Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

You hadn’t expected your boyfriend to dissolve into a bubbling mess upon seeing you arrive at the festival.

Then again, you thought quietly, I should have.

Izumi had personally invited you out on a date to the festival a couple days before, thinking it a perfect time to get to know you better after entering a relationship. He didn’t consider himself an expert by any means, but he knew what he had read in his extensive collection of books and novels. That had included his mother’s entire collection of romance novels, and then anything else he read after that. And it showed that dates to significant places were often a norm.

But the novels hadn’t prepared him for seeing you in the flesh, all dressed up for the festivities. Your hair was done and your yukata looked so elegant. The people in the novels just simply noticed their beauty, then held out their hand and walked with them. How did they handle the sudden racing of one’s heart, the sweating palms and nose, his glasses beginning to slip downwards. He moved to fix them and found his movements shaking and jerky – and they all got worse the closer you approached.

“H-h-hey… I-It’s nice t-to s-see you…!” Izumi’s voice was breaking, and you gave a small, awkward smile. “Are you okay, Izumi?”

“Y-yeah!” He tried to move to take your hand but something stopped him, causing him to retreat in on himself. “D-Do you want to walk around the festival?”

“I’d like that,” you replied, finally realizing what was up – he was incredibly nervous. His compliments about your outfit came soon after, his eyes looking over your figure and trying to figure out what was so dynamically different – could a simple outfit change really do that much?

“Do you want to start out with wishes, before everyone crowds the booth and tree?”

“That sounds like an ex-excellent idea,” Izumi whispered, looking around wildly to find the tree. You calmly put a hand on his shoulder and guided him over towards the center of the festival, towards the tree to where a couple tables and a basket were set up. Taking up your wish tags, you moved to stand next to each other and began move to write. Izumi quietly moved his elbow to hide his from your briefly peeping eyes, making an obvious show of being a nudge about yours. Laughter bubbled up between the two of you, easily coming as it always did with your growing list of inside jokes and comments.

“Okay, we’ll see who finishes first,” you said, instantly going to write your wish out, watching Izumi’s quickly moving pen out of the corner of your eye. He easily finished first, and went to the tree to tie it on, leaving you behind as you ran to tie yours as well, giving him an even stare as you tried to figure out what he could have written so fast.

“I bet you want to know what my wish was for the Star Festival,” he said in a teasing tone.

“Yes, I do!”

He gave you a knowing smile. “Well, I’m not going to tell you. But, I’ll give you a hint; it’s not something to do with you.”

“Well that’s no fun!” you said, moving to give him a small push as he only laughed harder.

“H-hey, you’re probably not going to tell me your wish, too.”

“No, I’m not. So that way it comes true.”

He nodded knowingly, in total agreement. You resumed walking through the festival, the tension between you instantly dissolved from the laughter and competition. He began to talk without a stutter and jerk in motion, at ease with being by your side. You tried more food stands and played a few games together, neither of you succeeding at getting anything but a couple small prizes, having an amusing time with them as you meandered about, greeting fellow students and teachers as you walked around, simply looking at how everyone else was taking the celebrations.

“This is incredibly fun,” he said quietly as he watched everyone talking and enjoying themselves, dressed fancily in their yukatas and festival outfits. “I never thought we could host something so exciting.”

“Neither did I,” you agreed, looking at the field where you could see staff members beginning to set things up and people beginning to gather. Your hand dug into your sleeves for your phone, pulling it out and checking the time.

“Oh, no! The fireworks are in twenty minutes!” You took his hand and began to pull him along, causing him to sputter and try to pry out of your unexpected grip, but you held fast and took him with you, going to the perfect spot on the hill to watch the fireworks, not letting anyone or anything get in your way as you went out to the grass. As you finally began to slow down and catch your breath, you released his wrist and moved to sit on the bench, hoping that they actually were the best seats.

“Did… did we r-really have to run?”

“Yes!” You patted next to you and he happily sat down close to you, looking around at the people who seemed to have all suddenly decided to come and sit down in preparation for the grand finale.

“Oh… we did, indeed.” He let out a breathless laugh and looked to you, once again reminded of your beautiful outfit and eyes, your hair and profile glowing with the light of the lanterns behind you.

“Hm? What is it, Izumi?”

Your voice pulled him out of his stare, causing him to shake his head. “Nothing, sweetheart.” His hand dropped onto the bench and found yours there, and despite the fact he initially seemed to tense, and you were afraid he was going to let go… his fingers slowly wrapped around and held it tight, gladly enjoying the feeling of having your hand in his.

Within minutes, the fireworks came to life in a flurry of colors, causing the audience to react in kind. The loud bangs at first caused Izumi to recoil and grip your hand even tighter, having never seen fireworks in real life before. You adjusted your grip and ran your thumb over his knuckles, easing him.

“I read about these cliché romantic fireworks scenes in novels all the time,” he said quietly, eyes wide. “Now that I’m actually experiencing it with you, I see what makes them so great.”

You gave a nod, thinking about how different this one felt. You were used to listening to your siblings scream at the bigger sounds and your parents hold them close, commenting under the flashes of colored light. But this one… being here with someone you loved…

Your hand tightened around his.

The fireworks died down after one last, massive, display, earning applause from the entire audience as staff members went back for those last minute sales, and people moved to write their last wishes.

You and Izumi moved to the gates, looking around for the train station and beginning to walk in that direction. His grip was tight on your hand as you walked, not once ever wanting to let go.

“It’s been really fun attending the festival with everyone,” he murmurs quietly as the hubbub of the festivities die away.

“Really?” You look to him, seeing a fond smile on his face.

“Mhm. Usually, I’d just be cooped up in my room reading books. It’s thanks to you that I get to experience something new.”

You stare at him for a few moments, and he gives you a quizzical look. “What?”

“I have to get you out more often!” you declare suddenly, beginning to tug him along in excitement. “I’m taking you out to the amusement park next! If you haven’t gone out often, there’s no time like the present to start!”

“H-hey!” He kept up in pace with you, and despite his statement, he could only remain happy at your radiance, thinking you beautiful… and that he was the luckiest person on earth.

Chapter Text

 You had stayed up the entire night before finishing the gift for your boyfriend. You knew that he would greatly appreciate the offer, since he was the one who had requested it, after shoving a few drawings based on his own yukata that in your face. It had taken a lot of work for measurements and fabric, but you succeeded, folding it up gently and sliding it into your bag before going to sleep.

The festival was the next evening, the weekend night promising a bigger crowd of students. You knew that almost everyone in the café would be attending, since you asked for their opinions on organizing the event. Everyone had worked hard to set up all the props and stands; Yuu working with Baa and Hajime to carry a lot of the heavier wood and tarps. The scene from afar looked much more inviting as you walked through the school gates – seeing the lanterns strung up along the walkways and the vendors lit by their own lamps, calling out food or games that they were offering. Many people had come to the festival, and you were excited to see how it was panning out.

As you approached and began to look around, you were quickly attacked from behind by someone, their arms wrapping around your waist and almost pushing you over.

“Ahh! Yuu!” You looked down and saw the familiar bunny dangling from one of their hands, and the laughter from behind you was merry and cheerful.

“Found you! I wasn’t sure if you would be able to see me… y’know, with how short I am.” He gave another giggle and swung his bunny onto his shoulders. “Ahh!” With a step back, he looked you up and down, causing you to blush at his attention. “You look so cute in that yukata!”

“You really think so?”

“Mhm! I knew that color would suit you well. I’m so lucky I to spend the Star Festival with such a cute girl.” He gave you an exaggerated wink, and you rolled your eyes at his attempted manly compliments. “Are you ready to explore?”

“First,” you said, opening your bag and pulling out the cloth, “we have to dress him up.”

Yuu tilted his head to one side, but then his eyes suddenly lit up and his mouth broke into a huge grin. “Did you actually make it!”

“I did! Ta-da!” You gave a flourish and showed off the finished product, the small pink yukata, the perfect size for his friend.

“Oh my gosh!” He instantly pulled the bunny down and stuck his arms out, allowing you to slide sleeves over arms and wrap the small ribbon around his waist.

“There you go,” you said, giving the bunny’s head a small pat. “He’s all set.”

“Yay! Thanks for helping me make a Yukata for my bunny! Now, he can celebrate and attend the street festival with us! Heehee.” He took your hand in his and began to drag you down the lane. “We make such a cute family!”

You smiled softly at his excited reaction, watching how he carefully held his friend so that he would not crease the fabric of their clothes. He led you around to places he had already seen, and then to new booths and games you had never experienced before. He offered to pay, buying you all the game tickets, cotton candy, caramel apples, and dumplings you could have wanted. You passed through all the lanes multiple times, looking at all the stalls and vendors with curious eyes until the hour grew late and the sun had completely set.

“Yuu,” you said as you walked past the tree and tables at the crossroads for a third time, “do you wanna go make wishes at the wish tree?”

“Huh? Well, I don’t need to do that, but if you wanna, you totally can!”

“What? But… I would like to make them with you!”

“I don’t really need to make a wish for the Star Festival!”

“And why not?” You crossed your arms and gave a small pout.

“Because, I have everything that I could ever want when I’m with you!” He gave a beaming grin and held up his bunny again. “You are so wonderful and make me very pretty things, you are always so kind to me and make the best sweets, and you let me still be cute but then understand when I want to be manly for you. I love you, so much! I don’t need to wish for anything more!”

You could only stare, in awe of what he had just said. He stared at you with loving eyes and a gentle smile, knowing that he truly loved you and he loved you, too. You didn’t need anything more than that – he was right.

“That’s fair. I shouldn’t need one either, then.”

“If you’re sure!” He gripped your hand tighter and gave it a tug. “Come on, then! Let’s go get the best seats at the fireworks show!” 

Chapter Text

“Ren, hey, Ren!” You chased him to the doorway of the café on a lazy Friday afternoon, causing him to pause and turn, pulling an earbud out as you took hold of his sleeve.

“Hmm?”

“Would… so, you know the Star Festival happening next weekend, would you want to attend with me?”

“…Go outside for the Star Festival celebration?” He gave you a slight glance, questioning the idea, but you responded with a huge grin. “Yeah! Come on, please? Maybe you’ll really like it…”

Ren saw your vibrant excitement, and couldn’t turn you down. Not when you were giving him such a spirited look, and the thought of you dressing up for the occasion…

“Okay. Since you asked so sweetly, I’ll go. You know I can never say no to you.” He moved his arm out of your grip and took up your hand, raising it to his lips. You blushed at his tender touch and kiss, giving a nod. “All right, I’ll see you on Saturday at the festival?”

“No,” he said, giving your hand a small squeeze. “I’ll pick you up from your house and we can ride the train in together. Promise. I’ll text you the details.”

“Okay!”

The next weekend came sooner than you expected, and you could tell Ren had at least been looking forward to it. The two of you weren’t going to show each other your yukatas, in favor of them being a surprise for the day of the festival. Yours was particularly dashing, you thought, the perfect length and color that brought out your eyes. Ren always mentioned them when you showed up for a date in a new outfit, having confessed that he loved to look at them when you were talking.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, echoing throughout the house. You quickly scooped up your bag and went to leave, going out to the hallway. Your grandmother stood there, talking to Ren and moving to show him inside, but he refused, saying that you had to catch the train as soon as possible.

“Oh…!” He saw you when you came out, his eyes widening as a small blush crossed his cheeks. “You… you look beautiful.”

You gave a smile, and your grandmother nodded once, moving you guide you out the door. “Have a good time at the festival. Especially you, young lady.” She gave your head a small tap. “You put too much work into helping plan, so make sure you enjoy it.”

“I will, I will,” you said with a smile and chuckle. Ren escorted you out of the house and towards the train station, somehow knowing exactly when it would arrive and what car was best to get on, so you could get to the transfer train faster and head to school, getting off just as the sun was beginning to set. You wrapped your arm through his as you walked to the festival, and Ren began to say, “So, I’ve been thinking about what the best path through the festival is. Everyone will most likely be getting food or their wishes written first, so if you’re not terribly hungry, I’d be willing to wait and we can do some small shopping first, but then go eat before buying anything so we don’t have to carry it around…”

As he spoke, you stared up at him, wide-eyed. Despite the fact you knew he didn’t go out to these things often, he somehow had planned out the entire schedule of the evening, down to the exact times you should spend places.

“Come on, we don’t have to follow that to the letter though, right?”

Ren glanced down at you, before giving a soft smile. “No, we don’t. It’s all suggestions. We can do whatever you like.”

“Then I want to play some of the games first!” You tugged him along towards the booths, and the two of you went around, Ren commenting on ways to win or cheat the cheating systems as you tossed coins or shot hoops. He went wherever you took him, and at one point, he was watching you at the goldfish pond, with a small smile on his face as they splashed around and kids laughed at your reactions to finally catching one or having it slip out of your grasp.

“It’s far more fun to watch you play the games, you know,” he stated as you took his arm again, going to get festival food. “Usually, I wouldn't even be participating in the festival.”

“Really? Why?”

Ren was silent, before saying, “I find it pretty troublesome putting on these yukata. But I guess it's worth it if I get to see you in one too. You look beautiful.”

At that, you blushed, a small choked sound escaping your throat. He laughed softly, leaning to kiss you briefly before you went and ordered food.

The rest of the festival went by leisurely, with the two of you simply meandering around the pathways and stalls, making your wishes and trying new foods that you hadn’t ever experienced. Before long, the sky grew dark and people began to check their watches or phones, heading over to the field to watch the fireworks.

You and Ren moved to a quieter grassy slope a little ways away instead, Ren waiting for you to pick a tree to stand near that wouldn’t block your vision. After you made a choice, Ren moved to stand next to you, wrapping an arm about your waist as the fireworks show began. They blossomed in gorgeous colors of red, blue, and green, lighting up the audience around and beneath you as they watched in silent awe. Ren watched for a spell, yawning every once and a while before turning to you with half-lidded eyes.

“All this late-night fireworks-watching is making me very, very sleepy.”

“Is it now?” You leaned into him with a smile. “Then sleep, I’ll wake you up.”

He paused a moment, but then placed his head atop yours, closing his eyes. He regretted not bringing his headphones or player, especially since the fireworks were echoing in his ears every other second. And as cute as you were, your head was not the most comfortable spot that he preferred to nap on.

“Hey,” he murmured, nuzzling into your hair. “can you sit down for a bit and lend me your lap?” Ren felt you side out from underneath him, and saw you looking up at him with a smile.

“Sure, one second.” You moved to kneel on the ground, carefully tucking your legs so you wouldn’t stain your yukata on the grass. With a pat on your lap, Ren was instantly getting on the ground with far less care, settling his head onto your lap and giving a contented hum. “This is the best spot to nap.”

“I’m glad you think so,” you said, and with that, you went back to watching the fireworks, a hand moving to absentmindedly stroke his hair as they kept growing in vibrancy and color, until the last explosions went off, the last boom fading into silence.

“Hey, Ren,” you said, leaning forward gently. His eyes were closed and his mouth was opened slightly, completely asleep. With a gentle laugh, you leaned down a little closer. “Ren, hey, it’s time to head back—“

Suddenly, you felt hands on either side of your cheeks, pulling you downward into a kiss. You made a surprised sound at the contact, Ren’s mouth pressing against yours with mild passion and longing. With a hum, he pulled away, smirking up at you.

“I’m ready to go whenever.”

You only gave him a small smile, leaning down to kiss him again.

Chapter Text

“You look so pretty in that yukata.”

Those were the first words he said to you when you arrived at the festival, going to meet up with him in the hubbub of the crowd. He noticed your beautiful outfit and could only stare. You watched his fingers twitch, as if he was subconsciously picking out paint colors to use.

“You really think so?”

Touya took a pause before speaking, trying to find the right words. “You inspire me once more to try to encapsulate this beauty in my art."

“Aren’t you a romantic?” you mused, giving him a soft smile.

“I try to be. Now, hold still. I’m gonna be taking photos all night.” He gave a grin and pulled a camera out of his sleeves, moving the lens over his eye. You struck a mock pose, causing him to laugh as the shutter snapped. “Of course.”

“I have to look my best for the camera!” With that, you took his hand and pulled him along, swinging as you walked past booths. Touya’s camera was over his face every minute, finding some new inspiration. However, during a break, you settled onto a bench with your takoyaki and yakitori, and Touya began to flick through photos, deleting blurry ones.

“A lot of these are nice,” he commented aloud as you held out a yakitori stick, feeding him from it as you leaned aside to look at the screen. He clicked through each photo, and your eyebrows scrunched as you noticed how many of them were…

“There are so many of me!” You saw one flick by of the goldfish booth, the top-down view of you reaching in to catch one. Another of you trying a spicy food, then the scenes after when you were fanning your mouth while the vendor laughed at your plight.

“These are the best ones,” he said, turning and giving your forehead a quick peck. “All the ones of you.”

You blushed furiously, turning away and shoving takoyaki into your mouth with a newfound hunger. He could only laugh and quickly snap another photo, and you demanded that he delete it, lest it be embarrassing.

“No! I will not delete my muse; she is beautiful in all that she does.”

“That is a lie and you know it!” With a cry, you grabbed at the camera, but he extended it out of your reach, instead wrapping an arm about your waist and giving you a full kiss on the lips to distract you. You sighed, but responded to the affections anyway, returning his chaste affections—

Click!

“Did you just take a photo!”

“Maybe?”

“Touya!”

The two of you spent the rest of the night visiting a few more booths, but Touya demanded that you get a better spot for the fireworks so he could get optimal photos. Nodding knowingly, the two of you walked over early to the grounds, finding the best bench and settling in before the rest of the crowd meandered over. Touya was giddy with excitement, scooting close to you and watching the sky.

“Are you excited?”

“I know you are.” You leaned into his shoulder, resting there quietly for a few minutes. He went quiet, allowing you to rest until the first firework went into the air, exploding in red. Instantly, you were sitting up, and Touya had the camera to his face, snapping shots in time with the biggest explosions. You watched them straight, admiring all the beautiful arrangements and coordination of colors and rhythm.

“These fireworks are great displays of art. I wonder what inspired their artist to make these patterns.” You heard Touya next to you, and turned to face him as he lowered the camera and looked into your eyes. “Maybe they have a muse, just like I do.” With a slight laugh, he smiled at your face, with your mouth slightly open and eyes shining. Beside you, the fireworks went off in one last grand finale, the lights peppering the sky until they fizzled out into a still silence.

“Maybe they do.”

At that, Touya nodded once, then stood, taking your hand to help you up from the bench. “Do you need to do anything else?”

You shook your head, and the two of you walked out together towards the exit, moving with the crowd.

“This Star festival has been an amazing experience,” Touya said quietly, just over the hubbub of other conversations. “Thank you for helping organize such an event. Now, I have enough inspiration to fill a lot of canvases.”

“I’m glad,” you responded. “I can’t wait to see what you do with it.”

“I’m sure you’ll see something soon.”

You settled into the café Monday afternoon, the thoughts of Saturday’s festival still present in your mind. You had had a wonderful time and the boys were constantly complimenting all your hard work, saying that you were the heart of the festival. You brushed off the commentary with a smile, instead citing everyone else who had worked so hard to make it happen. But they would only return and press their opinions forward, causing you to blush at all the attentions. Before long, people began to quickly file out to clubs or the library, take-out cups in hand. You waved them off, and went to start cleaning the tables when the door opened and someone came in.

“Can I disturb you for a moment?” Touya’s voice caused you to turn your head, and you saw an art folder tucked under one arm.

“Of course!” Straightening, you stepped aside to let him move in front, and he held the folder up dramatically in both hands.

“I made this after the festival. I don’t know if I captured it quite right, but…” Opening the folder, he tugged out the paper within, with a slight flourish. “I can only hope.”

