From here, she can hear them better than she would normally—the voices of the audience.
She doesn’t have to say anything, nor looking at anything. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
Quite some time has passed since she last sang this song. But why would she forget the lyrics? The lyrics that took her so long to write.
Her debut song superstar of tomorrow received many reviews. There are mixed opinions. Some people saw it as a typical idol song. But there are those analyzed it.
“A star falls down before me at dawn, that’s because I miss you.
At the moment, when I don’t hesitate anymore, the words I blurt out express what I think.”
Happiness, sadness, and anger – emotions that she doesn’t very well.
She didn’t understand it. But ‘he’ was the one who helped her understand. How beautiful this world is because of the emotions people feel.
“I have endless words to say.
Without noticing, my cheeks flushed…
I’m in front of you.”
“All lights gather into a ray.
I hope you can be a little braver.
Every word you answer is so brilliant and dazzling.
You are like a star in the night sky.
Staying on the horizon
You sparkle for me…”
…..
Two hours later – 8:00 PM
“Is it okay for us to stay up here and not join them?” Sumire asked. Everybody looked hyped up despite the current dull folk song being played at the campfire.
“It’s fine, do you want to go?”
“Well, there are more festivals to come, so I am not worried about not experiencing the campfire.”
Yuhi chuckled. “That is a positive way to look at things.”
“Yuhi, we won first place for the best event today. I am happy, but I ended up doing nothing to help.” She ended up falling asleep again after her meeting with Soujiro too.
“You sure about that? You kept me company.”
Sumire rolled her eyes. “How does that help everyone?”
“Because of you, I kept the pests away, and everybody thought I provided good service to one girl for a long time.”
She feels terrible for tricking everybody, but if it contributed to good sales, then she supposes it is fine. Her thoughts broke off when Yuhi suddenly rested his head on her lap.
“Are you tired, Yuhi?” Sumire mumbled.
“Yeah, I am.”
“Sorry about everything. I keep causing you problems, I know you told me it is okay to do so but–”
Yuhi extended his hand out to caress her face. “I was happy when you said that you would rely on me.”
“Yuhi..”
“I love you a lot Sumire. If you still haven’t adjusted to me, that is fine. But I want you to understand my feelings for you.”
“I do understand, Yuhi.”
Sumire lowered her face, and bravely kissed him.
“Mmmmm, good. That’s good.”
It’s good, huh? She still doesn’t understand this type of thing very well. But if he is comfortable with this, then she does not mind doing it this way.
Sumire quickly regretted that thought when she realized how passionate the kiss was turning. Uh, it seems like she has underestimated him. She thought Yuhi would hold back kissing her since they are still on school grounds. But it looks like this fool does not care about time nor place.
“Yuhi-san, my neck hurts..”
He broke their kiss and sat back up. He pushed her against the railing and bent down. “Want to continue? Or should we stop now?”
“C-continue.”
Yuhi gently kissed her forehead. “Tell me when to stop.”
He cupped her cheeks and slowly nibbled on her bottom lip. Sumire managed to open her mouth, and he immediately slid his tongue inside. It didn’t take long before Yuhi explored her mouth again. The way he kissed her left her feeling all strange and muddled.
She felt hot all over, her face flushed. How come Yuhi-san can kiss like this? Isn’t he a high school student? She felt his hand on her thighs, and she stops him.
“S-stop.”
Yuhi pulled back and ran his hands through his hair. “Damn…As I thought, only you can get me this worked up.”
“Uhh, right.”
That was close, what on earth was he about to do there? She needs to have more self-awareness.
“You know I’ve been with many girls, Sumire. I won’t lie to you about that. But none of them made me feel like this.”
“Feel?”
Yuhi grabbed her hand and pulled it towards his chest.
“Yeah.”
“Yuhi…”
He bent down and kissed her forehead. “You’re so red right now. I guess I can stop.” He moved away from her. “Mind if I smoke?”
Normally she would. But, she still felt a bit dazed after that passionate kiss. She slowly nodded her head and watched as he pulled out a cigarette and lighter. ‘Yuhi-san doesn’t act like a normal high school student. How did he get into the nightclub so easily? Fake ID? How did he have the means to make one–‘
Ah, it’s the same scene as before. Whenever he is thinking about something, it looks dazzling to her. The perfect scene to paint. If she were to capture this moment through a lens and then paint it later. ‘What colors would I use?’ What is the best color to represent this scene right now?
“You’re singing is better than before.”
Sumire blinked. “I suppose.”
“Not satisfied?”
“I feel overwhelmed. I haven’t sung like that in a while, so I can’t tell if I did well or not.”
All she knew was right; at that moment, she felt a rush of different emotions.
“I see.”
“…Say Yuhi-san, could I get closer?”
Yuhi nodded. “Yeah.”
Despite his one-worded responses, Sumire saw the way he was looking at her. If he looks at her like that, how is she supposed to stay away from him? Sumire awkwardly positioned herself on his lap, and Yuhi chuckled.
“For somebody so red, you occasionally do these brave things.”
Sumire sighed. “I am tired, that’s all.”
“I see, are you comfortable in my arms?”
“Yes.”
Yuhi blinked, and then he suddenly flicked her forehead. “You know, since we are on this subject, let me tell you something. Now that I know you’re not doing it deliberately let me tell you something.”
Sumire laughed softly. “Wait, I think I understand, and I’m sorry. But don’t laugh, okay?” She trailed off. “When I’m close to you, I feel very comfortable. All the worries and fears I have vanished. Even if it’s only for a few minutes. I find peace, that’s why–” her sentence fell short when he brushed his fingers across her lips. “Yuhi-san…”
“Yeah, I get it. That’s fine with me. I figured it was like that. But I end up getting worked up whenever you get near to me… Damn, I’m more nervous than I thought.” Yuhi averted his gaze.
Sumire looked at him strangely. Why is he embarrassed? This time around, she did nothing to tease him. But her gaze fell towards Yuhi. A bright shade of red stained his cheeks, no his entire face.
Thump, thump. She felt the sound of her heartbeat increase. It seems like this person keeps defeating her. He has no idea, does he? The effect he has on her.
Sumire caressed his cheeks. “Yuhi-san, I want to do something bad to you.”
“…do it.”
She brushed their lips together and kissed him. The sounds of fireworks and their classmate’s laughter from the campfire drew her attention. But only briefly when she felt his hand around her waist, drawing her closer.
She won’t tell him how her heart races and chest aches whenever they are together. Whenever he holds her like this, she feels like crying due to the overwhelming happiness.
From now on, what will their future be like?
