for the prompt: watching fireworks, Kazuha and Ran

Ran startles when her handphone rings late one summer evening, just as dusk is setting in.

She's even more surprised to realise that it's a video call, though she picks up anyway when she sees the contact name. "Moshi moshi, Kazuha-chan?"

"Ah, Ran-chan!" The camera image blurs in and out before focusing properly on her friend. "Can you see me?"

Ran can't help her smile – Kazuha's wearing a yukata in a bright shade of forest green that would've looked terrible on anyone else, and Ran can't see very clearly on the video feed but she's fairly certain that Kazuha has changed her hair ribbon to match. "You look wonderful, Kazuha-chan. What's the occasion?"

"It's July 25th, July 25th!" Kazuha's excitement is clearly audible even over the phone. "Don't ya know about the Tenjin Matsuri, Ran-chan?"

Ran frowns, thinking. "I've heard of the festival, but I don't really know much about it. You're there with Hattori-kun?"

Kazuha rolls her eyes. "I'm supposed ta be – we came here together, but that ahou got lost somewhere and I'm not even gonna try finding him in this mess."

Now that Kazuha mentions it, Ran does indeed notice quite the crowd in the background of the camera. It's getting dark enough that she can only make out the vague outlines of people, but there's almost an air of anticipation, instead of the usual bustling motion of festival-goers. "Are you waiting for something?"

"You're quite the detective, Ran-chan!" Kazuha says cheerfully, and the camera pans around wildly for a moment before it refocuses to show…

…the dark surface of a river, dully reflecting the buildings on either side.

Ran blinks in confusion. "Ano, Kazuha-chan? What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"Sorry? Hang on, lemme get my earphones so I can hear you better." There's a brief crackle of static before Kazuha's voice comes back on, much clearer this time – her earphones must also have a microphone built into them, Ran thinks. "What were ya sayin', Ran-chan?"

Ran squints slightly at her phone, trying to figure out if she's imagining the vague shapes amidst the darkness. "Are those boats on the river?"

"Just ya wait, any minute now," Kazuha says almost conspiratorially instead, and Ran's just about to ask what she's talking about when –

– every single boat flares quite literally to life, fire and light caught in dazzling glimmers on the river surface as far as the eye can see.

The view shifts slowly but steadily as Kazuha turns the phone, and with the flickering light of the boats Ran can now see the throngs of people lined up along both banks of the river. She can't help wondering how early Kazuha arrived to secure such a good spot, but the view is definitely worth it.

Even from her small screen, Ran can make out boats holding everything from giant lanterns to Noh performers to oil fires, all reflected equally in the water beneath them. It's almost like something out of a movie. "That's stunning, Kazuha-chan."

Kazuha's grin is obvious in her voice. "Isn't it? We should really come together next year, Ran-chan, ya can ditch Conan-kun with Heiji so we don't have ta worry about them."

Then she adds, "Oh, but ya haven't seen all of it yet!"

This time, Ran doesn't even try to ask as Kazuha rotates the camera abruptly, so that it's pointed up at the pitch black sky.

And, with crackling bangs that are no less deafening through her phone speakers, a seemingly unending chain of fireworks light up the night sky in brilliant hues of red and orange and white.

"It's amazing, ain't it?" Kazuha still sounds a little awed, even though this can't be her first time at the festival.

"Yeah, it is." Ran props her handphone up against one of her textbooks, and settles in to watch the show. "Thanks for showing me this, Kazuha-chan."

"Anytime, Ran-chan," Kazuha answers, as the next set of fireworks fill the air.

END

kazuran y/y

disclaimer: have never attended a matsuri in my life so apologies for any inaccuracies, but afaik the Tenjin Matsuri is indeed a thing as described above, and it looks like a blast tbh, 10/10 would attend