A couple at last! It's time for the final chapter of Claudine and Hikari's first summer together!
Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.
Chapter 8. A Gift For You
Hikari still almost can't believe it's real.
When she wakes the next several mornings after that, she keeps thinking it was a dream. But every morning, Claudine still texts her like always, only now she's added heart emojis into her messages.
And every time Hikari arrives at the aquarium, Claudine is waiting for her with a soft hug and an even softer kiss.
Their summer days continue as they had before. Only now, their lunches and picnics together are actual dates, and when Claudine manages to sneak to her side in the jellyfish room, they'll kiss in the darkness before anyone can notice.
They do these sorts of things for the next several days, until Claudine's next day off, when they go on another actual date. Neither of them mind going through the aquarium yet again, so that's exactly what they do, only this time they start at the underwater tunnel and work their way back to the beginning.
On the next day Claudine has off, she offers to bring Hikari to the mall with her for a change of scenery.
And little by little as the weeks pass on, they'll go to the park or go see a movie together. But they always end up back at the Blue Seas Aquarium together, holding hands as they look at the animals.
When it's a little more than halfway through the summer, Hikari makes a decision. She and Claudine may have only been officially dating for a few weeks, but they'd known each other for a couple of months now, and had been close friends beforehand. So she doesn't think it's too outlandish of her to get a gift for her.
On Claudine's next day off, she offers to bring Hikari to another movie. Hikari agrees, but asks if they can do it in the afternoon, to which Claudine happily agrees.
That morning, Hikari goes to the aquarium on her own and heads straight for the gift shop. She'd never really spent a lot of time in here; since her season pass admitted her for free, she only ever really brought money for lunch and nothing more.
But today, she brings some extra and browses the gift shop keenly for something Claudine might like. She has to pull herself away from the stuffed animals, because she knows that's dangerous territory for herself.
Instead, Hikari focuses on the knick-knacks and jewelry. Claudine didn't wear jewelry on the days she worked, but on her off days she'd usually wear a necklace or bracelet of some kind, so Hikari knows she likes that sort of thing. She looks through all of the options carefully, all of the colors of the chains and the charms and designs for each one.
At long last, she decides on a silver chain, and asks for two charms to go with it; a star fish and a sea shell. She makes her purchase and asks for it to be gift-wrapped, then tucks it carefully into her bag before leaving. She takes a bus to the movie theater, where she soon meets with Claudine, who is just as lovely as ever today.
"Hikari!"
Hikari's heart still thumps whenever Claudine calls her name. She turns toward her, already opening her arms before Claudine reaches her. Hikari nuzzles into her shoulder, enjoying the warm, familiar feeling of the soft collision.
"Good afternoon," she murmurs. "Sorry to make you wait."
"Not at all!"
They head inside and get settled for their movie, sitting side by side and holding hands through the whole thing. Afterward they go out to eat, and with summer ending soon and school on the horizon, they start talking about that.
"I haven't told my friends about you yet," Claudine says. "But I honestly can't wait to see their reactions."
"They sound like good friends."
"They are, though some of them can be a bit of a handful at times. I can't wait for you to meet them."
When they're done eating, they take a stroll around the nearby park. Since they'd started dating, Claudine would sometimes ask her to dance, and they would practice together when they got the chance to, be it outside the aquarium after one of their picnics, or at the underwater tunnel when no one else was around, or outside in the open like this.
When Claudine makes the offer this afternoon, Hikari gladly accepts, and they dance together in the grass amongst the planted gardens and blossoming flowers.
It's when they finish their number, with Claudine holding her steady in a dip, when Hikari decides to give her her present. After straightening up, Hikari retrieves her bag and waves Claudine over.
"Saijou-san."
"Hm? What is it?"
Hikari takes out the little box wrapped in purple paper and holds it out to her.
"This… is for you…"
"Eh? For me?"
Hikari nods.
"I just wanted to get you something…"
"Hikari…" Claudine smiles and accepts the gift. She unwraps the paper, then opens the box slowly, recognizing the dolphin logo of the Blue Seas Aquarium on the lid. Inside is a sparkling silver necklace with a star fish and a smooth shell charm. Claudine's heart swells like the tide.
"Hikari, it's lovely!" Claudine tosses her hair over her shoulder and carefully clasps the necklace into place. She glances down to admire it and how the charms sparkle in the sunlight.
"You like it…?"
"It's perfect!"
Claudine pulls her into a hug, and Hikari deflates happily into her arms. When Claudine pulls back, she kisses her sweetly.
"Merci, Hikari. I'll treasure it."
Hikari smiles, then leans forward a bit to kiss her cheek.
Little did she know that Claudine had been planning a special gift for her as well…
The next day when Claudine sees her at the aquarium, she presents Hikari with her first gift - that being a big white jellyfish plushie from the gift shop.
