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Choso felt rather lucky. He had spent the last couple of weeks traveling all across Japan alongside his girlfriend, Yuki, on a trip to research various sources of cursed energy (and killing any cursed spirits they found along the way.) Normally, the two of them chose to stay long-distance: Choso wanted to watch over his little brother (and protect the people of Tokyo,) while Yuki was focused on her research. But now, he could spend as much time as he wanted with her.
Their travels had led them to a small village far away from Tokyo (or any of the major cities.) Of course, Yuki had already found what she was looking for, but she decided to stay a little while longer.
They checked into a modest inn, set down their stuff, and headed out on a walk. Though, they both made sure to put their coats on since it was still pretty chilly outside. The whole town felt mellow and quiet, enough that Choso could hear the sound of his and Yuki’s footsteps. She wrapped her fingers around his, humming to herself with rosy cheeks and a smile on her face.
Off in the distance, he noticed some sort of farm as well as what looked like a grove of trees.
He pointed over in the general direction and said to himself, “I wonder what’s over there.”
“Oh, I think one of the locals said that’s a peach orchard,” Yuki said, “It’s not exactly the right time to get fresh peaches, though.”
Choso’s eyes fluttered as he imagined himself sharing a peach with Yuki. He’d peel off the fuzz and carve her up some slices, and she could feed him little bites before kissing the peach juice off of his lips. He was tempted to wander over to the local market, just to see if they had any.
Yuki nudged him, “What’s got you smiling, Cho?”
“Mmm, fresh peaches,” he muttered, “Now I want one.”
She chuckled to herself, as if he had told some sort of joke. He cocked his head slightly, unsure of what to say.
Choso asked, “But anyways, what’s got you smiling?”
Yuki stopped in her tracks and looked deep into his eyes.
She asked, “Do you know what day it is, babe?”
Choso shook his head.
“No, why?”
“Well, let’s just say I’m excited for tomorrow,” she said with a wink, “I’ll have a special little surprise, just for you.”
Choso pulled out his phone, just to check the date. However, his eyes widened with shock and he almost dropped his phone when he realized what it was (and why Yuki was so excited.) It was February 13th, and Choso hadn’t even realized it.
He thought, Oh, no!
He felt shame weighing at the back of his mind, and he pictured her getting angry when she realized he forgot to give her a gift. How could he forget such an important day?
Choso’s face turned beet red as he looked back at her.
“I am so sorry,” he said, “I’ll be back in a bit!”
Choso rushed over to the other end of town, hoping that Yuki wouldn’t figure out whatever surprise he’d have for her. A few people glanced over at him from the other side of the sidewalk, but he didn’t even notice them or care.
She waved her hand and called out, “Wait!”
But it was too late. He had already turned the corner, leaving nothing behind but his footprints in the snow. She stared out in the distance and followed after him.
“I hope he’s okay,” she said.
Choso’s heart pounded as he searched for a place to get a gift. There weren’t too many shops in town, especially not ones that seemed like they’d sell normal Valentine’s gifts.
He turned a corner, where he noticed a small shop with flowers by the windowsill. As he got closer, he noticed little paper hearts were hung by the windows, a clear sign that they had been decorating for Valentine’s Day.
I hope they’ve got good stuff, he hoped as he swung the door open.
The cashier inside bowed politely.
She said, “Hello! How are you doing?”
He tried to hide his nervousness as he bowed back at her.
“Good. I’ll let you know if I need help.”
The cashier rubbed her eyes and stared back at him.
She nervously chuckled and asked, “Um, sorry to bother you. You’re one of those folks from Tokyo, right? The ones who were… I’m not too sure actually.”
Choso’s eyes widened in surprise.
Are we that famous already?
“Yes. We’re just going to be here for a couple of days.”
Choso decided to spare the girl on all of the details of why he and Yuki were there in the first place..
“Oh, and… I wanted to get my girlfriend something special for Valentine’s, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise. That’s why it’s just me here,” he explained.
The cashier blushed and squeezed her palms against her cheeks like a fangirl watching her favorite TV couple fall in love.
“Aww, that’s sweet of you,” she squealed.
