Episode 20: The Confession Under the Fireworks
1970 Words
The school festival day finally arrived.
Bright banners hung across the entrance. Colorful balloons floated near the gates. Music echoed through the hallways. Students ran everywhere with excited faces.
Luna stood near the school gate, holding a small paper bag.
She looked nervous.
Very nervous.
Inside the bag was a handmade bracelet.
For Ethan.
Today, she planned to confess.
“Breathe, Luna,” she whispered to herself. “You survived exams. You survived math class. You can survive this.”
Behind her, someone suddenly shouted—
“BOO!”
Luna jumped.
“AHH!”
She turned around.
It was Mia.
Mia laughed so hard she almost dropped her cotton candy.
“You look like you saw a ghost,” Mia said.
“I almost died,” Luna replied dramatically.
“From love?”
“From YOU.”
Mia grinned. “So… today’s the big day?”
Luna looked down at the bag and nodded slowly.
“Yes.”
Meanwhile, across the campus, Ethan was helping Noah at the basketball booth.
Noah spun a ball on his finger. It fell instantly.
“I meant to do that,” Noah said.
Ethan shook his head. “You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“No, I’m attracting customers.”
A small crowd laughed nearby.
But Ethan wasn’t fully focused.
His eyes kept scanning the area.
Looking for someone.
Noah noticed.
“You’re searching for Luna, right?”
Ethan froze. “What? No.”
“You’re staring at the gate every five seconds.”
Ethan sighed.
“…Maybe.”
Noah smirked. “Planning something?”
Ethan hesitated.
Then he pulled something out of his pocket.
A folded letter.
Noah’s eyes widened. “YOU TOO?”
“Shut up.”
Noah laughed loudly. “This is better than the festival.”
---
By afternoon, the festival was full of life.
The cooking club sold snacks.
The drama club performed a silly play.
The music club sang loudly — slightly off-key — but with confidence.
Luna helped at the art booth. She painted small stars on children’s hands.
Ethan walked by.
They made eye contact.
Both looked away quickly.
Both blushed.
Mia and Noah, watching from afar, sighed at the same time.
“Why are they like this?” Mia asked.
“Fear,” Noah said wisely.
“Of what?”
“Love.”
Mia stared at him.
“…Who are you and what did you do to Noah?”
“I can be deep sometimes.”
“No. Stop.”
---
As evening approached, excitement grew.
Everyone waited for the final event.
Fireworks.
It would happen on the school rooftop.
Only students could attend.
The sky slowly turned orange, then purple.
Luna stood near the stairs to the rooftop.
Her heart beat fast.
Very fast.
She looked at her bracelet again.
“You can do this,” she whispered.
At the same time, Ethan walked toward the same stairs.
Holding his letter tightly.
When they reached the rooftop—
They saw each other.
And froze.
The sunset glow made everything look softer.
More magical.
The rooftop was decorated with fairy lights.
Soft music played from small speakers.
Students chatted and laughed around them.
But for Luna and Ethan—
It felt quiet.
Like only the two of them existed.
They slowly walked closer.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Luna broke the silence.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Awkward pause.
“Nice festival,” Ethan said.
“Yes. Very festival.”
They both mentally screamed.
Why were they like this?
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The first firework exploded in the sky.
Bright red light filled the darkness.
Everyone cheered.
More fireworks followed.
Blue. Gold. Silver.
The sky looked like it was covered in stars.
Luna looked up, amazed.
Ethan looked at her.
Not the fireworks.
Her.
The colors reflected in her eyes.
She looked beautiful.
He swallowed nervously.
“Luna,” he said.
She turned to him.
“Yes?”
“I need to tell you something.”
At the same time—
“I need to tell you something,” Luna said.
They blinked.
Then both laughed.
“You go first,” Ethan said.
“No, you.”
“Rock-paper-scissors?”
“Seriously?”
They played.
Luna lost.
She groaned dramatically.
