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“Onee-chan! We’re going to miss the fireworks!”
Hina dragged her by the arm and attempted to fight against the crowd that slowly began to spill out from the temple. They left after they said their New Year prayers and got their fortunes, and were now headed to watch a fireworks show put on nearby.
“Wait first, Hina,” Sayo sighed, a small puff of air was visible as she exhaled. “The crowd is thick. We won’t be able to get through this even if we hurried.”
“But if we don’t hurry up, we won’t have a good spot to view the fireworks!” Hina pouted. Sayo gave her a small scowl.
“And Kaoru-kun and Lisacchi would have probably beaten me there!” Sayo felt her face heat up slightly, upon hearing Kaoru would be there before she shook her head.
“Fine then, we’ll look for another path going there.” Hina grinned, “Then let’s race over there!”
“Wait!-” Hina grabbed Sayo’s hand once more and deftly maneuvered her way around the sea of humans with Sayo in tow. She slipped into an alleyway, and they emerged from the other end. Sayo found herself asking Hina’s usual question for long roadtrips. “Are we there yet?”
Much to Sayo’s despair, she answered with a quick ‘Nope!’. The feeling was short-lived, as Hina once more ran so fast that Sayo was sure she would break the sound barrier. They soon slowed down before her knees gave up and stopped in an area with fewer people, and a clear view of the sky.
“We’re here!” Hina exclaimed. Sayo supported herself on her knees and struggled to catch her breath while Hina jumped in excitement.
“Hmmm, where could Kaoru-kun and Lisacchi be?” Hina wondered.
They quickly scanned the area, when Sayo noticed a small crowd. “I do believe that may be Seta-san right there,” she gestured toward a tall figure surrounded by squealing girls, figurative sparkles surrounded her as she greeted her fans.
“Hey, Kaoru-kun!” She caught Kaoru’s attention, and with a few words, the girls around her left, revealing a companion with her, who seemed to be relieved at the crowd being broken up.
“You’re here too, Chisato-chan? I couldn’t see you since you were covered by the crowd. It’s like you were stuck in a forest with really tall trees.”
Chisato ignored the last part and replied, “Yes, well, Kaoru invited me to watch the fireworks, and she did mention that Lisa-chan would be coming.”
“That reminds me, have you seen Lisacchi yet?” Hina asked.
“I do believe Lisa sent a text to our group chat just now that she would be running late.” Kaoru held up her phone to show Hina.
“Awww, she might miss the fireworks.” Hina pouted.
“Fret not, Lisa will make it in time.” Kaoru reassured her. She glanced at Sayo’s flushed face and said, “For now, we should settle down and relax.”
“Kaoru is right, why don’t we grab a couple of snacks first?” Chisato suggested.
Hina’s face lit up. “Alright then!” She then grabbed Chisato’s hand. “Come on Chisato-chan, I wanna get some dango!” and she eagerly dragged her away to buy the chewy snack.
Now alone with Kaoru, Sayo awkwardly stood close to her. Despite having spent a significant amount of time together over the past year and forming quite a bond, she still found that there were times Kaoru felt odd to be around. The former gestured for her to come closer and sat down on the bench. The biting cold made Sayo rub her hands together, she then felt a pair of hands clasped over her own.
“You must be cold,” Kaoru remarked.
“Th-thank you,” She replied, her cheeks beginning to redden. She noticed a similar, scarlet blush along Kaoru’s face as well. A splash of light danced on their faces, as they turned to see that the fireworks had begun.
“So the flowers of light,” Kaoru looked up and saw the colorful explosions, “bloom once more on this beautiful night,” she glanced at Sayo and noticed that she too was captivated by the brilliant display. “The moon is quite beautiful tonight, as well.”
“I believe we came here for the fireworks, Seta-san, but I must agree it is truly a fascinating sight.” Sayo said, “I am amazed that this tradition began as a way to welcome the new year on a good start.”
Kaoru chuckled, “Speaking of traditions, I hear that in other countries you must kiss someone on New Year’s Eve to ward away the loneliness of another year.”
Sayo tilted her head to the side, oblivious. “Seta-san?”
“I…I would like to partake of this tradition with you.” Kaoru stammered.
Sayo blushed, “W-what do you mean, Seta-san?”
“Sayo, I must admit, that for some time, I have been rather fond of you…” She gulped, “and that, with this new year, I wish to have a new relationship with you. Not as friends but perhaps…”
Sayo was stunned. She was silent for a moment before she replied, “It still is New Year’s Eve is it not?”
Kaoru’s cheeks reddened and Sayo moved in, their lips mere centimeters apart from each other. Soon, they closed the distance between them. Sparks livelier than the fireworks coursed through Sayo’s body as she pulled away from her kiss with Kaoru.
“I take it that we are a couple now?” Sayo asked.
“I believe so.” Kaoru replied.
“So you two do like each other!” Somehow, in spite of the loud noises coming from the fireworks, they were still able to hear Hina’s joyful declaration. They turned to the direction her voice came from and saw that Hina had returned, with Chisato smiling (Sayo couldn't tell if she was happy or if she was going to be dressed down, probably both). Lisa, was with them, and stared at the new couple smugly.
“Hina!?” Sayo and Kaoru exclaimed.
“I knew you had the hots for Kaoru-kun, onee-chan!” Hina whooped out.
“You were kinda obvious, Sayo~ You did bake Kaoru’s favorite cake for her birthday, after all.” Lisa added.
Sayo’s face turned red at Hina and Lisa’s teasing, and Kaoru patted her back in comfort as they celebrated the new year and their new relationship with a bang.