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My dinner with Torahiko had to end early as there was still something I had to do tonight. On my way out, I promised to make it up to him, but when and how was a question that would have to be saved for later. When I got home I went straight to the shed and rummaged for what I needed tonight. The bug-catching net had a gaping hole so that was out. In the end, the only thing I got was a flashlight. Without much time left, I switched the light on and made a run towards the riverbank thinking to myself "Please still be there!"

Catching fireflies with Juuichi-san; that was the plan for tonight. Once I got there, I saw Juuichi-san's towering figure standing near the edge of the river and getting closer, saw his scowling face as he turned my way. Feeling so much shame, I bowed in front of him as soon as I caught my breath.

"I'm really sorry!" I said. "So many things happened today. I was so caught up, I didn't notice the time."

He shook his head. "It's alright. I just arrived myself. Good to know you brought a light this time."

"Don't want last night to happen again." I said followed by a chuckle.

"Well, it's better than being always late like a certain someone, right?"

He said that with a low growl, and Kounosuke was probably on his mind. Can't blame him for thinking that though. The tanuki had quite the reputation for being late, my homecoming party being an example. We did notice some moments when Kounosuke would be early, but not without some teasing and someone losing a bet. That aside, we had to make up for lost time and started walking. Juuichi-san took the lead and I was about two steps behind. The light he carried seemed like it was the one meant for emergencies, judging by its size and the number of knobs and switches on it. It probably had an inbuilt radio.

"Juuichi-san, do you listen to the radio when you walk?"

"No," he said. "I usually recall today's practice and think of how to improve. Why? Is there a program you want to listen to?"

"It's not that. I just noticed the knobs on your flashlight that's all. Seems like an old design too."

Juuichi-san knocked on the flashlight. "It used to be my father's. It may be old fashioned but it's well built, so it still works fine. Besides, you grow attached to things you use for a long time, even simple tools, won't you agree?"

"Guess so. How long before we get to where the fireflies are?"

"About twenty minutes or so."

Normally I would have complained and considered just giving up given that I ran all the way here, but considering the fact that I was about to see glowing fireflies, what was another twenty minutes' worth of legwork?

"Been awhile since I saw something magical," I said, the two of us still walking.

The bear turned to me. "Magical?"

"You know that feeling when you're surrounded by nature's beauty? That feeling of awe?"

"I see. Well, that's just like you to think that way."

Partly illuminated by my light, Juuichi-san seemed to be smiling. It looked pretty cute, and wished that he could smile more. Though if he did that too often, we would mistake him for Kenji. Then again, at least he wouldn't be mistaken for a grumpy old man if he did.

Just then, Juuichi-san mentioned that if I hadn't agreed to come tonight, he probably wouldn't have either. It was a good thing that I remembered then, or the two of us would probably have to endure twenty-six awkward days of summer because of my own forgetfulness. Nevertheless, I was touched by his gesture and we proceeded onward.

"The reason I walk at this time is because it's rare to meet people at this hour," Juuichi-san added. "Listening to my own steps calms my mind. That's why it's perfect for thinking."

"You mean like meditation?"

The bear nodded. And with that I tried imitating him for a bit, walking without thinking much or saying a word. Then, every sound became clearer: the sound of the river's flow, the cicada's songs, the leaves brushing each other as the breeze blows, and the difference in me and Juuichi-san's footsteps. His footsteps had a larger gap than mine. Perhaps it was because he had a larger stride. The ground crunched louder with each step, too. This sensation, it was very different from when I walk in the city, where every corner was noisy as hell.

"We're almost there," Juuichi-san said.

I shine my light on my watch. Fifteen minutes have passed since we started walking. "It's been that long, huh? Sorry for being quiet the whole time."

"Don't worry about it." He shrugged. "We're close enough friends that we don't need to talk all the time. Oh, turn your flashlight off now."

Just as he asked, I turned it off. My eyes tried to adjust to the darkness and after a short bit, I was able to make shadowy figures of our surroundings. Juuichi-san offered to hold my hand and be my guide, to which I reacted with a flabbergasted "What?" and him adding that it was only a joke. We put the matter aside and went on once my vision completely adjusted to the darkness. It was getting even more difficult to walk when our path was full of weeds, some even as tall as Juuichi-san. I had to press on, or all this work would've been in vain.

And then, I saw it: one firefly shining its green light around us. As we moved closer, I saw more of them to the point that I gave up counting how many they were. Pushing myself out of the weeds, what I was wanting to see was finally in front of me. Numerous fireflies fluttering about at their own whims, lighting up the whole river. My jaw dropped at the marvel of it, and I could only mutter "Magical..."

"It is," Juuichi-san said. "Very beautiful."

"Definitely worth the grass stuck on my clothes."

The bear smiled slightly. "I see."

Just then a strong wind blew past by us, prompting me to cover my face. The grass rustled as it blew; a pleasant thing to hear. When it had passed, I opened my eyes and saw Juuichi-san with a firefly on the palm of his hand with a somewhat melancholic look on his eyes.

"Fireflies live only for two to three weeks," he said. "They live a hard and short life literally spent glowing. Maybe that's why it looks so beautiful."

I caught one with two hands. "Then we can call this scenery a living creature. It really is beautiful, isn't it?"

"Quite the poet, aren't you?"

"Ha! I wish! Nothing compared to yours or Shin-kun's though."

We both laughed at this then shifted our attention back to the fireflies, letting the ones on our hands fly again. If only I could take a picture with my phone, but no photo would come close to experiencing such a sight up close. In the midst of all this, me and Juuichi-san were silent, but it was no problem. In the air, I could feel an aura of comfort coming from him, and it relaxed me.

"Something like this... would be a thing you'd want to show to a person you like." I turned to Juuichi-san. "Don't you think so?"

"Someone you like?" he asked.

I nodded. "You'd lay down a mat, have a picnic in a scene like this, hold each other's hands and-"

"Nishimura." He spoke with a low voice. "I think it's time we should go. It's getting late."

When I checked the time, I saw that it was almost 10:00 PM. And although I would like to forget the time and enjoy the moment, Grandpa might get worried if I stayed out too late. Just one more time, I looked and etched this scene of the fireflies into my memory.

Juuichi-san turned to me. "Would you like to come back here again before you head back to the city?"

"No. By the time I return, there won't be as many. I wanna make this special."

The bear said no more and patted my shoulder a few times. Once we got back to the road we went our own way. But, there was one thing on my mind that bothered me. When I mentioned about bringing someone you line to a scenery like that, I felt the aura around him change as he interrupted me. Maybe it was a subject I shouldn't have brought up, but why not though? At our age we normally would be thinking about stuff like that. I thought that it was best to avoid that subject around him for the time being.