A Vow at the Shore ~ Making Love Out of Nothing At All, Part 3
1592 Words
The electric guitarist and the soprano continued playing their romantic best while this harem of five – myself, Noemi, Anya, Saya, and Ruriko – gently swayed our bodies to this soothing emotional rhythm, feeling the night breeze that was brushing our bodies.
And then...
Noemi and I had to do this out of our own volition.
With help from the girls whom I've regarded as friends.
The three eventually let go of the “harem group hug” and let the two of us do what we did best.
The serenading continued, the breeze continued.
We silently made our stares that were of the reassuring kind, as we both expected to do this again next year.
This was just a trial run, indeed.
As the stares continued, something inside us was brewing.
More like going to the boiling point.
But we both knew it was coming...
...ever since she was haunted by that something and compelled her to go to the shrine to ask for some divine guidance.
...ever since I responded to her distress by professing to fight whatever was haunting her.
...ever since she confessed some of her worst childhood fears to me.
We needed to do it.
We had to make this.
This vow.
And out of the blue...
Fireworks appeared in the midst of the starry sky.
Strangely enough, these fireworks patterns matched the ones on Noemi's dress.
And before I could ask the reason for the fireworks that suddenly spawned, Saya explained.
“It just so happened that a nearby town is currently celebrating a festival, hence the fireworks. You two are incredibly lucky, you know that? You get to take advantage of someone else's fireworks to do what you must do.”
And thus, while the fireworks were still making their colorful marks on the nighttime sky, we just had to do it.
Gunpei... I... I'm still afraid...
Noemi, you scaredy cat. But then, there's this thing that's still haunting you.
Yes. Right now, this heartbeat of mine can be compared to a drum, trying to find its lost rhythm.
And that lost rhythm is you.
Yeah, I know. You just copy what the soprano's singing.
But at least what she's singing makes sense, considering what we're currently in.
You can take the darkness most people curse, and turn it into a beacon of light that will guide me to where I must go.
What exact destination, huh?
I have no exact idea. But I know you'll guide me there.
You'll be my navigator, my captain, my admiral.
So now you're turning into a ship girl? I understand that reference.
Not surprising for a robotics student who is into fictional cute girls!
But they all can never be as cute as you.
Oh, you. By the way... I wanna ask you.
When we finally do this... upgrade...
Will you know when to pull me closer...
...and will you know when to let me loose?
About that... there's no specific time.
Even though we'll have this upgrade you're saying, there are still times where we must be on our own, upholding our own privacy.
Sometimes, a moment of isolation can be the key to unlocking a hidden side of ourselves,and that will mean one step closer to purging whatever personal demons we have.
Yeah, I know you'll purge mine. So it's settled. I'll purge yours too.
Yeah, I admit I have my own. But I'll save them for another time.
Aw, boo. How boring.
There will be a time where I'll tell you everything I have to tell you.
I know it's impossible, but at least I'll give it a shot.
The moon's rays were streaming through the waves in Noemi's pink hair, and every star in the sky was aiming at her emerald green eyes like a spotlight.
The silent conversation continued.
So then, Gunpei, we will vow to each other...
Many, many things.
I know you can't say them all in just one fading night, but at least have me a taste of them.
Alright.
Promise me... you'll defeat whatever is haunting me. The thing that compelled me to curl up at the shrine and cry.
That's a given, yeah.
Promise me... don't make me leave you, and don't let me fall.
If I can do that with my engineer's thinking, yeah. There are so many ways to accomplish that.
Plus, I would be the butt of jokes if ever people found out that I'm the cause of your downfall. And I hate to be one.
That ex of yours will solely be my basis of what not to do to you, guaranteed.
Promise me... make your parents and mine proud.
Of course. One of the Christian commandments entails honoring our fathers and mothers in whatever we're doing and we'll be doing.
Promise me... you'll support me and my artistic endeavors.
Ah, yes. I hear you'll be taking up fine arts in college. Any means of support, financial or otherwise, is a-OK with me.
Promise me... you'll make me live again.
Wait a minute. Are you implying...
Hush now. We don't want additional gloom and doom to this prom, you know.
