[Mekakuni] fic: Memories of the Future ch.16
In time for the deadline!
Memories of the Future
A Namiki-centric fic for 30_kisses.
Disclaimer: Mekakushi no Kuni belongs to Tsukuba Sakura. I'm making no profit from writing this piece of fanwork.
archive: lj | ffnet
word count: ~1600
-----chapter 16: #19 red-----
Kaichou didn't ask. Namiki didn't explain. Kanade knew what she had to do, knew what Namiki wouldn't do. It wasn’t his secret to tell.
That evening when the girls parted from the guys to change into their summer yukata for the festival, Kanade pulled Kaichou aside. It was now or never. If she waited, she’d only convince herself out of saying anything.
"I can see the future," said Kanade as she dropped Kaichou's hand. If she had been wearing her school uniform, she'd have twisted the ends of her skirt. Instead, she fingered the ends of her sleeves, hoping that would still her shaking. She knew Kaichou was kind, but she had only ever confessed to Eri before.
She had nothing to fear, for Kaichou smiled gently.
"I thought as much. Thanks for letting me know."
When Kaichou reached out to clasp Kanade’s hand, Kanade tried her best not to shy away, but her involuntarily twitch must have given her away. The taller girl paused, her smile falling away. She looked down at her hand.
"It's not you," Kanade explained hurriedly. "I'm just afraid that I might see something accidentally. I'm sorry. It's a hard habit to get rid of. "
"You don’t have to apologize." said Kaichou. She shook her head. "In fact, I want to apologize for not considering what it's like from your side."
She paused, her eyes hesitant.
"Is it the same for him?" Kaichou asked quietly.
That, in turn, wasn't Kanade's to tell.
-----
Masahiro's thin yukata wasn't quite thin enough for the summer heat. He fanned himself with the paper fan he had acquired at the festival's entrance and passed the extra one to Kaichou. Kaichou murmured her thanks as she pulled the fan open, the sound of crinkling paper joining the low hum of the festival.
Marota’s warm body didn't help with the summer heat. Carrying the excited little dog in his arms was not fun. Marota’s tail thumped against Masahiro’s chest every time they passed a food stall, the little puppy squirming to escape Masahiro’s arms.
"Stay still!" exclaimed Masahiro exasperatedly.
"Here, let me, " offered Kaichou with extended arms.
Masahiro handed Marota over with one hand. "He's all yours. He's great to cuddle with in winter but not at all during summer. He's way too energetic."
As if to prove Masahiro wrong, the puppy settled down in Kaichou’s arms and calmed down immediately, his tongue lolling.
Kaichou patted Marota. "What a sweet little puppy you are!"
Masahiro eyed Marota accusingly, wondering how Kaichou was able to handle him so easily. The puppy turned his head up, licking Kaichou on the face. Kaichou laughed and kissed Marota on the nose.
Marota was such a lucky dog.
-----
The six of them tried their best to stay together as they explored the stands. Masahiro steered far away from the goldfish stands. The last time that he’d been at one of these festivals, he ended up with a new pet turtle. He didn’t need to add goldfish to his list of pets. Turtles were all right, but keeping Marota from eating the turtle was such a chore. The turtle just had to join Marota in squashing him in the morning too.
Eri and Kanade soon gravitated towards the handmade jewelry stands, giggling over the intricately carved rings and pendants. Kaichou followed behind them at a distance with Marota safe in her arms. When Kanade noticed Kaichou trailing behind, she turned back and pulled Kaichou along, the two girls sharing a secret smile.
Eri pulled on Ezawa’s yukata and pointed at a ring that caught her eye. “Get me that one!” she exclaimed. Her boyfriend obliged and held Eri’s small hand in his. He slipped the ring on her ring finger. All the while, Eri had her other hand on her cheeks. She sighed in contentment.
Next to them, Arou quietly bought a necklace for Kanade. Kanade beamed and turned around, lifting her hair so that Arou could help her put the necklace on.
Masahiro bent down to examine the handmade jewelry that had captivated Eri and Kanade so much. He fingered a dainty flower pendant necklace, marveling at the detail in the petals. The necklace reminded him of the time they had all gone to see the sakura together. The falling petals had caught in Kaichou’s hair so many times. He turned to look up at her.
Against the soft lights that decorated the festival, Kaichou’s glowing silhouette made his heart thump. He dangled the necklace in front of him, the metal cool against his skin.
“Take this.”
“What?” she asked, looking at him in surprise at his sudden words.
“A...gift for you,” he finished lamely.
