Chanyeol first arrived in Japan with a single luggage bag in the middle of February as a sixteen-year-old teenager. He had left behind his family, his hometown and his best friend, ready to set and begin his life as a professional Go player in a foreign land. Little did Chanyeol knew that he would go on to become of the world’s best.

That was twenty years ago. Chanyeol was now a thirty-six years old man and married to his best friend,  with a stand-in for a foster son, he might say.

Kyungsoo, on the other hand, began his life in Japan with his husband, Chanyeol, on a January five years ago as a thirty-one year old doctor. Unlike Chanyeol, Kyungsoo had arrived with a lot of boxes of his belongings.

That was after almost two years of going back and forth about the idea and preparing for the big move, only coming after over a decade of separation.

Today, over five years since Chanyeol and Kyungsoo began their life together in a foreign land, they were both married, newlyweds who had exchanged vows in a temple last November, after being engaged for over a year.

It was early April and the yearly season for Go tournaments had already officially begun after class promotion and trial matches in the previous winter.

Chanyeol maintained his highest class rank of 9-professional dan like he did year after year and Jongin was promoted to a 3-professional dan after the promotions which ended last month.

Now that spring was here and winter had come to pass, the two Go associations of Japan were in full force with the new tournament season beginning. Throughout spring, summer and fall, numerous tournaments and title matches would be held where professionals alike would be pitted against each other to bring home the winning title and most importantly, pride to themselves and their association.

For years now, Chanyeol had been and continued to be the poster boy of the National Japan Go Association. Chanyeol was able to maintain his position and his reigning titles so far, even as the years passed and newer players emerged into the scene.

Chanyeol did admit that the competition got tougher each year as well as the players he had to face. A good portion of them was now at least ten years younger than he was, seemingly more talented and skillful.

Chanyeol had been in their shoes once and knowing that his time as a player would come to an end one day, he did what every professional Go master would do and that was to train another player to follow in his footsteps and continue the art of the game. Just like his master before him and their master before that.

Nonetheless, Chanyeol knew he was a bit way long before he was done with Go but at least he would be prepared when the time eventually came.

Kyungsoo had successfully passed his Japanese language proficiency exams a few years ago, which allowed him to work and hold a professional occupation in Japan.

It was not quite easy to find work as a foreigner, especially after a few years of not being a practicing physician due to having to master the language first.

Chanyeol did offer to help use his connections and status to help Kyungsoo find a job, but Kyungsoo insisted that he would do it by himself. Through perseverance, Kyungsoo did manage to land a position at a teaching hospital as an attending physician, where he had been employed at for over a year now.

It was only the first few days of April but Chanyeol, Kyungsoo and even Jongin were already out somewhere in Matsumoto, Takeda’s hometown.

Because Takeda had lobbied the association to hold the first round of internal matches within his hometown, that was where it would be held that year.

This time, the three of them had taken a bus there from Tokyo. Kyungsoo was supposed to be at work but when Takeda mentioned the blossoms were in full bloom in Matsumoto, Chanyeol urged Kyungsoo to take a few days off to come along.

On the same mountain just right behind the Matsumoto city center where they had their first kiss and first confessed their love to each other, Chanyeol and Kyungsoo climbed up the same path now lining with trees swaying in the wind with pink cherry blossoms. The lanterns hung on wires along the path, near the trees were still there too.

It was still a bit cold in early April but they were both adequately dressed for the weather. Kyungsoo had even put a beanie on his head. Chanyeol was dressed formally for his Go match but he wasn’t really concerned about that now.

Chanyeol’s match would be held in the late afternoon. Right now, in the morning, Jongin was playing his match and had been left behind by Chanyeol and Kyungsoo, promising Jongin that they’d go viewing the flowers with him again.

Because it was a weekday morning, the mountain path and the orchard of abundant cherry blossom trees on the peak of the mountain was relatively quiet. Come the weekend, it would be full of couples, friends, families and even offices having their annual flower viewing picnic.

Although they weren’t Japanese themselves, living there for quite a while now, had them practicing some of the island country’s tradition and celebrations.

They chose a quiet spot on the peak of the mountain, under a low and shady cherry blossom tree. Some of the tree branches hung low and drooped towards the ground, providing a curtain-like cover of cherry blossoms.

Chanyeol took off his coat and set it on the ground, offering Kyungsoo to sit on it so he wouldn’t get his clothes dirty from sitting on the slightly damp ground.

Kyungsoo tried refusing but Chanyeol had insisted, so they decided to both sit on the coat together. Chanyeol didn’t worry about getting it dirty and potentially annoying Takeda who used to prepare his competition outfits for him because Kyungsoo had taken over that duty for a few years now.

Between the two, Kyungsoo was less bound to be giving Chanyeol an earful.

“Another year and another spring, huh?” Kyungsoo smiled, propping his knees up and rocking back and forth under the cherry blossom tree.

Chanyeol nodded, muttering, “Another start indeed.”

“I used to look forward to the blossoms when I first moved here. I was so eager for my first spring but now that it’s been a while, it’s just another allergy season and a busy month for me at the outpatient clinic,” Kyungsoo laughed a little at the thought.

“Yeah,” Chanyeol responded, “It’s been a while since you are here with me now.”

“Five years now,” Kyungsoo reminisced, “-and for the many more years to come, even if we live beyond a hundred years.”

“Well, I think you can live beyond a hundred,” Chanyeol pondered, lowering his head and shyly smiling, “-doctors usually live long lives because they know how to take care of themselves.”

“You think so?” Kyungsoo chuckled, “If I’m going to judge by my co-workers and their drinking habits, I don’t think I can say that. The blossoms have opened in Tokyo too now and I can already imagine the chaos in the waiting rooms now. If anything, I think Go players have more longevity because you work your brains a lot and can even compete into your old age.”

“Yeah,” Chanyeol agreed, “Mr. Fujiwara is almost seventy now and he’s still going strong beating all the senior players in their yearly senior tournament. I wish I could be as lively as him when I’m that age. I wouldn’t even consider retiring