Even though it was morning, the hallways were crowded with students of all sorts. Some of them were setting up stalls and some were hanging out with their fellow classmates, enjoying the festive atmosphere that a holiday like Culture Day provided. It was a nice atmosphere to be around, and certainly one I’ve grown more receptive to since the last time a festival like this was held here.

Still, despite the multitude of stalls that were already technically open, despite the fact that a lot of their stuff hadn’t been set up yet, I didn’t give any of them much attention. Perhaps I’d circle around later and check them out, but for now, I had someone to meet.

Reaching the entrance to the art club, I opened the door and was greeted by several of its members. I should feel more familiar with them, given that I was a member of the club once, but all I can do is give them courteous nod in response.

The clubroom had been restructured a bit for the festival, like all the others. It had many paintings hanging on the wall for sale, with most of the tables and chairs being hidden away, though some were arranged to serve as counters. Several members were manning them as cashiers, but most seemed satisfied with wandering around and looking at the paintings their classmates had made. Rin was standing in the far corner, staring at her paintings.

As I walked towards her, I couldn’t help but recall how the past few days had unfolded. I would often meet her in her room after class, watching over her as she painted. However, this time she didn’t paint entirely for her own sake, but to make pieces to sell for the festival. On a rare occasion, I left her room in the early morning as she painted through the night, bringing back breakfast for the both of us.

One time I’d even accompanied her to the art club, where she insisted on going. We simply went to an empty corner of the clubroom and did our best to be unnoticed by the others there, especially Nomiya, as she worked on her piece that day.

Maybe I should count my blessings that nothing bad happened during that period of time. No mental breakdowns, no tears, just an ironclad determination to paint and clear her doubts about things, with me silently giving her my support. In the end, she managed to produce seven paintings, each in her own chaotic style. She never complained, so I could only assume that she was satisfied with them.

Pieces of herself, ready to be sold to complete strangers. I can’t help but be reminded of that fact, no matter how much I’d rather ignore it. The experience at the gallery tainted my perception of things.

“Hisao,” Rin said as she noticed me, turning around and immediately pressing her head against my chest. “You’re here. I wanted to say that, but you weren’t here until now and I didn’t want to lie.”

“Sorry I took so long,” I respond as I gently wrapped an arm around her, uncaring of what anyone else in the room thinks. “How are you feeling?”

“Mm...good, and not good,” she answered, before pulling away from me, looking straight into my eyes. “...It’s hard to put into words, but now that you’re here I think the good is more than the not good. Like putting extra stones into a scale to tip it over.”

“Glad to know I can help,” I said, brushing her hair with my hand. “How long do you have to be here?”

“I don’t know,” Rin answered, shaking her head. “Hisao, you’re thinking something that you want to say, but you’re afraid to say it. Your face is telling me that, even though your face isn’t talking to me. Tell me what you think, please.”

“Rin, I…” Before I can say anything, the door slams open to reveal Nomiya. His presence immediately makes me forget whatever I was about to say as he walks in.

“Members of the art club!” He says in a grandiose voice, before turning to me and giving me a dismissive sneer. “...and others. Today is going to be a grand day for all of you, as you’ll be displaying your works of art for everyone to see, and those pieces that are truly eye catching might even find a home with a new owner.”

I turned to Rin and saw her tremble a bit, though whether it’s Nomiya’s presence or the idea of her paintings being owned by someone else, I couldn’t say.

“Now go ahead and make whatever preparations are necessary, viewers will be coming in a short while, and I will not tolerate any shortcomings,” Nomiya commands, every word sounding arrogant and pretentious. I realize that I might be biased due to certain events, but I wondered how I ever found him tolerable when I was a member here.

And of course, the first thing he did after making that proclamation was to walk towards us. While he tried to look professional, I can sense that he’s hiding some amount of contempt for Rin, and perhaps for me.

“Tezuka!” he barked, not loud enough to seem outwardly angry, but certainly loud enough to indicate how he felt. “I see you’ve made some paintings to be sold.”

“Yes,” Rin replied in a completely blank tone, showing no signs that she was intimidated or ashamed. “I made seven paintings, though I don’t know why. I don’t like the number seven, but I don’t dis-”

“Will you run away again?” he asks bluntly and without tact, and I grit my teeth at the question. “Like at the gallery? Will you run simply because someone asked you a few questions and showed interest in your work? If so, I won’t have your paintings sold.”

Rin visibly hesitated, before taking a deep breath and answering. “No, I won’t run away. I’ll sell my paintings, and people can ask questions about them. That’s what I want to do now, not before or later, but now.”

“We’ll see about that,” he huffed, before turning to me. “And you. Will you keep her here, unlike the last time? Or will you let her wander on her own again?”

I wanted to say all sorts of things in response to that statement, none of them pleasant. However, I also didn’t want to make a scene, especially with Rin here. The last thing I wanted was for either me or Nomiya to blow up in front of her again.

“I’ll help in whatever Rin wants to do,” I answered diplomatically. He obviously wasn’t satisfied with my response, but nevertheless he left us alone to check on the other members of the club.

“Mm, you wanted to say something else to him,” Rin noted, thankfully after he was out of earshot.

“Yeah, it was going to be something bad,” I answered honestly, turning to face her. She didn’t look all that shaken by the encounter, though whether that’s because I’m not reading her well enough or she’s truly not that affected, I couldn’t say.

“Mm, I wanted to say something bad, too,” Rin nodded in agreement. “But I knew it wasn’t going to end well, like walking into a pit full of snakes. So I walked around the pit because I knew it was there, even though it’s supposed to be hidden.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” I noted humorously. “So, you still want me to say what I thought?”

Rin nodded again, her eyes curious as she stared at me. Seeing that expression, I couldn’t resist telling her the truth.

“I guess I’m just a little worried,” I answered, pulling out a chair and sitting on it. “This is the first time you’re showing your paintings to other people since the gallery, let alone selling one.”

“Mm, yes. But it needs to be, like breathing,” she said firmly, as she leaned on the table beside me, her eyes scanning the room, probably seeing something in it that I couldn’t comprehend. “I’m a little bit afraid, and I used to be even more afraid. But now that you’re here I’m only a little afraid, so you’ll need to be here otherwise I’ll be even more afraid again, Hisao.”

I completely understood those words. She wanted me to support her through this, and so I will. “Yeah, I’ll be here,” I answered. “You won’t be alone.”

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It didn’t take long for students and what I assume were parents to come into the room, perusing the many paintings, sculpture, ceramics and miscellaneous art projects within. Some of the art club members actively talked to the would-be customers, convincing them to buy their pieces, though with some of them their tone indicated that it was more for profit than any actual pride in their craft.

Meanwhile, Rin and I simply stayed in her little corner, not particularly interested in trying to convince customers to look at her wares. If they wanted to look, they’d do it on their own regard.

Of course, after a while without so much as someone looking our way, I started to wonder if that was going to be true.

“It’s different from the gallery,” Rin noted curiously, eyeing each and every person as they walked around the room. “No one is asking me things yet, or looking at my artwork.”

“Is that a bad thing?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” Rin said as she inched closer to me. “They aren’t asking me difficult questions, but they also aren’t seeing me. Well, they probably are seeing me, but not like an artist. They’re not even seeing me like I’m Rin. I’m just...air.”

“Do you want to change that?” I asked again, admittedly feeling bored despite the energy coursing through the room. “I can help you get some customers, if that’s what you really want.”

