SHG 1: A dress for Tanabata

This story is dedicated to SHG28, who has provided artwork for the story as well: http://shg28.deviantart.com/art/Kimono-Hanako-Katawa-Shoujo-630079861

	‘Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival, is a Japanese festival originating from the Chinese Qixi Festival. It celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they are allowed to meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar. The date of Tanabata varies…’

	‘Why did I even pick this book out,’ Hanako Ikezawa thought to herself solemnly. She flipped through the information book, page after page, feeling the thin pages stick to her fingers. She stared at the words on each page more than reading them, her eyes glossed over in thought.

	Today was July 6th. Tanabata was just a day away, and here she was just sitting in her room. She didn’t mind it too much, after all she had Hisao to keep her company, and she was more than comfortable with spending time alone with him. ‘It’s just… It’s just…’

	Hanako buried her face into her knees, enveloping her face with her pink night gown.

	‘I miss Lilly. I miss my sister.’

	For all that she had gained in the past few months, for the enormity of the love that was granted to her this school year, she lost someone she couldn’t even fathom how much she had meant to her.

	Lilly Satou had gone back to her family in Scotland. Her father and mother who had all but abandoned her here, and when things were finally setting themselves just right, they had ripped her away. Hanako could tell Hisao missed her as well, that he too was hurting from her absence, but what could be done? No amount of comforting words to one another would bring her back.

	Hanako tossed the magazine from her bed, and it landed opened. Upwards faced a picture of Orihime and Hikoboshi, the two gods intertwined in a dance that would entrap friends and families everywhere tomorrow. She wanted to get up, she wanted to close the book and put it away, but more than anything Hanako just wanted to lie still. So that’s what she did.

	Hanako flopped back onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling. She could picture stars dancing upon the roof of her room, but the image only saddened her.

	Hisao, sweet loving Hisao, had offered to try and find them a spot out in the country for the festival, but Hanako turned him down. She knew he didn’t have the money to do something so expensive, and neither did she. She said they could spend the night in her room together. So that’s what they planned to do. Tonight, Hisao was going to town visit his family, as well as to pick up some “special supplies” for them to enjoy tomorrow, and she had stayed behind. When she had asked what the supplies were, he had given off that lopsided grin she’d grown to adore and promised “you’ll see tonight.”

	So now, Hanako was sitting in her room, waiting for her boyfriend to return to her. She kept telling herself that as long as she was with him she didn’t care what they did… which was almost the truth.

	As much as she was in love with Hisao, as much as she enjoyed simply sitting with him and having him hold her to his chest, she just couldn’t stop herself from wishing Lilly was still with them.

	‘Come on Hanako,’ she thought to herself for the 40th time that week, ‘she’s not dead. She’s just a phone call away.’

	As if by fate, her phone rang. The sudden piercing ring startled her, making her jump. Her bed shook lightly as she landed back down on it, squeaking in protest to the sudden movement.

	She quickly grabbed her phone off of her end table and flipped it open.

	“H-hello?”

	“Good evening, Hanako.”

	The voice on the other end of the phone was soft and calming, and Hanako felt herself curling tightly as she pulled her knees to her chest.

	“Good afternoon, Lilly”

	Lilly laughed lightly, “My my, you’ve looked up the time in Inverness compared to your own, haven’t you?”

	Hanako felt a smile of pride evolve on her face. “Yes… Hisao got me an Atlas, and it says the time differences between different spots in the world. Right now it’s around… 3pm where you are, right?”

	Hanako’s question was met with silence, and for a moment she thought she’d lost the signal to the call. “Hello? Lilly?”

	“Hanako? I have a question for you.” Lilly asked, suddenly.

	“Oh… um… okay. What is it?”

	“What are you doing tomorrow? For Tanabata?” Lilly asked oddly. Hanako was certain there was something to her best friend’s voice. An edge that didn’t normally exist.

