CH. 80 - Light Up the Sky

 A bit later, outside the entrance to the Ten Court Shrine, Hikigaya waits with a slightly uncomfortable look on his face. His hair is done up, and he is dressed nicely. 

 “I don’t get why they kidnapped me just to dress me up. We never go to the shrine, let alone look this nice for it…” He says under his breath as it steams in the cold night air. Then, Haru, Touma, Sugawara, Kitaro and Ryuji step towards Hikigaya.

 “Thanks for waiting for us.” Ryuji says.

“Yeah, no problem.” Hikigaya says, kind of irritated. “Now can you tell me why we’re here instead of at home where it’s warm?” Hikigaya asks the boys.

“Come on, Hikigaya. Where’s your New Year’s spirit?” Kitaro asks sarcastically. Hikigaya sweats a bit.

 “I don’t want to hear you talk about spirit…” Hikigaya mumbles. Haru then approaches him with two cups of hot chocolate in his hands.

 “This is gonna be fun, trust me. I also got these for you at the snack bar.” Haru says as he hands him the two cups. Hikigaya looks at them confused but takes them anyway.

 “Thanks? Why are there two of them though?” Hikigaya asks. Haru smiles as someone calls to them. They look over to see Chizuru waving at them with Hisana, Lucy and Shiori in tow. Lucy, now wearing the kimono, with an embarrassed look. The two groups merge as they all smile happily. 

 “It’s so crazy to see you guys here! We should totally hit the shrine together!” Chizuru says happily as Hikigaya looks at the two cups in his hands before getting an upset look.

 ‘Haru… He knew they would be here. This has got to be a setup.’ He thinks for a moment before being snapped out of his thoughts when Shiori steps towards him. She is blushing and looking away shyly. Hikigaya’s eyes widen as he admires her done-up look. He blushes and sweats nervously. Shiori looks at him and scrunches her eyebrows a bit.

 “What? Do I look weird?..” she asks softly. Hikigaya shakes his head.

 “No!” he says quickly before getting embarrassed. “You look… beautiful.” He says softly as Shiori blushes.

 “Thanks…” she says softly. Hikigaya then looks at the cups one more time before shaking his head and thinking.

 ‘Set up or not, I’ll have to thank him for this later…’ He thinks as he lifts one of the hot chocolates towards her. Shiori is surprised but takes the cup. “I, uh, thought you might get cold.” Hikigaya says. Shiori smiles warmly while holding the cup close to her face.

 “It’s so warm… Thank you.” Shiori says with a soft smile. Hikigaya nods while looking away embarrassedly. Chizuru watches them excitedly as she elbows Touma, pointing at them happily, but Touma pays no mind to Shiori and Hikigaya as he stares at Chizuru. He blushes and looks at her hair, her kimono, her eyes.

 ‘She’s so beautiful.’ He thinks.

Lucy steps next to Ryuji softly with an embarrassed look. Ryuji just smiles at her. Lucy looks at him and gets an upset look at his lack of reaction.

 “What? Aren’t you gonna say anything?” She asks. Ryuji smiles at her before looking away.

 “You look beautiful.” He says calmly. Lucy sweats a bit and looks away.

 “You’ve never seen me in a kimono before, and that’s it..?” she asks in a mumble, not entirely meaning to be heard. Ryuji looks at her again, still smiling.

 “Chizuru sent me a picture earlier so I wouldn’t freak out so much.” Ryuji admits. Lucy is shocked.

 “Why?? I wanted to see your first reaction…” Lucy mopes. Ryuji blushes and leans closer to her, his mouth by her ear. He whispers something as Lucy blushes intensely before closing her eyes and gently shoving him away. “No way, you dumb jerk!” Ryuji laughs softly as she gets flustered. Sugawara then happily jumps on the stairs leading up to the shrine.

 “Come on, guys! Let’s get to the shrine! New Year’s is just around the corner!” He says with a big smile on his face as the group begins to climb the stairs. Hisana steps next to Kitaro with a smile. 

 “What do you think, Kitaro? Don’t I look gorgeous? I’m sure you’ll want to be my boyfriend this year.” She says while pushing her chest up a bit in an attempt to allure him. Despite this, Kitaro pays her no mind.