Then, she shook her head and tried to put on a calmer expression.
“Oh, and I bet she’ll be happy,” she added, “You two look like a cute couple.”
Choso rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. He didn’t know whether to be flattered, confused, or annoyed by the way she idolized him. Still, it seemed like her heart was in the right place.
The cashier pointed to one section of the store.
“We’ve got some Valentine’s Day gifts over there if you want those,” she explained, “And there should be some jewelry a little further in if you’re feeling fancy.”
He paced around the store, looking for something to get Yuki. He shook his head as he glanced at the flowers on display near the entrance.
“No, that’s not going to work,” he sighed.
Sure, the flowers all looked pretty, but he knew that cut flowers needed to sit in a vase if they wanted to last. He and his girlfriend probably wouldn’t even be in town for much longer, and it felt like a crime to throw out perfectly healthy flowers after one day.
Maybe if she was staying at my place, he thought.
Choso decided to wander a little further in, ignoring the novelty heart-shaped decor that also wouldn’t travel well.
Luckily, he found a necklace with a star-shaped charm right next to the decor and teddy bears. He grabbed it, picturing Yuki wearing it on a date or a night around town. After all, her power was called Star Rage, so it felt just right to get her that.
But he still felt like giving her one last little gift, since he could.
Choso asked himself, “What else?”
He wandered back to the Valentine's section, where he saw a display of chocolates. He picked up a box, checking to see if they looked like they were good quality. After a quick Google search, Choso figured out that it was a premium brand of chocolate.
She’ll like these.
And then, he decided to pick up a pair of sunglasses, since he noticed that Yuki’s were getting discolored for some reason. Of course, Choso made sure that they had UV-protection, since they were going to be out and about. He could already picture her wearing that pair the next day, maybe striking a few poses for the heck of it.
I hope this’ll be good.
And lastly, he grabbed a couple of peaches just because he kept thinking about them earlier. If nothing else, they would be at least a light snack.
He handed the cashier his stuff and watched as she bagged everything up. Thankfully,
The cashier winked as she handed him the change and the shopping bag.
“I hope she’ll be as happy as you think. You know… since this is our first Valentine’s and all. I just want to do it right.”
“Oh, she will, sir,” she said confidently, “I just know it.”
A slight smile flashed on his face as he whispered, “Thank you.”
The cashier waved him goodbye with a chipper, “You’re welcome! Have a nice day!”
He thought, I hope she likes this.
Choso took a deep breath as he walked back to where he had been earlier, hoping that Yuki wasn’t going to be annoyed with him for running off with no warning. Part of the way, he reached into his pocket to try and call her, but she was already right nearby. She gave him a pat on the shoulder, causing him to jolt back in surprise.
“Ah, I’m so sorry for running, love,” Choso said as he turned around to face her.
He gave her a bow and tried to apologize, but Yuki guided his head back up to make eye contact with him.
She asked, “Are you okay, babe? It looks like something’s bothering you.”
“Oh, I’m fine. I just… had something I needed to take care of,” he nervously explained, trying not to ruin the surprise, “But it’s fine now.
A nervous smile flicked across his face briefly. He gave her a thumbs-up to try and reassure her, though he was sure she’d see through it sooner or later.
Yuki walked around behind him and looked over his shoulder.
“Whatcha got there?”
He tucked the bag behind him and cleared his throat.
“It’s a secret for now.”
Yuki had a knowing look in her eyes as she said, “Alright, keep your secret.”
However, Choso felt her arm wrap around his.
“But, you don’t need to worry about giving me anything for Valentine's Day either. That’s what happens on White Day: the guys give their girlfriends gifts.”
He asked, “How did you know?”
“You ran off the second you found out the date. Not the most subtle move.”
Choso sighed.
“I didn’t really know about the whole… thing you were talking about,” he said, “I thought we were both supposed to give each other gifts. I didn’t want to seem like the kind of jerk who never gives his girlfriend anything.”
Yuki put her hand on his shoulder,
“You’re not a jerk, Choso. You’ve always thinking about other people. ”
“Thank you.”
“Oh, and… I’m sorry for freaking you out. I didn’t mean to put pressure on you or anything, I just got a little excited.”
