Same Day
Hanabi Island was far too big to explore in a single day. That realization didn't stop Kagura from trying.
The moment breakfast ended, she practically kidnapped Shinatsu and dragged her into the city before anyone else could volunteer themselves for the expedition. Now they found themselves wandering through a lively shopping district packed with tourists, colorful storefronts, and enough attractions to keep Kagura occupied for the next ten years. Which was exactly why Shinatsu knew she wasn't going to see the hotel again for quite some time.
Kagura suddenly stopped. Shinatsu almost walked into her.
Kagura pointed dramatically: "Shinatsu."
Shinatsu: "What."
Kagura: "I'm about to become immortalized."
Shinatsu followed her finger. A street artist sat beneath a large umbrella with several completed portraits displayed beside him.
Shinatsu: "His paintings aren't too bad.
Kagura: "They're amazing! Let's get our portraits drawn."
Shinatsu: "Our? No, I'm oka—"
Before Shinatsu could finish, Kagura had already grabbed her arm and sprinted over.
30 minutes later, the artist was almost to the point of kicking them out. Kagura had changed poses eleven times. At one point she attempted a heroic pose. Then a mysterious pose. Then a cool pose. Then she decided to sit backwards on the chair. Then she made finger guns. Then she somehow ended up laying across the chair on top of Shinatsu's lap.
Both the artist's and Shinatsu's eye twitched.
Artist: "Please."
Kagura: "Art cannot be restrained."
Artist: "I beg of you, just stop changing poses."
Kagura: "A true master adapts."
The artist looked seconds away from retirement.
Somehow…
Somehow…
The finished portrait was incredible.
Kagura stared at it.
Then stared at the artist.
Then back at the portrait.
Kagura: "You're a genius. Your artwork managed to completely capture both of us perfectly!"
Artist: "$150 please."
Kagura proudly held the portrait above her head: "This is going on a wall."
Shinatsu: "Can we even take this giant portrait on the plane?"
Kagura: "I don't know yet."
Shinatsu sighs.
They paid the artist whose soul was drained and continued onward.
A little while later they rented bicycles and found themselves riding along a trail that followed the coastline. The ocean stretched endlessly beside them. Waves rolled against the shore below. The sky was bright and clear. Hanabi Island had the kind of weather that made it impossible to stay indoors. Kagura rode ahead for a few seconds before looking back at Shinatsu and lifting the front wheel up, doing a wheelie.
Shinatsu: "You're going to crash."
Kagura: "Have a little faith."
Three seconds later Kagura almost crashed.
Kagura quickly corrected herself: "I survived."
Shinatsu: "Barely."
Kagura laughed.
The ride continued.
The conversation came and went naturally.
Nothing important.
Nothing profound.
Just little observations.
People watching.
Discussing food stalls.
Making fun of Diego.
The usual.
At some point Kagura realized something.
Normally she talked.
And talked.
And talked.
Until other people finally joined the conversation.
But today she didn't have to.
Shinatsu was talking more than she used to.
Not dramatically, but more than usual.
It made Kagura smile.
Shinatsu noticed: "What?"
Kagura: "Nothing."
Shinatsu narrowed her eyes.
Kagura smiled wider.
After nearly an hour of riding, they stopped at a small convenience stand near the beach. The two sat beneath a shaded area with bottled water and snacks. Kagura unfolded a tourist map she had grabbed earlier.
Kagura gasped: "SHINATSU."
Shinatsu: "Something catch your eye?"
Kagura: "An aquarium!"
Shinatsu looked. There was indeed an aquarium nearby.
Kagura was already standing: "We're going."
Shinatsu smiled softly: "Was that ever a question?"
They arrived and the aquarium was much bigger than they expected. The moment they entered, they were greeted by massive tanks filled with fish moving in enormous schools. Hundreds of shimmering bodies moved together like a single living organism.
Kagura immediately pressed herself against the glass: "Look at them."
Shinatsu: "Don't scare them."
They continued deeper inside. Every section brought something new. Bright tropical fish. Massive stingrays. Tiny sea horses. Creatures neither of them knew the names of. At one tank, a jellyfish drifted lazily through glowing blue light.
Shinatsu stared: "That's you."
Kagura: "Haha. You think I'm a jellyfish? Why's that?"
Shinatsu: "No thoughts. Just vibes."
Kagura made a small chop motion with her hand: "Hey!"
The sea otters ended up becoming a surprisingly strong contender for favorite exhibit. One floated on its back while casually spinning in circles. Another appeared to be asleep. A third looked directly at Kagura. Then immediately looked away.
Kagura: "I think he judged me."
Shinatsu: "He probably did."
Kagura: "What did I do?"
Shinatsu: "What didn't you do?"
Kagura nodded thoughtfully: "Fair."
They moved on. Neither of them realized the most dangerous exhibit was still ahead.
The penguins.
The moment they rounded the corner, something happened. Something Kagura would treasure forever.
Shinatsu stopped walking.
Completely.
Kagura looked over.
Then froze.
Because Shinatsu had made a face Kagura had never seen before.
Her eyes softened like a child's. The usual sharpness disappeared entirely. Her expression brightened enough to make Kagura question reality itself.
Shinatsu: "Penguins…"
It was adorable.
Dangerously adorable.
Shinatsu: "They're smaller than I thought."
Kagura was still processing.
Shinatsu: "Look at that one."
Kagura wasn't looking at the penguin.
She was looking at Shinatsu.
Her mouth hung wide open and her eyes sparkled. Like she had just discovered buried treasure.
Finally Shinatsu noticed and immediately realized what had happened. Her face got flushed with red.
Kagura: "So you like penguins, Shinatsu."
