The annual fireworks festival is today, and Yumi's made plans to meet Sakuya there. Will she be able to survive the day before that happens? Can she be honest about her feelings towards her friends?
Yumi had managed to get an hour's worth of sleep before waking up again at dawn. Her internal clock was quite obviously in shambles at this point, though it was at least allowing her to get up at a reasonable time for her lifestyle. Shooting, burning pain had turned into a dull ache across her body; not optimal, but definitely an improvement. A few more days of resting and she should be back to full strength, she thought. Rest wasn't her goal today, though.
She set about making breakfast to try and get on her grandmother's good side today. When that inevitably failed, she hid all the evidence as well as she could and went back to her room to sit in contemplative silence. She had to think of something else to do that would make her more accepting of going out to see the fireworks. Unfortunately, her inability to focus on anything that took a lot of planning and brain power, especially without any food, quickly led her to doing other things.
By the time her grandmother had awoken, she'd already managed to draw a full portrait of Majesty Magician (minus the feet, being cut off at the edge of the page because she didn't know how to draw feet). Hearing noise in the direction of the kitchen, she slipped out to see what she could do. Upon arrival, she found her grandmother staring perplexed into the refrigerator. "Yumi, were you trying to cook again?"
She'd been caught. Looking to the side, she tried not to devolve into nervous laughter. "I wanted to make you something," she said, a few giggles escaping as she tried to stay straight faced. Like all things straight, though, she was exceedingly bad at it. Being put on the spot always made her anxious, and her reflex was always to try to laugh it away.
With a sigh, she patted her head. "That's sweet of you, but let me help next time." She looked around to assess what they had left. "Get some rice for now. We needed to go shopping, anyway." Yumi did as instructed while her grandmother walked off to ready herself for traveling into the city. She ate little, a thick, queasy feeling in her solar plexus as she worried over how to ask to go see the fireworks later.
Despite this, she resolutely shoveled the rest down, running off to change clothes. She had the foresight to take a shower last night, meaning she wasn't about to walk out into public smelling like four days worth of misery and sweat. After so long without them, she was actually pretty happy to be wearing overalls again. Her father's hand-me-downs always felt exceptionally comfortable and familiar to her no matter how out of date they made her fashion sense.
After fixing her hair, she pulled her goggles around her head and sat them in their usual position. With everything that happened the last few days, seeing herself in the mirror like this was reassuring. Things would be okay, she told herself. Everything was going back to normal she thought while placing her deck into her front pocket. "I can do it!" she said, smacking her cheeks to try and motivate herself.
The two of them finished their morning routines about the same time, her grandmother taking her cane for the extended walk to and from the house. Yumi was always impressed with how nice her grandmother's outfits were whenever they went out together, especially compared to the old, floor-length dresses and slippers she usually wore around the house. Today was a flared yellow dress and brown jacket, hair pulled back into a ponytail. It actually gave her pause to consider whether or not to try her hair that way sometime, ultimately deciding that familiar was better. She had a trademark image to keep up.
They talked back and forth about different mundanities on their way to the train station, Yumi recounting some dueling stories and rare cards she'd gotten recently and how she finally finished all her summer homework after getting home from the beach, her grandmother bringing them both to tears with half-remembered events from a game show she was particularly fond of. "He just kept saying, "99!' every answer, even for the ones that didn't involve numbers!" she said, having stopped to regain their breath.
"But why?" Yumi asked as she tried not to fall over.
"I think it was based on a strategy I've heard about, but he just got so nervous he couldn't do it right." She shook her head, still laughing. "Poor kid." The actual train ride was rather uneventful, the two of them reading as they moved so as not to disturb other passengers. Yumi had chosen to take a pocket edition of a dueling guide book Sakuya had loaned her, while her grandmother chose the trashiest of trashy romance novels, Olive Oil: The Ninth Book of The Song of Love and Freedom Series. She found that kind of literature to be more entertaining than legitimately good fiction.
Finally, their stop came with only a short walk to the market left. It was a spacious place outdoors for various farmers, fishers, and many other kinds of sellers to peddle their products to the people of the city. Quality and freshness were generally better than what most of the large supermarkets carried, and there was just the general feel good sensation of helping directly support the people who made their food.
With all that said, though, the Takano family's shopping lists were usually quite small. Whether it be monetary concerns or the advantage of having their own produce garden on their property, most of what they bought ended up being things they couldn't easily make for themselves. "What are you wanting to eat?" her grandmother asked, quickly adding, "and don't say octopus, because we're already getting that."
She thought for a moment, raising up and down on her toes before deciding, "We haven't had chicken in a while. Oh, and broccoli! Can we get some of that?"
