Disclaimer: It's a work of fiction and just having fun with my favorite SNS pairing
Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate that you take time to give me feedback and the motivation they give!
Without further ado, this is the last chapter of the 1st arc!
Semi-consciousness returned with a slow deep breath. Naturally, I wanted to return to sleep. Eyes still closed, I nuzzled deeper onto whatever I was laying my head on.
Firm with a little give, at just the right level that I like.
Though light, there was a deep, woody scent, with a mix of floral, rich, balsamic, soft, and sweet accents. I think I kind of like it. I groggily flipped through my extensive library of scents in my mind and got it:
Sandalwood.
...Oh.
Yukihira.
My eyes fluttered open. In contrast to last night where his head leaned on my shoulders, mine is now on his. So that was what I was snuggling on...
Should… should I jerk away? If I do so, would it not wake him and he will see us in this position?
On the other hand, I'm... pretty comfortable.
I roved my sight upwards and found his eyes still shut, breathing evenly and lightly. Great, he's still asleep.
Now I will make heads or tails of the situation: His head is leaning on mine, which is resting on his broad shoulder; our shoulders are pressed against each other and both of us are now sharing the blanket.
... Wait.
If the blanket is now on me, this means...
First things first, maybe if i just -
"Hey." Yukihira breathed above my head, "Good morning."
I immediately felt hot on my face and ears, feeling like I just got caught with a hand in the cookie jar. Well, the jig was up. However, I still needed some time to calm my adrenaline-ridden nerves, and my surely flushed skin, so I remained as I was. "I didn't know you were awake." ohh, morning breath...
"Have been for a while… you were still sleeping so I didn't have the heart to." I found it amusing that it was similar to my last night's thoughts of seeing him sleep. "Then I felt you moving around."
Humph, "Well, we're both awake now... would you move?'
He took a deep breath through his nose (glad I washed my hair last night), "I'm pretty comfortable," came the reply in a light teasing tone; I could feel his smile above me. The typically cheesy Yukihira is back. Guess he's already fine.
I suppressed a laugh with a sharp exhale, extracting myself from under him by pulling away- Ow, my shoulders and back… guess that's what happens when you sleep sitting up.
"You alright?"
"Just a little sore on the upper back."
"Ah… erm, sorry." I believe he was apologizing for indirectly causing me discomfort.
"Not your fault and I'm not blaming you. It's no big deal."
"Lie down on your tummy. I'll help."
"Huh?"
"Lie down flat on your tummy," he repeated, "I'll work it out for you."
Does he mean to give me a back massage?
"Just help release your upper back. I learnt it from a licensed chiropractor."
There's something about the way he spoke that assured me he knows what he is doing.
And I trust him.
I compiled and lay prone to the ground, following his further instructions for adjustment.
"Great. I'm going to talk through what I'm doing. At any point you feel any sharp pain or discomfort, let me know, alright?"
Mmmm. The only reply I could give.
"I'm going to press through your back to check and loosen up. Starting with the highest position… now moving lower... and lower… and this is the lowest position. Any discomfort?"
None whatsoever, really. He had no hesitation, steady hands and open communication: seems like this is legit. Besides, the gentle rocking motions are quite pleasant.
"Now I'm going to press on your upper back. Breathe in and out normally, My hands are in position. Relax, keep your mouth open and do not hold your breath… breathe in… and out."
Crack. Ohhh… Any tension and pressure were relieved in a single pressing motion.
"How are you feeling? Good? Ok, next one: Breathe in… and out." Crack. "Breathe in… and out… alright this is the limit."
No wait, don't stop…oh...oh, that tissue kneading… right there at the shoulder blade, that stubborn knot. That feels… so, so good that I couldn't help but let out an audible sigh.
"Glad you like it."
"I never knew how this felt. Usually, I'm the one giving back massages to Erina-sama."
"A chef, secretary and a masseuse… you're really multi-talented, Nakiri is fortunate to have you." I wasn't used to such praise; it actually felt quite nice to hear such recognition.
