The noisy sound of the working bus engine echoed inside the cabin. The bus had just left the station, and the three of us were sitting in the middle row facing each other. The interior of the bus resembled a train cabin, perhaps designed to accommodate more people. Unfortunately, since I started using this station yesterday, there have been very few passengers. Hmm? Three of us? Of course, because today Chika is accompanying me and Hana.
"So, why do I have to come along?" Chika said in an annoyed tone while looking ahead.
"Well, why not? We just went to his friend Arkan, the electronic technician. He said it would take a few hours to fix his game console. Why not wait with us? Besides, you don't have any plans for today, do you?" Hana replied.
"Not really..."
Complaining continuously, I couldn't help but feel irritated. "If you don't want to, you can just get off at the next station, right?"
"It's not that, I'm just not that into fireworks, so I might just be a hindrance," Chika said.
"Oh, really? Too bad, you'll miss something very important and rare," I said, trying to sound important while still glued to my phone screen.
"What? What do you mean?" she asked. Hana, who was also confused about what I meant, turned to me along with Chika.
Sighing, I continued, "Hufft... Hana today... she will dance with fire."
"What?!" exclaimed Hana.
"... Seriously?" Chika asked with skyrocketing curiosity.
"Yes."
"No way! I won't dance!"
Without questioning the truth of my statement, Chika continued, "Have you seen it yourself?" she asked, her eyes shining.
"Of course. When it was just me and Hana, she danced with fireworks in both hands. At that moment, Hana looked..." My tongue suddenly stopped at the end of the word. Why did I hesitate when saying it? Yesterday, I could say it smoothly. I continued, "Just see for yourself later."
"I won't dance!" Hana insisted, while Chika had an eager expression on her face.
The rural area where Uncle Tio's house was located had a strong atmosphere. Most of the houses still used wood and were surrounded by vast rice fields, which were now illuminated by the setting sun. Unfortunately, it was still daytime, and the scorching sun accompanied us. The asphalt road was rarely used by motor vehicles, which is why it has remained intact until now.
The three of us arrived in front of Uncle Tio's wooden door. Just like yesterday, I knocked three times before stepping back to avoid being hit by the door from inside. It seemed that my cautious action was useless because Tio greeted us from the side of his house.
"Hey, you came really early," he said, welcoming us.
"Yeah, Hana and I had some things to do together, and since we're done, we decided to drop by here," I replied.
Tio's gaze wandered around us as if he realized something odd. And indeed, there was one extra person we brought, against her will.
Chika and Tio exchanged glances. Chika's face looked slightly disturbed, while Tio's gaze became sharper and then changed instantly as his mind recognized the face.
"Wow, this is an unexpected surprise. Chika?" he said with a high tone.
"Y-yeah... Long time no see," Chika stuttered while raising her hand.
"Yes, indeed. The last time we talked was in the second year of middle school. But it's strange, isn't it? You're hanging out with Arkan, even though you haven't been on good terms with him since middle school." Said Tio while recollecting his past memories of middle school.
"It's just a coincidence that our business happened to involve him," I replied.
"Well, when I heard that you both entered the same high school despite your contrasting personalities, I couldn't help but laugh. 'Poor Arkan,' I said," Tio teased me.
Feeling provoked, my eyebrows furrowed as I said, "Enough, let's not talk about the past. By the way, where's your uncle?" I tried to change the subject.
Tio turned his hand and pointed backward, saying, "Ah, he's at the back. We just finished preparing the fireworks for tonight's festival. Will you guys come?"
"Oh, right, today? I'll watch from the usual spot then," I gave a brief and unclear response, but I was sure Tio understood what I meant. Tio turned to Hana and asked the same question, confirming it.
Hana then glanced at me with a slightly piercing look. "W-What?" I asked.
Returning to her usual expression and turning away, she said, "It's nothing."
Her puzzling and unpredictable behavior, resembling a shifting jigsaw puzzle, kept me stranded in the marsh of uncertainty and confusion. I was left grappling with this perplexing enigma that always emerged with unexpected frequency.
The inner world of a woman, terrifying indeed.
I'm certain that even in the future, when there's advanced computer technology capable of cleverly retrieving someone else's personal data, it would still struggle to face this particular adversary.
