It's amazing how much Nakai changes during festivals! The residents, who sometimes seem so shady and like total punks are now dressed in yukatas, hakamas, half-kimonos (or what are they called again? The types of flowy shirts with an ocean pattern, a cloth belt around it, like the ones that fish mongers wear), and are helping with the decorations and attaching the wishes to the bamboo trees. Not to mention the area itself! The streets are clean and big lanterns and colorful displays are everywhere, giving the usually dim-looking neighborhood a rainbow glow. I had no idea how many children and elderly people there actually are in Nakai!

The festival is also why I get to Kasamacchi's so late, I hope he isn't worried, but the streets are just filled with people! Well, I'm sure he's not worried about something happening to me here, since everyone knows him here (he's so helpful and adorable and so lovely and handsome and, ah, I just can't!) and they wouldn't hurt his friends, but I get all giddy inside when I know how he's sitting on the windowsill, brows furrowed, checking the clock and the street every minute, since I was supposed to arrive somewhere between 8 and 9, but it's almost 10 PM now. "Yukiocchi!" I drawl as I enter the gate to their small garden, looking for him.

Ah, he's running to me, he really was at the front door as I suspected when I didn't see him on the window! I know, I know, I missed you, too! But instead of welcoming me with a kiss or a hug, he muffles me with his hand and shushes at me. As I look at him, he sighs and smiles a little. "Mom and granny are outside as well, so stick to honorifics," he whispers and removes his hand to give me a small peck. "You're so cute when you're so very shy, Kasamacchi," I wink, wanting to kiss him some more, but he removes himself from my hands and goes through the hedge to the front door. Hmph! I demand a repayment to be received sometime tonight, I'm missing out! A debt! A debt!

I follow him around the side of the house to the small porch where his mother and grandmother are sitting, attaching decorations to their own little bamboo tree. Some time ago Kasamacchi's mom was handed the leading of the laundry house as a thank you for such a long-term service and for staying with the employer through the sun and the rain, and now that he's retired, she's in charge of the whole establishment. She's calling the shots now and earns more money and has more time off, which is why they were able to bring Granny Kasamatsu back home too. "Hello, ladies, you both look completely ravishing today! Mrs. Kasamatsu, purple is a good color on you, and Granny Kasamatsu, you look so young I'd take you on a date!" "Oh, Kise-kun, you're still such a charmer," Mrs. Kasamatsu mumbles under her breath, blushing. As I grin at Kasamacchi, I see him roll his eyes, but not angrily - he's chuckling. "What are you boys waiting for, go change out of these clothes and put on your yukatas!" Granny orders and we both comply, hurrying inside not to get scolded more; I was already as late as I was!

"Have you written out your wishes?" Kasamacchi asks from me when we're up in his room, changing clothes. He's so sexy, I think to myself and fluster, turning my back towards him to scoop out the silken cloth from my bag. "I have, see!" I smile and grab a bunch of colorful papers out of my jean pockets to which he laughs. "That's a lot of wishes." "All completely justified! For my family, for our team, for my friends, for my studies, for my well-being, for luck, and... of course, for you and for love," I speak softly when I kiss him. Ah, whenever his lips meet mine, I feel so tingly in my stomach and my hips, it's sometimes unbearable! His strong arms around me are so comforting and I lose myself to him for minutes. When we finally rip free, he cheekily smiles at me (I must be blushing so heavily right now) and whispers, giving me the goosebumps: "Dept repaid." Leaving me speechless (for once or twice), he turns back around and puts on his dark blue yukata. It's simple, but nice. "It goes well with your eyes," I grin, having composed myself and slightly fumbling with my clothing - I'm not used to wearing such things and whenever I had to wear one during a photoshoot, I was always dressed by others. He comes to my aid, straightening the fabric and helping me close the obi. "And yours goes well with your flashiness," he cocks an eyebrow at me as I absentmindedly trace his collarbone. It's not that flashy! It's a beautiful golden one with black and white lace-like patterns, it caught my eye in the store. "I'm surprised you didn't pick a star-shaped earring as well." "Humph!" I jokingly pout and turn away, but feeling his smiling gaze on me immediately turns my frown upside down.