You delicately took the paper in your hands and turned it over, feeling the extensive paint before you could see it. When you saw what was on the other side, a gasp escaped your lips.

It was a picture of you, looking back at him with a happy smile. Behind you, there was a chorus of fireworks, the watercolors illuminating your figure and the sky. The purples and blues of the night completed the entire portrait, and you could only stare at all the details and attentions he had put into it.

“This is…” You felt your hands trembling slightly, and he placed the art folder on the table, reaching out to calm your shaking hands. “It’s so beautiful.”

“You really like it?” Touya’s voice had grown soft, and he leaned down closer, lips briefly brushing against your forehead. “I think I want to make it a series. Make this a centerpiece, then have four smaller square photos… of goldfish, the wish tree, food… what do you think?”

“That sounds wonderful!”

At your bright reaction, he kissed you fully on the lips, ecstatic. “You are the absolute best muse, my love.”

Chapter Text

You were excited when the day of the festival arrived. You had been planning this for a month now – and the fruits of your labor were finally going on display. You and the resident expert on festivals, Hajime, had been working out all the details to make sure the entire night would go smoothly. Each booth had been scheduled in advance, and you helped set up the stations. The added benefit was getting to watch Hajime work – he carried a lot of the heavier boxes and assisted in managing teams of people. After seeing so many festivals and most likely running a few of his own in the past, his knowledge was clear and his system, efficient.

You came towards the school gates with a spring in your step, excited to see what it looked like all lit up. When you arrived, Hajime was not waiting at the gate. Instead, you found him a ways down the main lane, talking with a couple vendors who needed a redo of their lanterns. He was moving and adjusting to their specifications, happy to help find the compromise. With a small smile, you waited back until he was done, approaching as he swiveled his head to look for you in the crowd.

“Hey, Hajime!”

Your voice caught his attention, and when he saw you, his eyes widened, looking you up and down in your yukata. All went completely silent, and you tilted your head to one side.

“What’s the matter with you? Cat got your tongue?”

With a shake of his head, his smile grew wide. “You look amazing!”

“And you look quite dashing, yourself. I am glad that we could organize it together!”

“Festivals like this are what I live for! Thanks for helping me organize all of this!” Sweeping an arm out, he grinned at you, eyes shining in the bright lights. “I’m really lucky that the person I like is not only beautiful, but incredibly capable as well!”

“Now you’re just giving me too many compliments,” you laughed, stepping up next to him. “But if you say I’m so capable… would you mind if I stayed by your side for the rest of the festival? I want to see how we did, and make sure that I’m living up to your high opinion of me?” As you spoke, you slipped an arm through his, leaning against his shoulder with a quiet smile.

“Of course! But, a festival with you by my side?! Definitely the best festival ever!” He instantly took a leading role, guiding you down the lane. “And I’ll spend the rest of it making sure it’ll get even better! That is my duty as your boyfriend!”

“I look forward to it!”

“We’re going to have so much fun together!” With a whooping cry that caught the attention of a few passersby, you were led down the lane, towards the performance stage and the festival fairgrounds. Hajime offered to pay for you to play some of the games, with instructions to enjoy yourself. With a happy skip in your step, you picked out a few, telling him that he had to participate as well. You both had an excellent time working together or competing for points, aiming to see who could get the most. He won a good number of the games, but you took a few points as well, taunting him each time with a grin.

“What do you want to do next?” he asked, slightly out of breath from the excitement of a recent high-stakes shooting game against you. After your narrow win, you had decided to move on, looking around at all the remaining options.

“Oh!! We haven’t done goldfish scooping!” With a tug on his sleeve, you began to pull him over, but he stopped short, holding you back. You glanced at him, giving him a curious look.

“What’s the matter, Hajime?”

“I… you can do it, all right?” The change in tone worried you, and you moved to take his hand in yours.

“I want to do it with you, though.”

“I don’t need to! You can do it yourself, and I’ll stand back and watch and carry your wins!” With a grin, he began to guide you over, but as you approached, he began to grow hesitant.

“Hajime… do you not like them? I don’t have to do it.”

“No! Not at all! It’s just… well, you know how Soujiro-san and I are best friends?”

“Of course!”

“We used to attend festivals all the time! And of course, still do! But there was one booth that we would do that he was infinitely better at… it was this one. His careful and steady hands were so impressive, and he caught the most goldfish every time! I always broke my poi, so I couldn’t ever catch any unless he shared.”

“Let’s do it right now, then! Come on!” The two of you went up to the booth, paying for your bowls and poi and crouching down at the ponds. With a steady hand, you worked to grab at a few goldfish, watching them slip out of the net’s path. With a delicate motion, you managed to snag one, moving it into your bowl with a plop!

Hajime, on the other hand, was already frowning at his ring. The paper had already ripped, leaving it half useful, but to him, it seemed pointless to keep trying as he moved again and watched it practically disintegrate.

“There goes the first one,” he muttered sourly, and you paused your work, watching him frown and stand to get a second one, asking quietly if they had any nets. The shopkeeper shook their head and merely handed him another one. Within seconds, it was the same result – ripped paper, frowning Hajime, and a third poi in hand.

“Hey.” You stood and moved next to him, kneeling. “You’re having trouble still?”

He forced a smile, trying to put on the brave face. “It’s all good! I’ll get the hang of it soon!”

“Here.” You placed your bowl and poi on the ground, moving to take his wrist. “You have to be gentle. The tendency is to chase after the goldfish, but the goal is to follow them closely and not shift the water too much.” Guiding his poi, you moved through the water, showing how slowly and tenderly he had to move. “See?”

Hajime didn’t respond, instead watching your hand move his, trying to focus on this moment as best he could. The action felt more intimate and significant – your touch warm against the back of his hand. He wanted to stay like this as long as possible.

You took his silence as intense focus, and moved close to a group of goldfish who mostly scattered upon the arrival of the poi. But a few remained, and you moved Hajime’s hand to glide beneath it, scooping the goldish up.

“Oh!!” Hajime quickly snapped out of his trance, swinging into the bowl.
“You did it!”

“I did it!!!” His smile glowed, free hand moving about you to pull you into a tight hug. You responded and hugged him back with a laugh.

“I’m very proud of you.”

“Thank you for helping me!” He began to stand, moving to help you up as you collected your goldfish and got a bag for them both, holding onto it as you moved around to other stalls and got dinner before the fireworks. For the rest of the night, he was in a joyous mood, constantly all smiles or swinging his hand when you held it. The two of you concluded the main attractions with watching a taiko drum performance, where Hajime was cheering and clapping with great enthusiasm. Moments after it ended, people began to move to the field and river, where you were responsible for dipping the wish tree into the river. Standing at the bank, Hajime came up alongside you, still grinning from ear to ear.

“You know,” you said, looking up at him, “you never did tell me what you wished for.”

“You didn’t tell me either! But I’ll at least give a hint – it was something about you!”

“Really! Well mine was about you, too.”

Hajime gave a laugh, staring down at the water. “Let’s hope they both come true.”

“Let’s.” You watched the stream with him, quietly listening as teachers and students gathered around the river to watch the final ceremony.

“I love you lots,” you murmured, glancing up at him with a small smile.

“I love you more,” he said, raising his voice slightly higher.

“I love you more than I loved playing games with you.”

“I love you more than I love festivals!”

“I love you more than I love making new sweets for the café.”

Hajime went quiet for a few moments, and you thought you had won, but right as it crossed your mind, he turned towards you with a glint in his eye.

“The raging fire in my heart is enough to set all these fireworks ablaze! My love for you burns brighter than all of them combined!” His passionate and serious look caused you to laugh, bending over slightly to catch your breath.

“Okay, okay, that wins!” With that, you looked back and noticed that enough people had gathered, and that the okay from the fireworks specialists was given. Kneeling down, you placed the tree in the water, letting it float down the river and carry all the wishes with it. As you stood, Hajime wrapped an arm about your waist, holding you closer.

“I am happy that we could do this, together,” you said, watching the first firework launch into the air.

“Me too! It all went great, wouldn’t you say? I think this was my favorite festival ever! And hope to make many, many more memories with you.”

Chapter Text

“You know that the bottles at the bottom are obviously heavier.” Reiji stood near you as you prepared to throw the provided softball, winding back and whipping it at the pyramid with all your strength.

However, you only succeeded in watching them slightly wobble, not actually going anywhere.

“Here,” Reiji said, taking the ball from you and weighing it in his grasp. “…Hm, just as I hypothesized. The ball seems to be filled with something lighter than the usual. Cork?”

By now, the vendor was giving Reiji an even stare, and you tugged him away, leaving the game and your two leftover shots behind.  

“Must you overanalyze every single game?”

“I’m trying to find a fair game! We haven’t found a single one yet.”

“Well, that’s to be expected; they’re just trying to take your money.” Sliding your hand down from his wrist, you laced fingers, holding him close as he looked about. “Why don’t we get a little bit of dinner, then we can go get a spot for the fireworks?”

“That sounds like an excellent plan. I will be happy to pay as well.” With a grin, he began to swing your hand, pausing at the stalls that smelled best and debating with you what to get, thinking to share.

“Are you telling me you’ve never had some of this before? Not even taiyaki?”

“I cannot say I have had frequent opportunities to try the wide range of foods served here.” Reiji pursed his lips, looking at the lines of fish cakes before him. “You say they have different fillings?”

“Yes! Here, why don’t you turn around, and I’ll pick out two. No counting! I’ll pay so you don’t have to look back.”

Reiji moved to protest, but you quickly spun him around, leading to a roll of his eyes as he sighed. “All right, whatever you desire.”

You looked to the little cards, declaring that they were filled with things ranging from the usual sweetened beans to chocolate to cheese. Picking out one with chocolate and one with sweet potato, you slid them both into a bag, paid the vendor, and tapped Reiji’s shoulder, beginning to move to a couple other stalls to pick up more substantial meals.

“We can eat it under the stars!” he declared as you picked up the last container, suddenly turning in a different direction and moving off towards the field. You paused, trying to register what just happened, but didn’t object to his wishes. With a sigh, you moved to follow, walking with him towards the sloping hills and benches. He was looking up at the sky as he went, leading to him nearly tripping over a few rocks or hitting a couple people already mulling about, but luckily, he avoided any major collisions and settled down on a grassy spot of the field, placing the food down before helping you sit.

“Do not want to get any grass stains on your yukata,” he commented, before plopping down next to you.

“The same should be said for you.”

“I do not mind cleaning mine. But I do not want to give you the hassle.” With that, he carefully began to pass food back to your lap, munching on the unfamiliar festival foods with a curious glint in his eye. Instantly, he found new favorites, asking if you could make them for him again, or could frequent more festivals. You could only smile as he tried them and attempted to feed them to you as well, grinning as you reacted to something spicy or sweet. You gave him the taiyaki to eat, first handing him the sweet potato. He bit into the cake, before realizing the taste and looking up with surprise.

“Sweet potato?”

“Yes!” You fished the other cake out of the bag and held it out to him. “Now try this one.”

Giving you a suspicious look, he took the dessert from you, biting into it carefully. Suddenly, his eyes widened with recognition.

“This is delicious!”

“Isn’t it! Save some of the chocolate for me!”

“No way! You should have bought your own.”

“Hey! No fair!”

The two of you squabbled over the last of the desserts, before moving into other conversations.

“You know,” he said, after you mentioned learning about stars in science class, “This is a great spot to be. Look at all the stars in the night sky! You can see almost every constellation from this view!” He cast his head back, looking up at the sky.

“You think so? I don’t doubt it.”

“I’d name each and every one for you if you’d ask me to.” Reiji glanced your way with a grin, and you rolled your eyes.

“I don’t doubt that, either.”

Reiji could only give a loving sigh, watching you quiet afterwards. The conversation dipped into a lull, with him watching you silently as you stared up at the stars.

“…Name that one.” You pointed at a random constellation, and he glanced up, scanning the sky.

“That’s Ursa Minor.”

“What about that one?”

“And that’s—“

Suddenly, a sound like a whistle came from across the field, and an explosion of color appeared in the sky, blocking your vision.

“Oh!” Reiji suddenly got very excited, leaning back to watch. “The chemistry experiments involved in making these fireworks are incredibly fascinating!”

“Are they?” Another spectacle of color burst across the sky, lighting up the grass around you. “I would think so; they must be hard to read. I doubt I’d get them.”

“You know what else has got amazing chemistry?”

You looked to Reiji, who was giving you a cheesy look – and right away, you knew you were walking into a joke.

“What else has got amazing chemistry, Reiji.”

“You and me!” With a laugh, he fell back onto the grass, and you sighed, glancing up at the sky again to watch the reds and blues flicker away before the next big display.

“You’re the most ridiculous boyfriend ever,” you said, and Reiji’s laughter slowly ceased, sitting back up to watch the fireworks with you. The show went on, drawing out beautiful patterns or combinations, flashing across the sky. As it began to draw to its conclusion, you felt a pair of eyes on you again, and you turned your head to see Reiji, watching you carefully.

“Is something wrong?”

Reiji was silent, before shaking his head and looking back at the sky. But just a few moments later, he was back to looking at you again, and you finally gave him a stare.
“What is it?”

“…I don’t know why I’m getting more flustered than usual, watching the fireworks with you like this. It’s one of the few things I can’t exactly explain.” He placed a hand to his neck, quietly feeling his heartbeat. “There goes my heart racing again… and my palm feels sweaty…”

“Reiji.” You moved your hand towards his and placed it gently on top, weaving your fingers together. “It’s okay. Just enjoy the moment.”

Reiji looked at you again, going completely still. Then, he took a deep breath, giving an adoring smile.

“I will enjoy every moment I spend with you.”

Chapter Text

“I hadn’t considered that you would be good at real games too, senpai.” You watched as Shun spun the poi expertly in his fingers, frowning as he observed the paper.

“You didn’t?” With that, he dipped his poi in the water and began to sweep up goldfish, gathering three in a matter of seconds. 

“I just didn’t think of it. I knew you have the record right now in school for a few game nights, and currently aren’t allowed to compete in some of the fighting game tournaments…”

Shun glanced aside as you commented on his abilities, blushing out of embarrassment. “Yeah, well, that just happened—“

“But you’re good at all games, and to think that it’s the festival games too…”

“Of course I’m good at festival games! You know, for you, I’d catch each and every goldfish in this tank.”

“Really!” You gave him a suspicious look, and he nodded.

“I’ll win all the prizes for you! And I’ll catch them with just this one poi.”

“Now that would be a sight to see.” You moved next to him to watch his work, and instantly, Shun’s lips came together, tongue sticking out slightly as he focused on his work. Within three minutes, he had managed to scoop up fifteen fish, filling his bowl to the brim. You only watched his total go up further until it broke – at twenty-three fish. He only held out the bowl towards you, giving a sly grin.

“And how’s that for a catch?”

“You didn’t catch them all with one poi,” you replied, crossing your arms. Shun gave a sigh, returning your joking gaze.

“Whatever, I’ll get whichever prizes you want. Pick one!”

You scanned the prize wall, looking at each mascot and character in turn. Shun said that the vendor had counted his fish and could take any of the prizes that he wanted, due to the high volume of fish he had collected.

“That one,” you said, pointing up high to a small, 8-bit alien. It was lavender, with little black eyes.

“You like that one? That’s a great choice!” He went back to the vendor and asked for that specific one, giving it to you to hold as you kept walking around the festival. Shun was good at every game, from the ring toss to the darts. Each time, he would find a way around the rigged systems and strange rules to win prizes. You could only watch in awe as he won them, picking children nearby to pick the prize and hand it to them upon receiving it. Somehow, watching him work with the kids, high-fiving and laughing, made the night better, and go by far more quickly than you expected.

“This has been a fantastic night,” you said, moving to take his hand as you began to walk down towards the fairgrounds.

“Street festival games are so much fun,” he agreed, swinging your hand slightly as you walked. “My favorite is the balloon catching game…” He stopped talking as you walked, and you went quiet, realizing that you hadn’t played a game like that all day.

People were moving to watch the fireworks show, and you were intending to join them – until Shun stopped and looked at a booth you had just walked by.

“Hmm? Shun, what is it?” You glanced back and saw what he was staring at: a vendor beginning to pack up their game for the night. In his hands were balloons of varying colors, dripping with water—

“Bet I can get more water balloons than you in a minute!” Shun took off, and you did your best to catch up, awkwardly moving over in your yukata as he paid the vendor for one last game.

“I bet you won’t,” you retorted, and Shun gave a grin.

“Game on! If I win, you’ll go on a date with me this weekend.” With a small laugh, he waited for your reply as the vendor quickly dropped balloons back into the cooler.

“Deal.”

“Then let’s go!” He took the small paper hook from the vendor, and you took yours, moving to either side as Shun counted down the seconds.

“Three… two… one… go!” He dipped the hook into the water, careful to not let the paper handle rip apart as he began to latch onto the loops, tugging balloons out of the water. You did the same, keeping pace as best you could. The vendor tallied each of your sides, stacking the balloons as the minute ticked on.

Suddenly, your hook fell in the water, the paper breaking apart.

“Oh no!”

“Did it rip?” Shun glanced up as he lifted his current balloon towards the vendor, moving to dip it back in—

And it broke apart as well.

“So did yours!”

“All right, then, let’s see…” You and Shun looked to your totals, and with a quick count, he was the victor, winning by two points.

“Haha!” He gave a fist bump, and you rolled your eyes, collecting your plushie from the ground before resuming your walk.

“So, about that date… there’s an arcade that I really enjoy. It’s near the school, so it’s not the worst walk away…”

“You really wanted to win, didn’t you?”

“’Course I did!” He gave a huge grin, swinging an arm about your waist. “So, near the school, I’ll text you more specific directions… but I think a date to the arcade would be a great first date.”

“If you say so—“ You were about to reply, but suddenly, a boom in the sky made you pause and look up, watching the blue and red flash across the stars. Shun and you just stood there, following all the colors and designs in silence, holding hands.

“All these fireworks remind me of that classic 8-bit alien shooting game.”

“Which one’s that?”

“Eh?” Shun looked to you, confusion written all over his face. “You’ve never played it?”

You shook your head, feeling the blush cross your cheeks.

“Well, then, let’s play together sometime! You’re holding a plushie from that game anyway, and we’re going to an arcade this weekend. It would be easy to show it to you.”

“Huh? It’s from the game? I just thought it was cute!”

Shun laughed aloud, letting out a loving sigh as it died down. “You’re the cute one here.”

With that, you blushed even darker, causing Shun to laugh again and hug you close. “I think you’re the cutest.”

Chapter Text

You waited by the entrance to the festival, checking your watch as you scanned the streets for your boyfriend. He was late to arriving, and you couldn’t help but wonder what was keeping him. He hadn’t answered your texts or calls, and promised to be here fifteen minutes ago – and he wasn’t ever late.

Suddenly, you heard a muffled call from behind you, and you turned around, seeing your boyfriend jogging towards you with a plastic bag in hand.

“I’m sorry I’m late!” He slowed his pace, bending forward slightly to catch his breath as he held the bag out towards you. “I had been working on some food for us to eat… then I remembered, the festival will sell good foods! So I got ready to go, but then… these were almost done, and it seemed like such a waste…” Taking a deep gulp of air, Souma straightened his back, looking down at you with a smile. With a roll of your eyes, you glanced in the bag, seeing an assortment of iced vanilla star cookies, and chocolate circles with fireworks patterns on them. They smelled delicious, and were delicately frosted.

“These look great! We can have them during the fireworks, if we’re not too full by then from fair food…”

“I looked at the list on the way here!” Souma said, his eyes lighting up. “This festival has an amazing variety of food stalls! If you have time, I’d like to go around and try them all out with you.”

“Wouldn’t you get bored doing that by yourself?”

