Chapter 10: The Summer Festival Fireworks

My wallet's virtual empty. This is my last chance to win that panda that's been eyeing me the second I got here. I think I can do this. I stared at my target, hating rising in me because I can't hit the damn thing all 236 times pervious. But I can do it. I'm sure I came. 237 is a lucky number, right? I stretched out my arm in preparing to fire. I held my arm in the position so I could focus my aim.

"I can do it." I told myself.

I threw the ball.

I missed. The ball only hit one of the pins. Only. One.

Uproar of laughter came from behind me and there was no mistake in who it was.

"June, you totally suck!" I heard Fira say through her laughter.

"I can't believe she still missed!" Hikaru said through his laughter.

When I turned around, I saw Fira and Hikaru doubling over in laughter and leaning on each other just so they wouldn't fall. I put my hangs on my hips. "You guys are assholes, you know that? " They were too busy laughing to pay me any mind.

"Ignore them." Kaoru advised.

I nodded.

He went over to the game table and asked for he could play. I walked next to him to watch.

"You know, it's not easy." I said. "But I give you my best." I gave him two thumbs up.

"Thanks."

I watched him lean back, and fired. One the first try, he managed to hit nearly all of the pins. I watched with my mouth open. The manager allowed Kaoru to pick his prize. He picked the panda I've been eyeing at.

"Here, for you." He said as give me the panda.

"You know, you didn't have to." I mumbled.

He smiled. "I know."

"AWWW!" Fira and Hikaru said loudly.

I blushed big time. "SHUT IT!" I yelled at them.

* * *

We made our way to the main event of night: the fireworks. Everyone was gathered in the center of the festival; everyone waiting for the fireworks to come from some secret place elsewhere. I looked around. For a moment, I saw to children in the crowd, holding hands. They looked about the same age, seven or eight. The boy had jet black hair, with his bangs covering his purple colored right eye. The girl looked like the girl version of the boy. She had the same colored hair and it fell the same as the boy's only her hair was tied in a ponytail. Her eyes shocked me, they were different from each other; one was blue while the other was green. They were looking up into the sky, seeing invisible fireworks.

"They're so pretty." The girl said.

"Mommy and daddy say they're for you." The boy said. "Like a birthday gift."

"Really?" The girl asked, looking extremely pleased. "They said that?"

The boy nodded.

I had a weird feeling. I wanted to go up to the boy. Tell him that it wasn't true. Their parents didn't really mean that, they're just saying that because they feel it needs to be said. There is no feeling in that statement they made.

It took me a moment to realize why I thought that. These kids aren't just some random children; they are me and my brother.

"June, are you okay?" Kaoru asked. His hands were on my shoulders as if he was about to shake me if I didn't respond. I turned to see his worried face, I nodded. He took his hands off my shoulders. I turned back to see the children-err, me and my brother but, they were gone.

"Who are you looking for?" Kaoru asked.

"I was just wondering where the rest of the host club is, that's all."

"Who cares?" Hikaru commented. "If they aren't here, it's their lost."

"I'm gonna sit down." I said. "There is-um, too many people here for my taste."

"I'll come with you." Kaoru said.

"Sure." I said. We started to leave the crowd. Before we got any sort of distance from the huge group of people we just tried to leave, Fira came running from the crowd. She ran up to me with such stealth that I barely noticed next to me, let alone anyone else noticing. She came up me and whispered into my ear:

"I'll be rooting for you!"

Note to self, after the murder, hid Fira's body.

Kaoru and I found a nice little bench away from all the commotion but close enough to be able to see the fireworks. It felt a little weird, sitting on the same bench as Kaoru but it was weird in a bad way or anything. I was kind of nice really. Okay, that last sentence made a go a little pink.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I'm fine. It's just-" I paused for a moment. Now I have to said something. "I haven't seen fireworks in so long. I hope it's as grand as I remember them to be. That's all." "That's all." I repeated only a little softer. I can't believe I lied through my teeth. To Kaoru.

"I don't think that's what you were really going to say."

"That's what I wanted to say" I said as confidently as possible. I turned to look Kaoru in the eye. "That's all."

He started to lean in closer to me. He was only a few inches away when he said, "I don't believe you." Before I can replied, he kissed me. There were fireworks, not just in my head but outside it too.