The street she walked upon soon grew winding, and that part of the usually quiet town became too unfamiliar for comfort. Zuikaku had wanted to retrace her steps, but she wasn't sure where to start anymore, with all that endless stream of people coming and going.
The festive atmosphere was palpable, but she was too occupied with moping and beating herself up to enjoy it right now. She knew there was no one to blame for getting lost except herself—for getting conceited and not listening to her sister, thinking she would be fine wandering on her own.
But now that fate had swiftly proved her wrong, she found herself adrift among the crowd, alone and feeling like a child.
The crowd didn't pay her any heed, but that was a consolation for her. The last thing she would want right now is for people to ask the obvious, 'are you lost?' and the like.
Regardless of everything that had happened, Zuikaku pressed on. She wasn't about to wallow in regret now—and she wanted to avoid getting pushed around by the growing crowd.
"Haaah, damn it…I haven't found anyone yet…" Zuikaku whined as she rested on a bench, taking the chance to massage her sore feet. Just nearby, people were hanging colorful strips of paper on bamboo trees lining the sidewalk.
Zuikaku smiled a little at the scene and cast a distant gaze at the night sky. Many would always be eager to make a wish during Tanabata, regardless of whether theirs would come true or not, no matter how bizarre.
"Excuse me, have you made a wish?" a kind-looking elderly woman spoke, cutting her musings short. She was carrying a basket filled with strips of various colors.
"Huh, me?"
"Yes, dear. Perhaps you would like a strip to write one?" the woman offered.
"Um, well, I guess? Why not?"
"Well then, here you go. May your wish come true," the woman passed her a red strip and left.
"Heh. Maybe I should make a wish too. 'May I find someone I know real soon' or something like that? What a waste, though," Zuikaku laughed at the thought and at herself before rising to her feet.
"Zuikaku?"
Someone calling her name had Zuikaku pausing when she was just about to set off. Had her wish come true after all, even before she wrote it down? She didn't really want to admit it, but for a moment, she had given that idea some serious consideration.
Eventually turning around, she came face to face with Lieutenant Ohtori Kensaku, looking back with a brow raised.
"Ohtori…?"
She hoped it wasn't apparent that she was relieved to see someone familiar, given how wide her smile must be at that moment.
"It's rare seeing you all alone, even without Shoukaku…Wait…oh, so that's it, I see…you must've been separated from the others and got lost."
Damn, he's sharp, Zuikaku grumbled. Maybe she really was too obvious. Now that he had that pointed out, she didn't feel like denying it, not even after seeing that sly smile.
"Fine, I admit it. I got lost. If you want to laugh at me, go ahead."
Zuikaku waited. But no laughter nor ribbing was coming her way. Ohtori's utterly mundane answer proved to be more baffling than relieving.
"Hmm, okay then."
"That's it? You're not laughing at me?"
"Why would I laugh at you?" He asked back with just a bit of offense.
"Because, you know, I screwed up, and—and because you would always laugh at that!"
"I don't feel like it right now because you would get mad—and I'd prefer that you don't since I'm about to ask if you want to go with me," Ohtori coolly replied as Zuikaku turned as red as her yukata.
"Eh?"
"I was about to head for the hills nearby. You want to tag along?"
Zuikaku blinked once as she took a good look at Ohtori. She could see his anticipation—he seemed to have become a little younger from it. It was like he was confident she would accept.
She thought it was pretty endearing.
Zuikaku soon noticed the unlit path to the hill was devoid of people and realized there wouldn't be anyone else but them at the top. He helped her up when her steps began to falter, thinking she was tired when, in reality, her mind was occupied with thinking about what could happen.
"Hey, why are you getting so jumpy all of a sudden?"
"No, nothing!"
"Okay, so don't suddenly shout like that next time!"
"Don't grab my hand out of nowhere like that, then!"
The moment she said that she could feel his hands moving away.
