The sound of crickets filled the night air.
The festival lights had long faded, but the warmth of the day still lingered — carried by laughter that hadn't yet died out.
We were back at the small inn, sitting in the open courtyard behind it. The stars were clearer here than anywhere else, scattered like tiny fires across the velvet sky.
Hana lay on her back on the tatami mat, eyes reflecting the starlight. "It's hard to believe today's our last night here."
"Yeah…" I murmured, leaning on my elbow. "Feels like we just got here."
"Time runs fast when you're happy," Naoko said softly, hugging a pillow. Her hair was still damp from her evening bath, strands sticking out in random directions — it made her look more real somehow, less like the perfect 'Vtuber' persona she carried on camera.
Rei was sitting near the low lantern, sketching quietly in her notebook again. Mika and Inohana, meanwhile, were fighting over a bag of chips.
"Hey! That was my last piece!"
"Not anymore~!"
"Gimme back, you raccoon!"
The argument dissolved into giggles as Inohana dodged Mika's half-hearted grabs.
I couldn't help but smile. It was loud, chaotic, messy — but it felt right.
A Small Campfire
After dinner, the owner of the inn — an old man with a kind smile — helped us build a small campfire outside. He said it was a local custom to "end the festival with shared warmth."
So we sat in a circle around the flickering light.
The fire crackled gently, embers flying into the sky like tiny fireflies.
Mika leaned forward, eyes sparkling. "Let's tell stories!"
"Like ghost stories?" Akane grinned.
"Noooo, not at night!" Hana protested instantly.
"Then… maybe stories about dreams," Naoko suggested.
Rei closed her sketchbook. "Dreams, huh?"
"Yeah," Hana said, resting her chin on her knees. "Dreams you had when you were little. Or dreams you still have now."
For a moment, silence filled the air. The kind that's too comfortable to rush.
Then Akane raised her hand. "Can i be the first one?"
She began to speak, this time his tone softer.. "When I was little, I wanted to become a singer.
"Why?" asked Hana who was sitting next to her.
"Because, i thought that being a singer will be awesome!"
I, who was leaning against the wall, decided to move to where they were sitting.
"So, do you have your preparation?"
"Kehee~ Absolutely not" answer her.
Everyone laughed.
Then Hana spoke next. "When I was small, I wanted to become an author. I want to create a story that can make other people happy. ."
"Wait, you do?" I said quietly.
She smiled at me. "Yes! I want to make many people smile and happy with my story."
"How? Do you have an interesting stories or something?"
She looked into the fire. "Of course, i am."
Something in her tone made my chest tighten — but before I could ask more, Naoko cut in softly.
"When I was little… I didn't have many friends. So I started streaming. At first, I just wanted someone to talk to."
Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her yukata.
"But then… people started smiling because of me. And I realized that maybe, that's what I want to keep doing. To be someone who makes others smile — even if they never see the real me."
The fire flickered on her face. Her smile was small, but real.
"That's… beautiful, Naoko," Hana said.
Rei finally looked up from her sketchbook. "When I was little," she began, "I didn't dream much. I was too busy trying to be perfect. Good grades, good manners, good daughter. But lately…" — she glanced at us — "I think maybe I want something simpler. Like… mornings that aren't lonely. People who stay, even when I don't ask them to."
Everyone went quiet.
The fire popped softly.
Akane sniffed. "Okay, now I'm crying."
Mika wiped her eyes too. "You're not alone in that."
Mika cut the silence. "When i was little, i wanted to be a voice actor."
"Hmm, why do you want to be a voice actor?" Naoko ask her while chewing a marshmellow.
She looks into the campfire, looking calm.
"Because, i want to help others using my own voice"
"Since i was little, i really want to help other people using my voice."
"Keep the good work, then." i cut her line softly.
"If you feel struggle, don't hesitate to come to us."
"Yeah! Don't worry if you have a problem. You have us!"
said Akane who was busy chewing marshmallows.
