Lemondrop: Okay, so I finally decided to get on with another chapter of this thing. It's not a bad story, really (though when I look at the tenses of the past three chapters, I get a headache) so I'm not discontinuing it or anything. Of course, I'm pretty busy with my original stories (which DON'T have tense issues) so the updates could be far and few between. Of course, if you've been reading this thing from the start, you're used to it nervous laugh.

Disclaimer: I don't even own the computer I'm typing this up on, much less the rights to Harvest Moon: Back to Nature.

(Locke's P.O.V.)

The night of the Fireworks Display had arrived, and with Miss Karen's odd vision of the evening to come in my head, I found myself spacing out at odd moments. It took me nearly watering my dog to realize I was letting it affect me ENTIRELY too much.

"Lovers. I mean, I kinda knew for a while..."

She knew? How... well, I was the only guy in the village who was civil to him, but nobody deserves that kind of treatment, right? Besides, he's a cool guy. Once you give a guy like that a chance, next thing you know you're visiting him every day.

We'd become pretty close. Sure. That didn't mean I was thinking of.....

"...tilt your face toward those luscious lips of his and..."

Argh! Well, alright, I was thinking of that...now. Miss Karen's such a troublemaker...

If Kai even noticed my absence, he didn't doanything about it. Of course, he only really came 'round to announce his arrival and departure each year... and the corn incident, but that had just been a bit odd... so anyway, it wasn't really unusual.

He knew I was busy with the farm sometimes, and our unspoken pattern was that I'd visit him when I had the time. Whether this was a silent understanding between us or simple lack of caring on his part I didn't know, and had never questioned before.

I really do believe I preferred our friendship before it got

But then, whose fault was that?

It would have been mean (and only PARTLY true) to blame Miss Karen... It was my fault, of course.

I'd let an odd assumption and an even odder fantasy control my actions.

And now, well....

It was five-thirty p.m., 26 Summer. The Fireworks Display was due to start at six. I found myself spending ten minutes making sure my hat was on straight (well, in a backwards way) and that sort of behavior wouldn't do at ALL.

Five-forty found me rushing off, flustered and a bit apprehensive, because it had occurred to me that if I didn't show on time Kai would think I'd decided to go along with the other village men and either ignore him, or...

I made it to the square in ten minutes flat, which is a record, I think.

It was then I fell into my completely unintentional habit of eavesdropping.

"Gosh Kai, it's rare to see you at a village festival."

Was that Miss Popuri's voice? A glimpse of cotton-candy pink confirmed my suspicion, even in the near-dark. She and Kai were standing near the entrance to Mineral Beach, though Kai looked a bit annoyed. I hadn't meant to keep him waiting...

"Yeah, well..." Kai almost mumbled. This was odd. Didn't Kai usually have fun flirting with Miss Popuri? Well, he had confessed to me that they weren't "like that", but still...

"I've asked you so many times, and you never show up! I figured you didn't like our village festivals."

So Miss Popuri had asked Kai as well? A few times, by the sound of it. But Kai wasn't shy or anything, so why had he refused? What's more, why had he agreed to go with me if he didn't like the festivals? And how exactly could he dislike a festival he'd never even gone to?

Needless to say, my poor capped head was spinning with unanswered questions.

"Today is special," Kai answered. "I made a promise with someone."

Of course! I was overjoyed to hear that. Kai was coming because of his promise to me-- to resolve things with Rick! I knew I could count on him.

But then, why did Miss Popuri look so sad? She had the same look as when I first met her, when her dear Pon had died.

Of course. Hearing things like "special night" and "promise" made girls think romantic thoughts. She thought Kai was with some other girl.

Which was odd, come to think of it. There weren't many other single girls in the village, and none of them really talked to Kai often enough...except May, but she was only a child...

It was then I was spotted.

"Oh, there he is! Hey Locke! You're late..."

I walked up, smiling in bashful apology at Kai. Miss Popuri looked a lot happier, which was a good thing... probably.

"You promised to meet here with Locke?" she asked, as Kai greeted me with a slap on the back. Then, to herself I think, she muttered,

"Oh...That's a relief."

Kai looked over at her.

"What? What did you say just now?"

"N-nothing!" She replied haughtily, and a little hastily as well. Kai and I shared a look, because weren't girls always like that? Liking you one minute, barely tolerating you the next.

Then Rick came up, and by the look of things he wasn't too happy.

"Hey! Stay away from Popuri..."

I am not the hot-tempered type, you must know this. But for some reason, at that prejudiced moment of automatic anger, I exploded.

"Rick! How dare you?! First of all, this is the Square, which is no place to start trouble.

Second, Popuri may be your little sister, but she's a young woman now, and she's capable of choosing her own friends.

And 'friends' is all this is, because the fact is, when the entire village decided Kai and Popuri were an item, they forgot to see what he thought about it! Kai never comes to see the fireworks because he knows you'll be there, making a point of giving him a hard time! In fact, I'm the reason he's here tonight, and now I'm sorry I asked him to reconci-"

"Locke! ...It's alright..." I came to my senses and noticed the look on Kai's face. The utter hopelessness of the situation and the melancholy look on his face made me feel so powerless... all I could do was shake my head and leave.