 “No thanks, I’ll pass. You’ll probably ask out three other people by the end of the night anyway, you flirt.” Kitaro says plainly. Hisana is shocked by his cold response. She droops a bit as they continue. Kitaro then smiles subtly as he looks at her out of the corner of his eye. Chizuru steps next to Haru, leaning in close trying to be secretive.

 “You gave them the hot chocolates..?” she whispers. Haru gives her a thumbs up.

 “Love Potion infused hot chocolates given…” He whispers back with a smile as they look as Shiori and Hikigaya drink their hot chocolates. 

 “Good. Time for phase two.” Chizuru says. Lucy begins texting someone on her phone. 

“You guys there yet?” Lucy texts.

“We’re ready!” Suiyoubi texts back.

 Lucy nods as they make it to the shrine. Many other people are there as the group splits a bit in the small area. They check out food stalls and fun games while people wait for their turns at the shrine. Eventually, Shiori and Hikigaya make their way to the shrine. They hold flat stones in their hands before tossing them into the deep rock fountain. They then clap their hands together and lower their heads.

 “May the Universe bring a great year.” Shiori and Hikigaya say together before stepping away. Haru runs up to Sugawara, Touma and Chizuru with a happy look, holding a few different prizes.

 “Guys, check out what I won!” Haru says happily. Sugawara smiles at him as Chizuru looks a little frustrated. 

 “Haru! We’re not here to play games! Where are the others?” Chizuru asks when Hikigaya comes up behind them.

“Who else is coming?” He asks. Chizuru looks over surprised and sweats nervously a bit.

 “Oh! Uhh, you know-”

 “Alice and Suiyoubi.” Ryuji speaks up. They turn to see Ryuji and Lucy approach them. “We went to get them.” Alice and Suiyoubi then approach the group with big smiles.

 “Hey guys! Fancy seeing you here!” Alice says with a wave, also in a kimono. Suiyoubi looks dressed up in fancy gothic clothes but nothing traditional.

 “I hope your night is going well.” Suiyoubi says when Alice’s eyes then turn into hearts as she looks at Shiori and Hikigaya.

 “Woah! Nobody told me you were both getting so dressed up!” She shouts while drooling a bit. They sweat a bit as Hikigaya moves on.

 “Glad to see you too... That means everyone is here. Are you going to hit the shrine?” Hikigaya asks the others.

 “Nah, I’ve never been into that stuff.” Lucy says, then she elbows Alice, who looks surprised before speaking as if kicked into motion.

 “Oh, hey guys. I know a guy who is letting us use some space at the lodge a little ways away. Why don’t we all head there to celebrate the new year? It’s got a heckin' great view of the fireworks show!” Alice says with a smile.

“That sounds like a great idea! Let’s all go together.” Sugawara says happily as they all agree. The group steps into the large lodge as other people and families mingle and chat. 

 “Woah! This place is huge!” Haru says, excited about the lodge.

“Yep! He said we can get this patio all to ourselves if we wanted. Everything else is shared though.” Alice explains, looking at the others.

 “They better have some outdoor heaters or I’m gonna be pissed…” Shiori grumbles. Hikigaya looks at her for a moment as she holds herself, obviously not enjoying the cold. He then wraps his jacket around her. Shiori is surprised and looks at him. “Hikigaya? Why are you giving me your jacket?” She asks.

“You don’t seem to be enjoying the cold very much, so you’d probably make better use of it than me.” Hikigaya says with a smile while blushing a bit. Shiori smiles warmly at him, pulling the jacket more around her. Seeing her wrapped in his jacket causes him to blush more and get embarrassed.

 “Thank you, Hikigaya. I appreciate it.” Shiori says softly, being cute to him. 'I love being in your jackets…' she thinks to herself. Hikigaya rubs his head and looks away.

 “Yeah, well, don’t think about it too much. I just don’t wanna hear you complaining the rest of the night.” He says, trying to deflect his embarrassment. Shiori gets angry at his words and instantly punches him in the side.

 “I’m just trying to be nice! Why do you have to ruin it?!” Shiori shouts as Hikigaya keels over, holding his side from her angry hit. Chizuru smiles awkwardly as Lucy sighs. They all step outside onto the dimly lit deck. Haru sits down next to Sugawara on one of the chairs and pulls him close before rubbing their foreheads together. 