Shinatsu immediately turned away. She knew Kagura would absolutely never let this go. There was nothing she could do but double down on it:
Shinatsu crossed her arms: "Yeah, who doesn't like penguins? It'd be weird if someone didn't."
Kagura: "You can't play this off. Wait, Shinatsu! A penguin's looking at you!"
Shinatsu: "What?!"
Shinatsu quickly turned back around to confirm. As soon as she did, Kagura took her phone out of her pocket and took a picture in a split second, saving Shinatsu's adorable expression forever. For the next ten minutes, Shinatsu seriously considered throwing Kagura into one of the tanks.
Eventually, they moved on to the final exhibit.
The dolphins.
Several of them swam through a massive tank that stretched from floor to ceiling, their sleek bodies gliding effortlessly through the water. Children gathered near the glass, pointing excitedly as the dolphins passed by.
Kagura: "These guys are smart."
Shinatsu: "That's what people say."
Kagura pressed her hands against the glass.
One dolphin swam past.
Then another.
Then another.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Until one of them stopped.
The dolphin turned.
Then slowly swam back.
Past the children.
Past everyone else.
Straight toward Shinatsu.
It stopped directly in front of her and stared.
The dolphin was for some reason glaring at Shinatsu.
Shinatsu stared back.
The dolphin didn't move.
Neither did Shinatsu.
A strange tension filled the air.
Kagura looked between them.
Then immediately lost it.
Kagura: "Hahahaha. Why does he look like a yakuza member?"
The dolphin continued staring.
Its eyes narrowed.
Or maybe Kagura imagined it.
Either way, it wasn't helping.
Shinatsu's expression flattened.
The dolphin's expression somehow flattened harder.
The two continued their silent duel.
Kagura grabbed Shinatsu's arm and leaned against her shoulder, laughing so hard she nearly lost her balance: "He's looking at you like you owe him money."
The dolphin didn't blink.
Shinatsu didn't blink.
Kagura wiped a tear from her eye and looked up at Shinatsu.
The smile on her face slowly disappeared.
Because Shinatsu hadn't reacted at all.
Not even slightly.
Her face remained perfectly serious.
Completely invested in the confrontation.
Kagura slowly turned back toward the dolphin and face twisted into a glare, looking it up and down: "Wanna go, huh?!"
The dolphin finally broke.
It turned.
Swam away.
Then looked back one last time.
Slowly.
Judgmentally.
Like it was making a mental note of both of them.
Then it disappeared into the water.
Kagura: "What was that dude's problem?"
Shinatsu: "No clue."
***
Neither of them were in a hurry to return to the hotel. The day was too nice. The island too beautiful. There was still too much left unexplored. So they walked. They followed roads they hadn't seen before. Passed little cafes tucked away between buildings. Wandered through side streets lined with flowers. Crossed small bridges overlooking streams so clear they could see fish swimming beneath the surface.
They weren't looking for anything. And because of that, they found everything. The afternoon slowly melted toward the evening.
Then they found something. Or perhaps it found them. A path led away from the main road, winding gently upward toward a hill. Curious, they followed it. The trail wasn't long. And when they reached the top—
Both stopped.
The entire hillside stretched before them.
A field of flowers.
Countless blossoms swayed gently beneath the evening breeze, painting the hillside in shades of gold, white, violet, and pink. Beyond them, the ocean glittered beneath the setting sun, the horizon glowing orange as daylight slowly surrendered to dusk.
Neither spoke.
The view demanded silence.
For a while, they simply stood there.
Watching.
Listening.
Breathing.
The wind moved through the flowers like waves moving across the sea.
Kagura smiled: "I'm really glad we came here."
Shinatsu: "Me too."
The two found a spot overlooking the hill and sat down. The flowers swayed around them. The ocean stretched endlessly beyond. The world felt far away, but peaceful.
Kagura: "Think anybody else found this spot?"
Shinatsu: "Definitely not."
Kagura grinned: "Good."
Shinatsu glanced over.
Kagura stretched her legs out: "Then it's ours."
Shinatsu: "You don't want to tell them? I'm surprised."
Kagura: "Do you think that's mean of me?"
Shinatsu: "No. I don't mind one bit."
A comfortable silence followed.
Then—
Shinatsu spoke: "Hey."
Kagura: "What's up?"
Shinatsu: "….When I got expelled from the Academy… I thought that was it."
The breeze rustled through the flowers.
Shinatsu: "I didn't know what I was supposed to do after that." A small smile appeared on her face. "I thought I'd lost the only place I belonged. But now…" She paused. Searching for the right words. "I ended up somewhere better."
Kagura stared at her.
For a second, Shinatsu almost looked embarrassed by what she'd said.
But she didn't take it back.
Because it was true.
Shinatsu looked toward the horizon: "Odd Jobs is strange."
Kagura laughed: "That's putting it lightly."
Shinatsu: "Everyone's weird."
Kagura: "True."
Shinatsu: "But somehow we all mesh together. I don't know how."
Kagura: "Neither do I."
Shinatsu: "But I'm glad. I'm glad I found a place to call home. I'm grateful, that life led me to these assholes."
The words lingered between them.
Kagura looked away toward the ocean: "I'm glad too."
The two sat quietly after that watching the sunset. Watching the flowers sway. Neither feeling the need to fill the silence. The sky gradually darkened. The first stars began appearing overhead. And somewhere along the way, Shinatsu realized something. Not every path needed to lead somewhere important. Not every destination had to be planned.
Sometimes…
The detours were enough. Sometimes they were the best part. And as the wind rolled through the field of flowers and Kagura sat beside her, Shinatsu found herself smiling.
She had lost a future once.
But now, she had found a new home instead.