Souma shook his head, moving to take your hand. “That would be the best festival experience for me, even if you don’t try any—”

“All right then! Let’s go!” You tugged him along, moving through to the center of the festival to first write down your wishes, before moving along through the booths. You stopped at each and every stand, marking where you wanted to try as you walked around holding hands.

“Mmnnn, takoyaki, yakitori, choco banana, candied apples…” Souma’s mouth was practically watering as you kept writing them down, trying to figure out what you wanted first. “The list of festival food just goes on and on.”

“It really does, doesn’t it?” As you spoke, your boyfriend stopped before one simple stand, where a person placing out freshly grilled yakitori. Souma stared at them for a few moments, before moving over.

“H-Hey! What are you doing?”

But he didn’t respond, only speaking to the vendor with quick conversation before paying and taking up two skewers, holding one out to you. With a puzzled look, he thrust it towards you further.

“Okay okay!” You took it and blew on it slightly, moving to bite a piece off. Suddenly, you paused and held a hand up to your mouth, savoring the taste.

“Oh my gosh, this is delicious!”

Souma nodded in agreement, swallowing his bite before looking down to you. “They taste even better when I’m eating them in your company.”

You gave him a look, and he laughed. “Cheesy one-liners aside, this place had the best yakitori of any we walked by. I could tell.”

“You can tell that just by glancing?”

Souma pointed into the booth, showing the variations of spices, storage of marinated meats, and of the careful and attentive way that the chef handled each serving.

“The smell struck me as well, but it’s the care of the chef that makes a food best.”

You only nodded in response, focusing solely on your food as you chewed it down in a few bites. Souma could only stare, before breaking out into laughter.

“What?”

“You like festival street food? I know how to make these! And, I’m especially good at takoyaki! You can ask me anytime and I will make them for you!”

“I don’t need that!”

Souma returned your comment with an even stare. “I’m your personal chef, you know.”

“And since when were you my personal chef?”

“Since right now.” With that, he bit into his yakitori, grumbling as you started walking again.

“Well, I’d love to have you cook for me.” With a soft smile, you took his hand, holding it as you continued walking through the festival, starting to settle at stands and buy samplers of food. A mix of desserts and dinners filled your hands as you found a bench, sitting down and beginning to spread the servings out.

“The taiyaki is delicious, but I think you should start with the takoyaki samples.”

“I’m stealing some of your yakisoba, then,” you retorted, moving to grab at a sample. He pulled it away with a cry, making a face as you laughed and began to poke at your food, enjoying each bite as he commented on tastes and flavors. You watched him ramble, absently eating. He was so passionate about food and the craft of it, speaking profusely about how he would make it better, just for you of course, and what he wanted to try next.

“There’s something about the choco bananas that is important. We picked these up close to last because they needed to be out of the freezer for a little white. They’re extremely delicious when softened.” He glanced at you, eyes moving to the container in your hands that had been emptied long ago. Souma fell silent, a frown slowly pulling at his lips.

“…What?” You tilted your head, confused, but then looked down as well, realizing you had eaten all the takoyaki without thinking. “…Oh.”

“I didn’t get a chance to taste it,” Souma muttered, sounding hurt.

“I’m sorry!” You moved to stand, but Souma wrapped his fingers around your wrist, stopping you.

“No, it’s fine.” He tugged you a little closer, leaning up to meet you. “I’ll just take something sweeter.”

Suddenly, you felt a peck on your lips, a quick flick of his tongue – before it was suddenly gone, replaced with a mischievous smile. With a blush, you stuck your tongue out at him.

“Fine, then all the takoyaki I buy this time is actually for me!”

Chapter Text

When you arrived at the festival and saw Wakatoshi at the entrance, both of you paused upon seeing each other. His eyes looked up and down your figure, and you did the same as well, except upon seeing how formal he had dressed, your eyebrows rose with surprise.

“W-what?” He turned away, cheeks turning red. “W-what are you staring at? Not used to me looking so formal.”

“A little bit, yeah.”

He bit his lip, having not expected that response. “W-what do you think?”

With a slight smile, you moved to take his hand, running your thumb across his knuckles. “I think it looks very nice on you.”

“…Well, as long as you like it, I’m also okay with this kind of get-up.” He turned his hand over to lace your fingers together as you began to walk through the festival, Wakatoshi excitedly looking about as he began to remember things from his childhood and point them out, and you did as well, reflecting on the times you had shared with your mother and father at the booths. As you caught goldfish or snagged balloons, the two of you would comment how much easier it seemed as older teenagers now, still laughing when a fish splashed water or when your paper dissolved into a pulp. After the games, you moved onto shopping, but the street lane was also filled with food vendors, and Wakatoshi kept getting distracted as he looked back at some stalls and commented on their wares.

“Oh! Taiyaki… and they’re serving choco bananas… whoa! Festival candied apples!”

“Wakatoshi,” you said, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention, “do you have a sweet tooth?” At your teasing grin, Wakatoshi glanced aside, not wanting to make eye contact.

“No, I don’t have a sweet tooth, w-what are you talking about?”

“Well, all the same, I’d like to get some candied apples to walk around with while shopping…”

“But if you want to eat some, I guess I can eat some with you!” At his flustered and rushed comment, you began to laugh, agreeing and walking over to the vendor and picking out your favorite kinds, resuming your walk around the festival shops and pointing out the masks you wanted to get.

“Which one do you want?” you asked as you picked out your favorite mascot character, and Wakatoshi looked them all over, frowning at the thought of making a selection.

“There are a lot of good choices,” he muttered, before his eyes settled on one that caused his cheeks to turn red again. You raised an eyebrow, following his gaze before knowingly nodding.

“It’s a cute one.”

“I absolutely cannot get that one!”

“You absolutely can! Come on, here. Excuse me!”

Wakatoshi made a groaning noise behind you as you bought the Pyo-Kun mask, holding it out to him. With a roll of his eyes, he accepted the mask, attaching it around his head as he continued his walk alongside you, pointing out more festival desserts that you should try. Before the night was out, you had tasted every sweet cake, candied treat, and chocolate known to man, and felt happily content walking hand-in-hand throughout the festival to simply soak in the sights and talk to classmates. The night dwindled to a close, shown when the last echoes of a taiko drum performance boomed throughout the streets, and when the vendors began to close down their booths, folding up their displays and taking down their wares. Wakatoshi and you quickly began to walk down to the fields, where people were setting up the fireworks equipment. Finding a semi-empty bench, the two of you took a seat, staring up at the night sky with gentle sighs.

“Isn’t it pretty?” you said, looking at each twinkling light in turn. “It really is an amazing sight.”

“I always liked the stars,” Wakatoshi said slowly, scooting a little closer to you. “Sitting under them always felt… soothing. And sitting underneath this starry night sky with you is pretty enjoyable.”

“I agree,” you said, matching his actions and leaning against him.

“Hey, let me take you out to a stargazing date one of these days. Would you like something like that?”

“Are you asking me out on another date already?”

“Well, why not? You’re the best person ever to be with. If I can spend more time at your side, I would gladly go on as many dates as you wanted.”

“Then a stargazing date sounds perfect.”

Chapter Text

“When I sent the text, I didn’t need you to come… and I certainly didn’t need the entire basketball team!”

“Well, too late now!” Your boyfriend’s contagious smile stretched from ear to ear, and he began to direct them towards vendors that were clearly struggling with their wares, or others that needed the help with carrying boxes or setting up equipment.

“Makoto…” You gave a sighing laugh, moving to hug him from behind briefly before letting go. “You’re a huge help.”

“We haven’t even done the half of it yet,” he said, before spinning around and returning the hug. “Let’s go!”

It was the morning of the festival, a warm Saturday that came with a buzz of excitement. The school had been anticipating the event for weeks since you pitched it, especially as supplies were ordered, performances and displays were finalized, and the boys went shopping for yukatas, having fun picking out the best designs to wear. You had done the same, but also found yourself in the thick of work, helping set up and organize the streets and booths. Which had led to you texting Makoto in what was supposed to be a joking manner, saying “So much to do! So little time!”

And somehow, your wonderful, helpful boyfriend thought to gather up the entire basketball team to help out.

“They were all going to be attending anyway,” he commented as you asked about how he had managed to round them all up. “Most of them were eager to help with the preparations, especially when I asked.”

“That’s a relief,” you said with a sigh as you watched the festival grounds set up around you. Tents were pitched, canopies were raised, and the loud snaps of tables and chairs unfolding rang about the entire afternoon. You had approximated that the set up would take three hours, but with the help of all the basketball team, they cut that time down by at least half, leaving everyone more time to lay out their wares and begin cooking or preparing for the night ahead. Makoto asked if you needed a ride home, which you gratefully accepted.

“If you want, I’ll pick you up about thirty minutes before the start?”

“All right!” You grinned at him, blowing a kiss as shutting the door, and excitedly walking into the house, where your grandmother was waiting. Happy that you came home early, the two of you talked and prepared a dinner for her until the time came for you to get ready. The yukata was a bit of work to put on, as she fussed over the tidiness of the bow and your hair, sparing no part of you until you heard a car horn outside and peeked out to see Makoto waving from his car.

“Be careful!” your grandmother cautioned, and you promised you would be, going to pull the passenger’s side door open with a grin. “Hey!”

“You look great!” he said as you turned around to sit in the seat slowly, leaning back to carefully pull your legs into the car. “It’s a really nice color on you.”

“Thanks,” you said, smiling as you saw his outfit. “Gold looks very good on you, too.”

The car ride over was filled with excited chatter and thanks for earlier, and you were at the school before you knew it, Makoto coming around to help you out of the car.

“Are you ready?”

“You bet I am!” With a grin, you slipped your arm through his before going through the gates and into the fair grounds. Within seconds, you had met up with friends and had a crowd by your side, moving around and commenting on booths to play or foods to try. Suddenly, someone swung an arm out before you and Makoto, causing you both to stop short.

“Look! Makoto! You should try that booth!”

“Huh?” He looked in the direction they were pointing, and his face lit up. “Oooh! It’s a hoop-shooting game booth!” With a laugh, he looked to you with a grin. “Too easy! Guess who’s going to win all the prizes for his beloved.”

“But Makoto! I couldn’t hold them all if you won all the prizes…”

“Don’t worry,” he said, hugging you close before moving towards the game. “I’ll help you carry them all home!” Moving up confidently to the vendor, he paid for the game and readied his first of three baskets, analyzing the hoop and spinning the ball around in his fingers.

“This is the cool part,” one of them murmured, and you watched Makoto with steady eyes, not wanting to miss a moment. As he finished is examination, he bent his knees slightly, eyes narrowing as he aimed for the basket. Seconds later, his ball was flying through the air, hitting the hoop with a perfect swish!

“Nice shot!” they cheered, and Makoto picked up the next ball, launching it and the last one in quick succession. Every shot hit the basket perfectly, and you cheered, Makoto turning around and giving everyone a huge smile.

“All right, what prize do you want?”

You picked out a fluffy mascot, big enough that you needed two hands you wrap around the prize to carry it around. Before long, Makoto was hoisting it over one shoulder, leaving your hands free. The only requirement, he said, was that you feed him snacks for the entirety of the festival, which you were happy enough to do anyway.

The rest of your night was filled with laughter and enjoyable games by all, before ending the night with going to the fields and watching the fireworks. As the show began, Makoto leaned down, whispering just enough to be heard over the booms. “These fireworks are quite beautiful.”

“Yeah, they are.”

“But there is no sight as beautiful as you. They may light up the sky, but you light up my whole world.” With a laugh as you nudged him, he moved his arm from your hand to about your waist, pulling you closer.

“You wanna know something else?”

“What?”

“We cancelled practice to help out with preparations for the festival.”

“What?!” Your raised voice and turn towards him drew the attention of a couple onlookers, but as another firework went off, their attention was quickly drawn away.

“Eh? Don’t worry about it. Sitting here with you…. I’d say it was pretty much worth it.” With a smile, he pulled your hand to his lips and kissed it gently, before looking back up at the sky. With a grumble, you did the same, watching the fireworks light up the night with vibrant excitement. Before long, you were leaning into Makoto again, grateful for his all his help and love.

Chapter Text

You approached the entrance to the festival with a slow, slight walk. The intricate yukata prevented you from walking easily in long strides, so you were forced to use the smaller steps to get anywhere. But you felt regal and beautiful, and were eager to get to the festival and have a good time with your boyfriend.

Tokiya was waiting for you by the wishing tree, having requested that you start your evening there. He wanted to tie his wish first thing, before going through to the rest of the festival. As you approached, you recognized him almost instantly - chatting with Ai and wearing a crown on his head still. You laughed at the fact that he kept it on and approached, coming up alongside him with a small smile.

“Oh!” Ai noticed you first, and his exclamation caused Tokiya to turn and look at you, eyes widening as he recognized who you were.

“Princess,” he breathed, eyes glancing up and down, “you look breathtaking in a beautiful yukata. It really suits you.” With a slight smile, he wrapped his arm about you. “Shall I call you 'Ohime-sama’ for the rest of the night?”

You laughed, slipping your hand out and hugging him in return. “No, that’s not needed, Tokiya.”

“I digress,” he murmured, leaning to gently kiss your forehead. He said his good-byes to Ai as the pink-haired boy went off to join Souma, who was standing before a food vendor alone, and began to walk with you, matching your slow pace. He released your waist as you began to near the wishing tree, going to collect tags and pencils.

“So, Tokiya, you know exactly what you’re going to wish for?”

“I do,” he said quietly. His hand moved to hide the card from your prying eyes, and you did the same, carefully writing each word before moving to hang it on the tree. Tokiya followed moments later, tying it with a firm knot.

“Now,” he declared, extending his elbow towards you. “It would be my greatest honor to escort you throughout the festival. Take my arm, princess. I will take you to each place you’d like to visit.”

“Is the princely formality really necessary?” you quipped, sliding your hand through.

“Of course. You look like a princess, and I am your prince. I will act and treat you as such.”

Tokiya was good on his word. He let you plan the night and dictate the schedule, and did not let you pay for a single game or snack, saying that it was his duty. He did his best to make sure you were happy, and by the end of the night, you were growing tired as you moved to the fields to watch the fireworks display, feeling the cool night air on your face. Tokiya came up alongside you and saw the shiver, continuing to walk until he stood behind you.

“Do you know the legend of the Star Festival?” Tokiya wrapped his arms about your waist as you stood in the field, waiting for the show to start.

“I don’t,” you responded, moving to lay your hands on his.

“The tale of two lovers is indeed an incredible love story, princess. But no love story is greater than our own.”

You gave a slight laugh, and Tokiya leaned back, looking slightly offended. “Do you not think that our story of true love is as incredible?”

“I’m sure it’s not as incredible as the story of the Star Festival.”

“Well.” Tokiya rested his chin on your head, tilting it slightly as he recalled the tale, “It is the story of a princess named Orihime. And she had a father named Tentei. And all year, each day, she would weave exquisite clothes by the bank of the river.”

As Tokiya spoke, he began to separate from you, holding to your hands as he spun you around to face him. When he released them to take a few steps back, he continued speaking, voice becoming more noble and steady.

“Her father loved these clothes, but she was sad, because due to her work, she could not fall in love with a single soul. Her work kept her too busy to meet anyone, or keep the relationship going.” Tokiya watched your face quietly as it changed in reaction to his tale, before moving towards you again.

“So Tentai, out of love and concern for Orihime, arranged for her to meet with a boy cow herder named Hikoboshi. He lived on the other side of the river, and when they met…”

His fingers wrapped around yours and brought them close to his lips, breath ghosting over them with a feather touch.

“They fell instantly in love.”

“What happened next?”

“Then, when they were married, Orihime became less busy. She would not work as hard, and to make matters worse, Hikoboshi’s cows were disrupting the stars. This angered her father, and once again…”

Tokiya pushed you back, and moved back himself, holding out his hands, reaching for you, despite some invisible barrier that suddenly divided you both.

“He separated them to the two halves of the river, and said they could not meet. They were doomed to live in solitude for the rest of their days, never once meeting again.”

You felt a tear come to your eye at the pained tone of Tokiya’s voice, carefully articulate and practiced. It was as if he had been separated from you as well, far across a deep, raging river.

“At the sight of her tears,” he continued, pointing to your cheeks, “Tentei was so moved that he allowed them to meet, but only on the seventh day of the seventh month, and that was if she finished her weaving and worked hard all other days of the year.”

Tokiya moved closer, and you went towards him as well, knowing it must the moment they would meet again—

But Tokiya held out his hands and stopped short a couple feet away, as if there was something at his feet that barred his path. It was then you remembered…

“The river. The river still divided their love, and they could not cross it. Orihime cried, and Hikoboshi cried. The two lamented and sobbed until they were devoid of tears and of words, since they could not cross the river, for the current was too strong and there was no bridge. Yet, Orihime cried so much that magpies came from the sky and promised to make a bridge with their wings, and to do the same for every seventh day after, so long as there was no rain. Thus, they were able to cross… and Orihime could see her husband once again.”

He held out his hands, beckoning you over, and you followed his stage direction, going forward to take them lightly as he pulled you closer, lips easily making contact with yours — as the first firework exploded in the distance.

“And so, their love would last the test of time, and on the seventh day of the seventh month… they would meet, and be happy, together.”

Chapter Text

“If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I would say you are an actual goat.”

“Really? You know my act was convincing – some of the students still don’t believe it.”

You held onto Akira’s hand as you walked through the festival, looking left and right at every single stall. You had been planning with other students for the occasion and it seemed that booking people had gotten slightly out of hand, as there were more booths and winding paths than a complicated maze. Your boyfriend had been searching for the past hour to find a specific booth for you to try, thinking that it would be easy to locate…

“Hmmn. Aren’t there more options for stalls that sell vegetables here?”

“What exactly are you looking for? We’ve been searching for so long. Just spill the details!”

“Where’s the roasted corn-on-the-cob stall? I want to share my favorite festival snack with you! But if we can’t find it…”

“You could always make it yourself, Akira.”

“That’s not the same.” He pouted at you as he continued to drag you throughout the festival grounds. Eventually, you suggested that you begin to ask around at vendors, but he made no move to comment. He remained silent, still determinedly searching.

“Can we take a break at some point soon? It’s a little exhausting to walk around.”

Akira paused then, your momentum causing you to almost collide with him. Turning around, he registered for the first that you might be growing weary, so he guided you to a bench instead, allowing you to sit as he quickly checked the vending stalls up and down. But none of them were serving what he wanted, so he came back to you, looking dejected. You shifted slightly, smoothing out your skirts.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s all fine,” he said, glancing to with a smile. “It’s not all bad.”

“Why?”

“Well, I do admit. It’s nice to spend this festival without my goat mask on. This way, I can see you properly in your yukata. You look absolutely stunning, my dear.”

“Is that an apology compliment?” you asked, eyes narrowing as you smiled.

“It might be.” With a sheepish grin, he looked away again, feeling the small blush at his cheeks. “Is it enough to get you to start walking again?”

“It is,” you said, holding your hands out to allow him to pull you upwards, tugging you just a little bit closer to a kiss to your nose. Then you were winding through the paths again, looking left and right. He finally took your advice of asking vendors, and they were able to helpfully guide you towards a set of booths where they were selling the roasted corn-on-the-cob, along with other vegetarian options for fair foods. He excitedly ran up to the proper stall, buying two right away. Before you knew it, you had a foil-wrapped package in your hands, and he was biting into his, savoring the taste.

“This has such good spices! And oh gosh, if they dipped it in butter…” You had never seen Akira in such a state of bliss as you went to unwrap yours, smelling the flavor instantly. Eagerly, you bit off some kernels, pulling it away as you realized how good it tasted.

“Oh my gosh! This is actually great!”

