Re: Miki Route (updated 7/17)
Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2012 10:59 am
by Meadows
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Act 1-4: Higher Ground
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Despite my best efforts to fight against it, the combination of light pouring through my curtains and the noise outside is enough to draw me back into the waking world. I end up stumbling out of bed, glancing over at my alarm-clock to see that it's already well past noon. It’s the day of the festival and I can hear the bustle of people walking around and students calling out, trying to draw customers to their stalls. Still in a semi-conscious daze, I manage to shuffle into my uniform and make myself look somewhat presentable. Looking in the mirror, I try to pat my hair down and see if maybe today is the day that persistent cowlick will finally decide to obey. No such luck.
My stomach gives an assertive rumble, telling me I should probably think about securing something to eat. After I sling back my daily meds and step out into the hallway, the door adjacent from mine rattles as numerous locks are swiftly undone. Kenji barrels through the door before it seems to be fully open, and is now standing directly in front of me.
“My man! What’s good?” he says, slipping one hand into his pocket and trying to look casual despite the flurry he just arrived in.
“Uh... not all that much yet. I just got up and was going to check out the festival.”
“Of course, of course,” Kenji nods, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “Wait, the WHAT!?”
“Festival,” I say slowly, my brow knitting in confusion. I thought Kenji was hard of sight, not hard of hearing.
“FESTIVAL!?” he takes a step back in shock, “What festival? Where? When?!”
“It’s outside. You know the one people have been preparing for all week? With the stalls, food, games, and stuff?”
“You mean there are people out there? Outside? Socializing!?!” Kenji tugs at his scarf nervously.
“Probably, yeah…” I shrug, not really seeing what the issue is.
“This is bad. Oh this is so bad, man. I can’t believe I forgot, now it’s too late,” Kenji stomps his foot and clenches his fists, looking as if he’s about to punch the nearest object. Not wanting it to be me, I step back a little and raise my hands reassuringly.
“Take it easy. You can just... go somewhere else, you know?”
“Somewhere else? Don’t you see, man?! We’re surrounded on all sides. There’s nowhere to run!” he stammers, looking more and more panicked, “This is the perfect time for the feminists to strike, when we’re most vulnerable. We’ve gotta get to... to... ”
Kenji suddenly goes silent and even though I can’t see his eyes behind the thick glasses he wears, he seems to be staring off into the distance past me.
“Kenji?” I say cautiously, bringing my hand up to wave in front of his face.
“TO HIGHER GROUND!” Kenji blurts suddenly, finishing his sentence and causing me to jolt back in surprise, “Hisao, you’re a genius! If there’s still time, we can make it. I have a backup plan, don’t worry! This just might work. Meet me on the rooftop in an hour, okay? We’ll make our last-stand there!”
“I uh... ” I want to try and tell him that I’m kind of already thinking of doing other things, but he doesn’t let me get a word in edgewise.
“Good luck and godspeed, man. If you don’t make it, I’ll know that you died fighting valiantly for the cause. Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, brother!” Kenji throws his scarf around his shoulder dramatically and raises a fist in the air as he turns to walk back into his room. The door seems to slam shut behind him of its own free will.
As with most of my interactions with Kenji, I’m left standing there dumbfounded for a moment, scratching the back of my head and staring absentmindedly at the spot where he stood. I decide not to spend too much time worrying about it and head outside instead.
Warm summer air colored with the scent of grilled and fried food greets me as I step out of the dorm and walk towards the bulk of the festivities. The crowd that’s moving around looks like a mix of students, parents, and the large elderly population from the village below. I’m a bit surprised at just how many people there are, since I honestly only imagined the students would be interested enough to come. Shizune must have been hard at work promoting the festival and this is the result.
After descending a set of steps towards one of the main paths, something to my right catches my eye. I stop and turn to look at the brick wall that had been covered in white primer and rough penciled outlines the last time I saw it. Between then and now, the wall has been transformed into a showcase of vibrant colors and twisting shapes. I walk closer and stand in front of the wide mural, my gaze drifting slowly across all of the odd figures--a mix of various human forms and body parts all erupting in different directions and then melting back together in other places.
