Starlight (Kojiro Nanjo)

Chapter 25: Sunrise

        Light bled through the curtains, allowing the sunshine to make a home against her eyelids. An involuntary sigh tugged itself from her lips, and groggily she rose from the sheets. What was the point in having drapes if they couldn't even do their job properly? As Hoshiko took a glance around the room, she noticed something was missing - or more like someone was missing. For a moment, she started to doubt her own sense of reality.

    Had it all really just been a dream?

       That thought made her too sad. It couldn't have been a dream. Not when she could still feel the way his lips moved against hers. Gently her fingers traced the spots he'd covered; starting at her cupid's bow, traveling down her neck--she paused her movements. Cheeks flushed pink at the memory. Instinctively her hands covered her face, trying to hide from her own embarrassment. She felt young again, like teenagers tip toeing through the house trying to sneak kisses.
       It didn't go beyond that, sneaking kisses. Hoshiko could pinpoint the exact moment she thought Joe would make his move. He was hovered above her, moonlight surrounding his silhouette, his eyes soft. Full of nothing but love and adoration. He leaned down for another kiss. Instead of reaching for her neck or her collarbone, he placed it against her temple, her forehead, and then her nose. Giggles filled the quiet, pleas for him to stop being so weird. Joe smiled. Held her in his arms, let his fingers run through her hair. The world was still.
       His face was the last thing she saw before falling asleep. His eyes blinked slowly, but stared so intently, like he was trying to freeze the frame. Capture the moment in his mind, and hold onto it like a polaroid in a wallet - a keepsake, a nice moment for a rainy day.

       But now she was awake. Doomed to face another morning alone in her bed. There were no messy green locks sprawled across her pillow case, no vermillion eyes to stare into and get lost in before sharing a cup of coffee before work. Hoshiko pulled herself from the covers. Searched for him in the bathroom, and then eventually the hallway. There was yet to be a trace of him. The idea that he'd left without saying goodbye stung more than it should've.

    "Must've been busy today." She feigned an excuse, wanting to save her heart the ache. "What do you think, Luna?"

       But there was no response. Apparently, Joe wasn't the only one to go missing this morning.

    "You running from me too now?"

       A deep hum came soon after, floating down the hallway until it hit her eardrums. Instinctively, Hoshiko smiled, like she'd just discovered her new favorite song. It sounded like hope. Like a change of heart. So her search continued, following the noise to catch the culprit. Though, it wasn't difficult to snuff out a suspect or two. So despite her sudden doubts just moments ago, Hoshiko wasn't surprised to see that Joe had been the one responsible for the sweet tune. However, she hadn't expected to see him slaving away in her kitchen in this early hour. Luna, her cat, bouncing around his legs as he sang to her.
       There the two of them were. No longer missing in action, just tucked away in the kitchen humming a sweet song. Hoshiko leaned against the doorframe. Dumbstruck once more, the same as the night before. She cursed herself for not grabbing her glasses before rolling out of bed - she would have given anything to see this scene more clearly.

       But if you would've asked Joe, he would've happily done this every morning for the rest of their lives. He'd groggily pull himself out from under the covers, suppress a yawn to not wake the woman beside him, and make her breakfast in bed. He'd sing a hundred songs if it meant she'd sing along to even one.

    "You're up!" He exclaimed, cheerful and energetic. "Welcome to the Land of the Living. How did you sleep?"

    "How did I sleep?" She repeated with a laugh, taking a seat at the kitchen's island. "Joe, what're you even doing?"