The ring of a bell.
It's all that you hear on New Year's Day. On January the 1st, now 2020, it's time for hatsumōde, where we pray for good luck.
"I'm surprised that this place isn't as packed as I thought it'd be."
Miya-san said.
"Maybe people will come later. We came really early if I say so myself."
Yuki-nee said.
Miya-san turned to her oldest daughter.
"Yeah but last time, when we came at noon, it was packed, of course, we would leave early this year. Plus, we need to celebrate for a new decade."
She said.
"Really? Do we have to come this early? I still haven't gotten any sleep."
Kei breathed, rubbing her eyes.
Guess she had an all-nighter.
Today is New Year's Day, as anyone and everyone should know. It's also the day on which I have to choose between Anastasia and Akane. We agreed that we would meet up at their place at 6 pm.
That's the problem for me. The reference date, which happened on the 29th, wasn't really helpful for me in terms of choosing. So, I have to base my decision on previous encounters though I do already think I have an answer.
"It's rare to see you wearing a yukata, Shoya-nii."
"Hey, we're doing hatsumōde. Do you really want me to come in a t-shirt and sliders?"
We were in a line and now it was our turn to pray. Dad isn't here due to work reasons.
"You go first, Shou-kun."
Yuki-nee told me.
I walked up to the shrine. I rang the bell and then got a 100-yen coin out of my pocket and threw it into the offering box.
I then bowed twice and clapped twice and made a short prayer.
"Next."
I said, after doing the prayer.
After me was Miya-san. She threw in a 10,000 bill and prayed.
Yuki-nee and Kei both did 100 yen coins, like me.
We all left and went to the omikuji place. We gave coins and we each drew sticks with numbers.
We then told the attendant there our numbers and she got our omikuji sheets for us.
I winced when I saw mine.
"What'd you get, Mom?"
Kei asked.
Miya-san looked at her omikuji.
"Oh my, I got excellent good luck."
"Geh!"
All of us seemed to react at once.
There hasn't been a single year where Miya-san hasn't gotten an 'excellent good luck' omikuji. For some reason, it's always true.
"What does it say?"
I asked.
"Well, for love, it says, 'it'll be more fulfilling this time around.'"
"That's the first one you read?"
"Seriously, Mom..."
"Mom, that wasn't what we wanted to know."
"It's the most important one, okay?!"
She shouted at us, slightly embarrassed.
"My wish says that it'll be 'easy to achieve with the right people around.'"
Miya-san folded her omikuji and put it in her pocket.
"Last time it said 'it has already been achieved.' What did you wish for, Miya-san?"
Miya-san looked at me.
"You don't go asking people what they wished for, Shoya. If I tell you, my wish won't come true."
Yeah but I think the omikuji says otherwise.
"What was yours, Kei-chan?"
"Mine is..."
Kei unfolded hers and looked at it.
"Good luck."
"That's an upgrade from last year."
I commented.
"For my wish, it says, 'unachievable...'"
We all stayed silent for a moment.
"I thought that what you got was good luck."
"It is. That's why I'm confused."
Kei looked worried slightly; she glanced over at me.
"What?"
"N-nothing, what's your omikuji?"
"Mine? Let me check."
I unfolded mine and checked the fortune. I grimaced upon looking at the sheet.
"Well, what is it?"
"Uh... Extreme bad luck..."
Kei began laughing out loud. I didn't bother stopping her, I looked over my sheet.
"You're serious?! Extreme bad luck?! What does it say, tell me, tell me!"
The girl peeked over my shoulder but I shook her off.
"My wish says... 'You will lose everything.' My future says, 'you have none.'"
"W-what about anything else? Like..."
Kei changed personas all of a sudden.
"Like love! What does your love say?!"
"My love says, 'it shall be fulfilled according to you.'"
Gah, I got extremely bad luck. I mean, this is technically saying that I'm going to die this year. I'm not too worried though. I mean, I'm a Streia plus omikuji aren't always true. At least for me.
My wish was simply to have a good year but it's scary that this specific omikuji came to greet me.
That should be over... Now for...
---
"Hello."
I traveled to where Akane and Anastasia currently live. A mansion around an hour from my place. I was greeted by an unexpected face.
I stared at the girl in front of me. She looked slightly different but her face was the same. I would never mistake her facial features and eyes. Her hair was shorter and she was wearing a suit.
"Yo... Not 'yo!' Why am I greeting you so casually?! Yumeko! I haven't seen you for more than half a year now! Why are you here of all places?!"
Yes.
I was greeted by my younger sister in a suit. No, not Kei.
My biological younger sister, Yumeko Sasaki.
"Well, after that incident, I was taken to court and they saw that I hadn't committed any major crimes excluding this one."
She looked away.
"That was mostly because they were done under the radar..."
She muttered under her breath.
I'll just pretend I didn't hear that last part.
"Anyway, as a punishment, I'm forced to serve as a servant to the Kabura family."
"Oh..."
"Well, come in, I'm not allowed to follow. They say they're making an important decision in the dining room."
As soon as I walked in, I seemed lost. I turned back to look at Yumeko.
"Just go up the stairs and turn right."
"Thanks."
And so, I followed her instructions and opened the door.
Anastasia and Akane were standing next to each other, talking to each other.
"Finally, you're here, Shoya."
Hey, you're not saying 'Shou-kun,' anymore. It feels more natural when Akane calls me by my normal name.
"So, who did you pick?"
Anastasia asked.
Akane or Anastasia. I don't want to pick. Perhaps that's just me being selfish, greedy, or cowardly. No, it is.
If I choose one, I feel like I'll ruin my relationship with the other.
For some reason, I remembered my omikuji which I got earlier today.
'It shall be fulfilled according to you.'
Maybe being greedy and cowardly is alright.
But, will I have to reveal the fact that I'm the Black Emperor? I can think about that later.
"I choose both."
"B-both?!"
"What was the point of that date?"
Truly, there was no point.
"Hold on, why do you choose both?!"
It wasn't Akane who asked but Anastasia.
I scratched my head.
"Well, I couldn't come to a conclusion. I know it's selfish and greedy or whatever. But..."
"It's alright."
Akane said.
"Huh? What'd you say?"
"I said, it's alright."
What?
"Wait, so you're not mad?!"
Anastasia sighed.
"No, we knew that this would be your answer."
She told me.
"How?"
"Well, you're the type to think more about others than yourselves."
"We guessed you would choose this since you'd be worried about the other person who wasn't chosen."
The two spoke.
I chuckled.
"Haha! You two sure know me!"
"You have to pay the price for not being fair..."
Akane crept forward.
"What?"
"Yeah, we'll leave you in good shape since we'll need you in the future."
Anastasia began cracking her knuckles.
"Hey... We can talk, can't we?"
Ah... I hope I don't see the light...