Chapter Text
Haruka-sensei had been concerned about you the entire week.
This was nothing new, in your eyes – the school doctor was often worried for every single student, thinking them all his patients as he sat in the infirmary, always ready to treat fatigue, stress-related issues, headaches, or sports injuries. He made sure that you were not committing to long hours in the café, saying that you were not exempt from taking care of yourself because you needed to serve customers.
But this week had an adding stressor – the Star Festival preparations had been going on since Monday. You were having meetings with vendors, students, and staff to arrange for the success of the event, and Haruka caught your eye across the café Tuesday afternoon as you breathed out a weary sigh for the third time that hour.
“What’s the matter?” His gaze was purely analytical, looking under your eyes before traveling down to see your slightly hunched shoulders and shaking knees. You couldn’t hide your exhaustion, and he frowned at you disapprovingly. “Are you putting in too many hours again?”
“The Star Festival is this week, sensei,” you answered, moving to take the seat he offered, settling in across from him. “I have to make sure it all goes smoothly.”
“And that’s at the cost of your own health, is it?”
“It’s just for this week! I’ll be right as rain, come Saturday.”
However, he was not convinced. Haruka kept on you the whole week, telling you ways to get better quality sleep or saying that you should have a break after a certain number of minutes. And you understood where his concerns were coming from. He had confessed his feelings to you when he thought you were asleep, saying that he deeply cared for you, but refused to say them openly.
You knew that nothing would come of the Star Festival, but he was stunned when you asked if he would attend with you, simply as good company.
“I want to make sure I relax, you know?” You made up the excuse on the spot, hoping it worked. “I might stress too much about it all, try to fix things and not enjoy myself—“
“I’ll be there, don’t worry. When does it start?”
You smiled to yourself, giving a little fist pump as you left the infirmary.
You arrived at the entrance to the festival, seeing the sights and sounds around you as you entered. Even if you had been part of its planning, the sheer size and cost of it amazed you. No expense was wasted, and as you attempted to find Haruka, you only saw more and more of the booths and fairgrounds, all lit up and accompanied by the smells of sweets and grilled meats.
However, you ignored in all in favor of meeting Haruka by the wishing tree, seeing him in a magenta checkered yukata. As you approached, he looked up and met your eyes, before recognizing it was you. His mouth dropped open slightly as he stared, unable to choke out any words to greet you.
“Hello, Haruka!” You gave a grin, pulling him out of his stunned state. He returned your smile, nodding towards your outfit.
“You look lovely tonight.”
“Your yukata makes you look really different.”
“Ah, it’s rare for you to see me out of my doctor’s coat, isn’t it? I feel quite off without the stethoscope hanging around my neck. What do you think about my yukata? Does it suit me, though?”
“It does. It looks quite becoming on you.”
You caught the blush before he turned away, murmuring a thanks before moving on alongside you.
“What do you want to try first?” he asked after you had walked a small distance, looking around at all the different booths. You did the same, one quickly catching your eye.
“That one!”
“You want to try the goldfish-catching stall?”
You nodded excitedly, moving towards it. He followed with a smile, saying, “The trick in catching one is to be gentle, but precise. You need a doctor’s hand. I’ll catch them for you if you like.”
“I think I can get them on my own!”
“If you say so.” He stood a couple steps behind you, an amused smile growing on his face as he watched you pay, getting a poi and bowl from the vendor. You went slow at first, watching the fish carefully and even managing to scoop up a couple slow-moving ones. However, as time passed, your poi kept breaking when you made a particularly daring move, never succeeding in catching any. With a meager three fish, you looked to Haruka, who was clearly on the brink of laughing.
“What?” You gave him a pout, and he let a slight chuckle slip, going to buy a poi as well before settling down next to you.
“Here, like I said, gentle and precise. It’s about moving the water around them and coaxing them into the poi.” Gently placing it into the water, Haruka left it totally still, letting the fish fill the surrounding space. Before long, they were all around his poi, and with a single fluid scooping motion, Haruka lifted two goldfish out, sliding them into your bowl.
“See? Exactly like that.”
You stared for a moment at his happy smile, and for a moment, felt like there was nothing stopping you from leaning forward to give him a thank-you kiss. But you resisted, catching yourself as you asked him to get a few more, simply enjoying the time next to each other as he showed you more techniques and methods. After that, you moved on, stopping by a couple more stalls, meeting with students and staff, and getting food together. The night grew late, and you suggested that you walk over to the field and get ready for the fireworks display. As you began to meander over, Haruka quietly brushed the back of his hand against yours. His fingers were barely touching, afraid of the consequences. You looked to him, the silent air tense with concern. But then it all melted away as he smiled, his gaze affectionate.
“The festival was a success. There are so many people, and it’s all because you worked so hard for the preparations. Remember, don’t push yourself too hard, okay? Always remember to get enough rest.”
Taking the chance, you wrapped your fingers delicately around his, squeezing only the slightest bit.
“I promise.”