The three of us started following Tio from behind. Hana and I walked side by side, with Chika trailing behind us, as if wanting to hide. It was rare for her to behave like this.
A cold breeze swept over us as we set foot on the backyard field of Tio's house. My eyes caught the silhouette of someone in the middle of that open space. The silhouette stood up and began waving their hand at us. As we approached, the figure became clearer.
"Hey, heyyy!" Uncle greeted.
I waved my hand in response, while Hana immediately replied, "Good afternoon, uncle."
"Haha, hello, Young Hana. You're early to visit," Uncle chuckled.
"Yes, the three of us have something to attend to. Why not wait here?" Hana explained our early arrival.
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"Oh, I see. Hmm? Three of you?" Uncle said, confused.
Tio's Uncle's facial expression showed confusion as he looked at our group consisting of two boys and one girl, with an additional creature behind me.
"Ah, ahaha! Forgive my blurry eyes. I didn't see a young girl back there, haha!" he said, chuckling a bit. I don't know why, but I found it funny too.
"A-ah, it's okay, uncle," Chika replied, her voice trembling.
Then, Uncle suddenly shifted his gaze towards me with a smirk and a ridiculous smile. Whatever he had in mind, it wasn't true.
"But how could you, Arkan?" he said to me.
"Huh? What?" I asked, confused.
"How could you bring Young Hana yesterday and bring another girl today?"
See, it's nonsense.
"Don't say ambiguous things. Look, now both of them are confused about how to react," I argued. I couldn't see Hana's expression as she was looking down, and Chika was looking at me with a scornful and disgusted look.
"Haha, yes, sorry, sorry. Uh..." Tio's uncle stopped speaking and looked at Chika. Oh, right, he doesn't know this girl's name yet.
Her scary expression from earlier quickly changed due to Uncle's glance. "Ah, my name is Chika Rain. Sorry for bothering you while you're busy," she introduced herself.
"Well, well, it's no problem. Wait here for a moment, okay? I will bring the fireworks made by Young Hana yesterday," he said.
"Can they be lit already, uncle? Shouldn't we wait a little longer?" Hana asked to confirm.
"It should be fine. As long as the mixture is attached to the wire stick, it can be lit," he explained as he walked towards the building where the fireworks were made.
While waiting for Uncle to return, I stood in the middle of the field, feeling the cold breeze of the approaching rain clouds coming from the opposite direction of the setting sun. It felt cold. Dark clouds began to gather above the Ahar mountains, encircling our town.
It's definitely raining...
"Oi!" A shout accompanied by a strong pat on my right shoulder. "What's up with you? Just spacing out," Tio said.
Slightly startled, I took a step back from Tio and said, "It's nothing, just looks like it's going to rain."
"Oh, right. Darn it, I hope someone takes care of the laundry at home."
"Aren't there anyone at home?" I asked.
"There are, my younger brother. And that's the problem."
"Ah..." I pretended to understand.
After three minutes passed, Uncle came out of the building's sliding door and started walking towards us. In both of his hands, it looked like two cubes with needles sticking out of them.
The two white cork pieces were placed on the ground. Uncle then took out a candle and a gas lighter from the back pocket of his pants.
"Young Hana, the one on the right is yours, and the one on the left is Arkan's."
"Ah, okay."
Hana and I stood side by side with our fireworks corks, squatting while the others surrounded us.
"Please, Young Hana, light up your firework," Uncle said.
"Um, alright..." Hana replied hesitantly.
The flame on the lighter ignited, emitting a warm aura in this chilly rain breeze.
Slowly, Hana brought the tip of her firework stick closer to the flame. But, five seconds passed, and it didn't light up. Ten seconds passed, and it still didn't light up.
"Why isn't it lighting up?" Chika asked.
"Maybe it wasn't dried enough," Tio answered.
I glanced at Hana's face as she closed her eyelids with a serious expression, as if she was hoping. She tightly gripped the firework stick in her hand.
Then, when she opened her eyes, both of Hana's eyes sparkled with sparks of fire. It seemed like the coloring agent she used for her firework was calcium, as the sparks had a bluish hue. Haha, how fitting. Her bright blue eyes reflected the ignited firework in front of her. Her face looked joyful, and her mouth formed a wide smile.
