Disclaimer: I don't own Hikaru No GO
Thanks to Kickkid3, Kisa is dreaming, Blackest Star Catcher and dgcl178 for taking the time to review. Every chapter that comes right now, I realized my reviewers are getting less but the statistic still shows me the same amount of readers...hmmmm... now I am wondering if I am able to hit 200 reviews before I end this story. I guess I can't right now. Suddenly, the urge to continue writing had died down too, but I will try my best to keep updating like I am now.
Here is the new chapter...
Chapter 19
"Akiko," Touya Koyo called, after reading the small interview of his son in the Weekly GO. "I think, its time we take some time to visit Akira."
It was early in the morning, where the ex meijin was having breakfast with his wife in their little traditional house away from the city. He sat on his knees reading the magazine by the dining table, waiting for his wife to bring out their morning meal.
"Soda-ne… it is had been a long time since we see Akira-kun." Akiko smiled gently coming out from the kitchen with a tray in her hand. "Is there any latest news from our son?"
"Maybe you should read this interview yourself." Touya Koyo said passing his wife the magazine after she placed the tray on the table. "I find something different of Akira in that picture."
Rather interested at why her husband was so anxious for her to see Touya, she took the magazine and read it through quickly and scanned the photo of her son. What her husband told her was true. She saw the difference in Touya Akira too. His vigor and glowing expression was vividly captured in the picture. Her eyes widened at the end of the picture and looked up at her husband who was smiling rather softly at her.
"I had a feeling, it is time we meet this girl, don't you think?"
"Why didn't Akira-kun say anything?" Akiko wondered out loud and looked back down the magazine again. "I hope it is not like the previous girl he met!"
"We wouldn't know if we don't meet her."
"You are right." Akiko replied rather softly and worriedly. "But I still don't understand why Akira-kun didn't say anything."
"Akira had always been shy the day he was born." Touya Koyo answered rather impassively. "I wouldn't be surprise that he is shy even to tell us about this, but a girl who gave him inspiration and motivation in GO. I would love to see who she really is."
Akiko looked up at her husband, with a small smile on her face. Never in Touya Akira's life, he had met a girl who was able to give him the inspiration to improve in GO. All the time, it was Touya Koyo who had led him all the way. Touya Koyo was his idol and sensei. With all Touya Akira's heart he adores his father and will wish to follow him, in every single footstep his father had taken; towards the goal to reach the 'Hand of God'.
Then everything was striped away when he met Yuii, feeding his mind with negativity thoughts and disappointment, which affected his ability to concentrate in GO. Everything Touya Akira had believe in suddenly vanquished, leaving him in the dark and gloom, but seeing that sparkle of light in his eyes again brought both Touya Akira's parents hope that their son had finally come out from the darkness.
The Go salon buzzed with unusual excitement when Touya walked in and was immediately stopped by a group of elderly men by the counter. Ichikawa, who was standing by the counter, turned to him, grinning cheerfully, with a Weekly GO magazine in her hand. Touya blanched slightly when everyone turned their attention to him piercingly.
"Ko…konichiwa…" Touya managed to bit out.
"Konichiwa Akira-kun!" Ichikawa greeted happily and winked playfully at him. "Ne, who is the lucky girl!"
"Eh?" Touya's eyes widened, when everyone tackled him at once.
"Why didn't you say you were dating?"
"Was it that red headed who came before?"
"Had your parents seen her before?"
"So how is the preparation getting on?"
"Mya, mya…" Ichikawa smiled stopping all of them. "Give Akira-kun some space."
"What is going on?" Hikaru asked walking right at that time to see everyone standing by the door around Touya. "Touya?"
"Iie," Touya turned to Hikaru with a weary smile. "Nothing much…"
"Have you read the Weekly GO Shindou-kun?" Ichikawa asked showing him the magazine.
"Ara?" Hikaru raised his eyebrows and then everything dawn to him. He turned to Touya and grinned. "I never knew you move that fast Touya."
Touya groaned inwardly, it will be pretty hard to answer all the questions from the group of enthusiastic guests. This is going to be a long day!
