You And I

Chapter 9: Summer Festival Surprises

I woke up to the excitement of the summer festival in our town. The vibrant colors and sounds of the festival had already begun filling the streets. I grabbed my phone and saw a message from Ryan in our group chat:

Anyone have plans tonight? There's gonna be a firework show.

I typed back, I can't, I have to help my mom and siblings at our stall.

Before I could set my phone down, Mei replied to Ryan's message: I'm free tonight.

My heart skipped a beat. I quickly responded, Maybe I'll have some free time. I can join with you guys.

Ryan and Yvonne's laughter echoed through my phone, clearly aware of my interest. I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as I read their amused responses.

Ryan's reply came shortly after: Alright, we're complete. Let's meet up at the entrance at 5 p.m.

It was only 3:30, but I was already at our meeting spot. The festival was in full swing with colorful stalls, games, and the lively buzz of people. I wandered around, taking in the sights and sounds, and tried to distract myself from the anticipation.

As I was exploring, I heard a familiar voice. I turned around and saw Mei approaching in her festival outfit. She looked stunning, and I couldn't take my eyes off her.

"You're here early," Mei said with a smile.

I stammered, "Yeah, well, I got pretty excited."

Mei blushed slightly at my compliment. I thought to myself, Damn, she's so cute. My heart raced as I tried to act cool.

Soon, Yvonne and Ryan arrived. They caught sight of Mei and me, both of us blushing, and broke into laughter. Ryan slapped me on the back, grinning. "Nice going, brotha!"

I chuckled awkwardly. "Shut up, man."

Yvonne added, "What happened to you two? You're both bright red."

Mei answered with a small smile, "Well, he just complimented my outfit, and I got a little excited."

Ryan and Yvonne smacked me on the back again, in unison, saying, "You're doing good, boiii!"

I tried to play it cool, saying, "Cut it out, guys. I just complimented her, nothing more." But when I looked at Mei, I noticed her smile had faded slightly.

We spent the next few hours walking around the festival, enjoying various stalls and sampling different foods. Mei and I shared a plate of takoyaki, the warm, savory bites perfect for a cool evening.

At one point, Mei led me behind a quieter part of the stalls. She looked at me, holding a piece of takoyaki. "Can you blow this for me? It's too hot."

I was taken aback. "Uh, sure." I carefully blew on the takoyaki, trying to cool it down as Mei watched with hopeful eyes.

Just as I was about to feed her, Ryan and Yvonne suddenly appeared, looking for us. They froze for a moment, their eyes widening as they took in the scene.

"Oh, I'm sorry for disturbing," Ryan said, trying to hide his grin. "Go on."

Yvonne snickered beside him, unable to contain her amusement.

Mei looked a bit flustered and pulled away slightly, her cheeks pink. I stammered, "It's not-"

Ryan cut me off with a teasing smile. "No worries. We'll just-um-look around. Have fun!"

As they walked away, I couldn't help but feel embarrassed, though a part of me was secretly pleased. Mei and I returned to the main area of the festival, and I noticed her smile had returned, albeit with a hint of shyness.

We continued to enjoy the festival together, and I found myself thinking about how perfect the evening was. The fireworks were about to start, and as we found a good spot to watch, I couldn't help but feel that tonight was special. I stole glances at Mei, watching her eyes light up with each burst of color in the sky. For a moment, everything felt right.

As the fireworks finale lit up the night sky, I found myself lost in thoughts of Mei, wondering how this night would end and what the future might hold for us.

After the fireworks show, Ryan and Yvonne announced they were heading to buy some festival lucky charms. Ryan bought one but Yvonne didn't. Ryan, being his generous self, decided to give his charm to Yvonne.

As I looked at the stall, I noticed a sign that read, "If a person gives this to you, it's considered as a proposal." My eyes widened in shock. Had Ryan done this intentionally, or did they miss the sign?

Seizing the opportunity for a little harmless revenge, I took a picture of the sign and kept quiet. I couldn't help but smile as I watched their reactions.

When we were walking home, Yvonne and Ryan went off to say goodbye. I walked Mei home, but as we neared her place, she suddenly said, "You don't have to walk me home today," and ran off as fast as she could, leaving me stunned.

I shrugged it off, thinking she might have something urgent to do. When I got home, I threw myself onto my bed, replaying the day's events in my mind and chuckling at the moments with Mei. I sent the picture of the sign to the group chat with a note mentioning Ryan and Yvonne.

Ryan replied quickly: No, it's not like that, Yvonne.

Yvonne added, Yeah-yeah, I know. She sounded a bit embarrassed.

I laughed heartily at their reactions, enjoying the playful banter. After a long chat with friends and a few more laughs, I settled down for the night, thinking about Mei and feeling content.

As I drifted off to sleep, I couldn't help but smile, hoping that the next day would bring more moments like these.