Chapter Text
Isagi was walking down the street when he spotted fireflies flying in the warm, dark atmosphere at night. It has been a long time since he had seen one, especially in this place where he lives, fireflies don’t come here at all.
"Ah.. Hotaru!"
(Fyi: ホタル/Hotaru means fireflies in Japanese.)
As he took a few steps closer, he noticed a girl that looked somewhat his age, crouching down in the midst of the vast green grass with her head slowly turning towards him.
It was just as if he called her name not long ago. She was playing with the fireflies, a few of them already in the palm of her hands. Isagi was puzzled, he didn’t expect a girl to be here, only a few metres from his house. Before they knew it, their glazes were set on each other.
(Huh? A girl?)
Isagi spoke in his head. He was debating whether to come take a closer look at the fireflies or not since he didn’t want to waste the opportunity nor disturb her peace, but he initially moved on his own anyway.
The girl quickly turned away and moved her attention back at the scene in front of her. But just as she looked at her palms, the fireflies have already swarmed away in a complete mess because of the sound of Isagi stepping closer.
“Oh! Sorry…” He was embarrassed, his ears forming a light pink at the top. He only wanted to play with the fireflies, not disturb them.
“It’s okay.” Hinako remains calm, and the fireflies continues to fly around them with some standing on leaves of the plants nearby.
A few seconds have passed by. Isagi was itching to say something as he wasn’t used to complete silence that the only sounds visible were the buzz from the fireflies, but his interactions with girls are so infrequent that God knows how long since he last talked to one, aside from his mother.
“I.. thought you called my name earlier, i was a bit startled.” Hinako broke the awkwardness with a slight smile on her face.
“What’s your name?”
“Hotaru Hinako.”
“I see, i was just wanting to see the fireflies up close. Didn't mean to bother you."
“No worries, they don’t come here that often in this season.”
“Yeah, i used to go to this exact place to play with them every night when i was a kid. But suddenly they disappeared, so this feeling was nostalgic!”
Isagi had just let out a brief of his consideration for fireflies, he was expecting the same energy to be returned. However, Hinako looked at him wisely like she was observing him, not giving a feedback.
“How about you?” Isagi looked at her, making her slightly jump. Seems like she wasn’t aware that she was staring at Isagi for a few seconds. Isagi doesn’t look like he minds it though, he played it off by asking her for her opinion.
“Me what?” Hinako was confused, he wasn’t clear enough about his question.
“What do you think of them?”
“Well.. they’re like my friends.” Hinako set eyes on each and every one of the fireflies in front of her, and furthermore was the river flowing gently, making the scenery even calmer and peaceful.
“Eh… friend?”
“Mhm. Whenever im with them, they float near me like they’re curious about my presence, they keep me company by lighting up the night when it feels too quiet or lonely. I feel safer and warmer when im with them.”
“Heh.. you really do have a deep connection with them. I guess that’s why you got them to lay in your palms, and i scared them away. I remember when i was a kid, i wanted to know how it felt like to have them in my hands so i kept chasing them. In the end, all of them were gone and i caused that… I even cried later on.” Isagi shared one of his memories while scratching the back of his head, his expressions being friendly like how it’s always been.
“Oh sorry! Did i say too much? My bad.”
Hinako let out a chuckle. Not from judging him but because of how childlike he sounds just from saying those sentences. She could tell he was the type of people who always get losts in discussions by oversharing.
“No no, it’s fine.” She assured him, making Isagi feel relieved.
“The key to connection is understanding. Once you understand how the fireflies move, connect with their rhythm and they’ll slowly be in hands. Not much different from humans, isn’t it?” Hinako educates him. Although it sounds hard to understand at first, what she said was definitely substantial.
“Their rhythm…?” He wasn’t sure what Hinako meant.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of it soon.”
As they were talking, Isagi received a phone call from his mother. This made Isagi come to his senses since he completely lost track of time that he almost forgot his parents were already waiting for him at home to have dinner. Hinako also noticed the buzzing coming from his phone.
