Summer

BEFORE

Petals fall from the sky as the train doors open, letting me onto the platform. The summer heat hits me like a wall. I spin around, taking in all the foreign signs. I'm supposed to meet Daniel back at the hotel, but I seem to have gotten lost along the way again. We're on the annual school trip to Japan. It's our last day in Tokyo before we head to our next stop. I woke up early this morning to film some shots of the city for my senior project. Jasmine mentioned this café by the river I needed to see before I left. I must have taken the wrong train on my way back. I pull out my phone again, trying to make sense of where I am.

There's a new message from Daniel.

where did you go?

I send him a quick response.

sorry. ran out to grab some

shots. be back soon!

Daniel has a surprise planned for us later today. We're supposed to take a ferry across the water to a place he hasn't told me about yet. But it leaves in a few hours and I still need to get back to the hotel and change. It's been almost a year since our kiss on the rooftop. I thought our friendship would have blossomed into something new. At least, I wanted it to. But we haven't really acknowledged it since the night it happened. I was hoping this trip would bring us closer. There's something romantic about exploring a new city together.

I wipe sweat from my brow and make my way out of the station. The streets are crowded with people. I keep glancing at my phone, confused by the map. None of the buildings look familiar. As I turn my head, someone from the crowd makes me go still. He's taller than everyone else, with waves of black hair falling past his ears. His shoulders are broad, framed nicely in a billowy blue-striped shirt. I take in the rest of this stranger as he comes toward me. For a moment, I forget I'm lost.

The light must have turned green because the crowd starts moving again. I snap back to myself as my phone vibrates in my hand, telling me to cross the street. Another text message from Daniel pops up, asking me where I am.

Maybe it's the glare from the sun that blocks my vision. Or the fact that I'm distracted by the notifications on my phone. Because I don't see the delivery bike coming. It's one of those moments that happens in slow motion. A bell rings as I step off the sidewalk, oblivious to the incoming crash… when someone appears from the side, grabbing the handle bar. He must have squeezed the brakes, because the bike halts abruptly as the driver flips forward, flying out of his seat—but the stranger catches him by the back of his hoodie, helping him land on his feet.

It takes my brain a second to process the scene. Then relief floods through me as I look around, blinking wildly. The bicycle bell still rings in my ear as his face comes into focus. The guy in the blue-striped shirt stares back at me. The one I noticed a moment ago, standing half a head taller than me, waves of black hair blowing in the breeze of traffic. He says something to the driver, gesturing my way.

The driver nods at me and says, "Gomen'nasai." I practiced enough Japanese last semester to make out the word sorry. Then he grabs his bicycle and rides off again. Before I can breathe out a thank you for saving me, the guy in blue stripes turns to me and says something else I don't understand.

"What was that?" I ask.

"You should watch out for bicycles," he says.

I let out a breath, nodding graciously. "Yeah, right. I mean, thank you . Sorry, I just got lost and wasn't paying attention to—"

"Where are you going?"

"Oh—" I pull up the address on my phone. "Just back to my hotel. It should be around here somewhere."

"Want me to take a look?" He holds out a hand.

"Okay," I say, handing him my phone.

He glances at the screen. "The Asakusa Hotel in Taitō?"

"Yeah, that's it."

"You really are lost," he says, handing me back my phone. "That's in the other direction."

"Wait, seriously?"

He nods. "Taitō is east from here. You're in Asagaya."

" Asagaya? I don't even know where that is!" I stare at the map again, wondering how I ended up here.

"Sounds like you took the wrong train."

"How do I get back now?"

"I can take you there," he says.

I look up. "Really?"

He smiles. "I'm actually heading the same way."

"What a coincidence," I say, adjusting the bag over my shoulder. "I would really appreciate that."

"I have a few stops to make first," he adds. "It shouldn't take long, though. You can come with me if you'd like."

"Oh—"

"Unless you have somewhere important to be."

I take him in again. His shirt hangs loosely from his shoulders, sunlight partially seeping through it. I know Daniel is waiting for me at the hotel. But I don't want to go off on my own and get lost again. "No, I have time," I decide.

"Then let's get going."

