I’ll wait until a rainbow appears in our heart

From Kanagawa, 21 years old 

Hinatazaka46 5th Gen, Matsuo Sakura here.

Thank you so, so, so much for opening my blog.

The other day, it was officially announced that Hinata Fes, which had been scheduled to take place on September 5th and 6th, would be cancelled.

Ever since the cancellation was announced, 

my heart has felt heavy, and that made me realize that I had been looking forward to it far more than I had even realized myself

But surely, it hasn’t all been negative

Although we weren’t able to hold the festival, 

there were still so many wonderful encounters along the way

Through the process of working on various projects such as collaboration menus, announcements, posters, and many more, I had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people

We would talk about how excited we were for the event.
Some people even told me, “I’m going to come see you!”

Whenever I talked with everyone, 

it made my heart feel so warm

There were also so many wonderful collaborations planned, 

and although they were announced the other day, 

mine included a collaboration with Curry House CoCo Ichibanya: “Gutsu Gutsu Love-tto Curry ni, Kyun-tto Hinata Natsu shiyo”

And,

a collaboration with Miyazaki Beef Teppanyaki Nakakubo, supported by Ohisama benkyo-kai:
“SakuLovely Kazoku Yakiniku”

Curry and yakiniku, two of my absolute favorite foods
I really wanted all of you to be able to try them

I’ll keep doing my best so that we can make more wonderful collaborations like these happen again someday!

At the recent miguri and other occasions, so many Ohisamas also talked to me about Hinata Fes, like,

“I bought a camera for the parade!”
“What should I write on my sketchbook?”
“When you spot me, please do this pose!”
“I’m going to wear this outfit!”
“That food is delicious, so you should definitely try it!”
“It’s your first Hinata Fes, I hope you'll have lots of fun!”

And so on… I received countless expressions of love and encouragement through Hinata Fes

That’s why, 

the moment I saw the word “cancelled,” it felt as though something inside me suddenly snapped.
It was like a powerful shock had suddenly struck my heart, which had been so calm until then

I simply couldn't find any words.
I didn't want to accept reality, and because of that, I found myself unable to think about anything at all

Precisely because being able to hold a festival like this is never something we can take for granted, it makes the pain and disappointment feel even greater.

Even so, Ohisamas continued to look forward and kept thinking about the future of Hinatazaka46 together with us.

More than anything, I’m filled with deep respect for everyone who carefully considered the safety concerns and so many other factors, deliberated over this decision, and ultimately made this difficult choice.

I sincerely pray for everyone's safety.
Please continue to put your safety above all else and take care of yourselves.

Because this is something caused by nature, we simply don’t know what might happen or how things will turn out. And yet, both we and all of you Ohisama had spent so much time preparing for this day,

I’m sure each and every one of us was going to make our way to Miyazaki carrying our own different feelings and expectations

Hinata Fes is something that everyone comes together to create, but the feelings and memories that remain in each person’s heart are unique to them

I felt like there was a huge empty space in my heart, but there’s nothing we can do except keep moving forward!!
Maybe that’s what we can do for now

I love every moment of the time we spent preparing, and all the feelings we shared with you along the way
I can proudly say that it was truly fun!

If rain falls in our hearts, then surely a great rainbow will appear beyond it!

Whether or not we can see that rainbow,

the time we spent together in the rain will never be meaningless.

You don’t have to force yourself to make the skies clear,
and you don’t need to make a whole bunch of teru-teru-bozu either

Let’s walk forward together, hoping that someday we’ll be able to look back and laugh, saying, “Maybe that rain wasn’t so bad after all.” Hinatazaka will always be right there by your side!

Whenever you start feeling anxious,
please look into the eyes of us who are standing beside you
We’ll definitely make you smile!

Even if we can’t meet, we’re all under the same sky!
When I miss you, I’ll look up at it too

Please don’t let the passionate fire that all of you have kept alive, building it up day after day together died
Let’s carry this fiery flame with us all the way to our next event!

I’m filled with gratitude toward everyone who was involved with Hinata Fes, as well as everyone who had planned to come and celebrate with us on the day of the festival.

Although we weren’t able to make the festival happen this time, I’ll continue giving it my all, carrying with me all the strength and support that everyone has given us throughout this journey!!

I’m sure there are many different people who have been supporting us all along, those who may have become interested in us because of Hinata Fes, and those who had planned to come see us for the very first time

I would be so happy if you would continue to walk alongside us, hand in hand, just as you always have

Hinatazaka won’t lose to a mere typhoon
There are still so many events to look forward to this year!

I want to carry all the feelings you’ve shared with us in my heart and make the most of each and every day.
Hoping that your everyday lives will continue to be filled with smiles

Let’s definitely meet again in Miyazaki.
To everyone in Miyazaki,
and to Hii-kun, Muu-chan, and Kaa-kun as well,
please stay well and take care of yourselves.

I’m sure we’ll meet again someday!

The side ponytail I was planning to wear for my very first Hinata Fes!

To everyone who had a busy day with work, everyday life, school, or anything else—great job today! Let’s do our best together again tomorrow!
And to those of you who still have work or plans ahead of you, let’s do our best together! 🌟

I’ll be cheering you on the whole time, shouting,
“You can do it!!!”
Sakura is watching over all your hard work, okay?.

I hope tomorrow will be another wonderful day for you.

Thank you so, so much for reading !!!!

See you again

Let’s be full of energy and SakuLovely again tomorrow ( ̳- ·̫ - ̳ˆ )◞❤︎

#sakulovelog

99Saku