That evening for the first time Touya was more than glad to leave the salon in a hurry. He was pretty tired of answering curious questions and it was continuously thrown at him, throughout the entire day. Hikaru and he did not even have a chance to have a proper game together. Sighing softly, he stepped into the night streets. He looked down at his watch to see that Akari will be closing her café soon and decided to meet her.
He turned away and walked down a familiar route that he had used for almost the entire year…
It was perhaps the café had just closed but lights still shone brightly inside, even though the close sign was hung on the door, there were quite a group of noisy individuals in the café. Akari sat by the counter both hands supporting the sides of her head, bowed low and her eyes shut tight. The racket was driving her mad and she was trying to think.
"Kaga-san, you have to do it!" Kuniko grumbled. "We don't have enough assistants!"
"Let me see…" Kaga stared up the ceiling for a moment and then back at the anxious girl. "The answer is NO."
"Nanda…?" Kuniko protested pulling onto his arm. "You have to! You are the best we can find!"
"The answer is still no!" Kaga replied nearly shouting this time, pulling his arm away from her grasps.
"But Mitani-kun and Kaneko-san can't handle the GO booth all alone!" Kuniko cried grabbing his arm again. "Please, I can't do it nor can Akari-chan because we are supposed to prepare the dance!"
"I am a Shogi player not a GO player!" Kaga growled, pulling his arm away from Kuniko again.
Besides Kaga and Kaneko making a huge racket in the café, there was another two individuals, almost unnoticed because they sat by a small table together quietly, watching in amusement. Yuuki and Kaneko sat nearby watching them quarrel like they were in the movies. Identically, they picked up their cup of cold cordial, drank at the same time, before putting it back on the table again. Then both of them sighed and got up.
"Kaga-san, just this once." Kaneko voiced out. "Besides you are better player than anyone of us!"
"Hate to admit that but…" Yuuki added in rather reluctantly. "I guess we need some help at the booth. We still need two people to fill up the space."
"The answer is still no!" Kaga said rather exasperatedly.
Just then, the bell on the door rang and all of them turned to see a rather surprised looking Touya stepped into the café. Everyone that was, except Akari who was still absorbed in her thinking. Kuniko brightened up immediately when she saw him walked in.
"Yatta, another candidate, Touya-kun!" She cried, pointing at him enthusiastically.
"Eh?" Touya's eyes widened with surprised and confusion.
He had no idea what was going on and not to mention that Akari was usually alone at this time of the hour. He didn't know that she had her friends over. It looked like they were having sort of a small party in her café, with cups of drink on the table Yuuki and Kaneko was at and opened bags of chips. He looked over to the counter and saw Akari head bowed low, both hands clutching the sides of her head, looking extremely agitated. Before Touya could walk over to her and ask her what's wrong, her friends started their quarreling again. He turned back to them, mildly curious at what they were disagreeing about.
"Use him then, I am still not going to do it!" Kaga replied heatedly. "I am leaving."
"Oh no, you don't!" Kuniko shouted grabbing his arm to prevent him to move. "Even if Touya-kun is helping us, we still need one more person. YOU STAY!"
"I AM NOT STAYING!" Kaga yelled back, walking away with force, dragging Kuniko slightly behind him because she didn't want to let him go.
"YOU HAVE TO STAY!" Kuniko pestered, still not wanting to loosen her grip around his arm.
"LIKE HELL I WOULD!" Kaga cried, trying to pry open Kuniko's tight grasp around his arm, when he realized that there was no way he was going to drag her out with him.
"MOH!" Akari stood up swiftly by the counter, throwing a stack of papers in the air. "Can't you guys be quiet for a bit? This stupid article is due tomorrow and I haven't even thought of a single word!"
Everyone turned to her with surprise at her sudden outburst. Papers sway in the air around her, before they land around the counter and some on the floor softly. She looked rather furiously at her friends, slammed both her hands flat on the counter, lividly. Without waiting for anyone to answer, she swiftly pointed her finger at Kaga.