 “What time is it?” Kitaro asks. Touma looks at his phone.

 “Ten minutes until midnight.” Touma says. Kitaro sweats a bit.

 “We better hurry up.” He says before going to Chizuru and whispering in her ear. She sweats a bit while nodding. 

 “Isn’t cold, Alice? Maybe we should light the fire pit to get some warmth out here.” Chizuru says obviously to Alice, who perks up, understanding the implication.

 “Right, right, I think there’s some starter wood in the little closet there in the wall. Why don’t Shiori and Hikigaya get it?” Alice says as Lucy smirks.

 “That’s a great idea.” She says. Shiori and Hikigaya both sweat a bit while looking at them in disbelief. 

 “Both of us, huh?..” Hikigaya asks.

 “I don’t think I’ll be of much help in this kimono.” Shiori says while looking at herself. 

 “Oh, sure you’ll be. Now go.” Lucy says while pushing them both towards the little closet on the deck. As they get closer, Haru opens the door for them. Hikigaya and Shiori sweat as Lucy shoves them into the closet and Haru closes the door behind them. Lucy pats her hands together with an accomplished look.

 “And there we go. Now we wait for the love potion to kick in.” Lucy says as she turns around to look at the others, who smile and nod. 

 “How long will it take for the potion to work?” Chizuru asks.

 “It really depends on how strong they feel about each other, but it shouldn’t take very long.” Suiyoubi explains.

 “We should probably give it a good minute though, just in case.” Kitaro says. As they speak, Haru is in the background locking the shed door with a keylock that was hanging on the handle.

 “Don’t worry, I got it covered!” Haru says with a proud smile. They look at him as Lucy and Sugawara instantly get shocked looks.

 “Haru! Why did you lock it??” Sugawara shouts.

 “How else were they gonna stay in there?” Haru asks while sweating a bit with a confused smile.

 “There are no handles on the inside! It was enough to simply close the doors!” Lucy shouts too. Haru sweats embarrassed before shrugging.

“Oohhh, well don’t worry, guys. Alice gave me a key for it.” He says casually. They sigh in relief as he starts digging around in his pockets. Alice looks confused.

 “I don’t have a key for it. This place belongs to the owner, not me.” Alice says. They look shocked as Lucy glares at Haru. Haru looks at them confused before nervously laughing.

 “Ahha… Whoopsie!”

 Instantly, everyone in the group starts panicking. Alice and Hisana run around shouting behind the others, who start thinking quick.

 “Guys! We have to find the owner and get a key!” Chizuru shouts. Kitaro then reaches out and quickly grabs Alice, stopping her and looking her in the eyes.

 “Do you know where the guy is?” Kitaro asks clearly, sweating a bit.

 “Uh, I mean, yeah, maybe. Let’s go check!” Alice says, pointing her thumb over her shoulder back inside.

“Half of us will go. The others will guard the shed to make sure they don’t die in there!” Lucy quickly commands. Suiyoubi, Touma, Ryuji and Sugawara nod as Hisana salutes her.

 “Right!” she says before turning around and shouting into the doors of the closet. “Don’t worry, guys! I’ll make sure you don’t die in there, and if you do, then it wasn't my fault!” She shouts as Suiyoubi sweats.

 Hikigaya leans against the doors, listening to their muffled voices and sighs while turning back around to face Shiori with a disappointed look. Shiori leans against the wall opposite him.

 “It sounds like they locked us in and don’t have a key.” Hikigaya says.

 “And with Suiyoubi and Hisana standing right outside, we can’t just break the door down.” Shiori says with a sweat.

 “I guess we’re stuck in here..” Hikigaya huffs. They stand in silence for a moment, rather close, but neither one has really noticed how close they are. Shiori then speaks.

 “That hot chocolate you gave me earlier— it had a weird aftertaste, didn’t it?” She asks casually. Hikigaya looks surprised as he thinks.

 “Yeah, now that you mention it.” He says. Shiori looks at him as if waiting for an explanation. He notices her look and shakes his head defensively. “Oh, it wasn’t me. Haru gave me those to share with you.” Hikigaya says. Shiori gets a pouty look as she turns away.

 “I don’t know if I should be more mad that you didn’t actually get me one or the fact our friends laced our drinks with something.” She says with an irritated tone. Hikigaya smiles awkwardly a bit, quickly changing the subject.