"Sure thing," she said, giving her a pat on the head. She stopped right before arriving at the booth normally expected to sell poultry products. "Oh, speaking of octopus, can you see how much it is today? It's right over there." She pointed a few stalls down; not incredibly far and more than close enough to keep an eye on her through the limited crowd.
"Yep!" she shouted, jogging over to the booth and examining the prices on her most despised animal. As she compared the prices on different kinds of sea creatures, she was caught off guard as a man in a billowing brown cloak and hood approached her, completely unaware as he stood next to her.
His eyes lit up. "Takano Yumi!" he said gleefully. She jumped back in surprise, preparing to run away. "Wait, don't leave! I'm just...wow, I'm a fan!" She looked him up and down, paying special attention to his unkempt red hair and scraggly beard. Despite getting the sense his comments were genuine, she was still put off by the stranger's sudden appearance in front of her.
"How do you know my name?" she asked fearfully. This couldn't be another assassin, could it? She beat Rio herself. That should have been the end of it. Frankly, he didn't even seem to fit with the rest of them, visually or in mannerism (though based on what Hideo had told everyone about their opponent, she might be wrong).
"Just a fan," he repeated, still seeming flustered and slightly starstruck. He shook his head quickly to clear his thought. "That's not important right now. All I need you to do is take this card and never lose it." He reached into his cloak and pulled out a Duel Monsters card, looking at it puzzlingly. "Okay, that's different. Whatever, I'm sure it'll work out." He held it out to her, the front of it having gone completely white for reasons unknown.
Yumi began flashing back to her deal with Izar, breathing starting to pick up rapidly. She shook her head slowly as she backed away. "No, no, no, no," she repeated, refraining from having a breakdown in public.
"W-wait, I won't hurt you!" he said quickly, waving his arms back and forth. It was too late, though. She'd already run back to her grandmother and was telling her about a strange man trying to give her a trading card.
"What man?" her grandmother said seriously, head darting around the market for anyone who matched the description she'd been given. "I don't see him," she said, stroking a panicked Yumi's hair. "It's going to be alright," she assured her. "You made a good decision telling me."
She didn't know why that action, specifically, set her off like this. Suddenly, her chest just started to feel tight as she flashed back to all the pain that card had caused the moment that man held out whatever he was offering. It was blank, too, just like The WORLD before it appeared to her.
After a few minutes, she managed to calm down. She felt supremely embarrassed to have an episode in the middle of public like this, but she was told it was nothing to be ashamed of. "It's alright," her grandmother reassured her. "Just relax. You're safe."
She took a deep, shaky breath and pulled her goggles over her eyes. "I'm okay," she said with a nod. "R-right." She just remembered why she was over there to begin with. "I think it's a good price. It all looks good." The lack of any actual useful information she could remember only worsened the situation.
"I guess we should get a lot," her grandmother said with a smile, patting her head once more and taking her hand. She carried a special insulated bag in the other containing a whole chicken. As promised, they picked up a large collection of octopus and fresh fish after arriving at the booth, the older woman quickly doing calculations in her head to figure what she'd have to refrain from buying in order to afford the extra seafood.
As they walked the market, Yumi slowly began to relax from her panic. She wasn't sure that stranger really meant harm. His whole deal was odd, sure, but the circumstances themselves were so radically different that any chance of another mistake like the one before seemed rather slim. Even so, she'd still make sure to tell Sakuya and the others once she got the chance just for safety's sake.
Which brought her back to her initial dilemma. How would she ask to go to the fireworks tonight? Especially after reporting yet another mysterious stranger tried to accost her just moments ago, which she was already regretting talking about. That panic attack had left her feeling pretty drained and unsociable, too. All she wanted right now was to go home and go to bed for the rest of the day, but she was determined to power through. She made a promise and she was going to keep it.
They finished their shopping quickly enough, now with plenty of food to last the two for quite some time. "Can you believe you used to be such a picky eater?" her grandmother asked with a laugh. "Always had to hide stuff in what you would eat until you finally started liking it, and now look at you."
Yumi chuckled along with her. It was kind of funny, wasn't it? Especially since all her friends were (rightfully) amazed at how much she could eat now. More importantly, though, she seemed to be in a good mood. She'd have to ask soon or else they'd already be home and her grandmother would be changing into TV watching clothes, and there was nothing she could do after that happened.
"Grandma," she finally managed to say as they neared the train station. As usual, her planning skills were sub-par. She'd spent all her energy and mental resources working up the courage to ask the question that she didn't plan out what she planned to ask to begin with.
"What is it?" she asked, shifting her bags around to free a hand to take her wallet out when the time was right.
After a slight pause, Yumi gathered up her determination and said the first thing that came to her mind. "Takoya-" She shook her head, then tried again. "Do you know what day it is?"