He turns around, sliding his hands into his pockets. Then he walks off without another word. I hesitate on the sidewalk for a moment. Then I put my phone away and follow him through the crowd. As we cross the street, he glances over his shoulder and says, "I'm Haru, by the way."

"I'm Eric."

"Where are you from?"

"Chicago."

"How long have you been visiting Tokyo?"

"About two weeks."

"Welcome," he says.

We walk another block before Haru turns the corner, leading us into a shopping street. Lanterns hang from canopies of mom-and-pop storefronts. Looks like a festival is taking place. Paper stars have been tied to electrical poles, stirring in the air like parade floats. I take in all the decorations and say, "Is today a holiday?"

"It's the Star Festival."

"What's that?"

Haru glances to the right, where a man is sitting on a wooden stool, painting in the middle of the street. He gestures at him and whispers, "See what he's painting there?" A man and woman in long robes are floating in a starry sky, their hands outstretched toward each other, the moon glowing behind them. "That's Princess Orihime and her husband, Hikoboshi. The two were forbidden to see each other, separated by the stars. Orihime was so heartbroken that her father, god of the heavens, allowed them to meet once every year. It happens on the seventh day of the seventh month. So the festival celebrates their reunion."

"Why were they separated?"

"The two spent so much time together, they forgot their duties to the world. So the gods forced them apart," he explains. "But it's only a story."

I stare at the painting. "Well, I'm glad they get to meet again."

Haru smiles at me as we keep walking. There's a line of carnival-style games, children crowding around them. I glance over their shoulders, wondering what they're playing. Colorful plastic balls swirl inside a barrel of water.

"It's harder than it looks," Haru says, noticing me watching. "The nets are made of paper. You have to catch the balls before it rips."

"Looks like fun."

There's a spinning wheel on the other table. The woman behind it waves us over, speaking in Japanese. "She's giving us a free spin," Haru says to me. "Go for it."

"Why me?"

"It's your first festival. And I have a feeling you're lucky."

I raise a brow. "You're sure about that?"

"One way to find out."

I lean forward, spinning the wheel. The colors swirl together before landing on red. The woman behind the table frowns, letting me know I didn't win. Haru steps forward, handing her some coins from his pocket.

"Try it again," he says encouragingly.

I give the wheel another spin. The colors swirl before it lands on red again. I let out a breath of disappointment. Haru digs into his other pocket and says, "Now that one didn't count." I start to protest, but he hands the woman more change, insisting I give it another go. So I spin the wheel again. This time it lands on yellow.

I glance at Haru. "What does yellow mean?"

"You get to spin again."

I guess that's better than losing. I spin the wheel one more time. The colors swirl before it finally lands on white. The woman claps her hands, then gestures to the basket of prizes on the table.

"I knew you were lucky," Haru says with a wink.

I shake my head, holding back a laugh as we look through the prizes together. It's mostly key chains, erasers, random toy figurines. I find some bracelets with wooden beads braided through them. "These are pretty nice," I say.

"She says we can each have one," Haru says, turning to me. "You can pick yours first."

"Okay."

I decide on the blue bracelet and Haru takes the red one. Then he turns to me and says, "Now let's trade them."

I give him a look. "Why?"

"This way, we'll have each other's," he says, holding his out for me. "And I think red looks better on you."

I smile at this. "Alright."

I hold out my wrist, letting him tie the bracelet around me. Then I tie mine around him, too. It's like this little secret between us. I keep looking at it as we continue our walk together. The streets are lined with food vendors, filling the air with smoke from hot grills. There's so many things I haven't tried before. A woman passes us, holding a stick of round dumplings covered in dark glaze. Haru notices me looking again. "It's called dango," he says. "Have you tried it before?"

"No. Is it sweet?"

"Wait right here…"

Haru walks off to the food stands. A moment later, he returns with the skewer of dango. He hands it to me and says, "It's a very popular dessert. I think you'll like it."

"Oh, thanks."

I take a bite of the dango. The texture is chewy like mochi, complemented by a saltiness from the glaze, making it not too sweet. "That's really good," I tell him.

Haru smiles. "Anything else you want to try?"