She stared at the necklace confusedly before glancing towards Eri and Kanade. “Don’t worry, I won’t feel left out,” said Kaichou without taking the necklace.
Masahiro blinked before his mind supplied the answer. “Wait, it’s not like I’m pitying you or doing this out of obligation or anything!” he sputtered. He certainly hadn’t thought he needed to give Kaichou a gift just because Eri and Kanade had both received gifts! “Just think of this as...thanks for taking care of Marota throughout the day.”
Kaichou smiled. “All right. But only if you let me buy you something in return too.”
“Okay...wait, what?”
His protests fell on deaf ears. Kaichou was already bending over the selection, humming as she took her pick. “What do you think of this one, Marota? I think it suits your owner’s eyes perfectly. It’ll really bring out his azure eyes.”
She turned around, holding a pair of earrings with small, sapphire stones.
Masahiro laughed out loud, Marota barking along with him. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Come on, try them on! I want to see,” said Kaichou mischievously. “Before you protest that you don’t have your ears pierced, let me tell you these are magnetic.”
At Kaichou’s earnest look, Masahiro gave in easily. “Oh fine, just for the duration of the festival.”
He held his hand out for the earrings, Kaichou’s light touch brushing against his hand. He separated the earring from the magnetic backing, trying his best to fasten it on his ear.
“There, how does it look?” he asked, tilting his head. The earrings felt odd, an extra weight on his ears.
Kaichou grinned. “I was entirely right. It brings out your eyes.”
“Whatever you say. Okay, now it’s your turn. Turn around,” said Masahiro.
“What?”
“You know, the necklace? You have your hands full with Marota. Let me help you put it on.”
“Oh, all right,” she said as she turned around. Masahiro stepped close to her, close enough to breathe in her rose scented shampoo. He fastened the necklace around her neck, the flower pendant falling against her chest.
He took a step back, watching Kaichou touch the pendant, her mouth lifting in a smile. The simple necklace was just right.
When the others finally noticed their selections, Eri and Kanade squealed at his sapphire earrings. Eri turned around to force the same on her boyfriend while Kanade looked at Arou curiously, no doubt wondering how the dark haired boy would look with earrings.
Masahiro snickered at Arou’s discomfort.
-----
The festival gradually became busier as more people wandered in. As the six friends walked from stand to stand, they had to navigate through crowds of people, their shoulders often bumping into those of strangers. Arou stumbled after one such incident. Kaichou moved to help him, forgetting she had Marota in her arms. The little puppy slipped out of her arms and landed sloppily on the floor.
Masahiro hastily grabbed him before he could bounce off. He really should have left Marota at home. When Masahiro stood back up, he caught Kaichou’s worried look at Arou’s pale complexion.
He began to notice how Kaichou’s gaze followed Arou as they passed the dango stand. Her gaze continued to follow Arou even when it was her turn at the throwing game. When they went searching for a spot to see the fireworks, her eyes still trailed towards the dark haired boy. Masahiro wondered at Kaichou’s sudden interest in Arou. Had he missed it before now, or had she always looked at Arou so intently?
He tried to put the thought out of his mind as he waved them over towards the spot he had found with a perfect view of the open sky.
They settled down to wait for the beginning of the fireworks. Kanade offered to grab something for everyone to munch on. Arou stood up to accompany her. She tried to persuade him to take a rest, but Arou insisted he was fine.
“His color didn’t look very good,” murmured Kaichou after they left, her voice quiet in case Ezawa or Eri overheard. “I have the feeling that being in crowds taxes him a lot. Is it the contact?”
Masahiro leaned back on his arms. “Have Kanade or Arou said anything to you?”
“Kanade did,” replied Kaichou. “I’ve wondered about her weird behavior at times. Now that I think about it, it makes so much sense...”
“Oh, so you believed her straight away?” said Masahiro with mock hurt.
Kaichou snorted. “I’ve already suspended my disbelief for you. What’s one more?”
She looked up at the sky, her legs tucked close to her chest. “I’ve wondered what your connection is with Kanade and Arou,” she said. “I’ve never even considered that you shared something like this.”
“Sometimes, I feel,” she continued, “that it’s so hard for me to…”
At that moment, the first batch of fireworks shot up into the sky, the red sparks lighting up the dark sky, illuminating Kaichou’s face. The loud boom drowned out the rest of her sentence.
“What did you say?” asked Masahiro loudly over the booming fireworks.
Kaichou shrugged with a tiny smile and extended her legs out in front of her, settling back to watch the fireworks.