“Mm, no. I think I want to do that,” Rin answered as she stopped leaning on the table. “But I need you to help me. Just...be there, and make sure I don’t become too afraid, like a criminal knowing what he did was very wrong, except I’m not doing anything wrong but it’s still making me afraid.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” I said firmly, and we finally exited our little corner of the art room to mingle with the people here. Rin didn’t seem to have a plan in regards to finding customers, she simply went up to a random student and stopped right in front of her, saying nothing.

“Um, hello?” the student asked, but Rin didn’t respond and things were immediately awkward. I almost wanted to open my mouth to fix the situation, but I held back. Rin wanted to do this on her own, so I couldn’t interfere.

Finally, Rin decided to speak. “Hello,” she said in a tone that I think was supposed to be formal or professional, but came across as neither. “I have some paintings. Would you like to see them?”

“Um, sure…” the student said hesitantly, and Rin immediately turned around and walked back to her corner, causing the student to eye me suspiciously. “Um...is she alright?”

“Yes, she’s just nervous.” I answered, trying to ease her qualms. “It’s the first time she’s trying to sell her paintings, so she’s a little anxious about things.”

Well, that statement might technically be a lie, but it’s true from a certain point of view. This is the first time she’s trying to sell her paintings of her own volition, free from the influence of anyone else.

The student walked towards Rin’s paintings as I followed her there, inspecting them one by one with a curious eye. “They all look really...weird,” she commented, turning her head to see them from a different angle, probably trying to make sense of what she’s seeing. “I don’t know what any of these are, really.”

“They’re paintings,” Rin answered nonchalantly, which seemed to annoy her.

“Obviously,” the student muttered sarcastically, before pointing at one of the paintings, a canvas filled with hues of red and green in a seemingly disordered and erratic pattern, forming lines of yellow where they met. “I like that one. Red and green are my favorite colors.”

“Oh…” Rin sounded mildly confused at the statement. “I don’t like red or green. I don’t dislike them either. They’re like friends but not very close friends.”

“I...see…” The student seemed even more confused, but nevertheless kept staring at that specific painting. “Well, it’s definitely special. I’ll buy it; why not?”

Rin simply nodded and turned to me. “Can you give her the painting, Hisao? I can, but I don’t want to bite my paintings to grab them. They taste weird.”

“Sure,” I answered, and took the painting off the wall, handing it to the student. “Here you go.”

She inspected it a little bit more before walking off to the cashier. Turning to Rin, she didn’t seem all that troubled by the fact that she’d sold her painting. “You alright?”

“Mm, yes. But I didn’t know I’d be alright,” Rin noted, sounding confused. “Why am I alright?”

“Maybe because she didn’t ask any questions about the painting?” I offered the best explanation I could, even if I’m just as surprised as she is. “She bought it for what it is, not for what she thinks it is...I think.”

“Mm, I’m not sure if I believe you, Hisao,” Rin said, shaking her head. “But I want to believe you, so I’ll believe you until I can’t believe you.”

“Um, hello?” A voice broke us out of our conversation, and we turned to see that it was an older and taller man addressing us, presumably a parent. “Are these your paintings for sale?”

“Yes,” Rin answered, looking up to him. “But if you buy them, they’ll be your paintings, but they’ll also be my paintings. So they’ll be yours and mine.”

Unlike the last potential customer, he seemed more amused than aggravated by Rin’s tangents, and simply nodded in response. “I suppose that’s so. Let me take a look and see if there’s anything I’d like to purchase, hm?”

The man inspected the paintings with care, taking his time to scan each and every one, occasionally humming whenever he saw something that he was apparently interested in. In the end, he turned to Rin and smiled rather widely, showing his teeth.

“I must say, the paintings are as unique as your personality, young miss. Particularly this one.” He pointed to perhaps the most Rin-like painting of the bunch, if that’s even possible. A wild mess of color, shape and lines, seeming to twist and turn without a concrete pattern. The very definition of chaos squeezed into a canvas.

“That one is quite expressive,” the man said in admiration, his eyes still on the piece. “What were you trying to say with this one?”

“I wasn’t trying to say anything. I was painting,” Rin commented, with a hint of annoyance.

“Ah, well I suppose that’s the case,” the man said, either humoring her or ignoring her comment entirely, I couldn’t say. “Still, it feels like a piece that shakes me to my very core. I’m a bit of an art collector you see, not a particularly professional one but…”

The man went on and on about his passion and why he collected art, not a speech that I found all that interesting, so I tuned out and waited for him to actually make a point. Rin seemed to do the same, closing her eyes as he talked.

“Regardless, I find this piece extravagant. Absolutely eye-catching.” He finally stopped, if only to catch his breath.

“Well, you can buy it. It’s why it’s here, apart from being a painting,” Rin answered, sounding just as tired of him as I was. “It’s also here for other reasons, but it’s mainly here to be bought.”

“Ah, right.” The man finally seemed to get the hint and picked up the piece by himself, looking rather enamoured as he inspected it further. “They say a piece speaks of the artist making it at the time. Tell me, what were you feeling when you made this?”

“That was me from a few days ago,” Rin said simply. “You’re going to have to ask her, since I’m the me now and I can’t go back to me a few days ago.”

“Hmm, as eccentric an artist as I’ve ever known,” the man muttered, more to himself than to her, and walked away.

“Mm, he was a little annoying, not a lot annoying,” Rin said with a sigh. “Talking to him was like talking to the wind, it blows and blows no matter what you say to it. Except that one responded to my words a little more, I think.”

“I doubt it,” I commented dryly, waiting to see if anyone else was going to look at her paintings. When they didn’t, I finally asked, “You still alright?”

“Less alright than before,” Rin answered, shaking her head lightly. “But still alright, even though I don’t know why. He asked questions about the painting, so why am I still alright, even if I’m less alright?”

“I don’t know either,” I said, not knowing what this meant for her. “Rin, have you found your answer yet?”

“Mm...not yet.” Rin shook her head as she said that, her voice soft and resolute. “I’m some of the way there, but not all the way. Like stopping near a shop I know on the way home, but I’m not home yet.”

“I see…” I said as I turned around and looked at the set of paintings remaining. “You know, I’ve never owned one of your paintings. Maybe I should buy one for myself.”

“No,” Rin interjected immediately, her voice a little louder than usual. “You shouldn’t, Hisao. These paintings are for everyone else, but not you. I want my painting for you to be only for you, something that only you and I can see.”

“I see…” I can’t help but feel a little flattered at the thought of Rin painting a piece just for me. It reaffirmed that I’m special in her eyes. “I’ll look forward to it then, Rin. Maybe one day I’ll paint something for you too.”

“Mm, you can paint?” Rin asked, her eyebrow raised just slightly. “Are you secretly a painter and you’ve never told me?”

“I can learn,” I said defensively, chuckling lightly. “It beats trying to give you something that involves physics. I can’t even imagine what that kind of gift could even be.”

“Mm, I don’t know. I think I might like a physics gift better,” Rin said, smiling for the first time today. “It’s more...Hisao. I think I want a Hisao gift more than any other gift, especially from you, Hisao.”

“I’ll think about it,” I replied, a smile forming on my face as well. “And for the record, I’d probably want a Rin gift more than anything else.”

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Another two hours or so passed by, and a few more people showed interest in Rin’s paintings. They asked a few questions, which Rin answered to the best of her ability. In the end, all but one of her paintings were sold. As for the money she was supposedly earning, Rin said that they’d hand it out the next school day.

