Page 72 of Kotori
"Yakisoba, please," Kohana says quietly.
Mizuki shrugs, trying to look bored despite the festival excitement. "Whatever."
"And you, kotori?" Kaito asks, his voice dropping lower when he addresses me. "What would satisfy your hunger?"
The double entendre makes my cheeks burn. "I'm not very hungry."
"Liar," he says again, so softly only I can hear. "You're starving. I can feel it. You've been starving since I left you bound and wanting last night."
Before I can formulate a response, Aya grabs my hand. "Paige-sensei! Look at the goldfish scooping! Can we try? Please?"
Grateful for the distraction, I allow her to pull me toward the stall where dozens of goldfish swim in shallow pools, paper scoops waiting to be destroyed by eager children.
"Show me how it's done," I say, crouching beside her as she pays the vendor.
For a while, I lose myself in the simple joy of festival games and delicious food with the girls. The physical activities help distract me from the bone-deep exhaustion of a sleepless night spent in rope bondage, though my movements are slower than usual, my reflexes dulled by fatigue. More than once I catch myself absently rubbing at my wrists where the rope marks are still visible if you know where to look.
Aya fails spectacularly at goldfish scooping but laughs the entire time. Kohana proves surprisingly skilled at ring toss, winning a small stuffed tanuki she immediately offers to her younger sister. Even Mizuki unbends enough to try her hand at target shooting, her competitive nature revealing itself as she determinedly hits target after target.
Through it all, I feel Kaito's eyes on me. Not hovering, not interrupting, just watching with that intensity that makes me feel simultaneously exposed and protected. When our gazes occasionally meet over his daughters' heads, the heat in his dark eyes makes my breath catch—a silent reminder of the state he left me in, and a promise of what's to come.
We're deep into the festival, surrounded by crowds and lantern light, when the fireworks are announced. Families begin moving toward the viewing area, a grassy slope at the edge of the festival grounds.
"We have a private viewing area," Kaito says, his hand returning to my back as he guides us away from the main crowd. "More comfortable."
Of course he does. Of course the powerful oyabun wouldn't watch fireworks with the common people.
His security team materializes as we walk, discreetly clearing a path through the festival-goers. No one challenges them—one look at the men in dark suits, at Kaito's unmistakable aura of authority, and people simply step aside.
The private viewing area turns out to be a pavilion set on a small hill, offering an unobstructed view of the night sky while remaining separate from the main crowd. Cushions and low tables have been arranged, with a selection of drinks and desserts already waiting.
"Sugoi!"Amazing!Aya exclaims, immediately claiming a cushion at the front. "We can see everything from here!"
Kohana settles beside her sister, while Mizuki chooses a spot slightly apart, her expression thoughtful as she surveys the festival below.
Kaito guides me to a cushion, then settles beside me—close enough that our shoulders brush.
"Do you like festivals, Paige-san?" he asks, his voice perfectly proper now that we're within earshot of his daughters.
"I've never experienced anything like this before," I admit. "It's beautiful."
"Tanabata celebrates star-crossed lovers," he says, accepting a cup of sake from an attendant who seems to materialize from nowhere. "Separated by the heavens, allowed to meet only once a year when the stars align."
"I know the story," I say. "The weaver princess and the cowherd, punished for neglecting their duties because they were too consumed with each other."
"Ah, but you miss the most important part." His eyes hold mine over the rim of his cup. "Despite everything keeping them apart, despite the punishment, despite the cosmos itself—they never stopped wanting each other. Never stopped finding ways to meet, even if only for one night a year."
The weight of his words settles between us, heavy with meaning. Three weeks apart, and here we are again, the pull between us unchanged, undiminished—only intensified by last night's torment.
"Some separations are necessary," I say quietly.
His smile is slow, predatory. "And yet, kotori, some boundaries exist only to make the crossing more satisfying. As you learned last night, bound in my rope until dawn."
The first firework explodes overhead washing away his words before I can respond, a burst of gold and red that draws gasps from his daughters. More follow in quick succession, painting the night sky with ephemeral fire while traditional music plays somewhere in the distance.
As everyone's attention fixes on the display above, Kaito's hand finds my thigh, warm and heavy through the yukata. Not moving, not demanding—just claiming territory with quiet certainty.
"I've missed this," he murmurs, his words nearly lost beneath the fireworks. "Missed touching what's mine. I enjoyed watching you through the night, you know. The cameras in your room captured every moment of your struggle against the rope."