-----
to be continued
Memories of the Future
A Namiki-centric fic for 30_kisses.
Disclaimer: Mekakushi no Kuni belongs to Tsukuba Sakura. I'm making no profit from writing this piece of fanwork.
archive: lj | ffnet
word count: ~1600
-----chapter 16: #19 red-----
Kaichou didn't ask. Namiki didn't explain. Kanade knew what she had to do, knew what Namiki wouldn't do. It wasn’t his secret to tell.
That evening when the girls parted from the guys to change into their summer yukata for the festival, Kanade pulled Kaichou aside. It was now or never. If she waited, she’d only convince herself out of saying anything.
"I can see the future," said Kanade as she dropped Kaichou's hand. If she had been wearing her school uniform, she'd have twisted the ends of her skirt. Instead, she fingered the ends of her sleeves, hoping that would still her shaking. She knew Kaichou was kind, but she had only ever confessed to Eri before.
She had nothing to fear, for Kaichou smiled gently.
"I thought as much. Thanks for letting me know."
When Kaichou reached out to clasp Kanade’s hand, Kanade tried her best not to shy away, but her involuntarily twitch must have given her away. The taller girl paused, her smile falling away. She looked down at her hand.
"It's not you," Kanade explained hurriedly. "I'm just afraid that I might see something accidentally. I'm sorry. It's a hard habit to get rid of. "
"You don’t have to apologize." said Kaichou. She shook her head. "In fact, I want to apologize for not considering what it's like from your side."
She paused, her eyes hesitant.
"Is it the same for him?" Kaichou asked quietly.
That, in turn, wasn't Kanade's to tell.
-----
Masahiro's thin yukata wasn't quite thin enough for the summer heat. He fanned himself with the paper fan he had acquired at the festival's entrance and passed the extra one to Kaichou. Kaichou murmured her thanks as she pulled the fan open, the sound of crinkling paper joining the low hum of the festival.
Marota’s warm body didn't help with the summer heat. Carrying the excited little dog in his arms was not fun. Marota’s tail thumped against Masahiro’s chest every time they passed a food stall, the little puppy squirming to escape Masahiro’s arms.
"Stay still!" exclaimed Masahiro exasperatedly.
"Here, let me, " offered Kaichou with extended arms.
Masahiro handed Marota over with one hand. "He's all yours. He's great to cuddle with in winter but not at all during summer. He's way too energetic."
As if to prove Masahiro wrong, the puppy settled down in Kaichou’s arms and calmed down immediately, his tongue lolling.
Kaichou patted Marota. "What a sweet little puppy you are!"
Masahiro eyed Marota accusingly, wondering how Kaichou was able to handle him so easily. The puppy turned his head up, licking Kaichou on the face. Kaichou laughed and kissed Marota on the nose.
Marota was such a lucky dog.
-----
The six of them tried their best to stay together as they explored the stands. Masahiro steered far away from the goldfish stands. The last time that he’d been at one of these festivals, he ended up with a new pet turtle. He didn’t need to add goldfish to his list of pets. Turtles were all right, but keeping Marota from eating the turtle was such a chore. The turtle just had to join Marota in squashing him in the morning too.
Eri and Kanade soon gravitated towards the handmade jewelry stands, giggling over the intricately carved rings and pendants. Kaichou followed behind them at a distance with Marota safe in her arms. When Kanade noticed Kaichou trailing behind, she turned back and pulled Kaichou along, the two girls sharing a secret smile.
Eri pulled on Ezawa’s yukata and pointed at a ring that caught her eye. “Get me that one!” she exclaimed. Her boyfriend obliged and held Eri’s small hand in his. He slipped the ring on her ring finger. All the while, Eri had her other hand on her cheeks. She sighed in contentment.
Next to them, Arou quietly bought a necklace for Kanade. Kanade beamed and turned around, lifting her hair so that Arou could help her put the necklace on.
Masahiro bent down to examine the handmade jewelry that had captivated Eri and Kanade so much. He fingered a dainty flower pendant necklace, marveling at the detail in the petals. The necklace reminded him of the time they had all gone to see the sakura together. The falling petals had caught in Kaichou’s hair so many times. He turned to look up at her.
Against the soft lights that decorated the festival, Kaichou’s glowing silhouette made his heart thump. He dangled the necklace in front of him, the metal cool against his skin.
“Take this.”
“What?” she asked, looking at him in surprise at his sudden words.
“A...gift for you,” he finished lamely.
