Life of the Party
“Yes, yes, I know, Tokiro. I’m not stupid. I understand, I’ll be safe. It’s only a little party."
Kimiko continued to gently placate her anxious brother as she made her way across campus, the sun quickly setting behind her, leaving long streaks of orange across the meticulous grounds. The sound of his voice through her phone was slightly grating on her ears, but nothing could distract her from excitement for her very first college party.
Kimiko continued to gently placate her anxious brother as she made her way across campus, the sun quickly setting behind her, leaving long streaks of orange across the meticulous grounds. The sound of his voice through her phone was slightly grating on her ears, but nothing could distract her from excitement for her very first college party.
The largest sorority at her school, in honor of the ending of rush week, had invited a carnival to come be housed on campus for the weekend. All students were invited to the final night, and Kimiko had been anxiously awaiting it. Now, with it finally here, she almost couldn’t believe it. It didn’t feel real.
“Miko, are you listening to me?” Tokiro barked through the phone, sounding annoyed.
“Of course I am,” she said breezily, “I’ll only stay in lit areas, I’ll be home by midnight, and I’ll make sure to have a friend walk me home.”
“And no boys!”
Kimiko stifled a laugh. “And no boys,” she agreed, although quietly she was hoping to meet a boy.
Tokiro sounded satisfied. “Good. Call me when you’re home.”
“I will. I love you!”
“I love you.” With that, Tokiro hung up the phone. Kimiko felt a weight lift off her shoulders, and let out a sigh of relief. She was finally, for once in her life, really free.
As she came over the crest of the hill, she saw the neon lights glimmering in the distance, already feeling the thump of the bass against her chest. Her heart sped up, and as she neared the fair, she couldn’t stop herself from running all the way down.
Quickly, Kimiko realized that all that glitters is not gold. Although the fairgrounds was fantastic, full of rides and booths and endless amounts of sugary food, it seemed like everyone ignored the fun, and was using this as an excuse to get drunk. She pushed her way past their stumbling bodies, surprising stall owners as she approached them, completely sober, asking to play their games. Before long, she had acquired cotton candy, a stuffed bear, and a balloon, but it all felt bittersweet, tainted by the scent of alcohol and the grating bass line that never seemed to stop.
Just as she was considering returning home, a figure she vaguely recognized appeared nearby the stall she was sitting it. One of the tallest students at her school, he was unmistakable, yet for the life of her, she could not remember his name. She watched quietly as he strode up, perfectly balanced, and tried to knock down the pins.
Shyly, Kimiko approached. The tall man struggled and missed again, leaving him with only two small balls left. She tapped him on the arm. “May I?” she asked.
Seeming intrigued, he obliged, handing her the balls. With a unique flip of her wrist, Kimiko sent the balls spinning, easily knocking down all the pins in one shot.
The man’s eyebrows shot up, looking very impressed at this lithe, small girl.
The stall owner obliged over the stuffed dragon Kimiko had won. Without thinking about it, she turned it over to the man. “Here!” she said happily. “For you.”
The man smiled, and pushed it back to her. “I couldn’t take your prize from you. You won it fair and square.”
Kimiko blushed, and after seeing how adamant he was, gently set the stuffed dragon down by her other things.
The man went on. “Now, unless you have a very special talent that only works when you’re drunk, it seems as though you and I are the only sober ones here.”
Kimiko hastily agreed. “Yeah,” she said, and then, upon seeing his confused look, she quickly backtracked. “I mean, um, no. I’m—I’m not drunk.”
He stifled a laugh. “You’re sure?”
“Absolutely! Smell my breath if you don’t believe me.” Immediately after she said it, she blushed, hoping the mint she had eaten earlier was enough.
“I’ll pass,” the man said warmly, before sticking out his hand. “I’m Reinku. Nice to meet you.”
Kimiko grinned and shook his hand. “I’m Kimiko!”
Reinku couldn’t hold back a smile. “So, Kimiko, if you didn’t want to get drunk, what brings you here?”
“Well, I mean, I really like fair rides! I thought everyone was going to be playing and eating and riding rides, but it looks like this is just an outdoor alcohol fest where everyone can blame their puking on the rides.” She pouted involuntarily, looking wistfully at all the fun around her. “I’ve been trying to enjoy myself on my own, but it’s not as fun alone.”
Reinku stopped her moping in its tracks. “Luckily, you have me now,” he said decisively. “Now, I may not be the best at knocking down pins, but I guarantee you I can beat you at the throwing rings on the bottle game.” He smirked at her. “Care for a challenge?”
Kimiko’s eyes lit up before narrowing at the challenge. “I’ll beat you so hard you’ll wish you never asked to play against me!”
Before waiting for a reply, Kimiko gathered her things and sped off, leaving Reinku to shake his head and follow her, unable to hide the growing smile on his face and affection in his heart for the small, energetic girl.
Before long, both Kimiko and Reinku had their arms full of stuffed animals, prizes, and food they had won. Kimiko had tried to get Reinku to taste a funnel cake, but he refused, adamant that he could only eat a specific amount of things lest he get sick. Teasing him for being a picky eater, Kimiko happily ate his food for him.
The pair had somehow ended up holding hands, shouldering their way through the drunken bodies that remained as the fair began to clear out. Kimiko, nearly glowing, couldn’t contain her happiness.
“I’m so happy,” she gushed to Reinku, who smiled back at her.
“I’m glad. Is there anything else you’d like to do?”
Kimiko thought for a moment, allowing her gaze to drag over the dying lights of the fairground before settling on the enormous ferris wheel. “Oh my gosh, we forgot to go on the ferris wheel! Reinku, we have to go.”
Reinku obliged her, and she led him quickly over to it, so elated that sparks almost seemed to fly off her feet.
They left their prizes in a small pile at the base of the wheel, before racing through the metal gates to the front of the empty line. Soon, they clambered into the small, sitting opposite each other as it raised slowly into the sky.
Kimiko was enthralled, unable to tear her gaze away from the glimmering lights below her. The music faded to background noise, leaving only a peaceful glance at the grounds below her. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
“So are you,” Reinku commented. Kimiko looked at him, startled, but he only gazed at her solemnly, a small smile growing on his lips.
“What?” she asked him.
“You are. Beautiful, that is.”
A blush grew on her cheeks, and she broke away from his gaze, embarrassed. He reached out his hand, and gently drew her back. “Don’t you believe me? You should, you know. Out of all those lights out there, you’re the most beautiful.”
Speechless, Kimiko only blushed and stared at him. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you.” Reinku then drew her closer, and under the bright stars and the twinkling ferris wheel lights, kissed her, shooting sparks into the air brighter than any firework ever could be.