“Shoot. I need to go now, my parents are waiting at home. See you, Hotaru-san!” Isagi moved from the lane and ran off to his house while answering the phone. Although she doesn’t look much older than Isagi—about the same age as him, Isagi addressed her in a formal way by showing his respect for her.
“See you..?” Hinako’s eyes follows Isagi’s appearance when he began moving.
Isagi felt like something was missing. Despite already on the call with his mother, he didn’t forget to turn back and wave at Hinako while running towards the other direction. What came with that was his sweet and mesmerizing smile, which felt honest even from miles away.
Hinako raised her hand, also gesturing a good bye to him. She was flattered, in a way that she couldn’t explain. Somehow this boy she met felt different from others, something tells her that he genuinely has a good heart.
(Will i see him again?)
Hinako thought to herself, then continues to admire the scenery around her.
“I’m home!” Isagi arrived at his house, panting heavily from the running.
“Welcome home, what took you so long?” His mother that was already at the dining table waiting for her son to get home, declared her worries.
“Sorry, there were fireflies at the field nearby and i got carried away…”
Isagi quickly sat down on the chair with his pork cutlets turning cold. He knew he was already running late for dinner but still got careless, what a jerk he was.
“Fireflies? Then you must’ve returned to your childhood just now Yocchan!”
“Haha.. I guess so.”
“Eat up Yoichi! You’re hungry from practice aren’t you?” Sitting at the opposite side of the table was his father, digging into the food like he was waiting to eat for years. But Isagi’s family was delicate enough to wait for his arrival.
“Says you dad…”
Although Isagi wanted to brag about his interaction with Hinako throughout the dinner session, he kept quiet.
The sun was just beginning to dip beneath the horizon, casting warm orange light over the cracked pavement of the Ichinan High soccer field. The clatter of cleats, the thud of the ball, and the laughter of teenage boys filled the air.
Isagi Yoichi wiped the sweat from his brow with the sleeve of his practice shirt, breathing hard. His uniform clung to him, damp and dusty from the drills.
“Isagi! One more pass!” Tada shouted, one of his teammates, waving from the other end of the field.
Isagi nodded. With a sharp inhale, he launched the ball forward. It cut through the air, a clean, low arc and landed right at Tada’s feet.
“Perfect!” Tada called. Although it was a perfect pass, Isagi felt like it wasn’t suited for him, it wasn’t something that he was really satisfied with.
They’d been running passing drills for over an hour, and most of the team was flagging. But Isagi wasn’t done yet.
As the others took a water break, he stayed behind at the goalpost, lining up another shot. Ichinan’s soccer team focuses on building teamwork and chemical reactions, everyday is an hour of passing practice. He enjoyed it, he did feel like he was making progress but his goal of becoming the best striker in the world was still far off from that level.
He sprinted forward, foot meeting the ball with practiced force. It slammed into the net, clean and centered. A goal.
“Still going, Isagi?” a teammate called from the sidelines. “You’re gonna wear yourself out before the next match.”
Isagi turned, smiling faintly. “If I don’t push now, I won’t get anywhere. You guys go ahead, I’ll catch up.”
“Come on Isagi! You agreed getting ramen with us!”
“There he goes again..”
“You say this everyday!” His teammates continues to babble until Isagi finally gives in. Skills were important, but health always comes first.
“Fine fine.. I’ll go.”
Isagi is walking on the same road to his house again, this time he’s not in his jumpsuit but in his uniform. He would have training almost everyday and always found himself wearing the jumpsuit back home. Since training was dismissed early, Isagi and his friends didn’t hesitate to go out for some ramen at this particular shop they always go to. He couldn’t be seen wearing his jumpsuits so him and his friends all changed to uniforms.
(Man.. that sure was delicious.)
Isagi’s inner voice spoke with both of his arms clinging to the back of his head like he’s enjoying the wind drifting by.