She stared at the necklace confusedly before glancing towards Eri and Kanade. “Don’t worry, I won’t feel left out,” said Kaichou without taking the necklace.
Masahiro blinked before his mind supplied the answer. “Wait, it’s not like I’m pitying you or doing this out of obligation or anything!” he sputtered. He certainly hadn’t thought he needed to give Kaichou a gift just because Eri and Kanade had both received gifts! “Just think of this as...thanks for taking care of Marota throughout the day.”
Kaichou smiled. “All right. But only if you let me buy you something in return too.”
“Okay...wait, what?”
His protests fell on deaf ears. Kaichou was already bending over the selection, humming as she took her pick. “What do you think of this one, Marota? I think it suits your owner’s eyes perfectly. It’ll really bring out his azure eyes.”
She turned around, holding a pair of earrings with small, sapphire stones.
Masahiro laughed out loud, Marota barking along with him. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
“Come on, try them on! I want to see,” said Kaichou mischievously. “Before you protest that you don’t have your ears pierced, let me tell you these are magnetic.”
At Kaichou’s earnest look, Masahiro gave in easily. “Oh fine, just for the duration of the festival.”
He held his hand out for the earrings, Kaichou’s light touch brushing against his hand. He separated the earring from the magnetic backing, trying his best to fasten it on his ear.
“There, how does it look?” he asked, tilting his head. The earrings felt odd, an extra weight on his ears.
Kaichou grinned. “I was entirely right. It brings out your eyes.”
“Whatever you say. Okay, now it’s your turn. Turn around,” said Masahiro.
“What?”
“You know, the necklace? You have your hands full with Marota. Let me help you put it on.”
“Oh, all right,” she said as she turned around. Masahiro stepped close to her, close enough to breathe in her rose scented shampoo. He fastened the necklace around her neck, the flower pendant falling against her chest.
He took a step back, watching Kaichou touch the pendant, her mouth lifting in a smile. The simple necklace was just right.
When the others finally noticed their selections, Eri and Kanade squealed at his sapphire earrings. Eri turned around to force the same on her boyfriend while Kanade looked at Arou curiously, no doubt wondering how the dark haired boy would look with earrings.
Masahiro snickered at Arou’s discomfort.
-----
The festival gradually became busier as more people wandered in. As the six friends walked from stand to stand, they had to navigate through crowds of people, their shoulders often bumping into those of strangers. Arou stumbled after one such incident. Kaichou moved to help him, forgetting she had Marota in her arms. The little puppy slipped out of her arms and landed sloppily on the floor.
Masahiro hastily grabbed him before he could bounce off. He really should have left Marota at home. When Masahiro stood back up, he caught Kaichou’s worried look at Arou’s pale complexion.
He began to notice how Kaichou’s gaze followed Arou as they passed the dango stand. Her gaze continued to follow Arou even when it was her turn at the throwing game. When they went searching for a spot to see the fireworks, her eyes still trailed towards the dark haired boy. Masahiro wondered at Kaichou’s sudden interest in Arou. Had he missed it before now, or had she always looked at Arou so intently?
He tried to put the thought out of his mind as he waved them over towards the spot he had found with a perfect view of the open sky.
They settled down to wait for the beginning of the fireworks. Kanade offered to grab something for everyone to munch on. Arou stood up to accompany her. She tried to persuade him to take a rest, but Arou insisted he was fine.
“His color didn’t look very good,” murmured Kaichou after they left, her voice quiet in case Ezawa or Eri overheard. “I have the feeling that being in crowds taxes him a lot. Is it the contact?”
Masahiro leaned back on his arms. “Have Kanade or Arou said anything to you?”
“Kanade did,” replied Kaichou. “I’ve wondered about her weird behavior at times. Now that I think about it, it makes so much sense...”
“Oh, so you believed her straight away?” said Masahiro with mock hurt.
Kaichou snorted. “I’ve already suspended my disbelief for you. What’s one more?”
She looked up at the sky, her legs tucked close to her chest. “I’ve wondered what your connection is with Kanade and Arou,” she said. “I’ve never even considered that you shared something like this.”
“Sometimes, I feel,” she continued, “that it’s so hard for me to…”
At that moment, the first batch of fireworks shot up into the sky, the red sparks lighting up the dark sky, illuminating Kaichou’s face. The loud boom drowned out the rest of her sentence.
“What did you say?” asked Masahiro loudly over the booming fireworks.
Kaichou shrugged with a tiny smile and extended her legs out in front of her, settling back to watch the fireworks.
-----
to be continued