A/N: My girlfriend felt especially passionate about this chapter. She considers Houjou to be one of her favourite characters in the Takagi-san series, and she wanted to go on a deep dive on her past. This chapter was the result. We hope you enjoy.
Houjou stomped through one of the side streets, breaking the calm of a sunny Friday afternoon. She narrowed her light brown eyes as she stared ahead at the roadway. Last autumn's heavy monsoon caused the streets near her apartment complex to be riddled with cracks and divots. The potholes remained on the streets despite residents complaining about their unsightly appearance.
Houjou walked towards her apartment, biting her lip and giving off a deep frown. The other residents turned their gaze towards her, their murmurs passing through her ears. She released a deathly glare at the bystanders, silencing their murmurs. She refused to let anyone shake her aura of indignance.
Just then, her left foot got caught in one of the many cracks dispersed along the road. She stumbled but managed to catch herself with her hands outstretched. Her handbag, on the other hand, dropped from her hands onto the road. Her handbag's latch opened, causing pieces of paper to fall out of her bag.
Ugh, I wish the construction workers would fix these stupid roads! she growled. Wiping off the gravel from her hands and her shirt, she bent down to inspect the cracks on the road. She stared at the crumbling roadway beneath her feet with a piercing eye. The murmurs from the bystanders returned. With narrowed eyes, she turned to face the bystanders and let out a loud hiss, forcing the townspeople to look away.
She put her hands on her hips, narrowed her eyes, and gritted her teeth. If only our backwater town would actually do something about the roads. She let out a grunt and shook her head. She moved her right hand away from her hips and patted her face. Shaking her head with a groan, she pressed her right foot against the pavement. Then the tourists would actually come to Tonosho for once! With another huff, she walked up to her school bag and surveyed the scattered pieces of paper on the cement road. When she reached her school bag, she crouched down to the floor and picked each piece of paper up one by one.
A single yellow piece of paper was the last of the pieces she seized from the pavement. It was the same piece of paper she prepared a few nights before, on White Day. The bottom half of the paper lay atop a black folder from where the paper slipped out. The paper was partly crumpled, with small tears on its sides. She took a brief glance at the yellow paper. The sharp kanji strokes marked on it blared its message loud and clear. Houjou responded with a chuckle.
I saw Hamaguchi in the hallways at school today. I turned my head away and kept walking on. With each day, it's become easier to check off that item from my checklist. Plus, I find it much easier to think of something mean to say about him.
She nodded to herself and glared at the black folder. He is a careless jerk, after all. She let out a huff, her narrowed eyes signalling her disgust. Placing her black folder back into her bag, she stood up and continued walking towards her apartment.
After a few minutes of walking, she came across a lone sign that hung above a brown building. The sign was designed with a sōmen noodle bowl on the left side. Looking at the sign caused a memory to emerge inside her. She remembered sitting down with her parents at a wooden table. The sensation of cold sōmen noodles mixed with Tsuyu sauce tapped her tongue. Despite the icy texture, a series of warm tingles surfaced on her skin. I must say, I wish we ate sōmen noodles more often.
But as she continued to stare at the sign, she felt her hands grow limp and sagged. She observed the grime now covering parts of what was once an artistic restaurant sign. Underneath the sign, the windows of the restaurant were boarded up. She walked up to the restaurant's door, peering through the only window that was not boarded. The restaurant inside was a shell of its former self, a dark room filled with abandoned furniture.
Houjou shook her head with her eyes closed, letting a sigh pass through her lips. The shabby, rundown sōmen noodle restaurant made her remember a conversation she overheard while she was doing her homework a few nights ago. She heard word from her parents' chatter that the number of tourists visiting Tonosho Town remained meager at best. In fact, her father decried the decline of tourists even with their best efforts to promote the town's peaceful way of life.
She continued to stand still, looking up towards the grimy sōmen restaurant sign above. She knew that her parents were having a hard time attracting tourists to her hometown. For her, the reason was simple: tourists just didn't want to go. She figured that most other tourists would want to visit Mount Fuji, shop at giant malls, or watch a live J-pop concert.
With that thought, she shook her head once more. Perhaps sōmen noodle shops and advertisements were not enough. With pursed lips, she kicked a large pebble a few yards forward with her shoe. She let out a frustrated grunt and marched away with a strop, the noodle restaurant vanishing from her view.
After another ten minutes of walking, Houjou arrived at her apartment unit with her school bag in tow. She looked at the door in front of her with a sniff. It looks as quiet as always, she noted. She took out her unit key and inserted it into the keyhole. As she unlocked the door to her unit with a click, she let out a resigned huff.
Houjou opened the door to her unit. Her living room was as dark as usual. The sun's rays shone through her windows at the far side of the room, providing its only source of light. It didn't make much difference as to whether or not her parents were home. Regardless of their presence the apartment was always filled with an air resembling a ghost town. Them being away from home also meant that she didn't have to deal with questions of where they left their things on a regular basis, a welcome reprieve.
