The day of the Obon presentation had finally arrived, and the atmosphere in the classroom was buzzing with excitement and a bit of nervous energy. Akane sat near the front, clutching her notes and glancing at the door every few seconds. Their turn was approaching, and there was no sign of Zenkichi.
Where is he? she thought, her irritation rising. She'd rehearsed their presentation down to every line, but doing it alone wasn't exactly how she'd imagined it.
Their teacher, Mr. Sato, looked down at the attendance sheet and called out, "Next, Akane Takahashi and Zenkichi Nakamura for the Obon presentation."
Akane's stomach dropped. She stood up, her face flushed as she scanned the room one last time, hoping to see Zenkichi dashing in at the last second. But the doorway remained empty. Taking a deep breath, she walked to the front of the class alone, bracing herself to go solo.
Just as she opened her mouth to start, there was a loud bang as the classroom door flew open. Out of breath, his hair slightly disheveled and his bag slung over one shoulder, Zenkichi stumbled into the room.
"Sorry! Sorry, I'm late!" he panted, flashing the teacher a sheepish grin.
The class erupted in laughter, and even Mr. Sato cracked a small smile. "Glad you could join us, Zenkichi. Please, go ahead with your presentation."
Zenkichi took his place next to Akane, giving her an apologetic look as he caught his breath. "I wouldn't leave you hanging," he whispered, smirking a little.
Akane rolled her eyes, but she couldn't deny the wave of relief that washed over her. With a quick nod, they launched into their presentation.
Akane began with an explanation of the historical background of Obon, her voice calm and steady. She had prepared meticulously, and it showed in her confidence. Zenkichi chimed in, seamlessly picking up where she left off, talking about the customs associated with Obon—the family gatherings, the rituals, and the symbolic lanterns they had discussed together.
They moved on to the unique ways different regions celebrated Obon, with Akane covering the more traditional practices, and Zenkichi adding a bit of humor by imitating a lively Bon Odori dance, earning chuckles from their classmates. Akane rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.
Finally, they brought out the handmade lantern they'd crafted for their visual aid, carefully explaining its significance in guiding the spirits of ancestors back to the world of the living. Zenkichi gave a heartfelt description of how his family honored their own ancestors during Obon, a rare moment of sincerity that surprised Akane—and seemed to surprise him, too.
When they finished, there was a brief moment of silence before the classroom erupted into applause. The teacher clapped as well, nodding in approval. "Excellent job, both of you. That was one of the most engaging presentations today."
Akane felt a swell of pride, a smile spreading across her face as she glanced at Zenkichi. He gave her a quick thumbs-up, his usual grin plastered on his face, as if being late was all part of his plan.
As they returned to their seats, Zenkichi leaned over, whispering, "Told you I'd make it."
"Barely," she whispered back, trying to sound annoyed but failing to hide her smile.
With the presentation over, they both settled into their seats, relieved and surprisingly happy about how it all turned out.