Day 5 prompt - Sight: Sky (500 words)

The sky in April had become clearer, and the mists of winter had disappeared. It was all the more apparent at night and the stars reflected in the cloudy mirror that is the Nihonbashi river were bright still, a million specks of light dancing along the gentle current like floating lanterns.

Shoukaku was solemn but not morose as her distant gaze roved and wandered back and forth from the river to the heavens.

"Were you looking for something? A shooting star to make a wish, maybe?" The lieutenant quipped; he was standing behind her to keep her out of sight of nosy passersby, even though he did acknowledge that was probably excessive..

Shoukaku turned to him, smiling a little.

"Don't tell me you believe in that kind of thing."

"Well, no harm in that, you know?" he shrugged.

"...You're right," Shoukaku went back to what she had been doing. After a moment's silence, she spoke.

"To answer your question earlier, no, I'm not looking for something...or anything."

"Oh...alright," he nodded. The reply wasn't exactly reassuring, but he knew better than forcing answers out of her. At the very least, she wasn't as forlorn or tired as she used to be—and that was good enough for him.

"Hm..shall we go back now? It's getting late, isn't it?" Shoukaku whirled around, only to notice the crowd had stopped, murmuring among themselves as they watched the sky. She had seen people doing that before—when bombs fell. But this time, there was no horror—only awe—and she braved herself to do the same.

The gasps soon became cheers as a multitude of shooting stars darted across the sky like a shower. Some broke into laughter, and some were moved into tears as they murmured wishes Shoukaku couldn't hear.

But she could hear his.

"May there will always be peace."

"...It's a noble wish," Shoukaku remarked. He drew a long breath before turning to face her.

"Don't you have any...?"

"No...I don't have any. I don't know..."

She shook her head as feebly as her answer.

"...It's never too late to go searching," said the lieutenant. He could feel the pulsing of her hand as he took hold of it and how the warmth grew. "Maybe you don't know, or maybe you simply forgot, but now you can start searching for it."

Shoukaku sighed. So there was indeed someone who could say things like that with such a straight face, she mused. But despite that, and no matter how bizarre it would seem, his words had something stirring within her. A desire. Perhaps there was indeed a wish she had forgotten somewhere out there. Perhaps there were indeed none, to begin with. She will find out.

It was just fitting her newfound conviction was born here. Nihonbashi. The bridge of beginnings.

"Thank you. I will," she then declared. Above her, the shooting stars continue to shower the world. Her eyes were shining with rapturous light as did they, he was sure of it—the shine was not just some reflection from the streetlights.

Otherwise, he wouldn't end up at a loss for words and unable to avert his own eyes from hers. Instead of letting his fingers slip away, his hold on her hand became unyielding.

"...Let's...let's find it together, then?"

As she nodded, Shoukaku returned the smile. Hers were as star-like as the gleam within her eyes.