"You're multi talented too," I wanted to pay him back with a compliment, "any girl will be fortunate to have you…" oop, those words came out before I caught myself. I must have been too relaxed… "so, why did you learn this skill?" change the subject, good save, me.
Yukihira continued his motions for a few moments, and replied, "when I was younger, my mom was bed ridden for a period. It was recommended that we massage her frequently to prevent bedsores. I did what I could for her. So I learnt what I can to help." His tone had a tinge of nostalgia.
Wow, filial piety.
Chef extraordinaire, private masseuse and pious! Quick, ladies: this catch of a man is just recently single!
"But, it's mostly my dad who does it though." Yukihira's light laugh broke the solemn atmosphere. "She would always say dad's better at it."
"Would?" I had a feeling of what it implied but I better not assume. I decided this kind of talk was better suited facing each other.
"Yeh." Yukihira sat back as I repositioned myself. "She had a heart defect that went unnoticed for a long time. Mom was tough though, she lasted a month before succumbing."
He didn't sound sad… neither was it said in his usual easy tone; I sensed that this was a subject that he had kept within him for a very long time, waiting for someone to get it off his chest that an ordinary friend may not be able to fulfill that role. Someone who is… ah.
Placing a hand on his, "tell me about your mom."
He brightened and spoke excitedly about her. Like how she was in high school, her cooking abilities (or rather, lack thereof), her connection with customers, their family dynamics, and the Yukihira Chef's special… he weaved a life story of his mother that a loving son would.
It was a touching story, I could not help but tear at his recollection. Yukihira, on the other hand, seemed like some weight in his heart had been lifted, now that it was shared. The conversation came to his signature bandana, and its significance: a connection to his mother and a preservation of her memory.
I came to appreciate the palm wide, meter long white piece of cloth. The ones that were wrapped around my wrist for the past week and a half, the ones that had become 2nd nature to put on, were filled with meaningful symbolism.
Yes, 2nd nature as I barely realized I was wearing it all the time: even during that date with Aida Shion and that rehearsal last night.
So when it came time to head down for our last day of duty at this restaurant, despite the bruise mark already gone some time ago, I reached out my arm, with one of his bandanas in hand, "Help me put it on."
While it was a simple request from me, the appreciation on Yukihira's face made it clear it meant alot to him.
"We'll be having an early closure today."
We staff looked amongst each other, unsure if we heard what restaurant owner Mitamura-san said. "Why?", "Won't It be the busiest period of the season?", "Are you sure?" all came up almost together.
Mitamura-san held up his hands to settle us down, "I understand your confusion, please let me finish." He looked at each of us before continuing,
"I set up this summer only restaurant to catch the summer crowd. In the past two weeks, we've already exceeded more than what I expected this place would have made. For that fact, I have to thank both Arato-san and Yukihira-san's efforts and creation." he nodded and beamed at both of us.
"Secondly, the customers coming today are most likely be here to watch the fireworks festival which is best seen near the concert area, I expect that a clear majority of them will be drawn away, and the restaurant will be underutilized if we kept it open, which won't be the best use of our time considering that you could be enjoying it too. Which leads me to the final point," Mitamura-san directed his next words to Yukihira and me, "both of you have been working everyday for the past two weeks. I know it's not much to offer before leaving here tomorrow... but take this evening off; you deserve it!"
Hearing rallying words in the morning brief motivated us for the day. As predicted, we were crazy busy: it was one order after another, one cleared table was immediately taken up by the next from the snaking queue that stretched out to the sand. We should be thankful that the past days were just warm up just for today as we created our norms and coordination with each other. Even Mitamura-san had jumped in to help.
The tea shop lady we met on the first day finally found time to visit the shop. Ever since Shinko matcha took off, we've been getting our tea supply from her, so of course she was very happy to meet us in person.
