At the Daidouji shrine, faint music could be heard coming from the courtyard.
A young maiden in red danced to the lively beat of the drum.
In the shadows, the short figure of an old woman emitted a warbling voice.
Seated on a chair next to her was a picture frame of a young man.
As the drums sped up, the girl jumped, twirled, twisted, and dandled her hips on key, while retreating into the center of the courtyard she snaked a hand towards the sky.
The moon was awake and watching. Her body felt weird and light.
Her vision blurred from its brightness. Her mind numbed. It began to spin as she spun. With only the moons in her sight, it flickered from black, white, yellow, pink, red, orange, green, blue then finally to purple.
What?
Was she imagining it? The moon sped up its cycle repeating the same colors until it all became an endless blur and the moon became a rainbow the scene became so dizzying, the young dancer lost her balance and collapsed. The image of the moon stained her retinas, playing back over and over. She couldn't move her body, her mind became a blank.
"Inoue!" The drummer stopped playing at once and stood.
"Pathetic!" The old woman's roar was so loud, the drummer flinched. He sat back down knowing better than to go over to help the child.
"You were almost finished, you mean to tell me after practicing this perfectly so many times you're incapable of doing this?! Are you pretending to be ill so you don't have to complete the ceremony?!"
As she spoke the girl tried to push up but her arms wobbled and in the end, she collapsed back onto the floor.
Why couldn't she move?!
"N-now, now⊠she may have practiced before but this is the first time she's manifesting...now that she's doing the real thing of course she'd quickly burn herself out. Say, isn't this a good thing, Madame Beni?" The drummer's reason calmed the old woman's rage as she paused to think. "This means the young lady is capable of manifesting now⊠wasn't that the main point of the ceremony? Even though she didn't complete it...it's still a success."
"...I suppose you're right." The old woman nodded. She glanced at the young girl who was still struggling to prop herself up. Her knees, elbows and forehead pressed against the temple grounds while her torso struggled to lift. Beads of sweat began to collect on her forehead.
"Then, we'll call it a day, tomorrow⊠I expect you to do your best! No excuses, you hear me?!"
Sweat dripped from her granddaughter's brow who resigned herself to simply lying on the ground, her head too dizzy to even stand. She closed her eyes, her mouth stiffly opened and closed, she was finally able to get out the words on a second attempt.
"Y-yes, GrandâŠmother."
-
[I always thought there were two types of people in this world.]
That following morning the young girl did not put on her dancer's clothes, instead, she changed into a high school uniform.
[Those who know what they want and those who don't.]
She climbed out of her bedroom window, stretching out a leg towards the fence inches away before leaping over it.
[I made a decision long ago, and so I thought I knew what I wanted for so long...but, these days...]
She jumped down only to slip and fall back on her butt. Her vision dizzying. It was a first.
The side effects from last night?
She waited for it to pass before lightly walking down the street. She hated the thought of being dizzy and turned around to walk backward before cartwheeling down the street.
No dizziness this time.
Good!
She ran once she felt better straight towards the bento box store where an elderly woman behind the counter broke into a smile. Eyes widening and sparkling like a dying flower revived by the sun.
[My name is Hina Inoue Daidouji.]
"There you are Hina! You're late!" The old woman reached out to hand her a bento.
[When I normally introduce myself people wonder if Inoue is my middle name since my Father was a foreigner.]
"Thanks, Grandma."
[It's not.]
"Wait, you haven't forgotten you promised to look after the store for me today right?"
[Hina. Inoue. They're both my first names, they were the first names of my Maternal family's mother and my Paternal family's great-great grandmother. To this day, both my grandmothers refuse to acknowledge me by my full name addressing me only as the name they like.]
"Hmm?" Hina Inoue who was in the process of rushing outside, nearly broke her back trying to stop herself as she turned around. "Isn't it Momoka's turn?"
[That's right.]
The old woman's smiling face became sour.
[I'm... the living symbol of our family's discordance.]
"That girl said she suddenly had a date and refused to do it." Her face softened as she eyed her with hope. "But⊠you'll do it for me won't you?"
Hina Inoue could only nervously smile and nod. "Mmm."
[On my mother's side our family is very big. This is mostly because Mom...kept getting pregnant before she finally got married to Dad. As the only legitimate child in the family⊠I wonder if that's why Grandma's so insistent on having me around instead and let's my older sisters have their way... I never questioned it in the past because I was and am always grateful for distractions from home⊠but these days, the choices I've made out of my own best interest and peace of mind have become⊠irksome]
It was another first. The smile she left the store with was forced.
She arrived at school distracted and didn't even notice when her friend Shelby snuck up on her and shouted "Boo!"
[Grandmother only has me. So after lots of arguing it was decided that I would live with her since Grandma already had tons of grandchildren. Even if Momoka has a date there's still Chisa, Megumi, and Akiara my older nee-sans. You would think Grandma would have all the hands she needs⊠but she doesn't. My older sisters all have "lives" and apparently I have none. Well... it's true though.]
"Oh! You're not reacting to me at all?"
Hina Inoue's expression was flat until she saw who it was."Oh, you were here? Good morning Shelby-chan."
Being acknowledged appeased the girl, she adjusted her glasses while inspecting her.
[Suzuna Retasu, but she prefers to be addressed by her English name from when she lived abroad, Shelby. She's sensitive about her real name because of mean kids, I can also relate to that though not quite for the same reason. We became friends when we were in the same gymnastics team in middle school. Somehow we ended up at the same high school...although we're never in the same class...]
Shelby straightened after eyeballing Hina Inoue. "Let me guess, your grandmothers are fighting over you again?"
"Not yet...but it's inevitable from the way things are going that they probably will. Although it's my own fault."
"Heh...you're so popular, it's not just your grannies but all elders seem to like you in general."
The compliment felt random, a question sign hung over Hina Inoue's head. "That's not true child, what are you on?"
"Even the way you express yourself is like an old woman!"
Hina Inoue paled. Her expression morphed into a mixture of panic and disgust. She covered her mouth. "Really?" It was something she had also been self-conscious about her sisters teased her about it but now her friend was saying the same as well.
"Really!"
"OoohâŠ" Hina Inoue hung her head low.
Seeing that it only made her mood worse Shelby smiled awkwardly. "I'm lying."
"Wha-
"Just kidding! Then see ya at lunch!" Shelby waved her hand before entering the class next door before she could wave back.
It couldn't be taken back. Hina Inoue was already beginning to worry. "Am I really becoming like an old person?!" She wondered as she tried to pay attention in class.