Hearing the sound of water dripping comes clearer the more he walks, Isagi caught his attention on Hinako—the girl he crossed paths yesterday. She’s at the same spot, pouring water over the plants that’s likely just a seed not long ago. Some are already blooming and some are just a sprout pushing through the dirt. It struck to Isagi that the empty and dull field he went by everyday was becoming livelier ever since the girl came.
“Hey.” Isagi said playfully as he steps closer to her. He was able to leave school early, so he didn’t have to worry about family dinner today.
Hinako noticed the familiar voice, she locked eyes with him again while watering the plants.
“Hey, it’s you..uhm..” Hinako wanted to say his name, but Isagi didn’t say it when she came to her realization.
“Isagi Yoichi.”
“I forgot to tell you my name yesterday, did i?” Isagi played it off with a chuckle.
“Hey, Yoichi-kun.” Hinako smiled, the type of smile that considered Isagi a friend of hers.
Isagi had a rosy tint on the face the second Hinako called him by his first name. Isagi didn’t mind it at all. In fact, he likes it.
“Do you live here by any chance?”
“Yeah, my house is over there. Why?” Hinako raised the water bucket straight to stop the water from falling through and pointed at her house that’s on the opposite side of the road with her thumb.
“Oh, that explains.”
To be honest, Isagi was a little embarrassed from asking that basic question. Not that she came all the way here just to watch the fireflies, let alone water some plants.
“What are you doing here?” Hinako asks out of curiosity. He had a reason to stay with her yesterday but she was just minding her own business, doing normal activities.
“Well..uh..” His habit of moving without thinking occurred again. It’s true that he didn’t give a second thought from approaching her, like he did it simply because he wanted to.
“I just wanted to see how you’re doing! That’s all.” Isagi easily came up with a reason.
“Besides, i said i’ll see you right?”
That respond from Isagi slightly lightened her, her eyes gleaming when she looks at him. It was also what Hinako was wondering about. Neither of them were sure they’d meet up again. Yet, Isagi took responsibility of his words.
“Yeah, means a lot to me.” Hinako being the girl she is, never was afraid of showing her true emotions. A soft smile appearing on her lips.
Isagi couldn’t help but beam as he witnessed their bond forming. Simple moments like these never fails to make him happy even the barest.
“Oh!” Isagi unzipped his shoulder bag and started digging for something in it with his left hand. What came out was the yakisoba bun he received from that noodle shop he went with his friends.
“Here, have this.” He extended his hand, offering her the bun.
“Hm? You’re giving it to me?”
“Yeah, i went out to eat with my friends today and the cashier gave me two yakisoba buns as a reward for having a meal at their place. But i was too full i could only eat one of them, i don’t plan on eating them anyway so just take it.”
“I’m sorry, i’d love to eat it but i can’t…” Seeing the bun was enough for her to start drooling, she’s not allowed to eat anything that has this much calories, particularly as a snack whatsoever.
“Eh?! Why?” Isagi withdrew his arm.
“Actually.. I’m on a diet.”
“Then you can save it for later, whenever you’re hungry.”
“I’m only allowed to have 600 calories each day, and that package says the yakisoba pan is around 280 calories, so i would consume too much before each meal if i ate it.”
“600 calories a day? That’s insane Hotaru-san!”
“I know, but for the sake of my chinese classical dance at school.. I’ll have to do it in return of a good performance.”
“Really? My school also have these cultural events coming up, and people get to perform all types of dance or music genres all around the world! It happens every year too.”
“Heh.. Same goes for mine.” Hinako was fishy of the similarities in the events held at their school, but she doesn’t think much of it anyway and assumed it was only a coincidence. If he didn’t say that it was held every year, it would be less suspicious.
“But seriously, that’s amazing though! I’ve seen some of their classical dances and it sure looks difficult. I’m guessing you’re really flexible right?”
“I wouldn’t say i’m really flexible, i’m only capable of the minimum steps.” The conversation goes on with Isagi showering her with compliments, making Hinako felt delighted.
(Isn’t he overdoing it?)
“What about you Yoichi-kun? Will you participate in that event in your school?” Hinako switched the subject on him. Not only because she wasn’t used to being the topic of the conversation, but also because she wanted to know more about him.
