Takiyo could hardly believe where he was.

The fireworks festival.

"Let's go! Move, Takin!" Arisu nudged him in the back, pushing him forward.

"Have you never been to a fireworks festival before?" Ren asked, also shoving him forward.

Somehow, Ren and Arisu had gotten him into coming. They were just shoving him along, as Takiyo stood rooted to the spot, trying to comprehend the present situation.

"What about your friends?" Takiyo finally asked.

"Bleh..." Ren mumbled.

"We can see Hikarin and Eri-chan. No worries." Arisu said, pushing him hard.

"Where's Nishikawa?" Takiyo asked.

"Yu-chan doesn't like festivals, so she didn't come. Now walk!" Arisu said, giving him an almighty shove and finally getting him to move.

"What? Why?" Takiyo asked as they started walking.

"Yuko hasn't gone to a festival since she was thirteen." Ren explained. "That time she was so grim and unhappy, and since then she never went again."

"Really?" Takiyo asked.

"She states that she hates fireworks." Arisu said, shrugging.

"Who hates fireworks?" Takiyo asked disbelievingly.

"See? Even the all-hating Takin likes fireworks." Arisu complained.

"I can't really tell why." Ren said.

"I see." Takiyo mused, thinking. It felt kind of lonely and incomplete without Yuko, but Ren and Arisu seemed to be ignoring it.

"So, what do you want to do? There's still an hour till it's time for the fireworks." Arisu said, and Takiyo finally came into full realisation that they were at the summer festival. He looked at Arisu properly, to see that she was wearing a baby pink yukata patterned with pink roses. Her hair was tied up and held with pink kanzashi.

(Note: Kanzashi are hair ornaments that are worn with traditional Japanese hairstyles.)

He and Ren weren't wearing yukata. Arisu complained that she felt left out. They disregarded this. Anyway, Arisu was an expert when it came to yukatas. She was running ahead of them like it was a tracksuit.

"Arisu!" Somebody called her.

"It's Hikarin and Eri-chan!" Arisu sqeauled, and ran off.

"She has more energy than a 4-year-old having a sugar rush." Takiyo said, following her, while Ren chuckled.

Arisu was talking with Hikari and Erika, and then she suddenly pointed at the two of them. Hikari looked down and started poking her fingers together. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't. Erika immediately hitched up an expression of disgust. Arisu smiled at her, and she immediately recoiled. Takiyo understood, because if Arisu smiled at him like that, he would be running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

Both of them kept their distance. Arisu sighed and said, "Takin, Hikarin is confused. I mean, she knows that she apologized and all, but she's wondering if that makes you guys friends now."

Takiyo stared at her, then turned to Hikari. "Sakura-san," he said. Hikari looked up. Takiyo stuck out his hand. She stared at it, then smiled, and shook it.

"Aw...Takin's become a nice guy." Arisu said, smiling like a proud mother.

"Ow!" Hikari gasped, because Takiyo suddenly crushed her hand as his eye twitched.

"Oh sorry." Takiyo said, then turned to Arisu. He gave her a rude gesture, hidden from the others, and she just giggled.

"Well, we'll see you later." Ren said as he waved at them. Erika, who had been avoiding them like the plague, suddenly brightened up and waved too. Hikari waved as well, and the two of them walked away.

"Kaneshiro, why are you friends with that Erika girl?" Takiyo asked, a rage mark on his head.

"Eri-chan?" Arisu asked. "Firstly, do you even know her name?"

Takiyo remained silent, and Arisu sighed. "It's Kono. Kono Erika. And she really likes me, so that's okay. She just doesn't like you." Arisu gave him a look of disapproval.

"What's with that?!" Takiyo yelled.

Arisu laughed. "I'm just teasing you. Eri-chan doesn't like you, but if she acts like you're a virus, I get upset. Otherwise, she's nice."

"Arisu is very straightforward, so she would tell them exactly what's on her mind." Ren said, stretching.

Arisu nodded, and held up the victory sign. "Simple life is the best life. Anyway, now Takin's gonna catch me some fish!"

"Huh? What?" Takiyo asked.

"Come on, be a cool man, and catch a girl some fish!" Arisu said, dragging him over to a stand.

"I can't–"

"Shush," Arisu held a finger up. Then she turned to Ren. "Show him, Rekkun."

Within three minutes, Arisu was delightfully holding a bag that contained three fish.

"Yay!" Arisu cheered. Then she turned to Takiyo. "That's how it's done."

Takiyo blinked. "That was so fast my brain didn't even have time to process anything."

"Fufu," Arisu laughed, and they continued. Nobody said anything about the strange absence of Yuko. What bound them in the first place wasn't there, and it made them feel so incomplete. Arisu insisted on taking a picture, and then she sent it to Yuko.

