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“Mashi, look!”
The taller guy looked at the snow sculptures ranging from one to two meters in height, eyes widened as he smiled. Mashiho, a man dressed in a full winter get-up, admires the sudden exclamation of the guy.
“You literally saw that earlier, hyung.” Mashiho rolled his eyes, earning a sulking expression from the guy beside him.
“Instead of being grumpy, you should enjoy the night, Mashi. See? Your wrinkles are now visible, Grandpa.”
The smaller guy snickered before turning his back on the guy. “Whatever, let's go.”
“Where?”
Mashiho looked back, giving him a reassuring smile as he held his hand infront. He offers his covered palm to the taller guy with a smile playing on his luscious lips.
“Let's skate, or anything. Let's spend the remaining hours together.”
Junkyu's face lightened, smiling as he looked at the hand infront of him. The giddiness in him acted exploding as he reached for the guy's hand.
It was warm and comforting.
“Let's go!”
And it was enough to throw away a bit of drowsiness he feels at that moment.
As usual.
Walking their way towards the Sapporo Tower TV, hand-in-hand, and faces with plastered genuine smiles. It was heaven. They were greeted with deafening noises, people talking about their cheerfulness, kids wandering around the sculptures, and the ice sculpture show were about to start for an hour.
In a field filled with unfamiliar faces, there were two people laughing as they slide their way around the whole set. It's their last day in Hokkaido, and seeing the winter festival that they've been anticipating for years now somehow makes them feel free, and happier than anything.
“You sucks, hyung.”
“No! I-It's just—Wah!”
Mashiho let out a loud laugh causing some people around them look at him in creased faces, including Junkyu as he felt pain on his butt when he fell and tripped. His skating gear didn't made him a little better on skating around the field, so he pouts as he looked at Mashiho's laughing state.
And there he saw how Mashiho's lips trembles as he laugh loudly, eyes closed firmly while his strands are dancing along the freezing wind, nose scrunches and a hand on his aching stomach.
It was a sight that makes Junkyu pray for the high heavens that if he could hold Mashiho's hand for more hours, he'll never let himself fall asleep forever.
Hope he could.
“Oh, so you want to start a fight? I see. You've got guts, Junkyu-ssi.”
“Bring it on, kid!”
“What?! Kid?!”
“You should do something about your anger issues, kid. Your height doesn't fit your issues.”
The third block they visited were full of people having a mini snow ball fight while waiting for the show to start. And along side the snow sculptures around them, Junkyu and Mashiho sprung as they run around with snowballs on hand, eyes admiring the moments, and—
—time passing by.
8:32 PM.
“Let's—Let's rest, okay? I'm about to throw my esophagus out you see.” Panting, Mashiho pointed out before sitting on the bench near the Odori Park where the main show will take place.
Junkyu sat beside him, panting with a smile on his face. He looks at Mashiho's crumpled expression, and it made him laugh.
The beauty of the man seizes his heart for a million times, and he can tell that he no longer has his soul, and heart on his grasp—
“Hyung,”
Junkyu hummed in response, eyeing the scenery of different sculpted snows with children taking pictures around them. He smiled on the view, thinking if he could have those kind of smiles on the children's faces.
Sincere, and genuine happiness.
“Are you happy?”
Was the word ‘happy’ is more than an abstract that oneself's can be felt as they smile, heart floating, and lips suppressing laughs? Or was it an example of a feeling with the imagery of familiar giggling noises, beach parties, or star gazing with the one you consider your loved one?
Mashiho's eyes are on the snow sculptures, lips pursed when he didn't hear a word from the older.
“Do you finally found your happiness?”
Maybe.
But first,
What is happiness?
Was it dressed in a slightly worn out puffer jacket, thick graphic tee inside, along with his zip-up hoodie, and textured trousers? Does it owns the prettiest smile? Was it smaller than him?
Or does it have his heart in his pocket, jumping around the snow with his melting smiles?
If yes then, “Yeah, I do.”
His answer was enough to make Mashiho ache for more than 5 hours and 32 mins in a day. Enough to make him bit his lips as he tries to not tear up any minute by now.
3 days, he spent the festival with Junkyu in three days. It was a deal, their final deal before finally setting their hearts free from one another.
“And if I wake up without that happiness, then I don't know anymore.”
Junkyu has a rare disorder that prevents him from staying awake for long hours as he sleeps at day, out of excessive sleeping. Before flying to Japan, Mashiho got a call from Junkyu's mother and said that he'll be continuing his special treatments and medication outside the asian countries.
And winter festival was his only chance to spend Junkyu's 4-5 hours awake phase. The festival had given him a chance to finally, to finally say goodbye to the man that treated him nicely, loved every bit of him, with all his heart.
Junkyu eyed the biggest sculpture in front. “Will you be okay?”
“Why wouldn't I?”
“I'll be away, for a long time.”
“I should.” Mashiho whispered. “For you.”
The sudden lights from the ice sculptures far from their right didn't get their attention as they drown onto each other's silent solace.
“Mashi,” he hummed in response, lips still biting the lower.
“What about you? Are you happy?”
With that, Mashiho turned his head on his side, eyes about to tear up when he saw how contented the older guy's smile. As if it was okay to spend 3 days in Hokkaido, spend 3 days with the person that turned him to be a better version of himself.
As if he was ready to say goodbye in front of the 200 different snow sculptures.
“I am,” his eyes looks at the Junkyu's, observing and memorizing his features he will never forget.
“I am so happy, Kyu.”
“Then that's enough for me.”
The show started. People stood in front, eyes fixated on the lightings with smiles on their faces.
Junkyu held his hand, before flashing another contagious smile that forever melts in Mashiho's heart as long as he live.
“I had so much fun. 3 days with you were short, but 5 hours every day within those 3 days were merely enough to make me happy more than anything I've ever known, Mashi.” He softly caress Mashiho's hand with his thumb.
“Within those 5 hours in a day, you've given me so much to remember. Even if I drift into an ethereal slumber, I'll bring those with me. I'm grateful, Mashi.”
Junkyu laughed before patting the latter's head, softly as if it's an ice sculpture that lightens when it's happy. “I wish I could have another life with you.”
“Because a life with you will surely be a life well-spent.”
The show finally ended.
The festival has come to an end.
So are they.
And Junkyu had set the beauty of the man that seizes his heart for a million times free—
—and he can tell that he no longer has his soul, and heart on his grasp, because everything that belongs to him, now belongs to Mashiho.
“Mashi,” he whispered whilst the freezing wind as he reached for the guy's shoulder, letting his head rest with his eyes closed.
“I'm sleepy.”
“Sleep well,” Mashiho heaved a sigh as his heart aches. Time's up. “I love you.”
The festival has finally come to an end.