"YOU JOIN THE FESTIVAL NO MATTER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!" Akari yelled. "Now leave me alone and let me finish this article or nobody leave this café tonight!"
"Ah, Akari-chan is furious!" Kuniko laughed uneasily, then, she turned to glare at Kaga. "Look what you have done!"
"It is not my fault!" Kaga replied irritated but softly this time.
With a huge sigh, Akari sank back down the chair, her head backwards, with an arm on her forehead. She closed her eyes trying to shut away her frustration. There was a short silence before she heard someone next to her and the sound of rustling papers. Slowly she opened her eyes and saw Touya smiling down at her softly, his eyes twinkling with amusement. It was his first time ever seeing Akari so angry and she looked amazingly cute with her eyes flashing that way.
"Are you alright?"
"Akira?" Akari removed her arm away from her forehead and turned to him rather surprise. "When did you come?"
"You were so busy thinking about an article that you didn't hear me come in." Touya smiled, holding onto the stack of papers she had thrown into the air earlier. He had helped her picked it up on the floor. He hand them over to her and she took them rather timidly. "You need any help?"
"Not really, usually I didn't have much of a problem writing it." Akari smile rather sheepishly, realizing that Touya had seen her childish outburst earlier. "But this year, it is going to be so much different than last year."
"Last year?" Touya looked at her rather curiously.
"It is the Bon Odori Festival." Akari smiled at him. "We do it every year for the respect of our ancestors, but Kuniko-chan wanted this festival to be huge this year for a charity campaign. So I have to write an article to try getting people to visit the Asakusa Temple next week."
"Bon Odori Festival?" Touya raised his eyebrows. "You do that every year?"
"Hai," Akari grinned. "It is the tradition and I was taught to dance when I was very little from okasan. When I was younger, Kuniko-chan and some of our neighbours will dance in the park near our house at night."
Touya smiled softly, glad to know this bit of information from her. So she was the traditional type, even how modern she was dressed up to be. Their conversation was interrupted when Kuniko walked up to them.
"Ano, Touya-kun I was wondering if you would want to help with the festival?" Kuniko asked. "Because we really need another candidate to help with the GO booth."
"Well, if it's GO, I'll be able to help." Touya replied still smiling.
"Ah, so Kaga-san finally agreed." Akari replied rather impassively leaning her head on one hand, looking rather bored.
"Your loud voice did the job." Kuniko joked and winked.
"Thank you so much, I'll take that as a compliment" Akari rolled her eyes and looked down the papers she had placed on the counter again. "Maybe you can tell Akira what had to be done on that day…"
"Sure thing," Kuniko replied, putting her hand up in the air. "Come Touya-kun, let's sit over there and let Akari-chan dwell upon her doom on this dreadful article."
"Very poetic Kuniko-chan…" Akari mumbled and started writing on the paper.
Touya took one last look at Akari. She was concentrating so hard on producing an interesting article that she didn't even look up. Slowly, Touya turned away and followed Kuniko to join the rest of the gang on a small table near the entrance door, while they continued to discuss the preparations for the Bon Odori Festival.
This will be a festival he would be participating for the first time. Touya smiled inwardly, wondering what else in his life, he would have missed if Akari wasn't with him.
The place was crowded with locals and tourists. Asakusa Temple, which was a well known tourist attraction, had attracted even more tourist since the Bon Odori Festival was held once a year every summer was being carried out at the temple that year.
"Itai, watch it! That is my scalp!" Akari winced while Kuniko was trying to put up glittering pins that looked like chopsticks on her hair.
"Stop moving around!" Kuniko snapped. "I can't put it in when you are fidgeting around."
Akari and Kuniko were both dressed traditional bright coloured kimonos and butterfly obi. The kimono Akari was in, was bright blue with outlines of red tiger lilies, mixed with some pink sakura petals all over the material and her butterfly obi was light pink with some tint of violet with green three clovers leafs adorned on it. Her hair was tied up beautifully in a traditional bun.
Kuniko was however dressed in a pink kimono with tiny blue flowers adorned on her sleeves and edge of the skirt. Her butterfly obi is red with purpled morning glory all over it. Her short bob cut hair was pin up naturally with golden pins.