“Told you!” Before you had left the area, he bought and consumed two more as you walked around, finally getting a chance to appreciate the rest of the festival. He enjoyed watching you try your luck at games, and at your pushing, ended up trying out chocolate bananas and caramel apples, finding them to be a new favorite. The two of you laced your fingers together, meandering over to the festival grounds before the final show started. Moving through the throngs of the crowd, Akira tilted his head back as you walked, looking upwards at the stars.

“Such a beautiful night sky,” he breathed, staring at it with wonder before you guided him to a bench, settling down on it.

“It really is.”

“See that constellation over there?” He pointed to one section, and you squinted, managing to make out the shape as he traced it with his finger. “That’s Capricorn.”  You opened your mouth to comment, but he interrupted, saying, “Yeah, it looks like a goat.”

“It really does.”

“I’m glad I got to show it to you. There’s another one, Sagittarius. See it?”

“Mhm!”

“And that one is Aquarius—“

Suddenly, a whistle ran through the still air, and a firework blossomed before your eyes.

“Oh, well then. If that’s going to block my vision…” He turned to you as the fireworks continued going off. “I’ll just look at something more beautiful.”

You turned crimson as he said that, and with a slight laugh, he leaned in to kiss your cheek once more, nuzzling against it. 

“I love you.”

Chapter Text

“Hold still!” you said to a giggling child, whose grin was interfering with your brushwork.

“I can’t!” they said. “That tickles so much!”

You pulled the brush away, playfully frowning at them. “I haven’t even finished the other butterfly wing yet!”

The boy grinned at you from behind his painted mask. “But it’s so ticklish!”

“We’ll stop for a couple moments, then,” you said, looking over your shoulder at your boyfriend.

Where your brushwork was steady and slightly erratic, his was elegant and poised. He was delicately holding the painter’s tool, each stroke filled with intent and form. You couldn’t help admiring how easily he changed canvas, especially with how he was making magic with the cheap paints you bought.

Maybe it’s because he insisted on using his brush sets, you suddenly realizing, looking down at the equally-cheap brush in your hand. Turning back to the child, you moved to complete the butterfly, frowning at the asymmetry before holding up the mirror.

“Woah!” They moved to touch their face, but paused, realizing it was still wet.

“Give it about five minutes to dry, all right? But go show your parents.”

“Thank you, miss!” The boy slid off the stool and bowed, before running off. You took the chance for a break and leaned back, stretching your spine and feeling it crack in a couple places. The rush had begun to settle, and you heard Soujiro behind you lifting the mirror to show the girl’s facepaint, done up like a geisha.

“Thank you,” she said, slowly and politely, clearly trying to act the part. Soujiro bowed slightly in return, watching her go as he moved back on his stool, moving to rotate his wrists.

“I do love the Star Festival,” he commented, looking out at the crowd. “Everyone gets to dress up in a nice, traditional yukata.”

“It really is nice to see how different everyone looks.”

“You, most especially, look most captivating.” His eyes had turned to you next, glinting. “A summer yukata really brings out your grace and elegance.”

You blushed, diverting your attention with a family who had just come up, both the kids looking through the binders. You moved to talk with them and they both picked out designs, each one taking a seat before you and Soujiro began your work again. The booth became a popular favorite as more and more kids saw the designs and demanded that your parents took them there, and you and Soujiro were having an excellent time with the designs. You could not remember the last time you had seen him smiling so much, aside from dates where the two of you were alone. The smile never quite vanished from his face – he was either grinning, or having it tug slightly at the corners, in merry spirits for the rest of the night. As the fireworks were called, people began moving towards the field, and those with booths began to either pack up shop or simply close their shutters, moving to watch them as well. You and Soujiro quickly gathered up your tools and binders, leaving the table behind as Soujiro only took his box of brushes to walk towards the showgrounds. As you walked, you paused at the center, where the wishing tree was still swaying. People were moving to take it down, so as to carry it to the river.

“Wait!” You stepped over, and Soujiro looked your way, moving to follow. “We would like to put a couple wishes on the tree.” With a bow, you excused yourself and moved to collect a card and pen from the table, shaking it to get the ink out. With a few quick flourishes, you wrote out your wish, but noticed that Soujiro had not gone to write any. As they carried off the tree, you fell into step alongside him again, sliding an arm through his.

“You didn’t write anything,” you commented, and Soujiro could only smile, giving your arm a simple pat.

“That’s because I didn’t need to wish for anything more. I have you, and I have my calligraphy. My family, my cousins, and hopefully much more life to look forward to. And again, life with you.” He patted your hand, smiling softly at you before leaning down to chastely kiss your forehead.

As you continued walking, the fireworks began to go off above you, flashing in brilliant colors until you reached the field, standing a little behind the crowd. They were enticing, catching your attention with each new explosion. Quietly, Soujiro bent over slightly, whispering into your ear.

“This is really one of my most favorite events of the year. And watching the fireworks under this starry night sky with you, my beloved, makes this celebration even better.”

Once again, you felt a blush paint itself across your cheeks, heating them up with flustered embarrassment. Soujiro only gave a slight smile in return, standing up straight again to watch the finale. It burst across the sky, all in a row, glowing with golds and silvers. The trees all around shone like jewels, for but a moment, until the last echo faded into silence. As the crowd began to move and the volume rise, you heard Soujiro’s voice once again, still staring up at the sky.

“When I get home, I’m going to paint about this night. So I can forever commemorate the time we spent together, looking up at the fireworks in the sky.”

Chapter Text

“I’ll be at your side the entire festival, my lady. You just make sure to enjoy yourself after this week. I will serve you.”

At the time, you had thought his statement a joke – that he would be repaying you for all your hard work that week, since you were working nonstop on the festival preparations and on your own homework and café job. Souh was always kind and willing to serve you, but as of late, you had been trying to ease him out of that role, working to make him more relaxed around you.

But when the festival came, and he picked you up from your house in a sleek car, getting out to open the door and help you inside, you could tell that he was absolutely, completely serious.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, smiling warmly at you.

“I’m very excited,” you said, grinning in return. “I’ve been looking forward to the rewards of my work all week.”

“I am sure that the festival will be a grand success, and that it will be loved by all. Including yourself.”

You made small chatter on the way to the festival, discussing what you wanted to try and eat, or what games you wanted to play. Souh mentioned that he was most looking forward to the fireworks display and dance performances, having not gotten the opportunities to see as many in his youth.

“I rather liked the way they always dressed, but rarely have I gotten a chance to see them live. I would very much like to see them for myself.”

“They’re amazing,” you said as the car pulled to a stop. “You really should make sure you see one this festival.”

“Is that a request from you, my lady?” Souh asked, moving to get out of the car and walk around to open your door for you so you could swing your legs around to slide out.

“It is. It’s also my request to make sure that you enjoy yourself and have fun tonight. You do not need to spend the entire evening serving me.”

“That is what I enjoy best, however,” he said softly, extending his elbow for you to take as you walked through the festival. “But whatever you ask, then. I will enjoy myself to the best of my ability, while serving you.”

“I suppose that’s a better answer,” you sighed, moving to walk through. As you walked around, people commented on your yukata and Souh’s, causing you both to smile at your complimentary outfits.

“This yukata is a nice change from my usual formal suit and tie,” he said after the third person had left. “Would you prefer it if my regular butler uniform would also be in a classic yukata style, my lady?”

You pondered the question a moment, before shaking your head. “No, I like your usual uniform. The classic look really does suit you.”

Souh glanced down at you, his look mildly surprised. But then it softened into a smile, and he reached around with his free arm to take up your hand, kissing it gently.

“That is very kind of you to say. Thank you.”

You continued to walk about until you felt a little sore from the constrained walking and sandals, looking about for a bench. Souh noticed this instantly, escorting you to the nearest one and easing you down with a reassuring pat to your shoulder.

“Please, take a seat, my lady. Whatever you want to buy from the festival stalls, I will bring it to you. You don’t have to lift a finger. Just tell me what you want me to buy.”

“Souh! I want to spend this time with you, you know!” In the next instant, you felt your stomach growl. You hadn’t realized your hunger until you stopped walking, and your hands swung about your abdomen, holding it tight. “I’m not that hungry.”

Souh laughed gently, brushing a bit of hair away from your face. “And I know when you’re lying. What do you want to eat?”

“…Takoyaki. …And maybe something with chocolate.”

“Then I shall get both of those for you.”

“And make sure you get some for yourself too! So we can share!”

He waved as he walked away, showing that he had heard your request. With a sigh, you leaned back into the bench, happy to be sitting down, but you wished that you could have made it a bit further with your boyfriend before having to relax.

He returned moments later with a couple cardboard trays of takoyaki, along with a couple taiyakis that were filled with chocolate. Between the two of you, you enjoyed the food, feeding pieces to each other and splitting the cakes so that you got a taste of everything. Souh was visibly relaxing as you sat there, beginning to just enjoy himself alongside you without keeping up airs. However, as you stood to walk again, he moved to help you up and throw the trash away, before once again taking your hand.

“You wanted to see a dance, right?” you said as you stopped at the crossroads, looking at the list of performances for the night.

“It is something I desired, but so long as you want to see it, too.” He paused alongside you to read the list, becoming excited as he saw a spring dance was coming up next on the list. “Oh!”

“Yeah! Come on, let’s go see it!” You pulled him along to the stage area, easily finding a seat on the benches before the show began.

As the dancers came out to the beat of a single drum, Souh was mesmerized. His eyes watched the dancers with a careful gaze, in awe of their flowing motions and of the way they moved about in their kimonos. They told the story of the Star Festival, without a single word to accompany their tale – simply using expressions, body language, and costumes to give the characters life and meaning. Souh reacted when the girl lamented about having no love, and brightened when she found it. The story ended somberly, with two dancers running between the couple with varying shades of blue ribbon flying out behind them. Before they could fully push the couple apart, a single dancer, clad in black, carrying a wooden display with black and white false birds dangling from it. The dancer pushed away the river and drew the lovers in, bringing them together once again. With a final embrace, the show ended, and the audience showed their approval. Souh turned to you, happy to have seen something like that.

“We should go to the ballet, then. I think you would really like that. Have you ever been?”

“Only once, when Mr. Takahiro took me as a friend. I barely recall it now.”

“Then we’ll go. Promise."

“I promise you, my lady, that we will attend the ballet together.” With a smile, he began to stand, helping you up with him. The two of you resumed your walk around, playing games to kill the time until the fireworks. As the air began to cool down and the festival drew to a close, Souh asked you to go find a seat, while he would meet you there. Worried that he might not be able to find you, you told him to be there in five minutes, and went to go find a spot. He returned in three, carrying a small thermos with him.

“My lady, I brewed some tea for you. I was thinking that you’d like something to drink while we’re watching the fireworks. If you need anything else, do not hesitate to ask. The comfort of my lady is my utmost priority.”

“And where were you keeping this?”

“In the car, my lady. I was thinking that you might like it, now. It is your favorite brew, and I hope you enjoy it.”

“Well, thank you, Souh.” You gave a smile and opened up the lid, blowing on the hot tea before taking a sip. You felt the warmth travel through your body, banishing the cold in an instant.

“Is it to your liking, my lady?”

“It is. Thank you for it, Souh.” You gently tugged on his yukata, encouraging him to bend down. You quickly placed a kiss on his cheek, before pulling away and looking back up at the sky. Seconds later, you felt him move his arm around your waist, kissing the top of your head with a gentle smile.

“I love you, dear.”

“I love you, too.”

Chapter Text

Your hands balanced the take-out cup with a practiced ease, moving down towards the student council room. You knew who was inside – since they called an order to the café that required you to bring a delivery.

“Strong coffee,” your boyfriend had asked, sounding slightly strained. As he hung up the phone, you could hear Seiichi addressing him again, talking about preparations for the festival once more. You supposed that with such an important and grand event, it required extensive attention to the way it was planned and managed.

So you didn’t bring him coffee.

“Touru?” You nudged the door open gently, finding him alone. “Where’s Seiichi-senpai?”

“Oh, he’s…” He waved a hand absently. “Making a few phone calls, I think we’ll need to deny some people spots at the festival.”

“I hope not,” you said, placing the take-out cup next to him. Without even glancing up, Touru took it, raising it to his lips and taking a sip –

Before lightly choking on it. “You got my order, right?” he asked sternly, holding the cup out towards you.

“I did,” you said. “You don’t sound tired, you sound on edge. The coffee will only give you the energy to be more anxious, so I’m giving you chamomile tea. Free of charge, too.”

Touru paused, staring at you, then the cup, before bringing it back to his lips. “Thank you,” he murmured, taking a heavy sip before going back to poring over documents and set-ups. Leaning over his shoulder, you studied all the work as well, trying to figure out what was involved. Before you turned away, you heard him sigh again, erasing something and going to write over the previous marks.

“Touru,” you repeated, looking back at him. “Take a break.”

“I can’t afford a break now—“

You placed a hand on each shoulder, leaning down to lay your head against his. “A break would be good for you. Just five minutes.”

Touru pushed against the desk, his chair sliding out as he stood up and stretched, his back making audible cracking sounds.

“See?”

“All right, you’re making your point, dear.” Giving you a sidelong smile as you pulled a chair towards the desk, he watched as you settled into a position next to him and took up the papers, turning them over as you made sense of the lists, diagrams, and timetables.

“You’ve got a lot going on here,” you commented.

“For some reason, a lot of people want in on the festival.” He stared at the documents now, scratching the back of his head. “I guess it’s the prestige of Ikemen… they know we’re rich and think we’ll spend the money.”

“That’s not hard to figure out,” you said with a laugh. “Here, do you want my help this week? Since I pitched the idea in the café, is all… before it took off and became a fully-fledged event—“

“No. I couldn’t ask you to put extra effort into this. That is the Student Council’s job, and we’re all fully capable.”

“Yes, but maybe, just maybe, I want to help you not stress as much. Because you’re my boyfriend, and usually, people in a romantic relationship care about each other.”

Touru looked down at you, before letting his shoulders drop. “Fine, I will not fight you on this.”

“Thank you, Touru.”

With a soft smile, he bent down and cupped your cheeks, kissing your forehead gently. “I’m sure you will be a great help. You already could read my words and knew to bring me tea over coffee, which I agree was the better choice.”

“I’ll keep trusting my gut, then.”

“It’s proven to work.”

The rest of the week was a whirlwind of activity. Your other customers were a little miffed when you opened an hour late due to helping at student council meetings, but as the week progressed, the excitement for Saturday’s festival only grew. People were talking about what they hoped would be there, or try to get you to drop hints about some of the performances, but you refrained, saying nothing was confirmed until the official schedule went up Friday. You and Touru were working late into the night Thursday, sitting at a council computer until it was all sorted out. He ended up walking you home that night before heading back the school dormitories, thanking you for your hard work. You were grateful that he seemed a bit more with ease at you around. That became particularly obvious on Friday, when you both stayed late and helped set up the booths and storefronts, sectioning off areas for the people to come to the following morning. You even managed to get him to laugh a couple times, much to the shock of the other student council members. Everyone went back to their dorms or rides with excitement, eager for the following day, while Touru offered to escort you home once again.

“It has been an extremely busy week,” he said as you began your walk, streetlamps illuminating your path, “trying to set up this entire street festival. I am truly grateful for all your help.”

“I am glad that I could be of help!”

“I hope that I was able to assist you properly as well.” His smile was soft and genuine, fingers reaching out delicately to take your hand in his. “I am also thankful that I called that order of coffee in, and that you brought me tea instead. Otherwise, I might have been too distracted to even have started a conversation that got you involved in the first place.”

You gave a hum, leaning into him as you walked, the rest of the trip spent in blissful city silence, with the hum of cars going by, lights flickering on and off in apartments, and the sounds of shopkeepers going home. As you reached your house, you let go of his hand and skipped up your steps, gripping the door handle.

“B-By the way,” Touru said, catching your attention and causing you to turn around, “I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Wou…” His voice faltered, but he quickly picked it up again, looking into your eyes. “Would you like to spend time at the festival with me tomorrow?”

“I would like that very much.”

When you closed the door behind you, you didn’t see Touru’s ecstatic grin as he began to walk back to school.

The morning of the Star Festival brought about a slight rush. You were planning out your morning on the phone with Touru as you ate breakfast, your grandmother watching your conversation with an amused smile on her face. As you hung up for a few minutes while Touru called Seiichi, she said, “You know, with all those things to do, you’re keeping yourself awfully busy. I hope that boy isn’t working you too hard.”

“Don’t worry!” You waved it off. “I brought the work upon myself, and I want to help him. He’s usually far more stressed than I am about this sort of thing.”

“That’s what I’m saying. I don’t want you to overwork yourself for his sake, and I think both of you should have fun at the festival, since you played such a major role in the making. The two of you just need to relax and have fun.

You sat there, absorbing her words as she moved to continue eating, and realized that you hadn’t even really considered relaxing at the festival. You had been under the impression that you and Touru would be working until the very end of the festivities, and even after. With that in mind, you quickly finished breakfast, saying good-bye as you dashed to school and burst into the student council room, where Touru and Seiichi were standing with an itinerary of the day. Their heads shot up when you came in, and you marched right up to Touru, standing at your full height.

“Promise me that you won’t overwork yourself at the festival. Remember that it’s a chance to relax, and that everything will go smoothly.”

Touru blinked twice at you, but gave his word, before moving onto the preparations of directing vendors and set-up. The sports grounds were transformed into a festive display, with lanterns, food stalls, and game booths. Before they officially opened, Seiichi told both you and Touru to take the hour off before the festival, so that you could get home to put on your yukata and be ready when you returned. As you walked off, you saw Seiichi pushing Touru towards the dorms, instructing him to leave the premises. The scene caused you to laugh, and you quickly hurried home, returning an hour later all decked out and ready to go.

Your boyfriend met you at the entrance, seemingly unable to relax the entire walk around as he checked everything to make sure it was fully functional. Each time he ran into either Kyouya-sensei or Viktor-sensei, he felt the need to report, until the third time when Kyouya-sensei finally told him that it was fine to relax and enjoy himself – that he didn’t need to stress so much about it, otherwise he couldn’t appreciate it. With that in mind, you watched Touru visibly begin to calm down, shoulders sinking and face softening as he began to try foods with you without giving them a critical eye, or trying games just for the sake of having fun. Before long, the night was winding to a close, and you both moved to the benches to watch the final fireworks display.

“I do admit,” Touru said, leaning against you as an arm draped about your waist, “after a long, hectic week of preparations for the festival, I am quite tired. Thank you for spending time with me tonight. Visiting the festival stalls with you was just the break I needed.”

“You’re welcome, Touru,” you said lightly, tucking your head just under his as you rested on his shoulder. You sat there in silence as others filed in around you, sitting on the benches and murmuring until the first firework went off, lighting up the sky. It was quickly followed by a shower of others, leading the crowd to “ooo” and “ahh”” at the sights and colors that the presentation came with. Touru could only stare up at the display, and you felt his grip around you tighten, holding you a little bit closer, and you briefly glanced at him before looking back at the sky. Wordlessly, you did the same, feeling his warmth and appreciating his loving touch. As the show continued, he made no move to utter a sound, and hardly blinked. Only once did he look your way, mouth slightly open and eyes wide. You kissed his cheek then, and watched the blush blossom in time with another explosion, leading to a slight laugh from you.

The fireworks ended in a flurry of color and sound, dying out slowly. As the last sparks trickled away, you felt the magic fade, and Touru’s arm came loose, but he still watched the sky, as if waiting for one last burst.

“I-I have never watched the fireworks with someone special before.” Turning to you, he continued, “I-I hope you enjoy my company as much as I enjoy yours. Your presence makes me quite happy.”

“What a coincidence,” you murmured, wrapping your fingers around his hand, holding it tight. “Being with you makes me happy, too.”

