Then I noticed a water balloon in her hands. She awkwardly tossed it up, and every time she tried to catch it, it bounced off her palm and fell down with a slap. She was still trying to look serious, but each of her misses only added to her slight confusion. It was a pitiful sight... and at the same time impossibly charming. I wanted to hug her, comfort her, and maybe laugh a little. I wish I could say that this was my chance to show off my skills, but alas, my hands were full — and all that was left was to watch this helpless but delightful spectacle.

A strong gust of wind distracted me from the girl and made me look up. I instinctively covered my eyes — the sea breeze was throwing small grains of sand into my face. My hair was blown to the sides, and I tried to hide behind the mountain of food in my hands.

— Hey, hey, come here, — she called.

When the wind died down a little, I opened my eyes. Nothing special — overall. She had chosen the closest spot to the water, where the waves had not yet reached. But as soon as I stretched out my legs, I could feel the light, cool touch of the sea.

She quickly sat down on the sand and impatiently patted the spot next to her. I walked over slowly, trying not to drop the food, and sat down carefully next to her. She immediately grabbed the okonomiyaki and, narrowing her eyes, said warningly:

— Keep in mind, if it tastes like plastic again, you'll be eating it.

— Huh? Why not just throw it away?

— Huh? — She widened her eyes mockingly and poked me in the cheek with her finger. — How can you throw away something we spent money on?

— We didn't actually spend a penny on it.

— But, but, but! Imagination is a priceless resource, and it was spent on all this, by the way. Although... come to think of it, your imagination may not be that valuable. So maybe it's not such a pity, — she shrugged.

— Hey! What does that mean?

— Hehe.

What kind of “hehe” is that? I looked at her with a slight bitterness and sighed heavily. Perhaps now I was beginning to understand better how a fish thrown ashore feels. No matter how wide you open your mouth, you can't get full. Your lungs remain empty, no matter how much you breathe in and out.

I shuddered when something slimy touched my neck. Turning quickly to the girl, I saw her dissatisfied face. The thing that had just touched me turned out to be... okonomiyaki.

— Eat, — she said sternly. — You have a terrible memory for flavors, — she muttered resentfully.

I blinked a couple of times before taking the okonomiyaki from her. Looking down, I noticed her teeth marks on it and... swallowed my saliva.

— Why are you so tense? It's not that terrible. Rather... it's just nothing.

— Um, no, that's not it, — I mumbled.

— Then... — But as soon as she realized what I meant, she burst out laughing. Her laughter was so infectious and loud that tears welled up in her eyes. Not surprisingly, by this point my face was bright red.

— It's not funny at all, — I muttered again, trying to hide behind the okonomiyaki.

— Oh, you're right, you're right... It's so childishly charming that it's hilarious, — she said through her tears of laughter.

I sat silently, listening to her laughter, and felt my face getting warmer and warmer. Probably, if someone had looked at me from the side, they would have decided that I had a ripe tomato instead of a head.

When she finally calmed down and the wind dried the tears on her cheeks, she stretched forward like a satisfied cat.

— You made me laugh, of course. You know... a kiss is either there or it's not. Imagine how many people ride the train every day and hold onto the handrails. Do you really think I held hands with every one of them?

Hmph. Of course, I knew that. In school, my friends and I constantly drank water from the same bottle and never thought twice about it. For some reason, such thoughts only come when it happens to someone... someone like her. Perhaps this is how people try to touch something unattainable. And when I thought about it for the first time, I was immediately ridiculed. Cruelly.

— Okay, now give me the watame. You promised it would be sweet, remember?

— Um, yes. I think it will be... probably, — I replied uncertainly.

— Well, if it turns out to be another tasteless thing, you'll have a new airy hairstyle, — she drew a line from the wataame to my head, as if hinting that she would simply put it on my head.

— Huh?

— Just kidding, — she said before taking a bite. — Mmmmm, — she said with a satisfied look.

— Ha-ha, — I laughed weakly, without even moving my face.

She was too funny today. It's just a shame that I was the object of her ridicule.

I watched the girl for a few more moments. She looked so relaxed and innocent that I couldn't help but succumb to the atmosphere surrounding her. I shifted my gaze to the sea. The soothing sound of the waves reached my ears, and it seemed as if the stars were drifting toward our feet.