She had to think for a few seconds before concluding, "Saturday?"
Yumi nodded. "In August. You...remember what this weekend is, right?"
"The fireworks, yeah," she concluded after a few more moments of pondering. "Wonder if they'll be on TV."
That last comment almost discouraged her from trying to go any further, but she kept pressing. "I was...actually wondering if..." She swallowed hard. "...we could still go, maybe?" They both stopped in their tracks, Yumi's heart freezing. She was going to get scolded again, she just knew it.
"Do you think that's a good idea?" she asked with a stern expression. The way she said it seemed to more honestly imply, "Do you really think you should be asking that right now?"
"Well..." She cleared her throat. "I just...we always go, and..." She cleared it again, her hands quivering a bit. "I, um...I promised my friends we could..." She began wringing her hands to stave off her anxiety. It helped her focus enough to add, "We always go and I know you're not really happy with me right now, but I think we...should still go. Please?"
Her grandmother continued to look down at her, Yumi shifting back and forth on her heels. "I don't want you going off on your own right now," she finally said.
"I won't!" Yumi responded quickly. "A-and you'll be there, so nothing can happen. That's okay, right?"
She sighed and, after a long pause, said, "I'm not saying yes, but I'm also not saying no." While not as decisive as she would have hoped for, this was an optimistic enough answer to warrant hopping up and down. That wasn't nearly enough, though; this was hand flapping-levels of excitement, but groceries got in the way of that (for the time being).
The train ride home was uneventful, the mood having brightened considerably compared the ordeal at the market. They were able to talk about the usual topics once more on the ride back without care, happy to have food for the house once more. As they neared the end of the short walk back home, Yumi made the decision to push for one more liberty. She was on a roll, so why not risk it?
"There was one more thing I wanted to ask," she said with a slight bit of hesitation. Having gotten her grandmother's attention, she continued, "Well, um, over the summer, I've been getting a lot better at Duel Monsters and I was kind of planning to enter a tournament again. I mean, maybe."
Before Yumi could even get to asking her question, she heard a sigh. "You're pushing it, Yumi," her grandmother told her. "The fireworks are one thing, but you're still being punished. Besides, those tournaments have an entrance fee. I don't think we can afford that right now."
"I get that, but..." Quickly, she tried to find a way to spin this in her favor. All her training was paying off now that she'd gotten much better at thinking under pressure. "I mean, it's not just for fun. It's for my future, too." This got a reaction, and she was prepared to capitalize on it. "Yeah. I've always wanted to be like my parents and become a professional duelist, and tournaments like this are the best way to get qualified and noticed by sponsors. So, I mean, it wouldn't just be me having fun. I'd be working towards my future, too. And you can take the fee out of my allowance."
A few moments passed as the older woman grumbled. "You've got too much of your mother in you," she said, a small smile forcing its way to her lips. Yumi's mother had always been known for her exceptional strategic talent in the game as well as simply being one of the smartest people she'd ever met. It was starting to become clear her granddaughter had inherited that guile, too.
Nothing she said was untrue, either. Thinking back, she remembered when Yumi's father – her own son – started his career as a professional Duel Monsters player. He'd taken a similar route as Yumi, tackling official tournaments like this to work up to larger and larger fame, giving him a head start in the pro league after passing the test. If Yumi was serious about her career goals, it definitely wouldn't hurt to try her hand at earning the title of strongest in Chiba.
"Fine, fine," she relented. "If I can find a way to budget for it, I'll consider letting you compete." They arrived back at the house as the conversation drew to a close. Given the time of day, the mail had probably arrived, prompting her to check the box. A few bills, a home goods catalog, and some sort of letter. Puzzling as it was (who was sending them letters, much less addressed to Yumi?), it could wait until they were inside and putting away the food.
Once everything was in its proper place, she looked over the mail, wondering aloud, "Now, what are we going to have for breakfast? I guess it's closer to lunch now. Brunch?" Like most would do, she turned to the mysterious letter first. Unfolding the single piece of crisp paper housed within the envelope, she took hold of a mint green rectangle that fell to the floor. It was a check, further adding to the confusion. Her breath immediately escaped her as she saw the numbers along the side.
"Yumi!" she screamed down the hall, wandering in a daze into the TV room. The girl bolted from her room and toward the sound of her name. Her grandmother hardly ever yelled, let alone at her, so she was rather startled at being called like this. Flopping to the couch, her grandmother handed her the letter and check. "Yumi...am I dreaming? W... P... I..."