“I think I just put pressure on myself.”
She ruffled his hair.
“You know what? Let’s head back and get some rest. I think we both need it.”
Choso nodded in agreement.
As they walked back, Yuki noticed that Choso’s movements were a lot more relaxed than they were moments ago. His pace was even, his head was held high, and he had one arm wrapped around Yuki. He felt like a weight had been lifted off of his chest, knowing that Yuki was never going to be mad at him in the first place.
Once they got back, Choso reached into his bag and pulled out the pair of peaches. Then, he set the other goodies in the closet and wandered over to the kitchen to grab a knife and a plate.
The two of them chatted together about their travels, as well as Choso’s experience at the store moments ago.
“The cashier seemed really excited about the whole thing, as if we were a pair of celebrities” he admitted, “It was kind of odd.”
She gasped, “Oh my gosh! That must have been something.”
He wandered back started cutting up little slices.
As he cut the fruit, he added, “Well, maybe she thought we were famous. I mean, you’re beautiful enough to be a model.”
Yuki nudged him in the rib.
“Look at you, you little flirt,” she teased, “And you’re pretty good lookin’ too, you know?”
She grabbed a slice off the plate and said, “But seriously, it’s probably just that not too many tourists come here.”
The peach was sadly not as soft or sweet as Choso had hoped it would be. Then again, Yuki did tell him that it wasn’t peach season. Still, he was content to have a little treat to share.
She said, “Oh, hold on, you got a little juice on your mouth.”
Then, she
“Wait… Was that just an excuse to let me kiss you?”
Choso winked back and said, “You’re rubbing off on me. And, uh, I thought it would be nice to share some fruit.”
She gave him another tiny kiss as thanks before they wandered back to their bedroom. They sat right next to each other and rested for a while.
She typed away at her laptop. Every now and then, Choso glanced over at her screen. At one point, he noticed what looked like some sort of article about constellations, but she quickly switched tabs.
Is that a secret?
Meanwhile, Choso read through a fantasy novel that Yuki had given him earlier on their travels. It was about a pair of brothers on a quest to defeat a mad king and his group of evil warlocks. The eldest one used the magic of the stars, while the younger one was a swordsmaster. The two siblings reminded him of himself and Yuji, especially when they fought together.
The action was exciting, the characters were charming, and the plot was enjoyable. Choso just knew that he was probably going to reread it all later.
Maybe I should give Yuji a copy, he figured, I bet he’d like it.
He slowly wrapped his arm around her, giving her a gentle pat on the back. Though they both stayed quiet, Choso felt at peace. He could have spent the whole night with Yuki, resting by her side.
As the sun began to set, Choso was in the middle of reading a climatic fight near the end of the book. However, he felt Yuki’s hand nudging him.
“Hey, babe,” Yuki whispered, “I have an idea.”
He stuck a bookmark in the book and went, “Hm?”
She asked, “Would it be okay if you stayed up until midnight?”
“Why?”
She twirled her hair.
“I had a little idea… I was thinking that we could head out of town about an hour before midnight. There’ll be something really special.”
Choso raised an eyebrow curiously.
“Like what?”
“Oh, you’ll see… It’ll definitely be worth it. Oh, and you can take that stuff with you if you want. ”
“It’s a surprise, huh,” Choso said.
He rubbed his chin in thought. Did it have something to do with that random web article he saw on her laptop? Then again, he knew the town was way too small to have a planetarium. However, his gut told him that he just needed to be patient.
“I will,” he said, nodding to himself.
Whatever it was, Choso knew he could trust her.
A few hours later, Yuki nudged Choso awake from a little nap. The two of them had already enjoyed a simple but delicious dinner at a nearby restaurant, and he had just finished reading the book. She had a backpack on her back, which looked like it had been packed for travel all over again.
That seems like a lot.
Choso asked, “You were going to show me something, right?”
“Yeah, just follow me. Oh, and we’ll be there for a little while, so take anything you think you might need.”
