The sun shone brightly in the clear sky, marking the midpoint of Sunday. The weather was pleasantly mild — not hot enough to make Shouichi sweat, with a gentle breeze occasionally cooling his skin.
"Ugh! It's so bright today…" Shouichi complained as he walked along a busy road, watching cheerful crowds.
At the moment, enthusiasm would be the right word to describe the townspeople's vibes, "What are they excited for?" Shouichi pondered loudly.
Once Shouichi took a turn to the Hoshimashi shopping district, he quickly noticed many shops had closed. The handwritten sign in front of a store read "Closed for the Fire Festival! Apologies!"
"Man, what is this Fire Festival? I haven't been told anything." Shouichi grumbled, his face appeared confused.
Apparently, it was part of his fault, the boy had been camping for the midterms for the whole Saturday. Shouichi had a lot of fun preparing his materials for the exam, he didn't realise it was way past his normal bedtime.
"I think I fell asleep at 3 or 4 AM last night on my desk," Shouichi recalled, being more or less gloomy. The fuzzy boy headed to Yoko Sweet Cafe, hoping to grab some brunch (breakfast & lunch) and rejuvenate himself.
"Closed!" The sign on Yoko Sweet Cafe clearly was hung prominently in front of her store.
"HAAA!?" Shouichi exclaimed, he didn't expect that at all.
The gloomy boy with dark circles around his eyes stood still at the cafe, "I don't need sleep, I need answers!" His words from last night floated into his mind.
"I should've just asked Shinji or Ayane for help instead of trying to figure it out on my own..." He regretted it terribly.
"Yoko-san didn't say anything about this at all... Odds..." He pondered for a moment before deciding, "No matter I'd just call her!"
As Shouichi reached for his phone, "Eh? Eh? Eh? Left pocket… right pocket… Empty!" He totally left it at home.
"This is the worst! I'll have to walk home again!" Shouichi blew his nose in exasperation and his heart shattered. There was only one choice left, he decided to head home miserably than ever.
"Shou-kun?!" A familiar voice called out to him. He quickly turned around. Two girls walked toward him, their presence was mesmerising. They were unmistakably Yamomoto Yoko and Morimura Ayane, adorned in enchanting traditional yukata.
Yoko wore a blue and white yukata, her elegance further highlighted by her long black hair, braided and styled into a graceful bun. Her brown eyes sparkled with a warm, inviting glow.
Ayane, beside her, wore a pink yukata that contradicted her calm personality. Her jet-black hair was braided into a single, elegant tail that cascaded down her chest like a waterfall of silk. Her youthful charm was accentuated by her bright, expressive eyes and a gentle smile that lit up her face.
One might mistake them for sisters.
"Shou-kun? We've been looking for you!" Yoko spoke up, her voice filled with tenderness, while Ayane was waving at him.
It looked like two gorgeous sisters talking to a raccoon.
"Hi, Mom, Ayane," He smiled wearily at them, fully aware of his awful look.
"... " Ayane was silent. She appeared slightly displeased as she looked at him from her nose.
"Duh? Are you really this dense? Some compliment would be nice, Shou-kun?" Yoko urged him a little, signalling him to pay more attention to Ayane.
"Oh! You guys look incredibly beautiful today. Especially, you, Ayane-chan!" Shouichi responded accordingly. His praise made Ayane blush a little. Her dark purples glanced away to the distance.
"Atta boy!... She's so gorgeous, right? We'll pretend to be sisters today, fufu." Yoko said gleefully, swirling her flowing sleeves around.
"Not gonna lie, they do look alike, especially with the same make-up style," Shouichi remarked internally.
"Yeah, haha. But what's the occasion?" He stupidly asked.
"Well, we were looking for you 'cause we planned to go to the Fire Festival tonight. But you weren't nowhere to be found." Yoko replied.
"Right… Sorry, I forgot my phone at home. I just assumed your cafe was open." Shouichi told them nonchalantly.
"Seriously? Didn't you know that your mom had a food stall at the festival? She'd been setting it up since the morning." Ayane chimed in with a condescending tone.
"Huh? Why didn't you tell me, Yoko-san?" He surprisedly turned to question her.
"Because I saw you were working hard for your exam last night, I didn't want to bother you during your study session. I had hired some of the guys to help with the set-up, so you don't have to worry about it!" Yoko spoke, using her gentle tone.
"Hahaha, my bad. It's my first exam here so I'm kinda anxious about it." He admitted shamefully while rubbing the back of his head.
