Dakota loved watching fireworks.
But Greta did not.
Greta believed that fireworks were fleeting, like her abruptly ended love, the more beautiful, the easier it was to captivate one's heart.
But this year, Greta was not in the country for Thanksgiving.
Reagan had called early to invite Curtis to bring Kota to their house for Thanksgiving.
That, of course, meant fulfilling Dakota's wish—to set off fireworks.
Noe, always the life of the party, had been buzzing about it for days. A few days ago, he somehow came across some news about how making wishes at the top of N Mountain during the fall was supposed to be incredibly powerful.
They called it the "Autumn Moon Wish."
The legend went that if you climbed the thousands of steps to the summit with a sincere heart and hung a wish on the old tree at the top, your dreams would come true.
Noe didn't have anyone special in mind, but that didn't stop him.
He was always down for a good time.
Even though he didn't have a particular wish, he figured writing his own name and hanging it up couldn't hurt. After all, wishing for his own luck was as good as any other idea.
Before long, their group chat, affectionately titled "First to Date is a Loser", was buzzing with excitement as everyone debated the logistics of the trip.
[Jasiah]: Seriously? This whole "wish on the mountain" thing is straight out of every cheesy romance novel, especially the ones set in the J City. Are we really doing this in real life now?
[Noe]: You just don't get it! These kinds of places are all about love and romance!!
[Jasiah]: Sure, sure. I don't get it. Whatever. If you guys are going, I'll tag along for the ride, but there's no way I'm hiking up all those steps.
[Noe]: Fine, I'll hike, I'll hike, I'll hike! Give me a million bucks, and maybe I'll even hang your wish up there for you!
[Jasiah]: No thanks.
Noe was absolutely fired up about the whole wish-making thing. They planned to head up the mountain during the day since he still had to be home in time for dinner with his family. Afterward, they'd all gather again for some fireworks to cap off the night.
But, this event had requirements.
[Noe]: Let me just say upfront—no couples allowed at this wishing event. So, if one of you ladies has secretly gotten herself a man, do us all a favor and leave him at home!
Jasiah, who knew the truth, couldn't help but give him a thumbs up, hoping he would remain as bold after finding out the man was Curtis.
[Lailah]: So, um… I'm gonna have to sit this one out. I'm still in T City, but yeah, I guess I'm officially off the market, so I'll be the "couple" in the group now.
[Noe]: ????????
[Lailah]: (Blushing) I met a handsome soldier here, and I really like him.
[Noe]: ????????
[Lailah]: Unfortunately, the high altitude in T City almost did me in. It's scary to think I might run out of breath while getting intimate. Otherwise, I would've made a move already. Anyway, I need to go grab some oxygen.
[Noe]: ????????
In the end, it turned out to be a world where only Noe got hurt.
Dakota received the group message while at work but didn't reply. Curtis asked her first, "Are you going?"
Actually, Dakota had no real interest in making wishes.
Growing up, it always felt like she didn't even qualify to make a wish, not even for something as basic as a birthday. So naturally, she wasn't about to expect some special ritual to grant her any favors.
"Doesn't matter. Do you want to go?" she asked.
Curtis never believed in these kinds of rituals. He was the rebellious, untamable type, someone who preferred to keep life firmly in his own control.
But making a wish for Dakota was different.
He looked down and typed his reply, "I want to go."
Dakota didn't expect Curtis to believe in these things, thinking he would refuse more adamantly than Jasiah.
Noe also mentioned them in the group.
[Noe]: @Dakota @Curtis, are you two in? Let's go hang our name tags together!
[Noe]: Oh, Dakota's an exception, of course. She can hang a name for her special someone. Though, to this day, none of us know who that mystery man is.
[Dakota]: …I'm in.
Curtis was about to reply in the group chat when he scrolled up and saw Noe's comment about not bringing along her "mystery man."
He raised an eyebrow, completely ignoring the comment, and replied, "I'm in."
Jasiah: "..."
The only person in the entire group who knew the full truth silently exited the chat.
And so, the N Mountain wish-making squad was officially formed.
On the day of the trip, N Mountain was packed with people. Many had come specifically to make wishes, and some tourists even lit candles by the N River.
By midday, Dakota's group had made it halfway up the mountain. They stopped at a scenic overlook to write down their wishes and enjoyed the famous vegetarian pasta that N Mountain was known for. The food definitely lived up to its reputation.
Under the eaves of a small shelter, they sat around a table with four chairs, each enjoying a bowl of pasta. The whole scene had an unexpectedly peaceful and almost spiritual vibe.
Jasiah, with his legs crossed, asked curiously, "It looks like it's going to rain soon, are you still planning to climb higher?"
Dakota glanced up at the sky. Sure enough, a few dark clouds were drifting over. They hadn't covered all of N Mountain yet—where they'd started, the skies were still clear—but up near the summit, where the famous tree stood, it was already blanketed in storm clouds.
"Rain? It can't be, right?"
Noe wasn't buying it. "Wasn't it blazing hot when we got here? In all these years, I've never seen rain on Thanksgiving. It's always clear skies and the moon hanging high at night."
"But... it really looks like rain,"
Dakota glanced up at the sky, biting her lip, then instinctively turned her eyes to Curtis.
She didn't care much about making a wish, so if it rained, she'd be fine heading back down. But Curtis really seemed to want to climb the thousands of steps to hang a plaque.
If they didn't make it to the top, he might feel disappointed.
Curtis remained calm, casually raising an eyebrow. "Making a wish in the rain just shows even more dedication, don't you think? Look at that—seems like the weather's moved by my determination."
Jasiah: "..."
He gave Curtis a thumbs-up. "That's so you."
"You see? Curtis gets it!" Noe said excitedly. "Let's head up before it starts raining. We might make it back before the downpour."
Jasiah: "…Do I have to go?"
Noe: "What are you whining about, man? Don't tell me you're already out of steam."
Jasiah: "Me? Out of steam? That's bull. Just wait, it'll be you huffing and puffing at the back!"
And just like that, they were back to bickering like school kids.
Dakota tugged lightly on Curtis's sleeve. "Climbing in the rain is dangerous. Do we really have to go?"
