The Fading Moon Chapter 5: The Festival Lights

Read chapter 5 of The Fading Moon by MananTayal on NovelPedia.

Summer arrived in Tokyo. The air grew warmer. The days became longer. And before Mike realized it, nearly a month had passed since he first met Jessika beneath the moonlit rain. A month. The thought felt strange. At first, he had expected her to disappear within days. Instead, she had somehow become a permanent part of his routine. Every morning, he wondered if he would see her. Every evening, he found himself looking around crowded streets for a familiar smile. It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous. And yet it kept happening. Mike hated admitting it. But his days had become brighter because of her. Much brighter. One Friday evening, Mike was finishing work when his phone vibrated. A message. Which was unusual. Almost nobody texted him. When he looked at the screen, he immediately regretted opening it. Jessika. Jessika: Come tomorrow. Mike frowned. Mike: Where? Three dots appeared instantly. Jessika: Summer Festival. Mike: No. Jessika: Yes. Mike: No. Jessika: I've already decided. Mike sighed. Mike: That's not how invitations work. Jessika: It is for me. A few seconds later another message arrived. Jessika: Please? Mike stared at the screen. That one word changed everything. Normally she joked. Teased. Demanded. But rarely asked sincerely. For some reason, seeing "Please" made it difficult to refuse. Mike hated that. Five minutes later he replied. Mike: Fine. The response came immediately. Jessika: Knew you'd say yes. Mike stared at the message. A trap. It had been a trap from the beginning. The next evening arrived quickly. Tokyo was alive with excitement. Colorful lanterns decorated the streets. Food stalls lined festival pathways. Families, couples, and friends filled every corner. Laughter echoed through the warm night air. Mike stood near the festival entrance feeling completely out of place. He hadn't attended a festival in years. Maybe six. Maybe seven. He wasn't even sure anymore. "Mike!" He turned. And forgot what he was about to say. Jessika was running toward him. She wore a pale blue yukata decorated with white flowers. Her brown hair was tied back with a ribbon. For a brief moment, Mike simply stared. Because she looked beautiful. Far more beautiful than he expected. Far more beautiful than he wanted to admit. Jessika stopped in front of him. Then grinned. "What?" Mike immediately looked away. "Nothing." "You stared." "No." "You did." "No." "You absolutely did." Mike sighed. Jessika laughed. "You're terrible at lying." Unfortunately, she was correct. They entered the festival together. Bright lanterns illuminated the streets. Music played from nearby speakers. The scent of grilled food filled the air. Jessika looked like a child visiting an amusement park. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. Meanwhile, Mike looked like he had been dragged there against his will. At least on the outside. Inside was another story. Because seeing Jessika happy made him strangely happy too. A realization he was trying very hard to ignore. "Takoyaki!" Jessika suddenly announced. Before Mike could react, she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him toward a food stall. "Wait—" Too late. A few minutes later they were standing nearby with fresh takoyaki. Jessika took a bite. Immediately burned her tongue. "Agh!" Mike laughed. "You idiot." "It's hot!" "It's literally fresh off the grill." "Why didn't you warn me?" "I assumed common sense would help." Jessika glared at him. Mike continued laughing. Eventually, she started laughing too. The evening continued like that. Food stalls. Games. Conversations. Laughter. For the first time in years, Mike found himself enjoying a festival. Actually enjoying it. Not pretending. Not enduring it. Enjoying it. And every time he looked at Jessika, she was smiling. A real smile. The kind that reached her eyes. The kind that made the world seem brighter. Later that night, they arrived at a goldfish-catching stall. Jessika immediately became determined to win. Twenty minutes later, she had failed spectacularly. S