“I’m tired,” Rin mentioned, sounding rather exhausted from the ordeal. She didn’t speak much to her customers, merely saying that those paintings were for sale without elaborating on what they were, perhaps a way to cope with selling her paintings. “...But I think I have an answer for now. And maybe later.”

“To whether or not you want to be an artist?” I asked as the crowd in the room thinned further, probably moving on to other stalls or to have lunch.

“Yes, I think,” Rin answered. “But I’ll give you my answer later, not now. Like giving a gift later because the time is right, even though time can’t be wrong.”

“I’ll wait until the time is right then,” I said, and as the door opened to reveal two people walking in, I added. “Speaking of the right time, you’re late, Emi.”

“Oh shut it, you,” Emi responded, dragging Hanako along by the arm as she made her way towards us, looking sweaty in her track uniform. “I came here as fast as I could. The shift turned out to be busier than I expected, and I expected a lot.”

“Mm, selling drinks must be harder than I thought,” Rin said without a hint of sarcasm. “Unless you had to run and sell it at the same time, then it’d probably be harder. Like driving and putting on your clothes.”

“Wait, that’s all you did? Sell drinks?” I asked, perplexed. “Then why are you so sweaty?”

“Ok, maybe I got invited to do an exhibition run or two. Happy?” Emi retorted defensively. “I don’t see you doing anything useful for the festival, so you don’t have a right to nag me about being late for anything.”

“I was helping Rin sell her paintings,” I said, matching her defensive tone with my own.

“You were,” Rin agreed, nodding her head. “But not by a lot. You’re like a tiny gear in a clock, important but not in a big way, but not in a small way either.”

“Oh, whatever. You want to get out of here or not?” Emi said, arms crossed. “I even brought Hanako here, what else do you want from me?”

“Hello, Hanako,” Rin said, turning her head to Hanako. “I felt like I should have said that earlier, but didn’t think about it then. So I’m saying it now.”

“H-Hello, Rin,” Hanako replied, looking around the art room. “T-There aren’t a lot of paintings here . Have you sold a-all of yours?”

“I’ve sold everything but one, which means I haven’t sold everything.” Rin tilted her head towards the remaining painting, a very vibrant painting as far as Rin pieces are concerned, the multitude of colors blending together to form some sort of weird rainbow gradient. “I don’t think I’m allowed to leave unless all of my paintings are gone...I think.”

“O-Oh. Actually...I really like that painting,” Hanako said, a slight smile on her face. “I-It’s really colorful, so I think I’ll b-buy it. How much does it cost?”

Rin thought for a moment before answering. “Zero. It costs zero, which means it doesn’t cost anything, even though it has the words ‘it costs’.”

“Oh, so you’re giving a painting to her, huh?” Emi commented, pouting slightly. “I take care of you all this time and you’ve never given me a painting. Is that how it is?”

“Yes, that is how it is,” Rin answered I can’t help but laugh at how much she unintentionally offended Emi. Unfortunately, that earned me a rather heated glare from her, but it wasn’t enough for me to contain my amusement.

Hanako, on the other hand, looked rather surprised. “I-I can’t possibly take this for free.”

“Why not?” Rin questioned, looking curiously at Hanako while Emi continued to stare daggers at me. “Is there a cost to being given a painting for free that I don’t know about?”

“No, it’s just...” Hanako stared at Rin, then at the painting, the back to Rin again. “Why are you giving it to me for free?”

“To get out of here,” Rin stated, closing her eyes and giving the question a little more thought. “That’s not entirely it, but that’s a part of it. But I’m also giving this to you for free, not anyone else. That means you’re not anyone else. You’re Hanako, and that’s why I’m giving it to you.”

Without prompting, I took the painting off the wall and handed it over to Hanako. After a bit of hesitation, she accepted it and inspected it up close. “R-Rin, are you sure?”

“This is a piece of me, and I want you to have that piece.” Rin opened her eyes as she uttered those words, and said nothing more. A statement I found a little surprising, but nonetheless very genuine.

Hanako clutched the painting, which was small enough that she could easily wrap her arms around it. Her hands were shaking slightly as she nodded back at Rin, a grateful smile on her face. “T-Thank you, Rin. I’ll be sure to treasure it.”

“Can we go now?” Emi interrupted, bouncing up and down impatiently. “I know you two are having a moment and all, but I haven’t done anything besides manning the stall. I wanna have some fun.”

“Yes,” Rin said in agreement. “I also want to get out. Like how a bird wants to get out of her nest, except I can’t fly out of this school.”

And with that, we left, with barely anyone from the club recognizing that Rin was leaving. Not even Nomiya, who last I saw was schmoozing up someone whose identity I didn’t care enough to guess at.

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“Ooh, a takoyaki stall! And a cafe stall! Oh, and there’s even some yakiniku!” Emi exclaimed with excitement. “Finally, something we can eat!”

She wasn’t the only one looking forward to eating. It was a little past noon, and I hadn’t eaten a thing, so I was just as hungry. We spent the intervening period of time walking around the school building, browsing stall after stall and generally having fun hanging out with each other. It was a good time, even if the activities themselves were rather mundane as far as festivals went.

But as time went on our hunger urged us toward the cafeteria to find something to satiate it.

“Alright, first things first, we need a seat,” Emi remarked, looking around the cafeteria. Like the rest of the school building, it was rearranged to accommodate the festival. The place was manned by students today selling a variety of foods from their stalls, most of them probably greasy in nature. Unfortunately, the festival made it even more crowded than usual, with most of the tables being occupied by adults and other students.

“Found one! Now to make sure no one gets it!” Immediately after saying that, Emi sprinted away, leaving us behind.

Turning to Rin and Hanako, I shrugged and said, “I guess we should follow her.”

Both of them nodded in response, so we started making our way through the multitude of people present, taking our time as we slowly followed her lead. As hungry as I was, it wasn’t enough to get me to go full speed just to find someplace to sit.

As we walked, I turned to Hanako, who was looking around the cafeteria with discomfort. “Are you enjoying the festival so far, Hanako?” I asked, trying to ease her mind a little.

She nodded slowly in response, still carrying the painting close to her chest. “Y-yes, I-I’m glad you all invited me to enjoy it together. I-I really am.”

We finally made our way to Emi, who was leaning on a table, looking rather annoyed at us for taking our time. Of course, another reason she could be annoyed was the fact that a certain one-handed acquaintance of hers was also sitting on the table.

“Heya, Hisao, Rin,” Miki said with a smile, waving at us. Unlike Emi, she was wearing her school uniform instead of her track clothes. “I just happened to bump into Emi here again, and she invited me to hang out with you all.”

“Did not,” Emi protested, refusing to even look at Miki. “She took the table before I could snatch it, said she’d only share it if I spent time with her today.”

“Hey, the more the merrier, right?” Miki declared with an amused chuckle. “Come on, I’m not that much of a pain to be around. Right, Hisao?”

Emi immediately fixed her eyes onto me, giving me a threatening gaze. Despite that, I wasn’t about to brush off Miki for her sake. She had lent a willing ear when I was down, so if she wanted to hang out, who was I to say no?

“I’d like you hang out with you, if that’s what you want,” I said, which made Emi move her arms animatedly, as if she was trying to punch me from a distance. “Is that alright with you two?”

“I’m alright with Miki hanging out with us,” Rin said as she sat down on the table, head immediately resting on top it. “I like Miki. She’s like those people that show up late at parties, but people don’t mind because they want her to be around no matter how late she is.”

“I can’t believe this,” Emi grumbled, and immediately started bouncing up and down in frustration. “Hanako, mind grabbing some food with me? I need to let out some energy.”

