Final Chapter

The next morning, Yuto wakes up to the bright spring day. He is a bit sore from all that partying they did the day before. He ate, danced, and drank like he had never partied before. Now the party is over, and he’ll have to go back to running the farm once again. He showers and brushes his teeth to get ready for another day on the farm. Once again, he dresses with Tony’s old farming clothes. For some reason, he is starting to enjoy wearing the overalls better than his hoodie. As he looks in the mirror, he takes a deep breath. Today is the day he will tell her. Tell Jennifer how he feels, and ask her to be his girlfriend.

Before leaving the house, he takes a quick look at his trophy stand. There isn’t much there, but everything he displays reminds him of all the things he had accomplished the last three years with Jennifer. First, there is the cooking trophy that Jennifer helped him win. Next to it is the bag of potpourri that Jennifer gave him at Mother’s Hill. It still carries a strong comforting scent that fills his home with a feminine touch. Then there is the medal hanging on the wall, he polishes it so the sapphire can glisten with the morning sun. Now that Mineral Town won’t be destroyed, he plans to fill that trophy stand with even more memories.

After admiring his stuff, he walks outside to breathe in the fresh spring air. As he stretches his arms, Jennifer greets, “good morning Yuto.”

“Good morning Jennifer,” he replied happy to see her. His reaction changes as soon as he notices her large backpack filled with her belongings. He looks back, and finds her tent gone. “What’s going on?” he asked almost scared to hear the answer.

She gives him a sad smile before answering, “my work here is done. It’s time for me to leave Mineral Town and move on.”

“Move on? Where are you going?” he asked.

She shakes her head no answering, “I don’t know. The Harvest Goddess will lead me to the next village who needs my help. We did such a great job that we’ve inspired other towns to start a farm and work like we do. No machines, no chemicals. Congratulations, you are no longer the last farmer. So now I must travel the world to aid in the planet’s healing.”

“Then let me go with you,” pleaded Yuto while doing his best to hold back his tears. “We can travel the world and heal it. You know. . . Together!”

Jennifer shakes her head again, “you can’t come with me. You must remain here and continue to work on this farm. Tony needs you here, and the goddess needs me to help the next farmer. I know this is sudden, but this is what I was meant to do.”

Yuto remains quiet for a while, he knows that she is right. He spent so long working to save Tony’s farm, that he can no longer ever imagine running it alone. Jennifer only arrived in Mineral Town with the guidance of the goddess. He should have assumed that once her mission is over, she would move on. He was never prepared to say goodbye so suddenly.

After a few minutes of silence, Jennifer asks, “would you like to come with me and see me off?”

Yuto nods sadly. It will be the hardest thing he will ever do, but he knows that seeing her off is the best thing he can do for her now. They have been friends for years, this is the least he can do to thank her. Yuto remains quiet on the way to the dock at Mineral Town beach. There are so many things he wants to say to her. He wants to tell her how much she means to him. Life around the farm won’t be the same without her. But as much as he doesn’t want her to go, he has no right to stop her. This is her life, and only she can decide to stay or leave. At the same time, he knows he’ll be sad if she does. His heart is so conflicted, that he can’t say anything. If he does, he might say something he’ll end up regretting.

They stop at the dock. The ocean breeze is cold and strong. There is a boat waiting there to take Jennifer away from Mineral Town. Before she boards, she turns around to face Yuto. Her long golden hair billows in the wind which makes Jennifer look dramatic and stunning. His heart pounds with affection for her. A tear runs down his cheek as he watches her leave his side.

“Yuto, I wish to thank you for all the memories that we’ve made since I’ve arrived here. I had so much fun helping you run the farm. I will cherish every last moment we’ve spent together.”

Yuto looks down sadly. He wants to say goodbye to her as well, but he finds that it is much harder for him to do. Watching her leave will hurt so much that he thinks his heart will burst. He wishes that he could have a little more time with her. He could throw her a farewell party, give her a special gift to remember him by, and prepare a proper farewell speech. Now he has no idea what to say or do.

Jennifer knows and understands why is Yuto so silent. She steps closer to him, then says, “I am aware that you have deep feelings for me. I also care greatly for you as well. If it was up to me, I would stay here and live at your farm as your life partner. But as long as nature is in danger, I cannot remain here. As long as the Harvest Goddess needs my aid, I will continue to travel and aid in nature’s recovery.”

Yuto takes a deep breath before asking, “will you ever come back to Mineral Town?”

“You shouldn’t wait for me. It wouldn’t be fair for you if you did. There are so many people here for you to meet and get to know in Mineral Town. Explore your options, and see who are you destined to be with. If you do, I would love to visit your farm and meet your family someday.”

Jennifer then takes Yuto’s hand, then places the completed Jewel of Truth in it. “Promise me one thing. Remember me. Remember everything we’ve been through. Remember everything.” She then reaches up to kiss Yuto in the lips. He is shocked, but he holds on to her and kisses her back. He wishes this moment can last forever. At least knowing that she feels the same way he does puts his sad heart at ease.

Jennifer steps back, blushing like a young schoolgirl after sharing her first kiss. “Farewell Yuto,” said Jennifer in a sad tone.

Yuto takes a deep breath before responding, “goodbye Jennifer. I will miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too,” she answered. She then turns around and boards the boat ready to leave Mineral Town.

As the boat drifts away, Yuto and Jennifer waves at one another until she vanishes over the horizon. Finally, Yuto allows the remaining tears to flow out from his eyes as the love of his life drifts off. She has only been gone for a few minutes, but he already misses her so much. He then looks down at the Jewel of Truth, remembering all the times they’ve spent looking for it. Now he will have to run the farm alone, one day at a time.

After some time, Yuto turns around to return to his farm. He quickly stops, seeing an eagle perched on top of the seaside shack. He quickly recognizes it as the same one who he saw at the farm the first day he arrived at Mineral Town three years ago. The same one that started his journey as a talented and hard working farmer.

Yuto smiles at the eagle, then yells, “hey Tony! I am glad you were watching over me this whole time! But can I ask you a favor? Please tell the Harvest Goddess to bring Jennifer back to me! I’ll work hard everyday; I’ll shed my blood, sweat, and tears to prove that I deserve her in my life. If there is even a slim chance that she’ll come back, I’ll wait for her. All I need is a sign. Will you deliver my message?”

The eagle remains motionless for a moment. It then spreads it’s wings and flies off back to Moon Mountain. As it flies away, Yuto decides to wait and see what will happen sooner or later. Will the Harvest Goddess grant his wish? Or will Tony tell him to move on? Until then, he’ll wait to find out if Jennifer is destined to return to Mineral Town. For now, he will go back to work at the farm until he gets his answer.

The End.