He packed all of the little goodies Yuki had given him, along with the book and some extra snacks in case either of them got hungry. Then they hopped on Yuki’s motorcycle and drove off, away from the small town and what felt like the rest of civilization. Choso glanced back at the town as he watched the lights get smaller and smaller, until they disappeared in the dark. He was glad Yuki had her brights on, because he had no other way to tell where they were going.
“This is quite the drive,” he exclaimed.
“It is, but you’ll see why I’m going this far.”
Eventually, Yuki reached a small clearing near the woods. She parked her motorcycle by the edge of the road before spreading out a blanket for the two of them to sit on.
She waved, “Here we are! Have a seat.”
Choso sat down, placing his backpack full of goodies next to hers. He wasn’t entirely sure why she had led him out
“Are we going on a hike?”
Yuki shook her head.
She pointed, “No, look up at the sky!”
Choso glanced up at the sky, and he was left too stunned for words. The sky was full of a seemingly infinite number of stars, surrounding them with a mystical glow. He could see streaks of color across the sky, and he could swear that the moon looked brighter than it ever had before. It felt completely different from the glow of Tokyo’s streetlights, and more like a painting or a work of art.
He then imagined his mother as a young girl, sitting under a sky like the one above him. Did she feel the same sense of wonder he was feeling? Did she wish for her dreams to come true? A small part of Choso wished he could have sat there with her.
A tear ran down his cheek as he sat there, awestruck by the sight above him.
“It’s beautiful,” he whispered.
Yuki brushed his hair.
“I knew you’d like it. This is one of my gifts for you.”
He asked, “A gift?”
“I felt like you deserved to see the night sky in all of its glory,” she said, “Not everyone gets to see it all like this anymore, thanks to all of those electric lights.”
She added.
“Oh, and this was like, one of the main reasons we came out to this area in the first place. If you weren’t with me, I might have waited a little longer.”
She pulled out a telescope, adjusting the lens before passing it to Choso. He immediately pointed it at a group of stars clustered right near each other.
“Looking at Subaru* first, huh?”
“Oh, is that what they’re called?”
Yuki nodded.
“Yep. Well, they call them the Pleiades in other parts of the world, named after seven sisters from Greek myths.”
“Huh, I didn’t know that. Especially that part about Greek Myths.”
Yuki nodded, “Oh, yeah! A lot of western constellation names come from Greek myths.”
She went on to point out some other constellations, even handing him some charts she printed off so he could compare the drawings to what he was seeing in real life.
But Choso and Yuki didn’t just see individual stars up there. No, he could see something else.
He moved the telescope and asked, “Wait… Now that I look closely… What’s that over there?”
Yuki snapped her fingers and said, “Oh, good eyes! That’s the Andromeda galaxy.”
“Andromeda…”
“Shoot, I should have brought my old astronomy book. Now that book was something.”
Choso smiled warmly as he gave her a hug.
“I love it already,” he whispered in her ear, “Besides, it’s nice just to hear you talk.”
He took his time observing anything and everything that he could see, until his hands started shaking. He couldn’t stop picturing Eso and Kechizu lying down on the grass beside him, watching the stars. He could even hear Kechizu’s laughter as he’d trace the constellations one by one, while Eso would admire the view through the telescope. And what about the younger six, who never got to see the world on their own?
Yuki gave him a pat on the shoulder and held his hand moments later.
She asked, “You okay?”
Choso took a deep breath and swallowed a lump in his throat. He looked her in the eyes, trying his best to hold it together.
“I’m fine,” he said, “I just… I’ve never seen anything like this. 150 years… My brothers and I spent 150 years trapped in those jars, and…”
Choso stared back up at the sky, tears streaming down his cheeks.
“I-I wish Eso and Kechizu could have lived to see this. I think they would have loved it.”
Yuki silently nodded. She didn’t really know what it was like to have a sibling, much less lose them the way Choso had. But there was one thing she could do, and that was to be right beside him. She let him rest his head on her chest, wiping away the tears that spilled from his eyes. Chos found the sound of Yuki’s heartbeat was soothing in a strange way, firm and steady Eventually, his breaths eased up as the last of the pain melted away.
She whispered, “Are you feeling better?”
“Yes. Thank you. Thank you so much, my love.”