 “What? You think they’re trying to poison us?” he asks.

“Not exactly, I was thinking more… love potion, maybe? You know how they are.” She says while blushing a bit, just trying to get her thoughts out. Hikigaya blushes too and rubs the back of his head nervously.

 “Oh, yeah, maybe. They definitely would do that, but with our bodies, it’s not like it’ll affect us anyway haha!” Hikigaya says awkwardly, laughing.

 “Right! Right, of course!” Shiori says, laughing just as awkwardly as they stand in this closet. 

 Elsewhere, the group runs around looking for the owner. They ask multiple people about the owner with no luck until someone points them to the front desk. They rush to the desk, sweaty and out of breath as Chizuru leans on the counter.

 “Excuse me… Do you know… where the owner is..?” Chizuru asks between breaths. The front desk worker simply smiles.

 “I’m sorry, you just missed him. He went home for the night to celebrate New Year’s with his family.” She says politely. Chizuru is stunned as the others are shocked too. Alice looks at the clock on the wall and notices how close it is to New Year’s. She gets a worried look.

 “Guys! It’s almost time!” Alice points out. Lucy grits her teeth angrily and jumps onto the counter.

 “You better give us his address right now or I’m gonna rain down my wrath upon this whole place! Raahhhhh!” Lucy shouts as the others sweat and try to calm her down, holding her back.

 “Lucy!” Haru says.

 “Chill out!” Kitaro grunts. The worker sweats and looks concerned.

 “I can’t give you his home address. That’s confidential.” She says.

“I don’t care! I’ve been running around everywhere looking for this dumb owner to get his key, now give it!” Lucy shouts as the worker looks confused.

 “Key? What key are you talking about?” She asks. Chizuru looks at the worker with a worried and slightly apologetic look.

 “I’m sorry, our friends accidentally got locked in the closet on the patio outside, and we just really don’t want them to miss the New Year’s fireworks.” Chizuru explains considerately.

 “If it’s a key to a door on the property, we probably have it here. I can go look for it.” the worker says, pointing over her shoulder. Lucy stops struggling immediately and adjusts herself. 

 “That would be great, yes.” Lucy says. The worker raises an eyebrow at her.

“Mhm. Next time, try asking nicely before threatening someone.” She says in a lecturing tone as Lucy bows a bit.

 “You’re right, I’m sorry…” Lucy apologizes. The worker gives her a look before stepping into the back room.

 Back in the closet, Shiori and Hikigaya stand quietly while avoiding eye contact. Shiori then looks at Hikigaya subtly while blushing a bit.

“Hikigaya. Have you ever thought that maybe my crush is you?”

 Shiori thinks back to the night of the cultural festival and what she said. She blushes and sweats, feeling the anxiety build in her once again. She lowers her head a bit, thinking to herself.

‘I told him back then… I really told him, but now… he doesn’t even remember anything that happened…’ She thinks while looking at him again. This time, Hikigaya notices her looking at him. She gets surprised and looks away. Hikigaya blushes a bit but doesn’t look away and instead speaks up.

 “You okay, Shiori?” He asks softly. She reluctantly looks at him, embarrassed before faking confidence.

 “Well, of course I am. Not like being trapped in here with an idiot like you is gonna bother me.” Shiori huffs. Hikigaya sweats a bit.

 “I’m glad you’ve still got so much energy..” He mumbles as Shiori blushes, losing that fake burst of confidence. She shyly looks at him as he smiles at her a bit. She blushes about how cute he looks to her and covers part of her face with her sleeves.

 “Not like an idiot like you could be cute or anything…” she whispers softly. Hikigaya perks up but isn’t able to understand what she said.

 “What did you say?” he asks. Shiori scrunches her eyebrows and looks away with a playfully irritated look.

 “Nothing that concerns you.” She says defensively.

 “Right. I’m sure you saying something out loud in this small closet with only me in it has nothing to do with me.” Hikigaya says sarcastically. Shiori looks at him for a moment before hesitantly opening her mouth.

