Eyes Wide Shut

Now the whole gang was here, with the fireworks set to start any minute. Nothing else could be more exciting.

"Arata…" Ayami had a playful tone as she walked up to him. "I see you're much happier now."

"I don't know what you're talking about." He denied it. "I just had to go to the bathroom, that's all."

"Really? Because, I think you were missing her." She pointed over to Erina. That girl was conversing with everyone. A complete opposite than what she was like when he was talking with her.

"Missed her? That's funny." He played it off. "We just ran into each other, and I just told her that everyone was going to miss her if she couldn't make it. That's all." Ayami just softly laughed at him. She could tell what the truth was, even if he didn't know it himself.

"So that means she isn't the girl that like you?"

"Definitely not." He answered, then leaned in closely to Ayami. "The truth is, she like Yogi too."

"She does!?" Ayami was shocked to hear she had a rival. One that definitely had an advantage over her.

"She's not the only one." He informed her of the rest. Much to her dismay. "And the truth is, I'm supporting everyone one of you."

"I understand." She replied. Though that wasn't the best news she wanted to hear. The announcement was made that the fireworks were about to begin. "So, are you going to do it? You know, close your eyes?"

"Hmm…" Arata thought about it for a second. He knew that Ayami probably wouldn't have the guts to kiss Yogi with all the girls able to see it. Unless… "I'll do it, but only if you promise me that you'll kiss Yogi."

"What?!" She took a step back at hearing that. She had never kissed a boy before, and the thought of doing it with him.

"Plus, you'll be able to know who likes me that way, right?" He continued. "So I think this is a win for everyone." Admittedly, he wasn't sure about how he felt about Matsu. But that girl, he felt could at least feel better that she kind of confessed to him.

"Okay, I'll do it." She couldn't contain her beating heart. Without much time for it to begin. She didn't get the chance to steel herself.

In fact, the time was now. The first firework was sent to the sky. Bursting in an explosion full of beauty. The crowd was amazed at what came before them. Even those that had grown up in town. Seeing this display each and every year. There was just something about this, that always felt special no matter what.

Maybe because of what it represented to this town. With their world entering the fall season. Winter was going to come upon everyone soon. A cold time, yet a time to come together. A time to rely of the warmth of others during the harsh Winter months.

Something stirred in Arata. Not out of sadness, but of appreciation of what his life had become. So this is what he had been missing all his life. One that he thought he should've pushed away a long time ago.

"I'm going to close my eyes now." He said quietly with a smile, but loud enough that people interested in him could hear it. Arata felt it was a bit of a shame to miss out on this show. But maybe, this was the better reward.

As he said he was going do, his eyes were now closed. Even though the brightness of the fireworks were able to penetrate his eyelids. There was no way he could see anything, only the sounds occupied his senses.

Until the expected came. A girl's soft lips connected with his. So this is what it feels like to kiss someone, he thought. This had to be Matsu, who else could it have been?

Their lips were quivering, clearly nervous that they took this step. Just as it began, it ended. They disconnected and he was certain the sender was quite happy with themselves. Well, if that was finished, then it was time to open his eyes-

Wait… What's going on? Before he could even think of doing that, he felt it again. Another kiss? But, she couldn't just kiss him again. Even if the rules didn't really state anything about that.

Except, this wasn't Matsu. Or at least, not the first girl that kissed him. This felt different than the one before. For starters, the angle came from higher. So that first person had to be Matsu because it came from lower than him. She was the only person that was shorter than him. Well, at least of the people he knew that also liked him.

This kiss also felt different, as if the person doing it was much more composed doing so. Maybe because he had his eyes closing while doing it? When they were finally finished, they weren't completely done yet.

The last thing they did to him, was give him a pat on the head. Feeling their soft hand run across his hair. That felt very relaxing, he was able to calm himself from the shock from that kiss. A very unexpected kiss.

Once he no longer felt that hand over his head. He was certain that was the end of it. He should be able to open-

Never mind… One more time, he felt lips pressed up against his. This one also felt different than the other two. He felt a tear fall onto his cheek, not his. Whoever was doing this, he felt their sadness. As if they thought that they shouldn't do this.

Arata reached his hand out in front. He felt their kimono, but didn't touch any skin. Even if he did, not like he could've figured out who this was anyway. But the real reason he did this, was more of a futile attempt to console whoever this was. His body wanted him to make sure this other person, felt okay.

That was that. They backed away from him, and he returned to being by himself yet again. He stood still for a little bit, to make sure that this was his final experience. When nothing happened, he opened his eyes once more.

These fireworks, still just was wondrous. Though now he was too distracted by what just happened to him to really care. The show ended, and everyone else got to talking with each other.

The crowd, with his ears he could hear the joy that some girls had for being able to kiss their crushes. Some boys were openly wondering who it was that kissed them. If only he could've had it as simple as them.

"Hey guys, did you all enjoy the show?" Arata walked up to everyone.

"It was great." Ayami answered him. She pulled him aside, so that everyone couldn't hear what they were saying.

"I hope that you went through with what we agreed on." He asked her. "I kept up my end of the bargain."

