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“I thought I might find you here.”
Louisa looks up, startling slightly at the sound of Higuchi’s voice. She hadn’t intended to hide, exactly—she just needed a break from the crowd, and she didn’t want to take away from anyone else’s fun. Lucy has been looking forward to bringing Higuchi to the local fair for months; it wouldn’t be fair for Louisa to drag everyone away from the festivities because she got overwhelmed within the first two hours.
Higuchi takes the seat across from her, eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Are you feeling okay?”
Louisa nods. “It’s just…a lot. A lot of people, and noise, and…” she gestures vaguely. “It’s not really my scene.”
“You didn’t have to come with us. I’m sure Lucy and Margaret wouldn’t have been upset.”
“I know!” Louisa assures her. “I just—” wanted to join you, she thinks, but she can’t bring herself to admit it aloud. It would be one thing to turn down an invitation from Lucy and Margaret alone, but she couldn’t bring herself to say no when Higuchi would be joining in. She wants to spend as much time as she can with Higuchi before she returns to Japan, and she wanted to…prove she can be fun, too. Or something.
Louisa shakes her head. “How did you know where to find me?” It would make more sense for Lucy or Margaret to know her hiding spot, considering they’ve actually been to these fairgrounds before.
“We passed by earlier, and there weren’t many people around,” Higuchi explains. “It’s pretty far from all the food stands and rides and stuff, so I figured it would stay relatively empty, and that you would look for the place that was least crowded.”
“Oh,” Louisa mumbles. She taps a fingernail against the warped wood of the picnic table. “Well… Yes, that makes sense.”
“I won’t make you come back with me,” Higuchi continues, “but…I am curious what your favorite part of the fair is. I’d love to see it with you. I-if you’d want!”
Louisa glances up. “Really? What about Lucy and Margaret?”
Higuchi waves a hand vaguely. “Lucy is forcing Margaret to ride something called the Wheel of Terror. I think they’ll be able to keep themselves occupied.”
Louisa purses her lips. “I guess…I always liked looking at the animals, when my family and I went to the fair growing up. Especially the rabbits and horses.”
“They have rabbits?!” Higuchi lights up, and Louisa feels a smile tugging at her lips. “Will you show me?”
“Okay,” Louisa hears herself agree, without a second thought. This is going to cause a problem someday—not being able to turn Higuchi down, and pushing herself far outside of her comfort zone just because Higuchi wants to do something—but she isn’t going to worry about that right now.
Higuchi jumps up, and Louisa follows suit so she can lead her in the direction of the rabbits. They stick close together as they walk, arms brushing, and Louisa tells herself it’s nothing more than a kindness on Higuchi’s part—a way to ground Louisa as they push through crowded walkways.
But it’s hard to believe when Higuchi glances over, smiling at Louisa like she’s greater than any sights the fair has to offer.
They walk through the rabbit exhibit, and then go to see the horses and pigs as well. It might not be as exciting as the Wheel of Terror, but Higuchi seems to be having a good time, and it’s definitely more enjoyable for Louisa.
By the time they finish, Higuchi’s eyes are practically sparkling. “That was so cool,” she gushes. “I didn’t realize pigs were so big!”
Louisa giggles. “Yeah…they don’t usually seem to get the size quite right on TV.”
“Should we look at more animals?” Higuchi asks. “They have cows too, right? Or— Oh!” She stops walking, reaching out to grab hold of Louisa’s arm to forcibly stop her as well. Louisa frowns, tracking the line of Higuchi’s sight until she finds a food stand that looks pretty much like all the rest. “They have cotton candy.”
“...Yes?”
“I’m getting some!” Higuchi declares. Before Louisa has a chance to respond, she’s marching over to the stand and dragging Louisa with, because she still hasn’t let go. Not that Louisa has any problem with that. In fact, she rather likes Higuchi holding onto her and would be perfectly content for that to continue for as long as they’re at the fair. Or even after.
Higuchi buys a bag of cotton candy, light pink and blue swirled together. Then, she pulls Louisa to a nearby table, positioned out of the way and distanced from others nearby. It puts them directly beneath the blazing sun with no shade in sight, but Louisa can’t find it in herself to be too upset.
Not when Higuchi is beaming even brighter than the light overhead.
She breaks off a chunk of cotton candy for herself, then passes the bag over to Louisa. Louisa, however, is too busy watching Higuchi to take a piece of her own. Higuchi places a bit of it in her mouth, humming happily, eyes briefly fluttering shut. It’s just sugar, but she makes it look like the greatest treat in the world.
“You should try some,” she encourages. “It’s good!”
“I don’t—”
Higuchi leans across the table, arm extended, holding a small piece out towards Louisa. It sits soft pink and fluffy between her index finger and thumb.
Louisa opens her mouth.
Higuchi sets it on her tongue, and it immediately begins to dissolve. The sugar melts over Louisa’s tongue, sweet and sticky, and Higuchi’s hand lingers just a moment too long.
Her cheeks color, but she doesn’t look away. So Louisa doesn’t either, though her heart pounds loudly in her chest.
“What do you think?” Higuchi asks. She’s talking about the cotton candy. It sounds like it could mean more.
“I liked it,” Louisa replies. “May I have another bite?”