To My Sunflower

TMS is now well and truly ended.

Thank you Islinda for giving this story a chance for a contract. I hope it proves well for Webnovel.

To all TMS regular readers and supporters. I won't name you individually to respect your anonymity.  With my deepest respect, thank you for your time, interaction and support.  A story can be written.  It's only when it's read that it becomes a tale. 

And I won't forget those from Tapread and Wattpad who gave Hinata and Eiji's drama a chance when it was there.  I've been blessed.

Here is an omake about its own small journey to close the curtains. 

---WPC #46 - To My Sunflower's Journey---

A moment of nostalgia as I look back to the contest that helped me form the concept for this story. Otherwise, I would've never written it.

---[[Writing Prompts Contest #46:Fall in Love with a Soldier

"Believe it or not, the only way we kept in touch was through letters. We would write to each other about our days, about our lives. They were all innocent letters, but they were amazing because it gave me an insight into how simple a person he was."

What it feels like loving a soldier?

"When you fall in love with a soldier, you fall in love with your country; when you fall in love with a soldier, nothing is set in stone on your end. Plans can and will change at the drop of a hat and planning ahead is impossible.

Though all that is true, so is when you fall in love with a soldier, you've found the best there is.

When you fall in love with a soldier, you've found someone who not only loves you more than his own life but loves his country more than his own life as well.

When you fall in love with a soldier, a kiss is worth a million dollars, and no expensive gift can compare.

When you fall in love with a soldier, you've fallen in love with someone who appreciates having a bed, running water and warm food.

When you fall in love with a soldier, you've fallen in love with not who you've prayed for, but someone so much more.

Thank you, God, for letting me fall in love with my soldier."

(Emily Richeson)https://forum.webnovel.com/d/18335-writing-prompts-contests-45-46]]---

The winner of my prompt was a book that is now on hiatus. No other entries qualified. At the time I didn't realize that having votes was the rank qualifier. So my book was instantly disqualified.

Despite not making it past the car park, so to speak, I kept this story going. I had moved it to Wattpad and continued to post chapters there.

I entered it into a Wattpad community award, and had eventually won the award for Historical Fiction, but never received the prize for it. ????

That's okay. Knowing that my writing was enough to be a winner in a judge's eyes was cool. It won over some quality stories as well. That was a prize enough for me.

After some time, I started posting the story to Tapread where it picked up read interest there. Then I got a ping from Islinda who liked the lone chapter I had left on the book page.  

This story has been a blast to write. I'm proud of what I've been able to achieve with it. I have no regrets of what I leave behind, as I have given my best shot.

♥♥

Arigatōgozaimashita.  

Until next time. Take care.♥