Rice, December, Remember

Festival, Fireworks, and Rice

For some reason, my friend Rice has been acting weird today.

"There's probably no point in going all lovey-dovey with you since you're gonna forget it all anyway," he says. And I don't get him or whatever it is he's saying.

Today, he walked with me to watch the yearly Kistanny'l festival. He wore nice fabrics and insisted that I should too. "Where are we going?" I asked him. He looked at me with a smile and lowered his thick eyebrows. "I promise you; you'll enjoy looking at the flying plitandas."

"Rice, that's not answering my question. You're being such a kannin again," I gave him a bemused look before tugging his sleeves. He just laughed at me like I'm some little kid.

Plitandas are wooden carvings that float in the air, tied to a blessed wind chime where they star the show during the Kistanny'l festival which is held annually on the first day of spring. Every year, when midnight strikes, plitandas are raised on the highest point of Lijla Hill to celebrate the passing of the spirit goddess, Mimmeg.

"Dece'! Over here!" I heard the kannin's voice calling me. I saw him and his wonderfully crafted clothing in front of a food stand. My eyes widened upon seeing him spot my favorites.

"Uwah! Rice cream!" I cried in delight. "Here, I bought you some," he said, handing me my boxed meal wrapped with a nice black ribbon. "Is it just me or does the package look like you?" he asked after comparing my appearance and the lunchbox.

"Are you calling me a box-head?" I asked him, finding his question insulting. He laughed while letting his fingers run through the surface of the ribbon in the back of my head. His hands dragged themselves from the ribbon to my hair and he started patting my head.

"What're you doing...?" I asked him nervously.

"Your face is a little red."

"I wonder why? You moron."

Rice gave another laughter as he opened his own-bought box and took out his meal. I gave him a smirk. "A rice-eating rice. That's interesting."

He stared at me, refusing to react positively or negatively to my comment and that made me a bit shy. Suddenly, his gaze was captured by something else. A group of colorful fireworks exploded in the sky. I was mesmerized too. It was beautiful.

"It's so pretty," I praised.

"Yeah, it's very..." he said softly.

I felt Rice's hand reach for mine, his fingers running across my knuckles and then down to my palm. He was trying to hold my hand, and he knew that I knew what he was trying to do. I glanced below, and our fingers finally intertwined.

I saw him beside me and his face was illuminated by the bright colors of the fireworks that lit up the sky. He was really handsome, and it made me even more nervous. "Rice..." I whispered his name, not expecting he'd hear me even though the fireworks were so loud.

"Yeah?" He gave me another soft response. "Want another rice cream?"

I pouted, pulling his arm closer to me as I took myself beside him. "I already have..."

The kannin composed his gaze, fixed on me. Then he turned red after understanding what I was trying to say. When I saw that he was vulnerable, I went for it. I matched the way he spoke softly.

"You've always been there for me, Rice."

He made no sound, just an innocent look with those innocent eyes below his thick eyebrows. He looks like he doesn't know whether to be surprised or to smile.

"I never knew my parents. That's why I've been constantly surrounded by my friends. You know? Joumeka, Satti, Kelshiq, and the others... those people have been there with me for as long as I can remember."

I could hear his heartbeat. It was faint, almost undermined by the constant blowing of the fireworks that lit us. But I could still hear it.

"Even though I just met you..." I paused before gathering my thoughts. "Even though we're not exactly childhood friends...

You made me feel more special... and you're not even doing it by effort... it just happens when I'm with you."

I heard the villagers shouting a countdown, with each ten, a hit of a ringing bell paired with a drum. Rice and I saw the plitandas being readied. It was almost midnight.

"December..."

"Yeah?" I answered his voice.

"It's almost December."

"Oh... moron..." I couldn't be more frustrated. When he speaks, I always pay attention like he's laying out important things but then they end up being mundane nonsense.

"I love you, December."

Like a loud firework, it felt like something just exploded before me. "... eh...?" I was stunned by this kannin's words. But he just smiled at me with his eyes closed, though he did say something eventually.

"It never gets old, you know? It's all the same process again and again. It's like a favorite dish. No matter how many times it is served, you'll never get tired of it. It'll always be your favorite meal, and it feels like it gets tastier the more you indulge it."

"What in the world are you talking about, Rice? You sound like a broken radio."

He laughed at me, a little loudly. "You'd be surprised about last time. But right now, I'll make my move way ahead of you."

"Huh? That's not fair at all! W-Well, I love you too, then!"

Saying that made me feel embarrassed. But I meant it with all my heart. He was red, much more than me. But he was just smiling, accepting it all. He held my hand even tighter as we gazed into the clouds being lit up by the still ongoing fireworks.

"It's almost midnight." Him saying that made me look up, putting my thoughts on the moon. When it enlightens the tower of this village, midnight drops her glory. I gave Rice another stare again. But our eyes met when he was already looking at me.

"Were we too fast?" he asked me. I shook my head.

"Maybe if you look at the gaps."

He looked away and I strengthened my grip on his hand. He looked back at me. "Only if you look at the gaps, Rice."

"Should I only look at you?"

I laid my head on his shoulder. That way, he won't be able to see my nervous face. "Maybe you should."

Rice placed his hand across my shoulder. He wanted me to know that I can always rest on him. I closed my eyes and released a sigh of relief. I held his hand much tighter than he did. I knew he could hear even a whisper amidst a loud surrounding, so I did.

"I love you."

I could hear everyone chanting. The plitandas have probably been raised. I could listen to the counting coming to an end. My surroundings felt warm like I was somewhere heavenly. I kept my eyes closed as the environment around me went quiet, like a muffled tone, like I was underwater. I could hear someone's voice. I could feel someone's embrace. I slowly opened my eyes,

and I was surprised to be holding a stranger.