Lost in Wonder

As the clock struck six in the evening, the first day of the festival came to an end. As expected, it was a grand success.

The sun was already gone, replaced by a dark and cloudy sky.

"Phew... What a long day," Haruto said as he shut down the stall. "How are you feeling, Kazuha?"

"Tired as hell."

"Oh, come on. Compared to what everyone else had to do, this was nothing. I mean, you sat on your ass the whole day."

"Yeah, well... Different environment, I guess. I've never been to a festival before, mostly because I'm not fond of crowds. Too many people, too much body heat, too loud. If I have to choose between that and rotting in bed, I would much rather rot in bed. No second thoughts."

"You're such a homebody, it's insane."

He turned his head.

"What about you, Kanon? Feeling alright?"

She didn't reply, as she was hard at work, scribbling on what was probably her tenth Ema charm today.

"Kanon?" Haruto said.

"One sec," she replied, still scribbling. "And... Done."

Kanon twirled in her seat and handed the finished Ema to Haruto.

"Huh? This is...?" he mumbled, taking it.

"A gift," she smiled. "Remember when you cancelled on me at the last minute? A simple apology would've been enough, but you went through the effort of making me a charm, which... Heh. I can tell that yarn work isn't a strong skill of yours."

"I... tried..."

"Obviously. That's why I'm returning the favor."

Curious, I peeked over Haruto's shoulder to check out the Ema. Just like every time Kanon picks up an art hobby, it was beautifully made. The most I could make out from here was two hands reaching for one star in the center.

I couldn't help but scoff, because at this point, Kanon is giving him every hint. Then again, I didn't have a right to. After all, I had been avoiding every hint when it came to Chihara.

"T-thanks... Kanon," Haruto said, sheepish to the point that I almost couldn't tell it was real.

"Hehe. Why are you being so weird?" she giggled. "Come on. Let's close down shop so we can chill somewhere. You guys down for karaoke?"

Before I could reply, Haruto turned away from Kanon's sight while staring me down with a look that begged me for something. Even before I had time to process it, I already knew what it was.

"Unfortunately, I have plans for tonight," I said, but that was a total lie.

"Hmph. Figured," Kanon sighed. "Got a girl, and suddenly, you're too busy for your best friends. Oh, what a cruel world."

"It's not like that, Kanon..."

"Pfft. I'm just messing with you. What about you, Haruto? Are you gonna pussy out on me like you did when I invited you out for boba?"

Watching him hesitate was like having premier seats at a drama show. It was funny, but equally worrying. As funny as it was, I hoped he wouldn't fumble.

"...Yeah," Haruto said. "I'm down."

"Sweet. Let's move out, then."

After finishing up with cleaning the stall, we said our farewells. Instead of going home right away, I sat down for a bit longer. Some students were shutting down their stalls while others indulged in a few activities for the hell of it.

I stayed like that for a while, eventually shutting my eyes to take in the cold air... until my phone dinged.

[Chihara]: "Are you still at the festival?"

[Kinoshita]: "Yeah, I am. Just resting. What about you?"

She'd read my text, but she didn't reply. There wasn't even an indicator to show that she was typing back. Then, out of the blue, my phone rang, and Chihara's name popped up alongside her phone number.

I picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kinoshita!" she exclaimed so loud that I had to pull the phone back a little. "Since you don't do well in crowds, I thought I'd check if you were still alive."

"Oh, come on. I may not be the most extroverted person in the world, but I'm not gonna die over something like this."

"Who knows? You almost did at the mall."

"That's because of you."

"Aww, you don't mean that."

"I might."

Chihara giggled, and... It was weird. Just hearing it, even through the phone, left this funny little feeling in my chest.

"Oh! My bad," she said. "To answer your question, I'm not there anymore. My friends wanted to go out to eat, so I'm being dragged out against my will. They're paying for me, though, so I guess that's a plus."

"I see. Well, don't let me keep you. Have fun."

"Mhm! And before I forget... Are you gonna be outside tonight, Kinoshita?"

"Hmm... That depends on whether you'll be."

"Ah, actually, I was gonna tell you that I won't be. After today, I think I can confidently say that I'll never apply to work at a boba shop. I'm so~ freaking tired, and now I have to go out with my friends, so I'm gonna be way too exhausted. I'll probably knock out as soon as I get home. Sorry, Kinoshita."

"Why are you apologizing for something like that? Don't worry about it. I completely understand."

"Thanks, Kinoshita. So... I'll... see you tomorrow?"

"...Yeah. See you then, Chihara."

With that, I hung up.

By now, most of the festival ground was empty, save for a few students who had to shut down some of the bigger stalls. Surprisingly, the sidewalks were clean. I half-expected a bunch of trash by the end of the day, but thankfully, people know basic decency. 

With the sun completely gone, the cold came back. Didn't mind it, though.

I always enjoyed the cold, but I never really stopped to think about it. It was kind of just... there, in the background, kind of like her.

How long had we been in the same class and never known it?

"Since the beginning of the fall term" is what Haruto had told me, but I wonder if we'd ever seen each other in passing before then. Like... During summer break, or even some time in the spring term.

Maybe we did, but I wasn't very... attentive back then.

What would it have been like if we had met just a little earlier? I imagine it would've been a different dynamic. After all, our bond started after we both got cheated on. At the same time. In the same dormitory unit.

No matter how I look at it, that is such a crazy coincidence. But I'd be lying if I said I prefer it any other way.

Suddenly, my phone dinged. I pulled it out and opened up my messages with Chihara. She had sent a selfie, posing on a bridge, holding a peace sign while smiling.

[Kinoshita]: "Oh, that's a nice place. Where is this at?"

[Chihara]: "A little outside the campus. Anyway, is there anything else that sticks out to you?"

[Kinoshita]: "What is this? You fishing for compliments or something?"

[Chihara]: "What?! Of course not! I just took a picture, and I figured I'd share it. But... I'll take a compliment if you care to give one, though."

The shy bunny emoji sealed the deal. There was no backing out of this.

[Kinoshita]: "Hmm... What can I possibly say that's not already obvious?"

[Chihara]: "What is obvious is subjective. Personally, I don't think it's that obvious, so you're gonna have to be a little bit more specific."

I couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

This is really happening, isn't it? What can I even say here? Actually, there are many things I can say. I'm just not sure if she'll like it. Maybe just this once... I'll try something a little different.

[Kinoshita]: "You look pretty."

For a while, she didn't reply, but she definitely read it. Then, out of nowhere, she was calling me again.

"Hello?" I said as I picked up.

"Kinoshita..." she whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You mean it?"

"Of course I do."

"You're not just saying that to get on my good side, right? It's not just lip service?"

"One of my flaws is that I don't really care about getting on people's good side, but the payoff is that I won't lie if I genuinely mean something. So... No, it wasn't just lip service."

Just then, I heard a slight gasp in the background through the phone.

"Chihara," I sighed.

"Y-yes?"

"Am I on speaker?"

A long silence followed before she said, "Um... Maybe?"

"Pfft, that's crazy. Hello, everyone."

At the same time, they shouted, "Hi, Senpai!"

"Heh. Anyway, I'm gonna head home now. Have a good night, Chihara."

"Oh! Yeah," she replied. "You too, Kinoshita."

After hanging up, I couldn't get up. My legs wouldn't move. Was it because of the cold?

Yeah... Maybe it is.