She still insisted that we looked like a couple, taking special mention about our matching bandana tied on our wrist. I simply accommodated her fantasy with polite smiles and nods. I was gifted with another rare tea.
I was kind of surprised that Aida-san had not visited us. With the over 30 missed calls and messages that were found on my phone this morning, I was half expecting his chauffeur to be waiting for me when I got to the ground floor. As the day ticked by, I thought he would drop by unannounced; which made me cringe at the thought of fans rushing in to catch a glimpse of a celebrity, hindering our work.
So far, so good. Perhaps my reply text to turn him down gently had got through to him.
As an added bonus, at least Fujiwara Yumiko had the decency to make herself scarce.
The reporter I met yesterday, though, had questions for me after finishing the interview with Mitamura-san, Yukihira and me, "...what can you tell about your relationship with Aida Shion?"
I rolled my eyes, beginning to regret agreeing for a private word with her, "I believe that we were supposed to just talk about the restaurant and Shinko matcha?"
"I think it is a fair question, being that he's quite a private person."
"Sorry," I raised a hand to stop further persuasion, "I have no comment on that matter." prior experiences of speaking with the media made that natural and automatic.
The reporter smirked at that, "Seems you know how this game is played. So you do know that any photos taken in public may be published right?"
As I suspected, they did take pictures of the stunt Aida Shion pulled yesterday. "I also know that it will be within my right to deny everything as well as to exercise legal options if you publish without my consent. And yours is a reputable paper, such tabloid gossip is not your type of article."
A pause. The reporter raised an eyebrow, impressed, before breaking into a light laugh, "You know your stuff. You don't seem to be simply just a student in a culinary school."
I shrugged knowing she's attempting to probe deeper into my life, "let's just focus on the restaurant and Shinko matcha for your article."
"Ah yes, Shinko matcha. It's a mix of both yours and that boy's names… I didn't ask earlier, does that have any deeper meaning?" Her eyes flashed to the piece of cloth at my wrist. Surely she would have observed Yukihira having one on his wrist too.
I was caught by that question. What kind of answer was she expecting from me? Does deeper refer to beyond a brand name? Does it refer to our relationship? What is our relationship? Looking back from the first day I met him, to the start of this summer until now, clearly something has changed between us.
Does 新幸 have a deeper meaning to me? "It's half you, and half me, our creation." Yukihira's words and that odd feeling when he said those words welled up again.
Hang on, am I overthinking this? That question is still waiting for an answer… deep breath.
"Yes." The reporter's eyes opened like saucers at my response. I pressed on before she could speak, "it's a combination of our names, our creation. The name "New Fortune" is auspicious and we will build this brand together." I know this was not the line of answer she wanted but this should be enough as an answer.
My response drew admiration and a muttered phrase, "nice dodge," while it was noted down. "Well, I think that wraps things up. Do you have any questions or final matters for me?"
"I request that any photos taken last night during the rehearsal be deleted from your files."
"Sure. I doubt I would like to find out what happens if you were my opponent." She took off her reading glasses to keep in her bag, "but you realize that social media is the norm these days, right?
"It's hard to control the narrative, unlike a newspaper."
Ah, the contrast sales technique, she's good. I braced for a final attempt to get me to comment about Aida-san and my relationship.
"But I'm sure you young ones can manage that." She gave an enigmatic smirk before heading off.
Just as Mitamura-san predicted, when the afternoon shift got to the evening, the customer queue evaporated away. Guess this comes with years of experience as a restaurant owner being in many situations.
While taking a breather on the residential floor, Yukihira and I were beginning to pack up our small items. The packing naturally came upon the pair of onsen tickets that we won in the volleyball competition.
It was the last day here, so I suggested we use it. Yukihira had expressed reluctance. I guess that would be understandable as it was owned by Fujiwara's family.
I won't force the issue but, "While I believe that it would be coincidental enough to meet her, it's more healthy to face the issue. While time heals, having closure would make the process faster."
"...you really think so?"