"What a nerd! You shouldn't be spending the whole night studying. That's dumb!" Ayane mocked, flashing her pink tongue.
"You are also one! Stop trying to act cool about it." Shouichi lightheartedly retorted.
"Huh? Just to let you know you are talking to none other than a Rank 1 student in the second year!" Ayane bragged, wearing a conceited smug and placing her elbow on his shoulder.
"You?! Don't make me laugh! … What a liar!" Shouichi shot back, brushing her elbow off in defiance.
"How dare you call me a liar?! I'll show you who's the dumb one here!" Ayane snapped, her eyes narrowing as her temper flared.
"There's no sign of intelligent life here," Shouichi quipped, reenacting a line from his favourite movie with an exaggerated tone, smirking mischievously.
"What is even that?! Hahaha!" Ayane laughed, grabbing her stomach, and soon Shouichi and Yoko joined in, "Hahahahaha!"
"Let's go home together, guys, I've ordered some take-outs for lunch. Have you eaten yet?" His mother said, turning to Shouichi.
"Nope, I haven't had anything at all." He answered with a weak smile.
"You must have been hungry, Shou-kun." Yoko returned. She then smiled and squeezed his shoulder.
"Let's go, then? Ayane-chan, you too." Yoko announced, lightly tucking both Shouichi's and Ayane's hands.
"Yes..." Shouichi nodded.
"Yoko-san, don't forget we were here to get packaging for our stall," Ayane kindly reminded her.
"Oh? I completely forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me!" She replied before quickly going back to grab a carton of packaging inside her store.
The three of them looked like a picture-perfect trio of siblings, walking hand-in-hand with warm smiles as they made their way toward the car.
The mouthwatering pizza set was laid out neatly on the dining table in the Yamamoto residence. Just the sight of it was enough to make Shouichi feel slightly rejuvenated. Yoko sat comfortably across from Ayane and Shouichi, her gaze calm and observant.
"Thanks for the food!" They spoke in unison before taking a slice each.
"It's delicious! Goodness, this is a whole lot tastier than Australian ones." Shouichi spoke in awe after a quick bite. The potent flavour of spice and cheese slammed his tastebuds. He was humming happily as he ate.
"Is that so? Try this one, it's Corn Mayo! Fufufu," Yoko suggested gleefully as she served a slice of pizza to his plate.
"What about you, Ayane-chan? Which one is your favourite pizza?" Yoko turned to ask her supposedly daughter.
"I'd love all of them actually. But if I have to pick one, it's gonna be… Seafood!" Ayane replied, pointing at the dish and taking a slice to her plate.
"Oh! It's kinda hard to get seafood around here, right? I mean, since Kurohashi is not connected to any sea," Yoko reasoned while watching the two youngsters enjoying the food she bought.
"Say… What is this Fire Festival about?" The boy suddenly asked out of curiosity.
"It's like an annual event at Kagehiro-jinja temple. Typically, they got all the good stuff, food stalls, omanari (luck charms), and the fire ceremony where they lit a really large bonfire around the goddess statue!" Ayane explained anticipatingly.
"That's right! Don't forget the floating lanterns too." Yoko added.
"Hmm? Seems like a really interesting event." Shouichi commented, followed by nodding.
"Of course! You have to see the bonfire! It's absolutely mystical and breathtaking," Ayane exclaimed, her voice brimming with enthusiasm.
"Shou-kun. After you finish the meal, please take a bath and wear the clothes I provided in the dressing room, got it?" Yoko said and gazed at him caringly.
"Understood, Yoko-san." He returned with a smile.
After a while, Yoko and Ayane prepared themselves to leave, Yoko said to the boy, "So, we will head out to the temple now. Catch up with us later at the stall, alright?"
"Right, right... Ayane-chan, you are going to the stall too?" He turned to ask his friend.
"Yep! I'm helping Yoko out as her cashier today!" She answered eagerly.
"Hmm? Hey, I can help you too, Yoko-san?" Shouichi asked, still amazed by the fact that Ayane was helping the stall out for this occasion. Usually, she was supposed to be a customer.
"Don't worry, just enjoy the show! Also, I'd rather have my lucky neko-chan with me, hehe!" Yoko brushed him off and placed both hands on Ayane's shoulders.
"More like a sly fox." He argued in his mind.
"I'm definitely Yoko-san's favourite! " Ayane added delightedly. Yoko nodded agreeingly in response.
"I guess, I can't convince you otherwise," Shouichi shook his head and sighed.
