𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘴𝘦

the promise

"Let's go!" Momiji drags me along excitedly down to the beach once the rain has stopped pouring. The sand is still damp, and the sun hasn't finished setting to an orange glow yet either. "I can't wait until night! Cant wait any longer!"

By some miracle, Akito had to return back to the main estate and the horrible knot winding in my stomach was able to subside for today. My cheek throbs from where she decided to sock me, Hatori having bandaged it before I passed out... I had no clue such a fragile woman had that in her.

"Kuroi, you like the pink one, right?" Tohru asks me, passing a sparkler into my hand.

"Uh..." Hiro stops us. "Why are you both hurt?"

I awkwardly turn. "A... um, a flowerpot fell from the balcony and hit me and smashed and cut Tohru-kun too last night."

"They're like two bees in a pod!" Momiji says.

"You mean peas," Hiro retorts.

"C'mon. We're setting off fireworks. Which one first?" Kyo demands.

"I've already decided!" Momiji proclaims. Except his choice is one of those snake ones that just fizzles up without much showy lights or anything. Just smoke. Extremely disappointing.

"It was worth seeing it once!" Tohru declares, just to lighten the disappointment.

I grab one of the sparkler ones that sets off all kinds of smoke colours. "Mi-chan, let's do these ones!" We set them off with Hiro and Kisa and start running around to get the lights to trail behind us until they run out.

"Don't point that at people!" I hear Kyo yell at Haru, and I turn to see him trying to light a firecracker stick that shoots off. Pointed at Kyo.

"I know you can dodge."

"Don't do that!!"

Haru sets off a bunch more out of curiosity, some crackling and making my skin crawl. "Fireworks are supposed to be loud," he says to me.

"I said I don't like it!" I retort. He starts chasing me around, finding it more amusing than Kyo as I cover my ears and run for dear life at his cheap shots. "Yuki-nii!" Yuki doesn't come to help me at all. So I think. He passes me ammo, and I go on a rampage back at Haru.

"Why is she so scared of these things?" Hiro asks.

I point my finger at him. "You're gonna be subject to the hug penalty if you make fun of me!"

"It's not easy to protect someone," Haru says to me, poking my cheek gently but I still wince. "Brave little birdy." He hands me another sparkler, lighting it so it starts spraying brilliant colour. His appeasement is mediocre at best. He goes over to his dear, beloved Yuki to also give him one, which in turn he wants to bring to Tohru.

We both look defeat. "I wanted to bring one to Tohru—!" I whine, going over to join her once she has sat with Yuki and her sparkler finishes, and Mi-chan is trailing behind me. For some reason, even though I'm more scared than I've ever been, I feel relief to have this secret out to Tohru, and to Momiji. To at least know that it's okay for things to not be okay between me and Kureno, and not beat myself up for dreaming. I smile at my sister, our foreheads touching and hands clapping together when I join her. "Tohru-kun~ light more sparklers with me," I lament.

"Okay!"

Momiji has better things in mind, such as setting off the large and colourful fireworks and I have to just grit my teeth and bear through it while covering my ears. They light up the night sky and bring a smile to everyone's faces. Everyone together happy.

"You're so picky about animals and noises, it's kind of funny, isn't it?" Tohru asks me.

"Are you making fun of my, Tohru-kun!"