I’ve never been able to understand art, especially modern art, but something about Rin’s work draws me in and leaves me standing there for some time as I try to absorb the unique array of textures and designs. It’s kind of disturbing and provocative at the same time. Nobody else seems to be coming over to look at the mural, and I wonder for a moment why Rin isn’t around either. She strikes me as the kind of person who’d like to sit around observing people as they observe her work, occasionally interjecting with one of her cryptic remarks to add to the experience.
After getting my fill of the mural and not having any epiphanies about its meaning or significance, my stomach rumbles once more, so I turn and set off down the path towards the festival to continue my search.
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As I walk along the path, I notice a familiar bluish-green tuft of hair poking out from behind the cover of a rather aged-looking, leather-bound book. The girl it belongs to is reclining in the shade of a tall tree on a large expanse of grass--one of the many that are interspersed between the various buildings and walkways throughout the school. There isn’t really anyone else besides us over here, so I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Sitting down next to her seems too casual, and I really only came over just to say hello.
“Hey Suzu,” I say with a wave as I stride towards her, but it takes her a moment to notice me and pull away from her book.
“Hisao,” she replies with a friendly nod after looking up, “Nice to see you. Are you having fun?”
“I actually just got here, so I haven’t really had the chance to roam around much yet. It seems like we’ve got a pretty good turnout though,” I jerk my thumb back over my shoulder in the direction of the massive crowd of people flowing by.
“Yeah it sure does,” Suzu says, clearly trying to retain a neutral expression, but the corners of her lips still turn down slightly and she sounds disappointed. Her gaze begins to wander back towards her book, and I decide it’s better to change the subject.
“What’ve you got there?” I ask since the book has caught my attention. I try leaning over a bit to see what the cover or spine says, but there doesn’t appear to be anything printed there.
“Twelfth Night,” she says, her frown quickly evaporating, “It’s one of my favorites. I’ve already read it a few times but... um... My memory of certain parts is better than others, so I’m kinda trying to fill in the blanks I guess.”
“Must be pretty good then,” I try to make my reply sound as upbeat as possible so she doesn’t think I’m making a crack about her dozing off while reading, “I’ll have to grab a copy from the library next time I’m there. I’ve already finished most of the books I checked out.”
“Let me know what you think when you do,” Suzu looks like she wants to say something else but pauses to yawn, stretching her arms out as she does.
“Interested in coming to check out the festival at all?” I offer casually, recalling the conversation from lunch with Miki that Suzu was mostly MIA for. “I was thinking of paying Miki a visit at her club’s stall.”
“You should,” Suzu gives a nod of approval, “She would like that.”
“And what would you like?” I can tell she’s trying to be a little evasive here, but I don’t want her to feel left out.
“Me?” she echoes distantly, pausing for a moment to ponder, “I... I think I’ve managed to secure some prime real-estate right here. I heard there’s going to be fireworks later. If I’m lucky, I might still be awake when they start.”
The way she says it so casually and then smiles at me is kind of heartrending. It gives me that strained feeling in my chest--not like with one of my attacks, but something more subtle. I want to try and make the festival more fun for Suzu, but it almost seems like there’s a kind of apprehension that’s holding her back. I get the feeling that she’s pretty set on staying put, and I decide it’d be better not to try and pressure her into something she wouldn’t be entirely comfortable with.
“Alright,” I say, doing my best not to let any disappointment show, “I’ll send your regards to Miki then, if I can manage to track her down.”
“How kind of you,” Suzu’s gaze falls to the ground momentarily before coming back up to meet mine, “Have fun, Hisao.”
I give a small bow as I back away and Suzu smiles at me softly before returning to her book.
=====================
I continue to navigate through the crowd, careful to avoid bumping into people since I don’t feel like dealing with any unwanted chest-problems today. Eventually, I come upon the track and field club’s stand where there’s a noticeable break in the flow, and very few people seem to be coming near or even paying attention to the stall despite its eye-catching banner and signs that advertise prizes. A lone figure sits slumped over the counter, chin resting against the stump of her missing hand, drumming her fingers idly on the unpainted wood. Miki looks incredibly bored, which makes her seem pretty out of place considering all of the excitement going on nearby. I approach the stall and when she notices me, her face lights up visibly.
