⊱Comme les feux d'artifice, la vie est courte mais belle⊰

Like fireworks, life is short but beautiful

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I sighed for the umpteenth time and I was certain that my lips were awfully reddened from how much I was biting them out of anxiety. My heart thumping against my chest felt painful. It was frustrating how my hands were trembling in place and not moving to strike the matchstick on its box already.

"You can do this, Sae!" I huffed as if that would dispel all the jitters gnawing at my resolve. "You're dead! This won't kill you or even hurt you, so why are you so afraid?"

Holding my breath, I forced my hands to move and light the fireworks in front of me, but if I were to be seen, I might be looking like I was having constipation. I had never shot fireworks before. It was nighttime already and fireworks seemed perfect in the pitch black sky above, over the vast river burbling and glimmering in the moonlight. There was a first to everything and this was supposed to my first time shooting fireworks.

"Did you get the license for that thing?"

I twisted my body around to see Jimin sauntering towards me. His blonde hair was parted in the middle and one side was pushed back while the other was hanging loosely, swaying from the breeze. Today, he seemed to have decided to forgo all the sparkles and glitters, clothed in plain gray turtleneck and black ripped jeans. Jewelry, however, still adorned his neck, ears and fingers.

A rather warm smile danced on his pillowy lips as our eyes locked. "What are you doing there? I hope it's nothing illegal."

Seeing him made the jitters turn into something else and a weird want to be playful overtook me, a smile growing on my stiffened face. "Won't that make this more exciting," I chimed, winking at him as he squatted beside me.

He snorted, crossing his arms over his knees. "Okay, miss lawbreaker. Go ahead and light it up?"

My heart jumped as my anxiety returned. My fingers twitched and shook, but once again, minutes passed with the matchstick squeezed in my grip.

"What's wrong, angel?"

A mix of growl and whine rumbled in my throat as I dropped my hands. "I... I guess I'm just s-scared. Don't judge me but I never lit up a match before."

"I see. There's nothing wrong with that." Jimin kneeled on the ground, scooting closer, and held my hands, making me jolt. If he noticed that, he didn't voice it out and positioned my hands. "You have to strike it swiftly and fast. Don't fret. Just hold it up when it lights up."

Gulping, I nodded when his hands left mine and pushed the matchstick across the surface of the box. A gasp left me and I whipped my head with a wide grin to Jimin when fire blazed. He chuckled and guided my hand to the fuse, igniting it before swinging my hand, putting out the fire.

"Come on," he said with a grunt, heaving me away from the fireworks with his arms wrapped around my torso. "It's dangerous to be near those."

"But... aren't we immune to pain caused by such things?" I asked, unsure.

"Just making sure," he answered, plopping down beside me just as the first burst shot up to the sky, causing me to grip onto Jimin's arm. It exploded into thousands of sparkles in every direction above us and I exclaimed in delight, squeezing my hands over my chest, watching in awe.

"Have you done this before?"

Jimin hummed as he recalled the past. "When I was younger, my friends and I played with fireworks. That was... before I got busy." A wistful sigh escaped his parted lips.

"Must have been fun," I murmured and watched the fireworks fill the dark sky in silence.

It felt comforting. It was unusual that anyone would simply enjoy their enemy's presence in the serenity of the night with a gentle breeze brushing their skin, but here I was. Jimin, too. He would remind that we were foes but he kept approaching me himself and somehow caring for me.

After I made sure the fireworks finished with only smoke lingering up there, I rose to my feet and dusted off my black pants, Jimin following suit.

"That was nice," I drawled, not knowing how to fill the silence between us.

"Yeah," he agreed, shoving his hands in his jeans pockets and glancing up at the sky.

"Run into you later, I guess?"

He nodded as if parting ways but soon, we found each other heading to the same direction. Exchanging suspicious glances, we kept walking without saying anything until we reached the same street food vendor with crepes.

"Why are you following me?" I cocked an eyebrow, suppressing my smile.

"I think you are," he chuckled, intentionally bumping his shoulder into mine, earning a giggle from me.

"No, you!"

"You!"

"The one who says 'you' is stupid."

"You," he snorted, pushing me again.

"Ha!"

"Are you young people buying anything?" The sales lady smiled, seemingly enjoying the bickering.

"Ah," I squeaked out before clearing my throat and slapping the laughing man's shoulder. "I'll have, uh, b- chocolate crepe."

Jimin bought the same and followed me when I ambled along the street, making me accuse him of following me again. Our bickering continued until we finished our crepes and arrived at a small street dancing event that was happening.

A group of male dancers were putting on a small show with a hip hop beat playing from a speaker. Crowds were bobbing their heads to the music and cheering for the guys. I sneaked a peek at Jimin to see him smiling wistfully, eyes gazing vacantly. I wondered if he was remembering the past.

The music came to an end and the crowds exploded with claps and cheers, some whistling and whooping.

"Thank you, everyone! Now, if there is anyone who would like to have a dance battle- a friendly one," one of the dancers who seemed to be the leader emphasized as he spoke to a microphone, "you are free to do so. This is a free segment of the night."

A new, more powerful music started playing with heavier beats and another wave of cheers erupted when a man about the same age as the dancers walked forward into the circle formed by the crowds. He started moving energetically to the beat with dramatic moves and people yelled in excitement.

"They're really good but do you think I can beat those guys?"

Widening my eyes, I turned to Jimin who seemed pumped up with fire in his eyes with an incredulous look. "Serious-? Jimin, you were a popular celebrity. They'll know who you are!"

Bringing his ringed hand up, he brushed his blonde hair back and licked his lips before giving me a confident smirk. "It's been decades. Even if they recognized me, they wouldn't believe that it's really me, angel."

I opened my mouth but when his words sunk in my head, I couldn't help but agree. People might think he was a doppelgänger or something.

"So, do you trust me to beat them?" His eyes shimmered in the street lights, enthusiasm emanating from him.

Breaking into a smile, I heaved a sigh and said, "Always. You're the best to me."

Beaming at my answer, he turned back to the show and made his way through the dense crowd as I watched him. As soon as the one challenging the hosts finished his dance, Jimin made a jaw dropping entrance with an aerial cartwheel, shocking the audience that soon roared with cheers as he started killing it with sharp and powerful moves. He was in his element and the others stood no chance.

When the music ended, the other dancers were completely captivated by him and nearly bowed if he didn't stop them, flustered by the praises. They didn't seem to have recognized him and if they did, no one said a word about that, gushing about his talents instead.

Waving at the dancers, Jimin was quick to leave the scene and make his way towards me through the exhilarated crowd. Panting and smiling, he couldn't hide how much he enjoyed that. Thrill and ecstasy radiated off of him in waves.

"We should get out of here," he whispered, wrapping an arm around my shoulder to lead me away from there. He was nervous from all the sudden attention.

"You were amazing- No, amazing is an understatement!" I giggled when his smile widened, his eyes pushed into narrow crescents. "Everyone loved you."

"You're making me more flustered," he whined, shaking my shoulder and I couldn't help but laugh. "But... really? It's bee so long."

"Definitely," I assured him and his eyes sparkled in the fluorescent street lights.

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Frenemies acting like kids tsk tsk

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