Chapter 68: Whispers Beneath the Lanterns
The city of Hoshikawa shimmered under the gentle glow of early evening lanterns. The Autumn Festival had spilled into its final night, and though laughter and music echoed through the streets, an undeniable current of tension wound tightly around Naoto's chest. He wandered past food stalls lit in golden light, but the smells of grilled fish and sweet mochi barely registered.
His mind was a swirling storm.
The conversation with Rika the night before replayed endlessly: the trembling in her voice, the way she clutched his sleeve, and how her eyes, always so fierce, had softened as if afraid of losing something she hadn't dared admit she cared for.
"Naoto… please. Don't keep pushing me away. You're not the only one hurting."
He stopped near the lantern lake. Paper lanterns floated across the water's surface, each carrying a silent wish from someone in the city. The reflection of the stars above mingled with flickering candlelight, painting the scene in ghostly hues of gold and silver.
"Naoto," a voice whispered.
He turned to see Himari, her expression unreadable beneath the pale pink lantern light. She wore a soft cream kimono embroidered with plum blossoms, her hair tied loosely with a single ribbon he remembered giving her years ago—before everything had changed.
He hadn't expected to see her.
"I thought you weren't coming tonight," he said, his voice caught somewhere between surprise and relief.
"I wasn't," she replied. "But then I thought… maybe I should stop running."
The words hung between them like fragile thread.
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Flashback – Three Years Ago
The sun had been setting on the old neighborhood hill where they always met. Naoto was lying in the grass, and Himari sat beside him, their fingers barely touching.
"You promise?" she had whispered.
"I promise," he said without hesitation, looking at her with those boyish eyes filled with dreams and fearlessness. "No matter where life takes us, I'll find you again."
Back then, they had no idea how harsh the world could be.
---
Back in the present, Himari exhaled slowly. "Do you remember what we used to dream about?"
"Every night," Naoto admitted, his voice cracking slightly. "But dreams don't always survive reality."
"They don't," she agreed. "But that doesn't mean we stop chasing them."
She stepped closer, her hand reaching into her sleeve. When she opened it, a faded photograph rested in her palm—a younger Naoto, Himari, and his mother, standing in front of an old bookstore, all smiling.
"She gave this to me before she…" Himari trailed off. "Before she got sick. She asked me to remind you someday."
Naoto's breath caught. His mother had always seen through him. Even as she grew weaker, she still thought of their future.
"I thought I could keep it all together," he murmured. "For her. For you. For everyone."
"And in doing that, you started to break apart," Himari whispered.
His gaze dropped to the lanterns. "I don't know how to fix it anymore."
"You don't have to," she said. "You just need to stop doing it alone."
Behind them, a quiet shuffle of feet approached.
"I was wondering when you'd show up," Rika said, her voice tight. Her dress rustled as she moved next to them, holding a lantern with both hands.
Naoto looked between the two girls—the girl from his past and the girl from his present. Both had become entwined in his life in ways he had never intended. And both looked at him now, waiting for something.
Rika spoke first. "I'm not here to fight or demand anything. I just wanted to give this to you." She held the lantern out to him. On it, written in fine ink, was a single phrase: "When the wind feels heavy, I'll carry it with you."
He took it carefully. "Rika…"
She offered a soft smile. "You don't owe anyone answers tonight. Just… don't forget we're here."
Himari nodded in agreement. "We all carry different kinds of pain, Naoto. But that's why we find each other—to make it lighter."
For a long moment, none of them spoke.
The sound of fireworks cracked in the distance, illuminating the lake in bursts of blue and green. The crowd began releasing their lanterns, and Rika turned to add hers. Himari stepped beside her, silently doing the same.
Naoto stared at the flame in his own lantern.
One step at a time.
He placed the lantern gently into the water. The candle inside flickered, then steadied, and began its journey across the lake.
Above them, the night opened wide with stars.
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