Hana stood up, holding the slowly dying firework stick. She looked at me with an expression of disbelief that she had succeeded. In response, I extended my hand towards her and dramatically gave her a thumbs-up. She laughed while slightly covering her mouth.
Hana moved away from us and stood tall, raising her firework high. She began swinging her hand, creating sparks that resembled raindrops of shimmering light. I was mesmerized watching her. The dark atmosphere caused by the rain clouds covering the sun made the shimmering lights stand out.
"I-I want to try too!" Chika exclaimed suddenly, grabbing one stick from Hana's cork and placing it over the flame of a candle before immediately following Hana.
Taking a step back to keep a distance, I was joined by Tio's uncle. "Haha, look at them, like children who have just seen fireworks," I said.
"Haha, you're right. Well, you might be right," Uncle replied. "Arkan, do you know why Hana loves fireworks so much?"
"Ah, it's probably because fireworks remind her of her late mother..."
"..." Tio remained silent, perhaps a bit surprised by that statement and choosing to stay quiet.
"...Is that so? No wonder she feels connected to the magic she creates. For her, fireworks are not just visual entertainment but also a symbol of the limitless power and beauty. Dazzling flashes of light and captivating colors can represent vivid memories and happy moments shared with those who have passed away. Each explosion can be a metaphor for the impact achieved by the people they love in their lives, leaving a lasting impression even though they are no longer here. But, why fireworks specifically?"
While Uncle shared his perspective, Hana had already lit two other fireworks simultaneously. Then, Chika also returned to take another stick and lit it up. But instead of joining Hana in the middle of the field, she came to the three of us.
"Getting bored already?" I asked with a hint of teasing.
"Not really, it's actually quite exciting. However, I don't want to miss out on this rare event either," she said as if understanding what was about to happen.
"Haha, true, right?" I said arrogantly because my earlier prediction was correct.
Suddenly, from somewhere, a ray of sunlight leaked through a gap in the dark clouds. The light illuminated above Hana, as if giving her a stage to perform. Without wasting any opportunity, Hana began moving her hand delicately in all directions, gradually. She moved it up, down, sideways, in synchrony, and finally spun along with her two fireworks. My eyes couldn't move away from her, as if captivated by her charm. Everyone was mesmerized by her.
The two fireworks extinguished, and the flickering light was once again covered by rain clouds. Hana stood there in silence, letting down her arms. Then, she started humming softly. She continued humming, and the melody reminded me of something.
…
♪ Oh, little sparks in the sky, how could you fly freely into the night? ♪
♪ Like fireflies dancing with grace, a mesmerizing sight ♪
♪ Your presence ignites the darkness, a beacon in the vast expanse ♪
♪ A symphony of twinkling stars, a celestial dance ♪
♪ The way your light shines upon us, brighter than the moon ♪
♪ A gentle glow that illuminates, dispelling all gloom ♪
♪ Each spark a universe of its own, a tiny burst of magic ♪
♪ Painting the canvas of the night sky with colors so tragic ♪
♪ Your warm, colorful illumination that thaws the freezing heart ♪
♪ Embracing us in your tender glow, a work of art ♪
♪ Amidst the cold and solitude, you bring a sense of wonder ♪
♪ Filling our souls with warmth, tearing the darkness asunder ♪
♪ But your light, soon will fade, like a fleeting shooting star ♪
♪ A gentle reminder that all things must come to an end, near or far ♪
♪ Yet in our memories, your brilliance forever will reside ♪
♪ A testament to the beauty of moments, on this fleeting ride ♪
♪ Oh, little sparks in the sky, your time may be brief ♪
♪ But the joy you bring, beyond measure, an ethereal relief ♪
♪ So let us embrace your shimmering grace, as the night unfolds ♪
♪ For even in your departure, your essence forever holds ♪
♪ A goodbye to the vivid sparkles ♪
…
"This song..."
Hana turned towards us and said something. 'Ah... I remember it. The lyrics of this song, I finally remember everything.'
It was the gentle melody of a poet's song that could lull you into a deep sleep like a lullaby. Hana's soft voice made the hairs on my neck stand on end. The tone was incredibly soothing to the ears.
"Han-" My response was interrupted as I saw tears streaming down her face. I couldn't move, my body felt frozen. Until a drop of rain from the sky touched my face, bringing me back to my senses.