Houjou slipped off her outdoor shoes and sauntered to her closed bedroom door. The door creaked sharply as she opened it, piercing the silence of the still air. She flicked on the lights to her room and turned her gaze to her left. Her collection of Revue Starlight figurines stood on a white shelf, propped by the wall to the left of the door.
Walking into the bedroom, she made her way to her figurines. Despite owning the entire collection of Revue Starlight characters, Houjou's gaze was directed only to one of the figurines. She made her way to the black-haired Hikari figurine and took it close to her with her left hand. It's good to see you again, Hikari, she admired her figurine, who was clothed in blue and holding a miniature dagger.
She placed her figurine back onto the white shelf from where it sat. Turning around to the centre of the room, she took notice of a large cardboard box that laid on the floor. She walked up to it with a curious gaze, dropping her school bag on the floor by the brown box. A pink sticky note taped to the front of the box caught her attention. She crouched to the box and squinted at the note which read, Sell for Flea Market.
Houjou stood upright on her feet and drooped her head low in a sigh. "I guess we've hit hard times, huh?" she muttered as she drew a ragged breath from her chest.
She stood on her tiptoes and planted her feet squarely on the floor. She took in a deep breath and puffed up her chest. A new air of determination coursed through her skin. She then declared, "If this is the way I can help my parents, then so be it."
As she peeled the note and opened the cardboard box, she recalled the road she marched on her way back home. The cracks in the road's surface reminded her of her own family. She and her parents may have fissures and conflicts, but like the road, they were still together in one piece.
Houjou spent the latter part of the afternoon rummaging through the contents of her large white closet in her pristine bedroom. Thin layers of dust had covered her collection of things she used to play with and read. Pictures of intergalactic superheroes wearing glittery, flashy costumes filled the covers of her old manga books stacked on top of each other. Wooden toys such as a kendama, a ball attached to a wooden cup with a string, cluttered the bottom of her closet. On top of the wooden toys and manga books were Hamtaro character plushies.
This is stuff I haven't played with in ages, she recalled as she sorted through each of her things. On each of the plushies, she noticed a series of tags attached. Each of the tags was inscribed with a single date: July 11th, the date of her birthday. Just thinking about her past birthdays caused her to hiss through her teeth. It wasn't like her parents hadn't celebrated her birthdays. In fact, she knew that her parents had given her all the plushies and toys that she was sorting. They even sang "Happy Birthday" to her and gave her a cake to eat each year. Amid their stress and tight finances, they had little time to throw a party for her.
But as she finished cleaning out her closet, she came across a yearbook featuring one of her elementary school classes. She let out a gentle gasp and drew her hand towards her mouth. This was from 5th grade. I haven't seen this book in so long. The book's cover was filled with stars of all shapes and sizes. The star's exuberant colours called out to her, beckoning her to take a short walk on memory lane.
Houjou extended her arm and grabbed her book with her right hand. Opening the book, she turned to the page containing her class photo. Much like her cover, the pages were filled with stars, surrounding a single photo plastered in the middle of the page. The photo caused Houjou's heart to sink and her eyes to droop. Her female classmates at the front and middle row kept a space between her and everyone else. Houjou stood alone off to the right.
But her eyes narrowed and her face perked up. She let out a defiant huff and bit her lip. "No, that's in the past, and I'm far more mature than those girls now," she declared, shaking her head with vigour. It was time to organize and declutter the trash in her life. After all, she wanted to empty her closet of things she considered childish in her life. She also wanted to make room for new clothes and accessories that highlighted her confidence and beauty. Finally, she was helping her parents make ends meet. With all her heart she believed that she could play her part now.
With relative ease, Houjou filled her cardboard box with the things she didn't need anymore. She succeeded so much that she found herself piling up other toys and books beside her cardboard box. After all, most of it couldn't fit in the cardboard box she was given. That still didn't stop her from gathering more old playthings from her closet.
Houjou walked back and forth from her closet to her things at the centre of her room. She then walked to her white closet once more. Back at the closet, she placed her hand on her hip as she scanned for anything else that she missed. There she found two more objects to deal with.
Behind a dusty, frilly, pink dress in the back corner of the closet sat a white puffy blob. She peered her head in to get a closer look of the white blob. Tossing her dress out of her closet, she reached her hands for the white puffy blob, free from its covering. She couldn't recall what this soft object was as she touched its surface. However, she was certain that it was another birthday gift her parents chose for her.
She bent down and slid the soft, mysterious, object out from the back of her closet. She turned the squishy, soft blob over to the other side. Holding the item with her right hand, she scratched her chin with her left hand and narrowed her eyes.
