Chapter 28: The Bench, Again

"Hana-chan. I’d like to go back to where we watched the fireworks."

She glanced at my ankle. “Are you sure? There are steps, Ryo-kun.”

"I’m sure. That’s the least of my concerns right now." I chuckled.

Wait till the painkillers wear off.

We made our way toward the festival entrance, passing Shimizu and the others.

"Ryo. Leaving already?" Kenji asked.

I shook my head and looked at Shimizu. “I’m going to the island shrine, Shimizu-san.”

Shimizu smiled broadly and nodded. “Leave the rest to me, Ryo-kun. Go do what you need to do.”

The others wore puzzled expressions as Shimizu ushered them along. We started the slow journey to the shrine.

The crowd thinned around us as the summer sky shifted to gold and orange. The road felt longer than I remembered, but I knew exactly where I was headed and why.

Days ago I was still wavering between choices — to run away, do nothing, or confess. Nearly missing the festival settled it. We only really know what we want when we almost lose it.

No more running, Ryo.

I hobbled up the slope toward the steps. Just before we reached them, Hana tugged my sleeve.

"Ryo-kun… give me your arm."

"Hana-chan. I’m all sweaty and—"

She was not asking. She took my arm and put it across her shoulders.

This… isn’t bad.

We went up one step at a time. Slow and deliberate. Eventually we reached the familiar bench and sat down, both a little out of breath.

"Thanks, Hana-chan. I must have been heavy. And smelly."

"It’s okay. I didn’t mind."

You could’ve denied the smelly part, at least.

"I’m sorry for being late today, Hana-chan."

"You saw the final dance. That’s enough, Ryo-kun. I know you did your best to come."

I paused. The afternoon was still very fresh. “I really did. And… I’ve been running away for a long time. Up until today.”

Hana looked up at me.

"Hana-chan. You like me, don’t you?"

Her face went red, and she looked at the ground. “Ryo-kun… usually the confession isn’t done on behalf of the other person…”

"Ah — right, sorry—" I scratched the back of my head and cleared my throat.

"Hana-chan. I’ve been an idiot. I’m still an idiot." I smiled at that. "Looking back now, the signs were everywhere. Even Sachi-chan was obvious about it. But I’d been too focused on my own feelings for Yuki-chan to see any of it."

Hana’s hands gripped each other tightly at her sister’s name. Her eyes stayed on the ground.

"Now that I know how you feel… I have to respond. I can’t afford to be too late twice."

A pause.

"Before I confess… Oh. Scratch that!"

Hana’s eyes went wide. Then she laughed. A soft, warm laugh that lifted everything right out of the air.

"Ryo-kun. I’m not going anywhere tonight. Take your time." She smiled.

Thump.

"Before I… confess… I need to know something… Why do you like me? And since when?"

Hana sighed, with a fond kind of exasperation. “You’re still making me go first… Fine. I don’t think things will move otherwise.”

She looked at me for a moment, then turned to face the bay. Night was settling in, and the last of the sunlight still sat in the sky above the water.

"I don’t know when it started, Ryo-kun. It just… felt natural. I liked seeing you smile. The goofy side of you with onii-chan. The awkward side of you around onee-san. Before I knew it, I was just… hoping to see more of you."

She smiled as she continued.

"It didn’t take long to realise the feelings were becoming something more. But I always wanted things to work out between you and onee-san. I didn’t feel like I had the right to those feelings. It was Sachi-chan who told me otherwise."

I watched her as she spoke.

"Sachi-chan was so supportive. Especially after you left. She didn’t fully understand what I saw in you…" Hana laughed softly. "But she just wanted me to be happy. And you too."

I nodded slowly.

"Ryo-kun. Before I answer the rest of your question — can I ask you something first?"

"Yeah. Anything."

"Did you ever suspect… anything? Along the way?" She blushed as she asked. Her hand drifted to her ear without her noticing.

I paused. "There were moments. The bus trips to and from the campsite. The fireworks festival. The earrings. When you had a fever… But I kept pushing it away because I thought I was disloyal to Yuki-chan…" My words faded as I ended my sentence.

"I understand. I pushed my feelings away too, for onee-san’s sake. But Sachi-chan had different ideas about that."

"I think Shimizu-san knew too."

Hana’s eyes went wide. “His instincts are unsettling.”

"Tell me about it. I wouldn’t be here without him tonight. So… what do you like about me?"

Hana laughed slightly. “You’re not letting that go.”

"I’m not letting go of anything now." I looked at her.

She held my gaze for a moment, then looked away, slightly flustered. “I like how sincere you are. You never tried to lie your way out of anything. You weren’t always the bravest. But you make the people around you feel… safe. Happy. At ease. And I like that you can be an idiot sometimes. It’s a little bit cute. Don’t let that get to your head though.”

Silence.

"So… that’s it." I said.

"That’s it." Hana gulped. She knew what was coming.

"Hana-chan… Like you said, I’m an idiot. I still have lingering feelings for Yuki-chan. And I’m still learning not to run away from things. But because of the people around me, I have another chance to do something right."

"This has been the most eventful summer of my life. The summer I found out that I liked someone both new and familiar to me."

Hana’s breath caught. She held her yukata tightly.

My heart rate was somewhere it shouldn’t have been. My face felt warm. “Ha— Hana-chan. I really like you. W— w—”

She turned toward me slightly, lips pressed together in a thin line.

"W-will you go out with me?" I blurted out the words in one go.

Hana took a deep breath.

"Yes, Ryo-kun... I am in your care."

She looked up at me. That thin line slowly curved into a smile. A bright, full smile — the kind that had been waiting years for exactly those words. Her eyes began to shimmer, and tears slid quietly down her face.

"Hana-chan? A-are you alright?" I stammered. My eyes also started to glisten from the weight of emotions.

She nodded, still smiling. “Ryo-kun. I like you too.”

Thump.