"Oh, um." I take a look around again. Another woman walks past us, holding a rolled crepe in her hand. When I turn to Haru, he's already off to the food stands. I follow him, offering to pay this time. There are a dozen toppings to choose from. We both get matcha ice cream and fresh strawberries. As we're eating in the partial shade of a yellowed canopy, I hear music. A procession of men in gray robes appears from the corner, playing bamboo flutes. Haru and I watch them make their way through the crowd, enjoying the performance.

We finish our crepes and continue on. Some of the boutiques have their doors open, displaying their things out on the street. We walk through them together, smelling candles, looking at some of the clothes. There are robes I've seen people wearing throughout my trip. I run my fingers over one of them. The fabric is almost paper thin, crinkling to the touch. The sleeves billow like the top of a kimono.

"You should try it on," Haru suggests.

I shake my head. "No, that's okay."

"It's called a jinbei," he says, picking it up from the table. "We wear them at summer festivals. So it's very appropriate for today."

"I won't look like a tourist?"

"Not if you're with me."

I smile a little. "Alright, if you think I should."

Haru and I look through the different colors. I decide on the light gray with ocean wave patterns, two red lines running down the shoulders. "The red goes with your bracelet," Haru says, helping me tie on the jinbei.

"You mean, your bracelet, right?" I correct him, remembering we switched them earlier.

Haru grins. "Right."

I pay the woman inside and wear it out of the shop. Even though it's humid, the jinbei feels nice against my skin. As we continue down the street, I notice Haru hasn't bought a single thing yet. I'm about to ask where he's leading us when he finally stops outside a stationery store.

Haru turns to me. "Wait out here. I'll only be a minute."

"Yeah, sure."

I watch him disappear inside. Then I glance around the street. Giant paper ornaments hang in the air, streamers fluttering beneath them like the tails of shooting stars. I would have never known this place existed if I hadn't followed Haru. Then I remember my camera. I'm supposed to be filming shots for my senior project coming up. I grab it from my bag, turning it on to record some of the shops, the festival decorations, the sound of flutes in the distance.

A moment later, Haru comes outside. He holds a small paper bag in his right hand. I put my camera away and wipe my brow.

"You're sweating," he says, noticing.

"I think it's the jinbei," I sigh, feeling the hot sun on my neck. "I could really go for a drink right now."

Haru nods. "I know just the place."

There's a used bookstore down the street. Haru leads me inside, where a man is sleeping behind the counter. At first, I think he's here to pick something up. But he heads to the back of the room and opens a curtain, revealing a narrow staircase. We make our way up to the second floor, where another curtain opens to a hidden café. A cool blast of AC hits my face as I look around. Low wooden tables are separated by shoji screens. I take in the smell of incense as I follow Haru to an empty table. There are no chairs in the room. We sit crisscrossed together on the woven mats as a woman comes to take our order.

The moment she walks off, I take in the rest of the room. "What's the name of this place?"

"It doesn't have one."

"Why is that?"

Haru leans into me. "To keep away the tourists."

"That makes sense," I say, nodding. "Thankfully I'm with you, right?"

We smile at each other. A moment later, the woman appears with a pot of tea. Haru gently removes the lid. The pot is filled with loose leaves, sprinkled over ice. "This is koridashi," he says. "It's brewed with ice instead of hot water. We drink it during the summer."

Haru pours me a cup first. The tea is sweet and refreshing, cooling me down instantly. A scroll hangs on the back wall beside a vase of flowers. Haru leans back and sips his tea. His paper bag sits on the floor between us. I'm curious about what he bought. So I finally ask, "What did you get?"

Haru blinks at the bag as if he forgot it was there. He pushes it toward me and says, "Feel free to take a look."

I open the bag and find a single piece of paper inside a plastic sleeve. It's about the size of my palm. There's nothing else in here. "Is this all you got? A piece of paper?"

Haru nods.

"Just one?"

"I only needed one."

I turn it over in my hand. "Is there something special about it?"