Hm, that's funny. I don't remember seeing this plushie before. I can barely hold it with just my right hand. The dust from the plushie made its way into her nose, causing her to cough. Her sudden jolt caused her to drop her plushie onto the ground. With the plushie lying on the wooden floor, she gasped aloud. She stumbled backwards and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
"No way. It can't be," Houjou stared at the plushie as she sat on the floor. She felt a small rush of blood creeping up to her cheeks. She felt her body growing warm and fuzzy. She tried to avert her gaze and focus on decluttering her closet space. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her eye off the white plushie lying on the floor. Instead, she felt an overwhelming urge to pull it close to her chest and snuggle it as tight as she could. Why does it feel so soft and huggable?
Just when she had finished sorting her things, her plans to sell what she owned caught a snag. Instead of grabbing more boxes to fit the other things she wanted to sell, she remained seated on the floor by the white closet.
Her mind paid no attention to the alarm bells ringing from her heart. It was as if her heart was pounding a slow, traditional rhythm from somewhere deep inside of her. The constant, rhythmic thumping coursed to her ears from her heart. She attempted to still her heart by pressing her hands against the centre of her chest.
But her heart refused to stop, its steady calls nudging her into a reverie. Bending her knees close to her body, she closed her eyes, letting her pounding heart take her to a distant memory from long ago.
The Taiko-Wadaiko drummers persisted in the steady beating of their drums. Their steady drumming ensemble resounded loudly throughout the elaborate festival grounds. For eleven-year old Houjou, the performance was the epitome of an upbeat, lively welcoming ceremony. She steadied herself as she walked in her wooden shoes, or "geta", towards the Tanabata Summer Festival ahead of her.
Her heart thumped merrily in her chest, syncing with the same tempo as the Taiko Drummers. She gasped aloud and cupped her hands over her blushing cheeks lit up by the heavenly festival lights. Immersing herself in the festivities, she twirled around in her flowery, dark, blue yukata. Her ankles wobbled in her geta with each prance. Her grandmother bought her a blue flowery yukata and did her hair in a braided bun adorned with a red kanzashi-hair comb.
An elderly voice called out to her from a few feet behind. "Houjou! Don't go prancing about! I don't want you to fall and ruin the lovely outfit I got for you!" The elderly voice came from a woman about 70 years of age. The woman, hunched over at a soft angle, wore a pink yukata filled with flowery patterns. She had freckles and wrinkles on her face, and stood a few inches taller than Houjou. The woman was Houjou's maternal grandmother.
Not paying much heed to her grandmother's words, Houjou pranced upon a mural of chalk on the grey pavement. The nearby torches illuminated a large, elaborate drawing under her feet. She stopped to behold the engraved picture of a mesmerizing galaxy. The blending colours of green, blue, and purple formed the background for a multitude of tiny, starry dots. Houjou danced atop the mural. She was so drawn in that she almost tripped and fell in her geta.
Just as she was about to fall, a sturdy hand clutched onto her arm, holding her tight. "Watch out Hoshi-chan! I don't want you getting hurt!" her grandmother's voice resonated through her eardrums. She re-steadied her feet on the ground firmly and kept her posture upright.
"Don't worry grandma; I can get used to this!" She put her hands on her hips and held her head upright. With a gleam in her eyes, she surveyed the crowd swarming through the streets like schools of mackerel swimming in the Seto Inland Sea. The chatter emanating from the crowds beckoned her forth. She then let her nose take in wafts of fried sausage, Takoyaki, and sōmen noodles. The rich aromas entranced her to move deeper into the Tanabata Festival.
Houjou waved her arms in the air as she pranced through a grey path that led to a row of stalls decorated with colourful streamers. Along the way, she came across a colourful and elaborate sign. She stopped to gaze and admire the flashy advertisement which read, Fireworks tonight at 9:00 pm!
"Look grandma, there's going to be fireworks tonight! Can we go?" she shouted aloud, pointing at the poster. Her rhythmic bounces of delight took over her entire being like a skipping rock bouncing on a calm lake.
Houjou looked up at her grandmother, who formed the widest smile she could make. Her tiny freckles dotted her sun-kissed cheeks. "Of course we can, dear Houjou," her grandmother affirmed with a nod and hugged Houjou tight in her arms. She then raised her hands to the sky above and continued, "Soon, we'll be able to see the fireworks light up the night sky."
Houjou giggled under her grandmother's embrace. Her eyes formed stars as she looked up towards the night sky. She turned to her grandmother, who patted her head and pointed at the stars above. "Do you know what happens next, Houjou?" she asked with a gentle smile.
Houjou cocked her head to the left, arching her eyebrow. She played with the lone curl in her braided bun. "No, what happens next?" she asked, gazing at the stars with a quizzical look.
