Fireworks and Mystery

"We thought you’d lock yourselves in your room for the rest of the day," Koichi jokes with a smirk.

It was already 1 p.m. when Nozomi and I arrived at the family restaurant. Even though I already told them that we fell asleep, Koichi wouldn’t give me a break with his teasing. As for Nozomi, she was busy eating and would only gaze at me from time to time.

After lunch, we finally went to the beach. We set up two umbrellas and laid down the cloths. We all went swimming except Nozomi, who stayed under the umbrella watching us and taking pictures. There’s a moment when I notice Yumi sit down beside her. They seem to be talking seriously and I don’t want to disturb them so I stay in the shore for as long as I can.

Then Ryu approaches me and ask,

"What are the odds that the two of them actually know each other?"

So, you noticed it too?"

"The only way to know is to ask but if they do know each other and refuse to tell us, then maybe we shouldn’t pry. It’s not my concern anyway. She’s your girlfriend."

"It’s not a big deal for me. I’m just a little curious. She’ll tell me if it’s necessary."

She’s too perceptive to not realize that I’ve been looking at them with burning curiosity.

After swimming, sunbathing, and other activities, the sun slowly goes down, and we decide to pack up. We head to the same family restaurant where we ate lunch for our dinner. However, on our way there, I notice how Nozomi’s hand seem tensed while I am holding it. She also looks behind a few times. As the rest of my friends walk ahead of us, Nozomi halts to look behind us.

"What’s wrong?" I ask, feeling a little anxious about her behavior.

"I feel like someone has been watching me. I’ve been feeling it since we were at the beach."

She looks at me, looking scared and anxious. I hold her hand tightly and look around. The place is still full of tourists, despite the time. I don’t see anyone looking suspicious, but I have to stay alert just in case.

You should never underestimate a woman’s intuition.

My mother would often tell me that whenever we were out and about. She said that she had kept me safe from pregnancy to raising me using her sharp intuition. If something feels wrong, keep your guard up, she said.

"I think it’s better to stay with the group. I’ll alert them about the situation. Don’t worry. My friends are annoyingly nosy, but they’re reliable in this type of situation."

Anxiety is still in her eyes, but her lips curve up a little.

"You’re still annoyed that they were teasing you for arriving late for lunch."

We continue to walk with me on full alert.

"We both arrived late, and I was the only one being teased."

"It’s because you’re the guy."

"Their minds need some vacuuming for being dirty."

Nozomi laughs as if I said the funniest joke. I didn’t even mean it as a joke.

"What’s funny about it?"

She wipes her eyelids and says, "I don’t know, but I find it funny. A lot of people tell me that my humor is strange. I laugh at the most random things."

"It’s more like you’re born as a ball of sunshine. You find positivity in everything."

"Isn’t that a good thing? If we can find happiness in everything, we will be happy every day in our relationship. We can go through anything and overcome it."

"Life isn’t always that easy, though."

I don’t intend to change the mood, but I guess I’m just good at that. Nozomi’s outlook on life is unrealistic, in my opinion. If life were that easy, nobody would fall into the depths of depression.

I don't want fall that deep into hell again.

"I know it isn’t," Nozomi says.

"It isn’t easy when you’re alone. But we have each other, right? Isn’t it easier to lift anything that is heavy if there are two people carrying it?"

Her words pierce through my heart, but instead of causing pain, they give me relief.

I’m not alone… anymore.

I’m used to seeing people who are dear to me, leave me behind — for good. I’m so used to it that I thought I was already numb to it. But hearing Nozomi say those words, I realize that the fear is still inside me, but somehow, all that matters right now is that she’s here with me. I want to protect her from everything — from danger, from loneliness, and from the world. I want her to always shine as brightly as the sun. I’ll do everything to keep her happy.

"You know, you’re also a show-off," I tell her.

She looks at me in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"You show off with your personality. It makes me fall in love with you more. It’s kind of unfair."

I hear her gasp, and she lightly punches my arm.

"You’re the one showing off. Stop saying embarrassing things. We’re also out in public."

"That’s the problem. I need to verbalize it since I can’t kiss you right now."

"You’re shameless," she says, but she moves closer to me.

It must be nice to be like this forever, if it’s possible.

When we arrive at the restaurant, I tell everyone about the situation. To our relief, we finish dinner and leave the restaurant without having an unnecessary encounter with a stalker or any other strange person. Our first day ends almost uneventfully.

The next morning, I woke up to Nozomi shaking me with an anxious expression again.

"What is it?" I open one eye and rub the other.

"An unknown number just missed call me and sent me a blank messages," she says then shows me her phone. I get up and check it. The unknown number didn’t just miss call once but multiple times with a few minutes' interval.

I prop myself up and check her phone again.

"Are you sure this isn’t from a customer?"

I need to remain, although this situation worries me.

"I don’t think so. I don’t give away my personal number to customers. They only contact me through LINE."

"Do you want to go home now? Just to be safe?"

"No!" she quickly replies.

"This is our first summer festival together. I want to watch the fireworks with you tonight."

I can see the determination in her eyes. I am worried, but just like her, I also want to spend the last day of my summer vacation with her.

"Okay. However, we have to be extra careful tonight. Stay by my side and we’ll stick with the group. If you notice anything out of the ordinary, tell me right away. Keep your phone’s location on, in case we ever get separated."

She nods, and I hug her.

We spend the rest of the day with the group, and we also discuss the situation. We go back to our hotel rooms in the afternoon to dress up for the festival and prepare our bags since we are going straight home after watching the fireworks.

When Nozomi and I enter our room, we fix our belongings and then change clothes. Nozomi takes time to wear her kimono, style her hair, and wear make-up.

While we are at the reception table waiting for our friends, I can’t help but gaze at Nozomi. Her hair is up in a bun the way she did when we first met, but this time, she has a flower hair pin on it. Her blue kimono complements the color of hair.

She looks beautiful.

"What did you say?" she asks.

"What?"

"You said something."

I realize that I might have said my thoughts loudly. I want to play innocent and deny what I said, but what's the point? She deserves to hear it.

"You look beautiful. That’s what I said."

She only smiles timidly.

"I thought you’d never give me a compliment," she says.

"Well, I thought I’d say it later."

"Okay."

Then everyone arrives, and we simply exchange smiles.

We head to the car first to load our bags, then walk to where the festival is being held. We check every stall and try the food. While we are walking, I notice one stall that sells animal plushie keychains. The keychains look handmade, and all of it are well made. One keychain caught my attention, and it’s a sheep keychain.

"You can buy it in pairs," the young lady at the stall said.

Without second thought, I bought the pair, and just in time, Nozomi shouts my name from a distance.

"Nozomu!"

She walks closer to me and says, "I thought I was the one who got lost."

"I’m sorry. I just have to buy this."

I take her hand and place the sheep plushie keychain in her palm.

"It looks exactly like Shori."

Her eyes sparkle with happiness as she looks at the keychain.

"All sheep look the same, you know."

"I’ll pretend that I didn’t hear that. Anyway, thank you so much. I can bring Shori everywhere now."

"It’s a pair, by the way," the young lady in the stall cuts in.

"Is it?" Nozomi looks at me with excitement. I show her the other keychain, and she immediately hugs me.

"You’re so sweet," she whispers.

"I just want to make you happy."

"And you never fail to do that."

You do the same to me.