The Lantern Strings Festival had finally lit up the school courtyard. Strings of lanterns swayed in the warm night air, glowing orange and red against the dusky sky. Food stalls bustled, music drifted faintly from the stage, and laughter tangled with the scent of fried dough and grilled skewers.
Arka had never seen the place look so alive. Even the teachers looked like they had given up trying to keep order, drifting among the crowd with drinks in hand.
Bayu stood beside him near the edge of the courtyard, the noise softened by distance. They had slipped away for a moment, away from the clatter of stalls and the chaos of their classmates. From here, they could see the lake beyond the trees, its surface waiting for the fireworks to come.
For once, Arka was quiet. He shifted the giant pink rabbit plush in his arms, half embarrassed to still be carrying it, half unwilling to let it go. The glow of the lanterns painted Bayu's face in warm light, and Arka's chest felt unsteady in a way he couldn't joke about.
Bayu glanced at him, almost amused. "You're unusually calm."
Arka smirked faintly. "Give me a sec. I'm just charging up my chaos for when the fireworks start."
Bayu snorted. They let the silence stretch, not awkward, but fragile. A soft moment settled between them. Arka's grin loosened, his voice lowered. For a second, he thought maybe—
"Hey!"
Yun's voice broke in, bright as sparklers. She jogged toward them, waving. "You guys ditched the food stalls without me?"
Bayu straightened. "We didn't ditch. Just taking a break."
She slid into place at his side, slightly too close, laughing about how she almost burned her tongue on fresh takoyaki. Bayu listened, chuckling at the right moments, asking her about her hometown.
Arka's throat went dry. He forced a grin, louder now, brighter, like armor. "Careful, Yun. If you burn your tongue, you won't be able to compliment my stunning ring-toss victory from earlier. Oh, wait, Bayu won that. I just embarrassed myself. Never mind."
They laughed. Even Bayu. But the sound felt sharp in Arka's ears. He tilted his head back, pretending to study the lanterns overhead, pretending he didn't notice the way Yun leaned closer to Bayu when she spoke.
And then, fireworks. The first boom cracked open the night, scattering colors across the sky. Everyone in the courtyard cheered.
Arka watched, mouth half-open in wonder. Fireworks always felt like they belonged in stories, moments where confessions should be made, where something secret could finally slip free. His heart thumped with it, with the thought that maybe this was supposed to be their moment, his and Bayu's.
But when he turned, Bayu wasn't looking at the sky. He was answering Yun's question about the best food stall.
Arka laughed again, louder this time, tossing some joke about deep-fried squid that didn't even make sense. His voice carried above the cheers, but his chest felt hollow.
Bayu flicked his eyes to him then, just for a moment. Noticing something in Arka's grin that didn't fit, though he couldn't name it. He almost asked, but the next firework boomed, painting the night in green, and Yun leaned forward with another laugh.
Arka shoved the plush rabbit against his chest like a shield and smiled as if nothing had changed.