"The biggest fireworks happen at the centre of the Milky Way. The giant explosions represent the reunification of Orihime and Hikoboshi, two lovers separated across the galaxy!" her grandmother answered by clasping her hands together, moving them in a swaying motion.
Although Houjou had lived in Tonosho Town all her life, she never had a chance to see more of the Milky Way until now. "Ooh!" she gasped in awe as she stared at the night sky. She shook her fists in excitement, her heart thumping along. She let out a longing breath, yearning for the fireworks to begin. "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get some food!" Houjou called out. She tugged on her grandmother's sleeve, urging her to come with her towards one of the food stands.
"Yes Hoshi-chan, I'm coming!' her grandmother laughed, walking beside her every step of the way.
Houjou and her grandmother went through three stands, each selling different kinds of Japanese delicacies. One stand provided Takoyaki balls smeared in mayonnaise sauce inside a cardboard container. Another stand provided Yakitori skewers, the scent of charcoal filling its stand. Once they bought food from each of the stands, Houjou made her way to a bench where she sat with her grandmother.
She took her first bite of the Yakitori skewer. A satisfied smile formed on her face as she chewed on the grilled chicken. "Mmmmm!" Houjou munched her way through various pieces of succulent Takoyaki and Yakitori delights. "These are so good grandma!" Houjou mouthed out in between bites, eating them both until every last morsel was gone.
Her grandmother let out a hearty chuckle, holding her hand to her chest. "Now Hoshi-chan, slow down! We still have desserts to enjoy!" Her grandmother spoke in her ear and tapped her shoulder. "I hear there's another stand serving strawberry kakigori tonight," Her grandmother pointed her finger to the pink stall a few meters ahead. "Here, let me get some kakigori for you. You stay here and finish your meal, okay?"
Houjou swallowed the food in her mouth the moment she heard about the kakigori. Letting out a gasp, she put her hands to her cheeks and squeaked in delight. She then munched through the rest of her skewers. After about ten minutes of eating through the rest of her food, her grandmother walked back with a cup of strawberry kakigori in her hand.
When her grandmother steadied the kakigori on her lap, she formed a wide smile, grabbed the spoon on the cup, and took a quick bite of the icy eyes glazed over as she processed the sweet, fruity taste coursing through her mouth. "Mmmm! It's been so long since I've had kakigori!"
Her grandmother chuckled and put her hand over her mouth. "Judging by the jelly around your mouth, I'm assuming you enjoyed that." Her grandmother remarked, chuckling as she handed her a napkin.
A blush formed on Houjou's face. Unlike her parents, her grandmother was much gentler with her. Even so, she didn't want to make herself appear too dirty. She wanted to look as prim and pretty as she could for her childhood friend. With that, she shuffled her hands to the napkin beside her dessert, took it with her outstretched hand, and wiped her mouth clean.
"Oh, Houjou, I almost forgot! Her grandmother jumped to her feet, but was caught off guard by a rusty fit of coughing. Her head bent forward, releasing a series of coughs into another napkin by her left side on the bench. Her bandana-covered head flapped in the wind as she continued to cough. A passerby turned their head towards her, rushing over to assist her. After her coughs receded, the passerby helped her sit back down on the bench.
Houjou frowned, letting out a whimper. Her parents and grandmother told her that she was just having a cold. But with her grandmother's coughs getting worse by the day, Houjou couldn't help but think that something worse was happening to her. As her grandmother recovered from her coughing fit, she moved closer to her side and held her hand. "Are you okay, grandma? Can I help at all?"
Her grandmother turned to meet her gaze slowly but still held the pleasant and bright smile that Houjou always knew. "I'm all right, Hoshi-chan, thank you." She spoke with a gentleness that pierced the noise around them. She reached for her handkerchief inside her small brown purse and wiped her mouth. A sigh then passed from her lips. "I think we should head back soon anyway; it is getting late, after all." She bowed her head low, putting her handkerchief back in her purse pocket.
"Aww, but grandma I wanted to-" Houjou was interrupted by a sudden tap on her shoulder and turned around slowly to see who was there.
"Hey Houjou, sorry I'm late."
"Hamaguchi! Where were you?!" Houjou blurted out, flailing her hands in the air.
The tall brown-haired boy avoided her gaze and rubbed the back of his neck, "Oh, well I was at the other end of the festival grounds. I tried to find you at the game stalls but I couldn't see you."
Hamaguchi sported a dark blue yukata patterned in a checkered grey. His wooden geta shoes were dark brown and had various blue streaks on the bottom. Houjou parted her lips and released a gasp. So, does that mean he wants to look like me? She ran her hands over the smooth, silky fabric of her yukata and clasped her hand to her chest. She turned her face away, attempting to conceal the growing blush on her cheeks. However, the traditional red fukinagashi lanterns above seemed to highlight her reddening cheeks.