"It's washi," he says, leaning forward. "See the fibers inside? That's how you know it's handmade. The process gets passed down from generations. This one was made in the mountains in Echizen." He takes a sip of tea. "My family owns a paper store in Osaka. I work there every summer, with my mom. She said it's important, helping stores like ours. So I always make sure to buy something, even if it's just a piece of paper."

I run my fingers over it, noticing the texture. "You're right, it does feel different. You make your own paper?"

"Not as much these days," he admits. "I mostly help around the store. But my dad taught me some other tricks. I'll show you." He takes the piece of paper from my hands. I watch curiously as he folds it intricately. Then he slides it back to me. It's an origami star. Just like the ones hanging outside.

I pick it up from the table. "In honor of the Star Festival?"

"Or of us meeting."

I look at him. "It is funny how we just met, right? And now we're here, drinking tea together."

"Hopefully it isn't the last time," he says.

We smile at each other again. Haru runs a hand through his long hair. I take another sip of tea, ignoring the flutter in my stomach. The woman returns to refill our pot and walks off again. Haru pours me another cup and asks, "So how do you like Tokyo so far?"

"It's been a lot of fun," I tell him. "I'm actually here on a school trip. But I snuck away this morning to do some filming on my own."

"What are you working on?"

"I don't really know yet," I say with a shrug. "It's for my senior project next year. I'm still learning to edit things, you know? But I got some shots of the Sumida River. Mostly through the train window, which I think gives it a cool aesthetic. There was this other place I wanted to go, but I didn't realize how far away it was."

"Where?"

I take out my phone to show him. "The Shikisai Hills. My sister told me about them. She was here last summer for the same trip, and said the flowers reminded her of one of our favorite movies."

Haru glances at the screen. " Howl's Moving Castle, " Haru says almost instantly. "When he shows her the garden."

"Yeah, that's the scene."

Haru nods knowingly. "I actually haven't been before. It's supposed to be beautiful in the summer." He smiles at me. "We should go together."

For a second, I imagine us walking through the field of flowers and almost say yes. But I can't bail on my plans with Daniel tonight. I let out a breath. "I really wish I could. But my friend is waiting for me back at the hotel." I glance at my phone, realizing how much time has passed. "I should probably get going soon."

"When are you leaving?"

"My flight is tomorrow."

His eyes widen. " Tomorrow? "

"I know," I say. "I wish I had a few more days here."

"What are you doing tonight?"

"I have plans with my friend," I say. "The one who's waiting for me. We'll probably meet up with the rest of the group, too. Since it's our last night together."

A silence passes between us. Then Haru nods and says, "That's too bad. I would have loved to show you around. But I'm glad we at least got to meet."

"I'm glad we did, too," I say. "I should try to get lost more often."

Haru leans back and smiles. If only we had met each other sooner. I wish I could stay with him longer, explore the rest of the festival together. It's funny how some people walk into your life. A few hours ago, we didn't even know each other. Maybe we're meant to take the wrong train sometimes.

We finish our tea and head outside. As we step into the street, Haru turns to me and says, "If you have time, there's one more thing I want to show you. It shouldn't take too long."

"You said that a couple hours ago," I remind him.

Haru grins. "I thought you were having fun."

"Yeah, but I really do need to get back."

"The Chūō line comes every ten minutes," he says. "I promise we'll make it back in time."

I think about Daniel again. He's probably wondering where I am. But I'm sure he can wait a few more minutes. "Alright, if you promise."

Haru smiles as he motions me to follow him. We turn down the side street, moving through the narrow space between the shops. Normally I wouldn't follow a stranger like this, especially through unfamiliar alleyways. But it feels like we've known each other longer, maybe in another life or something. I can't really explain it.

Haru leads us across the road and through the trees. There's a stone path lined with red lanterns that look like tiny houses. I keep looking around, wondering where he's taking us. Then the gates of the temple come into view. All the trees have been decorated with colorful slips of paper, hundreds of them, tied up with white strings.

There's a wooden table at the end of the path. Haru walks over and picks up a slip of paper. "This is a tanzaku," he says, placing it in my hand. "During the Star Festival, we write wishes on them and hang them in the trees. I thought you should make one before you leave."

"What are we supposed to wish for?"

"Anything you'd like," he says.

