Chapter 19: — “Fireworks and Feelings”

The air had cooled slightly as the sun dipped beneath the horizon, leaving behind a golden afterglow that smeared across the sky. The Tanabata Festival buzzed faintly in the distance, its laughter, music, and bursts of color slowly fading behind Mika and Riku as they followed a narrow, worn path uphill, away from the crowds and noise.

“Are you sure it’s up this way?” Mika asked, carefully stepping over a tree root hidden in the grass.

“Yeah,” Riku replied, looking over his shoulder. “I checked it out last year with my dad. It’s quiet, not many people go up here.”

Mika nodded, hugging her arms a little as the breeze picked up. Her yukata fluttered lightly around her legs, the faint scent of sakura still clinging to her hair. Even with the sound of the festival growing distant behind them, her heart wasn’t calming down.

Not because of the climb.

Because of him.

Riku in a yukata was something she hadn’t mentally prepared for. His normally unruly hair had been tamed, swept to the side just enough to make him look mature. His thin-rimmed glasses reflected the last bits of daylight, catching gold and orange hues as he walked ahead of her.

Mika swallowed. Okay. Calm down. This isn’t a date. It’s just a friend inviting another friend to a festival.

Still, no matter how many times she told herself that, her thoughts kept looping.

He asked me. Not someone cooler, not someone prettier… just me.

When they finally reached the clearing, it was like stepping into a different world. A wide hilltop stretched out in front of them, blanketed in soft grass and surrounded by tall trees swaying gently in the breeze. Below them, the town lights sparkled like a second sky. Fireflies blinked lazily around them, weaving between leaves and tall grass like floating stars.

“Here,” Riku said, unfolding a thin blanket and laying it on the ground. “Perfect view.”

Mika slowly lowered herself beside him, smoothing out her yukata as she sat. Her hands fidgeted with the fabric on her lap, nerves tapping inside her chest like a small drum.

Neither of them spoke for a moment.

The silence wasn’t awkward, it was peaceful. A kind of quiet that only came when you felt comfortable next to someone, even if your heart was racing.

Riku glanced at her briefly, then looked back toward the horizon. “You really do look nice, by the way.”

Mika blinked, caught off guard. “Huh?”

He gave a small shrug. “Your hair. Makeup. Everything. I didn’t say it earlier, but… it suits you.”

Heat surged up her neck and bloomed across her cheeks like wildfire. “O-Oh. Thanks.”

She turned her face away, pretending to look at the town below, but in reality, she was trying to breathe.

He noticed. He actually noticed…

She bit her lower lip to stop herself from grinning too obviously. Just the sound of him saying she looked nice, so casually, like it was just a fact, had her blushing like a lovestruck fool.

Meanwhile, Riku, pushed up his glasses and glanced down at his lap.

She really went all out, he thought. She always looks cute, but tonight… she really put in effort.

He didn’t know what else to say. His mouth opened, but the words slipped away, unspoken.

They sat in silence again, the soft hum of cicadas filling the air around them. Then, suddenly—

CRACK!

The sky lit up in a brilliant burst of red and gold. Mika flinched slightly before looking up, eyes wide.

“Oh…”

One by one, the fireworks launched into the night, painting the sky in waves of color, crimson flowers, sapphire rings, golden waterfalls. Each one louder and more beautiful than the last.

Mika sat forward slightly, resting her hands behind her on the blanket, her face illuminated in flickering light. “They’re beautiful,” she whispered.

Riku wasn’t looking at the sky.

He was looking at her.

The way her eyes sparkled with each explosion. The way her hair caught the glow like stardust. He didn’t say anything. Just memorized the moment quietly.

And Mika, lost in the sky’s performance, didn’t notice the way he looked at her.

Not yet.

The fireworks lasted a little longer than expected, lighting up the whole hillside in color. Then the finale came, an entire sky full of golden lights, cascading down like a celestial waterfall.

Mika gasped softly, her hands pressed to her chest.

And as the final firework faded, a warm silence settled between them again, heavier this time. Full of thoughts neither could say aloud.

“Thanks,” Mika said softly. “For bringing me here.”

Riku turned to her, surprised. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“I do,” she said, hugging her knees. “This… this meant more to me than you know.”

He looked at her, eyes soft. “I’m glad.”

Their shoulders brushed slightly.

Neither pulled away.

No one confessed.

No words like “I like you” were spoken.

But so much was left unsaid, and it lingered in the air.

And maybe… that was enough for now.