Chapter Text

You kept staring at your boyfriend all night. You hadn’t seen him spruced up before like this – with his hair slicked back, not wearing his glasses, and dressed up in a formal yukata. The boy you were used to was one with huge glasses, an eye cover permanently resting on his forehead. He looked dazed and in a constant state of exhaustion, but the boy before you now was refreshing, beaming with an energy that wasn’t from two cups of coffee and a sugar rush.

“What are you looking at?” Hideki bent his head down slightly to look at your face, frowning. “You look sleepy.”

You suddenly snapped out of your daydreams and waved your hands before you, trying to avert his concerns. “No, no, I’m okay!”

“Are you sure? You must be tired from all the work you had to do, helping set up the Star Festival.”

“I’m all right… just a little hungry, I guess?” You attempted to get his attention away from you, not wanting to admit that you had been thinking about how much more attractive he was. Even if he was your boyfriend, there were some things better kept to oneself.

“Good thing festival food is quite rejuvenating. Let me buy you some of my favorites – my treat.” Taking your hand, he guided you down the lane, stopping occasionally to buy small trays of food and help you carry them all. Each one began to look more appetizing than the last, and you wanted to dig into them all. Before long, you were practically dragging Hideki towards a bench, sitting down and dividing the food to share amongst yourselves.

“Since you were so tired, earlier…” Hideki poked a stick through a takoyaki snack and held it out towards your mouth, waving it slightly. “You might need help getting the energy to eat.”

You gave a sarcastic laugh and opened your mouth, taking a bite and enjoying the taste with a contented grin. Another quickly came your way, followed by a third that caused you to finally take the tray from him.

“It’s fun to feed you.” Hideki gave a pout, and you sighed. “My turn, then. Come on.” You popped a couple into his mouth, watching his reaction to the taste.

“I’ve missed the taste of real food,” he muttered. “The only food I was able to get was what you offered at the café. It was either that or coffee, and whatever was around at the apartment.”

“I should have given you better food,” you muttered, eyes narrowing. Hideki grinned at you, before moving onto the yakitori. The two of you began to eat in silence as you looked out over all the bright lanterns and people walking around, talking and playing games. You watched as Hideki kept looking around, soaking in every sight that he could before leaning back with a sigh.

“Man, I miss these street festivals. I haven’t been to any lately since I’ve been so busy with my thesis. Glad I have some free time. Now I can enjoy it with you!”

“I’m happy to enjoy it with you, too. This festival is a great way to unwind after a long week of planning it.”

“It’s all a success because of you.” He leaned in and kissed your cheek twice, smiling as he did so. “You’re wonderful at this sort of thing.”

“You helped,” you said, returning his kiss with one of your own, placing it on his lips. “Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome, dear. Now, do you want to finish this so we can play some festival games?”

“Mhm!”

The two of you polished off the remainder of the food, before rushing to the booths that you wanted to play first – which led to a series of mini competitions between the two of you for who could win the most prizes or goldfish, or to who could gather the most balloons without their hook breaking in half. The night passed by without a single hitch, and before you knew it, people were closing their stalls and the final show was going to begin in a few minutes.

“Ahhh,” Hideki said as he stretched his arms above his head while walking down towards the performance area. “I’m so glad this week’s exams are over. I can fully enjoy the Star Festival without having to worry.”

“Lucky,” you muttered, not wanting to think about your math exam on Monday. “I’ve still got some stuff left to go. But I suppose this whole affair’s taken my mind off it. It was good to relax, and there’s still a bit more to go.”

“Won’t you come and join me in watching the fireworks display, then?” Hideki grinned, and you nodded, taking his hand as he lowered it to your level once more. The two of you didn’t manage to find a seat, so you found a spot to stand by the field instead, watching them stand by the fireworks and prepare to fire them. Minutes after a big crowd had gathered around you, they began to fire them off, launching them into the air to explode in a flourish. While watching, you leaned closer to Hideki, who ended up wrapping his arm about you and leaning down to kiss the top of your head. With a soft smile against it, he murmured, “I need to less busy, more often.”

Chapter Text

“Would you like to go to the Star Festival with me?”

When your boyfriend, Suzuki, asked you to attend, you were stunned by his offer. He wasn’t the type to attend public outings, out of a fear that his fans would recognize him and mob him instantly. Constantly a worry to his guards and agents, Suzuki was essentially banned from attending anything.

However, tonight, he stood before you with his hair brushed a different way, his microphone off his face, and wearing an elegant and fitting yukata. You hardly recognized him as he waited at edges of the festival, hiding in the shade of a tree. When you approached, he made sure it was you before coming out, afraid to show his face.

“If you’re this scared,” you offered, “we don’t have to go at all.”

At that, he stood a little taller, biting his lower lip. “No. I want to go.” With that final, declarative statement, he took your hand and walked into the festival with you. His face was the picture of calm…

But his grip on your hand told another story. You felt like your fingers were going to break, unable to move them at all as he held on. His pace was steady, but incredibly slow as you walked on through.

“I don’t get to go to street festivals at all,” he said hesitantly, eyes darting left and right as more people passed you by. “I’m not familiar with this kind of setting. Thank you for showing me around and keeping me company. I really appreciate it. A lot a lot.”

“Anything for you.” You gave a half-hearted squeeze in return, but it was short-lived as a group of girls came up in front of you, chatting amongst themselves. Suzuki paused, instantly going to move behind you. But as you both crossed paths, they walked by him without a second glance, and you heard him breath out a sigh of relief. You leaned back and gave him a reassured kiss on his cheek, continuing your walk. You stopped at a couple stalls and talked to the young servers, and not a single person commented on Suzuki looking like the famous pop idol he truly was.

“Whew.” As you both settled down with food in hand, Suzuki let out a low sigh, leaning back slightly. “I’m glad no one recognizes me in this festival. Tonight, I just want to be a regular guy… that gets to spend the evening watching fireworks with the girl he likes.”

“I’m glad you’re able to do that.”

“I used to attend these, you know.” Suzuki poked around at his food as he spoke, looking out over the lights. “I would come with my grandparents before I became famous. That was in middle school. I remember listening to their encouragement over goldfish, or them constantly asking if I wanted to eat chocolate bananas or taiyaki. I haven’t been able to just come in so long. I almost forgot how much fun they were.”

“Are you having fun, though? You’re been on an edge.”

“Just afraid of getting recognized, is all. But I think I’m good now. Nobody’s said a word yet! You think it’s the hair?”

“I’d say!”

“Then mission success!” You watched as he slowly became more vibrant, and began to ask you to lead the way and help him find more food that he remembered, or play games that he hadn’t gotten to see in so long. With each moment he became more relaxed, more excited and content spending time with you. The night began to flicker by in a blur, and the two of you realized the hour was growing late. With a rush, you went over to the fireworks, knowing that he had wanted to see them that night with you. As you approached an area to stand by, Suzuki began to sing in a quiet and distant voice, barely audible over the sound of the wind.

“Bamboo leaves are rustling, rustling, swaying close to the roof’s edge… Oh, how the stars are twinkling, twinkling, gold and silver grains of sand…”

You turned and looked back at him, eyes tracing his face. His smile was small, and mind off somewhere else, recalling a time long ago.

“Did your grandparents teach you that song?”

“They did,” Suzuki murmured, coming back to the present day. “I loved that tune.”

“Could you sing anything else?” As you asked, you went into his arms, wrapping them around you as you stood and looked up at the sky.

“Hm? Well, I know a song about the legend of the Star Festival. It would be my pleasure to sing it to you, if you’d like. I really love singing for you.”

“And I love listening to you.” With a smile, you leaned back into Suzuki, and he kissed your temple, before giving a soft hum and beginning his song.

Chapter Text

Your boyfriend picked you up from your house in his limo, much to your grandmother’s surprise. She was happy to see that you were going out on a date with someone, but hadn’t expected them to pick you up.

“Those boys always liked showing off,” she said with a fond smile as you opened the front door. “Unintentionally, of course.”

“I think this is the only car Yamato owns, honestly,” you said with a sigh, before bidding her good-bye and promising to be back safe. As you got in the car, Yamato smiled at you, and you did a double take, looking him up and down.

“Well?” He tilted his head as his expression changed, giving you a puzzled look.

“You look… really different.”

“You’re not used to seeing me without a spiky leather jacket and accessories, are you? I do enjoy wearing a simple yukata from time to time, you know.”

“I know, I know! I just imagined you would look… somewhat the same, I guess.”

“It’s not that different. Am I really only recognizable by the jacket and accessories…?”

“We’ll find out when we get to the festival. There will be fans of yours there, and if they notice you and me—“

“It’ll be fine. Promise.” He reached across the seats and took your hand, giving it a light squeeze. “Let’s just have a good time.”

You nodded, holding his hand close in return. “Okay!”

The car pulled up to the festival in a matter of minutes, and the driver came around to help you out. Yamato went out after you and went around to the trunk, telling you to go on ahead. Before long, you were at the entrance to the festival and Yamato was coming up behind you.

“Hey,” he said, slightly out of breath as he fell into step beside you.

“What’s that for?” You pointed at the guitar strapped around his back, and he looked back at it as if he hadn’t been aware it was there.

“The guitar?”

“Yeah! People might recognize you with it…”

“Well, I was thinking, to make the night perfect, I would bring my guitar along with me, so I can serenade you as we watch the night sky.” He sighed, and you saw a small, embarrassed blush creeping around his cheeks.

“Really? That’s rather romantic of you.”

Yamato gave an airy laugh. “You’ve turned me into such a romantic. It wasn’t intentional, or anything.”

You giggled and took his hand, moving to lead him through the festival. “Come on, then! I want to tie wishes to the tree first, before it gets too crowded.”

Yamato held tight, letting you lead the way. He had been right – without his jacket and accessories, he was less recognizable. People passed without a second glance, and within moments, you were in the thick of the crowd.

“It’s rather nice to just walk around without worrying too much,” he commented as you kept moving throughout the festival. “I mean, we have a bodyguard nearby just in case something happens, but—“

“Wait.” You looked to him, confusion written all over your face. “There’s someone following us?”

“Yeah.” Yamato jerked his head back, and you turned around to see a man with sunglasses, dressed in a very loose yukata a few feet behind. Facing forward again, you let out a sigh. “Comes with the territory, huh?”

“Mhm. But if we ignore them, it might make the time more enjoyable. I want to enjoy this time with you. It seems so rare – and I just want to be with you.”

“I do, too,” you replied, gripping his hand a little tighter.

“You know, I’m sorry that it is hard to be with you. I… I am grateful that you’re with me.”

“I know, and I don’t mind.”

Yamato smiled, giving you an affectionate look. “Then let me treat you tonight. If spending time with you is going to be this rare, I want to make the most of it and make you happy.”

“We said that we would pay equally, though!”

“Not tonight.” Yamato leaned down and planted a quick kiss on your cheek. “I take back that promise.”

You swore to yourself that you would fight it, but for the remainder of the night, Yamato got you everything you wanted. The two of you went through the festival, stopping at the tree to leave wishes – at booths and shops to let you check out wares. Before long, you felt calm again, and Yamato seemed to visibly relax too, his shoulders becoming less tense. Every game and snack allowed you to feel like this was a typical relationship, and before long, stars were appearing in the night sky, telling of the late hour.

“You know,” he said as you looked at hair clips, “I really love the music they play at these kinds of festivals. I actually have a CD collection at home. Remind me to lend you a bunch sometime.”

“You have discs of the music they play at these festivals.”

“Listening to other genres and types of music gives me inspiration. I honestly believe that it’s improved me as a musician. So yes, I have this kind of music at home, and if you would like to hear it, I wouldn’t mind lending it to you at all.”

“I’d like that a lot.” You gave him a warm smile and picked out two more hair clips, Yamato reaching across to buy them before you could a second time. The look you gave him was harsher, but he only chuckled and pressed a quick kiss to your forehead before moving on to the next booth. Before long, you saw him glancing out at the fields beyond the lanterns, and asked him what he was looking at.

“I’m just thinking… well, come on, actually, take my hand.”

You take his offer and he leads you out into the fields, finding a spot a little bit away from the hubbub of the crowd. He lifted the guitar over his head and slid it back on the right way, plucking at the strings and frowning as he turned the knobs on the instrument.

“What’s this all about?”

“I wanted to make the night perfect, like I said. What would you like me to sing for you?”

“What? You were serious?”

“Of course I was serious!” Yamato finished tuning and looked to you again, waiting for your answer.

“I don’t know, I’ll think of something. Why don’t you sing one of your favorite songs to start?”

Yamato tilted his head to one side, plucking at a few strings before strumming a chord and sliding into a soft, lyrical melody. You listened quietly as his voice filled the night air, singing something about love – about a blooming flower that only grew with tender care and attention, relating it to the theme of how he fell in love. You found yourself staring at him as he sang, his voice affectionate and warm as he looked to you, a smile creeping along his face. You felt the emotion that he was attempting to convey, the adoration and love that he had for you clear.

You smiled as the song ended, slow and delicate. You leaned in and kissed his lips, chastely, before murmuring, “I’d like to hear that one again.”

Chapter Text

You stepped onto the festival grounds alone. You hadn’t been planning to meet up with anyone; nor were you intending to try and find a group at the festival. The week had been filled with talking to people and getting everything sorted out for the weekend’s celebrations – going was only a formality to make sure it was all a success.

You also had not been able to ask the person you cared for most to go with you. Due to the nature of your relationship, the two of you were wary of meeting up outside of school environments, keeping your gazes short and your conversations even shorter.

I suppose I could have asked him to this, you pondered as you walked down the lane, looking left and right at all the lit-up booths and taking in the scent of freshly baked food. It’s still a school event. The two of us together wouldn’t have been strange. We’ve been working closely this entire week. You sighed, suddenly regretting your past decision.

Continuing your walk, you stopped at a few shops, buying yourself a mask from one and a trinket for your grandmother from another. Before long, you felt yourself grow hungry, due to not eating dinner before arriving. You looked to the nearest food stall, moving towards it with a few hurried steps.

“Chicken yakitori, please?” You leaned back from the counter after ordering, waiting patiently as they got it for you. You stepped aside to allow the next person to pass, glancing up at their face – instantly recognizing who it was.

“Kyouya-sensei!”

The teacher turned at the sound of his name, eyes glancing down to you with surprise. “Well, I would say ‘I didn’t expect to see you here’, but I suppose that’s an inaccurate statement.”

“I actually didn’t expect to see you here. You came to the festival?”

“I wasn’t going to miss it. Not after all the effort that was put into its success on my part and yours. It’s been so tiring, trying to keep your fellow students in check so that Star Festival preparations go smoothly. But I guess we all managed to pull it off.” He let out a whistling sigh, looking out over the scene before him.

“You did an excellent job! They all listened this morning and afternoon when we were setting up booths and such for the vendors. Thank you for helping.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” he said back, smiling lightly. In the next instant, the vendor reached across with your orders, and Kyouya took them both, holding your stick out to you. The two of you fell into step next to each other without thinking, as if you had been walking together the entire time.

“What have you done so far?” he asked, attempting to make conversation.

“I haven’t really done much. I went to a couple shops, but I haven’t tried any of the games yet—"

As you spoke, a crowd of students pushed through, dividing you both temporarily. The two of you easily met on the other side, but you noticed that Kyouya came a little closer to you this time, and your arms were nearly touching.

“You were saying?”

“Games. I just haven’t done a lot of them.”

“You know, you should be relaxing at this festival. Just because you put a lot of work into it doesn’t mean you have to distance yourself from enjoying it.”

“I didn’t really have people to enjoy them with. And it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to them despite that… I have to evaluate them, after all.”

“What did I just say?” Kyouya glared at you, clearly irritated. “You’re supposed to enjoy yourself.”

You returned his look with a side-eyed glance of your own, but as you reached a bend in the road, another mob of students forced you two to separate. As you met up again, you found yourselves in the middle of the fairgrounds, in the thick of the crowd. As you stared, trying to figure out where to go, you felt a couple fingers slip around yours, holding tight.

“Here, hold my hand and stay close to me. I don’t want you getting lost in the festival crowd. There are a lot of people here, and I don’t want to get separated from you again.”

You felt yourself blushing at the unexpected contact, glancing about nervously. But as you did, you felt his grip tighten, trying to ease your fears. After that reassurance, the two of you were walking through, pointing out different booths and trying festival games. As you made your way through the booths and food, you felt yourself becoming less rigid and even having a good time when it came to playing some of the games.

And each time, when you felt up to it, your hands would meet up again.

 “Did you tie a wish to the tree yet?” You pointed at the swaying branches in the middle of the crossroads, surrounded by tables that allowed you to write your wishes on provided cards.

“I didn’t,” he replied. “Would you like to?”

“Yes! Let’s go!” You released his hand and walked over to the table, picking out two cards and giving him one as you went to pick up pencils. Kyouya paused for only a moment before writing his wish down, while you struggled a little more, before finally settling on what you wanted to come true. Scrawling it down, you tied it to the tree with a satisfied smile before turning to Kyouya.

“So, what was your wish?”

“My Star Festival wish? I’m not gonna tell you!” he said, making a face at you. “Wishes don’t work that way! …But I can only hope that your wish was the same as mine.”

“Well, I won’t be able to answer your question if you don’t tell me.”

“I’m choosing to not tell you, then,” he retorted, and you sighed, giving up the fight. Instead, you took up his hand again, giving it a light squeeze and motioning for him to follow.

“Come on, then! We haven’t checked out the goldfish stand yet!”

Chapter Text

Takeru stood patiently by the gates to the school, having walked over from his house with Ren. The other boy had left him some time ago, instructing him to enjoy his date with a small smile on his face. Takeru was planning to follow those directions to the letter, intent on enjoying himself with you. 

When you had asked him to the festival, he was clearly excited upon hearing your question – his eyes widened and his smile grew, looking at you fondly as more memories came flooding back to him.

“Ah! The Star Festival! We used to go to a lot of festivals together as kids.” He reflected on the first time you had attended one together fondly, his face growing affectionate as he stared at you. “You looked so cute in your yukata, your hair up in a little bun. Now, you look beautiful, and I’m sure that will only be emphasized by the yukata.”

He chuckled the memory of the blush dancing across your cheeks, making you look even more adorable, when someone tapped his arm and he turned to greet them—

Only to see you there, your hair done and donned in a gorgeous yukata. You watched him with a small smile, waiting for his reaction. It came slowly as he realized it was you, and a small gasp escaped his lips.

“You really do look beautiful,” he said, the words falling out before he could catch them. You turned bright red, and he leaned down to peck your lips, smiling into the kiss for the briefest of moments. You merely took his hand, letting him guide you into the festival and lead the way for the first booths.

“Do you remember how you always asked for a taiyaki? There was that time you asked for a chocolate, and I asked for a sweet bean, and then we got them mixed up in the bag? Will that happen this time?”

“No way!” You made a face, recalling the disgusting taste of the wrong treat vividly. Takeru laughed at your sour expression, asking if you still wanted your favorite. With both purchases in separate bags and separate hands, you continued down the lane, buying a couple more things for dinner and eating them before the wishing tree. You watched as people tied their wishes, either alone or in groups, and you politely asked Takeru if you could tie a couple up before moving on. He excitedly gets up and writes down his wish far faster than you, clearly having one in mind when he arrived. As you scribbled yours down, Takeru went off to explore where he wanted to go next, and came back in a rush, grinning from ear to ear.

“Look!” He took your hand and began to pull you along, pointing ahead. “Festival game stalls!” He looked around and sighed, reminiscing about the past once again. “When we were kids, this was how I got you the teddy bear. We went to a festival before I moved away.”

You squeezed his hand, and he responded, giving another sigh. “I won it and I gave it to you. I’m glad it’s still with you, even now.”

“It was really special to me. It was a gift from you, and I cherished it. I just didn’t think that when I brought it to the café for Yuu, that it would bring me to my childhood friend… and future boyfriend.” You gave a teasing grin and lightly elbowed his side, causing him to blush and roll his eyes.

