Emi nodded once, curtly. “Of course.”
Mai felt the urge to apologize again but ignored it. She wished she hadn’t apologized the first time. Instead, she turned and walked away, soft sand shifting under her bare feet.
She had always loved the Toro Nagashi Festival, but she feared that after today, she would never be able to truly enjoy it again. Still, she walked and watched the paper lanterns sway on the surface of the bay, red and blue, green and yellow, pink and purple and white, and she thought about their symbolism. People took solace in the sight, and she understood why. The ritual gave her a sort of peace, now that she was away from the other girls. She could let her sadness show without the fear of being judged.
Mai went around a group of people watching the lanterns, stepping into the surf, and she enjoyed the feeling of the tiny ripples washing over her feet and ankles. She went on that way for a few minutes, wishing she knew what had happened to Daisuke and Wakana and wondering what would happen next.
In the failing sunlight, as day gave way to the dark of night, she looked up ahead, and saw a blond-haired white girl standing hand in hand with a big Japanese guy, the two of them intimately close. There were other gaijins on the beach, mostly tourists but some who lived in Miyazu City, so with the girl turned partly away from her, it took Mai a moment to realize she was looking at Kara Harper.
Her hands balled into fists.
“Do the different colors mean anything?” Kara asked.
At first Hachiro did not reply, and she wondered if it was a stupid question or if he was trying to come up with an answer. He squeezed her hand and nodded toward the bay. Night had arrived in full at last and the paper lanterns were lovely and ethereal in their pale colors.
“The white ones,” Hachiro said. “I’m not sure about the others, but the white ones are supposed to represent those who have died within the past year, since the last festival.”
Kara gazed out at the lanterns spread across the bay. There hadn’t seemed a vast number of white ones in comparison to the others, but now that she knew their significance, there seemed far too many.
“Another thing to remind Sakura of her sister,” she said.
Hachiro looked down at her. “I don’t think she needs any reminders.”
“No. You’re right.” Kara leaned against him, comforted by his solid presence.
“The fireworks will start soon,” Hachiro said. “Do you want to head back and join the others?”
“Not really,” she said, tilting her chin back to look up at him. “Is that horrible?”
Hachiro smiled, and for once, his grin held no trace of its familiar silliness. “Not at all. I’m enjoying just being with you. I’m glad we wandered away for a little while.”
She searched his eyes. “We haven’t had a lot of time alone together, especially lately. There are a lot of things I’ve been wanting to say to you.”
He hesitated.
“We’re here right now, Hachiro,” she went on. “You’re here, and I’m here. Maybe when this school year is over, I’ll be going back to the U.S. But maybe not. With what’s going on at school, your parents could pull you out of Monju-no-Chie without any notice. Then what? I’ve got a curse on me. A curse. But I’m still here. Right now, I’m here, standing in front of you, and there isn’t anywhere else in the world I’d rather be. Can’t you let that be enough?”
Her heart pounded in her chest, but she felt its beat pulsing throughout her body. Her face felt hot as she studied his face and she tightened her grip on his fingers. Hachiro had never looked so serious to her.
“Come on,” she said, with a nervous smile. “Don’t you have anything to say?”
Hachiro reached out with his free hand, brushed her hair from her face, and then cupped the back of her head as he lowered his mouth to kiss her. Kara began to protest, wanting a reply, and then his lips touched hers and she understood that this was his reply. He had never kissed her like this before, tender and urgent at the same time, their bodies so close, and as he broke the kiss and pulled back, she felt unsteady on her feet.
They grinned at each other.
Which was when Mai appeared, practically between them, standing ankle deep in the rippling water on the shore.
“You two seem to be enjoying yourselves,” she said, her upper lip curling. Kara thought she looked like a shark on the prowl. “It’s a shame that Wakana and Daisuke can’t be here to watch the fireworks.”
Hachiro stepped closer to Kara, as if he feared Mai might try to hurt her. “You need to leave her alone, Mai,” he said.
Mai laughed humorlessly. “Of course I do. Everyone else does. Why upset the girl who knows exactly what’s going on, and might be able to do something about it?”
Kara shook her head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. If I thought there was anything I could do to help, I’d do it without hesitation.”
“So American, bonsai,” Mai sneered. “You’d be a hero, if only you knew who to hit.”
“What do you want from me?” Kara demanded.
But Mai had already looked out across the bay, at the soft colors of the paper lanterns eddying in the currents.
“The white ones are the most beautiful,” Mai said. “I wonder which two are Daisuke and Wakana.”
“You don’t know they’re dead!” Hachiro said.
“No?” Mai said, whirling on them. “Then where are they?”
As Kara and Hachiro stared her down, a soft thup-thup-thup filled the air, followed by loud pops of the first three firework explosions. Multicolored flowers blossomed in the night sky, cascading down like falling angels. Several others banged in the air, loud enough that Kara felt them in her chest, and the lights played myriad hues across Mai’s face.
The crowd sighed and ooh ed in appreciation, and as a huge burst of blue and gold filled the heavens, Kara saw Mai’s expression falter. Her anger shattered and crumbled, leaving only desperation and sadness behind.
“Please just tell me what you know,” Mai pleaded.
Kara took a deep breath.
And then, in between fireworks booming thunder across the sky, she heard someone call her name. The three of them turned to see Sakura, Miho, and Ren hurrying toward them. Kara and Hachiro stepped out of the surf. Miho gave Mai a quick, curious glance, but otherwise they ignored her.
“What’s wrong?” Hachiro asked as they raced up. “What happened?”
Ren’s bronze hair reflected the lights of the fireworks like metal. He pushed his head between Miho and Sakura, somehow bringing them all closer together, so he could deliver his message with greater privacy.
“There’s another kid missing,” Ren said.
Kara’s eyes went wide. She glanced at Mai, then at Miho. “Someone from Noh club?”
“It’s Yasu,” Miho said.
They all went quiet. The fireworks seemed to explode all around them. They all knew Yasu, a charming guy, the epitome of boy-coolness, quiet when he wanted to be enigmatic, He wore his hair longer than some of the girls, yet never got in trouble with Mr. Yamato for dress code violations. He had the lead role of Anchin in Dojoji.
“What do we do?” Ren asked.
Her voice almost lost in the midst of crackling fireworks, Mai spoke up. “Can I help?”
Kara could not trust her. The girl was too unstable. She looked at the others. “He was here, at the festival? He vanished from the beach?”
“Just a few minutes ago,” Sakura said. “When it got dark.”
Kara nodded. “Good. The land is so narrow here, and there’s only one way to leave.” She started hurrying up the sand, cutting through the crowd, and they all followed, Mai included. “Split up. Get into the woods. Let’s try to stop it from getting him out of here.”
“It?” Mai said, tugging her arm. “What is it?”
Kara pulled her arm away, but she did look back, meeting Mai’s frightened gaze. “We’re pretty sure it’s the Hannya.”
“But that’s just a story,” Mai said.
“What if it’s not?” Kara asked, and then she ran to catch up with the others.