“O-Oh, alright,” Hanako said, setting the painting down on the table and immediately going to Emi’s side, noticeably shying away from Miki. “Is there anything y-you guys would like to eat?”

“Mm, food,” Rin responded, looking as if she was going to take a nap on the table. “I think I’m in a meaty mood, so meat. No human or insect meat, I don’t eat those.”

“Anything’s fine with me,” I said nonchalantly. “I’m hungry enough that anything edible would be acceptable, really.”

“Ditto for me, I’m hungry for just about anything. But...” Miki answered in a flirtatious tone, giving Hanako a wink. “Give me something I really like and I might give you a niceeee little tip.”

That comment made Hanako shy even farther away from Miki before leaving without warning, hopefully to get our food. Emi gave Miki an annoyed glare before tailing her, leaving the one-handed girl to look on in confusion.

“Wow, that line never went that badly before,” Miki commented, blinking in surprise. “Maybe I’m saying it wrong.”

“Errrr, that isn’t the problem,” I said, trying not to grimace. “Hanako isn’t the type you just...say that kind of thing to...at least, not immediately.”

“Well, I just saw her being so comfortable around you all. Guess I got carried away.” Miki shrugged before leaning back on her chair, looking at me with a smirk on her face. “Soooo...how are you two?”

“Tired,” Rin muttered softly, almost sounding like she was dreaming.

“I’m alright,” I commented in a neutral voice, causing her to raise an eyebrow in suspicion. It had been so long since Miki and I talked on that fateful day, where I told her about Rin’s problem with handling my condition.

Though truth be told, I’ve almost forgotten about it, given that I’ve almost never brought it up to Rin since then. The only other time was on the rooftop where she agreed to come with me to my hometown, and even then she acted as if I’ve never told her.

It seemed like a lot of things have just been relegated to the back of my mind, the happy atmosphere of the past few weeks blocking out my memories of them.

“We’re alright, really,” I added, emphasizing the ‘we’re.’ “Nothing bad has happened, and hopefully it’ll stay that way.”

“That’s nice, can’t say things are gonna stay calm on my end,” Miki noted with annoyance, though she kept her carefree smile. “Really, all I’m doing is enjoying my final few days here before all hell breaks loose.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, feeling nothing but sympathy for her situation back home. “I hope things turn out alright.”

“Same to you,” Miki said, sounding grateful. “Honestly, I enjoy hanging out with you and Rin. Emi too, but she’ll throw a fit if I say that in front of her.”

“As opposed to every other reason she has to throw a fit at you?” I retorted in a joking manner, causing her to chuckle. “Honestly, I don’t know why she resents you so much.”

“I can think of a few things, but that’s between us girls.” Miki winked at me before glancing over at Rin. “Isn’t that right, Rin?”

“What’s between girls?” Rin murmured tiredly, making me seriously wonder if she was going to sleep right then and there. “I know what’s between girls, but I’m not allowed to talk about that in front of boys, I think. Even though Hisao’s seen it before...”

My cheeks immediately heated up at that statement, even more so when Miki laughed loud enough to draw the attention of nearby people. I put my head down on the table too, causing Rin to turn around to face me.

“Do you want to sleep with your head on the table too, even though you know you shouldn’t?” Rin asked, completely unaware of my embarrassment.

“No, Rin. No, I’m not,” is all I could say. Despite what she started, I couldn’t really be mad at her for something like that, merely embarrassed.

“Oh,” Rin said, before closing her eyes again. “If my head is stuck to the table any longer, I might sleep. This table is like a pillow, except harder but still soft enough to make me sleep.”

“Oh, man. You two are perfect for each other,” Miki pronounced, thankfully keeping her laughter down to a reasonable volume.

“What the hell is going on?” I heard Emi’s voice, which meant she was back. “Why are you laughing? Why were people staring at you three? And why is your head on the table, Hisao?”

“Just girl things. You would know, Emi,” Miki answered as Rin and I lifted our heads. The answer was vague, yet rife with the innuendo, most of which was of the scandalous variety. And just like that, I could understand a little of Emi’s dislike for her.

Emi and Hanako sat back down on the table, setting down tons of food, ranging from meat skewers to pastries to rice balls. There’s even some french fries, something I hadn’t had in quite a long while. As decent as cafeteria food is, the variety of food on display handily beat it out by a wide margin.

Miki started to reach for a skewer before Emi batted her hand away. “Only paying people get to eat.”

“Alright, alright,” Miki said, reaching in her pocket and pulling out some money, scattering it on the table. “That’s all I have on me.”

Emi eagerly took the cash from her and turned to me, flashing me a demanding smile. “You too, Hisao.”

“Ahem, who kept paying for all those trips to the Shanghai?” I reasoned, putting my foot down. “Shouldn’t I be exempt?”

“You’re right...but Rin isn’t. And I know she usually doesn’t carry any cash on her.” Emi glanced over at Rin. “Do you have any money on you, Rin?”

“No,” Rin answered bluntly, looking intently at the food. “Money is troublesome, but useful. Like a hammer, or a stapler. Except hammering with my feet is easier than giving someone money.”

“...Fine,” I said, pulling out my wallet getting some cash, which I made a point of handing to Hanako instead of Emi, much to her chagrin.

After all that was done, we started to eat everything that’s on the table. Our hunger meant that there wasn’t much conversation as we were too busy gorging on the different foods, doubly so for me considering I had the rather pleasant task of holding food in front of Rin for her to eat, which I’ve been doing more and more often whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Seeing her face as she ate food from my hand was an endearing sight, as was the simple act of handing my girlfriend food, surrounded by my friends. A mundane form of happiness, but happiness nonetheless.

“So, whatcha doing later?” Miki asked with a skewer sticking out of her mouth. “Staying up till the fireworks show?”

“What’s it to you?” Emi grumbled, also in the middle of eating a skewer, the similarity between them going unnoticed. “Don’t you have anything to do this festival?”

“No, not really,” Miki responded with a giggle, aggravating Emi further. “I was thinking of tagging along with you guys. Play some games, see some stalls, buy some crap, then end the night with a bang...the literal kind, not the metaphorical one.”

“Well, I guess you could…” Emi rolled her eyes as she muttered that. “But no teasing, especially the kind that flies over my head.”

“I’ll promise to keep it down to a minimum,” Miki pledged in a tone that was either sincere or sincerely mocking, I couldn’t really tell. “So, fireworks show?”

“Yeah, we’ll gonna see it. Why not, right?” Emi mentioned, then smiled deviously. “Actually, me and Hanako talked a bit about it while we were getting the food, and…”

She leaned over to whisper the rest to Miki. Turning to Hanako, I could see that she’s blushing ever so slightly, most likely from knowing what the secret is. What were they talking about, and why the need to hide it?

“Well, I’m sure Hisao will love that idea,” Miki said, flashing me that same devious grin that Emi had. “One hitch though, I went to town yesterday and saw a sign saying that the Shanghai was going to be closed for a few days due to...something or whatever, I don’t really remember. Gonna need a new place to watch the fireworks.”

“Damn!” Emi said, before taking a rice ball to eat. “Well, I can’t think of anywhere else right now. Rin, can you?”

“I can think,” Rin answered as she chewed on a skewer. “I can also think while eating.”

As Miki let out another giggle at that remark, Emi groaned and tried again. “Can you think of anywhere nice to be? To watch the fireworks at night?”

“Mm, one place,” Rin responded immediately. “Someplace Hisao and I went to a couple of times, near the forest. It felt nice, like a bird flying up in the sky.”