***
Shouichi sank into the warm, lavender-scented bath, the soothing aroma easing his tension. It was a refreshing escape, calming his restless mind. Eventually, he picked up his phone and began scrolling through a series of missed calls and messages from his mom, Ayane, Shinji, Momo, and his girlfriend, Misaki. Just as he contemplated replying, the phone buzzed in his hand — someone was calling him.
"Oh! Misa-chan is calling?" He quickly picked up the call, framing only the upper body in the video.
"Shou-senpai! Where have you been?! Hmph!" Misaki's voice burst through the line, her tone sharp with irritation.
The screen lit up, revealing her figure in a bewitching pastel cream yukata adorned with delicate floral patterns. Her usual high twin tails were absent, replaced by loose braids that cascaded gracefully down her collarbones and bosoms. It was a subtle change, yet it transformed her appearance entirely, lending her a mature, almost otherworldly elegance.
Even with her pout and angry glare, Shouichi couldn't help but marvel at how stunning she looked. For a moment, her scolding words blurred into the background as he found himself captivated by her beauty.
"Eh? Sorry! Misa-chan. I just woke up!" He lied through his teeth.
"Liar! You were with some girl, right? Cheater!" The girl started accusing him wildly.
"Huh? Of course not! I wouldn't do that." He also lied, thinking it was just a white lie so it should be acceptable in his book.
"~Okay! I believe you then. Hehe. Your location tracker seems convincing enough!" The girl spilled, although she had no remorse for revealing it.
"Location tracker? You can track my phone?" Shouichi asked, flabbergasted at how clingy his girlfriend was.
"Thanks, god. I left my phone in my house, otherwise I've been caught big time!" Shouichi thought in relief.
"Fufufu, yes! Why not? You got nothing to hide, right?" The girl stuck her tongue out playfully.
"Well, yes..." Shouichi ended up agreeing with her logic, he later asked, "Why are you calling me? Misa-chan."
"About the Fire Ceremony, I want to watch it with you, Shou-senpai!" Misaki pleaded with him adoringly.
"I wanna watch it with you too!"
"Really?! Awesome!" She eagerly replied.
"I gotta get out of the bath soon; I've been soaking for too long," Shouichi finally told her, his tone softening.
"Alrighty, Shou-senpai! See ya!" Misaki responded, her voice instantly bright and cheerful, as though her earlier frustration had evaporated.
"See ya~, Misa-chan!" Shouichi replied warmly, bidding her goodbye before ending the call.
With a sigh of relief and a small smile lingering on his lips, he set his phone aside, letting the warmth of the bath ease his remaining tension.
***
Later, Shouichi awkwardly changed into the clothes his mother provided in the dressing room. It was a luxurious white yukata with a black ombre toward the hemline, topped with a black Haori (jacket) and a light grey obi (belt).
"Wow, I look so peak in this!" Shouichi thought, looking at his reflection in the full-size mirror. The black two-block hairstyle with edgy long bangs was the trend of the moment. His eyes were sharp and expressive, unlike his morning self.
Overall, Shouichi appeared to be an attractive young adolescent with a bit of a rebellious vibe.
The boy casually left the house and took a bus to Kagehiro-jinja temple where the event took place.
***
It was 14.13 hours when Shouichi's bus arrived at the front gate of the Kagehiro-jinja temple. The temple had an old red Mon gate with two golden lions on each side. There was quite a crowd already from the main gate to the temple ground, where the food stalls were located. The temple covered over a large area with the surrounding concrete fences around it. Shouichi noticed a temple that might have been associated with fire or red colour as he could see the maple trees and unique red-orange leaves. Hence the fire ceremony.
Shouichi took a short step into the entrance leading to a long corridor with tall maple trees on both sides, it felt serene and beautiful but stimulating with their bright red leaves on the stone path. There were townpeople hanging around, taking pictures in this area, their joyful voices echoed away.
After a long corridor, it led him to the large opening area, bustling with shops and food stalls.
In the heart of the sacred grounds stood a colossal statue of the goddess, radiating serenity and reverence. Surrounding it were three major structures, each with its unique purpose.
To the right of the statue, the largest building housed the main shrine, comprised of two interconnected structures. The inner and outer shrines were elegantly linked by a traditional wooden fence, preserving the sanctity of the area.
On the left side of the statue stood the shrine office, a bustling hub where visitors could purchase Omamori charms and seek blessings.
Finally, directly opposite the shrine office lay the subsidiary shrine, a smaller but equally significant space dedicated to honouring lesser deities and offering prayers for specific needs.
