Summer's Promise
Chapter 8: 'Let's dance.'
Friday came fast and it was the final day of the school festival. Luka's class was on the lead, making it very obvious that they had already won. The pink-haired cook of the class didn't find out what the prize was until the last day of the festival, which surprised her.
"Huh?An onsen trip?" Luka exclaimed as she ate lunch with Miku and Miki on their break.
"Do you know what an onsen trip is, Luka-chan?" Miku asked as she picked up a tamagoyaki with her chopsticks.
Luka shook her head, biting onto her anpan like a child. Miki explained that it was a trip to the hot springs with the two joined classes for three days. The red-haired girl also told her about when and where they were going, certain that they were going to win.
"I'm so excited now!" Miki cheerfully announced.
Suddenly, while Luka admired Miki's cuteness, the door to the rooftop flung open, scaring the girls. Many boys, varying from the boys in Luka's class, boys from the same grade, and even some upperclassmen, rushed in with Luka's name in their roars.
"Princess Luka!" most of them yelled as they fell on their knees on a begging position.
"Please dance with us tonight!"
The confused pink-haired girl only tilted her head to the side as her answer because in truth, she didn't know what they were talking about.
"Oh, we forgot to tell you, Luka-chan. Tonight, we're having a dance around the bonfire. It's an annual thing in our junior and senior high school, though ours is during our school festival and the junior high school's is after their sports festival," Miku explained.
"According to legend, if a girl and boy completes a dance while circling around the bonfire, they'll be together forever," Miki added while daydreaming.
"Have you ever been asked, Miki?" skeptical, Miku asked.
"Hey, now!Are you really going to touch on something that hurts?" Miki playfully pinched Miku's cheeks, roaring.
Luka laughed at the two and the fact that Miki, who was really cute in Luka's eyes, had never been asked to the bonfire dance before. As the three of them joked around, the boys patiently waited for Luka to reply. All of them were still on their knees, their eyes full of determination. When Luka noticed them again, she gulped and felt her heart beat faster. Not only was she nervous of being the center of attention, but also because she was going to have to reject their invitations.
After a few moments of thinking to herself, Luka finally gathered her courage to say what she wanted to tell them. Taking a deep breath and gulping down, Luka opened her mouth to project her voice.
"I—"
"Hey, Miku, Miki. Are two slacking off again?" a boy's voice interrupted Luka.
Everyone, including the boys, turned their eyes to the rooftop's door to find two boys wearing bartender uniforms. The boys already knew that they were Gakupo and Kaito, two of the most popular boys of the senior high school. Luka's eyes grew wide at the sight of them because of how grand and charming they looked, especially since the autumn sun was shining on them.
"Don't call us by our first names, Kamui!" Miki stood up as Gakupo and Kaito walked towards them.
"Why not?" Gakupo nonchalantly asked.
"Because your fangirls will hear us! They'll definitely trample all over us because you called us differently!" Miki roared.
Luka listened to their roaring conversation, but only seem to notice Gakupo. In the corner of her eyes, however, she could see Kaito and Miku gazing and hiding their bright red faces at the same time. Even though Luka didn't focus on the two, she could tell that there was a better atmosphere lingering around Kaito and Miku than Gakupo and Miki.
Before Luka could return to paying attention to Miki and Gakupo's dog-cat bickering, she noticed that the boys from earlier were starting to get fewer as they began to leave. She was confused on why they would leave all of a sudden when they've been trying to get her to reply to one of them. Listening to what they were saying, Luka unknowingly began to blush.
"Let's go. I bet that Kamui guy's going to ask Megurine-santo the dance."
"She's definitely going to say 'yes' to that guy."
"I feel so pathetic now."
Luka felt horrible that she didn't get to honestly answer them, but at the same time she felt relieved that she wouldn't have to say what was on her mind, especially since it was just going to hurt them. When she turned back to Gakupo, Luka's face got warmer without her knowing. She felt a little jealous that Gakupo and Miki get along, obviously from how Gakupo was now pinching Miki's cheeks. What bothered Luka the most, though, was what the boys were saying about Gakupo.