"Oh, so you were actually trying to find me?" Houjou uttered an abashed mumble and fidgeted with the napkin clutched in her left hand. Her blush became just as pink as the strawberry dessert she just consumed.
"Of course, I was! I ran to the middle of the festival thinking you would be at the food stalls!" Hamaguchi replied with an outstretched arm. "Sure enough, I found you!" He then placed his finger on his chin, letting out a sheepish chuckle.
Houjou smiled and tapped her feet with a giddy giggle. But she looked back at her recovering grandmother with a frown on her face. Turning her gaze back towards Hamaguchi, she stopped tapping her feet. "Oh, I forgot. I think I have to go home now. My grandma isn't feeling well," Houjou sighed. "I'm sorry, Hamaguchi," she looked back at Hamaguchi, noting his growing frown.
"Oh well, Houjou, I've only been here for half an hour. But if you need to go you should get going then," he replied with his head turned towards the grey pavement.
Houjou blinked slowly at Hamaguchi and watched as hoards of attendants milled past them towards the latter end of the festivities. It was just after 8:00 pm. Not too long from now the fireworks would commence. A voice whispered inside of her. I know I need to get home, but the most important festivities are about to begin! I can't just leave Hamaguchi now!
"Hoshi-chan." Her grandmother's voice, smooth as green tea, called out from behind her. She reached out to touch her shoulder, bringing her away from her frantic thoughts. "You can go with Hamaguchi to the rest of the festivities. I'll stay here and watch you have fun," her grandmother continued with a hushed tone, sipping on some tea a passerby brought for her.
"But grandma, this was our time to spend together!" she pleaded. Her eyes grew misty as she clasped her hands together. She kneeled on the bench with her trembling hands clasped together.
A frown formed on the older woman's face. Her eyes crinkled as she looked into her granddaughter's eyes. Houjou saw her breathe a heavy sigh and place her wrinkled hands firmly on the table. "Hoshi-chan, I think it's best I stay here for tonight, I've been to many of these festivals before." She chuckled, letting out a residual cough from before. "Can you go with Hamaguchi for me? Nothing would make me happier than seeing the two of you spend time together," her grandmother nodded with a wide smile.
Houjou covered her mouth with her hands to stifle a choked-up gasp. Her growing blush was hidden underneath her hands. "Oh, yes I can! But are you sure grandma?" she double checked to make sure her grandmother was okay with the arrangement.
"I think she's perfectly fine, Houjou," Hamaguchi reassured. Houjou turned to Hamaguchi, who shuffled his feet across the pavement with a bashful chuckle.
She turned her head back towards her grandmother. Noting her two thumbs up, she nodded with a gleeful smile and tapped Hamaguchi's shoulder. "Okay! Let's go then, Hamaguchi!" she pressed on his back causing him to jolt up on his tiptoes with a gasp. "We'll meet you back here in an hour, grandma!" Houjou sang out as she walked away with Hamaguchi into the crowds.
Houjou shifted her eyes along the path ahead of her with Hamaguchi walking beside her. Fireflies floated around her periphery, dotting the landscape with an ethereal glow. Her eyes lit up with the glow of the fireflies surrounding both her and Hamaguchi. She opened her mouth in awe and clasped her hand outstretched to her chest.
"Oh, Hamaguchi! Look at these fireflies! They're so pretty!" She turned her head towards Hamaguchi and pointed at the fireflies.
Meanwhile, Hamaguchi let out a gleeful chuckle. "Yeah! Makes me wonder if we only need these fireflies to light up the night!"
"Although it would be impractical, I think that would look amazing!" she responded back with a wide grin. She bopped along the road with each step with Hamaguchi still by her side.
As she walked with Hamaguchi she looked up to see his gaze turned away from her, scratching his head. He turned and peered towards Houjou with his hand cupping his cheek. His lips stuttered and his other arm was tucked down at his side. "By the way Houjou, is Hoshi really your first name? If so, I really think it's b-"
"No, no, sorry, that's just a nickname my grandmother gave to me when I was small!" Houjou interrupted him, shaking her head vigorously so as to not confuse him.
"Oh, I see," Hamaguchi stuttered while rubbing his hands against his sides.
Just as Hamaguchi received his answer, the pair arrived at the games stands. Flickering, dazzling lights surrounded each stand, attracting clamoring onlookers to have their go at winning its games and collecting prizes. With gleeful smiles, Houjou and Hamaguchi strode across the well-lit path.
Hamaguchi had his eyes set on the goldfish game. Houjou, on the other hand, wagged her head back and forth to find a game that she could play. Her eyes fell upon a game booth hosting the most enchanting and softest plushie she had ever seen. Her eyes sparkled like mirroring pools of water and her hands clapped with eager applause. At the game stand was a Hello Kitty Tanabata Doll that sat at the top of the prize shelves. It was a white doll adorned with a pink yukata dress. Its fluffy stature beckoned Houjou to have a go at the grand prize.