 “Hey… Hikigaya?..” She calls his name softly. He looks surprised by her softness as she continues. “Back at the cultural festival… you sure you don’t remember anything?..” she asks softly. Hikigaya looks at her, surprised a bit about her bringing it up again but thinks hard. She can see him thinking deeply about it as she waits for his response. “Y-you don’t really have to, it’s okay if you don’t.” Shiori says nervously, feeling a bit of anxiety induced second guessing. Hikigaya then lets out of sigh in frustration.

 “Ugh, no... I’m really sorry, Shiori. You obviously want me to remember something, but I just... don’t. All I remember is-” Hikigaya says before looking surprised at her. “Talking about your crush. Does it.. have something to do with them?” he asks softly. Shiori looks away with an embarrassed look, shoving her sleeved hands at him.

 “Nope! Nope, why would you think that? No way!” She says unconvincingly, but Hikigaya doesn’t pry further, instead asking something else.

 “Well, I do remember you being mad at me about something, but then again, when are you not mad at me? Haha!” he says with a laugh. Shiori doesn’t laugh and only looks more embarrassed by his words, thinking about her insecurities. Hikigaya looks at her with a gentle look, trying to comfort her. “Are you really sure there isn’t anything you want to tell me? Maybe about that night?” He asks.

 Shiori looks at him nervously as she thinks rapidly. She thinks about the night she said it, the day he said he didn’t remember and Lucy’s reaction to that. She hesitates before slowly, with an anxious breath, opening her mouth to speak.

 “Hikigaya.. I-” she begins when suddenly a commotion is heard outside, grabbing both their attention and interrupting her words. The friends guarding the closet turn to see the others running back towards the doors leading to the patio. Haru holds a key out in front of himself with a happy and relieved look.

 “Guys! We got it! We got the key!” Haru shouts. The others smile in relief.

 “And just in time.” Ryuji says.

 “The New Year is only a minute away.” Suiyoubi says with a sweat.

 They all smile in relief. As the group runs through the doors and onto the patio, Haru smiles before tripping. He slams onto the ground, losing grip of the key as it tumbles away from him. The group looks shocked as he looks at it with wide eyes. It tumbles over the side of the patio and onto the dark forest floor covered in snow below.

 “NOOOO!!” Haru shouts in horror as he watches the key go over the edge. Hikigaya has his ear to the door and sighs.

 “It sounds like Haru dropped the key.” he says.

“Of course he did.” Shiori says, now standing next to him. They have the same slightly disappointed look as Haru cartoonishly cries while Sugawara pats his head.

 “I had it… It was in my hand and I failed…” Haru cries.

 “There, there.” Sugawara comforts him.

 “What do we do now?” Chizuru asks with a concerned look on her face. Ryuji sighs and shakes his head.

 “I guess we go looking for it.” Ryuji says when Hisana speaks up loudly, pointing to the sky and gaining all their attention.

 “Woah! Guys, look!” Hisana points to the sky as a few fireworks fly into the air. They burst as everyone looks at the beautiful display in the night sky. Touma sweats a bit while looking at her.

‘Leave it to her to completely forget about our situation…’

 The fireworks blast in the air, lighting up the cold, dark night sky as the others watch for a moment. Hikigaya looks at the rays of light coming through the door with a soft smile on his face. Shiori looks at him and blushes, admiring him.

‘Hikigaya…’

Shiori thinks softly with an anxious and flustered look. She slowly lifts her hand gently towards him.

‘I…’

 Hikigaya notices and looks at her with a surprised look. She then punches him on the arm softly and smiles at him.

 “Happy New Year, you dummy.” She says with a big smile. Hikigaya smiles and blushes a bit.

 “Happy New Year, Shiori.” Without hesitation, he places his hand on top of her fist, surprising her, causing her to blush more. He then gets an idea and perks up, still holding onto her hand.

 “I know! I’ll just break the lock on the door. I can time it with the boom of the fireworks.” Hikigaya says. Shiori is surprised by his idea.

 “That could work. It’d definitely beat staying in here.” Shiori says. Hikigaya snickers and rubs his finger under his nose.

 “I know! I’m pretty smart, aren’t I?” he says smugly. Shiori sweats a bit.

 “Don’t push it..” she says as Hikigaya smiles at her before preparing to open the door.

“Okay, ready… Now!”

 He waits for the boom of the firework before shoving the doors open, snapping the older, worn out lock in the process. They step out quietly as the others have their backs turned to them, paying more attention to the display. They take a moment to gather their surroundings before joining their friends in enjoying the show. Hikigaya leans close to Shiori’s ear and whispers.

