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Peach's birthday was a special day—at least this time, the fireworks were accompanied by the meteor shower that occurs once every thousand years. It was the first time Peach would get to experience an event the Toads had been telling her about since she was a little girl.
Peach and Mario watched the shower from the castle roof while Luigi and Yoshi were eating food from the Toads’ stalls; both of them were very hungry.
Mario knew this was the moment—it was the part of the handwritten novel where one of them was going to confess their love to the other, and that made him nervous, not only because he was hopeless at love, but also...
“Mario, I have a question,” Peach pulls him out of his thoughts, and he looks back at her. “Haven’t you ever felt unnecessary pressure about confessing your feelings to someone?”
Mario stretches his legs and looks away:
“I guess so.”
Peach notices that Mario is trying to hide his face as he looks “away.” She giggles and smiles:
“No one here is going to judge you, Mario.”
She gives him a nudge, and they both laugh to lighten the tension in the room.
Mario remembers how Luigi used to tease him about “going out with Peach,” that he should “ask her out” or even “tell her he likes her.” Mario didn’t see it that way; he sees Peach as a friend, nothing more… but he’d feel really bad rejecting her, even though he wouldn’t be being honest with himself. He wouldn’t be loyal to someone more important—himself.
“Yeah, well, Lu’s been insisting that I ask you out and all that, but I feel like it’s unnecessary, honestly.” I like the relationship we have right now.” Mario tilts his head.
Peach tilts hers too as she presses her lips together and then looks up at the stars.
>>Sorry if I’m not who you expected me to be… I…
—Why are you apologizing?
Mario looks at Peach; she doesn’t return his gaze, but her lips curve into a slight smile.
>>You shouldn’t apologize for who you are; I feel the same way. I know all about that pressure—some Toads told me how well we’d make a romantic couple, but… I’m glad to know we’re on the same page.
Mario smiles and looks ahead.
They both continue to gaze at the meteor shower until they see one streak across the sky and crash into a forest…