"T-there's no way h-he's going to ask me to dance with him!" she thought, feeling as if she wasn't good enough for the famous Gakupo.
Before they all got lost in their own peaceful break time, Gakupo's phone started beeping in his pocket, causing him to pause from spreading Miki's cheeks apart.
"Break time's over. Let's go," Gakupo alerted.
The two boys let Miki and Miku head back in first, with Kaito just walking behind the teal-haired Miku. Luka, who was still shy around Gakupo, walked behind him and waited for him to go in first. Since Luka felt nervous, she knew that it would show her face, so she walked with her head down. Without looking at where she was going, Luka suddenly stopped as she felt something bump her forehead.
"Ouch," Luka softly exclaimed.
With her hand on her forehead, Luka looked up to see Gakupo's back.
"Oh! I-I'm so s-s-sorry!" she stuttered, bowing in apology.
"It's alright. Sorry I stopped out of nowhere," Gakupo laughed.
"By the way, are you okay now?"
"Oh! Uh, y-yes! T-thank you for helping m-me that day."
Luka couldn't talk properly like before since she was really nervous. Trying to think of the support that Miku sent, Luka still couldn't calm herself down.
"I'm glad. We haven't really had a proper introduction, but I'm Gakupo Kamui," the purple-haired boy bowed.
"I-I-I'm L-Luka Megurine! I'm from t-the States! It's nice to meet you!" she exclaimed, also bowing her head.
In nervousness, Luka accidentally hit her forehead on Gakupo's as she bowed for her introduction.
"Oh, sorry!" Gakupo apologized, worried of Luka's forehead.
"It's alright," Luka awkwardly laughed, placing her hand on her red forehead.
Out of the blue, Gakupo extended his hand out for a handshake, knowing that it was a custom for foreigners. The smile on his face was gentle and refreshing, and his indigo eyes shone perfectly with the sun's golden rays.
"Nice to meet you, Megurine-san."
Although she was still anxious, Luka felt as if she could easily get along with Gakupo because of the smile he showed her. Extending her hand out, she grasped Gakupo's hand and shook it. Without even knowing it, Luka also gave off a smile that made Gakupo's eyes widen in amazement. He, too, felt a surge of invigoration from Luka's warm smile.
"It's nice to meet you, too, Kamui-san."
Before the day was over and the sun began its setting, all classes cleaned up after the closing time of their festival from the public. As soon as all the classes finished, the principal gave his remarks before the winners for the school festival for each grade level was announced. Of course, for the first year level, Luka and Gakupo's classes won. Since Luka was the main reason for their success, they made her go up with Gakupo to the stage to take their award.
"Is she the rumored transfer student?"
"Wow, she really is a beauty, that Luka Megurine."
"Those two are probably the most popular first year students in our school."
Luka couldn't hear the mumbles from the students, but she knew they were talking about her. However, she felt a little calmer, but the reason was still unknown and confusing to her. After she and Gakupo returned to where their classes were standing, all their fellow classmates cheered and screamed in joy for their success.
Before they all even knew it, the bonfire had already been set up and the awards ceremony had ended. Everyone gathered around the tall bonfire that lit up the whole courtyard of their school. Some, including Luka, stayed with their friends, while some actually danced around the bonfire with their lovers. Miku prepared their area and draped a cloth on the ground where they could sit on.
"Oh, how I wish I can dance with someone, too!" Miki daydreamed.
"Just dance with us, Miki," Ia invited as she got up with Lily to dance.
"No! I don't have romantic feelings for you two!" Miki exclaimed with a pout of playful disgust.
"It's for a long-lasting friendship, you know," Lily giggled.
Not having any other choice with the loneliness she was feeling, Miki got up and ran to Lily and Ia to dance around the bonfire. The three of them held hands and just spun around.
"Are they even dancing?" Miku said in a tired tone, her expression also exhausted.