“Hey stranger! What brings you around here?” she pushes herself up from the counter and dusts off the front of her shirt a bit.
“Thought I would come and pay you a visit,” I slip my hands into my pockets casually, “And Suzu wanted me to say ‘hi’ for her, so... mission accomplished.”
“Oh, you managed to find Suzu?” Miki’s eyebrows raise in curiosity at the mention of her friend, “How’s she doing?”
“She’s off that way somewhere relaxing in the shade and reading Shakespeare,” I gesture vaguely in the direction of the main building.
“Shakespeare huh?” Miki narrows her eyes and purses her lips in consideration, “She tried to get me into some of that stuff before--said it was all romantic and jazz. Normally I can dig a good romance, but when I tried reading it all I got was ‘Shall I compare thee to a gaylord?’ It’s like I need a dictionary just to figure that stuff out.”
“Yeah it’s... not for everyone, I guess,” I give a hesitant nod in feigned agreement while looking around at the stall once more, “So it seems like everything turned out okay here despite the last minute issues you were telling me about.”
“Yeah people got their act together and we pulled it off somehow,” Miki crosses her arms and frowns a little, evidently not relishing the memories of the project, “Fancy a game?”
“Don’t you kind of need other people to play?” I point to the game-board hung up behind her, which is painted like a race-track with four lanes.
There are four little cutouts in the shape of people wearing uniforms of varying colors. It’s pretty simplistic, and the background is just grass with a few generic-looking trees set against a solid-blue sky. The sun looks like a basic circle with lines radiating out from it, except it also seems to be wearing a pair of stylish shades and a saucy smirk. No doubt that was an added touch of Miki’s. I start to wonder what the board might have looked like if Rin had painted it, recalling my earlier visit to her finished mural, but Miki’s response brings me back to reality before my imagination can conjure up anything terrifying.
“I mean... yeah, there isn’t exactly anyone lining up for it,” Miki says with a shrug, “You’ll see why if you play. So how about me and you race?”
“Sounds good” I say, giving her a thumbs-up.
“Which color do you want?” she nods over her shoulder at the four cutouts mounted on the pegs at the starting line. I stroke my chin and stare at them intently as if it were a critically important choice.
“Red,” I say with a decisive nod, “Red is the fastest.”
“Heh, interesting,” she gives me a half-grin and then takes two of the other cutouts off the board, leaving the green runner standing next to my red one, “Green is better though. I’m totally gonna kick your ass.”
“What? Green isn’t fast at all,” I say with an exaggerated scoff at her choice, “Why pick that?”
“Green’s my favorite color,” Miki remarks, seemingly satisfied with this explanation.
After a quick rock-paper-scissors to see who will start, Miki ends up spinning the wheel and gaining a couple of spaces first. My turn then puts me one space ahead of her. A few turns pass and we trade places for the lead several times. Miki occasionally interjects with some smack-talk:
“See? My guy is totally faster than your guy.”
“Nuh-uh. I told you, red is the fastest. Just watch.”
“No dude, look at him, he’s totally out of breath already. All that red is making him overheat. You should’ve picked a cooler color.”
This continues until our cutout-racers close in on the finish line. Normally I wouldn’t find this game all that exciting, but the ridiculous little competition that Miki and I have built up for it has made it surprisingly fun. I’m leaning over the counter and staring intently at the board as I watch the spin-wheel click and slow to a stop. It lands on one of the higher numbers and my guy jumps forward several spaces. Miki lets out a ‘tch’ in mild annoyance but still looks determined as she takes her turn.
Despite her burning drive to win, Miki’s racer is unable to catch up and my luck keeps me in the lead the rest of the way to the finish line. Miki snaps her fingers in disappointment and then turns to me with a smile.
“Damn, thought I had it. That was pretty good,” she bends down and pulls a small woven basket out from under the counter, placing it in front of me, “Congrats! Pick a prize.”
I stare down at the basket for a moment and then glance back up at Miki, a look of confusion spreading across my face as I do. The contents are a variety of fruits and vegetables--apples, carrots, bananas, mikan, eggplant. These are the prizes?