"Think about it: you won't be wondering about what ifs or what happens if you bump into each other in the future."
"Is that why you replied to Aida Shion?"
"Yes. I had to, after the 30 notifications." I had mentioned that to Yukihira when he casually asked how things were on that matter earlier. "Since he didn't respond, he is either giving me the cold shoulder or most likely busy with the concert."
"But seriously though, 30 notifications?"
"Hey, let's not lose focus about this." I waved the tickets. "I'm not going to let this go to waste."
Despite his reservations, we arrived at the hot spring. In the early evening, as the nearly cloudless sky began to turn a purple hue, the air was starting to cool and the gentle breeze made it a calming atmosphere.
The onsen was modern, tastefully accented with live plants to bring a natural touch. Manning the counter was a teen looking bored, likely having drawn the short straw to be on duty during the fireworks festival.
"You know, this is my first time here." Yukihira muttered to me while we approached the counter.
"You're kidding, for all the time you were here?"
"Was mainly in the kitchen…'
Oh? I did not know that-
My phone suddenly vibrated and I excused myself while fishing out my phone, half expecting to see "Aida Shion" on the screen. Instead, "Hello, Erina-sama. Good morning." I had taken into account our time difference. Not wanting Yukihira to feel obliged to wait, I looked over to him and nodded for him to go ahead.
"Hey Hisako, How was the two weeks' summer attachment?"
"We just ended our last shift, all is well"
"I had thought yesterday was the last day… Anyway, what are your plans for the rest of the summer?"
"We plan to just head home for the rest of the summer. We have been away for a while. Thank you for the question, Erina-sama." Grateful for a person of her stature to ask about me.
"I see…" there was a pause over the line.
I'm aware Erina-sama isn't usually one for small talk so I took the initiative to ask her how she was. She immediately went on about her past week of meetings after meetings and paying pleasantries to the different members of her extended, extended family. To illustrate how vast her family members, and their holdings were, this year's meeting was to visit their interests and assets: just the Scandinavian ones. Such meetings may also involve redistribution… which means family politics.
In a way, I'm thankful it's a private family meeting with no outsiders allowed; it would be too awkward for me to be there.
"I'm looking forward to being back in Tōtsuki." I could hear her pout over the phone. "It's less tedious."
"It will be soon enough, Erina-sama." I assured her.
"Oh yes, how are things with that guy… Anda… Anda something."
"Aida Shion. Nothing happened between us." I did not want to bother her with unnecessary details.
Erina-sama humph over the line, "of course," as though she knew that was the inevitable conclusion. "And you're done with Yukihira too."
"What do you mean?" inexplicably, those words sounded prickly to my ears. I still managed to keep my tone natural.
'Your two weeks are over, aren't they? You won't have to meet that plebeian after this; at least until the summer is over."
Something welled within me. For some reason I felt flushed... indignant for the way that Yukihira was described. I was surprised at myself for that kind of thought that ran contrary to Erina-sama's. Focus. " We have our own summer plans."
"You're using the word 'We'. Do you mean Yukihira and yourself? When did you start associating yourself with him?"
Ever since we created a brand together. I thought but held my tongue in difference to Erina-sama.
"He's beneath your status. Remember our role as successor to our respective families. You think a small diner cook is the kind of person we associate with?" I am pretty used to hearing Erina-sama's elitist rants. But this one, this one sounded personal.
Yukihira is my friend. Hearing him getting bashed like this, even from Erina-sama was…
I had no comment. Or rather, I decided not to comment on her words.
For the first time in my life, I had the urge to hang up on her. "I understand your point, Erina-sama. My apologies, I have to go now. We'll reconnect soon?" Despite holding it in, some of my emotion leaked into what I thought was innocuous and polite words.
There was a stunned silence over the phone. Usually, she's the one who initiates the end of the call. "Al...alright."
I wished her a good day and relaxed my tight grip on my phone. There was a part of me that thought that it was... liberating.