 “I’m glad we made it out before the show was over…” he whispers as she nods. The group all stare at the sky as it lights up with bright vibrant colors. Shiori is surprised when she realizes Hikigaya is still holding onto her hand. She blushes and smiles while looking at their hands. She then looks up at Hikigaya and slightly tightens her grip on his hand. Hikigaya notices and looks at her. She smiles warmly and blushes as he blushes a bit too, seeing the look on her face.

‘I love you, Hikigaya.’

 She thinks as she stares at his face being lit by the wonderful colors in the sky. He looks at her with a slightly embarrassed and surprised look but doesn’t look away.

‘Looking at you…’

 In her desert world, in her soul, Shiori stands with a smile on her face as she looks at the sky. The heavy clouds begin to thin out as small bands of light begin to shine through, one directly on her face. She closes her eyes and basks in the warm light.

‘Lights up the sky more than any firework in the world.’ She thinks softly to herself as their hands stay held throughout the entire show. Soon, the show finishes as the leftover smoke floats in the air from the display. The group takes a moment as Hisana smiles happily.

 “That was so pretty!” she says.

 “I always love the New Year’s display.” Sugawara says happily as Haru nods. Chizuru then gets a shocked look.

 “Wait! Shiori and Hikigaya!”

 Shiori and Hikigaya look surprised before quickly letting go of each other’s hands and stepping away from each other while awkwardly looking away. Everyone suddenly remembers them and turns around, shocked to see them standing before them.

 “Woah! You guys got out!” Haru says with big eyes.

“How did you pull that off?” Lucy asks with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, knowing full well what they’re capable of. Not trying to tell their secret to the others, Hikigaya awkwardly makes up a lie.

 “Oh, you know, old locks and stuff. Haru must've not closed it all the way, haha!..” Hikigaya laughs awkwardly, flustered over holding Shiori’s hand.

 “I’m sorry you guys were locked in there… It’s all my fault, coming up with the plan to put you in there in the first place…” Chizuru says with an apologetic look before suddenly her eyes sharpen. She looks at them from the corner of her eye with her back towards them. ‘Plan! Love potion! Romance!’ She thinks before spinning and looking at them with a wide smile. “So did it work?! Did you admit your love for each other?!” she asks openly. They look at her coldly and respond.

 “No way.” they both say at the same time. Chizuru is stunned.

 “Like I’d ever be in love with this big dummy.” Shiori says, crossing her arms with a huff.

 “I could say the same about you.” Hikigaya says, crossing his arms as well before they both turn and look away from each other. After a moment, their looks soften as they subtly turn towards each other just a bit.

‘Although holding his hand was nice…’ Shiori thinks.

‘Her hand was so warm and soft…’ Hikigaya thinks too. Chizuru deflates a bit with a disappointed look.

 “All of that for nothing…” she whines. Lucy pats her on the back.

 “Don’t worry about it, Chizu. You’ll get them next time.” Lucy says supportively. Chizuru then jumps on Lucy with tears in her eyes, cartoonishly.

 “Whyyy? I just want them to admit their love for one another!” Chizuru whines while holding onto Lucy. She smiles and pets Chizuru softly, trying to comfort her.

 “You and your big heart.” Lucy says with a smile as Ryuji approaches Shiori and Hikigaya.

 “Bummer you guys couldn’t see the whole show.” he says.

 “Eh, it’s fine. Never been a huge fan of fireworks, anyway.” Hikigaya says as Shiori nods. Haru steps next to them with a big smile.

 “Hey, don’t worry! I got these from one of the stands by the shrine!” Haru says as he pulls out a bunch of different, smaller fireworks and sparklers. The others sweat.

 “Haru…” Shiori says as Touma looks nervous.

 “Yeah, we’ll put on our own show for you!” Haru says happily, then strikes one of them and begins blasting off in their direction. The others take cover or start running from him as the patio lights up with bright colors.

 “Haru! What are you doing?!” Sugawara shouts.

 “This isn’t funny!” Kitaro shouts too.

 “Aw, c’mon, new year, new you! Am I right??” Haru shouts back as the group runs around trying to avoid the fireworks and sparks as the new year begins to roll in.