She gave him one last reassuring pat on the head before she reached into her backpack.
“By the way… Stargazing’s not the only thing I’ve got in store for you either.”
Yuki reached into her bag and opened up a large box of chocolates, showing him the flavors. Each of them looked perfectly smooth and neat, like miniature works of art.
She asked, “Which one would you like?”
Choso pointed at a white chocolate candy with a pastel white and pink top in the corner of the box. She immediately pulled it out and fed it to him, brushing his cheek affectionately. He let it slowly melt on his tongue. It was a white chocolate treat with a sweet, fruity filling.
He asked, “Is that… peach jam?”
Choso flipped over the card, just to check. Sure enough, it was a peach filling, and the peaches were even from the same prefecture that he and Yuki were visiting. He nibbled on the rest of it bit by bit, letting the taste linger on his palette for as long as he could.
“It’s funny,” he mused.
“What is?”
Choso rustled through his own bag, pulling out the box of chocolates he had bought for her. It wasn’t as big as hers, but that was okay. He picked out one of the chocolates from the box and fed it to her the same way she fed him one. She seemed to like it just as much as he liked the chocolate she gave him, even pointing out the subtle floral taste of the filling.
“Oh! And I have a couple other things for you. Well, one’s kind of useless at this time of night.”
He handed her the pair of sunglasses he had bought hours ago, which she quietly tucked in her back pocket.
She said, “Hey, thanks. My old ones were getting kinda nasty.”
“You’re welcome,” he said with a polite nod, “But, I think the other one will be perfect for this moment.”
Then, he pulled out the necklace and placed it on her neck, making sure the clasp held on just right. The colors reminded him of the stars above them, a warm gold that hit her blonde hair just right. He pulled out his phone and adjusted the camera so Yuki could get a good look.
She laughed, “Wow, you weren’t kidding! It’s like you knew what I was planning all along.”
He shrugged his shoulders before giving her a little kiss on the cheek.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Yuki,” he said with all of the love in his heart, “I hope I did well.”
She kissed him on the lips and a scratch behind the ears.
“You did, Choso.”
The two of them stared up at the sky for a while longer. Yuki pointed out other constellations, telling Choso all of the stories she knew related to them. Meanwhile, he’d stare at them in wide-eyed fascination. And of course, the two of them held each other’s hands.
Choso had no idea how much time had passed, nor did he really care. As long as he was beside Yuki, he was happy.
However, his body was starting to feel the effects of staying up so late. His head began to feel foggy and it felt hard to focus after a while. Choso kept bobbing his head as he tried to stay awake a little while longer, and he almost dropped Yuki’s telescope.
Yuki glanced at her watch and gasped, “Oh goodness! It’s 3:30 AM! We better get back.”
She quickly packed everything back up and helped him back onto her motorcycle. Choso held on as tight as he could while Yuki drove them both back. He glanced back up at the sky on the way back to town, trying to cling onto that last little bit of magic. Yuki chuckled to herself as she drove on.
Eventually, they both made it back to the hotel. Choso immediately kicked off his shoes and flopped down on the bed, and Yuki lied down next to him moments later. He stared into her eyes as she scooted into a comfortable position. Even though the two of them were both sleepy, those pretty eyes still twinkled in the faint light.
She whispered, “So, what did you think of our little adventure, Choso?”
He smiled back with a dreamy look in his eyes.
“It was wonderful, Yuki. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this night.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
He nuzzled her and hummed to himself. She twirled a lock of his hair around her finger, staring into his sleepy brown eyes.
“Gosh, you look so adorable right now,” she whispered.
Choso hummed in delight before resting Yuki’s head on his chest. She could hear Choso’s heart beat as he fell asleep, and she could feel his chest slowly rise and fall. The sound was soothing in its own special way, strong yet tranquil.
As Choso got ready to fall asleep, he already started imagining what he’d do for her once White Day rolled around. Maybe they could watch a movie, or go to an art gallery perhaps. Whatever it was, he wanted to give her a night she’d remember, just like the night she gave him.
Yuki couldn’t help but kiss him one last time before she quickly fell asleep herself. She wouldn’t trade that night (or him) for anything in the world.