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The New Year’s festival was Riko’s favourite time of the year. The tying of the bow on a completed year and a refreshed hope for your dreams to come true in the new year. There was something awfully poetic about it; every year she felt the same warmth in her chest that she only felt on New Year’s. One of her dreams was to be able to feel that same warmth at other times of the year.
The day had slipped by her and it was already 6:00 in the evening, she had to get ready to meet Chika and You. Riko’s eyes drifted over to the beautiful pink Kimono laying on her bed. A smile spread on her lips as she walked over to it.
Her mum came and helped her put it on and placed two Sakura petal clips in Riko’s bangs.
After thanking her mum, Riko hurried out of the house just in time to meet Chika and You at the end of her street.
“Yahoooo, it’s Riko,” Chika yelled excitedly like a puppy.
Riko laughed amongst her friends as they walked towards the festival, ready for the warmth in her chest to rise.Yohane looked at her reflection in the mirror with discontent, Kimono’s were not one with her soul. It was almost as if she was looking at a different person when she met her own eyes in the mirror. This was something she must do right, even a girl with such an eccentric personality still has wishes that soften their hearts underneath it all. There was one wish she had longed for, for some time now, that she dared not act on. She wouldn’t sacrifice this chance at her dreams becoming true just for the sake of her character. The blue and white Kimono was now an extension of her essence. She headed out to meet Hanamaru and Ruby.
“Waaah, Yohane you look so pretty!” Ruby said as her eyes sparkled.
Yohane was shocked into silence for a moment and then stumbled into speech, “Ah but of course, for the dark angel that resides in my dark heart renders mere mortals lovestruck at the sight of me.”
“Let’s go,” Hanamaru said flatly whilst grabbing Yohane’s arm and leading her away.
“Z-Zuramaru, let go of me before you clip my dark wings!” Yohane yelled.Chika had assembled Aqours at the festival and they all chatted amongst each other for a while before it came time for Yohane and Riko to bump into one another.
“Oh, Yohane I’m so sorry!” Riko stumbled.
“R-Riko, do not fear for I, the dark angel, Yohane will never fall from flight!” Yohane exclaimed whilst finding her balance again.
Riko hid her mouth behind her hand as she giggled. “You’re funny Yohane,” Riko smiled honestly. The words seemed to trickle down Yohane’s airways as Riko’s giggle echoed in her mind.
“The fireworks are about to start,” Riko’s eyes sparkled with the reflection of nearby flames flickering.The warmth in Riko’s chest was igniting and she felt home at last, as if the last year she had spent every day searching for a way back. The fireworks began to explode in the sky and a rush of wonderment swept over her like fog.
Yohane yelped in surprise at the fireworks going off and drew Riko’s attention to her. Riko looked into Yohane’s eyes deeper than she’d ever looked into anyone’s eyes before. Suddenly the warmth in her chest began to expand all the way down her body. It was as if, all at once, the realisation hit her. She hadn’t seen that the answer had been there all along, in the shape of shared cat, nights spent alone in the rain, and a pair of black wings.
She inched closer to Yohane and wrapped her fingers in amongst Yohane’s. Yohane being silenced.
“You were the answer all along,” Riko said with a shy smile on her face. Yohane felt as if the night sky above her had revealed its secrets to her. Her fingers touching Riko’s made her feel as if there was electric sparking around her body. Had the dark angels heard her prayers?
“R-Riko?” was all Yohane could manage to let out, Riko smiled sweetly and tightened her grip on Yohane’s hand.
Flames burst up inside Yohane as if the self-doubt inside her was being banished. Confidence surged through her as if she had been reborn. She pulled Riko closer by her waist and whispered into her ear “Do you mind if our lips dance together as if it is our destiny, little angel?”
She felt Riko shiver before answering “I don’t mind.”
Yohane’s lips found the curves of Riko’s and that was truly when the fireworks began exploding. The way their lips fit perfectly against each other’s felt as if fate had decided this long ago. In this kiss, they both found home.