“Emi’s idea,” Miki gives me an understanding nod and then rolls her eyes, “She went on this huge tear about how there was going to be tons of junk-food at the festival, so our stand should try to give away something healthy to balance it out. As you can see, it’s a smash hit.”
Miki gestures to the obvious lack of patrons. A stray napkin tumbles past, carried by the wind. The crowd almost looks like they are actively avoiding the stall now. How dispiriting.
“That... sounds like Emi alright,” I say as I pick an apple out from the basket after giving it a good appraising look, “She seems to take her health and fitness pretty seriously.”
“Speaking from personal experience are we, Hisao?” Miki’s voice rises with curiosity.
“Heh, yeah. Emi kind of tried to recruit me for morning runs with her. I somehow managed to slip out of it after the first time without making any promises.”
“Man, you dodged a bullet there,” Miki laughs a little as she turns to reset the pieces on the board behind her, “I’ve seen Emi when she’s training, and that girl does not screw around. You’d probably end up worse off than you were that day I found you.”
“That’s kind of what I was thinking too,” I admit, rubbing the back of my neck, “I felt a little bad turning her offer down, though, since the nurse said I could use some exercise but... ”
“Hmm,” Miki pauses briefly, closing her eyes as if considering something, “How ‘bout running with me then? I’ll definitely smoke you out there on a real track, but I won’t work you to death like Emi would.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, why not? You said you need the exercise, right?” Miki opens one eye and smiles at me encouragingly, “I’m not much of a morning person, so don’t worry about having to get up at the crack of dawn or anything either. I usually run in the afternoon or evening.”
I take a moment to weigh her offer, finding it fairly enticing. Based on what she’s said, running with Miki might not be all that bad. She’s been a pretty cool person to hang out with so far, and I can’t say I hated my experience with running all that much, so I might as well go for it.
“Alright, let’s do it,” I say, crossing my arms and nodding firmly, “We’ll talk more about it in class tomorrow?”
“Deal… but I won’t ask you to shake on it,” Miki says with a crooked grin and a look of satisfaction, “So what’re you gonna do now? Thinking of heading off to check out more of the attractions?”
“Yeah, probably,” I hadn’t actually thought that far ahead about what I wanted to do after finding Miki. Now that I’m out here, the thought of joining Kenji up on the roof for whatever he had planned is even less appealing. “What about you?”
“I’m stuck here until someone else from the team decides to show up,” she sighs, any of her earlier excitement quickly fading away.
“So they just... left you to run the booth yourself?” I say in disbelief, “Where’d they all go?”
“Pff, heck if I know. Probably ran off to enjoy the festival and do sappy stuff with their boy/girl-friends,” Miki says in annoyance, “As soon as I see someone, though, I’m going to--AHAH!”
Her eyes ablaze, Miki points towards the crowd and then dashes out from the stall towards a meek-looking boy who wears the expression of a deer that’s been caught in the headlights. He’s probably one of the underclassmen from the club. After a quick and rather animated exchange, Miki grabs the boy by his collar and drags him over, depositing him behind the counter.
“What great timing, Hisao! Tanaka here just dropped by to take over for me. Isn’t that right, Tanaka?” Miki gives him a slightly threatening look.
“B-But... ” Tanaka is at an obvious loss for words and feebly tries to stutter out a reply.
“Great!” Miki says, stepping out of the booth, quickly grabbing me by the arm and pulling me away, “Have fun then!”
I cast one look back at the poor guy and realize that his chances of enjoying the festival have been totally destroyed, unless he can somehow manage to pull the same maneuver that Miki did, but he doesn’t exactly strike me as the type. I shrug, deciding not to worry about it too much, and actually feel a slight sense of accomplishment since I was able to help Miki out for a change. She walks beside me, still holding onto my arm and humming to herself in satisfaction. Her eyes are darting here and there already to scouting out the different stalls while deciding where to go next.
“Anything in particular in mind?” I ask while gesturing to the avenue of entertainment laid out before us, “You’re the supposed expert with all the inside info, right?”
“Hehe maybe. I know a few places that were pretty good last year, we’ll just have to hunt them down again. Let’s start with some food, because I’m starving.”