Ok, deep breath; I will set that aside for now; I am here to relax.
I got to the counter and the jaded staff simply muttered, "welcome, please head to the private onsen at the end of the hall," while passing me a key card. I offered him a light thanks. Despite the lack of customer service, I can sympathize with him, being stuck on duty during an annual festival and all...
It was nice to be given a private onsen to enjoy a long soak to end off two weeks of work
I tapped the key card and stepped into the dressing area which was separated from the onsen by a sliding door. The suite was better than I expected with high quality granite floors, polished cedar, and luxury amenities donned the room. It made me look forward to seeing what the actual bath was like.
After stripping down and completing other necessities, wrapped in a towel, I stepped into the bath area and was immediately blown away by the view. The expense of the rolling sea stretched out to the horizon. There is a low parapet for modesty while soaking in the generous natural stone lined pool. The sound of water constantly trickling suggested that there was a waterfall obscured by the high stone feature at the corner of the bath.
Even the prebath area was luxurious: besides the usual sit shower facility, there was a large stone basin of hot spring water designed to overflow on one side and feed into the main pool, past the high stone feature. The other side was a sitting area for users to scoop from the basin and clean before getting into the pool. Even the soap provided was an all natural organic local product.
Yeh, I would definitely recommend trying this onsen.
After a quick shower, I made my way to the pool with the modesty towel, past the high stones and to the parapet, wanting to have a good look out to sea. I took a moment with my eyes to enjoy the warm waters with the light breeze of the open air while listening to the soothing trickle of water behind me.
Then, I heard a moment behind me: which was alarming as I thought that this was a private onsen. I spun around and our eyes met…
"Erm...hi?"
"Yukihira!" I instinctively dropped into the water, towel covering as much as I could. "Why are you here?!"
He adjusted himself with his modesty towel underwater, also covering up. "I was handed a key card and directed here. I assumed I got a private bath…"
"I didn't see your clothes." My mind was searching for how I did not notice such a detail.
"It's in the locker."
"There's a locker?" the words came out before my mind could catch up, earning a raised eyebrow.
"How did you not hear me?"
"Can't hear you over this waterfall."
Hm. "Either way, I'll turn around while you get out of here."
"Hey, you walked in on me."
…
…
I had no comeback to that. He was right.
We stared at each other, willing the other to budge. With a full frontal view in front of me, this situation allowed me to notice how much he changed over these two weeks: tanned and fit with more defined muscles. He is no slouch on his morning exercises.
Yukihira cleared his throat, tearing his sight away, pulling me back to the present. Whoops… I hope he did not notice my roving vision. "This place is big enough for both of us, why don't you take the other corner where we won't see each other, and we can just enjoy the view."
That's… a reasonable thing to do. After all, "We're here already anyway." He had verbalised my thoughts.
Yukihira looked away while I moved to the other side. He's still a gentleman in that aspect.
We fell into silence, appreciating the warmth of the water, along with the sights, sounds, and light smell of the sea. The awkwardness between us gradually faded away, replaced with the usual relaxing atmosphere that Yukihira and I shared in our little second floor living quarters.
"How's the talk with Narikiri?" Yukihira asked casually, keeping his eyes forward
"Nothing much. Just asking about my plans for the rest of the summer." An incomplete truth, I just left out her thoughts about him.
"That was a good question. What are your plans?"
I thought for a moment. As mentioned, summer was pretty aimless for me, being away from Erina-sama who would be traveling the world with her family. Being unable to accompany her, I would be home… checking my phone...waiting for…
Looking back at my other summers… wow, it gave me perspective on how much I relied on her for direction.
"Nothing." I confessed to Yukihira, "I've no plans." dropping lower into the water to hide my bashfulness. There was no meaning in fluffing up my summer plans. I sneaked a glance towards him, trying to get a reading.
Yukihira thought for a moment before cheerfully exclaiming, "Well, if you've no plans, maybe you can make a trip to my restaurant." He threw me a wide grin, "I'll give you a treat."