When we're outside again, Granny looks at Kasamacchi and sighs to herself. Is she sad? "Every day you resemble your father more and more, Yukio. Even his yukata sits perfectly on you." "I agree," Mrs. Kasamatsu says and kisses Kasamacchi's cheek, making him blush. "And Kise-kun, you look very handsome as well," she smiles and hugs me, somehow so very happy. I wonder why? "Thank you, Mrs. Kasamatsu. So, what are you hanging on the tree?" "You mean, you don't know? Have you never celebrated tanabata with your family?" I feel so embarrassed now. "Well, I did celebrate it when I was little... But my caretakers Raracchi and Ancchi are out of the country at the moment and my sisters don't really care much for the traditional stuff... So I'm very happy to be friends with Kasamacchi and get to know all these new, I mean, old, umm, old new things!" "Well, it's simple, really," Kasamacchi says and points at the tree. "The paper strips are for good writing and study success; paper kimonos are charms against disease and accidents, and wishes for good sewing; the paper crane stands for family safety, health and long life; the purse is for good business; this net brings good fishing and harvests; the trash bag filled with leftover paper from other decorations stands for cleanliness and unwastefulness; and the streamers resemble the threads used by Orihime in her weaving," he explains as he points to all those different origami pieces on the small bamboo tree in the pot. "Oh, I know about Orihime!" I cheer, being as proud as ever for knowing something and that doesn't need an explanation. "Well, you boys go check out the festivities while we set up dinner, we went there earlier. Don't forget to hang your wishes!" Mrs. Kasamatsu says and helps Granny up to go inside.

Kasamacchi grabs me by the arm and runs out the gate, pulling me along as I laugh happily. "I know a shortcut to the tree," he grins and runs with me down the hill and along the river until we reach a small forest surrounding an old shrine. But... where are the shiny decorations? Where are the laughing youths? There is only an old married couple here besides us. "Good evening, Yukio-san," the old man smiles at Yukiocchi, who greets him back happily. He pulls me deeper into the woods and soon we reach a lonely bamboo tree, which is real, unlike the one they use during the festivities. "I hang my wishes here, the wind blows here, blowing the words to Orihime and Hikoboshi," he says and looks at the star-filled sky. "They take the wishes down and probably throw them away once tanabata is over, but I know that my mine will be answered if they stay," he smiles and points at the withered slips of paper hanging from the tree. We go to hang them and soon he is finished, whilst I haven't either gone through half of them. Kasamacchi steps back and watches how I mess around with the papers and when I accidentally drop one that he has hung there quite some time ago, I feel a cold sweat appearing on my forehead. I lift it up, daring to peek a little and read it, but immediately my stomach sinks. It's letters are smudged and uneven - written by a small boy, young Kasamacchi. "Please bring father back." "What's wrong, Kise?" I hear him ask from behind me. "Nothing," I answer, my voice shaky. God, those things just get to me, I think as I bite my lip and feel hot tears streaming down my cheeks. I quickly wipe my eyes and a little fumbling, manage to hang the rest.

"Ryōta?" he asks from me when I turn around, still clutching that old slip. "I'm so sorry, I dropped it, now it will never turn true," I say between heavy breaths. God, I'm so stupid, how could I?! He comes to me, a worried look in his eyes, which seems as if turn into glass when he reads the wish. I'm so worried for what comes next, but instead he just grabs my hands and smiles at me. "It's okay, Ryōta, it doesn't matter. There was no way it would have gotten fulfilled anyway." He hugs me as I cry like an idiot, why can't I control my feelings better, why must I be so emotional with everything? Kasamacchi kisses my cheek and whispers while still holding me: "Instead of that one another wish of mine got turned into reality to which I'm really glad." Oh, Yukiocchi, I just can't- you're so precious! He lets me go to wipe my tears away and I smile when he kisses me, ever so lovingly. "I'm glad too, so very glad!" I laugh as I peck him again and again and again, because I know what he meant by that another wish. "Now come on, pull yourself together," he grins at me, pinching my cheeks. "Let's go check out the festival and buy some dango, hm?" I nod happily and grab him behind the arm, still holding the little boy's wish to pack it away in a lantern and to send it on its way on the river.