Stars Fell on Tokyo | ✓

13 | stars fell on tokyo

       AFTER THE SWIM, they sat on the docks, wrapped in blankets from the boat house until the sun was about to go down. Louanne missed this feeling since this was a different setting for her. Then again, it didn't matter where she was as long as she got to watch the sun go down and have the moon and the stars come out. On rare occasions, she'd stay up all night stargazing from her bedroom window and listening to the waves. 

       Finally, the moon and the stars had come out, and it was joined by fireflies flickering around them as the two of them watched the moon glow. Kohei grabbed a lantern from the boat house to add light around them. She laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him.

       "I've been meaning to ask you one point but I didn't want to seem rude or like I was staring," Kohei started.

       "Go for it!" Louanne brought a leg up to her chest.

       "Your tattoos. What do they mean?" Kohei asked, "and did they hurt?"

       Louanne looked at her tattoos and traced her finger down her arm. "Well, it's our flower in Hawai'i. According to my māmā, the Hibiscus flower represents ephemeral beauty, romantic love, and passion, friendship, hospitality, and joy."

       "Hmm, very informative," he commented.

       "Hey, the more you know!" she added, "also it did hurt... kind of. I had it done for my birthday a couple of months ago but necessarily when my parents were holding my hand."

       "I don't think I can see myself getting a tattoo at all," Kohei interjected as he rubbed his arm.

       Getting flu shots or any kind of vaccination didn't really bother him at all unless the doctor was drawing blood.

       "You don't have to. I mean if at some point you do, I'll hold your hand until it's over, deal?" Louanne stuck out her hand, waiting for him to shake it.

       He grasped her hand softly and shook it. "Deal!"

       They didn't bother moving for a couple of minutes until the fireflies had gone away. It was getting late and it'd probably be a bad idea to row the boat in the dark night even though Jiji and Sobo are going to be worried sick about her in the morning. But for now, they had to enjoy the moment before Kohei sauntered into the boat house and grabbed a record player along with vinyl.

       "Care for a dance, watashi no ai?" He reached out his hand, pulling her close to him.

       "What?" She tried to hold in a laugh.

       "I asked you if you want to dance?"

       "No, I heard that part but what was the last thing you said?"

       "Oh, watashi no ai?" Kohei rubbed the back of his head bashfully.

       "Yeah, what does that mean?" Louanne asked him.

        He chuckled, "In Japanese, it means my love,"

       Louanne bit her tongue at his choice of words and granted that she was starting to love his way of saying it. To her, the kiss was forevermore special to her and she did like him but she also didn't know if rapidly graduating to calling each other pet names was the right time either. Louanne accepted it with a reluctant smile.

        "If the k-kiss from earlier means anything at this point," maybe he was starting to wonder the same thing too. "It was probably a stupid thing to say anyway."

       Louanne quickly jumped to her feet. "Oh no! Of course, it means something! I thought it was special, you know! Look, I more than like you as any other friend would and maybe that's just me talking but I do want us to be more than friends—if you think that we're moving too fast,"

       This time, it was Kohei who made the move. He placed his thumb underneath her chin, lifted it up, and planted a sweet kiss that sealed the deal. It was a bold move for him to make since he was shy. He brushed that same thumb on the side of her cheek as he pulled away from her.

       "I don't think so," he replied softly.

       He carefully wrapped his arms around her waist as the music starts and Louanne had hers around his neck. Their foreheads touched when the vocals fade in. The way she looked into his eyes, she saw a future for their relationship. Everything that she could imagine. She could see herself in ten years running into his arms and they share a passionate kiss on the beach, watching the day come to a close as the sun sets. Go surfing on the waves or climb Konahuanui... when the fear of heights doesn't take over. 

       Maybe this was fate. An invisible red string or thread pulled them together, and they were destined to be true lovers. 

       She still wondered if having a relationship while being 4,000 miles apart would even work.

***

       Louanne hadn't realized that it was already the next morning, forgetting that they'd overslept while they were looking at the stars from the boat house window and listening to the music play throughout the night. She stumbled out of the bed to her feet to gather the rest of her things before she turned over and shook Kohei by the arm.

       "Kohei! Kohei! Wake up!" she shouted.

       "W-what? What is it, Lou?" He groaned as he tried to cover his face with the blankets.

       "We overslept! They're going to be so furious with us when we get back!" Louanne fastened the little buckle on her shoes. "Come on! We have to go!"

       Realizing it now, Kohei nearly fell out of the bed trying to grab his socks and shoes. To clarify, they didn't do anything serious last night except talk and sing along with the music until they fell asleep. Louanne could easily picture her grandparents' reactions when she gets back and how Kohei's mother is going to do the same. 

       The guilt was rising in her chest and of course, she would have to think of what to say and how she was going to apologize to them for her reckless behavior.

       With no time to spare, Kohei and Louanne had raced back to Tokyo on foot and there was no way at this point were they going to spend any more time together after this. I'm sorry Jiji! I'm sorry Sobo! I'm sorry Ms. Isa! I will accept any form of punishment that you may have. Just Kohei leave out of this! Louanne thought to herself frantically as they ran through the streets. At this point, she would at least expect to think that this would be the last time that they would see each other even after their kiss.