I returned a light appreciative smile, "You're running a business, I don't think you should be giving treats."
"You're not a guest, you're a member of Restaurant Yukihira!"
I turned towards him to ask for clarification, "When did-" Oh yeh, he mentioned something along those lines when he cooked that omurice dish for dinner. "I haven't figured out what that means."
"It means you're always welcome in our restaurant." We were now facing each other, conversing, "Any time you're in Sumire town, you have a place to go!"
His sincerity came across with his words, like a family opening their arms to welcome you back anytime.
It was a contrast to my family.
As such, his words resonate in my heart.
"What's in your hometown?" My words elicited a grin followed by an enthusiastic prattle from the red head: The old penny arcade and sweets shop he frequented in his youth, the freshwater pond just outside of town where his dad taught him to swim, the different stalls on the shopping street, his schools he attended, and of course, how he managed Restaurant Yukihira by himself while his father traveled.
This was the side of him that I found to be infectious: the sheer passion in his words drew me in, asking for more details to keep his momentum going. Honestly, I have come to like it.
"How about you?" Yukihira asked, "What's your home like?"
Those words gave me pause. Besides Erina-sama, I had never told anyone about my family. It was… something I don't talk about.
"My family is… well." sigh, "my family is usually not at home. So I don't really have much to say about it." I confessed, ashamed that it was a downer after all the energy that Yukihira brought to the conversation.
"Where do they go?"
I shrugged, "their schedules are always packed. Being doctors, Traditional Chinese Medicine lectures, and running businesses that reach all over the world, we're not really a close knit family." I pursed my lips at that, keeping my eyes to the horizon.
There was a reason why I had put my heart and soul into being Erina-sama's secretary, besides my deep admiration of her. In fact, I'm so far away from my family that I am given a room to stay at her mansion rather than staying at home.
"The only time I get home is in the summer. Even then, I'm usually by myself."
"Alone?"
"The main house has some housekeeping staff, but in essence, yes."
"Wait wait wait, hang on: main house? Housekeeping staff? How rich are you?"
I looked towards him, finding genuine curiosity, "I'm not rich. My family is."
"Don't give me that cliché;" he chuckled, "besides, you're an only child."
Ah, that's… true. I'm impressed: he was actually paying attention to our casual chats. "We're alright. Erina-sama's family has more assets."
"I'm not interested in her." He blurted out, I raised an eyebrow to him. He realized his wording, "You know what I meant."
I giggled at his correction. Seeing him flustered was cute too. Perhaps I should find more opportunities.
Yeah, I said cute. What of it?
"So let's get this straight." The wheels in Yukihira's mind tuning, "you're actually rich, or at least from a rich family, and you're working as Nakiri's secretary?"
Oh, so he's not asking about the money. "Well when you put it that way… what's the issue with that?"
"I thought Nariki was the only rich 'Ojou-sama' in Tōtsuki… I mean she acts like it."
I should refute, but I can't deny that.
"I had thought all rich people behaved the same way." He continued with a respectful nod, "I guess I was wrong."
There was a natural lull in our conversation. It was interesting that it took one day off for us to really bond and get to know each other more deeply as compared to the past two weeks of casual conversations. We were, after all, too busy working.
And he was too busy with another girl...
On the other hand, the past two weeks had gradually eroded the barriers between us to get to where we are now: in a bath covered by pieces of cloth, talking about our families.
I always wanted to confess something for a long time about my family.
Something I had not even told Erina-sama before, "all the money in the world... can never replace the warmth of a family."
Whew, that felt like a load that finally got off my chest. Was this how Yukihira felt when he talked about his mother?
The moment stretched as my words were allowed to sink in.
I heard water movement as Yukihira got slightly closer but still a respectable distance due to our state of disclothe, likely intent on offering some comforting presence, "we may not be wealthy, but you'll always find family at Restaurant Yukihira."
