Ten years ago…

At New Year's Eve, my grandparents took me to the local shrine to give offerings and make my New Year's wish. It was my first visit to the Hikawa Shrine.

Standing near the temple gate, or torii, was a little girl wearing a fitting copy of a Shinto Priestess's kimono. Her hair was black and short, and a tiny ribbon was barely seen atop her head. She smiled and greeted everyone coming in the gate, handing out leaflets and fortune cards. As my grandparents and I drew closer, she turned our way and beamed.

"Good evening," she greeted my grandparents and to me she practically whispered, "Do you have a wish? Mine's to be a singing priestess!" She was awfully serious about it that I only stared and mumbled my half-decided wish.

I was smitten. And I didn't even realize.

Five years ago…

"I'm going to be late!"

My friends and I were supposed to meet at the Juban shopping district, near the fountain. I was so excited to finally go on my first date, that I spent too much time deciding on what clothes to wear. When I finally got around to choosing, it was already time! I only managed to squeeze in a few drops of gel on my hair and spray some perfume before I ran out of the house.

"Come on Kioshi!" called Ottori as he spotted me. "The girls are already there!"

It was a group date and as such, we were supposed to go the local Karaoke Parlor. All four of us guys decided to meet up first before meeting the girls there so as to somehow support each other. We were not geeky, ugly, or unlikeable to need to go there in full force. It's just that it was our first time on a date and we were too shy to go alone or even ask a girl out on a date. And we were already teenagers! How pathetic were we? Luckily, Ottori's childhood friend agreed to set up a group date with us and promised to bring four other friends.

"Hey Motoki," Ottori waved at the blond guy behind the counter. He nodded and waved us in.

"The girls are already waiting in room 105," Motoki informed us.

"Thanks," we replied in unison.

It was a little dark inside the room except for the light shown from the TV screen. But despite this, my eyes immediately settled on one solitary figure seated in the middle of five girls. She was the only one in her school uniform, as if she didn't care about how she looked or even care about the date. It was as if she was the last person to be invited, refused, dragged, and reluctantly agreed.

Time must have skipped between me staring at her long, straight, black hair and purple eyes because all I heard was Ottori's friend ending the introductions with, "…and this is Rei Hino."

Rei Hino. I replayed her name in my mind. She seemed familiar. I stepped forward and faced her, which drew several eyes towards me. Even I was surprised at my own sudden surge of courage, or foolishness (whichever way you put it), although Rei seemed unfazed and just looked up at me, unblinking.

"Hi Rei, my name's Kioshi Hotaka." I held out my hand to shake hers and continued, "Have me met before?"

"No," was he cool reply. "I don't think so."

"Oh," was all I said.