Gasping, things started to make sense. It was a check addressed to her guardian for 1 million yen. The letter explained the rest. Between flowery writing and legalese, she was able to parse that the butler had made good on his word, using his position at Critical Games to repay Yumi for her troubles tenfold more than she ever imagined. And, according to what she was reading, they were extending an offer to sponsor her for her "exceptional talent at the game of Duel Monsters." To avoid admitting any connection to attempted homicide, the money was explained to be like a signing bonus, though it specified she could refuse the offer and still be allowed to keep it.
"You really have been getting better," her grandmother said, still in a stupor over the reality that they'd just been gifted a life-changing amount of money with no strings attached. She ran a hand through her hair, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "Well, I guess you'll be going to the tournament."
Yumi immediately began squeezing the life out of her grandmother, squealing in delight at the resolution to let her join the fight. "But don't think this means you can just do whatever you want from now on. I'm still expecting you to make good decisions and follow my rules, understand?"
"Yes, definitely!" she said quickly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Yumi let go, bouncing from foot to foot as she prepared to launch out the front door. "I'm going to go outside for a little bit and run around, okay?" Only giving enough time for a single nod, she was already on her way, excitedly jumping in front of the house and doing laps to celebrate how right everything was turning out.
Her grandmother was left to compose herself, pumping her fist and thinking about cashing this beauty and show off Yumi's accomplishments to her friends at their monthly mahjong games. 12 years old and she was already being scouted by companies looking to sponsor her. Your grandson was accepted to one of the best high schools in the prefecture, Tomoko? Well, Yumi here is about to become the World Champion of Duel Monsters before she even graduates middle school. How's that for bragging?
After a solid ten minutes of running off her excess energy, Yumi finally took a moment to rest. Flopping onto the porch in front of the door, she rolled back and forth fantasizing about expertly defeating all her opponents and standing at the top of the world. Her friends would lose it once she told them about the sponsorship, too. It hadn't yet set in just how absolutely awkward and scary it was being supported by the company whose heir had nearly murdered you a few days prior, so there was nothing to dampen her mood.
Her eyes fell to a turned over card next to one of the support beams next to the stairs. Strange; had she dropped it before leaving the house and not noticed? It didn't seem likely, but it was the only explanation that made some sense. She picked it up, greeted by the blank card face from before. Normally, this would terrify her. Not only was she holding another of these horrible cards, it meant the grungy stranger knew where she lived. Holding it in her hand, though, it filled her with a sense of warmth and protection its counterpart lacked, somehow telling her it was all okay. Against her better judgment, she decided to trust those feelings, placing the card with the rest of her deck in her pocket. What would she do with a blank, unplayable piece of cardboard? She'd figure it out eventually.
Rather than spend time thinking about the numerous existential worries she'd just discovered were something to worry over, though, she turned her attention to their plans for the evening. Everything was going pretty well, so her grandmother would definitely be more receptive to going out now. Even if they did end up going, though, would it all work out? Maybe Sakuya would decide against leaving the house today and just stay home. She'd could call and check, but she didn't want to be a bother.
The more she thought about it, the more discouraged she got. Sakuya had probably just been humoring her when she said they could go together. Who'd want to go out so soon after being attacked like that, right? It was true for her, too. Two near-fatal incidents in a row and a panic attack earlier in the day left her wanting to just spend the rest of the summer asleep. Everything was gross and tiring now and that seemed like the only thing that could make it more tolerable.
That wasn't an option, though. She'd have to power through. It was fine now. Better than fine, even. She was strong and she'd make it. There wasn't any reason she couldn't just pick up where she left off. The thought of leaving Sakuya there all by herself waiting on her to show up was motivation enough in and of itself, too. She had to go.
She spent the next few hours rolling on the ground, drawing, yodeling, vowing never to yodel again because of how awful that sounded, and pushing down any bad feelings or anxiety she had over leaving the house. Not the healthiest or most proactive of coping mechanisms, but they got the job done (for now). While little more than mindless fidgeting and random activities to keep her occupied for a time, they worked fairly well at keeping her busy for the next several hours. Aside from a quick intermission to eat brunch, she managed to distract herself until it was nearly time to decide whether they'd be going to the festival or not.
Checking on her grandmother, Yumi observed that she hadn't changed clothes despite being at home the entire day. This was a good sign. There was no way she'd choose to wear an actual outfit around the house unless they were going to head back out later. If that's what was happening, now would be the time to do it. Based on the walking distance and the subsequent train ride to where the festival was being held, plus a detour to the park to see if Sakuya would be waiting there, leaving now would get them there with about fifteen minutes to spare – plenty of time to buy armfuls of takoyaki before the fireworks started.
"What's that?" Yumi asked as she took a seat next to her grandmother.
"Some guy's trying to break the world record for holding your breath," she replied, pointing at the screen to a blue-faced man beating his chest and writhing on the ground in front of TV hosts and a world record judge. "Only a few minutes left on the clock. I figure I can see if he makes it or not before we have to head out."
