Beneath The Fireworks

Both of them were pretty stunned. The image of him laughing ignited a flame inside her heart.

“Kimura-san, shall we go together to the Summer festival?” Ayane asked impulsively. Realizing that she might have been too bold, she added, “Me, you and Natsume...”

Akihiro looked at Ayane. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when suddenly Natsume jumped out of the corner screaming, “YES YES YES!!”

“NATSUME?! You scared me! How do you pop out of nowhere every time we talk??” Ayane exclaimed as she tried to calm herself down.

“Ahahaha, I had come up to tell you that the teachers have started patrolling, but the conversation was too interesting so I didn’t stop you both.” Natsume said.

“Oh shit, the teachers have started patrolling, let’s go!” Ayane ordered and they immediately left the terrace.

----

The next morning had arrived. The field trip had finally come to an end and it was time for them to return home. Akihiro packed his stuff and waited in his room while Natsume had snuck out to buy some more chocolate and apples. Only Mizouchi was sitting next to Akihiro, both of them waiting for the teacher’s orders to assemble.

“Where did you go yesterday night?” Mizouchi asked.

“The terrace. Ayane was waiting for me there.” Akihiro replied

Mizouchi’s expression turned sour.

“Do you like Ayane?” Mizouchi asked.

“I… I don’t know”

“THEN YOU BETTER FIND OUT! If you don’t like her, stay away from her. Don’t give her the wrong idea!” Mizouchi shouted. Akihiro didn’t react. He just remained silent.

“Sorry I shouldn’t have shouted,” Mizouchi said.

“No it’s okay, you have a point.”

Mizouchi didn’t say anything, and walked out of the room, leaving Akihiro alone to think by himself.

----

The summer festival had finally arrived. Natsume and Akihiro were waiting at the station for Ayane.

“She said she’s gonna wear something beautiful,” Natsume said. “Isn’t it kinda weird that most women wear kimonos while we just wear a bland t-shirt?”

“Yea it’s weird... Oh look, Ayane is here!” Akihiro exclaimed.

Ayane had just reached up to them. She looked absolutely stunning in her dazzling blue kimono.

“How do I look?” Ayane asked as she lifted her sleeves and twirled around. The last rays of the sun and the lights from the stalls reflected off her kimono, making the dress glimmer in the evening sky. Akihiro was amazed. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“You said you were going to wear something beautiful. I was expecting a bunny girl costume. I’m truly disappointed, Princess of the Crimson Red Flame...” Natsume joked.

“Pervert!” Ayane said and twirled again and looked at Akihiro for his comment.

“You are glowing,” Akihiro said, struggling to find the right words to describe her look.

“What!” Ayane said as she laughed. Akihiro still couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Oh that’s Rumi with her friends,” Natsume said as he pointed to a group of girls in kimonos and waved. Rumi noticed Natsume waving his hand and parted with her friends, and came towards them.

Natsume might have had his fair share of problems with Rumi, but he didn’t dislike her.

“Yo Rumi, it’s been a long time right?” Natsume greeted.

Rumi completely ignored him and moved towards Ayane.

“I just wanted to tell you that I’m very sorry for my actions. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have bullied you. I shouldn’t have spread rumours about you like that. I was just so jealous of you. I was in the wrong. I’m really sorry.” Rumi apologised as she lowered her head and bowed down.

Ayane was about to say something when Natsume interrupted “Don’t worry, she really knows what she did was wrong. It’s not gonna be easy to suddenly change, but gradually as time passes, she is bound to change. Right Rumi?”

“Ah…Yea” Rumi wasn’t expecting Natsume to cover for her.

“Well it’s okay, it’s all in the past. As long as you don’t do it again, it’s fine.” Ayane said as she smiled.

“Yea I won’t do it again.”

“Rumi, why don’t you hang out with us today? It’s been so long after all.” Natsume said.

Rumi looked at Ayane for approval.

“Oh yea sure, that's fine with me,” Ayane said.

No one knew what Natsume was scheming again.

The four of them walked along the path lined by busy stalls. Candied apples, homemade chocolates, ramen, meat buns, sushi etc were sold everywhere.

The loud noises, people dancing and singing etc all added to the festive atmosphere.

“Oh, a shooting game! Akihiro, do you wanna try?” Ayane exclaimed.

Akihiro took up the gun and aimed.

Bang.

Bang.

Bang.

Perfect score. Akihiro effortlessly won the first prize which was a scarlet red pendant.

“I think this would look better on you,” Akihiro said as he wrapped it around her neck. Her cheeks turned red instantly.

“I.. err… oh chocolates, let’s go have some.” Ayane stuttered. Akihiro’s actions had made her heart pound so hard she started worrying if he could hear it.