The moment Hikari holds it in her hands, she starts to cry a little bit and just hugs it close while burying her face in it. Claudine pats her shoulder a bit frantically and pulls her into a half-hug.
"Hikari? I-I'm hoping those are happy tears, right?"
Hikari sniffles and nods several times.
"It's so cute… It's so cute…"
Claudine is just glad she's so happy, and she kisses the top of her head.
Hikari carries the plushie with her all day, and then brings it safely home that evening. She hugs it alongside her Mr. White plushie as she texts Claudine their usual evening messages, and continues to hug the jellyfish all night long.
But Claudine has one last present for her - one that's still taking a bit of time to produce.
Claudine has to make a lot of arrangements and talk to a lot of people in order to make Hikari's gift a reality, but she's determined to see it through. She'd thought of it a while ago, but had only actually started putting it into motion once she and Hikari had officially started dating as a couple.
And she's done an excellent job of keeping it a secret from Hikari, because she wants it to be a complete surprise.
But once she'd gotten all the necessary permissions and made all the required phone calls, it's just a few days after she'd given Hikari her plushie when Claudine receives the news that her surprise gift will be ready the following day. It's perfect timing too, because tomorrow is another of her days off, and she and Hikari have another aquarium date planned.
This evening, once the aquarium has closed to the public, Hikari waits outside on a bench until Claudine is free to go as well. Since she's off tomorrow, she can take it easy tonight and not have to worry about getting to bed right away, so the two of them go out to dinner.
Claudine then insists she walk Hikari to her bus stop, which is a different way than her own. They sit together and enjoy the warm, colorful evening until the bus arrives, and Claudine sees her off with a kiss.
Even after Hikari has left her for the night, Claudine still feels her close by in the small weight of the charms on her necklace, which spread a comfortable warmth through her chest. When she arrives home she messages her, and they text throughout the evening as per usual.
And when morning finally comes, Claudine makes a call to her boss to confirm that Hikari's gift is ready. She gets dressed and puts on her necklace, hurries through breakfast in her excitement, says goodbye to her parents, and then is off to the aquarium to meet her girlfriend.
Claudine arrives first again and waits for her outside until Hikari's bus arrives. Claudine waves to her as always.
"Hikari~!"
In the past, Hikari would often blush and shuffle over to her. But now she actually breaks out into somewhat of a run, until she reaches Claudine and throws her arms around her. Claudine catches her snugly.
"Bonjour, Hikari!"
"Good morning."
They head inside, and Claudine has to remind herself not to give anything away too soon.
She brings Hikari a different way around the aquarium today. They still begin at the largest tank like usual, and pass by the various species of fish and the penguins and seals. But today, Claudine skips The Undertow when they reach it. When Hikari gives her a curious look and tugs her hand a little, Claudine explains.
"I thought we'd try a different route today. Is that all right?"
She knows Hikari wants to see the jellyfish as always, but she nods.
"Sure. I don't mind."
So they go pass by the dolphins and the octopus before enjoying their lunch picnic outside. When they come back in, they pet the stingrays and sharks in the touch tank, then head to the tunnel to watch the whale shark and the turtles.
There's actually a brief, rare moment when they end up being the only two in the tunnel, and Claudine doesn't waste a second in pulling Hikari into an impromptu dance. Hikari smiles and immediately follows.
The two of them grin and laugh softly as they twirl each other around, spinning beneath the blue waters with the sea creatures swimming all around them.
It's a quiet, magical moment, and it ends with another soft hug and an even softer kiss.
As they catch their breath, Claudine rests her chin on Hikari's shoulder and murmurs to her.
"Hikari… there's something I want to show you now."
"Eh?" Hikari eases back and tilts her head curiously. "Like what?"
"Come with me."
Taking her by the hand once more, Claudine leads her out of the tunnel and back to the main building. Her heart bounces with nervous anticipation as they walk. She times things just right, so they miss the crowds of the hour's main tour, and finally brings Hikari to The Undertow.
They pause to say hello to the crabs and the shrimp and the sea horses, and slowly make their way down the hallway. Claudine doesn't miss the eager sparkle in Hikari's eyes as they near the darkened section where the glowing jellyfish are visible from afar.
Claudine can't wait any longer either. So she gives Hikari a light tug and pulls her over.
"Let's go!"
Hikari breaks out into a smile as she follows.
The brighter lights of the main hallway soon fade into the cool, cozy darkness of the jellyfish room. The usual glows of purples and blues surround them like a galaxy, and the jellyfish drift around like sleepy, fluffy stars.
Hikari's eyes are naturally drawn to the occupants of the nearest tank, so they pause there to watch them. Claudine has noticed the slight alteration of the room, but she doesn't want to rush Hikari. She stays with her and watches Hikari enjoy the jellyfish to her heart's content, waiting until the majority of people have wandered off and left the room.
At that point, Claudine draws in a deep breath. Squeezing Hikari's hand a little tighter to get her attention, she coaxes her back a few steps.