I immediately knew the location she was referring to, the field of dandelions on top of a hill. It’s been quite a while since we’d been to that place, and going there again seemed like an idea that should have crossed my mind before. A place where something important happened between us, a casual admission of our feelings towards each other.

“Sounds romantic,” Miki teased. “So, is that place as good as she makes it out to be, Hisao?”

“Yeah, but it’s a little out of the way, though. Cold too, since it’s late Autumn,” I answered as I reminisced about that time, and the sight of Rin, dandelions floating around her. “But the air is nice and the view’s pretty good, so I’d say it’s worth the trip.”

“Any other ideas?” Emi asked, looking around the table for signs of objection, which she got from no one. “Guess it’s settled then. Now let’s hurry up and finish our lunch already, I wanna go back and see that plushie stall they had on the second floor.”

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“Hah! That’s another win for me.” Miki crowed, jumping up as Emi threw the last ball in frustration, not even attempting to hit the center of the target anymore. “Glad to beat you at something for once, Emi.”

“This game is rigged!” Emi accused as the stall worker handed Miki her prize, a small little keychain in the shape of a dog. “I lined everything up and the target moved the moment I threw it. It had to”

“Emi, that’s...a poor excuse even for you,” I mentioned wryly, and I noticed Hanako giggling slightly, probably because Emi couldn’t see her. “She won fair and square. It’s not like she paid the stall in advance.”

“I mean, I expected to lose a game or two, but not EVERY game,” Emi protested, turning to Miki, who gave her a nonchalant shrug.

“I’m just lucky today,” Miki said innocently, which only made Emi look even more frustrated. “Try not to pull out your hair over a couple of dinky little prizes.”

“Inviting you was a mistake. A horrible, horrible mistake...” Emi groaned out as the five of us exited the room, continuing our exploration of what the festival had to offer. Her frustrations aside, we were having a fun time playing games and looking at things to potentially purchase.

Of course, Emi’s competitive streak immediately showed herself, only to be utterly quashed when Miki won game after game. I was torn between feeling pity or amusement at her looking so dejected, with a slight preference towards the latter.

Even Hanako was looking far more open than usual, focusing her gaze not on her surroundings and the potential strangers that might stare at her. Instead, she concentrated on Emi and Miki’s playful competition, and on Rin’s calm nature and occasional tangent on mundane things. She was focusing on us and having fun, something I hoped would last throughout the day.

“Alright, next stall. Next stall…” Emi said, looking around the hallway and acting as our de-facto leader, mostly due to a lack of competition. She pointed at a faraway door, with a sign hanging over it that said “Photos.” “That one!”

“Oh, a photo booth,” Miki noted with enthusiasm. “Always love having my beautiful body photographed. Maybe I should be the first one-handed model in Japan.”

“U-um...I don’t really like…” Hanako started to protest, hiding her face a little with Rin’s painting. “...I hate having my photo taken.”

“Because of your face?” Rin asked, again in a blunter way than any sensible person would. Hanako looked at her and nodded once, still keeping her face obscured. “I don’t like having my photo taken, but I don’t dislike it either. It’s...like sitting around doing nothing while someone paints your face, except they’re using a camera instead of a brush.”

“But your face doesn’t need to be painted like half of it is melting off,” Hanako whispered bitterly, so softly that I think only Rin and I heard her. I turned to look at her, and she gave me a look that suggested that I should not think about that comment any further.

The five of us entered the room, which was a club room of some sort. As expected, there was a tripod holding a digital camera in the center of it, facing a white wall. Two students immediately greeted us and asked if we’d like to have photos, and whether we wanted individual ones or a group shot.

“Oh, group shot!” Emi shouted, without even consulting the rest of us. “We want five copies of it, one for each of us.”

“Sure, would you like it to be framed?” the student in charge asked, adjusting his glasses a little. “It’ll cost extra, but not much.”

“Well, since Hisao’s paying for all of it, it really doesn’t matter to me.” Emi turned to me and immediately looked at me with a pleading stare, her face resembling that of a puppy. “Please, Hisao? A frame would look so nice to commemorate our friendship, the wonderful times we’ve spent together.”

“Like me paying for your sweet tooth?” I asked sarcastically, even as I was pulling out my wallet again. Emi merely maintained her look of carefully fabricated emotion, though she really had no need to.

“Fine…” I sighed, not even trying to argue with her. A framed photo of the five of us would be something nice to have, a reminder of days that will be over in a few months time. Not all of those days spent together were nice and peaceful, but all of them were valuable in helping me recover from the sulky pessimist I was back at the hospital. They were more than worth preserving.

As I paid the students, Emi dragged Rin over to the wall, with Miki joining them shortly after. Only Hanako stayed where she was, holding the painting up to her face so that only her eyes were visible. She looked at me with an uncertain gaze, and all I could do was look back.

“Come on, Hisao. Hanako,” Emi demanded, waving at us. “Don’t keep us waiting.”

“I know you don’t like having your photo taken,” I said quietly. “Honestly, if it was my first day here, I wouldn’t either. So you don’t have to join us if you don’t want to.”

She narrowed her eyes as me with suspicion, as if she knew I wasn’t just going to end the conversation there. And I wasn’t.

“But I don’t think any of us would want to leave you out of this picture.” I continued as I walked to the wall, joining the others and leaving her on her own. “We all want to remember you, Hanako. Even after our days in Yamaku are long gone, I think we’ll still remember the time we spent here, together with you.”

We stand there, all of us looking at Hanako, waiting for her response. Her hands were shaking a little, and she looked at me with both surprise and hesitation. Finally, she nodded once and placed the painting down on the floor, leaning it against a wall.

Slowly but surely, she stepped closer and looked not just at me, but all of us who took time out of our day to spend it with her, for no reason other than a desire to have fun. She gave all of us a bright smile, her eyes threatening to tear up.

“T-Thank you…” she whispered, softly enough so that only we could hear it. “I u-used to think a lot of things about you all...and some of them were r-really bad, really h-horrible things. I still d-do, sometimes, when you aren’t around me. B-but y-you’ve all been so patient, and nice…so I feel bad afterwards...”

“Aw, don’t worry about it,” Emi said exuberantly, giggling a little. “I couldn’t go a day without thinking something horrible about Hisao.”

“Gee, thanks,” I commented dryly, but nevertheless gave Hanako a comforting smile. “It’s ok if you think that, Hanako. We may not understand a lot about each other, even now. But all that matters is that we care about you, and that you care about us in return. We want you to be a part of our lives both now and in the future, like you said back then. Isn’t that what you want?”

“...Yes, that’s what I want,” Hanako answered with resolve, and quickly walked over to the wall, positioning herself dead centre in the camera’s view, right in front. “I-It is okay if I still cover my face a little?”

“They can take my picture even if I have no hands,” Rin said, smiling just a little. It seemed she was aware of the happy atmosphere. “They can take Emi’s picture even if she had no legs. So they can take your picture even if you’re covering your face a little.”

Hanako giggled in response and covered a bit of her face with her hand before turning around to face the right way, and while I couldn’t see her face anymore, I knew she was smiling. An expression that was becoming more and more common for her, and more natural as well.

“Alright, if we’re all done with the sappy stuff..,” Miki said impatiently, striking a pose while she’s leaning back on the wall. “Hit the button! We’re ready!”

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“Hey, we’re here to collect our photographs,” Emi exclaimed as we re-entered the photo booth several hours later. The white wall was now mildly orange thanks to the evening light, but otherwise it seemed like everything was the same as when we left the room, having been promised that our photos would be printed and framed before nightfall.