“All right, let’s see how many more I can win you, then.”

Takeru and you competed against each other in a few festival booths, in water balloons and goldfish catching, in shooting rounds and hoop games. Takeru won a couple more teddy bears for you, excited that the café resident would have more company. He asked then if you wanted to go see the fireworks, moving out towards the field in time to find a spot to stand and watch them without the trees obscuring your view. With your bag of bears on the ground, you leaned against Takeru and appreciated the quiet for a few minutes, making idle chatter until the show began suddenly, brightening up the night sky.

You stood, staring at the fireworks exploded in reds and purples, illuminating the trees and casting colorful shadows. As one after another went off, you felt Takeru move out from beside you and step behind, his arms winding around your waist as his chin rested atop your head.

“I’m so glad I get to watch the Star Festival fireworks with you once more. I hope that we can attend it every year from now on.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” you promised, moving to place your hands over his.

“Let’s make more festival memories, together.” He pressed one last kiss against your hair, causing you to smile and lean back against him as the sky lit up before you once more.

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.”

Chapter Text

Jéan was mobbed with girls after school when the Star Festival was announced. They all wanted to attend with him, hoping to be the first who was accepted. Some held pictures of their yukata, others were handing him chocolates. However, he turned every single one down – politely, respectably, and honestly, saying that he would be going with someone else. Each one wondered who had made it first, who had dared to get to Jéan and attend with him so quick.

You laughed at this story as he sat next to you on the café couch after hours, talking about your day and listening to stories of what the girls had attempted to do to get his attention.

Your boyfriend only had eyes for you, and he reminded you of this fact often. He was happy to have met you and realized that he had fallen in love, changing his ways and committing to a single lady. He treated you well and was slowly getting used to the idea of turning girls down when they asked him for dates, the answer feeling less strange on his tongue.

Jéan planned to make that evening the best of your life, thinking on all the ways he wanted to make you happy and treat you the entire night. When you arrived, you could only stare at him, surprised that he had dressed up so much for the occasion.

“What?” He noticed your gaze and gave you a look, and you shook your head, pushing the thoughts away.

“Nothing.”

“Why were you staring at me?”

“I said, nothing!”

Jéan tucked a hand under his chin, giving you a smirk. “Could it be that you actually think I look handsome in this yukata?”

At his question, you blushed, not wanting to admit that that was exactly what had been on your mind. He gave a slight laugh, continuing.

“That makes me really happy. I think you look absolutely gorgeous as well. Your yukata suits you and gives you an air of elegance. I would be happy to escort you throughout the festival.”

You took his hand as he offered it, letting him guide you through the festivities. You pointed out ones you wanted to try, or people who were testing out games.

As you kept looking back at some, Jéan leaned down to ask, “Is there anything you need, darling? Do you want any food or drinks?”

“No, I’m not that hungry yet…”

“Perhaps I can win you a prize or two.” He stopped walking before you turned a corner, taking your hands in his. “Tonight, I want to show you how much of a gentleman I can be. So please, if there is anything I can do you, let me know.”

“Of course. I will. …Perhaps we can tie our wishes first, that way we get them on before it gets too crowded.”

“Then let’s go.” He lets you lead the way, moving towards the center of the festivities and picking out two cards to write on. Jéan stares at you for a few moments, watching you write your wish before looking down at his own, writing out his in a looping, tender script. You go up to the tree first, reaching up to tie it. As you do so, Jéan comes up behind you, reaching around you to tie his lower on the tree, before kissing the back of your head gently.

“You ready to keep going?”

“Mhm.” You smile at his affections and take his hand up again, beginning to move down the lane as you figured out what to do. The crowds were thick, and every booth was filled with people, all talking and laughing and having a merry time.

“There are quite a lot of people at this festival,” Jéan commented, glancing around at the crowds.

“All of Ikemen is probably attending,” you replied, holding slightly tighter to his hand as you pulled him along.

“People from different schools attend too.” He nodded towards a group of giggling girls, pointing and smiling at him. He returned the gestures, giving a wave with his free hand. One of them blew a kiss, trying to get him to give one back as well, but he turned away, much to your surprise.

“You…” You stared up at him with surprise, and he smiled, bending down to kiss your forehead.

“Don’t worry my dear, my eyes will only ever look at you.”

“I know.” You squeezed it tight, and he returned it, leaning his head against yours as you walked down the lane towards the food stalls, asking him if he wouldn’t mind getting you yakitori. After promising he would, he gave a contented hum – happy that you were with him, willing to work through the aftermath of his past.

And for that, he loved you, and only you.

Chapter Text

Your boyfriend jumped at the chance to invite you to the Star Festival. He wasted no time coming to you at the announcement of the event, saying some cheesy line about how you were a shooting star that struck him in the heart, asking for your time. You laughed and said you would obviously go with him, and couldn’t imagine attending with anybody else. With an excited cheer, he ran down the hall to rehearsal, grinning for the rest of the week at the thought of going with you.

The weekend came, and the two of you agreed to meet at the entrance before heading inside. When you arrived, Ai was already waiting for you, wearing a yukata and checking his phone. You came up alongside him and gave a bright smile.

“You’re here!” Ai gave a grin and took your hand right away, pulling you along down the lane. He talked of festival stands and couples who were attending together, and of how he wanted to try all sorts of different foods while there. You listened with a small smile as he took you towards a yakitori stand.

“I think I’ll want my own,” he stated, and you agreed, and were about to ask who was ordering when Ai suddenly turned around to watch something, leaving you to ask the vendor instead. As you received the skewers and paid for the meal, you waved one in front of Ai’s face, getting his attention.

“Yes? Oh!” He gave an embarrassed laugh and took the food from you, beginning to eat as you started your walk again. “I’m sorry, something caught my eye.”

“What did?” You kept your eyes trained forward, but when Ai didn’t respond immediately, you looked towards him, and found that he was stopped a few paces back, watching a couple walk on by. You reached out and grabbed his free hand, tugging him along. Before long, he was spilling apologies, and you gave a sigh.

“What’s that about?”

“I’m sorry, love. I just… I usually watch couples while I’m out. I enjoy people watching and seeing how couple interact in different settings. …You could say it’s a pastime of mine…”

“Really?” You bit back a laugh, and Ai frowned for a moment, before his eyes lit up and he leaned down with an explanation.

“To be honest, I love festivals. The atmosphere is perfect for romantic scenarios. It creates the spark needed for love to start.”

“Mhm…”

“I would know,” he continued, brushing against your temple with a kiss, “because my heart is racing more than usual when I’m here with you.”

At that, you felt your face grow warm, and turned away from Ai, who only pinched your cheek with a cheesy grin.

“Your reactions are my favorite ones to watch.” He released his grip and slid it down to your hand, lacing his fingers and yours as you continued down the lane.

“I’m sure they are,” you muttered, staring straight ahead. However, you were unable to pout for long, eventually starting a conversation about what you wanted to do together and had to keep his focus as he kept glancing around at couples that caught his eye, analyzing them and their relationships to the point of exhaustion.

As the night went on, the two of you had tried new foods together, or competed in intense matches at the festival booths, the winner usually receiving a kiss from the loser. Ai began to be distracted less and less, focusing almost solely on you by the end of the night. He had eyes only for you, appreciating your smile and beauty, and all you had to offer as his lover. As the excitement waned and the night grew late, he offered to walk over to the field with you, saying that you should get a spot for the fireworks. With a nod and smile, you took his hand and followed him, letting him lead the way and choose where he wanted to be. You talked of little things – of love and of how the day had been, and Ai excitedly talked about how the festival had gone, and how he had been so distracted by you the entire night.

“You know, I really love you,” he said quietly, moving to stand behind you, looking up towards the sky.

“I really love you too,” you replied, glancing upwards as well.

“Do you know the history of the festival?” You felt his breath by your ear, and resisted the urge to lean back against him, shaking your head.

“I don’t.”

“This festival,” Ai began, moving just a little bit closer, “celebrates the legend of the love between two people. It inspires many to be more open to love. In the same way, I hope my love for you is great enough that other people would be inspired by it as well.”

“You would want that?”

“I would.” He smiled, gently, and you opened your mouth to respond, but a whistle interrupted your reply, a red firework booming across the sky just moments later. More colors followed, and the two of you fell quiet, observing the patterns and motions that danced across the stars.

You were lost in the world of the show, but then, Ai hugged you tight, tucking his chin onto your shoulder and nuzzling gently, a small smile crossing his face. You leaned back into his embrace, hearing him hum with appreciating at your gesture.

“Watching the fireworks with the person I like is probably one of the best things that happened to me tonight.” His voice was low, a quiet murmur, and he held you a little closer, simply appreciating the moment. “I will cherish this memory together for the rest of my life.”

Chapter Text

The day of the festival was buzzing with excitement. Every boy was comparing their yukata, talking about the people from other schools that would be attending, and quietly murmuring to each other about how they might ask you.

That was all before Hinata, your boyfriend, got to you first. He approached you early in the morning as you set up the café, requesting time with you. You said you would be happy to spend it with him, thinking that his company would be best.

However, when the night of the festival arrived, you ended up talking with Tokiya and Ai as you waited for Hinata to show up. The two were attempting to make you head out with them, but you refused, preferring to wait – so they stayed with you, instead.

“Princess,” Tokiya said gently, smiling your way, “the festival is very beautiful. You put much work into it, did you not?”

“I did,” you replied, trying to stand up taller so that you could see over heads. “It was a lot of effort on our parts to make sure this all goes smoothly.”

“You didn’t even hire workers like some students do!” Ai commented, sounding amazed. “You really did try to get everyone’s help.”

“I think it’s better if everyone puts in their part, you know—?” At that, you suddenly saw a familiar trio in the crowd, and watched one of them break away when they noticed you. With a grin, you said your good-byes to Tokiya and Ai, leaving their company and going right up to your boyfriend.

“Hinata!” You greeted him with a smile and quick hug, which he accepted gratefully. However, his eyes flicked to look at Tokiya and Ai as they walked away, narrowing slightly.
“Are you also attending the festival with people other than me? Are you…?” Hinata repeated the question with some hesitance, and you felt his grip tighten slightly on your hand. With a frown, you gave a small nod.

“I was.”

“Well.” Hinata looked slightly taken aback, turning away from you. “That doesn’t upset me at all. Nope, nope. Not. One. Bit.” With a nervous laugh, he refused to look at you again, resisting the urge.

You knew that he was genuinely trying to not be bothered by it. And were proud of him for it. With a sigh, you lifted your free hand and gently brushed against his cheek, and he whipped around instantly, eyes hopeful.

“But, darling,” you said slowly, cupping his face with a soft smile, “I only have my eyes on you. Always.”

At your reassurances, you felt his grip on your hand noticeably soften, and even his thumb run over your knuckles, returning your smile.

“Sometimes, I wish everyone would just go away. I only need you here with me. And I want to be the only person you have eyes for.”

“And like, I said, you are.”

With your reassurances, Hinata seemed comforted, and the two of you resumed your walk down the lane. As you walked, you wondered as to why he would be so determined to make sure he got to spend time with you, instead of simply going along with your original plans. The conclusion seemed obvious, after some thought – he wanted that precious alone time with you.

It was hard to meet up with him after school, since you had the café shift to run. You knew that it was difficult to make the time for dates, and other boys had confessed to you left and right. But you only loved Hinata, who loved you in return.

“Hey!” You heard someone call to you from the crowd, and you turned – almost not recognizing Takahiro and Souh as they waved at you from a booth. You returned the gesture, feeling Hinata recoil slightly at the sight.

“Hello! Happy Festival!”

“Do you and Hinata want to join us?” Takahiro held up sticks of yakitori, holding them out slightly. “My treat!”

“No, thank you. But I’ll see you later!” You pulled Hinata along, who nearly froze in his tracks at the sight of you denying their company. “…What?”

“I… Thank you.” His smile was warm and affectionate, and you returned it, leading him along. As the two of you played different games and got food to eat, some other boys asked you to join their groups, but you refused each time. And at every question, you would watch Hinata visibly rise up, only to deflate at your unchanging answer. By the end of the night, he wasn’t so on edge, hardly even showing his displeasure. You were happy with his progress and ended up paying for his final desserts before suggesting you walk out to the field. With those in hand, you began to move, joining the throngs of students that were gathering. However, Hinata placed on a hand on your shoulder, leaning down slightly to whisper in your ear.

“I don’t want to stay here. Let’s go somewhere else?”

You looked back, and nodded in agreement. At that, Hinata led you a good distance away from the crowds that were forming, taking you near a grove of trees. He made sure that you were still able to see the show from where you stood, but his arms wrapped around you, holding you close and tight. He breathed in, smelling the scent of your hair before coughing lightly.

“It doesn’t smell as nice as it usually does.”

“Hairspray,” you commented with a laugh, and he gave another cough as he acknowledged your statement, giving a sigh as he continued talking.

“I’m happy to be out here,” he said, lightly. “Finally, tonight I can watch the fireworks alone with you. I have waited for this moment. It’s going to be just the two of us and no one else.”

“I hope this moment never ends,” you said, quietly laying your hands over his.

“I do, too.”

Chapter Text

You knew exactly who you wanted to ask to the festival when it was announced. However, the time you had to ask him was limited. You were unable to take the time out of your busy schedule of planning and café work to talk to him, but every free moment you had was ruined by his presence being needed at archery club.

Therefore, you were stuck until the morning before the festival, bringing the order of iced tea that he had requested from you. The words spilled out before you could stop them, just wanting to finally get it off your chest after holding it in for a week.

"Would you like to go to the festival with me, Sousuke? Just the two of us, together."

"Me?" He pointed to himself in disbelief, and you nodded, biting your lip.

"You don't want to go with, say, the archery team? Or with my cousin and brother, too? Just me?"

"Mhm!"

He stared at you for a few moments, dumbfounded, until he gave a laugh, dropping his tense shoulders and pulling you into a hug.

"I would be honored to be by your side the entire night, my dear." He leaned back and gave you a quick kiss, still smiling. "Meet you by the gate tomorrow evening at five?"

"Of course!" You gave him a wide grin and squeezed him in a hug one more time, before moving to dash out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

He waved in return, before stepping back into his archery stance, readying his bow. However, Sousuke now found himself slightly distracted - the thought of you in a yukata was a pleasant image, dressed up for the celebrations.

He couldn't wait to see you.

You arrived at the festival, finding your boyfriend almost instantly as he stood talking with Makoto and Katsuo. They excused themselves as you walked over, whispering something to Sousuke that made his face turn red and caused them to laugh at his reaction.

"What was that about?" you asked, but Sousuke merely shook his head, pulling you in the opposite direction of the duo.

"Nothing - they're just being themselves. On the subject of you, however... you look very beautiful in that yukata."

"You do as well. The two colors look rather dashing on you."

He squeezes your hand gently, eyes glowing. "You should also enjoy yourself tonight. You've been so busy setting up this festival. We barely even saw each other. Thank you for choosing to spend your precious festival time with me."

"I can't imagine spending it with anyone else."

He smiles and holds your hand tighter, going along to walk towards the booths. Before long, one has caught his eye, and he's pulling you over before you can register what is happening.

"Look! A target-shooting game booth!"

You grin, thinking on how predictable he was. "You want to try it? Maybe you can win the best prize."

"I'll win you each and every prize if you'd like. This is my chance to impress you with my sharpshooting!"

"You have! But it's always enjoyable to watch."

He grins as he pays the attendant, positioning himself at the front of the booth before taking aim. As he readies himself, you look at the prizes, wondering what you want to pick. Your eyes trail over snakes, teddy bears, and puppies before they settle on what you want.

There is a big bear with dark fur, and green eyes. Your eyes are trained on it, hardly hearing the host as they say to Sousuke that nobody has ever knocked all the targets down before.

He smiles at that, and fires.

One goes down… two! Three! He takes a moment to pause and readjust for the lower set of targets, and the host’s face is pale.

“Which prize are you looking at?” he asks, glancing back at you for a moment.

“I want the bear – in the back, with the dark fur.”

“I can win you better than the bear. I said I would get you every prize.”

“I’ll be okay with the bear, I promise.”

Sousuke turned back, smiling. “If that is what you desire.” He fires, hitting the fourth, fifth, sixth targets with ease. With a satisfied smirk, he moves away from the booth and points. “The bear back there, if you wouldn’t mind, please.”

The host muttered something about a lucky shot, pulling the bear down and holding it out to Sousuke, who placed it in your arms. You briefly hugged it to your chest before holding it out at arm’s length as you began to walk, studying its features.

“Do you think it looks like you?” You hold the bear up towards Sousuke, waving its arms slightly. “The hair and eyes match.”

"I wondered if that was why you wanted to win it," Sousuke says with a smile. “Did I at least impress you with my sharpshooting skills?”

You laugh as he leans close. “You always impress me with your skills, Sousuke.”

He beams, and kisses the bear on the nose, then you, moving to take one of your hands in his.

"You know, there are a lot of festivals almost every week in Japan. Each one celebrates a different thing. I will take you to any of them, no matter where it is. Just say the word, my dear. If you want to do more things like this, together, I wouldn’t mind taking you to them.”

“Is that just an excuse to show off your skills more often?”

Sousuke smiled, but did not respond as he tugged you towards the food booths. “Let’s go find a good spot for the fireworks… but first, do you want a candy apple?”

You nod, and he bought your treat for you, finishing the walk down the lane as you attended a couple other booths and talked with students. Each minute that passed made the sky grow darker, and before long, the stars were twinkling in the night sky, and you pulled gently on his sleeve, asking if you could go to the field. He agreed and the two of you walked out, finding a good spot to settle down on before the fireworks began, the colors flashing across the sky.

You stared up in awe at them, unable to remember the last time you had watched fireworks. You didn't even notice that your mouth had dropped open slightly, eyes glowing as the colors illuminated your face.

Then, you heard a sigh from next to you, and turned to see Sousuke watching you, instead of looking up towards the sky.

"What?"

He merely smiled, tilting his head slightly. "I love you very much. Did you know that fireworks compliment your face rather well?"

You blink for a moment, then laugh. "I'll take your word for it."

He laughs as well, and reaches out a hand, quietly touching your cheek. The giddy feeling dies, and is replaced with something softer as Sousuke frowns slightly, staring down at you.

"...Can I kiss you?"

You blush furiously at his question, clutching the bear a little tighter to your chest. "W-what? I-I mean... yes? Yes!" You nod, and he chuckles, leaning in.

His lips are quiet, chaste and delicate against yours. He holds himself there briefly, before pulling away. You see the frown on his face and look at him, puzzled.

"What?"

"...I... I was very afraid of missing your face and giving you an awkward kiss. Which would have been rather embarrassing.

"You're the best archer in the country right now. I'm pretty sure you didn't miss."

Sousuke smiles, and rests his forehead against yours, looking at your eyes. The silence is only filled with the explosions of fireworks, and you watch them reflecting in his eyes... and knew that you could stay there forever.

Chapter Text

You stepped out of the café for a breath of fresh air. You always made sure that the café was tidy, and that it always smelled like coffee or cakes – but sometimes, the scent of the rose garden or the slight breeze was comforting. You sat down on the small step, hearing a rustle in the bush beside you.

Your boyfriend popped out, pulling the mask off his face as he leaned forward. “Do I get a kiss from my lady for a day’s work?”

“Of course you do.” You leaned forward and gave him a quick peck, before leaning back and looking out at the walkway. “I also wanted to ask you something.”

“Mm?” Kei quietly moves outside of the bush, settling next to you on the café stoop. “What’s the matter, my lady?”

“It’s nothing bad!” You waved your hands in front of you, trying to ease his concern. “I wanted to know if you wanted to attend the Star Festival with me later this week… you’re allowed to have fun despite swearing your service to serve me, right?”