“Me too,” I say, remembering the apple I picked from the basket. I dust it off on my jacket slightly and then take a bite, “This is the first thing I’ve had to eat today. Suppose I should make it healthy, heh.”
“I’ll try not to get you loaded up with too much greasy stuff,” Miki grins, “But that’s kind of hard to avoid with the best things here. There’s one place with spiral-cut seasoned potatos, and another that has okonomiyaki that will rock your socks o--OH, there it is!”
Her eyes widen in recognition as she yanks me over towards a rather unremarkable-looking okonomiyaki stand. As we get closer, I’m assaulted by a delectable scent that rises from the grill. The student manning the grill gives us a nod, taking a moment to adjust his headband and roll up one of his sleeves a bit more. “What’ll ya have?” he asks.
“The Special!” Miki says enthusiastically and then looks over, remembering I’m with her, “Make it two.”
The cook throws up his arm in acknowledgement and then gets to work, spreading out an assortment of vegetables, noodles, and meat on the grill, which he then covers with a thick layer of pancake batter. As the mixture begins to sizzle and pop, he reaches over and grabs a couple of containers filled with a unique-looking mixture of seasoning. Giving them a stylish twirl in his hands, he shakes a bit out over the neatly formed patties. I watch in awe as the steam rises, but then realize I’m not sure what Miki just ordered, so I lean over and whisper in her ear somewhat nervously.
“What’s the special?”
My question brings her out of her reverie and she turns to grin at me again, “Oh... he just puts a little extra meat and some more spices on there. It’s totally worth it, man. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll like it.”
I give Miki a quizzical look, but decide to trust her judgment. Before long, our food is finished and the cook is passing the glistening product over to us in little paper trays. We thank him before paying and walking off, and I blow on mine a little to try and cool it down before digging in. Miki, however, goes right for it and half of hers is gone in the blink of an eye.
“Good?” I ask, rather impressed with how quickly she’s managed to tear into it.
“Mrrf mhr brfffht!” she says, cheeks bulging as she tries to smile at me.
“Sorry, didn’t quite catch that,” I raise a hand up to my ear for effect.
“It’s the best!” Miki repeats after taking a second to chew properly and down the rest.
I take a look at my own and decide that it’s probably cooled off enough by now. After breaking off a decent sized piece, I pop it into my mouth, chewing tentatively. The texture is rich, and I can definitely taste all of the different ingredients it was loaded up with. After a moment, a new dimension of flavor kicks in and I feel my tongue begins to burn, soon followed by my eyes watering a little. I turn to Miki, shooting her a look of confusion and dismay.
“Ahaha, yeah that’s the special alright,” Miki says, clearly amused by my reaction, “Good and spicy, isn’t it?”
I cough once before managing to respond, “So I guess you like spicy food huh?”
“Yep! Not all the time, but food’s gotta have a little kick to it otherwise it’s just the same old boring thing, right?”
While it’s a little uncomfortable and not usually what I go for, I kind of enjoy this tingly-burning sensation. I take another bite while Miki looks on, having already finished hers and tossed the tray into a trashcan we walked past. She tilts her head to the side, giving me a curious look while watching as I attempt to polish off the rest of my food.
“We’re probably gonna have to get you something to drink, huh?”
I hesitate before picking up the last piece and then nod at Miki as I try to chew it bravely.
She pats me on the back as we continue to walk, “There’s a stall that makes these awesome slushies with all kinds of flavors. That sounds like what you need.”
The thought of something cool and refreshing keeps me going as Miki guides me along. After securing a drink to adequately extinguish the burn, Miki gives me a thumbs-up and then we continue to drift throughout the array of the stalls, stopping here and there to pick up food or play a game. Miki decided to try her luck at the fish-scooping game, but after breaking several nets I had to pull her away because she started looking like she wanted to reach straight into the water and just grab one of the fish. Between the two of us, we did manage to win a few decent, non-veggie-based prizes at some of the other stalls.