Everything save for the two booth runners, who looked as if the life had been sucked out of them. I suppose that’s what happens when you run this sort of thing, where countless photos needed to be printed out before day’s end. They nodded absently before handing me a stack of framed photographs, all depicting the same thing.

Five people facing the camera, with faces ranging from excitement to joy to obliviousness, in Rin’s case. A haphazard picture perhaps, but one with a sense of rapport around it. Regardless of whatever else could be said about the picture, it definitely was five friends who were in the photograph.

“Looks good,” Miki commented as she glanced over my shoulder, looking at the photographs. “You’ve got a real cute face, Emi.”

“Of course.” Emi exclaimed incredulously, as if the idea of her face being anything else offended her. “...You don’t look so bad yourself, Miura.”

I handed three of the photographs to Emi, Hanako and Miki. The other two I’d carry for myself and Rin.

“Alright..,” I said, feeling just a bit tired from all the festival activities, which had consisted of more food, games, and the occasional two-on-two competition that Emi dragged me and Hanako into, Rin getting to sit out and relax. We’d been having such a fun time that before we knew it, evening had arrived. “Now that we’ve gotten the photographs, I think it’s time we relax a little before the fireworks.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Emi nodded in agreement as we exited the photobooth. “I finally beat Miki at a game, so I suppose we can take a break.”

“Well, we still need to do that little plan of yours…” Miki mentioned, chuckling as she continued to stare at her photo. “So, should we split from Hisao and get ready?”

“Still not telling me what that plan is?” I asked as we headed down the stairs and towards the school entrance.

“Nope!” Emi replied. “Just go back to your dorm, rest a bit, and meet us girls at the gate by seven.”

The crowd of people that were enjoying the festival had thinned, though there were still a lot of people here, mostly students. As I passed by one of the few adults remaining, I wondered for a moment if I should have asked my parents to come. Sure, they’d most likely have refused due to their busy schedules, but the fact that I didn’t even think to ask them made me feel guilty all the same.

We exited the school building and walked together for a bit, conversations as energized as ever thanks to Emi. After a while, the girls split off towards their dorm, with Emi once again reminding me to meet them at the school gates. Rin was the last to leave, giving me a longing gaze before following the others.

And so I was on my own, though thankfully not for very long. I headed to my own dorm to catch a shower and rest a little. Fun as this day had been, I was starting to feel very sweaty.

After a brief walk, I entered the dorm and went straight to my room hallway. My hand was on the door knob until I heard a “Psssst…” coming from behind me. Well, I suppose now’s as good of a time as any to deal with him.

“Hey, Kenji,” I said without any hint of friendliness, turning around to face him. He looked the same as always, though his scarf was now covering his mouth. He eyed me up and down like I was some sort of artistic statue, and finally jumped back in what I assume was shock.

“God, dude! You smell like a girl’s bedroom!” Kenji commented with utter horror, pinching his nose. “What were you doing out there? Don’t you know today’s the day feminists gas the place with their chemical pheromones? Just a whiff of that stuff and you’ll be their slave in hours.”

“I was...having fun,” I responded bluntly, not in the mood for indulging his delusions. “I’m just here to take a quick shower and get out. That’s all.

“Oh, to wash off the effects. Smart man, smart man.” Kenji nodded with approval, giving me a thumbs up. “We all know true manly sweat washes off even the most dangerous of the feminist chemicals. You’re starting to be a real pro at undercover ops, my comrade.”

“Yeah…” At this point, saying anything to the contrary would be pointless. “Listen, is there anything you want from me? If there is, just say it.”

“Just to congratulate you on surviving the hell out there,” Kenji said with respect, which I had no desire in reciprocating. “And...to update you on the success of my mission.”

“Mission?” I asked with a loud sigh, hoping that he’d take the hint.

“Yeah, man. My inside man got back to me,” Kenji proclaimed in a hushed tone, lowering his head as if he feared some sort of spy might be watching. Knowing him, that might be exactly what he was thinking. “We’ve established contact, and now she’s leaking juicy intel on the feminists for me, allowing me to plan my attacks, saving the last bastion of free men from the clutches of tyra-”

“I get it, I get it,” I interjected in a fit of annoyance. “That’s the girl you asked me to send your letter to?”

“Shhh...no one can know,” Kenji said, putting a finger on his covered mouth. “This secret is between you and me, bro. If the feminists find out one of their own is a mole, the whole operation will be screwed. More than screwed.”

“Is she your girlfriend?” I asked. Knowing his supposed distaste for women, it’s more likely that he’s attracted to her and is simply using the double agent thing as an excuse to talk to a female for once. Or not, it’s hard to tell with him.

“Wha-No, dude,” Kenji said, shaking his head vigorously. Despite his denial, I can see a hint of red on his cheeks. “I mean, as far as candidates to ensure the next generation of feminist fighters, she’s a prime specimen but I’d never… never…”

He stayed silent after that, and the mere fact that I actually got Kenji to shut up for once astounded me. I should bring up that question more often.

“Anyways, I’m just here to tell you that we’re making great strides towards a utopia of manliness, comrade.” Kenji sounded more nervous when he said that, his blush still present on his face. “Otherwise, that’s all for my report. I’ll be seeing you.”

“Yeah…” I replied, grateful that the conversation was over. Turning to the door, I opened it and stopped as I heard his voice again.

“And dude?” he called quietly, and I could have sworn he sounded more serious than usual. “Thanks for all your help. I mean it.”

I answered by entering my room and slamming the door shut, thankful that it was finally over and I could get to more important things. Putting the framed pictures down on my desk, I stared at it for a little longer than I intended. It seemed to have that effect on me, no doubt because it was one of the few pictures I owned.

I had some at home, childhood photos with my parents and some classroom pictures, where I stood beside old friends and people who were strangers to me now. In a way, even the person I was back then was now also a stranger, unfamiliar despite...well, being me. How was I back then? Was I more reckless? More cheerful? It was hard to recall.

That is simply what time does to us I suppose, warping and changing us until we can’t even relate to who we were in the past. As I looked again at the expression I wore this afternoon, looking so happy together amongst my new friends, I could only hope that time wouldn’t make it just another memory to look back upon.

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After getting a shower and some rest, I decided to head to the school gate a little early, wearing an extra layer of clothing to combat the cold weather. A short while later I arrived at my destination, where people were trickling in and out. The orange sky had turned purple, and the street lights had turned on. Looking around, I couldn’t see any sign of Rin or the others, so I simply leaned on the gate wall and waited for them to find me.

Looking at the people who entered and exited the gate, I could see that some of them were wearing yukatas. Perhaps for the next festival, I should bring mine from back from my parent's house and wear it, if nothing else than to feel nostalgic at the feeling of wearing one to a festival with friends.

Right, going back to my hometown...back to my parents, my old friends, and Iwanako. An event that’s going to happen in a few scant weeks, and has barely crossed my mind in the past few weeks despite the importance I placed upon it.

I wondered if my refusal to think about it was because I was afraid of dealing with my parents, and how they might react to Rin. Afraid that they’ll dislike and reject her, and say that I shouldn’t be in a relationship with someone like that. If that was going to be the case, I honestly didn’t know how I’d react.

Was I afraid that when I returned to my old friends, that they’d have all but forgotten me, that they’d found a replacement in the form of Iwanako, and they no longer cared anymore? If that was the case, then it was simply a product of both unfortunate circumstance and my own distant attitude, but it would still hurt to know that there’s no possible reconciliation between us after where we left off.