"The fireworks will start soon!" Arisu said excitedly, sucking on a sucker.

"You're right." Ren said, leaning against the railing.

They stared up at the sky as the crowd gathered around them. Takiyo stared absent-mindedly across the small lake the railing was surrounding. His eyes seemed to stare at one person in particular, though it took his brain a while to register why.

Takiyo straightened abruptly.

"What's wrong, Takin?" Arisu asked.

Takiyo stared across the lake, trying to confirm whether what he was seeing was right. There was no doubt about it. It was Saburo. Takiyo took a step back, then another.

"Hey, Takiyo, where are you going?" Ren asked him.

He clenched his fist. Saburo was standing right over there. And Yuko was all the way at her house, doing who knows what. Even though he couldn't spend time with Michi, it seemed so unfair that she could clearly spend time with Saburo, but she wasn't here.

It annoyed him. He knew what he wanted to do.

"I'll be back!" Takiyo yelled, leaving Ren and Arisu.

"Hey!" Arisu yelled.

Takiyo jogged back. "Ren, where do you live?"

"Huh? A couple of streets away." Ren replied.

"Okay thanks, bye!"

He ran off, and Ren and Arisu stared. Then Ren realised something. He turned to Arisu, eyes bright. "Hey, he called me 'Ren' just now, didn't he?"

***

This isn't fair, Nishikawa, Takiyo thought as he ran. You can't stay holed up in your house like that, when it could be so easy for you. You're pissing me off. Right now, I don't care about your social anxiety bullsh*t, I only care that you're pointlessly letting an opportunity slip. You have no right to be disappointed in me when you're like this.

He realised he was running too far, and skidded to a halt. Repositioning his feet, he started running down one street. If he was quick, he could make it back in time for the fireworks. He had fifteen minutes. Ignoring his fatigue, he continued running.

It's not fair at all, Nishikawa. I know you try hard and everything, but stop it with this stupid fear and nervousness. It all pisses me off! I know you tried. I tried too, but I failed. But I'm not, under no circumstances, going to let you fail, without even trying in the first place! It isn't right!

He stood panting. He looked up at the nameplate. He was at the right place. He ran up to the door and rang the doorbell three times. A middle-aged man answered, and he looked surprised to see him there.

"Is...is Nishikawa there?" Takiyo asked through his pants, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

The man looked confused, but said, "I am Nishikawa."

"No, no. I mean Nishikawa Yuko." Takiyo wheezed, bending over his knees.

"Um..." Mr. Nishikawa looked surprised that he had something to do with his daughter.

"...who is it, Oto-san?" Yuko asked, poking her head around the corner.

(Note: 'Oto-san' means 'Dad' in Japanese.)

"Nishikawa!" Takiyo gasped.

"Takiyo-kun?" Yuko looked confused.

"You...you know him?" Mr. Nishikawa asked, confused.

"Yes... He's my friend from school." Yuko said, approaching the doorway. "What's up? What happened to the festival?"

Mr. Nishikawa backed away, and Takiyo looked up angrily. "What do you mean, 'what happened to the festival', Miss Shut-in?! We're going!"

"Huh? What?" Yuko was majorly confused. "I...I don't want to go."

"Shut up! If we hurry, we'll make it in time for the fireworks!" Takiyo spat.

"I... don't like fireworks." Yuko mumbled, backing away from him.

"What the hell do you mean?! Even I like fireworks!" Takiyo yelled at her.

Yuko looked down. "I don't like fireworks." She repeated. "They're loud and bright and explosive and pretty and eye-catching and you never get tired of them. They're everything I'm not. I don't like them... because they remind me of what I want to be. Who I need to be. It's just so... pressuring. Like it's taunting me."

Takiyo stared at her. Then he suddenly spoke. "Are...you..." Yuko looked up at him. Takiyo sighed. He took a deep breath.

"ARE YOU AN ABSOLUTE IDIOT?!!!" he yelled. Yuko looked shaken up. "WHO GIVES A DAMN ABOUT WHAT FIREWORKS ARE AND YOU'RE NOT?!! THAT'S ABSOLUTE BULL! YOU'RE PISSING ME OFF!!" He took a few deep breaths to compose himself, because Yuko looked immensely scared. Takiyo looked up at her again. "I don't care." he told her. "I don't give a damn about any of that. Stop thinking that you have to be someone and achieve something. It's because of that that you have problems. All I know, is that I'm getting you to that festival. You're not fireworks. You'll never be fireworks." Yuko looked down disappointedly.

"But you're Nishikawa Yuko." Takiyo continued, and Yuko looked up at him again. "You're Nishikawa Yuko, and that's more than enough."