"Are you girls ready?" Kaneko asked standing by the door, dressed in a light golden coloured kimono with light brown leaf patterns and red sakura flowers over it. Her dark blue obi had golden lining. "It is starting to get crowded outside and the taiko is about to start soon and you girls look great!" (Taiko: Japanese Traditional Drum Performance)
"We are almost ready!" Kuniko said smiling, still trying to push the chopstick into Akari's hair.
"You looked awesome… itai… too Kaneko-san." Akari smiled at her. "We will be ready after… itai… gosh Kuniko-chan you are killing me here!"
"Hold still!" Kuniko grumbled exasperatedly.
Finally, Kuniko had finally finished putting up the last chopstick pin on Akari's hair, the three of them left the small tent they had set up near a small stage nearby the shrine for the performances that night.
Touya who was sitting near by at the GO booth with Kaga, Tsutsui and Yuuki was teaching some tourists how to play GO. He immediately spotted Akari when she emerged. She wasn't very hard to miss, since she looked amazingly gorgeous, like a traditional princess from the Hien time. Her hair done up so beautifully in a bun with five glittering chopstick pins arranged neatly in a row on the right side of her bun.
Touya nearly fell off his chair at the sight of her. He kept staring at her, amazed at her beauty almost forgetting his duty at hand. He watched Akari searching the crowd and her face immediately brightened up when she noticed him.
Akari made over to him swiftly, avoiding the crowd carefully. Touya stood up at his place when Akari came closer. She grinned up at him cheerfully. This was a traditional occasion so Touya was also dressed traditionally in a light green gi and an emerald green hakama that matches the colour of his eyes.
"How is everything going?" Akari asked.
"I taught a few foreigners." Touya smiled softly. "It is a good thing my English isn't that bad."
Akari chuckled softly. "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I had been at the booth since I arrive. I was thinking of waiting for you to have something to eat."
"Great then, I am starving." Akari held his hand in hers and turned to her friends. "You all will be alright without him?"
"We will be ok." Kaga said waving them away. "I don't want you to complain to me that we were starving your lover."
Akari blushed. "Don't mind him!" She huffed, turning away stiffly and strode into the crowd towards the food stall.
Touya could only smile inwardly at the remark and at how Akari blushed so adorably. They walked hand in hand through the aisle of food stall looking for something to eat. Finally, they settle for yakisoba. They didn't stroll for very long when the beats of drums were heard. Akari turned to Touya excitedly.
"I think taiko had started!" Akari said and both of them went back to the stage area.
A large crowd was assembled around the stage watching the performance. Akari craned her neck over the heads of the throng to get a better view. Touya who was much taller than most people didn't have any problem watching the performance. He wrapped an arm around Akari's waist and pulled her towards him.
"Are you alright?" He whispered into her ear.
"Hai," Akari turned to him and smiled. "I can still see the performance from here."
The performance stretched on for almost twenty minutes or so and Akari stood comfortably next to Touya with his arm around her waist. She had no intention on going anywhere but after the taiko performance it was time for the odori performance. (Odori: It is a traditional dance)
"I need to prepare for the next performance Akira." Akari said when the crowds were starting to disperse. "I will meet you again after that?"
"Of course," Touya leaned down and quickly give her a peck on her forehead. He would so much preferred that Akari would stay with him for the whole night but he knew very well she had some other things to attend to. "I'll meet you again."
Touya loosen his grip around her waist and she walked away, disappearing into the crowds to look for her other partners and Kuniko. Touya went back to the GO booth only to be surprised by two unlikely persons standing by his table. He blinked.
"Otosan, okasan?" Touya whispered walking up towards them.
They hadn't changed much. Touya Koyo still dressed traditionally in his normal light brown gi and hakama and Akiko, conservative as always, dressed in a plain red blouse and long black skirt.
"Kombawa Akira-kun." Akiko smiled at his son, who was slightly speechless at the sight of them.
"How? When?" Touya stammered slightly.
