Summary:
The MC and Rion are on a train. Rion is fascinated by the sights outside of the window. He jumps a
little when it suddenly goes dark as they enter a tunnel. The MC tells him that
there are a lot of tunnels in this area because they are heading into the
mountains. A lady with a food cart comes around, and they each choose a bento
to eat. He is amazed by all of the things packed tightly in the box, calling it
a “microcosm”. He speaks at length about the night sky, showing that he has
quite a detailed knowledge bank.
When they arrive at their stop,
they comment on how fresh the air is compared to Tokyo. They hike up a small
mountain. As they go, the MC starts to get very tired (even some old people
pass her). Rion suggests that they take a break. He hands her a thermos from
his backpack. The drink is very sweet, and he reveals that it is caramel tea. She
drinks a little, and then he takes the cup and sips some as well. He says that
it was a good idea to put some extra sugar in there (for fatigue). He hands the
cup back, and his hand covers hers. She says the warmth of the tea and Rion
warms her heart. A shooting star soon crosses the night sky. They pack up
quickly and run to the summit of the mountain. As they arrive at the summit,
they see a beautiful meteor shower. Rion holds her as they gaze at the sight.
She can’t help but wish on the
stars, hoping that this kind of happiness will last forever. Rion asks her if
she wished for something. He asks her to tell him, but she says it’s a secret. He
is a little disappointed that she won’t tell him. She secretly wants to know if
Rion wished for the same thing. He blushes fiercely when she asks him to tell
her what he wished for. He then smiles wryly and tells her that he wished ride
on a camel traveling down the Silk Road. He starts laughing and
admits that he’s lying when she looks shocked. She tells him to tell her the
truth, but he says it’s a secret. She prods him again, but he says it won’t
come true if he tells her.
When they head back to the train
station, there is a huge problem. A sign is posted saying that there were
mechanical issues, and the train is stopped for the night as a result. They ask
an attendant how they might get back to Tokyo that night, but he says that there
isn’t really any way, and they should stay there for the night. He suggests an
inn close by. The MC is worried because she had not planned on staying the
night with Rion. Rion asks if there is a hot spring at the inn. The attendant
says that there is a hidden spring there. Rion also wants to know if there are
any animals there, like monkeys and capybaras. The attendant says there isn’t,
and he’s a little disappointed, but he tells the MC that he wants to go anyway.
They go to take baths in separate
outdoor spaces. The MC is thinking about how Rion finds beauty in such trivial
things. She hears someone enter the water on the other side of the partition.
She almost calls out to him but decides not to. She returns to the room after
her bath to find Rion in a yukata on the veranda, looking up at the night sky. She
admires his beautiful profile in the moonlight. He hears her footsteps on the
tatami and turns around. She notices little drops of water falling from his
still wet hair. She takes the towel that was thrown over his shoulder and
begins to dry his hair. He is a little annoyed and says that he can do it
himself. She says to leave it up to her so he doesn’t stay soaked. He tells her
to quit it because he’s not a child. She retorts with, “Bathing and not drying
your hair, that’s something a big child would do.” She sees that he has a look
of defiance on his face and thinks back to when she interrupted the interviews
for the March Hare and Dormouse. She wonders if he had the same expression
under all of that makeup then.
Rion suddenly grabs her wrists
and pushes her down onto the tatami. His wet hair touches her cheek, and she
cannot move. He smiles wryly and says, “Not a child.” He gives her a flurry of
deep, passionate kisses. She can’t catch her breath very well, and he entwines his
fingers with hers as he continues. He unexpectedly stops kissing her, then
looks her over, saying something to the effect of, “Now I understand why
Mitsunari-san (Baba) said that yukata were romantic.” She tries to adjust her
disheveled yukata, but he stops her. He whispers in her ear that he likes it
that way, and it’s just them now. Rion picks up the MC and takes her to the
futon in the back of the room. Instead of two futons, there is only one. Her
face flushes, and she can’t get any words out. He wraps her cheeks with both
hands and tells her that she’ll melt from that kind of heat. He asks at first
if it is because of the hot spring, but then he blushes, wondering if it’s
maybe his fault. He looks at her seriously, and she nods in response. They
begin kissing deeply again, and their heart beats accelerate. Their yukatas come
open, and they can feel the warmth of each other’s skin. Rion whispers that it
is a little scary for him. The MC has so much affection that she wants to
convey, but it comes out as tears. He is worried that she has started crying,
and she apologizes since she knows that he thinks tears are ugly. Rion wipes
away her tears and tells her that he lied about that. She is always beautiful
to him. He kisses her gently over her eyelids and lips and then to her neck,
clavicle, and chest. He tells her that he loves her. He touches the curves of
her body with his warm hands, flushing her skin in each spot. He stops at the
top of her obi. The story ends here with, “Under the starry sky, I leave everything
to Rion, and I gently close my eyes…”
My
commentary:
This story goes from “Aw, he’s
like a big kid!” to “Nope, nope – definitely a man!” really quickly. His
sense of wonder is at its peak as they are on the train. I thought it was also
really adorable when he was pouting as she tried to dry his hair. And then
smexy times!!!
Songs to
listen to while reading this chapter:
“On the
Wing” by Owl City
“Slide” by
Goo Goo Dolls
“Rhythm of
Love” by Plain White T’s
“Love Me
Like You Do” by Ellie Goulding
“Night Drive”
by Jimmy Eat World
“Uncanny” by
Anberlin
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