"Yep!" She beamed with a mix of joy and embarrassment. "And I saw everything that happened with you. I thought you said you had one girl that liked you?"

"I thought so too." He responded to her, showing his apparent confusion. "I hope that it wasn't some dumb prank."

"Oh no, trust me. It wasn't." Ayami was smiling, since she knew everything that happened. But she wasn't going to let him know, that was something he needed to find out on his own. "I also saw that your other friend did it too. He even got a kiss!"

"Really? With who." That came as a shock to Arata. More of the fact that Akaki did it as well. Then, maybe it was the girl that he wanted?

"Nuh uh uh." She placed a finger over her mouth. "That's a secret for us girls to keep. I'll tell you this though, that boy actually had two girls kiss him."

"Two huh?" Even if one of those girls was Akiba, then who could the other one possibly be? Akaki was one of the most popular boys, so it could've even been some person that Arata never met before.

"Ayami! Arata!" A couple of voiced called out to them. It was their parents, with them were also a few people very familiar to him.

"Mom! Dad!" She ran up to give them both hugs. Arata was much more reserved than her.

"Hey." He said simply, feeling embarrassed that they were here with his friends. Along with some other guests. The elderly group that he had met before during their summer break. "I didn't expect to see you all here tonight."

"Look just cause we're old. Doesn't mean we don't like to go out for something like this." Monju responded as she always did, mean.

"We're all happy to see you Arata." Hine covered for her friend.

"So mom, dad." He turned his attention to his parents. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Of course we did." His father answered. "We even did the tradition, as always."

"Yeah, speaking of. How come I never heard about it? Like, what about the first time you guys went to the festival together."

"Well, I closed my eyes, but I doubt she kissed me then!" His dad laughed. "Back then she'd probably punch me before that."

"Yeah, I was kind of a different person back then." She winked at her kids. Like the tradition said, this really was a silent confession.

"Being someone whose love has since passed." Hine jumped into their conversation. I did spy that the two of you were pretty busy yourselves." She was referring to both Ayami and Arata.

"Oh my gosh!" Their mom got excited at hearing that. "I can't believe that both my children had their first kisses on the same day!"

"It's not really a big deal…" Arata downplayed it, feeling a little awkward they were talking about his and his sister's romantic lives. Even if it really was a big deal to him.

"Not a big deal?" Gouzaburou put his martial arts skills to work. Disappearing and reappearing right behind Arata. Not allowing any time to react, he grabbed the boy with a playful neck hold. "You're quite a charmer you know? Getting three girls to kiss you like that!"

"Really?!" Luckily for Arata, he was saved from further questioning by his friends.

"It's nice to meet you all again." Misei spoke up, with everyone else following. Yogi and his friends, along with the gardening club.

"It's always nice to see Arata's and Ayami's friends." His mom forgot about what they were talking about, and moved her attention to their new guests. "I hope you've all been enjoying yourselves."

"We have been!" Said Yogi, judging from his demeanor. Arata was certain he got plenty of kisses tonight.

"Say, if we're all here. We should take a group picture." Erina pulled out her personal camera, never left home without it.

"That's a great idea." Arata grabbed it from her.

"You can't honestly expect that you're not going to be in the picture." Misao asked him blankly.

"Of course not." This wasn't like back at the beach. Instead, Arata ran up to a person walking by. This was the person running the darts stand from before. After seeing that performance, there was no way they were going to say no to him.

Surveying where they should group up in, he settled for right where they were. That way, one could see the bright stars that filled the night sky. Making sure everything was just right, there was only one thing left to worry about.

"Where should I be?" He asked himself. There were a lot of people in this picture. A lot of people that he cared about.

"Arata!" Erina called out to him. "You should sit at the center." She pointed right at the spot beside her. From his point-of-view, She was with the others on the right. The gardening club, with Matsu near the center, on the left. Finally, his family, and the elderly were positioned behind the two groups. Right around the middle.

"Are you sure?" He didn't feel like being the center of attention. Should he even be the person there? After all, he's always just been a background character.

"Of course you should." Misao yelled out to him. "After all, we're all here because of you anyway." She was right. Everyone here, sitting or standing, waiting for this picture. Some of them would've never met, if it weren't for him. Or maybe he should give the credit to Erina.

"You've got some pretty cool people that care about you." The person taking the picture commented to him. "Now come on and get right in there. I can't wait forever."

"Right." Arata ran up to his spot, right at the center of all these wonderful people. The people that he cared the most about. Sitting down, he felt something lean on top of his head.

"I'm so glad we're all together." His sister, standing right behind him. Gave him a rub on the head. Arata was just as happy as she was. He looked over to Matsu, she had a nice glow on her. Clearly she was joyful with how her festival went by. Confirming his suspicions on what she did with him.

On the other side, it was Erina. She turned to look at him as well, and their eyes locked for a moment. At the same time, without even thinking. They shared a smile and laughed.

"Okay everyone." The photographer got their attention. "Let's get a nice big smile for the picture." That's what they all did.

Arata… he had the biggest smile of them all. Because this was the happiest that he had ever felt.