For a moment, I really believed that they were touching the water — the thin reflections on the surface seemed to dance like fireflies that had decided to visit us from the sky.

The wind whispered something barely audible between the shells — as if the sea was playing with its orchestra.

— Hey, hey, look, look, — she called, rising from the sand.

I looked up. She stood in the moonlight, her back to the sea. The waves washed over her bare feet, and with each new tide she sank a little deeper into the sand, as if she herself were becoming part of it.

In her hands glistened the familiar water ball. She smiled — somehow childishly mischievously — and, without saying a word, threw it into the air.

The ball whistled loudly as it soared toward the sky. Reaching an invisible point, it burst — not just into splashes, but into hundreds of tiny sparkling sparks. They scattered across the sky like constellations.

Then flashes of color flared up — red, yellow, turquoise. They were born and disappeared like the breath of dreams. Fire surrounded us on all sides, and even the shadow on her face seemed flooded with light.

I watched, holding my breath. Probably for the first time in my life, I was so mesmerized by fireworks. Not because of the brightness or the noise — but because of how it appeared. Out of nothing. From a simple gesture.

Explosion after explosion reverberated through my body, rolling across my chest with a dull echo. It was as if the world was shaking with us.

— Come on, why are you standing there? — Her voice was soft, but with the same playful note. — Come on, launch yours, — she said and pulled me by the hand.

— Mine? — I asked, still a little confused.

She placed a water balloon in my palm. Its surface trembled, reflecting the dancing lights.

— Launch it. Over there, — she pointed to the sky, still lit up by the traces of the previous explosion.

I squeezed the ball in my palm. It was warm, as if it had absorbed her warmth. For a few seconds, I just stared at it, not knowing if she was joking. Maybe it would just fall on my head, and she would laugh at me again.

And yet I launched it.

It didn't rise as high as hers, but at some point it seemed to catch on an invisible thread in the sky — and froze, trembling. Then it burst — and this time there was no crash. Just a silent burst of light, as if someone had spilled paint on the night sky. It spread in soft ripples, creating an ornament similar to the pattern of frost on glass.

For a while, we both remained silent, watching it.

— Wow, that's impressive, — she commented, without taking her eyes off the fireworks.

I wanted to ask what exactly she meant, but when I looked at her in the light of the flashes, I froze. My lips parted, but not a single word came out.

I guess that's what they call admiration — when everything around you fades away, as if the sky itself takes a step back to highlight only her.

She always seemed magical to me, but at that moment... she was... incredible? Perhaps. Stunning? No, that sounds strange. So beautiful that I seemed to have forgotten how to think.

I felt a wave rising inside me — too big to hold back. Somewhere in the far corners of my mind, I knew: this natural disaster would only destroy everything. I knew... I knew, but...

— I love you!

For some reason, I closed my eyes — as if hoping that if I didn't look, she wouldn't hear. But with the last deafening explosion, my words hung in the air, as if resonating with it.

The world was filled with cold silence.

I opened my eyes.

She was gone.

Time passed, and apparently my brain gradually began to recover from the shock. Or maybe from confusion. I don't know. I wasn't sure. I realized this when I suddenly jumped up. I set off after her. But where?

While I was desperately rushing towards the square, she could have been anywhere.

I continued running along our path leading to the house, and I couldn't say for sure whether I was running after her or running away.

First, the stalls were left behind, then the endless trees. Everything around me looked like a dream: the landscapes changed chaotically, and no matter how fast you ran, it wasn't enough.

I stood in front of the house. The light was still on. Usually, after such a run, I would be barely breathing, but now — nothing. From this point of view, being dead is even better than being alive.

I didn't meet her on the way. If I knew her name, I would probably be shouting it at the top of my lungs. I don't know if it would help or not. Maybe that's why we never got to know each other properly? Did she know everything in advance?

I climbed the stairs and opened the door. The hallway was empty. So was the living room. The kitchen. The bathroom. The bedroom.

She was nowhere to be found.

The journey here took a lot of time and, I think, energy. But to describe everything I ended up with, one short sentence was enough:

Everything collapsed.