If any time a hug or a simple squeeze of the hand would be appreciated, this was it. However, the tone of his words brought more warmth and comfort than either of those could provide.
A little later, we were out walking on the beach pavement, heading to the general direction of the concert stage where the action seemed to be happening. We finally had the chance to try out the other stalls, especially the ones that we did not have the chance to visit due to similar opening hours.
We ate as we walked down the road. For cost efficiency, we shared a gelato, some street eats, and even a less stellar, exceedingly sweet copycat version of Shinko matcha. All the while, as we got closer to the booming beat of the concert venue, there was more activity and things to see that we often called for the other to look at something that caught our interest.
It was a pleasant experience.
By the time we got within a clear view of the stage, the concert was already well under way with Aida Shion on stage. Wow, despite him performing with seasoned motions on stage, knowing him up close and personally, I think he looked… haggard.
Almost as if he had not slept well?
...It can't be right? At the very least you can't say I was definitely the cause of it.
Just beside me, Yukihira was simply watching the show. Unlike the energy from the cheering crowd, I believed there were a few times I saw him rolling his eyes at Aida Shion's stage antics.
Well, it seems both of us just voted to move on.
"Arato Hisako, This song is for you." my senses prickled and my sight shot towards the stage the moment I heard my name boom over the speaker system.
Oh gawd, he actually said it.
Oh gawd, he is singing that song.
What was he thinking?
He couldn't have seen me, right? We had kept a wide distance from the stage for that very reason. Maybe he was just following the set as was rehearsed yesterday?
Offended, I stormed off, away from the stage, away from our shack, lest he came to look for me. I made it pretty clear of my thoughts about his actions. I had assumed that blocking him in response to the missed calls and messages after writing a last message to ask him to kindly stop was the end of the matter.
And so, Yukihira and I walked along the beach, up the pavement heading north, all the while, I was ranting about the Aida Shion situation while Yukihira listened. There was something about having someone as a sounding board to hear my complaints. With Yukihira, I felt that I could just tell him my thoughts without any filter. He seemed amused and entertained at this, even nodding and contributing with humorous quips to ease the mood.
Eventually, the conversation evolved to us simply shooting the breeze with random topics as we strolled along the seaside. The sky was in the final stage of transition to give way to the night when we wandered into a local landmark: the Oarai Isosaki shrine.
Nestled atop a wooded hill, accessible by a grandiose set of steps that led out towards the sea, is the 9th century historical Shinto shrine. Well maintained and serene, it was illuminated with traditional lanterns that added a layer of reverence. Probably as a favor for the out of town visitors who came for the fireworks, a few shrine maidens kept the shine open for worship.
"Sukunahikona-no-Mikoto, the god of medicine is worshiped here..." Having completed the hand washing ritual first, Yukihira read the board which made me, as a medicinal cuisine chef, excited to hear.
"Oh, the more reason for me to pray here!"
He continued reading, "Onamuchi-no-Mikoto, the god of marriage, is also in the shrine."
Oh…"Well," I remarked as I stepped up to the shrine, "we can't pray to one god and ignore the other."
Yukihira came up beside me, going with the flow of my enthusiasm.
We threw our offerings into the offering box, rang the bell together, bowed deeply twice, and clapped our hands twice before making our wish.
I wished for blessings for my medical knowledge, Erina-sama's health, and general well being. Our earlier conversation about families in mind, I also wished for a happy family. Last but not least: taking a peek at Yukihira, finding him deep in prayer, I wished for his happiness.
After the debacle with Fujiwara, I figure he could use it.
A final deep bow, thanking God's grace, the ritual is complete.
We then headed to the omamori shop to check out the souvenirs. The shrine maidens greeted us cheerfully, seemingly not minding to be stationed at the shrine during the festival.
"Welcome! What would you like to get?" A college aged miko gestured to the wide selection of charms. Health, wealth, love, studies… Yukihira immediately reached in and grabbed one, making a purchase.