I need to win this doll! Houjou took a deep breath and flexed her fingers together, steadying herself for the game ahead. She performed a demure catwalk, stumbling with her geta shoes slipping from her toes. Nevertheless, she arrived at the game booth with a confidence that radiated through her narrowed eyes and puffed cheeks.
She took a moment to inspect the sea of prizes that sat at the back of the yellow booth. In front of her were a set of three cork guns sitting beside individual corks acting as ammunition. With her surroundings familiarized, she raised her hand and shouted, "I would like to play a round!"
The booth manager jumped at Houjou's sudden shout. The mustached man, no taller than an average man, focused his silent gaze towards her. His focused gaze, however, turned into pointed mockery. He put his hand to his mouth to stifle a chuckle. He then pointed at a sign at the back of the booth that read, "All participants must be at least one foot taller than the shooting gallery post to play!"
"Sorry dear, you're too short to play this game. We don't want young ones like you getting hurt by the corks."
Houjou gasped in reply. She stomped her foot on the ground, creating clouds of dust from the dirt below. Silently cursing her mother's short genes, she let out a loud sniffle as she tried to fight back the tears in her eyes.
Why do I always get left out of everything? Houjou let out a small sob and walked away from the game. Ugh, I'll just head over to the goldfish collecting game then!
But then, a familiar voice resounded above the chatter, "I would like to play a round, Sir!" Houjou's ears perked up and she turned her head around to search for the voice's source.
Hamaguchi?! Houjou gasped as she watched him puff his chests and plant his hands to his hips. She looked on as he stepped forward with gusto. He then tripped over his feet and lunged to the ground. She let out a horrified yelp as clouds of dirt formed around him. Without a delay, she rushed to his side.
"Hamaguchi, you don't have to cause such a ruckus over this. We can play something else!" she pleaded with him as a handful of passersby turned their gaze towards the pair on the ground.
"It's all right Houjou. It'll all be okay, trust me," Hamaguchi replied with a gentle nod. With a new jolt to his stride, she looked on in front of the small crowd that began to form behind her. The mutters of the bystanders behind her caused her heart to pump more blood. Little by little, she felt herself breathing faster and faster. Is he really going to...?
"I would like to win the Hello Kitty prize at the very top!" Hamaguchi declared, as if he were challenging a foe to a duel. Hearing his cry a few metres behind, Houjou stood still. Her eyes widened, her hands covering her dropping jaw. With his booming voice, a handful of festival goers became spectators to the oncoming contest. Even with the small crowd walking past her, she remained standing in place. Her voice let out a series of rapid stutters as she observed Hamaguchi raising his right shoulder. He was pointing his finger squarely at the booth manager.
Houjou shook her head. The crowd in front of her blocked her view. Cursing her short stature once again, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her around the crowds. She then found a small opening that led straight to the game booth where Hamaguchi stood.
Just as she arrived, another voice boomed through her ears, "Well kid, there's actually plenty more manly toys you can get!" It was the booth manager, laughing as he pointed his finger back at Hamaguchi.
Houjou scoffed at his remarks. Why is this booth manager so rude? Hamaguchi's just trying to... She couldn't complete her thought. When she looked up towards the booth, she saw Hamaguchi's fiery eyes meeting her soft gaze.
Thump thump. Her heart skipped a beat.
Hamaguchi narrowed his eyes and turned back to the booth. "I need to win this prize for my friend back there, it's almost her birthday and I want to give her a present."
Houjou tried to suppress her cough as much as she could, but released one to the air. Her face felt hotter and hotter, forcing her to hide her face behind her yukata sleeve. Even so, she kept her gaze towards the brash, brown-haired boy.
"Why is he doing this for me?"Houjou whispered to herself from the dark. The sounds of the crowd drowned out her thoughts as more people came over to see the commotion. Why is Hamaguchi suddenly being so forward?
"Very well, here's your cork pellets! Remember that you only get three shots," the booth manager warned, keeping his finger pointed at Hamaguchi.
"Sounds easy enough." Hamaguchi smirked, giving out a haughty "hmph."
Houjou covered her face, unable to hide her beet red face. She had never seen him so bold, so daring, and so haughty. On the one hand, his bravado made her legs shake nervously. She didn't want Hamaguchi to embarrass himself in front of everyone on her account.
On the other hand, her heart leapt forward. It was as if it was dragging her along towards the boy by the booth, inch by inch. Without a moment to think further, she crouched under the booths and crept towards Hamaguchi. When she arrived a few feet away from Hamaguchi, she kept her gaze towards her childhood friend. She pumped her fists close to her chest, giving him gentle cheers.
"Don't worry. I've got this," Hamaguchi smirked, pointing his thumb at himself. His swagger and boldness fizzed within her heart like bubbles inside a bottle of sparkling juice. She bounced in place, conveying her wish that Hamaguchi would win the doll she so cherished for her.