Kei pauses a moment, before giving a sly smile and taking your hand in his. “If it is an order from you, my lady… then of course I can.” He raises your hand and places a small kiss on your knuckles.

“Then you have to make sure you wear a yukata, okay? Promise!”

“Once again, I promise I will.”

You stand up, and give him a huge grin and small bow. “Okay, then I’ll talk to you later! We’ll work out the details!” You open the door slightly, careful to not hit him with it as you slide back into the café. He watches after you with a smile, before retreating into his bush once more, waiting for the next person to walk by.

You recognize him by the bandana wrapped around his head, but miss the one that usually covers the lower half of his face. He doesn’t look out of place in his yukata at all, patiently waiting for you by the wishing tree as you had instructed.

“Kei!”

“My lady.” He bows deeply as you approach, before extending a wish card to you. “I thought you might want to write your wish first, so I took it upon myself to grab these in advance.”

“Well, thank you.” You smiled as he walked you to a table, and he watched you for a few moments as you thought out your wish. As you finally settled on what you wanted to write, you looked up and noticed he hadn’t written a thing.

“Kei?”

He suddenly shakes his head, as if bringing himself out of his thoughts. “Yes, my lady?”

“Are you going to write anything?”

He looks down at his card absently, before biting his lip. You’re surprised at how many little ticks you notice now that his scarf is off – how often does he bite like that?

“I’ll write something, give me a moment or two.”

“Okay!” You turn around and wait patiently, hearing him write something down and go to hang it on the tree. It’s short, judging by how long he wrote. He comes back around and smiles, allowing you to take his arm as you walked through the festival.

“What did you wish for?” he asked casually, hoping to hear your answer. You looked at him with narrowed eyes, and he noticed your gaze, letting out a laugh.

“I’m not telling! But you thought about it for a while. What on earth did you wish for?”

“What I wished for for the Star Festival? There is nothing I could wish for that you haven’t already given me. Thank you for letting me serve and protect you.”

You pause a moment, before frowning further. “You can’t just get out of the answer like that!”

Kei laughs more as you push into him, seeming far more carefree than usual. “I will not say a word of my wish. If I utter it, you might laugh instead.”

“Hmm. Still.” You drop the matter and point at a few booths, asking what he wants to try. Before long, you’ve introduced him to multiple games he never got a chance to try as a child, and find him trying takoyaki for the first time as you pop one after another into his mouth, getting him to enjoy the night with new experiences at your side. The night grows late and you check the time, surprised to see that the fireworks will be starting soon.

“We should get to the field!” You instantly tug him over, and Kei raises an eyebrow, but follows nonetheless as you guide him over. Before long, he realizes where you’re doing, and shakes his head.

 “If I might be so forward, you should listen to me. Come with me, my lady.” He walks a bit in front of you, your arms stretching to hold on as he began to guide you towards a grove of trees. “I know a good spot up in a tree that has a great view of the fireworks. And it has a pretty romantic atmosphere, if I do say so myself.”

“How can a tree be that romantic?” You aren’t convinced as he leads the way, guiding you slowly towards the tree in question. “Also, there’s no way I’ll be able to climb in my yukata!”

“That’s no trouble then, my lady. I will simply have to carry you.”

“Wait, no, hang on— Ah!” You let out a small cry as he lifts you easily onto his one arm, instructing you to wrap your arms around his neck as he climbs, finding his way up the tree with a practiced ease. Before long, he’s on a stable, thick branch, easing you down to sit with your legs off one side. Kei settles down behind you, wrapping his arms about your waist.

“I’ll hold on tight to you, don’t worry. And I’ll get you down as soon as the fireworks are over.”

You are silent, knowing that he will do exactly that. You take the chance and lean back into him, and feel his arms pull you a little closer.

“My lady,” he murmurs, resting his head against yours, “thank you for spending some time with me here at the Star Festival. It has made me very, very happy.”

“It has made me very happy, too.” You press a quick kiss to his jaw, which he smiles at before bending down to kiss your lips, enjoying the moment until the first fireworks go off in the night sky.

Chapter Text

I was hoping I would run into him… You gave a heavy sigh as you walked along the festival lanes alone, without anybody by your side. A few boys, from Ikemen and other institutions, had offered to accompany you, but you turned them all down in favor of finding your boyfriend.

However, he was proving to be quite elusive, and wasn’t answering a single one of his texts. You would be lying if you said that didn’t worry you, and therefore, you were constantly checking your phone, risking a few collisions as you meandered around, hoping to just catch a glimpse of Takahiro.

However, something else caught your attention first – a cry from a nearby vendor, waving slightly to get your attention as they called your name.

“Hey! Have some yakitori from one of my festival stalls! Don’t worry about the payment. It’s my treat. I cooked it just for you, of course!”

 “Why are you working today?” Your question sounded more like an exclamation as you stared at the boy behind the yakitori stall. He smiled wide, holding out the unofficial order as he gave his full attention to you.

“What? Is it bad that I wanted to help out at one of the family stalls?”

You gave him a look, somehow not surprised that the Okane family ran festival stalls. After you discovered that they also had a hand in theatres, musical productions, clothing, and photography… nothing phased you anymore.

“I mean… have you been working the whole night?”

“Yes. I have been very busy manning different stalls here at the festival.” Takahiro smiled as he stepped aside to talk to you, leaning over the counter. “But, I’ll always make time for you. You will always be even more important to me than my work.”

“Even though you weren’t answering any of your texts.” You couldn’t help a pout, and Takahiro’s face suddenly blanked before swinging around in a half-hearted attempt to find the phone on his uniform.

“Oh, no, I left it in the backroom… I’m sorry!” He reached across the counter, going for your hands that were just out of reach if he leaned. “I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“It’s fine… I just did want to attend the festival with you. I wanted to walk around by your side and have fun together. Could… could you come off the clock now?”

Takahiro leaned back, blinking once, before giving a smile. “Of course. I’ll do that.” He quickly untied his bandana from around his head, thanking the staff for letting him get experience. They said they would welcome him back at any time, and he came out about five minutes later, still wearing his festival serving clothes.

“You don’t have your yukata?”

“I’m afraid I would have to go home to put it on… it is uncommon for me to have time to relax like this, with all my part-time jobs and schoolwork. So I’m glad that I get to spend this small break with you. I will truly cherish this memory that we make together.” His fingers move to find your hand, holding it close as you begin to walk through the festival.

“But you spend the break time working?”

“Well, I thought of it as getting a new experience that I would not normally get to try. Do you know how yakitori is made?”

As you walked, he pointed out all the different stalls and booths, commenting on how something was made or what worked. If he didn’t know, the two of you would go over to it and test it out. Each time, you were stunned at how quick Takahiro could pick up a game, or figure out how something was made. His ability to learn things almost instantly was near-impressive, and you realized how he was able to manage all his jobs.

“What?” He finally caught you staring once as you stood in line at a food stall, waiting for your yakitori order.

“Nothing,” you responded, shaking your head. He gave you a look, but said nothing about further as he collected your order. “I’m just happy that you love me so much.”

Takahiro gave a happy hum as he smiled at you in return, poking a toothpick through the takoyaki and waving it before your face. “I am glad that you love me too. Open up!” 

You obliged, letting him feed you before returning the favor. He was giddy to get the chance to do something so mundane, trading off with you until the whole meal was gone. He seemed visibly more relaxed, despite the fact you always saw him in a chipper and friendly mood.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” you said as you settled down on a bench, waiting for a dance performance to start. Takahiro drummed his fingers on the back of your hand, nodding.

“I really am. I wish I took more breaks now. Managing five part time jobs can be tedious when you want to spend more time with your significant other.” He moved his hand up to cup your cheek, running his thumb across it. “I’ll be counting on you to keep me check, okay? If I say I’ll spend more time with you, hold me to it.”

“You sure? I don’t want to become a burden on you—“ You were cut off as Takahiro shook his head, gaze not wavering from your eyes.

“You could never be a burden to me. I love you very much, and I need to relax like this more. Because I’ve enjoyed myself a lot tonight, from being cramped up in the yakitori stall to spending time with you outside of it. I’ll treasure each moment, because it’s with you. That, my dear, is the most precious time of all.”

Chapter Text

Katsuo splashed through the water, raising his arms and lowering them to make impact with the water. He felt like a blur as the water moved around him, treading through at a breakneck speed. He felt the rush and the exhaustion, his stamina holding out until his arms extended, grabbing the ledge and hoisting up slightly. Katsuo pulled the goggles off his face before resting his chin on crossed arms, breathing heavily.

“You broke your record again!”

“Did I?” Katsuo gave a weary smile as you nodded.

“Mhm! And that deserves a gift. I think… you need a break!”

He stared up at you, eyes stunned, before tilting his head to one side. “What?”

“A break. Why don’t you take tonight off? Aren’t athletes supposed to take breaks?”

“I mean, yes… but not entire training days off.”

“It’s the evening! I want to go to the festival with you! We haven’t been able to go on a date lately because we’ve been so busy.” You kneeled by the edge of the pool, looking down at Katsuo. “And I was hoping you could come with me.”

His eyes searched you for a moment, and then he bent his head down, giving a sigh as he heaved himself up and out of the pool. Water dripped off as he shook his head, droplets flying off his hair.

“All right, I-I can go. I’ll…” He pauses for a moment. “I’ll do it for you. Because you’re right, we haven’t been on a date and I… I need a break.”

“Yay!” You grinned excitedly and took his hands, ignoring his soaked skin as you pulled him down into a quick kiss. “I’ll see you tonight, okay?”

He nodded, grinning. “See you tonight.”

You released his hands, leaving the poolside with a happy skip in your step, eagerly looking forward to that night.

Meet me by the entrance?

See you there!

He had replied that he would see you there, but much to your surprise, you ended up getting there before him, looking left and right to make sure you hadn’t missed him. Your fingers dipped to your phone, beginning to compose another text before someone came up in front of you, causing you to glance up.

“Hey!” He gave a slight smile and wave, and you stared at him, noticing that he was wearing a full yukata. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too! You look… really different. And smell different. You lack that vague chlorine smell.”

“Really? Oh, well, this is probably one of the few times you’ve seen me with a shirt on, right?” He grinned at his joke, and you rolled your eyes with a smile as he laughed. “I hope you think this yukata suits me well. You look absolutely beautiful in yours.”

His comment was affectionately delivered, and you watched a small blush grew on his cheeks upon saying the comment. With a quick flick of his head, he faced forward, and you could only do the same, waiting patiently until he spoke up again at the sight of a booth he wanted to go see. You strolled along the edges of the lanes, going towards anything that caught your eye. You went through masks, glassware, and even accessory shopping – but nothing was the highlight of the night until Katsuo found his favorite food.

“Look at these! Look at them!” He pointed as he dragged you over, and it took you a moment to realize what he was so excited about.

“The taiyaki?”

“Yes! What are they made from?”

“Well, back when I went to festivals, I remember that they were made with something like pancake batter, and have different fillings…”

Before you knew it, Katsuo was buying all the variations they offered, taking the bag and asking if you could eat them later. You nodded, moving down towards the games next.

“What do you want to try?”

“There’s this one game… I’m actually really good at it. I beat Makoto at it every time when it’s at some festivals around town.”

“Is it the goldfish catching one?”

“Nope! There it is!” He pointed over at a booth with a cooler before it, and you squeezed his hand briefly before letting go as you leaned into look at the balloons. They were all different colors, winding around with tangled strings and loops. As you glanced up, Katsuo was holding a small hook out to you, attached by only a small sliver of paper.

“Do you wanna give it a go?”

With a confident nod, you gingerly took the hook from him, lowering it into the water. You aimed for the easy balloons first, seizing two that were easy to pull out. However, for your final goal, you set your sights on one that was adorned with cute designs, wanting to get it for the sake of obtaining it. Sucking in a breath, you dipped your hook into the water, praying that it wouldn’t break—!

And despite your wishes, it ripped in two as you raised it out of the water, and the balloon string fell back into the water. The vendor congratulated you and asked if you wanted anything for two, and you settled on a small plush shark. In an attempt to lighten your mood, you make it mock-bite Katsuo’s nose, growling as you did so.

“Sharks don’t growl,” he said, pushing it away with a playful shove, “but it’s still cute. Just like you.”

The night continued as you stayed by each other’s side, trying out a few more games that you were a bit more successful at. You were eager to settle down on some benches with dinner and desserts, so you got in line to get some more to eat. As you did so, Katsuo commented that we was going to be right back, and you nodded once, getting something you thought he would like from the stall and taking it all up in your arms, hoping that he would come back soon to help out.

As you glanced around for a sign of him, he appeared, coming up to you with his hands behind his back, frowning slightly. You saw the blush as he approached, dark against his cheeks.

“Here, have you got a free hand?” You tilted your head as he kept his hands out of sight, and he suddenly jolted, realizing how much you were carrying.

“Yes, here, I’ll— I’ll trade you, one moment…” The two of you exchanged hands, and suddenly, you found yourself holding the shark plush, the taiyaki bag, and…

A small water balloon was being pressed into your hand. It had the exact same cartoons that you had seen on the one at the balloon stall, and you looked up to Katsuo, eyes shining.

“Here. Have this water balloon. I won it just now at one of the game stalls.”

“Oh, really? At which one? Did you play it again just for me?”

“H-hey, i-its not like I played the game just to be able to give you a gift. W-what are you talking about?” You watched his ears turn red next, and you laughed, guiding him towards the field to settle down for dinner. The two of you discussed school and the night with excited tones, and quickly worked through the meal in favor of getting to the taiyaki for dessert.

 “You know, you’re right.”

“Hm?” You glanced to him as he spoke, not knowing what he was referring to.

“It’s important to take a break from training now and then. This festival was the perfect way to relax. Your presence is equally as rejuvenating.” He leaned over and gave you a quick peck to your forehead as he unrolled the paper bag. “Thanks for spending time with me.”

You blushed lightly as he turned back to the taiyaki, pulling one out at random before biting into it. You turned back to watching the crowd, but that was short-lived – your boyfriend made a sudden choking noise next to you, causing you to whip around and see him holding a hand to his mouth.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

He took his hand away from his face and grimaced, holding out the bitten taiyaki towards you. “It has custard in it.”

For a moment, you stared down at it, before breaking out laughing, much to his unamusement. With a frown, he placed it in your hand, making you try it too as he dug another one out of the bag, saying that you should try them all alongside him. The two of you did that until the fireworks began, falling quietly as they illuminated the sky and signaled the end of the night.

Chapter Text

Your eyes widen when you see Ryuu. You had expected him to be wearing a more dashing yukata, but instead he had dressed down for the occasion. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, wearing a grey-checkered yukata that showed his black sandals.

“Oh!” You couldn’t help but stare, and he raised an eyebrow, quietly gauging your reaction.

“What?”

“Well… I don’t know, I guess the lack of horns is a huge change.”

Ryuu gave a sigh, turning away from you with a scoff. “They aren’t permanently attached to my head, you know.”

“Still! You basically wear them every single day, and I’m so used to seeing them that it’s strange if they aren’t there.”

“Do you want me to go put them back on, then?”

“No, no, it’s okay!” You give a sigh and take his hand, as if to stop him from actually leaving. “You said you’d come to the festival and walk with me, so let’s go.” Your comment was final, and Ryuu felt himself being pulled along, joining you as you guided him through the winding lanes.

“What do you want to do first?”

“Whatever you desire, princess.”

Ryuu did not think he would regret that answer as he said it, but found himself doing exactly that moments later, as you made him try a few foods that he had never had before, saying it would be a new experience. Some were a hit, and others a miss, leading to newfound favorites or never agains. But each time, your smile made him continue, knowing that he was the cause of its appearance. He loved to see it each time, watching your lips part and your eyes close, giving him a vibrant glimpse of your joy at spending time with him – something that was rare for the both of you due to your café work and his rehearsal schedule.

“Do you want to try the goldfish stand?” You pointed at it excitedly as you noticed it, and he looked over, a little hesitant.

“You made me try new foods, and now you want me to try some games, too?”

“Well, no harm in trying new stuff? Come on, you’ll have fun!”

With a roll of his eyes, he joined you, crouching down with his bowl and poi a few moments later.

“Why do we have to use this? Isn’t this made of paper?”

“That’s the point, Ryuu, it’s supposed to be flimsy and rip after a while.”

“We can’t just use the bowl?”

You pouted, and he turned back to the pool, staring at all the swirling goldfish with narrowed eyes. Then, he dove his hand into the water, and swung it around. The paper ripped and the goldfish bolted, swimming away from the sudden terror. Ryuu frowned, and held up the ripped hoop to you.

“You’re supposed to go gently.”

“That wasn’t clear.”

“It’s thin paper! You can practically see through it! Here.” You gave him your poi, instructing him to try again as more goldfish swam back over. With proper instruction, he finally was able to maneuver it through the water, swirling it around and catching a couple goldfish. He dipped them into the bowl before going back in for more. You gave a smile and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek as you stood up to go buy another poi. However, you had barely gone a couple steps when you heard him yell, and turned to see that he was leaning back, almost falling over as a goldfish jumped out of the bowl, flying through the air and back into the larger pool. He blushed deep as a couple passersby stared at him, and you couldn’t help but laugh, which only made him turn darker. You came back to his side with your own tools once again, catching a goldfish and pouring it into his bowl.

“There you go. In return for that hilarious scene.”

He frowned even further, but you could tell that he was glad it had made you laugh, and the two of you moved away a few moments later, finishing off the night with some more games, losing track of time.

“Oh no!” You both had barely noticed what hour it was, and Ryuu looked to you with concern.

“What is it?”

As if to answer your question, a firework suddenly exploded in the night sky, lighting it up with a brilliant red glow.

“…That.”

“Ah.” Ryuu tilted his head up to watch as more followed, flashing different colors. With a sigh, you began to meander towards the field, finding it pointless to try and go over in time to watch the festivities.

“Well, we can still watch them from here, in the lane.”

“We can indeed.” Ryuu’s arms wrapped around your waist as he hugged you from behind, and you resisted the urge to tilt your head up and see if he was blushing from the action. “I don’t mind it; they’re still quite nice to watch.”

“Mhm.” You leaned back into him, feeling slightly better in his arms. They were amazing to watch, painting the sky with a colorful scene as one after another went off, complimenting each other and lighting up the trees. You were in a daze, focused on nothing else – which made the kiss that Ryuu pressed into the back of your head all the more surprising. You gave a quiet yelp, and heard him chuckle, murmuring something about how cute you were. With a sigh, you tilted your head back and looked up at him, only to receive another kiss on your forehead.

“Tonight was wonderful. Thank you for letting me accompany you, princess. It is a night that I shall not soon forget.”

You gave a hum, adjusting yourself slightly to kiss his cheek. “And the same goes for me, Ryuu. Thank you for joining me this evening.”

With a smirk, he turned his head to meet your lips, kissing them as the final fireworks went off in the sky.

Chapter Text

“Hear me out, hear me out, please?”

You jokingly rolled your eyes as your boyfriend met up with you outside the festival gate, a notebook in hand. He had ditched the director’s hat and dressed up in a cozy gray yukata, with a rather modern design.

“Sure, dear, tell me what it is.”

“I want to write a murder mystery for the next play! But, I want to do it in a public place like this, so do you think you could help me gather some notes and pictures?”

“You might distress the faculty if you do a play about a murder at the Star Festival…”

“But it won’t be at the Star Festival… maybe I’ll do it at some sort of mass barbecue or a different themed festival. It’ll be fine, promise. Will you help me tonight, my muse?”

“Is that even a question anymore?” Your hand found his, and you dragged him into the thick of the crowd, watching Kurou begin to write down observations. The two of you began to point out different locations and tendencies for the crowd, saying things about where it might be best to commit the murder, or who would be the criminal and find the body – much to the shock of passersby as the two of you talked about it so nonchalantly.