Despite the apprehension she felt deep inside her, Yumi still mustered up her biggest smile and hugged her grandmother as tightly as she could. "You mean it?" she asked excitedly.
"Yeah, I suppose. It is kind of a tradition for us. But you have to be in my line of sight the whole time, and no wandering off places." Yumi nodded enthusiastically, forcing a small laugh from the older woman. "Go get yourself ready so we can get going."
As Yumi dashed to her room to collect herself and what she was planning to bring with them, her grandmother was left to ponder whether or not she was being too lenient, as well as see the man on TV fail at breaking the record. What Yumi had done was incredibly irresponsible even if she was doing it with the best of intentions. Did it warrant a greater punishment than just staying home for a few days? Worse yet, was caving and letting her do the things she asked for now that they had money reinforcing some kind of bad lesson?
Concerning as they may be, she eventually decided it wasn't that big of a deal. Yes, this was a bad situation and a terrifying scenario to end up in as a guardian, but Yumi had clearly learned her lesson if earlier in the day was any indication. As for the money, she trusted that it wouldn't lead to anything too wrong. She'd raised her granddaughter well and believed in her to turn out just as kind and understanding as she was now by the time she grew into an adult.
It was a complex scenario with a lot of things to consider, but she was willing to bet on Yumi in this scenario. She was a good kid who made a mistake. A big mistake, but one that seemed to work out okay in the end. The kids were safe and that awful man was dead, and the police would no doubt find whoever was behind all this soon enough. Justice would be served. Nothing to worry about in the long run.
Contrary to what her grandmother was thinking right now, though, Yumi was definitely showing signs of something to worry about in the long run. She sat in her room clutching the front pocket of her overalls and feeling the shape of the cards inside, bracing herself as a small panic attack ran its course. It took a minute for her to even realize what brought this on before realizing it was the fireworks festival itself. More specifically, what she planned to do while there.
The last time she saw Sakuya was the morning after that horrible incident. It wasn't so much that she dreaded seeing her friend again – quite the opposite, in fact – but she was afraid things were still bad for her. Or, worse yet, that experience had somehow tainted their relationship and she'd simply not show up despite what they'd talked about on the phone. She didn't want to lose her friend, blaming herself for everything that happened. If Sakuya never wanted to see her again, it would be all her fault.
Thankfully, the episode passed rather quickly, giving her time to slow her breathing and blot sweat with a dubiously clean t-shirt off the floor. This was silly, she thought while composing herself. Her fears made no sense and they definitely weren't true. Of course Sakuya wouldn't just abandon her. She even promised she'd be there, and she wouldn't lie about that. Definitely not.
With one last deep breath, Yumi finally calmed herself. Things would be okay. Everything was going right. Things were going to start looking up, she could feel it. Taking a few seconds to straighten her hair and make sure she didn't look like someone who'd had two breakdowns in one day, she headed out to meet her grandmother. "Let's go!" she shouted, faking her usual boundless energy.
Upon arriving back at the train station, they were unsurprised to find many more people crammed into their car than earlier that day. The fireworks were always a fairly popular event for the people of the city which only compounded the usual rush of those going out to have a fun Saturday night. Luckily for them, people were willing to give up seats for an elderly woman and her grandchild, allowing them to sit for the duration of the trip.
The entire time, Yumi still worried about what could happen once they reached the park. Despite her resolve from earlier pushing everything away, her thoughts finally caught up to her and forced her to go over the possibilities for this evening in her head. Would Sakuya be mad at her for getting everyone involved with Rio's vendetta? Would she ditch her? What if she only showed up out of courtesy and had an awful time?
Keeping her outwardly cheery and energetic facade intact, Yumi remained quiet until the train came to a stop and the two exited the platform. She'd explained earlier about meeting Sakuya at the park without receiving any push-back, making good time even without a bike. Her heart thumped painfully in her chest, still unable to shake her anxieties. No matter how much she told herself that these thoughts were totally baseless and extremely unlikely, she forced herself to linger on that tiny possibility that things really would go badly and that she would be responsible for it.
Finally arriving, Yumi was greeted by the sight of a friend; not Sakuya, but Kazuhiko. Unexpected or not, she was overjoyed to see him again and immediately launched forward for a hug. "Alright, alright. That'll do," he said, returning the hug briefly despite his embarrassment. "Good evening, ma'am," he added as Yumi's grandmother caught up to her.
"What are you doing here?" she asked excitedly. "Are you going to watch the fireworks with us?"
