We ate some fried salmon balls and squid skewers and played at some game stalls: we didn’t win anything, but we were too busy laughing to care.
We went on the merry-go-round too, and then we saw poor Ventus in his casual clothes being forcefully carried on the shoulders of a muscular man, with some more like him all around. Considering what’s common knowledge about him, he probably tried to sneak around to get some food and got found out.
For the first time ever, I heard Inami raise her voice, and even shout: “VENTUS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”
He turned his head in our direction to reply, “HEY, THANK YOU!” - then he notices me and winks, although I barely noticed because the men didn’t care to stop. Poor dude.

The speakers give an announcement. “The fireworks will start in 30 minutes, feel free to move to the viewing area.”
Inami looks at me, “are we going?”
I already planned for this. “We can, if you want to, but it’s usually a mess, most people already secured their spot. I know the perfect place, if you don’t mind leaving the festival.”
“Sure, let’s go!”
It didn’t take long to get to my house, but I only realized what I just did after we started walking up the stairs. “Ah, maybe I should’ve told you that I meant my house.”
She shakes her head, “it’s ok, I was hoping to come visit anyway” - I felt her grip get a bit tighter for a second, though. My hand is probably trembling too.
We walk up the stairs and get to my apartment on the second floor. I’m not particularly messy, but I made sure to clean up before. The balcony is right in front of the river, my friends and I always watch the fireworks from here. “This is the perfect spot, I got so lucky when I moved here.”
I let her sit on the sofa as I make us some tea since we still have some time. “Where’s Kai?”
I point at the corridor, “he’s in his carrier in the bathroom, so he doesn’t get scared by the fireworks. Although he doesn’t seem to care.”
She said she didn’t mind all the people at the festival, but I can hear from her voice that she’s way more relaxed here. “Ahh… it’s been a while since I had such a fun day. I’m always busy at the café, and that’s fun too, but this is just a different kind of fun.”
I smile behind the counter, “I’m glad we spent this day together then.”
She sits backwards to look at me. “Let’s do this again, even without a festival, or going to the garden. Although I want to go back there during spring.”
I giggle, “that’d be just us walking around the city then!”
She looks me right into my eyes, with her unique thin smile. “That’s all I want.”
I wonder if anyone else can notice it other than me, it’s so faint to the eye but so loud to my heart. Everyone needs to see it and be enchanted by its subtle beauty, but I also feel the selfish urge to keep it for myself, I want to feel special for being the only one that can be blessed by it.
We drink our tea in silence, until the increasing noise of the people reminds me of the fireworks. “Let’s move outside.”
We barely make it to the balcony in time: as soon as we get comfortable on the railing, the fireworks start shooting up in the sky. We’re holding our hands again, and almost holding our breath too. The fireworks don’t mean much to me, as I’ve seen them so many times and I don’t particularly enjoy loud noises. But having her by my side right now is making me feel all sorts of things. I can’t help but leave her hand so I can get closer and wrap my arm around her. She doesn’t say anything, and instead starts leaning on me. Time passes without either of us feeling its flow, the fireworks come to a stop too, and neither of us manages to say a word or move a muscle for a while, until she does. “I’m still waiting, Rori. I don’t mention it, I don’t want to make you feel pressured. But I wait, and I think about it every day. I think about you. I’ll still wait for as long as you need. And I hope that you think about it, about me, every day too.”
She turns my hold into a hug, a tight, lovely hug, with her head pressed on my chest. I caress her smooth hair, so soft to the touch. “I do, at every moment. I feel like I’m being unfair and even mean to you, I wanted to be sure of my feelings exactly because I don’t wanna hurt you, because you’re so important to me.”
She looks up to my face, “that’s already half an answer, you know? But I’m happy with this for now,” and she goes back on my chest. “Your heart too, it’s saying the same thing.”
I know, it’s about to burst. I get it, the moment has come to muster all my courage. “I think I might have the other half of the answer too. What do you say, should we go get it?”

I’m so damn thankful that I keep my car clean, and the fact that I don’t use it often helps. I was supposed to bring her back home anyway, but I took the usual detour. I hope to make it a surprise since she only saw this road once and from the opposite side, but she’s so perceptive I might not be able to fool her.
“It was a lovely day. But that city is way too much for someone like me.”
I know that feeling, I went through the same feeling when I moved. “Too many people?”
“Yeah. Being with people wears me down, and being blasted by the blooming lights of the city kinda made me feel anxious, like I was in the spotlight. I was surrounded by what to me were nothing but blank faces. But it was so much better at the festival, people actually wanted to be there and I could feel it in the air. You know, I got the café so that I could expose myself more to people and get used to them, and it worked. Now I like being with people more than I used to. But I still have my limits.”
So she really is an introvert, I wouldn’t have guessed. “Well, I hope everything else was fun.”
“It was. I’m so happy right now. Yaaawn… Thank you, Rori…” And with that, she fell asleep. Is… is this good? Maybe I should call the thing off? No, wait. This actually works well for me, she can’t see where I’m taking her if she’s sleeping.
It’s such a shame that it’s almost new moon, I really wanted her to see this place with the light of the full moon; however, this opened up to a new opportunity. We’re here, and I have a torch. I tap on her shoulder and cover her eyes with my hands, “we’re here. Keep your eyes closed and give me your hand, I’ll guide you.”
She’s walking behind me, with a firm hold on my hand. “Look, I don’t want to spoil it but… you know I have a nose, right?”
I chuckle, “don’t worry, that was only a part of the surprise.”
We’re at the bench. I help her sit, still with her eyes closed. I turn the light off and sit beside her, waiting for the eye I kept open to get used to the dark. “You can open them now.”
Right in front of us, here at the lavender field, is the most beautiful night sky I’ve ever seen. So many stars together, we can even see a bit of the milky way, and there’s not a single cloud. It’s like this night was made just for the two of us.
She sniffles, and I see a tear running down her face. “How do you even manage to pick the right moment for everything?”
I dry it with my thumb, “this time it was just dumb luck.”
We both start laughing, only the gods know why the most serious moments end up like this whenever I’m with her. But I don’t mind it at all. This is what I always look forward to when she’s by my side. I get up and give her a kiss on her forehead, a long, long kiss, because I know that the moment my lips leave her, I’ll have to speak. But I can’t stay like this forever, the words are pushing from deep down my throat, I need to tell her everything. “I don’t know if I’m good at this, I still have a lot to learn about you, and I fear that I might hurt you. But if ever I do, I want to do everything I can to make up for it. So let’s do our best together to love each other, Inami.”
She looks at me speechless, before turning to her usual faint smile and kissing me on the lips. “That’s how you do it properly, coward~”
She didn’t do anything I wasn’t expecting, but I was longing for this and my heart stopped anyway, my legs are still paralyzed, the whole world all around us disappeared. But I kissed her back as soon as my senses came back. “I know, it was planned. I just love it when you take the initiative.”
We keep gazing into each other’s eyes, maybe it was just a moment, maybe it lasted for countless hours. I kiss her on the nose to bring us back to reality. “… Pff! You did it again!”
Just like that, we go back to laughing our hearts out, making fun of the whole situation, despite having finally reached the turning point we were looking forward to. The stars look down on us, but that’s just how we are.