“Do you think it would be good to find them behind a stall? I think a food one is best, to hide the smell of the body—“
“Kurou.” You gave him a pointed stare as you stood in the yakitori line, the vendor giving you both a weird stare as Kurou flipped his notebook shut, giving the server a shining smile as an apology. They nervously handed you the meal, and you thanked them, giving Kurou his as you began to walk away.

“I’m sorry, dear,” he murmured, before biting into his yakitori. “I didn’t notice and—“

“It’s okay! You’ll remember for next time, right?”

“Mhm!” He smiled, shoulders moving back to stand up straight and proud. “It’ll be fine. I’m just so used to people who don’t react negatively to it…”

“Well, you’re usually surrounded by drama club members, who all are aware of your usual antics. I’m sure that it’s normal to them, but not to others when you talk of murder mysteries in a public area.”

“That’s true. Well, then I’m glad you’re here to keep me in check. I really have enjoyed myself tonight, and I hope that you are as well, my muse. Tonight has been a wonderful night.”

“And we’re still not done! We have to play some more games, try other foods, and figure out where the main character is going to confront the killer!”

“Yes!” With a sudden new fire in his eyes, the two of you polished off your meal, throwing the sticks away and getting back to work. He was excited as you blended together the games and brainstorming, and you were proud as he put forth an effort to keep his excitement and voice down for the sake of not scaring others. The two of you enjoyed the entire night, finding yourselves once again at the center of the festival after combing every inch of it. Your phones were now filled with pictures, of either one of you playing a game, the other posing on the ground, or with a scenic shot that he wanted to use to help map out the script when he wrote it, promising that you could help write.

“Do you want to tie wishes to the tree?” you commented after he said something about how it would be interesting if the main character and victim had a discussion by the tree before the murder, and he glanced up from his notes, almost coming out of a trance.

“Oh! Well…” He suddenly gave a laugh and rubbed the back of his head. “I suppose we should actually committing to the meaning of the festival, huh?”

You gave a laugh as you got two cards, holding one out for him and moving to write down your wishes. He made a big show of hiding his from you, saying that you “could be privy to his musings, but not his deepest desires”. This tugged a small giggle out of you, and he grinned, scribbling down his wish and moving to tie it to the tree alongside you.

“What did you wish for, though,” you asked, raising an eyebrow as you looked up at him. “Your ‘deepest desires’ sounds weird…”

“If I tell you,” he replied, tapping your nose, “then it won’t come true. But I suppose I can say… that I hope you will forever be a muse and assistant to my grand ideas. I enjoy this time that we spend together and hope that it ever ends.” His fingers moved down to quietly wrap around yours, and he dipped down to press a quick kiss to your lips before tugging. “Come on! What do you want to do next? We haven’t even figured out the murder method yet!”

Chapter Text

You expected to spend the festival alone. You were anticipating a quiet night of drifting from crowd to crowd, not really sticking with any one person for too long.

But, as your boyfriend – as you called him only in private – so often found a way to do, he threw a wrench into those plans, finding you near instantly the festival with a grin on his face and a happy-go-lucky attitude to match.

“Weren’t you out on a trip this weekend?” You leaned back to stare up at Viktor, who laughed and shook his head.

“Here’s the thing about trips. I had been planning just a weekend trip to visit Europe and see my family… but this week, I was watching how much effort you were putting into the festival and everything for it. I am very proud of all your work, and hope that you get noticed for your efforts.”

“You’re here,” you reply, quickly taking his hand and squeezing it, letting go moments later with a nervous glance around. “That’s enough for me. I’m happy that you’re at the festival.”

“And I am, too. I get to see you in an adorable yukata that really makes you look beautiful.”

“And yours is certainly as striking as your hair. Thank goodness for the black stripes, or it might hurt the eyes.”

Viktor laughs again, and you follow suit, beginning to walk down the lane and pick up a conversation.

“Well, I wanted to at least dress up for the night. I remember these festivals in high school where everyone would always dress up, but I would kinda never sit through the tedious process of putting one on. These are much easier to wear now, once you get a little older and appreciate them more.”

“Are you going to send a picture to your mother?”

“You know what, I should. It would make her happy.” You watch his large grin settle into a smaller one, sticking close to your side as you continued strolling through the festival. The two of you were careful to not lean too close to each other, or touch for too long – lest a person from Ikemen was around the corner and could say something. However, it went off without a hitch, Viktor buying up candied apples and chocolate taiyaki while you found it more enjoyable to get takoyaki. At seeing his pile of sweets, you gave him a look, causing him to wither under the gaze.

“What?”

“How many sweets is that?”

“Don’t judge me for my sweets,” he quipped back. “You have your tastes too.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean when I’m at a festival that I forego dinner in favor of buying a lot of desserts!”

Viktor pouts, but still protests your complaints by biting into the candied apple, causing you to roll your eyes while holding back a laugh. He offers you some it as you walk, and you trade food, feeding him a few bites of your takoyaki as he hands you a couple sweets, allowing you to eat them as you find yourselves along the shopping lane. Vendors sat by their wares, showing them to people as they approached and asked about what they were selling.

“Here, let’s go. I’ll buy you something to remember this night.”

“Really?” You look around at the stalls, trying to think about what he would get you.

“There was a wonderful jewelry booth along here. I know the place and their wares. However, you’ll have to pick out what you want, if it’s silver.”

You nod in understanding, letting him lead you towards the place and showing you what was for sale. He points at rings and bracelets, but you opted for a necklace – which he seemed happier at you choosing. You liked the small gemstone charm, and he handed the velvet box to you after purchasing it. The two of you resumed your walk, thinking to try out a few more games before the fireworks began. They were accompanied by small competitions and matches, fighting to catch the most goldfish or land the most baskets. The night grew late as the minutes rushed by, and before long, you are walking towards the field, finding a spot to stand and watch the fireworks.

“Thank you for allowing me to spend time with you tonight. Moments like this are rare, and I am glad that we can have them. I enjoy them immensely.”

“I do, too. I’m happy that we can have this time together.” You step slightly closer to him, happy that you were towards the back of the crowd. The night falls silent, save for the hubbub of conversation as people waited for the fireworks to start. But quietly, you feel Viktor shift, and then a kiss being pressed to the top of your head. You blush and move away, looking up at him with an embarrassed gaze. He grins, and quickly moves to place one on your forehead, glancing about at the crowd to make sure nobody was paying attention.

“There. Now I think the night is really complete. I wish we could stay in this moment forever.”

“Mm. I do, too.”

As the last word falls off your lips, the first firework whistles through the air, and explodes across the stars, shining across the sky in a cascade of red. A blue and yellow follow, before beginning the full show in a flurry of sound and light. With a slight hesitance, you leaned back into Viktor, watching the night sky alongside him.

But if the moment can’t last forever, then I’ll make the most of it now.

Chapter Text

“Do you like my yukata?”

It’s the first thing that tumbles out of Itsuki’s mouth when you meet up with him at the festival, and upon seeing him, you place a hand to your mouth, surprised at the sight. He’s dressed in a multicolored yukata – and while the tones are mostly dulled down, you catch the sight of pinstripes on his lower half, and of the multicolored sleeves and small decal on his top.

“It looks amazing, and very colorful.”

“I bought it just for this occasion, and I think it makes me more noticeable. But yours is so beautiful, and should catch everyone’s eye.”

“No, you’ll be noticed. I promise!” You take his hand and begin to walk, asking what he wants to do first, leading to the two of you moving towards all the food stalls.

“I don’t often get to go to festivals, and if I do… I never really got to order anything before. People would elbow me in line, or I wouldn’t get to tell them what I wanted. But I had friends who were happy to help!”

“And I’m here now, so what would you like from here?” You point out new things that you think he should try, paying particular attention to Itsuki’s reaction as you pointed out the desserts.

“Do you want the chocolate bananas or the candied apple?”

He bit his lip as he debated the question in his mind, before quietly turning to face you, eyes darting from side to side.

“I-Is it okay to get both?”

“Of course!” You turn to the vendor and order four bananas and two apples, and he hands them to you with a quizzical look until you give Itsuki’s share to him, and the vendor looks as if he’s fully registering Itsuki’s presence for the first time.

“Thank you!” you say, walking off as you bite into the banana with a happy grin. Itsuki looks it over hesitantly, but upon seeing your eager reaction, does the same, instantly understanding why you recommended it.

“This is r-really good,” he says, surprised, before going for another bite.

“What do you want to do now? Oh, wait, no, hang on!” You begin to walk a tiny bit faster towards a line of shops, where there are colorful masks and hair accessories out on display. You both polish off your meals as you window shop, looking up and down the lane to pick out the best wares. Itsuki ends up buying something for you first – holding out a faux flower accessory that he clips into your hair with a gentle smile. “T-There. That makes you look elegant.”

Your hand goes up to touch it, and you return his smile, before looking back at the stalls and going to buy a mask for him. You make him bow slightly so you can wind it around his head, tucking it off to the side so it doesn’t disrupt his field of vision.

“There, now this should also help you be seen even better.”

He goes throughout the festival with a newfound confidence, even talking to a few vendors himself who take note of him, or playing some games alongside you. Other students meet up to chat as well, leading to a fun evening before you both find yourselves back at the wishing tree again, and you ask Itsuki if he wants to put a wish up.

“The tree?” Itsuki looks over and sees the bamboo, covered in many small cards adorned with writings and wishes. You lead him over and have him pick out a card, instructing him to write his wish on it, and then it will hopefully come true. He pauses for only a moment before writing it down, going to hang it on the tree before assisting you in finding a spot for your card.

“You can probably guess what I wished for, huh.” 

“Let me guess, then!” you say as you begin walking away, taking his hand.

“A-All right.”

“You... wished to be noticed more. You want to be seen by everyone, regardless of how you look.” You watch Itsuki’s reaction to your statement, thinking that you hit the nail on the head – but he instead smiles, still looking forward.

“What?” You pout, wondering if he had heard you. “Is that not it?”

“No, it’s not,” he replies, shaking his head. “It… It was about you.”

It’s your turn to look up in shock as he glances at you, his grin only growing. “Are you surprised? It shouldn’t be that much of a shock.”

“Still!”

He laughs, and tugs gently on your hand. “Come on, I want to try the t-takoyaki stand!”

You roll your eyes at the change in topic, but follow him anyway, squeezing his hand as you’re led away by your boyfriend, happy to be with him.

Chapter Text

“The last time I attended a festival, I was being asked to perform at it.” Jae leans against you as you wait in line at the yakitori stand, heaving a sigh. “I’m so glad that this time, I’ll just be spending it with my girl.”

You laugh as he hugs you, deftly slipping his arms about your waist and leaning to press a kiss into your cheek.

“You’re ridiculous,” you mutter, moving to take your order as the server hands it out to you. Jae relents at this, quickly grabbing his and taking your now-free hand.

“I know.” He grins wide, and the two of you walk around, Jae pointing out things that he wants to try and asking if you want to attend any of the performances. Before long, you find yourselves in the games lane, and Jae eagerly asks to try out catching goldfish.

“Do you think you can do it?”

“I remember watching people at this booth once! I really did want to try it then.” His boyish excitement hits you, somehow – as if recalling that he never got chances like this before. What’s the life of an idol like… if Suzuki and Yamato are anything to go by, now… and Jae’s just getting his undergraduate now, while Hideki-senpai’s going for his master’s…

“We can do it!” You make it to the attendant first and buy two bowls and poi, bringing them back and instructing Jae on the proper way of catching the goldfish, cheering him on as he successfully catches a few before the paper breaks. He’s more than ecstatic as he looks down at his bowl, grinning from ear-to-ear at the sight.

“Do you have to take them home?”

“Well, you don’t have to. Do you not want to?”

Jae shakes his head, moving to place his bowl near the water, gently tilting them back in. “No, I’d like it if others could get them instead, who would want them more.”

You do the same, but can’t tear your eyes away from his gaze, surprised at his attitude about it, but say nothing more on the subject – and moments later, you find yourself being dragged along again, on towards the next thing on the list. The two of you hit dessert booths, a couple shops, and soon find yourselves back at the center. You ask if he wants to tie a wish, and allow him to pick out the cards, writing them down and tying the to the tree.

“Wait wait!” He stops you as you begin walking away from the tree, a mischievous grin growing across his face. You raise an eyebrow, and pause to face him.

“What is it?”

“Pull out your phone and get the camera app on.”

“Why?” you ask hesitantly, moving to pull it from your sleeve.

“Trust me.”

You roll your eyes, wondering what he was planning as you did as he asked, holding it up to get him in view. A moment later, he dabbed in front of the wishing tree. The very act made you almost double over with laughter, and you saw him shaking as he laughed too. As you steadied your hands to take the shots, you found yourself unable to keep the grin off your face.

“Did you get them?”

“I-I did!” You give a breathless sigh as you hold out the phone, laughing again as you only see him looking up over his elbow at you. The two of you recover yourselves and he takes the cell, opening to the gallery. As he does so, you find yourself staring at his face, watching it strain as he tried to not chuckle at his own humor – but your eyes begin to trail downward.

You hadn’t noticed how low his yukata was on his chest. It was made more obvious by his necklace, which only emphasized his outfit. You kept looking further down, finding that his yukata, while simple at first glance, had a bird emblem emblazoned under the belt. And then—

“What’re you looking at?” He tilted down and met your gaze, causing you to hurriedly glance up as a blush crossed your cheeks.

“N-Nothing!”

He smiled knowingly, handing your phone back. “Mhm. If you say so.” He takes your free hand and begins to walk again, and the two of you finish off the night with a couple more games, before heading over to the field to find a quiet, unoccupied spot. You make small talk until the fireworks begin, lighting up the sky.

“You know what would be fun?” He leans down and brushes near your ear, and you turn slightly.

“What?”

“If we danced, right now. Come on!” He doesn’t wait as he takes his stance, lifting your arms and wrapping a hand about your waist. “I mean… well, actually… it’ll be hard to move in your outfit, won’t it?”

“Let’s try anyway.” You smile and take the lead for a couple steps, moving in a very tiny square as Jae takes over, leading the awkward waltz. In any other circumstance and clothes, the two of you would be professionals at the steps, but instead it comes out off-rhythm, the movements a little strange and limited.

“The fireworks make a very bad beat,” Jae murmurs, looking down at you. “But I suppose that just adds to the character of the dance, doesn’t it?”

“I guess so. But I don’t mind.”

Jae quickly leans down, kissing you briefly as a cascade of fireworks go off in the distance, lighting up the trees in red and gold.

“Neither do I.”  

Chapter Text

When you’re with Seiichi, watching him work with in the robotics lab, it’s usually quiet. The only sounds are the hum of the air conditioner, the metallic clicks of parts, an occasional mutter as he makes an error, and the sound of your books and papers when you turn a page.

It’s moments like these that make you appreciate each other’s silence and company, knowing that your relationship can thrive on both the conversation and the absence of. However, this also makes it hard to break that silence.

Which is exactly what you had to do today, if you wanted to ask him to the Star Festival at all. Your eyes kept nervously glancing up from your books, unable to focus on your homework as he made repairs to your café robot. His expression was completely stoic, as it always was, his hands the only moving thing.

Your mouth even opened a couple times, wanting to take the chance, but the words would stick in your throat and never make it out. You finally resigned yourself to hoping you could ask after the afternoon was over, and turned back to your books.

“What do you want to ask me?”

You jumped at the sound of his voice, sending a look his way as you noticed he had not even glanced up from his work.

“What makes you say I want to do that?”

“You have looked my way approximately five times in the past three minutes. I am simply inquiring if there is something that you want to ask me.”

“…It’s about the festival this Saturday.”

That comment stops his work, making him place his tools down and focus on you. You watch a small crease appear between his brows – showing that he is confused by your statement.

“Is there something the matter with the plans that the council has drawn up?”

“No!” You wave a hand to make him dismiss that thought. “No, it’s about going to it. Together. And having a… date?”

The crease remains, and Seiichi bores his eyes into you. You bite your lip, feeling as if you’ve said something wrong.

“I… Why are you asking me to the festival?”

“Well, you are my boyfriend. I would like to go to the festival with the person I love.”

“…I must confess, I never saw the appeal in such events. The games are rigged, and I am not inclined to the foods that they serve. I prefer the quiet here, and to know what I am getting myself into."

“But we go to restaurants together! You also tried that lemon pie from our last date!”

A smile tugs ever so slightly at the corners of his lips at your protests. “That is because you were feeding it to me.”

“Will you go to the festival with me, Seiichi?”

He’s quiet a moment, the ghost of a smile vanishing from his face. “I would usually say ‘yes’ to your requests under other circumstances… but I am afraid that I must confess I have nothing to wear for the festival. I do not own any yukata.”

This time, you grin, and Seiichi watches it grow across your face, finding himself a little tense at what thoughts are hiding behind it.

“We can fix that.”

Seiichi didn’t know what you meant at first, but when he found out you were dragging him shopping, the thought of “I’m actually attending” loomed in his mind. He wasn’t one for going to events he planned, preferring to assist with the pre-event process and then gathering reviews after. But as he was helped for picking out different yukatas, testing colors and combinations, he found that your smile was rewarding enough and helped him endure the tedious process. By the end, he was thoroughly exhausted, and surprised you by settling on a gradient-colored yukata with a golden belt. You said nothing about it, wanting to encourage him to pick his own outfits and try out new things.  

“Promise me you’ll wear it.”

“I will, for you.” You catch the hint of hesitance in his voice, but say nothing about it – just smiling and finding his fingers to lace through yours as you walk out of the shop, making plans for that weekend with eager chatter, before you had to part ways until you met up again tomorrow.

Where are you, exactly?

I am by the Wishing Tree, with Touru!

“Is he actually coming?” Touru looked to you as you tucked your phone away with a nod.

“I think so!” You looked over heads as best you could, trying to spot him in the crowd.
“He does not often go to these sorts of functions, so I worry about his comfort levels.”

“I’ll keep an eye on him. I know when he gets distressed and promised we could go home if we needed to.”

Touru smiles at your comment, relieved that you care about his Vice President enough to make commitments like that. He looks up and sees the person in question, giving a slight wave to get his attention and guide him over to you both.

“There are lots of people here,” Seiichi murmurs as he comes close, and you nod.

“There’s a quieter lane. It’s off to the side a bit, though. Do you want to go there?”

“If you would not mind taking me. Sorry to disturb you, Touru-kaichou.”

“It’s no trouble, Seiichi. Have fun, all right?”

“I will.”

Seiichi makes good on his promise to Touru, listening as you suggest easy game booths and bland foods for him to try. He still works with interesting things you give him, trying to piece together the make-up of a dish or the way a game is put together to win or lose. You laugh at one of his comments, dryly delivered in response to a vendor who was clearly working against the player – and for a moment, he’s confused, before realizing that you’ve found it funny, somehow. He sighs and moves on, telling you that he is going to be picking the next booth you go to.

The night moves by quicker than either of you expect. Your stomach ends up feeling a little empty again, and you stop to buy a sweet cake, biting at the pastry with a satisfied smile. Seiichi watches you, quietly, and you catch his gaze.

“What?”

“Nothing.” His response is instant, but you narrow your eyes.

“What do you want to say to me?” You mimic his earlier statement, causing a smile to fully form on his lips.

“Just that I am honored that you invited me to the festival. I am sure that there are others you would have enjoyed being with, but you chose me. I am grateful for that.”

You pause, lowering the sweet cake as you look at him, surprised at his comment.

“I’m glad you could come. It makes me happy to have you here.” You look up, slightly puckering your lips in an attempt to show you wanted a kiss. It takes him a couple moments, but he bends down, lightly kissing you.

It’s over almost as soon as it starts, but you don’t mind, pointing out a new booth to try and moving towards it. He follows, the smile still not gone from his face, behind you every step of the way.