He waved his hand. "Nah, not my thing. I just heard you'd be down here and I wanted to see how you're doing. Also, Hideo wanted to send you some cryptic messages, so here." He handed off his phone, letting her read a series of strange, almost nonsensical texts about how the time was nigh and that the true test would begin soon. A short sentence in parenthesis below explained it was about the tournament, and that they'd all be there to cheer her on when it happened. Yumi couldn't help but laugh as she replied with half a dozen hearts, stars, and dog emojis before giving it back.
"You're ruining my street cred," he grumbled in reference to all the emojis. "Everyone knows I only use sharks."
"Did you see Sakuya on the way here?" she asked, a slight tinge of worry in her voice.
He shook his head. "We talked on the way and she said she was going to be a little late. Not by much, though, so you shouldn't worry." Yumi nodded, hoping for her friend to get there as soon as possible.
"How have you kids been holding up?" Yumi's grandmother asked. She didn't want to interrupt their reunion but wanted to ask directly before they had to leave.
Kazuhiko shrugged, feigning aloofness. "Not too bad. Hideo's not feeling being outside right now, but we're all going to support Yumi at the tournament, so I figure they'll be good by then. I'm fine, too."
She nodded. "If you need anything, you can just say so. When things settle down, why don't you all come over to the house again sometime?"
"Yeah!" Yumi agreed. "We can even go home from school together in a couple weeks!"
He scoffed, turning up his nose. "I'm not desperate enough to walk home with a little kid. But we don't even go to the same school, so I probably couldn't even if I wanted to." Scratching his head, he quickly added, "Maybe, though. It's been fun hanging out over the summer. I should get going, though. Trying to get my sister to finish her schoolwork before the term starts is a pain."
"We won't keep you, then," the older woman said. "Tell your mother I said hello for me."
"Come over soon!" Yumi demanded, giving him one last hug before he took off, promising that they'd see each other again soon. "I hope Sakuya comes soon," she said to herself, looking around the park and down the sidewalk to try and catch a glimpse of her. At first, her search turned up nothing, causing her anxiety to spike once again. Not more than a minute later, though, did she finally see a familiar blue come into view from the corner of her eye.
Running down the sidewalk was Sakuya, holding her hat on top of her head as she sprinted towards Yumi. "Sorry!" she shouted as she came up beside Yumi. "I didn't mean to be late. I tried to call your house, but you weren't there, so I asked Kazuhiko to tell you it would take me a minute but I don't know if he did, and I'm really sorry if I made you wait or you were worried or anything." Before she could speak another word, Yumi had already embraced her. A feeling of relief washed over both of them, overjoyed to know the other was safe.
"Sorry!" Yumi said, jumping back after half a minute of continuous hugging.
"It's okay," she said with a smile. "I was about to hug you, anyway."
Suppressing a blush, Yumi grabbed Sakuya by the hand and led her to her grandmother. Sakuya couldn't help but think about how odd this whole arrangement was compared to her life before the summer. If things went normally, she'd have just been lording over the park like she always did, pretending to have some sort of authority and knowing all too well how alone she really was.
Ever Yumi came into her life, things had changed. She had people she could trust and care about now who cared about her in turn. Even her relationship with the other kids at the park was marginally less antagonistic. Despite all of this, though, the constant specter that she could be doing more hung over her head. A better friend, teacher, leader; none of it ever felt like enough.
She was being talked at now, though, so there wasn't any time to dwell on negative thoughts and fall into despair. "It's nice to see you again, Sakuya," her friend's grandmother said. Her expression suddenly took on a stern and disapproving look. "I notice your father's not here with you."
"He had to work," she answered, forcing a smile. "But he said I could still go since I didn't want to miss the fireworks."
"How have you been lately?" she asked, switching gears to be concerned.
"I'm okay. Not much happened, so I guess I just needed a couple days to myself." Suddenly feeling nervous, she added, "But I'm totally fine now. You don't have to worry."
Though not entirely convinced, she chose not to press the issue any further. "Alright. Remember our door is always open to you if you need anything. You're a sweet girl and you mean a lot to my granddaughter."
"She does!" Yumi declared, giving her another hug. Suddenly, her head darted towards the large clock near the sidewalk. "We have to go!" she shouted, jumping up and down. "We've still got to get on the train if we want to make it before the fireworks start! And we need to get there before, too, so they don't run out of takoyaki!"
"I really don't think they'd just run out of takoyaki," Sakuya told her. It didn't phase her, though, Yumi still insisting they hurry. Exaggerated rush aside, they did need to make the train, which they did. The two girls spent the ride catching up with what they'd missed the last few days, particularly how Sakuya had become a magnet for everyone else asking about Yumi's condition.
"And he just kept calling me every day asking about you," she said, recounting Kazuhiko's extreme worry over the last few days. "I told him to just call you himself, but he just kept saying he'd wait."