	“W-well,” she began, “Hisao and I are going to spend the night here. At Yamaku.”

	“Ah, that sounds lovely.” Lilly said. “And what do you plan on wearing? For the festival?”

	“W-well umm… we we’re going to be in my room all night, so I thought…” Hanako trailed off, completely discouraged. She had intended on just wearing her night gown and maybe glancing out the window at the stars with Hisao, but now that idea seemed foolish and stupid.

	“You know, Hanako, it’s a custom to dress up for these events.”

	“B-but I don’t… I don’t have a dress…” Hanako replied.

	“That’s okay, I have a feeling that might be taken care of riiiiggghhtt,” a knock on Hanako’s door startled her. She whipped to face it so fast that her own long purple hair snapped into her face. She stared at the door, the phone almost forgotten.

	“Hanako? It’s Hisao. Can you please open the door?”

	Hanako skipped off of her bed quickly to slide open her door. On the other side stood Hisao, wearing a formal black gown with brown accessories that matched his messy hair. In his hand he held a bag, which he extended out to her. “Good evening, love.” Hisao said. Hanako looked from his eyes to the bag.

	“G-good evening. What’s this?” she asked, not reaching for the bag. Hisao gently stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her. He felt so warm, his body radiating that familiar heat and smell. She held him tightly, squeezing her arms around his back.

	Hisao was the first to step back, a giant grin on his face. “This, my dear, is for you. Get changed, I’ll be waiting out here.” He placed the bag in her arms and closed the door in between them. Hanako looked from the door to the bag, and suddenly remembered the phone. She ran back over to it and picked it up.

	“Lilly?” Hanako asked.

	“Hehehe, hurry along Hanako. You musn’t take too long, I hear the stars are shining ever so brightly tonight.” An audible click could be heard from the other end of the line as Lilly snapped her phone shut, ending the conversation.

	‘I don’t understand… what is going on?’ Hanako spoke inwardly.

	Her hands seemed to understand though, as before she knew it she was removing a set of purple and black fabric, with small white highlights. It was a Kimono. Hanako could only stare for a moment. She never owned a Kimono. Had Lilly somehow given Hisao money for the dress? Hanako began to dial her back when she realized that her friend had been the one to hang up, that she had wanted her to get changed and spend time with Hisao.

	“Thank you, Lilly,” Hanako whispered. She set the phone down on her nightstand, and stripped off her night gown. She felt the heat from the summer night’s air on her bare skin as she quickly changed into the formal dress. It was then that for the first time in years, Hanako found herself wishing she owned a mirror. The thought struck her as odd to even herself, given how vehemently she used to avoid them… But something about Lilly, something about Hisao, had changed her.

	Hanako stepped up to her door after tying the white loop of belt around her dress. She took in a deep breath as she opened the door, and standing patiently against the door on the opposing wall was Hisao. He smiled at her in a way that made her insides light up like fireworks. “You look beautiful, Hana.” He whispered, and butterflies took off in her stomach just like on the day they had first kissed.

	“Thank you Hisao. You look very handsome, yourself.” Hanako said, and she could tell she was blushing, but she didn’t even care as she smiled at him.

	“Now, give it just a second.” Hisao said, stepping away from the door and wrapping his arms around Hanako in a hug. He lightly pecked her on her right cheek.

	“What do you mean?” Hanako asked, not realizing he had just kissed her scared cheek.

	“I had to stand guard of the door, anybody could get in to an unlocked room after all.” He said with a wink.

	Hanako still couldn’t put together what he meant, ‘Why would somebody be trying to get into Lilly’s old-’

	The sliding of a door caught her off guard.

	Slowly, Hanako turned, Hisao’s arm still wrapped around her.

	Standing in the threshold of her old room stood Lilly Satou in a light blue and yellow Kimono. Her long blonde hair tied back using a sort of wooden hair piece, and she stood with her hands clasped in front of her.

	“Well, Hanako? What do you say we go out and enjoy the stars?”