Or was Iafraid that Rin simply wouldn’t like my hometown, and she wouldn’t like my parents? Perhaps the most unfounded fear, but her uncertainty in accepting my invitation meant that she wasn’t entirely comfortable with going there. She’d made it clear that she was doing it entirely for my sake, so what would happen if it turned out she couldn’t stand the place where I was born and raised?

“Hisao!!” Emi’s voice broke me away from my musings. Approaching me were the five girls dressed in yukatas, their hair tied with floral accessories. Emi was ahead as always, her bright blue yukata overlaid with red floral patterns, accentuating her bubbliness. Just behind her was Miki, wearing a dark purple one with a gold starry inlays. The two seemed rather confident, casually walking up to me, their clothes not being much of hindrance.

Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for the two trailing behind them. Hanako’s yukata was the simplest of the four, a light purple one with black stripes. She looked very nervous, looking down at her feet, taking every step as if she were afraid of falling into a pit. Rin, whose Yukata was a dark green with patterns resembling wind currents, actively seemed to be struggling against her clothing, as her steps were erratic and unbalanced.

“So, was this the surprise?” I asked as they made their way towards me. They all looked rather nice, though with the unfortunate consequence of making me feel like the odd one out.

“Yep, we figured we’d do something like this before winter really sets in! Like it?” Emi answered, still managing to bounce up and down despite the more restrictive clothing and holding a plastic bag in her hand. “Mine’s the best, right, Hisao? Doesn’t this getup make me look even more adorable?”

“It looks good on you, though I figured pink was more your color,” I remarked, my tone not really conveying any sense of awe or excitement at her new look.

“Yeah, well you figure a lot of things. A lot of wrong things,” Emi huffed in mild annoyance, pouting and turning her head away from me, the reaction I expected and the one I sort of intended.

“It does make you look cute, Emi. Not that it was hard,” Miki acknowledged, giggling and pointing to Rin. “But come on, we all know who Hisao really wants to see in a yukata.”

Rin looked right at me, a surprisingly nervous expression on her face as she got closer to me. I had to admit, she looked great in a yukata. Amazing, really. Perhaps I was biased, but she had an ethereal feel about her that wasn’t really there when she was simply in her uniform, despite the awkward steps.

As she walked up to me, Rin dropped her body onto me without warning, her head hitting my chest so suddenly that I might have fallen if I hadn’t been leaning on the wall.

“I feel like I’m walking on ice,” Rin commented as she continued to lean on me for support, her voice as shaky as her body. “Like the ground decided to become ice just for me because it wants me to fall down, and I don’t like it. I feel like I’m going to fall and never get back up, like a leaf falling from a branch. Please help me, Hisao.”

“She’s always like this when she’s wearing a yukata. Happened last festival, too,” Emi commented without much worry, though her face did look just a bit nervous. “Probably because she can’t move her legs like she can while wearing pants, so be a good boyfriend and support her.”

I wrapped an arm around Rin, brushing her hair slightly as she looked up at me, a bit of anxiousness in her eyes. She looked so endearing that I couldn’t help but laugh a little, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll keep you steady, ok? You won’t fall with me around.”

Rin nodded in response, her head lingering on my chest a little longer before reluctantly lifting away. I kept my hand wrapped around her back, which seemed to ease her as she now stood right beside me shoulder to shoulder. Turning to look at Hanako, I noticed that she was looking straight at me, covering some of her face with an attendant fan.

“I-I hope I look ok…” she said softly, sounding uncomfortable. “I-It’s been a while since I’ve worn a yukata out in the open this.”

“You look great,” I assured her, which simply caused her to blush in response, looking away. “So, shall we head out?”

The group agreed and we immediately headed out of the gate, approaching the forest with Rin and me leading the way. We were walking at a slow pace due to them wearing yukatas, but I didn’t mind. More time with Rin beside me is never a bad thing.

“I remembered something,” Rin said out of the blue. “An important thing, like remembering that you’re alive and breathing, even though you need to be alive to remember.”

“Your answer, right?” I mentioned quietly. “About whether or not you want to become an artist after today’s exhibition?”

“Mm,” Rin murmured in confirmation. “You know me, Hisao. You know what I’m going to say, and you know what to say to me, like a Spanish and a Japanese person learning each other’s language. That’s really good.”

“Well, I’ve certainly been learning a lot of Rin these past few months, so I’ve learnt a thing or two,” I said jokingly as we passed what could have been the thought tree, though the darkness made it impossible to tell. The moonlight was good enough that we could see our surroundings, but not good enough to discern any specific details. Another possible allegory to my relationship with Rin, now that I thought about it.

“Mm, you have learned about me, and that makes me happy.” Rin closed her eyes and rested her head on my shoulder as we walked, perhaps as a way of letting her appreciation be known. “But do you know what my answer is going to be, Hisao? I want you to guess, like those shows on television. Except I can’t give you a car if you’re right.”

I mused on the question for a bit, before eventually shaking my head. “I can’t think of one, but I know that the answer you want is the answer you’ve already thought of. Was that the answer you were expecting?”

“No,” Rin admitted, brushing her hair against my neck. “But I like that answer, even though it isn’t right. It’s right without being right, like fries being salty without salt. You’re like that sometimes, Hisao.”

After a brief silence, she continued. “I’m going to try and be an artist for other people again. I’ll go to art college and learn more and more, and then when I graduate I’ll try and sell my art and hold an exhibition. I think that’s what I want to do right now. Except I can’t do it right now...”

“Are you sure, Rin?” I asked, glancing back to see that the others were listening to our conversation. Emi waved at me to turn my head back. “Was it because of today?”

“Yes…” Rin answered with uncertainty. “I don’t know why, but when I sold my art off today, I didn’t feel like a part of me was being ripped apart. Even when they asked me questions about it, even when they didn’t understand, I still didn’t feel anything but tired. And then when I gave that painting to Hanako, I felt a little happy. Like giving someone candy even though you’re the one that bought the candy. I don’t think I’ve ever felt happy giving someone a painting, but now I have.

“I don’t know why I’m like that now. I don’t even hate that I don’t know, at least not as much. Maybe it’s because of you, Hisao. How you changed me a little, and then a little, and then those littles became a lot. But even if it isn’t, I feel like...I believe I can be an artist and still be me, and still be with you, if I do the right things. And I want to believe that I’m right about believing.”

She let out a deep breath after that, sounding tired. I tried to soothe her by placing a hand on her cheek, brushing my finger on her skin. Before I can say anything, I realize that we’ve arrived at our destination, and said to the others, “We’re here.”

The field looks pretty, even at night. The moonlight reflected light off what few dandelions remained, giving a faint impression that they were glowing. Crickets and cicadas could be heard, almost in a pattern, like they were playing a symphony from nature itself. And of course the open sky with stars dotting it all made for a suitably captivating environment.

“Whew, nice place,” Miki said, whistling to show her appreciation. “Very romantic. I almost feel bad coming here without a date to share it with.”

“Alright! Since the fireworks haven’t started yet, I brought us something to have fun with while we wait.” Emi pulled out a small rectangular object and some sticks. Upon closer inspection, I realized what they were.

“Aren’t we a little too old for sparklers?” I said jokingly, though it really has been a long time since I played with those things. The last memory I could recall was at a festival of some sort during my early middle school days, a rare day where my parents were free to celebrate the occasion with me.