Houjou could see Hamaguchi loading the corks into the pellet gun and taking aim towards the prize farthest away from the shelf. She crossed her fingers underneath her yukata sleeves and mouthed a whisper underneath her breath, "Don't screw up, you can do it!"
Hamaguchi pushed the plastic trigger and sent the shot flying in the farthest direction.
She winced, keeping her eyes closed with the sound of the trigger.
Then, a loud thwack zipped from the booth. The sound caused Houjou to jump up with a yelp. The accompanying thud caused her heart to feel the gentle sting of an imaginary arrow. She turned her head towards Hamaguchi. She couldn't bear to see the booth itself.
Hamaguchi gave out a hearty laugh. The onlookers cheered and pressed in. Hamaguchi had the Hello Kitty plushie in his hand. He had won.
How did he do that? Houjou's thoughts spun about. Since when has Hamaguchi been this thoughtful? Her memories of Hamaguchi's aloof and clumsy personality flew through her thoughts. Why is he doing this? Her heart resumed its thumping, starting up another rhythmic song of beating Taiko drums.
Just as she was beginning to process her thoughts, she gasped. Hamaguchi was standing in front of her. He gave her the white plushie, now wrapped in plastic. "Happy Birthday Houjou! I hope you enjoy your present," he said with a bow.
"Thank you Hamaguchi," Houjou's voice cracked as she took the gift from him with both of her hands. A powerful surge of adrenaline coursed through her heart and wrested control. She put her hand on her cheek, letting out a squeal upon realizing how warm she was feeling. She felt her heart yearning to stay with Hamaguchi for as long as she could. But a wave of diffidence kept her from approaching him any further. Why is it so hard for me to walk so close to him?
"C'mon Houjou, let's go see the fireworks before it's too late!' he exclaimed, popping her thought bubble. She looked on as he extended with his right hand and splayed his fingers towards the fireworks site.
But she stood as still as a shrine statue. Why do I care so much whether Hamaguchi wants to hold my hand? Houjou sputtered. She shook her head with vigor, trying in vain to excuse herself from her racing thoughts. Wait, it's not even my birthday yet! Why does he want to get me a gift now?! Houjou stammered.
As she stood still, Hamaguchi continued to walk towards the fireworks site. "Hamaguchi! Wait up!" She called out with a scream, tripping on her geta shoes to frantically catch up with him.
After a few seconds of tripping over herself, she caught up to Hamaguchi. With a huff, she continued to walk along the grass near an outcropping of trees, struggling to keep her footing in her geta shoes. The uneven ground caused her to lurch forward towards the dirt. She was mere inches away from the dirt below when she felt Hamaguchi's hand holding her midsection steady.
In a flash, she broke free and stood back upright. She stared at Hamaguchi with eyes open wide, forming an incredulous look. "Hamaguchi, what are you doing?!" She shook her head trying to clear the confusing stars muddling her thoughts. "Why are you doing all this now?" Houjou formed a frown on her face. "You've never acted like this before." Her voice trailed off.
All she received from Hamaguchi were blinking eyes. She turned her face away. As she did so, she glanced back at him. He gave off a soft smile, one that she couldn't quite read.
A question parted from Hamaguchi's lips, "Can you read my Tanzaku?" A moment of silence descended upon the pair before he continued, "I think you will understand things better once you do."
Houjou observed him shuffling his feet together, swaying his head in the direction of the Wishing Tree. She nodded, walking her way towards the bamboo tree. A series of white strings with pieces of paper attached to them hung from the tree. The papers swung like chimes playing their melodious notes. She surveyed the pieces of paper, swaying her head about as if she were searching for a specific, longing tune.
She found the paper, tied to the far left of the first bamboo stock. The paper slip was long and coloured in red. She squinted her eyes at the thin, squiggly lines that were supposed to represent Kanji characters. After a bit of guesswork, a gasp escaped her lips upon deciphering its message.
My wish is for Houjou to have the best birthday ever. She deserves it because she needs to be celebrated more.
Houjou clasped her left hand to her mouth and her eyes widened. She tried to stifle the small gasp coming from her mouth with her hand. She walked back towards Hamaguchi, who stood off to the side. Arriving back by Hamaguchi's side, she stuttered to him, "Thank you for helping me celebrate, Hamaguchi." She felt tears forming on her face, but rubbed her eyes to stop them from flowing. She then let out a squeal, her heart yearning to break free like a stallion in the wild.
The Taiko drum rhythms grew faster and more pointed in her heart. With the growing beat of her heart, her hands trembled more and more as Hamaguchi leaned towards her face. "You're welcome, Houjou," Hamaguchi's voice projected a calm that was unusual for someone as aloof as him in her eyes.