"Hikari?"
Hikari is smiling as she turns to her, her blue eyes reflecting the faint purples of the room.
"Yeah?"
Claudine can't continue right away. She has to pause and lean in to kiss her because she's just too cute. Hikari makes a brief hum as their lips brush, and she pushes back a little bit into the contact. When they part, Claudine finds the words to continue.
"I've really enjoyed this summer with you, Hikari. From the bottom of my heart, I've loved every moment of spending time with you. And I'm so lucky you felt the same way about me. I can't wait to start the school year together with you at Seishou."
Hikari holds onto both of her hands, nodding slowly.
"Yeah. I feel the same way. You said it much better than I could."
"Don't worry. I understand exactly how you feel, too."
Hikari smiles again.
"Summer is almost over," she murmurs. "But we still have a few weeks left."
"That's right," Claudine says. "And I just wanted to show you something." She begins leading Hikari forward, toward the large cylindrical tank filled with crystal jellyfish bobbing around. Hikari looks at them first, so she doesn't notice the new installation right away. Not until Claudine pulls her hand forward and has her touch it.
"Hikari," she murmurs. "This is my real gift to you."
Hikari blinks in surprise.
"Gift…?"
Drawing her gaze away from the tank, she looks down a bit.
Just like with all the other exhibits, there's a small podium beside the tank that gives all the information about the jellyfish inside. Only now, Hikari realizes something has been added.
At the front of the podium, clearly visible beneath the jellyfish information page, is a small plaque. She blinks and looks at Claudine who simply inclines her head. Hikari slowly reads over the engraved text:
"The jellyfish in this tank have been symbolically and affectionately adopted by Kagura Hikari-san."
She doesn't move for a minute. Her eyes pass over the words again, but they still don't fully make sense to her. When she looks back at Claudine, she is smiling. Hikari just blinks again.
"What…?"
"Do you like it?" Claudine asks. "I'd been putting a little aside from my paychecks."
Hikari's jaw drops a bit as she looks back at the plaque, then up at the jellyfish, and back to Claudine again. She opens and closes her mouth a few times like a fish out of water.
"I… huh…?"
Claudine chuckles and pulls her in closer.
"They're yours now! Sort of. These jellyfish have been officially, legally 'adopted' under your name, Hikari. By all rights they're your jellyfish!"
"M… Mine…?"
"Oui!"
Hikari still hasn't processed it fully. She just keeps looking back and forth between the plaque and the jellyfish and Claudine, not knowing what to say or do.
"You… Saijou-san, you- for me…? They… they're…?"
"Yours," Claudine says affirmatively. "They are your adopted jellyfish, Hikari!"
"They're… mine…?" Hikari gazes back up at the tank with all the dozen little creatures she loves so dearly. Her eyes shine and shimmer with the same wonder and delight as the first time she'd ever seen them, and that spark has never dwindled even after all this time.
Claudine is convinced she's never loved her more than in this moment.
Then the tears start to rise up and dribble down Hikari's cheeks.
"They're… you adopted them… for me…?"
"Under your name." Claudine wraps an arm around her shoulders. Hikari sobs softly.
"I…"
She's happy. She's so so happy she doesn't know how to say it, or what to do, or how to express it to her. All she can do is look at Claudine and hope she understands.
Claudine's heart swells with affection, and she can't help but pull Hikari into a hug.
"You like it?"
"Yeah…"
"I'm so glad."
"Saijou-san…"
Hikari whimpers in her joy, reaching up to hug her as tightly as she can. Claudine lets out a laugh and squeezes her in return.
"Hikari," she murmurs. "I'm so glad I met you this summer. I had so much fun, and now I can even call you my girlfriend. I can't wait to go to school together soon. I'm so happy."
Hikari nods at everything she says, sniffling softly.
"Me too… I'm glad… I'm so glad I met you… I had so much fun… Thank you…"
Claudine sheds a few tears as well, but the smile never leaves her lips. Carding through Hikari's hair a bit, she eases back to meet her eyes.
"Let's keep having fun together, Hikari!"
Hikari's voice wobbles, and more tears drip down, but she's smiling too.
"Yeah."
Claudine brushes her tears away, and Hikari nestles against her for another hug.
When they part, both girls come together for a warm kiss. The tears had made their lips a bit wet and salty, but they imagine it's exactly what it would be like to kiss underneath the surface of the sea.
All around them the room glows purple, and the jellyfish dance like dreams.
And so begins the sweetest and softest summer love story.
A/N: I thought of this idea as I was in the middle of writing the story and just had to make it a reality. The selfless Claudine going through all the trouble of getting the paperwork and a plaque for Hikari to symbolically adopt her favorite creatures, and Hikari just being so happy she can't even speak. That's how the two of them are in my mind, and I think it's absolutely precious.
I hope you enjoyed! There's one last little epilogue!
Please review!