As the afternoon slowly starts to fade away into evening, it strikes me that this is the first time since I’ve arrived at Yamaku that I’ve really had the chance to slow down and enjoy things. Even though I didn’t help out with the festival preparations, I realize that I got caught up in the fervor surrounding it, along with my odd attempts at trying to fit in during my first week here. Despite the incident with my medication, I think that it’s been pretty positive overall, and part of the reason why it turned out that way is now walking next to me. I turn to look at Miki who is happily munching on a skewer of baked mochi from the most recent stall. My gaze falls over her as I take in the complete image of this lively, tomboyish girl that I’ve somehow become friends with. Her dark-brown hair shimmers softly in the afternoon light, trailing down her back to her hips, which sway slightly with each step she takes.
“Whatcha looking at, Hisao?”
I notice Miki has turned meet my gaze. She flashes that radiant smile of hers and throws a playful jab at my shoulder.
“Oh. I... uh... nothing,” I look away to hide the light blush I can feel spreading across my cheeks, “Is there anything else you want to do?”
“Hmmm. We’ve cleaned up pretty well here and hit most of the good stuff, I think.”
“We could go back and try that fish game again,” I suggest, nudging her lightly in the side with my elbow.
Miki laughs in response, but then her face turns dead serious, “Don’t even joke, man. I might punch somebody if we do.”
“Well, it’s beginning to get dark. I think the fireworks should start soon, right?”
“Of course! The fireworks,” Miki snaps her fingers, “I totally forgot. I’ve got a good idea. Think you can handle a little more walking?”
“Try me.”
==========================
Miki and I set out through the front gate and onto the main road that goes to town. Instead of turning left however, we head up to the part of the road that goes past the school and snakes further off into the mountains. I didn’t even really notice this part before, to be honest, and I’m surprised that there’s even anything else up here besides the school that it would go to. We climb the slope for a little while and eventually Miki points to a break in the greenery over by the side of the road, which looks to be the beginning of some kind of trail.
As we follow the trail, the climb becomes a little steeper and I have to take care with my footing, using twisting roots and well-worn stones placed in key spots to assist with the climb. Trees surround us on all sides and the forest is painted in the hushed glow of twilight. The persistent droning of the cicadas has died down to a gentle hum that floats through the cool evening air. I watch as Miki continues up the slope in front of me, her motions careful and deliberate--this definitely isn’t the first time she’s done this.
“Do you go... umph,” I pause to step over a fairly large rock jutting out in front of me, “Do you go hiking much?”
“Yeah every now and then,” she responds, ducking under a low-hanging branch, “I used to spend a lot of time outdoors exploring when I was a kid, and nature’s pretty cool. It’s nice and calming being out here, you know?”
“Can I ask where we’re going?”
“Nope, that’d ruin the magic.”
“I didn’t even know there was stuff besides the school up here.”
“Sure there is. There’s a few old houses, a temple, and some shrines scattered around. Not too much other than that, but it’s interesting.”
The conversation dies off as we focus on making our way up towards... well... wherever it is we’re going. I can feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead, and I definitely have to take more measured breaths as we continue. Miki looks back to check on me a few times, and stops once she notices my pace beginning to slow.
“You alright?” she asks, giving me a look of concern.
“Oh yeah… never been… better,” I huff, finally managing to hop up next to her. I put on the best rugged-mountaineer face I can manage, but her expression tells me I’ve fallen miserably short.
“Hisao, really,” Miki takes a few steps to the edge of the trail and leans up against a sturdy branch from a tree that’s growing sideways, “This won’t be any fun if I end up carrying you back down the hill. It’s fine if you stop and rest, I won’t care.”
Reluctant to concede, I stand there for another moment before I let my shoulders slump forward and move to sit down next to her on the branch. Being reminded of my condition like this isn’t all that pleasant, but Miki’s calm and understanding response certainly makes it a little more tolerable. Once I’ve managed to catch my breath again, we stand up and continue our ascent. After what only seems like a short while later, the trees start to thin out and the trail begins to crest the top of the hill we’ve been climbing. As we step out into the open space, I take another moment to regain my breath only to have it promptly stolen from me once more as I look up to see where we’ve arrived.
We’re standing upon a small ridge overlooking the entire expanse of the valley below. Yamaku sits atop its section of the hill off to the east, and my eyes follow the main road as it snakes back down to the sleepy little town below. Off in the far distance, I can even make out a soft glow that must be coming from the city. The surrounding mountains are all crested in an aura of faint turquoise--traces of the remaining sunlight--but the rest of the sky has already faded to a deep and rich blue.