"He should have called me!" Yumi protested with a laugh. She'd elected not to inform Sakuya about the stranger and the blank card he'd left her right now, pushing down everything related to that and her earlier panic attack so as not to ruin the mood. It was going to be a good day, she told herself. She wouldn't ruin it by bringing up unnecessary things.
Time flew by as the train moved along its route, ultimately stopping in Makuhari where the festival was being held. Yumi bounded into the streets ready to sprint towards the music and food before remembering she was supposed to be on a short leash. "I smell it!" she called to them, basically as a way of telling everyone to hurry up so she could finally get her food.
"Why do you like takoyaki so much?" Sakuya asked as they were at the stand selling them.
"I don't know. They're just so crispy and chewy and warm." In fairness, she wasn't really sure what to expect as an answer. A simple one like this was acceptable, though. Arms loaded up with takoyaki, they went to explore the rest of the are before the fireworks began.
For Yumi, most of her desires were fulfilled hopping from one food stall to the next. Kebabs, grilled corn, yakisoba, and a multitude of sweets were devoured at an alarming rate by the girl. "How can you eat so much?" Sakuya said with concern as she watched her friend inhale a chocolate dipped banana in a matter of seconds.
"I kind of forgot to eat lunch today," she said with a laugh in between bites of a grilled sausage and rock candy.
"Pace yourself, Yumi," her grandmother told her, splurging a bit herself now that they were more financially secure. She'd already made it to her eighth stick of dango, leaving Sakuya feeling a bit outclassed by both of these iron-gutted women.
Eating certainly wasn't her strong point, but games of chance were another story. Intent on winning something for Yumi, she made her way to a goldfish scooping booth. Neither of them was prepared to take care of a fish, but being able to catch one for her friend was why she'd come in the first place. She could always give it to someone else after the fact or return it to the tub, too.
After popping the marble in a drink Yumi was struggling with, she took her scoop in hand and paid the 100 yen cost. "You can do it!" Yumi cheered, stopping intermittently to suck down her peach flavored drink. Closing her eyes, Sakuya focused on visualizing her moves and plotting her strategy for a guaranteed success.
Like a bolt of lightning, she cut through the water with the plastic toy, immediately ripping the paper as soon as she touched a fish. After a moment of stunned silence, she grabbed another and paid once more to similar results. This continued until she was suitably seething with a pile of fourteen broken nets beside her. Even Yumi didn't have any luck on her two attempts.
"Stand back, kids. I'll show you how it's done." With one swift motion, Yumi's grandmother scooped up a fish and expertly placed it into a bag. All three were astonished at just how easily it happened. "I didn't actually think that would work," she said, handing the fish off to Sakuya. Thoroughly humiliated, she passed it along to Yumi.
Any attempts to restore her wounded pride would be forced to wait, however, as it was nearly time for the fireworks to begin. "We should get a good place to watch," Yumi said, giving away the captive fish to a (hopefully) responsible child with his parents. "Not too close, but not too far..." she thought aloud, scanning the area for anywhere good to sit or stand. "The playground over in the park is nice and romantic, but it's too far away."
"Why are you thinking about romance?" Sakuya asked accusingly.
"In case you decide to confess your love to me during the fireworks like in an anime," she said while nuzzling against her, falling on the ground after Sakuya swiftly moved away. "Over there might be good." As she stood back up, she pointed to a row of trees off to the side. It was close enough to take in the full spectacle of the display while being far enough away to get a good view. Not many people were there yet, either.
They made their way towards one near the center, Yumi immediately climbing up it to sit on a high branch. "Be careful up there," her grandmother said while taking a seat by the trunk. With a grumble, Sakuya followed her up, needing some help to climb the whole way.
"Why are we up here?" she asked, keeping one hand on a higher branch to make sure she was stable.
"Better view," Yumi replied shortly, swinging her legs back and forth without care. "It's about to start!" she squealed, controlling her urge to bounce for Sakuya's sake. Instinctively, she took her friend's hand. Though surprised at first, she returned the gesture quickly.
A hush fell over the massive crowd of people in attendance. A few tense seconds passed before the first rocket went off, followed by dozens of others. A cascade of every color imaginable lit up the darkness perfectly in time with the music. Different patterns emerged in the explosions, cartoon characters, flowers, and all manner of other images hanging in the air before fading away and being replaced by others.
Midway through the performance, Yumi began to feel uncomfortable. Her face was unexpectedly hot and she couldn't see properly. Reaching up to touch her cheek, she realized she'd started crying. Though not impossible, it seemed unlikely that the awe of the fireworks had moved her to tears. Without warning, emotions began to hit her in waves, nearly causing her to lose balance on the branch.