"Wow, this place must have been loaded, judging by all these buildings." He exclaimed loudly, amazed by the spectacular view and the Japanese traditional architecture. In addition, this area was brimmed with visitors, queuing for food and shopping for souvenirs. As a result, the atmosphere was undoubtedly radiant, blissful, and festive.
As Shouichi made his way through the middle column, he spotted a decorated stall with the sign 'Maid & Tea Bliss'. He instantly recognised Momo, in her usual maid costume, working as a cashier.
"Good afternoon!" He greeted her amicably. Once he stepped closely, she wore cute white cat ears instead of her usual maid headdress.
"Good afternoon, Master… How may I help you?" The maid spoke politely after she finished serving another customer, Momo didn't seem to recognise him.
"Eh? Why are you being super polite to me?" Shouichi asked and smiled at her wearily.
"Huh? Do we know each other by any chance?" She looked at him baffledly, pointing at herself.
When Shouichi finally got a clear look at her face, the maid appeared noticeably more mature, and her chest was undeniably fuller than that of his friend, Tomako Momo.
"Ohhhhhh! You must be Momo's friend! I'm her big sister, Tomako Ai... Nice to finally meet you!" she exclaimed warmly, extending her delicate hand. Shouichi instinctively reached out and shook it gently, feeling the softness of her touch.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Seito Shouichi, Tomako-san!" He introduced himself politely. It was almost unbelievable that Momo's sister was basically her mature version. They awfully looked similar to one another, especially in their costumes with heavy make-up and wigs.
"Momo-chan! Your friend's here to visit you!" She eagerly called out to the girl in the back.
Shortly afterwards, the real Momo popped out of the stall, greeting Shouichi with a sweet smile, "Hello! Shouichi-kun, fancy seeing you today." She spoke, waving her hand.
"Hi, Momo-chan! I just mistook your big sis for you. You guys really look alike—like doppelgängers. Hahaha!" Shouichi said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Fufufu, we got that quite often actually…" The maid lady giggled, approaching him with her hand up as though she was about to whisper something, he listened attentively, "So, which one do you prefer?"
"Eh? That's out of nowhere!" He lashed out, a bit louder than he intended. His face turned a brighter shade of red.
"Aha! Gotcha!" Momo burst out laughing, covering her mouth.
"Damn... Momo is so different in class. I guess the maid costume suddenly gives her superpower." He thought.
"Aight! You got me there... Can I order something please?" Shouichi requested promptly, noticing queuing people behind him, their faces starting to get frustrated.
"Yes, Master! For today's special, we have the matcha with red bean paste, would you like to try it, young master?" She switched gear, turning into a full serious mode while pointing at the picture on the menu.
"Huh? I'd like to have… " Shouichi paused dramatically, gazing at her with a big smug, "One Momo-chan, please!" He said mischievously as he pointed at her. It was cringy than he anticipated.
"My! Is that a confession?" The couple behind him gasped in astonishment, forgetting their exasperation of waiting for so long.
"EH?! SHOUICHI-KUN!?" The maid girl exclaimed. Almost immediately, her face turned deep red and soon buried it in her palms.
"I gotcha! Hahaha!" Shouichi added with a laugh and thought to himself, "The one who laughed last, laughed the most."
"Hey, handsome. If you wanna take her out, please do it afterwards!" The big sister eventually interjected. Her words were laced with mild irritation.
"Ah, sorry! I got a bit carried away... Um,... I'd like to have a special matcha, please, Tomako-san," Shouichi abruptly ordered, fidgeting with his silky, black hair. He felt a bit guilty for wasting everyone's time. "Understood, master," Tomako Senior replied with a smile, showing no sign of anger. Then she leaned closer to whisper something to Tomako Momo, her tone low and secretive, leaving Shouichi unable to catch a word. The exchange felt oddly suspicious.
Shouichi, brushing off his unease, settled the bill with cash. Tomako gracefully placed the receipt and change in his palm, her movements fluid and professional.
After a few moments had passed, Tomako Momo emerged through the cashier window, handing him a large paper cup with a dome cap.
"Thank you very much!" Shouichi said gleefully as he deliberately clasped her hands with tenderness, still toying with the poor girl. It gave him an odd sense of satisfaction.
"Plea~Please enjoy, Shouichi-kun!" Momo's voice faltered with bashfullness.
"Truth be told, the shy Momo is inexplicably more attractive and mysterious than the confident one," He concluded in his mind.