“Woah,” is all I can manage to say after a long exhale.
“Not too shabby, huh?” Miki has skipped over and jumped onto a low rock-wall that lines the edge of the ridge. She turns back to face me, her hand and wrist resting against her hips to strike a triumphant pose, “And, we’ve also got front-row seats for the show!”
Miki points over to a bench made from four large pieces of carved stone sitting under a weathered latticework canopy that has been thoroughly overgrown with leafy vines. The bench looks rather appealing, especially after that hike, so I shuffle towards it, settling down and stretching my arms across the back. Oh man, that feels great. The stone is pleasantly cool and smooth to the touch. I let out a sigh of relief and I’m a little surprised that my legs are already feeling somewhat stiff. The nurse was right about me needing that exercise.
I feel a rush of air and turn to see Miki now settling in next to me on the bench. She grins, brushing a bit of hair back behind her ear.
“This is pretty awesome, Miki,” I gesture to our surroundings, “How’d you manage to find this place?”
“I dunno. Sometimes running doesn’t always do the trick, so I just wander around to clear my head and stuff,” she says with a shrug, turning to gaze back out over the expanse below, “One minute I’m trekking through the forest, and the next I’m up here.”
As I lean back and relax, I notice hints of a pleasant scent drifting through the air. It’s sweet, gentle, and crisp, but not overbearing in any way. It smells like the memory of a half-forgotten dream.
“Do you smell that?” I ask, looking around and trying to determine its origin.
Miki reaches over and lifts up one of the vines curling through the latticework and points to cluster of small, white flowers among the leaves.
“Jasmine,” she says knowingly, stealing a quick sideways glance at me before looking away, “This kind only blooms at night. I love it, which is one of the other reasons why I come up here.”
We spend the next few moments in silence just enjoying the atmosphere and view, until a sudden whistling sound issues forth from somewhere near the school. It dies out for a moment before the air is filled with a distinct, percussive pop, followed by a silvery explosion and shower of sparks. The fireworks begin to rise in the sky, striking out against the stars one by one, erupting in a grandiose display as if to say “we can shine brighter than you.” It occurs to me that I’ve never watched fireworks from this high up before, and that I’ve only seen them from the ground at the festivals I’ve been to in the past. This whole day has been a great experience, and getting to watch the finale from such a unique vantage point only puts me further at ease. I feel myself wanting to thank Miki again, even though it’s starting to feel repetitive, but I turn to her during the break before the next round launches.
As I do, I’m instantly met with her gaze, and it seems as though she’s already been watching me. I catch that glimmer of mischievousness as I stare into her eyes and she stares right back. Just as I begin to open my mouth to say something, Miki quickly leans forward and presses her lips to mine. My nerves are temporarily overloaded with the sensation, and I barely even register when her arms find their way up to wrap around my neck. Any tension I was feeling before begins to flow away and I slowly melt into the kiss, leaning into it to try and match some of Miki’s intensity.
My eyes fall closed as our lips part briefly and rejoin, and I try to savor the warm and delicate sensation for as long as I can each time they do. Miki breaks away after another minute--or possibly an eternity--reaching up to caress my cheek while pressing her forehead against mine as we both try to catch our breath. Her eyes dart up to make contact with mine again, and even though she’s too close for me to see it, I can tell that she’s wearing a smile that would make the fireworks and stars all look dim in comparison.
“Surprised?” she whispers, her breath still somewhat unsteady.
“A little,” I say, holding back a shudder of nervous excitement.
“Want to stop?” Miki looks at me searchingly, but shows no sign of backing away.
With the challenge issued, the only good response I can think of is to place my arms around her waist and pull her into a kiss again. More fireworks begin to rain down as we reunite, their splendor seemingly amplified by the soft sensation of Miki’s well-proportioned body pressing up against mine. Our movements become more synchronized as we share kiss after kiss in a tender conversation where no words are spoken.
Somewhere deep within my chest, I can feel my heart beating steadily. It thumps along rhythmically, matching the tempo of the fireworks bursting off in the distance. I can’t tell which of the two is louder, but right now nothing could possibly make me care.
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