"Kagura, are you going to join the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"Mid-Autumn Festival? What's it",asked Kagura
"It's a festival to celebrate the fertile harvest. So do you want to come and play with us tonight? It'll be so much fun, we will walk around the streets…"
"Gin-chan said kids shouldn't stay out late!"
"…and carry our lanterns while the adult are…"
"Lanterns? That does sound fun."
"So you are coming right? We'll be waiting for you, Kagura. Remember to bring your lantern. Okay?"
"Okay."
At the Yorozuya ….
"Gin-chan, I want to go to the Mid-Autumn Festival tonight."
"Ain't that take place very late?", the silver perm haired samurai said without taking his eyes off the newest issue of Jump. "And kids shouldn't stay out late."
"But all my friends will be there. I want to have a pretty lantern too.", Kagura frowned.
"You think we got money for that? We haven't paid the house rent for two months, you know. Use your own money to buy them."
"But you've never paid me, you mean old man!"
"Yeah! Talked the brat who eats fifty bowls of rice for a meal! You broke me!"
"Now, now, Kagura is just a child, she need to have fun too…"
"Shut up, Megane! It's because you spoil her too much, now she dare to talk back to me!"
"Who the hell is Megane ? Why are you always called me that? I 'm a samurai, an honorable samurai I tell you!"
SLAM!
Kagura shut the door behind her back, she knew this was a no-ending conversation. Seriously, sometimes she surprised that she could admire such a person. A man who put his life in line to buy Jump, a samurai who can't live without strawberry milk everyday and a parfait every week. *Sigh*. There was no way he would put his Jump fund in danger to buy her a lantern. It's sun set already, she could hear the sound of children laughing, preparing for the festival tonight. She opened her purple umbrella, hid her face under it, and walked to the river bank. She always went there when she was felling down.
Kagura sat by the river, silently watched the water flowed. "It'll be dark soon, and my friends are gonna have fun together, while I have to stay home just like everyday else" . It made her remember those times when she was just a kid, day by day she waited for her father. When she grew up a little, she had to wait for her brother as well. She couldn't come to them, she could only wait until they came back. "Arghhh, I hate this.", she was mumbled to herself when she heard someone calling her.
"Oi! China!"
It was not "someone". It was Okita Sougo , the first division captain of Shinsengumi, and also was her sworn rival. Now that he is here. This could only mean her day was turning from "bad" straight down to "worst".
"What the hell you want, Sadist?",Kagura turned around to see the young man.
Okita walked closer to Kagura and took out a red box:
"Kondo- san told me to give this moon cake to that four-eyed at your house, I heard it's a cake delicate for this event in some other countries. Anyway, I got work to do so I'll leave this to you."
"Don't you mean you got to go sleeping at the park bench. And I'm not your maid. Deliver it your own.", Kagura faced back with Okita, stared down at the river.
"Come on, China. Aren't you going home now? Just be a nice monster and give it to four-eyed for me." The Shinsengumi captain said in a monotonous voice, as if there's nothing wrong in the way he talked to a girl while asking for a favor.
Okita was ready for a punch right at his nose from Kagura. But there's nothing. She just sat there, under her umbrella. Strange. Usually, she would have fought back, verbally or physically. It's their routine, teasing, insulting and kicking each other's ass. Now, she ignores him. "Ignores him"? How dare she ignore her own sworn rival? Did she think he would let this slide?
"You know what day is today?"
"…."
"Guess there's no way a dense amanto monster would know then."
"Shut up! Today is Mid-Autumn Festival right? It is to celebrate the fertile harvest, people don't have to work anymore. And tonight, they would carry their lantern around the street, singing and dancing together like what they are doing right now, right?!"
Kagura turned back to shouted at Okita. Her voice was full of anger but it was her sad eyes that made Okita lost his words for a second. He loved to see the faces of women twitch, showing the ugly side within each human. But, this time, Kagura' s face made he felt unease. That was so not like him, and he got to do something about it.
"You really are stupid.", Okita said.
"You fucking Sadist!" Kagura blushed furiously. She jumped up to smack her umbrella at the Sadist's face.
But he dodged the attack, by sat down next to her.
"What are you…"
" …carry their lantern around the street, singing and dancing together…Those are only to distract children like you from the main activity of the festival."
"The main…"
"Yeah.", with a bored expression, Okita pointed his finger to the sky. The full moon was spreading its shining light. "This is also called The Moon Festival, you know."
Okita opened the red box that was supposed to be delivered to Shinpachi. Inside the box was a big moon cake. Okita took a quarter and give it to Kagura.
"I don't want it! Who know what kind of lethal poison you put in it."
"I don't need to use such method to finish you off, China. Besides, I prefer slowly torture and humiliate you before that. Now, shut your mouth and eat."
"Huh! How can I eat when my mouth is shut, you stupid!", Kagura said and grabbed the piece of cake. She actually didn't want to take it, but she hadn't had dinner yet, and the cake looked really, really yummy. So she gave up, sat down and enjoyed the delicious piece of cake.
After having finished her share, Kagura took another quarter and asked her rival, who was currently staring at the sky.
"So, why call Moon Festival?"
"They say that because for the whole year the farmers have worked so hard they don't have time take care of their family. When the harvest is over, they hold this festival to gather their family and they choose the full moon to be the symbol of reunion. So when the full moon appears in the August sky, people gather their loved ones and together enjoy the beautiful moon with peace and relaxation. And that how we got the Mid-Autumn Festival."
*munch munch munch*
"Oi, you piggy, you asked me and you don't even listening to what I'm saying?"
"Why should I listen to what some bastards like you say? I'm going home or Gin-chan gonna mad at me. It's dinner time already."
Kagura stood up and left, not forgot to took the moon cake box along. Okita watched her walked away, to the Yorozuya place. He sighed as he flopped down the grass.
"Well, at least she's back to normal."
At the Yorozuya, …
"I'm home!"
"Kagura, where have you been? It's almost dinner time. Didn't I tell you to go back before sun set?" the silver samurai, lying lazily on the sofa, asked
"I went to the Mid-Autumn Festival. Oh, this is the moon cake Gori sends to you, Megane."
"But they haven't started yet, there is no line of children carrying lanterns around the street." Shinpachi asked, opened the box. "And why is there only a quarter of it?"
"Megane, are you stupid? Mid-Autumn Festival is not all about that. This is the time to enjoy the beautiful moon with peace and relaxation with your loved ones".- Kagura said with an I-know-it-all face. "And I ate it with a loved o…., no, a…uhm…."
"So you eat the moon cake with your friend without even asking me? Give me back my moon cake, ya brat! Who is this friend of you that dare to ate my cake." Gintoki yelled from anger of losing sweet food.
"It's not your cake…." Shinpachi said.
"Oh shut up,you noisy men! I was kind enough to leave you a piece, didn't I?"–Kagura said while headed back to her room ( to the closet, actually).
"….And he is much more than just a friend." Kagura whispered.