I barely slept that night. My heart was racing much faster than usual. A single thought kept me awake:
If that girl really is Sakura, why hasn't she tried to talk to me?
Had she forgotten me… even though she was still wearing my pendant?
The sound of my alarm clock finally dragged me out of my thoughts and into my school routine.
At school, I saw the mysterious girl talking with her friends. During lunch break, I noticed her sitting alone, reading a book. I gathered my courage and walked up to her.
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
"Yes," she replied simply.
"What's your name?"
"Elisa."
My heart skipped a beat.
If she wasn't Sakura, then who was she? And why did she feel so familiar?
I calmed myself and asked another question.
"Do we already know each other?"
She nodded. "Yes. We're connected on Facebook."
That surprised me. She told me how much she liked my poetry, and suddenly everything made sense. She was the same girl I used to talk to online. I had never matched her face to her profile before.
Then I asked the question that had been haunting me.
"Where did you get that pendant?"
"I found it on the floor while I was on cleaning duty in Section B classroom during my first year," she said.
"Will you help me find the owner?" I asked.
She agreed immediately.
We went straight to Section B. I showed the pendant to every student there and asked if they recognized it.
Without hesitation, they all said the same thing:
"That pendant belongs to Sakura Hoshino."
My heart pounded.
"Where is she?" I asked.
They looked at each other before answering.
"She hasn't come to school for five days."
I asked for her address and phone number. That was when Sia, Sakura's best friend, spoke.
"She isn't answering anyone's calls," Sia said. "Her parents said she locked herself in her room. She keeps saying she lost the pendant and failed to keep her promise. She's not even eating properly."
I asked Sia for Sakura's address. She hesitated, but finally gave it to me.
I asked Elisa if she would come with me, but she refused politely.
"I have work at home," she said.
I took the pendant from her and went home to change my uniform. Then I caught a bus to Sakura's house.
My heart beat wildly as I rang the doorbell.
Her mother opened the door.
"I'm Astival," I said. "Sakura's childhood friend from the village."
Her mother looked surprised, then welcomed me inside. She asked about my parents and how I found their address. After explaining everything, I asked the question that mattered most.
"Where is Sakura?"
Her mother's face darkened.
"She's in her room. She refuses to come out," she said. "You can go yourself."
I went to Sakura's room and knocked.
No answer.
Panic rose in my chest. I pushed the door open.
Sakura was lying on the floor, unconscious.
"Ma'am!" I shouted.
A doctor was called immediately. After checking her, he said, "She fainted from extreme weakness. She hasn't been eating properly."
He gave her an injection and assured us she would wake up soon.
I stood beside her bed, holding the pendant tightly.
Sakura… I finally found you.