Yuko stared him, very slowly comprehending his words. It slowly sunk in. She continued to stare at him, and then she slowly started to smile. "Takiyo-kun..." She began, but Takiyo cut across her.

"Stop standing there like a retard and let's go." he said.

Yuko smiled and nodded. "But..." She looked down at her clothes. A pastel yellow hoodie and shorts, and she was barefoot.

"Nobody gives a rat's a** about that." Takiyo said. "Just grab a jacket or something."

Yuko pulled on a black leather jacket, and her grey Ugg boots, and slipped her phone into her pocket. "I'm going out, Oka-san! Oto-san!"

Mr. Nishikawa poked his head out of the living room. "Wait...what?"

"Call me later!" she cried, then slammed the door shut. Mr. Nishikawa stared, joined by Mrs. Nishikawa. Mr. Nishikawa turned to her and asked, "Who was that boy...?"

***

Yuko was being led on by Takiyo. She never thought he could run half as fast as this. He was just dragging her along by the hand and she was struggling to keep up.

"Takiyo-kun..." she tried to say, but Takiyo didn't say anything and didn't bother to slow down.

Before she knew it, they were at the festival. Takiyo stopped for a moment to catch his breath and dropped her hand, then stared irritably at the huge crowd. He dialed Ren's number and held the phone up to his ear. He took Yuko's hand again and warned her, "Don't let go." Then pulled her into the crowd, pushing the way for them.

She could somewhat hear Takiyo talking loudly into his phone, trying to ascertain Ren and Arisu's location. She just let herself be pulled along, trying to ignore her surroundings. She felt claustrophobic and suffocated. She didn't want to be here. Why did she come here?

The answer was right in front of her. She squeezed his hand. His presence was reassuring. She was okay.

At last, she could see Takiyo waving his hand in the air. She broke out from the crowd, and they jogged over to Ren and Arisu.

Takiyo looked around wildly, and Ren and Arisu stared at Yuko, surprised. Takiyo pulled Yuko over, then shoved her.

"Go on." he panted, gesturing for her to move forward. Yuko looked ahead of her to see Saburo, talking with someone. He suddenly caught her eye, and then his face lit up. He waved his hand, and beckoned her.

This was why he brought me? What an idiot. Yuko thought, but surprisingly, she felt tears. She sniffed and tried to wipe them away, but then Saburo came over and asked, "Hi Nishikawa-san. You... okay?"

Yuko nodded, wiping her face.

"I see..." Saburo said. He looked awkward for a moment, then said, "I'm glad to see you here Nishikawa-san."

Yuko looked up. "You are?"

"Yeah," Saburo laughed. "I didn't expect to see you somewhere that was so not...you. But then, who doesn't like festivals, right?"

Yuko looked him, and then her face broke out in a smile. "Yeah!" she nodded.

"Saburo~" Sara appeared beside him, and clinged to his arm. "Where did you go? Ah, Nishikawa-san, right?" She smiled pleasantly at Yuko.

BOOM!

They turned to see the fireworks display had started. The audience cheered.

"Beautiful, right?" Saburo asked, grinning.

Yuko stared at them, mesmerized. Then she smiled yet again. "Yeah." she said, turning her full attention to the fireworks. Takiyo was right. Fireworks were a distant thing for her. But she felt they were close.

It was because he was a firework for her night. Though it was only momentarily, the would still brighten up the sky. And not just him, everybody she had met, all her friends, till this day, was a firework as well. And even though she wasn't a firework, she could at least be a sparkler to their nights.

Takiyo watched them, panting.

"Takin..." Arisu was smiling at him. It wasn't her usual smile. Her eyes looked a little wet. She actually looked proud. "You did that, Takin?" she asked.

Arms suddenly wrapped themselves around him. Takiyo was surprised to see Ren hugging him, head buried in his shoulder.

"Muranaka...?" Takiyo asked, awkwardly patting his back.

"Thank you, Takiyo." Ren said, though it was hard to read his tone because it was muffled. "Really. Thank you so much."

"Yeah, yeah, don't mention it." Takiyo was dealing with large-scale emotions right now, which did not suit him. Arisu was also there, crying. This was getting uncomfortable.... but not in a weird way. This was not his forte.

Ren sniffed and pulled away, and one arm was still around Takiyo. Arisu walked over to his other side, so that she connected them to Yuko, Saburo and Sara. They watched the fireworks together.

Takiyo was used to seeing fireworks. They weren't something new to him. They always were the same. But these were different. Was it perhaps because he was watching them with this particular group of people? Who knows.

The fireworks seemed more beautiful than usual.

--Summer Vacation Arc Complete--