Chapter Twelve The Easiest of Experiments
Chapter Twelve
The Easiest of Experiments
Hana stood over the pond, listening to the thunder crackle above her. Today was supposed to be her first day as the pawnshop’s owner, but as she stared at her rippling reflection, she struggled to push away the icy feeling that it was also going to be her last. She was about to break more rules than she cared to think about, but her father had left her no choice. A gust of wind chilled her nape. She bundled her coat tighter, feeling the bulge of the kamidana’s small candle in her pocket. She looked at Keishin. “I do not understand why you are still here.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Because I told you that we need to take the candle to theplace where all prayers go and that jumping into this pond is the only way to get there. I did not expect you to believe me.”
“I don’t.”
“Oh.” Hana folded her arms over her chest, surprised that a part of her felt disappointed. A gust of wind whipped her hair over her face. “Then why stay?”
“Because I…” Keishin’s eyes softened as he reached out to push a wayward strand of hair from Hana’s cheek. He bit his lip, pulling his hand back before his fingertips grazed her skin. “I’m staying because this is probably one of the simplest experiments I’ve ever had to conduct in my life.”
“Experiment?”
“Compared to all the hours of work I need to do in a lab just to prove a hypothesis, jumping into a pond is a relatively easy way to get answers. If you’re telling the truth, then I will be whisked away on the greatest adventure of my life. If you’re not, we’ll be soaking wet.” He looked up at the dark sky. “With my luck with the weather, I’d be soaked to the bone by the time I got back to my hotel anyway.”
“Or I could lend you an umbrella and you could return to your hotel warm and dry.”
“But then I wouldn’t be able to find out if this was all just an elaborate lie.”
“And what are you hoping for? To prove that I am a liar, or to leap into a truth you might drown in?”
“I’ve always found it best not to root for one hypothesis over another. I only care about facts and proof.”
“Both of which you will have soon.” Hana extended her hand to him. “Hold on to me.”
Keishin laced his fingers through hers.
Tiny bolts of lightning struck wherever Hana’s skin touched Keishin’s and sent a current through her veins. She had cradled countless bright, glowing choices and carefully set them inside their cages, but this was the first time she had held anything that felt so free. Keishin could go anywhere he wished, say anything he wanted, and chase after whatever he desired. He was the wind and the rain, unshackled and unpredictable, a storm swirling in her palm.
“Hana? Is something wrong?”
“What? No…no. I…was just thinking about my father.”
Keishin gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m ready to jump whenever you are.”
“Do not let go,” Hana said, her eyes on Keishin’s shimmering reflection. “And remember…”
“Yes?”
“That this was your choice.”