Luka couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the three and the statement that Miku gave. Miku also laughed with Luka because the pink-haired girl's laugh was actually contagious. After all, Luka hasn't really let out a comfortable laugh just yet since she was still trying to adjust to everyone. The two girls continued to laugh until a blue-haired boy approached them.
"S-Shion-kun," Miku muttered, her face blushing and her heart thumping hard.
"D-do you…maybe…w-want to d-d-dance with…me?" Kaito asked, scratching his head and looking away in embarrassment.
Luka was now completely aware of their feelings for each other. She was willing to help the two of them, no matter what.
"But…Luka-chan's going to be alo—"
"I'll be okay, Miku-chan," Luka kindly smiled, encouraging her twin-tailed friend to get up and dance.
Not wanting to embarrass Kaito and also ignore Luka's help, Miku got up with Kaito's help and began to dance around the bonfire with him. Luka was glad to see that the two of them looked like they were having fun in each other's company.
The autumn night was getting colder as the breeze blew by. The fire danced under the moonlight's rays and the shining of the bright stars. Everyone was having fun as they danced, or even just as they watched. Luka was glad that she was beginning to adjust with new people and have a peaceful life.
"Achoo!" Luka quietly sneezed when the wind rolled by.
"You'll catch a cold, you know," a voice said as a blanket enveloped Luka's back and shoulders from behind.
When Luka turned, she found Gakupo behind her as he tried to get the blanket situated on her body.
"Kamui-san! Thank you so much!" Luka exclaimed right away.
"Oh, come on. Forget the 'Kamui-san.' 'Gakupo' is alright," he teased.
"B-but—"
"Come on, try it. Say 'Ga-ku-po.'"
"I-I can't! I've j-j-just met you…a-a-and…we're not that close yet! Also, Miki-chan was s-saying something about fangirls and g-g-getting trampled on!"
"Oh, that! Miki and Miku have been my childhood friends. We kind of separated on our second and third year of junior high school and also now, though, but they used to call me by my name. I guess ever since we separated, they've started calling me back by my family name," Gakupo wondered from the top of his head.
When he turned back to Luka, he realized that she was actually really nervous. How much she shook was a good enough proof for him that he shouldn't mess with her too much just yet.
"My can keep calling me by my family name, but just use '-kun,' okay?" Gakupo friendly requested.
Luka nodded while hiding her cheeks from the blanket. An awkward silence remained between the two as they continued their viewing of the dance. Luka knew that it was bad to not keep the conversation going, so she wanted to say something, even though she was really tense. However, before she could say something, Gakupo got up and extended his hand out towards her.
"Let's dance, Megurine-san," he charmingly smiled.
Luka's face was flushed and her face was getting warmer at the moment. She was too anxious to take his hand, but Luka knew that rejecting him would not only embarrass him, but her, too. Out of the kindness in her heart and the new friendship she formed, Luka took Gakupo's hand and accepted his invitation.
"You're a really good cook, Megurine-san," Gakupo complimented to begin their conversation.
They danced around the bonfire with gentle smiles on their faces. Luka's heart was still throbbing fast, but that was because she was nervous of dancing with a boy. She didn't realize that there were people admiring them and whispering about them, and even Gakupo didn't notice it.
"T-thank you," shyly, Luka replied.
"I didn't really get to eat your food since I left early during your cooking class and we were busy this week," Gakupo sadly and embarrassedly pointed out.
"I-I'm sorry,"Luka frowned.
Little did the two know that they have already dance half of the full circle around the bonfire. When Luka's friends noticed that the two of them were dancing, they stopped to watch Gakupo and Luka, hoping that they'd finish the round.
"You should make a bento for me one of these days…if that's okay with you," Gakupo smiled.
"O-of course! I certai..."
Luka felt lightheaded and weak as the surroundings blurred in her eyes. Before she could even fight it or notice it, Luka had already lost her consciousness and didn't finish her reply.
"Megurine-san!"
Author's note:
onsen- hot springs
tamagoyaki- omelette
anpan- red bean bread
bento- homemade lunch box