Nervously, she made her way to the chocolate stand and bought three attractive and luscious candy sticks and walked back to them.

“Kimura-san, here is yours!” Ayane said as she passed a candy stick to him and the other to Rumi.

“Thanks.” they both said together in sync as they gratefully accepted it.

“Wait, what about me?” Natsume interrupted.

Ayane stuck out her tongue like a small child and then laughed, “Hahaha, the fireworks are going to start. Let’s find a place to sit and watch them.”

“Ah yea...it’s so crowded,” Rumi said.

Natsume moved closer to Akihiro, and whispered, “Just flow with the river, Aki-kun.”

He then stood next to Rumi. “Let’s split up into two pairs and go search for a spot. The pair which finds a spot first calls the other pair and then we sit and watch the fireworks together. Okay?” Natsume suggested.

The four of them agreed and split into two teams.

Rumi and Natsume went in search of a spot while Akihiro and Ayane were left alone together.

“Hands…” Ayane mumbled.

“Huh?”
“Look, there are so many people. Let’s hold hands so that we don’t lose each other.” Ayane said as she nervously offered her palm.

‘So that we don’t lose each other...’

These words rang through his head as he grabbed her hand gently. They walked through the crowd but to Akihiro, no one existed other than the person next to him. In that very moment, it felt as if the entire world had stopped as they both walked together side by side.

“Oh, there’s a spot there!” Ayane said as she pointed towards an empty spot on the grass.

“Oh yea...” Akihiro had noticed the spot earlier but had chosen not to mention it as his heart wished to continue walking along and not let go of her hand.

“Let me call Natsume. I don’t have Rumi’s number.” Ayane said as she began dialling his number.

Unlike Akihiro, she didn’t realize that Natsume never planned on finding a spot in the first place. Natsume and Rumi were watching them from afar but Akihiro chose not to mention this too.

“Ahh, he’s not picking up. Do you have Rumi’s number?” Ayane asked

“Nope.”

“Oh speaking of that, I don’t even have your number. If you don’t mind, can you tell me yours? I-its just for emergency purposes! What if you get lost?” she frantically tried explaining.

Akihiro smiled as he took her phone and dialed his number into it. “There you go.”

Ayane was blushing even more now. “Y-yea let’s sit and wait for them to come”

“Yea”

They sat down and looked at the sky, waiting for the fireworks to start. Their fingers were still entwined amongst each other.

“Why are you sitting so far away? C’mon sit here.” Akihiro said as he tapped the space right next to him. Ayane couldn’t say no. In fact, she didn’t want to say no. She moved closer, right next to him. Her shoulders grazed Akihiro's as they sat together.

‘I just wish this would continue forever.’

The fireworks had just started. The fireworks rose from the ground, illuminating the dark sky with vibrant hues in beautiful patterns.

Everyone around them was focused on the sky.

“Ayane…This might sound contradicting; it’s something I don’t understand either. Whenever I’m with you, even now, my heart beats like crazy, yet I feel warm and calm inside.”

Ayane couldn’t believe he said that. Her heart skipped a beat. Akihiro leaned his head on her shoulder.

‘Ahh I like this smell too’

Akihiro continued, “When I’m around you, my head hurts, but my body is happy. Ever since I met you, my emotions have gone haywire. That day when you got upset and ran away…for some reason, I felt empty inside.”

His nose brushed against her neck as he moved his lips close to her cheeks. Her eyes, which were still looking up at the fireworks, had begun to tear up.

“Ayane, whenever I’m with you, I feel a variety of emotions. I want to continue experiencing these emotions forever.”

“I feel the same too. Right now, my heart is beating so fast. Yet I still want to stay like this forever.” she said as she brought his hand closer to her heart. “Can you feel it?”

She looked at him, their eyes staring into each other. She didn’t feel embarrassed this time.

Her heart was racing, at the same rate as Akihiro’s heart.

The biggest firework of the festival had just been fired. It travelled up into the sky.

‘Just go with the flow, Aki-kun.’

Natsume’s advice resonated within his mind.

‘Where is the river heading?’

He decided to stop restraining himself and his emotions anymore. Her eyes, her smile, just everything about her, made him feel out of the world. Their heartbeats and emotions were all in sync. The river that Akihiro had been trying to control all this while had just broken through.

The fireworks rose through the clouds and separated into little dazzling sparks, blazing into all sorts of colours and lighting the whole sky at once.

Amidst the bustling crowd, sitting below the night sky filled with vibrant colours, Akihiro lowered his lips to hers. The noises, colours, everything had faded away as they kissed, conveying their feelings for each other.