She was fairly certain it was too dark for Hamaguchi to see. But a part of her had to be sure that he couldn't see her flushed cheeks. In turn, she covered up her cheeks with her hands as tight as she could. Her best efforts, however, couldn't keep her blush from staying emblazoned on her cheeks.
Without another word, she trotted through the grass towards the Wishing Tree, making sure not to make her geta any dirtier than it already was. She grabbed a blank yellow piece of paper that hung right above Hamaguchi's. She turned towards the small table. The faint glow from the torches beside the far end of the table illuminated the writing implements that she sought to use.
Her hand was still trembling, but she managed to grasp a small ink pen in her right forefingers. As she held the pen, her heartbeat strummed to a presto, each thump growing louder and louder with each beat. The message from the sturdy drumming grew clear as day. Your heart has always known the truth! Let it speak out in your message!
Houjou's mouth grew dry. Her palms became coated with sweat. Her writing hand continued to tremble. Even so, she managed to form fluid strokes for the Kanji that comprised her Tanazaku.
My wish is to be with Hamaguchi forever.
She set her writing utensil down on the table beside her.
Then, a shout flung through her ears. "Houjou, you almost missed the beginning of the fireworks!" Hamaguchi called out from the darkness. With a skip and a jump, she frantically returned to his side. Once there, she fixed her eyes on the Milky Way in front of her.
Yellow and red fireworks lit up the starry sky. The red fireworks exploded in an array of bright patterns and colours on the left while the yellow fireworks seemed to dance to their own beat, sounding off in a timely rhythm.
"Hey Houjou, what did you write on your Tanzaku?" Hamaguchi's voice resounded, his questioning tone echoing in her ears.
Houjou swallowed a lump in her throat and coughed aloud. She breathed in and turned to Hamaguchi's darkened figure. With the fireworks in full blast, his face grew brighter with each firework.
"I can't tell you my wish, Hamaguchi. Then it won't come true." Houjou swooned, her hands clasped to her chest.
The fireworks merged into a mosaic of dazzling fiery hues. The lights combined together into one giant whirling kaleidoscope of colours. The two hues that started as separate entities united into a single spectrum of colour. It was as if they were never apart in the first place.
As the fireworks continued to spray glittering sparks over the sky, Houjou leaned against Hamaguchi and swooned in contentment. The beating drums of her heart boomed at their loudest. Even at their fortissimo, the drum beats faded into the background of her thoughts. All that mattered now was that she was resting on Hamaguchi's shoulder.
As the fireworks gave off one last boom of whirling, dazzling sparks, Houjou contemplated filling out another Tanzaku reading. I wish to never forget this festival experience.
A gentle stillness remained in Houjou's bedroom. Its lone occupant awoke, her body tightened from napping against the white closet door. She opened her eyes and rubbed her head. No sooner did she get a grip on her surroundings did she gasp. Her Hello Kitty Doll had fallen from her arms while she was asleep.
She picked up the doll again that was once covered in dust, caressing its soft figure and the silky Orihime dress it donned. Pulling the doll close, she allowed the doll's squishy traits to meld with her chest. All she wanted to do was sway back and forth with her Hello Kitty doll close by.
Houjou rubbed her temple with her left hand, continuing to hold her doll with her right arm. She let out a solemn exhale. "Hamaguchi used to be so thoughtful and considerate of my feelings." Houjou grasped the doll in both of her hands, squeezing its puffy, soft head tight in her hands.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she choked on a ragged breath. "Why couldn't he have been that way on White Day?!" Houjou cried aloud as she let the doll fall from her grip onto the floor. She sobbed as she crumbled to the floor. Her arms covered up her tear-streaked face.
After a few minutes of sobbing, her tears stopped flowing. She hoisted herself up to a sitting position, feeling her blood boil with wearied anger. Scratching her fingers against the wooden floorboards, she growled, "No, I can't keep crying like this. I'm not childish anymore, and I don't need these girly items in my life. Right now, I have to help my family!"
With an exhausted groan, she took the rest of her dolls and tossed them into the cardboard box one by one. By the time she got to her Hello Kitty plushie, she stopped and hesitated. She tugged her clothes and drew her head down towards the doll. "Hamaguchi did give this to me because he wanted to celebrate my birthday." she intimated, analyzing the memory she processed in her nap.
Just as she uttered those words, a ray of sunshine emanated through the curtains of her bedroom window. The beam of light shone straight at the Hello Kitty that she held in her hands. She turned towards the window and formed a weak smile on her lips. I may hate Hamaguchi for being so clumsy and thoughtless, but maybe...
She glanced towards her school bag that rested by the cardboard box. A picture of the yellow paper with instructions on being mature emerged in her mind. She knew that she was going against her protocol. But her heart refused to let go of the glimmer of hope flickering in front of her. "Is the Hamaguchi I knew still there?"