“Oh, don’t be such a killjoy. Not all of us had such a boring childhood,” Emi cried out before flicking the lighter on, the small flame illuminating her face with orange light. She immediately lit a bunch of sparklers at once with it, the ends of them glowing and emitting sparks. “Alright, come get one and don’t be shy. I brought us enough to last us a while.”

Each of us except Rin grabbed one, with Emi immediately playing with hers. She waved the sparkler in small circular motions, the light trailing just behind to create shapes in the brief moment they had before fading. Similarly, Miki and Hanako started playing with theirs as well, not quite as enthusiastically as Emi, but nevertheless seeming to have fun with it.

I took my sparkler and turned to Rin, who stared at it with some amount of curiosity. “Mm, I’ve never played with a sparkler before. No hands, and playing sparklers with my feet feels like holding a flame with my toes. Even though I’ve never tried, I always think it’ll be like that so I don’t want to hold it with my feet.”

“Would you like to play with one?” I offered, smiling fondly as I held it closer to her. “I can be your hands.”

“Can you?” she asked, her eyes glued to the sparkler, as if the light was hypnotizing her. “Without cutting off your own hands.”

My response was to move until I’m right behind her, my chest pressed against her back. Rin didn’t seem to react to that until I placed my hands on the sides of her shoulder, to which she then nodded in understanding.

“I figured this is close enough.” I mentioned, tilting my head to the side so that I could see what was in front of me. Or rather, us. “So, these hands are yours for now. They’ll do whatever you tell them to do.”

“Really?” Rin asked, sounding just a bit surprised at the gesture. “Is this what having arms is like? Telling them what to do?”

“Something like that.”

“Then I want them to hold the sparkler close to my face,” she said, and I did as she asked, moving the sparkler closer. “They’re slower than my legs, but I can walk while using them.”

As if to prove her point, Rin started moving, with me following closely behind her. She didn’t seem to have a direction in mind, simply wanting to see if ‘her’ arms would still be there even when she was no longer in place.

“My parents did this once. I just remembered it, which means I forgot about it until now,” she mentioned quietly, stopping to see Emi and Hanako playing with sparklers together, lighting new ones and holding one of them in each hand. “Back when I was small, they tried to be my arms just like this, but they were too big. The arms didn’t feel like mine, even though they said they were.”

“Oh…” I said, surprised at the coincidental idea that both her parents and I had. Perhaps it’s a sign that we’ll get along, if and when we meet. “Well, what about my arms?”

“They feel...right. Please wave my arms around, Hisao.” I did as she requested, waving my arms around in random motions, the light of the sparkler trailing behind. Emi and Miki were staring at us, laughing aloud at how weird we’re being. I could even see Hanako looking on with a smile on her face and a blush on her cheeks.

And then I heard Rin laugh, a rarity coming from her. It was brief, but the joy conveyed in her voice made this all worth it. The art stall, the trek here, the admittedly ridiculous suggestion of acting as her arms, everything today was worth that single moment.

So what if I’m being ridiculous? As long as it makes both of us happy, I’ll gladly indulge in something like this.

The sparkler dimmed and faded, and Rin tilts her head down. “That was fun. I want to try that again, Hisao.”

“Whatever you say, Rin…” I assured her, and she leaned her head back, nestling it below mine. If there was ever a feeling of complete bliss, it was this moment in time, the two of us closer than we’ve ever been.

“I want to touch my cheek, Hisao.” Rin requested. “Can you help me?”

Without saying anything, I lift my left hand up to touch her cheek, brushing her skin with my thumb. She let out an appreciative sigh, whispering to me. “I love you, Hisao. Thank you for being my hands, and for being Hisao.”

“I love you too.” I replied, kissing the top of her head. “Thank you for being here with me.”

As if they were waiting for those words to finally be said, the sound of fireworks appeared. Looking up, I could see them flying high into the sky before bursting into a multitude of colors. The five of us gathered together to enjoy it, sitting down on the grass to enjoy the show.

“You know, today’s been great,” Emi mentioned as the fireworks started to get into full swing, firing two, or even three, at a time. “I hope we get to do this again, I really do.”

“No argument there,” Miki said, sitting next to Emi. “And to think my plan was to find some random guy to have fun with…”

“T-the fireworks are really pretty…” Hanako commented, sounding as relaxed as I’ve ever heard her. “I hope we can d-do something like this next year.”

The three of them went quiet as they continued watching the fireworks. Meanwhile, I wrapped my arms around Rin, gently embracing her.

“Rin?” I said gently. “Once we graduate, let’s live together. I’m sure we can find some good colleges that are relatively close to each other, and then we can find a place to rent for the two of us. We’ll have a home all to ourselves while you work towards becoming an artist, and I work towards becoming...whatever I want to be.”

The offer was sudden, something I thought of in the moment, but it felt right to me. I wanted a future with her, after all. It was only logical that we live together once our days at Yamaku came to an end, once we’re working towards the careers that we choose to pursue. Another step in our relationship, one I truly wanted. The only question was, did she want it as well?

“Yes,” Rin said, in a tone that made it clear what she thought of my proposal. “Hisao, you’re giving me pictures in my head. Not literally, but now I can see something that hasn’t happened yet. I can see a room where I paint and you watch, a room where you cook something for the both of us, a room where you and I sleep. My eyes can’t see them, but my mind can.”

“Those pictures are in my head too,” I replied, stroking her hair gently. We may not understand everything about each other, but in this, it felt as if we were on the same wavelength.

“Promise me, Hisao,” Rin said, almost desperately. “Promise me that those pictures will be real someday.”

“I promise.” My reply was immediate. Despite how uncertain that image really was, despite the fact that all manner of things could make it false, I gave her my word. There’s nothing in the world that I wanted more than to fulfill that promise.

As the fireworks show continued, I conversed with the others. Miki, Emi and Hanako all looked happier than I’d ever seen them before, and while I couldn’t see her face, Rin seemed to be feeling the same way.

As the fireworks started to subside, I couldn’t help but think that this was the best day I’d had since coming to Yamaku. It was a culmination of a lot of struggles, a lot of mistakes, and a lot of grief, but also a lot of compassion, patience, and understanding from myself and those that I’ve come to care about.

I recalled what I told Hanako about our days here persisting in our minds, and it couldn’t be truer in this very moment. This was a memory to keep for a long time, perhaps forever.

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I didn’t know what woke me up in the middle of the night, but I slowly opened my eyes to see Rin snoring softly beside me, sound asleep. Smiling, I moved a stray hair from her face before getting up from bed, making sure to cover her with sheets to keep her naked body from getting cold. I looked at the wardrobe, where the yukata she wore hung on the knob.

When we were in the privacy of my room, I found out that it was the only piece of clothing she wore tonight.

Apparently that was also part of Emi’s plan, to have Rin wear nothing underneath them. Emi’s blatant attempt to nudge us into intimacy aside, it wasn’t a plan I particularly objected to, especially since Rin herself apparently approved of it.

Despite that, and despite feeling as happy as we had been while coming back to my room, we hadn’t done anything sexy tonight, either due to being tired or simply not wanting to. Cuddling her with nothing in between us was an equally pleasant experience, I found.

I went to my desk and sat in the chair, turning on the desk lamp. On it were textbooks and notes, but those were irrelevant right now. The things I was looking for were of more sentimental value: a note from Mom from when I first moved here, the two letters I received from Iwanako, and finally, the picture from the festival of me and my friends.

Those items almost felt like a timeline of my stay here, from who I was then to who I am now. After rereading the note and the letters one more time, I gazed upon the picture with a smile on my face, grateful for how far I’ve come.