"Sorry. I thought you were getting tired."
"Um, well, not really, actually. I'm sorry too…for yelling like that."
Ohtori shrugged it off and turned his back on her, his thumb pointing at the hilltop, already not too far away.
"Alright then, it's already close by anyway. Let's go."
He walked slower than before—and Zuikaku walked just as slowly.
"So, what's so special about this hill?" Zuikaku questioned as they reached the place. There were indeed no other people but them, and the uneasiness crept back.
Ohtori looked over his shoulder with a well-pleased smile. He looked upwards, a finger pointing in the same direction.
The sky was like a river flowing with glistening stars—brighter and clearer than she had ever seen. Otherworldly beautiful and painfully out of reach.
"How's that? I found this by chance last year. I've been looking forward to showing it to you since then, but…well, you were already leaving before I could ask—what's wrong?" Looking down, Ohtori could see Zuikaku was no longer looking at the sky. She had a hand on her chest, which she immediately removed as he spoke.
"Oh…ah, it's nothing," Zuikaku dismissed, whipping up her head towards the stars again.
"Hm. Well, if you don't enjoy it, we could go back to the festival and—"
"Hey, I enjoyed it. It's lovely," Zuikaku looked down, passed a smile, then looked up again.
"Haha, good to hear, then. I guess this might as well be the Amanogawa River, huh?" Zuikaku heard Ohtori laughing.
"Well, it's Tanabata, after all."
"Uh-huh. And with the night being as clear as this, I'd like to think Orihime must've met with Hikoboshi again—"
Ohtori stopped upon hearing a peal of laughter. Zuikaku was clearly laughing at him, but even he had to admit that he had just said something genuinely cheesy.
"Heh. Never thought I would hear you say something like that. Now you're the one who's being a romantic, huh?"
Ohtori crossed his arms and slightly huffed.
"I just like their story, thank you very much."
After another giggle, Zuikaku ceased to laugh. She was still smiling, though.
"It is a nice story. A little sad but also hopeful. Because even if it's only for a day every year, they could still see each other and not be lonely."
"Yeah. Imagine how happy they must be."
"Haha, I think they must be over the moon by now."
"Speaking of Tanabata, did you get to make a wish?"
"Eh, I got this, but frankly, I don't know what to wish for," Zuikaku drew the strip from her sleeve. "You?"
"Same boat," he said, showing his own strip, which was also red. "I was thinking of giving this to you."
"Well, don't. Thinking up one wish is hard enough, and making two is just greedy."
"Fair enough," Ohtori put the strip back into his pocket. "Maybe walking back to town will help. We are not going to stay here for long anyway."
Zuikaku looked at the stars for the last time. They continued to shine bright, and for a passing moment, she was convinced that Orihime and Hikoboshi were among them, easing the other's loneliness.
Looking back at Ohtori, she nodded.
"You know, it's funny to think that when I got lost back there, suddenly you showed up," Zuikaku remarked as they found themselves back on the bustling streets.
"Funny coincidence, yeah. I got curious when I saw you sitting on that bench, all alone."
"In any case, I guess I'm lucky, huh?" Zuikaku chuckled. It soon waned as she got self-conscious. "I mean—"
"Hmm…I'm lucky, too, then? After all, I got to show you that, just like I wanted," Ohtori replied. Zuikaku envied how easy it was for him to say it.
"Then, there is no need for a wish, huh?"
Ohtori seemed pensive for a moment; then, when he looked at Zuikaku, she could see a bit of red on his face.
"I know," he began, his voice had an odd choke to it, "why don't we both wish we could still do this next year?"
Zuikaku hid her quivering lips with her own strip amid the pounding within her chest. Yet her mind was as clear as the night sky. When he said it, she knew right away.
Now that she had decided, Zuikaku lowered her hands and idly wondered if Ohtori was really that taken aback by her smile. But it didn't matter now.
"Actually, I would like that very much."
