s cheeky winks it all made sense to her. Sakura was embracing her own choices despite the feeling of the world being against her.

The more Sakura rebelled against beauty and social standards the harder Yuzuko fell for her. The pair of them were polar opposites in goals and personalities but the little things they shared in common brought them together like magnets.

Waiting for the train home they came across a poster advertising the song they had heard on the radio.The poster on the wall had crumbled corners. The once bright colours had faded, but the words were still legible.

I LOVE KYOTO

The desire to just grab Sakura by the arms and kiss her was too great. Her country shied away from public affections, so Yuzuko came up with a different way to show her love and gratitude. Yuzuko grabbed a pen from her handbag and drew a heart on the poster followed by extra words.

but I love you more…