Haru grabs a slip for himself. Then he leans over and starts writing. I stare at the piece of paper, thinking of what I want. It takes a moment for something to come to me. I grab a pencil from the table and write it down. Haru drops some coins into a wooden box, then steps toward the line of trees. I watch as he ties his wish to one of the branches. Then he turns to me, waiting for me to do mine.

As I stare at the trees, a breeze comes through, blowing white petals across my path. I turn toward them, wondering where they're coming from. On the other side of the gate is a wall of white flowers, covering the stones like a curtain. A few wishes have been tied to them as well.

"It's jasmine," Haru says from behind me.

I glance at him and back at the flowers. "Yeah, that's my sister's name," I say. "They're her favorite." I find a spot on the wall and tie my wish tightly to a vine. A few petals fall to my feet. Then I turn around.

"That's a good spot," Haru says.

"I think so, too."

We look at each other again. I notice he's holding something.

"What's in your hand?" I ask.

"Nothing." Haru shakes his head, slipping it into his back pocket.

I give him a suspicious look. Then my phone vibrates in my pocket. There's a few new messages from Daniel.

where are you??

You're supposed to be back by now

we're going to miss the ferry

I glance at the time again. Then I turn to Haru, letting him know I have to go. Haru nods and takes out his phone. As he's checking the train schedule, his brows furrow. "That's unusual," he says. "Looks like there's a problem with the Chūō line. The last train it's showing comes in six minutes."

"How often does that happen?"

"Around here? Never."

For a second, I think the universe is interfering. Maybe I'm meant to spend more time with Haru so we can get to know each other better. But the memory of my kiss with Daniel rises to the surface and I feel a knot of guilt. I can't keep him waiting for me longer. "My friend is gonna kill me," I say.

Haru puts his phone away. "You can still make it."

"How am I gonna—"

My voice cuts off as Haru grabs my hand, pulling me down the path. I nearly stumble as we make our way back to the streets, cutting through the crowds. " Watch out for bicycles, " he reminds me as we race to the train station, pausing only at the turnstile. My hands fumble around my pockets, searching for my wallet. But Haru swipes me in with his card before following me through.

It's a blur of heads and shoulders, but we make it just in time. The train is still waiting at the platform. We cut through the crowd, rushing toward it. The moment I make it through the doors, I sense something is wrong. Haru doesn't come in with me. He's just standing there on the platform, unmoving.

" Hurry up, " I call after him.

"I'm not taking this train."

I give him a look. "You said you're heading the same way."

"I lied," he says.

"What are you talking about?"

"I wanted to get to know you. So I made it up."

I stare at him, unsure what to say. Then the doors start to close. Haru throws out a hand, forcing them back open.

" Don't leave, " he says.

"What?"

"You should stay," he says, holding the doors open. "It's your last night. I'll show you around Tokyo. I can take you to the field of flowers." The other passengers are staring, wondering what's going on.

I hesitate for a second. Part of me wants to step off the train. I haven't had this much fun the entire trip. Then my phone goes off again, showing Daniel's name on the screen. I can't keep him waiting on me. Especially since this could be the night things change between us.

" Stay, " Haru insists.

I glance at the phone and back at him. My heart pounds in my chest as I consider this. I can't shake the feeling that we are connected somehow. But I let out a breath and say, "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

A bell chimes from the ceiling, followed immediately by a voice, echoing through the platform. Haru reaches into his back pocket, pulling out a piece of paper. The washi he bought from the store earlier.

"I was waiting to give this to you," he says quickly. "My phone number to stay in touch."

The bell chimes again, followed by the voice. As I reach for the paper, another train roars in from behind us, blowing wind up from the tracks. The paper flies out of my fingers. Haru spins around, grabbing it from the air. But before he turns back, the doors shut between us.

My heart drops. I press my hands against the glass, trying to open them back up. But it's too late. The train begins to move. I stare through the window, realizing we'll never see each other again. Haru slowly disappears from view. All I have left is a red bracelet and the memory of him.

The train vanishes through the tunnel.

Haru is gone.

I wish I had stepped off the train. Or that the paper never slipped from my hand. How will we ever find each other again?