Sakuya was quick to notice. "Yumi, what's wrong?" she asked, squeezing her hand harder. "Is it too loud? Too bright? Did I do something wrong? How do I help?"
Forcing a laugh through the tears, Yumi rubbed at her eyes and dismissed it. "It's nothing. I just...I'm worried over nothing."
As loud as their surroundings were, Sakuya focused intensely to ensure she didn't miss a single word. "Are you sure? It's okay to talk about it if you don't feel okay."
She deliberated, her tears showing no signs of stopping. "I..." She laughed again. "I just got worried. When summer ends and you go away to school, you know? That maybe...we won't be friends anymore when you come back." Sakuya covered her mouth with her hand in shock. "See? It's silly."
"That would never happen," she said quickly. "I'd never do that to you. I don't want to do that to you." She swallowed hard while considering her words. "I..." She paused to take out a handkerchief from her bag and hand it to Yumi, who unceremoniously blew her nose into it.
"I care about you," she finally said. "I want us to keep being friends even if we're apart for a while."
"We won't even be able to see each other, though," she said, sniffing and wiping her nose.
"We'll figure something out. You're good at doing that." She inched closer, taking both Yumi's hands in hers. "I promise we won't drift apart. I won't ever let that happen."
Yumi smiled despite the insecurity she felt. "It just feels like so much of what we are is based on training for the tournament, and once that's done and summer's over..."
"Is that the only reason you talk to me?" she asked.
"Of course not! I talk to you because you're smart and funny and help me with things, and you listen to me when I talk about stuff I like. And it's always really fun when we get to be together no matter what we do. I like playing Duel Monsters with you, and talking about that book you want to write, and even just talking about nothing." She had to stop after that, panting now that she was out of breath.
"And I feel the same way about you," Sakuya told her. "I'm always so happy when I'm with you. I don't want to stop being happy or making you happy. So I promise that we're going to see each other again after this summer."
"You promise you will?"
"The very first thing I'll do is come see you. How's that?" Yumi nodded, pulling closer and pressing into Sakuya. Neither of them wanted to pull away this time.
A few minutes of peaceful fireworks watching passed before Yumi blushed. With a force laugh, she cleared her throat. "We're, um...still holding hands."
"Oh." Sakuya looked away with an embarrassed smile. "I guess we are, aren't we?" Despite this realization, they continued to do so. Slowly, they looked back at each other. Even without the fireworks, the glow from their faces would have lit the darkness well enough on its own.
"I...Sakuya?" Hands still interlocked, their faces moved closer to each other. They looked to each other for answers as to what was happening, but they were both lost in the moment and unable to process. Frankly, though, it didn't really matter.
A loud explosion ripped across the sky, Yumi jumping off the branch miraculously landing on her feet with a scream. "Are you okay?" Sakuya shouted after her as she carefully lowered herself to the ground.
"Yeah," she answered with a laugh. "Sometimes loud noises scare me when I'm not expecting them."
"I guess we'll watch the rest from the ground, then." They sat next to each other under the tree, admiring the lights in the sky as they burned in and out of existence. The moment had passed, both of them left a bit wanting. They'd have plenty of time to make up for it in the future, though. For now, this was enough.
Yumi laid her head against Sakuya's shoulder, intent on enjoying the rest of their night together before they had to return home.
This took a while to finish. I've been working on this chapter for something like three months now and finally got it done. There's been a lot going on with me lately and I haven't had much time or motivation to write. It's kind of hard to make something that's so much about love and happiness when you feel like shit all the time, you know? If there's some clumsiness and lower quality in here, that'd be why. Sorry if that's an inconvenience.
I don't know if I'll be able to continue writing. Like I said, I'm not in a good place right now and I can't really get into the right mindset to make a story like this. Ultimately, we'll see what happens which is why I left this whole thing unaltered from my original vision instead of giving an ending that's conclusive, but I don't know if I'll be able to return to it. Not many people read this, but there's a couple who've stuck by since early on that this is probably disappointing.
With all that negative shit out of the way, how about that homeless man giving away cards? There's a plot point I may or may not get to follow up on in the future.
I've always like the idea of a blank card that fills in depending on the person you are. I remember they had that mechanic in one of the WC games and it was a big letdown there. Personally, I'm still waiting on the blank card I actually got out of a pack to turn into something one of these days.
Yumi finally got her takoyaki, but at what cost? At this rate, she'll never get to kiss anyone. Would hope she'd also go get some therapy for her PTSD, too, but one thing at a time.
Not much left to add. If the news that I might not continue again is upsetting, I'm sorry about that. Thanks for reading up to this point and to anyone who's given this story support. If I really do end up leaving this incomplete, I hope to see everyone again sometime in whatever I end up doing in the future. Always remember to smile.