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By the time I finally found Haku, the sun had already started to set. Far too nervous to say anything about my gift during the day, I’d missed my chance several times already. So with not much daylight remaining, I rushed to Hotarubi. After making my way to the dorm, I looked around, unsure where to search. He did mention that he sleeps on the veranda in his free time… maybe he’s there? I quickly made my way over, hoping that he’d be there when I arrived. The floorboards creaked as I walked through the hallways, the sound of my footsteps echoing in my ears. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, I found him. When I saw him, my breath caught for just a second.
He laid down on the veranda, with his bangs sweeping across his face and his eyes shut peacefully. Haku had never pretended to be an energetic person, but this is the first time I’d ever seen him sleeping. He looked… beautiful. What should I do? If I leave now, I won’t be able to give him his gift. But he’s sleeping so peacefully… Just as I was about to leave, Haku stretched his arms and sat up. “Hm? Where are you going, princess?” I quickly turned around. “Oh, you’re awake! Ummm I was just-” Before I could tell him why I was here, or make up some shitty excuse out of anxiety, Haku tugged on my sleeve and motioned for me to sit down beside him. Unsure of what to do, I complied. “Haku..?” I asked tentatively. At first he didn’t say anything. He just looked me in the eyes with a wistful sort of gaze. Finally he said, “Why’d you come here so late?”
Was he asking me why I was at Hotarubi at such a late time? …Or was he asking me why I didn’t come to visit him sooner? The meaning between his words blurred together, like they always did with him. Haku was many things. He was kind, he was reliable, he was patient, he was smart. But the one thing he was not was honest. He hid behind his jokes and his flirting, never actually telling me what he actually wanted. In fact, he avoids talking about himself as much as he can. He’ll deflect, he’ll flip the question, but he’ll never answer it. But that’s exactly why I want to reach out to him. I want to get to know him better. I want to know what he likes, what his hobbies are, every mundane thing about him. Even if these feelings of mine never bear fruit, I still want to try. I take a deep breath, desperately trying to calm my beating heart. “I-I got you something. Here.” I hastily sat up and pulled the gift out of my bag and handed it to him. “A gift? Thanks,” he said with an easy going smile. He opened the wrapping paper carefully, making sure not to tear it. When he saw it, his eyes widened as he said, “You remembered.” I smiled, looking at the necklace that laid in his hands. “Of course I did. You mentioned that you’d been thinking of buying one, didn't you?”
He picked up the necklace gingerly and stared at the pendant resting on the chain. “It’s jade,” I explained. “I was struggling a lot with what gem I should have put on it, so I looked into their meanings. Jade symbolizes-" “Prosperity and wealth right? Thanks,” Haku interjected. “Well there is that,” I explained as Haku curiously tilted his head. “But it also symbolized peace. Stuff like ‘the calm amongst the storm’. Also, it’s a really pretty shade of green. So that… made me think… of you…” I said, slowly trailing off as I realized what I just said. “I-I mean! You’re always dependable! And you help me out! Like someone reliable among the chaos! And, um you-” I waved my hands around frantically, trying to come up with an excuse for my comment. “Pft- Hahahaha! What are you saying?” Haku burst out laughing, a massive smile breaking out across his face. It wasn’t his usual smirk or chuckles, but a full on, hearty laugh.
Once again, my breath caught at the sight. I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as his face seemed to sparkle in my eyes. After a couple of failed attempts to stifle his laughter, he finally calmed down. He let out a small little sigh before turning around to see the astonishment on my face. “Princess? Something wrong? Your face is red.” Oh god, he noticed. He knows. Quick, think of something to say! ANYTHING! “Oh, um, is it? Ummm, I don’t know why, guess it’s getting kinda hot out here…?” Haku looked at me quizzically. Both of us knew that it wasn’t getting hot in the slightest, but neither of us wanted to acknowledge the fact. “I was just… surprised, that's all. I’d never seen you laugh like that.” I paused for a brief second, doing my best to compose myself. “It was nice. The laugh I mean.” AHHHH what am I saying? Way to make a fool of yourself! For a minute there, both of us sat there in awkward silence. Then, Haku slowly leans in closer to me. Our fingers brush on the veranda floor, and our noses are almost touching as we gazed into each other's eyes. Haku lifts his hand and brushes his thumb across my lips. “...Hey princess? Can I be a little greedy and ask you for one more gift?”
My face flushes once more, but this time I don’t run away. I dip my head down in affirmation, before looking at him once more. His moss green hair hangs down on his face, with messy strands curling around the back. He’s wearing his red string earrings, just as he always does. His amber eyes shine with an honest gleam, and a raw emotion that I can’t quite place. His lip quivers slightly, though he tries to cover it up with a confident smirk. There are millions of more little details that I could place about him, all of the little things that make him Haku, but that’s all I get to see before my eyelids flutter shut and his lips meet mine. Some people say that their first kiss tastes of lemons. Others say that their first kiss is awful. But this kiss isn’t like any of those. It’s gentle, patient, just like Haku always is. His lips taste like the stars, the strings of fate, and everything right in the world. Seconds go by. Maybe a minute. In that moment, time was infinite, an eternity hidden in the nooks of reality. Finally, our lips separate. We’re flustered, out of breath, but in that moment, I’d never felt more alive. His lips meet mine again, this time with more desperation, with more longing, with so many emotions that end up mixing up together. The wisteria flowers blew in the wind over Hotarubi’s lake, the rain still pouring down, as this moment was marked in my mind till the end of time.