I was quite surprised by his interest in this matter. I guess it had something to do with cooking or success for his restaurant. Speaking of which, I should get one for him on the count of his reopening. I picked one for business and bought it, intended for him.
"Would you like to purchase one for relationships?" the staff asked, "We have nice omamori enmusubi that would be perfect for both of you."
Now this was an assumption that we had got used to hearing. After all, we are a couple of same aged youths, hanging out together. We had come to just roll with it rather than to keep repeating the correction.
We considered the selection and I picked one that I thought would be suitable for Yukihira, considering his recent singlehood.
He, instead, chose a feminine one, it happened to be of the same, interesting design.
An odd pang surfaced in me when the thought of him buying it for a certain someone he should be pining for now.
"You're here to watch the fireworks?" The miko asked once we settled up, "you could head down the stairs and to the beach where the torii gate is. The fireworks' view from there is unique." Her words sounded spoken by a veteran of this festival; perhaps that was why this group of shine maidens did not seem bothered that they may be missing out on the views.
We walked in comfortable silence down to the water. Taking time to enjoy what I assumed to be the final event for our summer together.
No doubt it had been a whirlwind of two weeks. Besides the experience working in a kitchen, I (partially) learnt how to swim, created a drink that shared the name of the redhead beside me, won a beach volleyball competition, and felt things I had never felt before. Oh yes, I had even dumped a celebrity...
At the very least, I could say that I had made a friend.
These two weeks of activity should be able to satisfy me for the rest of the summer; after this I would be just whiling my time at home, waiting for Erina-sama to return.
We soon got to where the shrine's famous sea torii gate was. It was a structure out to sea, so being at night, it was not as impressive as what it would be in the light. It seemed to be low tide but we kept above the waterline as recommended. There were a few couples atop a generous rock shelf with plenty of space to spare to get an elevated view.
"Here," Yukihira held out a hand to me as we climbed up. Unlike how we were awkward and reserved when we first started; this time, I took his hand without hesitation.
The moment our hands touched, the sky erupted with fireworks. I don't know if we could have deliberately timed it any better.
The sea was illuminated with colors of all shapes and sizes that stretched from the torii gate all the way to where the concert stage was. Every explosion of light was accompanied with a rumble that we can feel, filling our chest with awe and excitement.
Or perhaps it's more than just the fireworks.
We settled down beside each other, admiring the awesome spectacle. It seemed like an appropriate climax to our stint here.
"Hey, I got these for you." amidst periodic explosions, Yukihira held up two charms that he got from the shrine.. One of which was the relationship charm that I had assumed was for Fujiwara, and the other was a charm for a blessing from the god of medicine. "When I saw the medicine charm, I immediately thought of you and grabbed the last one. And the other... is to hope you don't meet another Aida Shion character."
I was pleasantly surprised by his consideration. And the fact that it wasn't for Fujiwara made it feel even more satisfying. In response, I took out the two I got for him. "This one is for your restaurant. I wish you the best for the reopening." I held out the other, "And this one, is to wish you good luck in your future relationships."
We both considered our new gifts, "Thank-'' we said at the same time, as the fireworks grew to reach a crescendo. Clearly our voices will be lost in the din, so we beamed at each other, knowing.
Nothing more was needed to be said anyway as we held our gifts in hand, watching the fireworks together.
A/N: And here it is! After many many chapters, we come to the end of the 1st arc! Thank you for your support and review all these years! your patience and reviews are very appreciated for me to keep going. I'm glad to hear that you like this story I'm writing and we still have more to go!
Next chapter is going to be an epilogue for this arc as well as the prologue for the 2nd arc. Thereafter, I'll include some notes about the 1st arc as well as a QnA if you have any feedback or questions about the storyline so far. I'll reply them without spoiling future developments, so just ask away!
Once again, thank you for your reviews! They do let me know if I still got your attention and it keeps me writing; as long as there's a healthy amount of interest, I'll continue writing!
Stay healthy, ya'll! Cheers.