This promise, this directive of mine, should be obvious to you.
OK, alright. I'll try my best to invigorate you.
And thus, we've made this significant vow at the shore.
At first thought, we were making love out of nothing at all, but no.
We were making love out of the many factors, the many experiences we've shared so far.
We didn't just concoct this out of thin air.
And we...
...we were then ready to do the next step.
The fireworks were already at their last hurrah.
And thus...
...we hugged each other tightly.
A hug tighter than the one we did at the shrine.
We could feel each other's heartbeats that were pulsing with a new resolve.
And then...
We were ready, though a bit hesitant at first.
We were ready...
...to lock our lips and feel each other's breaths at their most intense.
To the not-surprise of the three girls, they all initiated their own rounds of applause.
Because they all knew we were meant for each other.
Even though they met her just a few days ago.
Trust is the thing that binds the four girls, and it's also the thing that binds me and her.
And trust...
...is a vital component of the thing called love.
Love that is not made out of nothing at all.
Love that is instead made out of atoms that are products of our own actions.
The kiss ended just as the fireworks display ended... in just seven minutes.
Seven minutes of a miracle well-played.
Seven minutes for the vow to take shape.
Just then...
Noemi's parents showed up.
Seeing their daughter locking lips with a man they relatively know in just a span of a few years gave them the chance to say one word loudly...
“CONGRATULATIONS!”
Yeah, I expected this much for her parents to vouch for me.
Not just because I'm a plain old nice guy.
It's because I wanted to help without expecting anything in return.
And as to how they showed up at the shore in the first place...
You, Saya, explained that once you saw us at the Shiokaze Trail, you whipped up your phone and told her parents that she's fine.
And that they bought just enough time to spawn at the last minute.
So then, the rest of the prom was nothing but a little bit of dancing, much more singing, and MUCH more eating and drinking... until all our bodies eventually gave in to sleepiness and we had to call it a night.
***
“And thus ends the entire prom saga. From a simple ploy to save it... to actually confessing each other's feelings.”
Harumi, knowing all too well that she's also feeling the magic behind this entire saga, comments.
And yup, I adopted her overblown terminology for some reason.
“You know what, Gunpei? As someone who has personally never experienced the prom... having you tell the entire tale from start to finish... makes me feel that I went to one.”
Ah, yeah. I still assume that Harumi is Noemi's reincarnation. So from a logical standpoint, if Noemi did experience the prom, Harumi should, too.
Including that portion.
Saya then cuts in.
“I knew you had it in you, Gunpei. You wanted to solve the problems of us three, those of the rest of the class, and especially those of Noemi... because you had to.”
“Yup. I don't need a reason to help people. I did what I had to do, and saw it through without exemption.”
“Yes! This is indeed the future Engr. Gunpei Imahara we have in this little space right here!”
We all then look at the time.
It's 5:30 pm.
Yup, we clocked in at overtime – one and a half hours. A new record.
Good thing that during our long-winded storytelling session, we excused ourselves to get some drinks from the refrigerator, since the last thing we all wanted was hoarse throats.
Saya then stands up and makes her curtsy.
Harumi and I follow suit, but without the bowing.
“Gunpei, Harumi, thanks once more for inviting me to your humble storytelling session. It indeed brought us back to those carefree times that we should remember in the midst of this transition to adulthood.”
“Yeah. And once we all assume our responsibilities as adults, it's either we work hard, or not work at all, because our bodies don't have the capacity to work hard. Good thing this mindset is changing. We need to work smart, and have the time of our lives at the same time. This way, the sordid realities of Japanese society will be made better, one step at a time.”
“Indeed. So then... it's not goodbye, but see you again.”
“Yeah. See you again, Saya.”
We then both wave Saya goodbye as she leaves the unit with grace and confidence expected of someone dressed as a maid.
And once she's out of our sights...
We slouch our own bodies on the floor, giggling.
There's nothing funny in this serious session that just concluded, but at least we are venting off steam, to let the spirits of cheerfulness back into our bodies.
The semester ends...
...but the real story of the three of us begins.
- Writer