“Fine.”
She took a deep breath.
Her hands shook slightly as she pulled the small bracelet from her bag.
“I made this for you,” she said softly.
Ethan looked surprised.
“It’s not perfect,” she continued quickly. “Like… some parts are uneven. And I accidentally glued my fingers together twice. But that’s not important.”
He smiled.
“Ethan… I…”
Another firework exploded.
Her heart pounded louder than the sound.
“I like you,” she finally said.
The words left her mouth.
And the world did not end.
The sky did not fall.
She was still standing.
Breathing.
Ethan stared at her.
Processing.
She panicked slightly.
“Okay, I’m going to pretend I never said that—”
“I like you too.”
She froze.
“…What?”
“I’ve liked you for a long time,” Ethan said. “Since the day you argued with the teacher about homework.”
“That was a serious matter!”
“I know. That’s when I realized you were brave.”
Luna blinked.
“You like me?”
“Yes.”
“For real?”
“Yes.”
She stared at him.
Then suddenly—
She laughed.
Not because it was funny.
But because she felt so relieved.
“I was so scared,” she admitted.
“Me too.”
Ethan took the bracelet gently.
“Can I wear it?”
“Of course.”
He put it on his wrist.
It fit perfectly.
“Well,” he said softly, “I guess I should give you this too.”
He handed her the folded letter.
She opened it carefully.
It wasn’t very long.
But every word was honest.
Simple.
Sweet.
She looked up at him with shiny eyes.
“You’re terrible at handwriting,” she said.
He laughed. “That’s your first comment?”
“It’s very emotional,” she added quickly.
They stood there quietly.
Watching fireworks together.
Closer than before.
Not touching.
But not far either.
Across the rooftop, Mia grabbed Noah’s arm.
“IT FINALLY HAPPENED.”
Noah wiped fake tears. “My work here is done.”
“You did nothing.”
“I emotionally supported.”
“You gossiped.”
“That too.”
---
The final firework exploded.
Huge.
Bright.
Golden sparks rained across the sky.
Everyone clapped.
As the lights faded, Ethan looked at Luna again.
“So… what happens now?”
Luna thought for a moment.
“Now,” she said confidently, “we stop being awkward.”
“That’s impossible.”
“Okay, we reduce the awkwardness by… ten percent.”
“Deal.”
They smiled at each other.
A real smile.
Comfortable.
Happy.
As students began leaving the rooftop, Ethan gently held Luna’s hand.
Just lightly.
Asking permission without words.
She didn’t pull away.
Instead—
She held his hand back.
Warm.
Soft.
Real.
Mia saw and screamed quietly into her hands.
Noah shook his head. “Young love.”
“You’re the same age.”
“Still.”
Luna looked at Ethan.
“By the way,” she said.
“Yes?”
“If you ever scare me like Mia did today, I will push you off a chair.”
“Noted.”
They laughed.
Walking down the stairs together.
Not as just classmates.
Not as just friends.
But something new.
Something exciting.
Something sweet.
The school hallway lights flickered softly.
The festival noise slowly faded.
But inside their hearts—
Something bright had just begun.
---
The next Monday—
Nothing changed.
And everything changed.
They still argued.
Still teased each other.
Still made fun of Noah.
Still laughed with Mia.
But now—
There was something extra.
Small smiles.
Secret glances.
Comfortable silence.
During lunch, Luna accidentally spilled juice.
Ethan handed her tissues immediately.
Mia stared dramatically.
“Disgusting,” she whispered.
“So sweet,” Noah corrected.
Luna rolled her eyes.
But she was smiling.
After school, as they walked home together—
Luna looked up at the sky.
“No fireworks today,” she said.
Ethan nodded.
“Yeah.”
She smiled softly.
“But I think yesterday was enough.”
He looked at her.
And agreed.
Because sometimes—
You don’t need fireworks in the sky.
When you already have them in your heart.
- Writer
