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“Where are you taking me?” Hikari asks, carefully measuring each and every step.
“Just wait Hikari-chan,” Mahiru says, squeezing Hikari’s right hand.
“You’ll love it, I’m sure of it.” Karen’s on her other side, leading her with their linked hands.
“Aren’t we a little old to be playing this game?” Hikari promised she wouldn’t open her eyes earlier, but Karen tied a blindfold over her eyes anyway.
Not that she would be able to see without it. It’s dark out now and here in Hokkaido, near the farm area, there’s rarely ever any light outside of a few lamps. Far different from the cities she grew up in.
“We’re never too old to have fun.” Karen swings their arms.
“Last time we tried this, I ended up face down in a bath tub.”
“Yeaaaah, sorry about that, Hikari-chan.”
It really ruined the mood too. Didn’t matter though, because Hikari’s not a quitter.
“Are we there yet?”
“Be patient, you asked us eight times already.”
“You counted?”
“Yes,” Mahiru says dryly. “I did.”
“If I fall and break all my bones, make sure to donate my collection to the Mr. White Museum in San Rio.”
Mahiru pinches Hikari's side. "Your collection is safe," she huffs.
“Yeah, no breaking bones, Hikari-chan!” Karen says, tugging Hikari along. “But we'll catch you if you do! You have nothing to worry about!"
“Mr. White doesn’t have to deal with this.”
“Yes he did,” Mahiru argues, “that episode when he got captured by Suzdal Cat in 2007.”
“Mr. White’s got enough plush to bounce back from certain doom,” Hikari counters petulantly. Though the one she got in high school’s a different story, but Hikari’s not going to throw him out.
Mahiru stitches him up when the fabric gets torn and the stuffing is falling out and Hikari’s got enough money to take him dry cleaning every other month anyway. (She also takes Suzdal Cat and loves the look on Mahiru’s face every time she brings him back all nice and clean.) Karen placed an eye patch over Mr. White’s eye after one of them fell out and said it gave him character. She was right.
“My bones are a different story.”
“Your bones are fine,” Mahiru says, exasperated.
“Yeah, it’s not that bad.”
“Says you.”
It’s been over two decades since they last graduated and now, they’re starting all over again on Mahiru’s farm after the city life became too hectic and they rarely saw each other due to their commitments. So they decided to retire temporarily.
Working on a farm is tiring and Hikari’s had some time to think. It’s different from living in the city and while Mahiru says she doesn’t have to work, it just doesn’t feel right if she’s not contributing.
“Watch your feet there,” Mahiru says.
“I can’t see.”
“I know.”
There’s a salty scent in the air and the cobblestones soon gives way to something softer. It’s familiar enough that Hikari knows it’s sand on principle.
Once, she would have broken down if she stepped on any surface related to sand, but over the years, with Karen and Mahiru’s help, she’s gotten better.
“Do you want a piggy back, Hikari-chan?” Karen asks, and there’s always that undertone that says, she’s knows. She’s never forgotten that place either.
“I’m forty now.”
“I could lift you up on my shoulders.”
“And be the laughing stock of the village?”
“Town,” Mahiru corrects.
“—town.”
“No one’s out here to see us.”
A beat passes, and Hikari asks wearily, “There aren’t any crabs are there?”
“No, the crabs won’t bite you,” Mahiru laughs.
“Tell that to the one that nearly took off my toes.”
Karen laughs, kissing her cheek. “I’ll turn that crab into dinner before it can touch you.”
“Swear on it?”
“With my heart.”
“Good.”
There’s a brief moment where Hikari’s suspended in air as she feels hands on her thighs, lifting her up on someone’s back.
“There! Now you don’t have to worry about those tasty crabs.”
“K-Karen!” Hikari’s hands clench on Karen’s shoulders but Karen adjusts Hikari’s arms around her neck.
“Ahahaha, Hikari-chan, you’ll love where we’re taking you!” Karen laughs, and the sound of her voice warms something in Hikari’s heart.
Hikari doesn’t have the willpower to sound grumpy in the face of Karen’s infectious happiness. “Surprise me,” she says.
“We’re just a couple paces away,” Mahiru tells them. True to her word, a few minutes pass and Karen stops walking.
“We’re here!” Karen says, bouncing Hikari on her back.
Hikari grunts.
“Hold still, Hikari-chan.” The cloth around her eyes loosens a bit as Mahiru unties the blindfold. “You can open your eyes now.”
The ocean’s dark and there’s nothing out there except a tiny boat with a candle on it. But the stars, they’re so bright and brilliant and nothing she’s ever quite seen in the city.
“It’s a boat,” she says, instead of, The stars are beautiful but you’re far more dazzling than any of them. Which is admittedly too corny to say aloud.
“Silly, that’s not your present,” Karen says.
“I have it right here.” Mahiru holds up a small box carefully wrapped up with what is unmistakably Mr. White wrapping paper.
Hikari reaches out, making grabby hands. Mahiru laughs, placing it in her hands.
Plopping her chin on Karen’s shoulder, Hikari carefully undoes each piece of tape so she doesn’t hurt a Mr. White.
“You know, a long time ago, when Granny was a little girl, there used to be a tradition here when the jellyfish would migrate to the south,” Mahiru tells them, looking out to the sea. “The whole town would gather here and when they push the boat, the jellyfish would float by, illuminating the sea.”
“Too many people,” Hikari mutters, concentrating on the edges. Karen moves a hand to support the bottom of the box.
“Geez, it was really special back then!”
“Any moment with you two is special.” Mahiru blushes while Karen laughs sheepishly.
“Sweet talker,” Mahiru complains.
“Got it.” Hikari smiles triumphantly with the paper still intact. Mahiru takes the paper to free Hikari’s hands.
“Open it, open it!” Karen says.
“Okay.” Opening the lid, Hikari fishes the box blindly and pulls out a circular object.
“Give me a second.” Mahiru takes something from her pouch and with a crack, she lights a glow stick.
“Oh.” It’s a snow globe with Mr. White riding on a jellyfish with an entire school of colorful fish.
Mahiru holds the light closer so Hikari could see the details better. “We had it custom made since you already have everything on the market.”
“Do you like it?” Karen asks.
I…” Hikari’s rendered speechless. Surely out of all the birthdays in the past, this one is just as special. “Thank you, Karen, Mahiru. I love this.”
Karen turns her head and kisses Hikari’s wrist, “Of course.”
Mahiru wraps an arm around Hikari’s waist, kissing the top of her head. “I’m glad.”
“Happy birthday, Hikari-chan.”