The night sea breeze, under a sky filled with fireworks, blows directly towards us.
Hanamaru Hanabi stands at the dock, gently brushing her hair with her right hand, while Uesugi Sakura retrieves the yacht keys from the staff.
They both board the boat together.
The waves, like black jade, ripple against the boat, rising and falling as Uesugi Sakura navigates the small yacht to a perfect spot.
All around, a dozen similar small boats drift on the sea surface, each carrying pairs of people.
From here, one can see the bustling crowds on the beach, the brightly lit city, and the fireworks lighting up the entire night sky.
Hanamaru Hanabi sits at the bow, the slightly cool evening breeze lifting her short hair, and the faint fragrance of a young girl quietly disperses around her.
Uesugi Sakura sits beside her, holding her hand, listening together, and enjoying the sounds of fireworks echoing in the night.
One after another, the beautiful firework traces a straight line, then bursts forth, illuminating the deep night sky.
At this moment, the city lights are behind, the dazzling flames above, all reflected on the constantly undulating sea, as if the whole world is smeared with a layer of splendid colors.
This beauty is deeply felt by everyone present.
Uesugi Sakura turns his head to see the same beautiful smile on the girl’s face.
The mutual affection is transmitted from their interlocked fingers.
"This is the first time we’ve watched fireworks since our engagement, right?"
"Yes." Hanamaru Hanabi looks back at him.
Uesugi Sakura gazes at the bright and fleeting lights bursting in the sky.
"Can we come again next year?"
"Of course, I’ll be with you, Sakura." Hanamaru Hanabi also gazes upward, the sound of the explosions stirring her heart.
The girl’s soft voice, together with the fireworks’ booms, resonates in the heart.
People are always greedy; once they’ve obtained what they desire, they gradually forget the longing they once had for its arrival.
This is human nature, as expected.
But Hanamaru Hanabi, always a timid and insecure girl, even after twelve years, has never said anything negative about herself.
Cautiously, slowly, she maintains this bond of fate.
This long love that began with a gaze, Uesugi Sakura is willing to continue it forever.
As long as she smiles by his side, he is completely satisfied.
"If little Hanabi hadn’t met me, what would it be like?"
Hanamaru Hanabi turns her head to glance at Uesugi Sakura, recalling the scene when she first saw him.
That time, her mother held her hand, and as the moving company’s vehicle pulled away, she saw him just stepping out of his house.
He held a book, with a calm expression unlike any peer she had ever seen.
Her mother recognized him as a friend’s child and, smiling, took the timid girl’s hand to greet him, asking him to take care of her reserved daughter.
This acquaintance... has been a bond of twelve years.
"Without Sakura... I might not have endured for so long... Sakura... has always been like a big brother helping Hanabi..."
"Actually," Uesugi Sakura smiled, "I just used to chat with you, that’s all."
"No, much more than that!"
Hanamaru Hanabi gazes at him, her face illuminated by the fireworks, "Sakura secretly put candies in my backpack, secretly helped with crafts I couldn’t finish, sneaked out of school to buy me treats without the teachers knowing..."
"And there are so many... many times... Sakura has always comforted me secretly not to be sad for being disliked by others..."
Scenes like a rainbow of memories make the face contour ever more vivid.
"Sakura says I always forget what I have done, but Sakura... doesn’t you do the same..."
Uesugi Sakura doesn’t rush to respond, but smiles looking at the girl next to him in her yukata, her face, her figure, her voice, all conveying a love engraved deep in the heart.
"I really do like you, have liked the feeling of you being with me since long ago."
He skewers a piece of octopus ball from the box, bites it hesitantly, and under the incessantly bursting fireworks, leans his body forward, approaching the girl’s delicate, rosy face.
The taste, aroma, essence of bonito flakes, and seaweed flow harmoniously in their intertwined lips and teeth.
Time elongates, the fragrance of the girl’s tenderness grows richer.
Hands instinctively wrap around the petite shoulders, feeling her close presence.
With the boat swaying under the waves, the moonlight falling in the starry night, the summer fireworks brightening the sky, all reflect the image of two people embracing.
Returning to the hotel, it was almost midnight.
After both mothers exchanged a few words about the night’s fun, they each returned to their rooms.
Uesugi Sakura carried the game console and plush shark into the room and closed the door.
"Do you want to shower first or should I?" He asked the yukata-clad girl behind him, standing by the pristine bed.
The incandescent lights of the hotel were bright.
Hanamaru Hanabi just stared at his back, her small hands entangled, then lowered her head, "Today... Sakura, help Hanabi wash..."
"Oh~ Aren’t you worried Sakura will make little Hanabi do bad things?" Uesugi Sakura removed the red Hook Jade from his neck, then turned back with a smile.
Hanamaru Hanabi just looked at her small hands, her face inexplicably reddening, "T-Today is fine... Though Hanabi can’t... but Hanabi doesn’t want to see Sakura in pain..."