“Oh me? I’m more on the sports side, not really good at performing on stage haha..”
“Which sport do you play?”
“Soccer! I really like it. It’s not just a game to me but it’s the one place where i can chase who i really want to be! The game strategy and formation choices are brilliant…….”
He talks about soccer nonstop for a solid ten minutes. His passion for it is written all over him and she can tell that it lives in his heart. Though the words baffled her, she stayed quiet and attentive, dropping the bucket to the floor.
“Ah sorry.. i was talking too much again.”
By the time he realized, it was already getting dark and the sun was setting. Moreover, he was running late for dinner again. He was taken aback when he noticed how dark the sky had become.
“Shoot, i have to go home now. See you, Hotaru-san!” He was about to run off, but stopped only after a few steps to take one more look at her.
“Just take it.” Isagi placed the yakisoba bun in her hands while holding it gently, leaving Hinako flustered. Of course, he didn’t forget to smile but with his eyebrows furrowed, giving out a strong and confident feeling.
For a second, Hinako was drawn into his gaze until the Ichinan logo on the left of his blue blazer suddenly caught her attention. She was too overwhelmed to even notice it when they were talking the whole time.
(Eh..Ichinan?)
“I’ll get going now.” Isagi dashed off to the opposite direction.
“Ah.. byebye.” It was in all in a blink of an eye that Hinako couldn’t process what had just happened. She wondered why he would give out such a delicious snack for a stranger he met a day ago so easily.
Suddenly the sound of Mitsuo, her younger brother opening the front door to remind her that she needs to prepare for dinner. Her eyes were still on Isagi as he drifted away when Mitsuo opened the door.
“Hey Hina! How long are you gonna stay outside?! Come and cook dinner quick! I’m starving.” Though he still wasn’t heard.
“Hina? What are you staring at?”
“Ah it’s nothing! Sorry, i’ll cook now!” she turned her head and was about to rush over to her house until she saw a handkerchief with pink stripes laying on the grass, right ahead of her shoes.
(Huh… This wasn’t here before. Did it fall out from his bag? Could it be Yoichi’s?)
Had he not been so far, she would’ve asked him right then, watching him run off. She tucked it away, intending to return it when she could find him at school the next day.
“Yocchan has never been late to dinner before. Do you think he’s alright, dear?” Isagi’s mother asked. Dinner was already set on the table, his parents are sitting on the same seat waiting for him like they always do.
“It’s only been 15 minutes, it’d be fine.”
“Doesn’t he get to go home early today? He should be here by 5 already.”
“I’m home!” The door slammed open, revealing a weary Isagi. He hurriedly hung his shoulder bag on the hook, then sat on the dining chair while his parents stared at him with concern.
“Yoichi? You okay?”
“Yeah, i ran into a girl today on the way home.”
“Really? Tell me about her!”
“Well… she’s nice and she’s honestly kinda cute. She also lives near our house too!”
“Eh.. Did you talk to her?” His parents, full of curiosity, exchanged turns questioning him eagerly.
“Yeah! We had quite a long conversation earlier, that’s why i’m late again. Woops.”
“That’s fine by me, I didn’t know you can even talk to a girl.” Isagi’s father jokingly insults him.
“Then we don’t mind whenever you’re late if you’re making progress with a girl, right dear?” Their playful teasing hit its mark—he stood there, flustered and unsure how to respond.
“Oh by the way, I also had ramen with my friends so i won’t be eating too much since i might get too full.” Isagi reminded them.
Hinako is sitting at her desk, doing her assignments for the next day. After a moment, she stared at the yakisoba bun on her desk, unsure whether to eat it or not. She had left the pan near her instead of the fridge or the pantry in fear that Mitsuo would eat it without a second thought. It was something Isagi gave her, so she wanted to treasure it. But then again, she kept cautious since she only knew him for a short time. Trust wasn’t something she could offer yet.
(I probably shouldn’t eat it, i have to hold it in.)
Her stomach growls.