A Meteor and a Flower

A nuisance and an envious feeling

Ryusei, his aunt, and his little cousin headed inside the house. Upon stepping inside, there was a strange aura that Ryusei had never felt in his home back in the city. The walls inside are covered with the color of cream and decorated with smiling pictures of the entire family.

They're a happy family, he thought. He can feel the love oozing on the each picture. His aunt and uncle's wedding picture, the birth of his cousin Shizune, her at 3 years old, the birth of his second cousin Misuzu, and their family picture. At every picture was a smile, and every smile contained a great story behind it.

Ryusei felt a little jealous, as it was anything unlike his house, where unwashed pots and plates were scattered everywhere, mails full of unpaid bills, and money left on the table for him to buy his breakfast. It was such a weird feeling for him that he resented being in the house.

He was guided into a small room that will serve as his personal comfort zone for the next few months. It was a simple room, with a desk and chair on one end of the room, and a futon laid out across the floor. There was no television in sight, and there was only one outlet - which is currently plugged in by the desk lamp.

His aunt said, "I'm sorry that this is the kind of room that we could provide you, but I hope that you'll like it. Go ahead and unpack now, I'll call you in a few minutes for dinner."

"Yeah, yeah.."

A few minutes later, there was a shout coming out from his room. His aunt hurriedly entered and asked what happened.

"W-what's the matter?! Did you get hurt?"

Ryusei ignored the concern of his aunt because of his current dilemma. "I forgot my bag of games! It had my cellphone and laptop on it! Now what should I do here?! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

His aunt replied, "I'm sorry to hear about that. Maybe this can be a chance for you to enjoy the countryside. You'll find it a little bit different from what you see on the movies."

With a resigned sigh, Ryusei trudges into the dining table to find a perfectly cooked meal and his cousin eagerly waiting for him to sit down so that they can eat together. It was such a nauseating feeling for Ryusei that he decided to run out of the house and wander off, ignoring the pang of hunger within him.

"I'm not gonna eat with them. What was that about.." Ryusei mumbles to himself as he stumbled upon a small lake with a bridge. Fireflies gather around while twinkling in a mesmerizing manner. It was a breathtaking sight to see; it was unlike any of the animations that he saw in his games.

At the middle stands a girl in a white dress, facing the lake. It was as if she was a conductor of an orchestra, guiding the fireflies to create a perfect symphony. She was swinging her arms to the beat of silence, engulfed by the joy of music.

As if pushed by an unseen force, Ryusei was instinctively walking towards her. But then he stepped on a twig, and as if one of the orchestra had played a wrong note, everything had stopped, and she turned around to him, looking at the person who slowly approached her.