"Thanks, everyone." she smiles really sweet. she hug her knee, her face is a little red.
It's your turn... Kaito
And then — all eyes turned to me.
"Your turn, Kaito."
I blinked. "Me?"
"Of course," Hana said gently. "You've been quiet all night."
I looked at the fire. The flames danced softly, the warmth reaching my fingertips.
"Hmm..." I began, "I don't remember much but, when i was a little. I wanted to be a musician. I want to make people happy with my song."
A faint smile tugged at my lips. "And for a while, I did. But… things happened. So, i decided to stopped playing."
The words came out slowly, like pulling old splinters.
Naoko tilted her head. "But you still love music, don't you?"
"…Of course," I admitted. "Even if I can't play anymore, I still love it."
Rei's voice softened. "Then maybe it's not over yet."
I looked up, surprised.
She shrugged. "You can pause a song. But that doesn't mean it's finished."
Something about that sentence — so simple, so casual — hit deeper than any comfort I'd heard before.
Sparks in the Night
The fire started to fade, the embers glowing red.
Akane stood, stretching. "Alright! Since it's our last night, I say we make a wish!"
"A wish?" Mika asked.
"Yep!" Akane picked up a sparkler stick and lit it from the campfire. "Like this!"
Tiny sparks bloomed, scattering gold light around her. The others quickly grabbed theirs.
Hana giggled, waving her sparkler in slow arcs. "It's beautiful."
Naoko whispered, "It's like the fireflies are dancing."
We stood in a circle, our sparklers lighting the darkness. The night hummed softly around us.
"Okay!" Akane said loudly. "On three, let's all make a wish at the same time!"
"One…"
"Two…"
"Three!"
The sparklers hissed, golden sparks falling like rain.
Hana closed her eyes. Rei smiled faintly. Naoko whispered something too quiet to hear. Mika's lips moved — probably something chaotic.
And me?
I didn't know what to wish for.
But maybe…
I wish all of them achieved their dreams and succed in the future.
I really want to see their smiles.
After the Fire
When the sparklers burned out, the girls went inside to change for bed.
I stayed behind, sitting by the last flickers of fire.
The night breeze was cool, and somewhere far off, a wind chime sang faintly.
Footsteps approached.
"Still awake?"
It was Hana. She sat down next to me, hugging her knees. Her hair was loose now, flowing like soft shadows in the moonlight.
"Couldn't sleep," I said. "There are too many things on my head."
"Funny," she smiled. "I was thinking it's too quiet."
For a while, we just sat there — watching the last embers fade.
"You know," she said suddenly, "Rei's right. You can pause a song… but that doesn't mean it's finished."
"Yeah." I exhaled slowly. "Just... i don't think i can continue the song."
She looked at me — calm, warm. "Then don't think about the ending. Just… listen to the silence in between. Sometimes, that's where the next melody hides."
"What do you mean?"
"You will find it out, Kaito-kun~"
Her words lingered in the air.
Like music.
Morning Comes Again
The next morning came with the sound of birds and the smell of miso soup.
We packed our bags, laughing, teasing, helping each other. The bus was waiting down the hill.
The sky was clear again — impossibly blue.
Before getting on, Hana turned toward the mountains. "Let's come back here someday."
Akane pumped her fist. "Promise!"
Naoko smiled. "Next time, I'll bring a better camera."
Rei sighed but smiled too. "And I'll bring earplugs. For when Akane screams again."
Everyone laughed.
As the bus pulled away, the village grew smaller in the distance.
The trees waved goodbye, their leaves fluttering like confetti.
I leaned on the window, watching the reflection of five girls laughing behind me.
For once, my heart didn't ache when I thought of the past.
It just felt… full.
"Maybe the past doesn't disappear — it just fades into harmony with the present."
"And maybe that's what healing really is — not forgetting the pain, but learning to hum along with it."
The bus moved forward.
The sky was bright.
And for the first time in years — I felt like I was, too.