It wasn't like him to stammer so childishly but why were his parents here at the festival? How did they know he was here in the first place?
"We were thinking of coming to visit you as a surprise, Akira." Touya Koyo explained. "We went to the salon thinking you will always be there like you used to but Ichikawa-san told me that you and your lady friend had come here for a festival."
"Talking about that friend of yours," Akiko searched the crowd. "Is she here?"
"No!" Touya blurted out immediately. "It is too soon for her to meet otosan and okasan right now!"
"Why is that?" Touya Koyo raised his eyebrows slightly. "If you are arranging a marriage with this young lady, it is best we get to know her too."
"I will arrange the time for her to meet up!" Touya pleaded. "It will be soon, so please otosan, okasan, not today!"
Touya had no intention of scaring Akari with his parents now. She was beginning to accept everything about him and about their relationship. However, his worried thoughts were soon forgotten when he was aware of an olden traditional song playing in the background. He turned around swiftly towards the stage to see that the odori performance had started. He was glad could still get a good view of the Akari from where he was standing.
Touya smiled when Akari came into the stage with two folded paper fans in her hands. She looked like a nymph, dancing in a magical forest. He could see Akari searching the crowd and he was very positive who she was looking for him. He took a step forward, his eyes only glued on her, mentally calling out to her that he was right there in front of her.
It wasn't long for Akari to catch sight of him. When emerald green and burgundy clashed, their eyes were locked together in a most enchanting trance. Smiles appeared, Touya's was to give encouragement and the Akari's was with ease. Touya sent a mental note to her that he will always be there for her no matter what happened.
"She is the one in blue isn't she?" Akiko whispered next to her son. "She had amazing looks."
"It is not only her looks," Touya said his eyes never leaving Akari. "She is amazing in every prospect."
Akiko watched her son carefully. It was the first time, she had seen him so engross on something besides GO. This girl must be someone extraordinary to be able to catch his attention so intensively.
After the dance, Akari and Kuniko carried out small teaching classes to those who were interested. It was pretty exciting but very tiring too. After her second group, Akari finally retreated to the refreshment tables Kuniko had set up near the stage to get a cold drink. She was also aware someone was watching her; a few feet from where she was standing was a lady in red blouse. She turned to the lady who seemed older than her, watching her with a small smile on her face.
Akari inclined her head slightly and bowed politely before she poured herself some cold cordial. Somehow, that lady's smile reminds her so much of Touya.
"Ano, summimesen," Akari turned around to see the lady who was watching her, standing next to her now. "I was watching your dance earlier and you could dance really well!"
"Arigatou, I was taught the odori when I was younger by okasan." Akari explained with a smile. "Besides that, I always celebrate the Bon Odori Festival every summer each year. That is when they always say, practiced makes perfection."
"I am Akiko," She introduced herself. "I am really glad to know that young ones like you still go for tradition especially, nowadays, teenagers are more into modern fashion."
"Actually, tradition dies hard." Akari said and bowed. "By the way, I am Fujisaki Akari. Would you like something to drink?"
"Hai, arigatou," Akiko smiled at her.
Akari turned to the table and got her a cup of cordial.
"What makes you think that tradition dies hard?" Akiko inclined her head slightly at her statement earlier after Akari passed her the cup.
"Look over there," Akari turned towards a small group of toddlers around Kuniko laughing and dancing. "Those kids are willing to learn. There are those who didn't care and those that does. These children that are willing to learn will always be there to carry on the tradition and that is why it dies hard."
"You follow tradition a lot, Fujisaki-san." Akiko said smiling.
"Okasan had brought us up like this." Akari turned back towards her with a small smile. "It reminds us, who we are and where we come from. That is the most important thing in life."
Before Akiko could ask another question, Akari found her attention driven away when Touya and without mistake, his father Touya Koyo, she could remember him anywhere, were coming over to her in a hurry. Why didn't Touya tell her that his father was coming?
"Okasan, why did you run off?" Touya asked anxiously when he came closer to them. "I was looking everywhere for you."
Akari nearly drop her cup of drink and it must be so obvious that all blood from her face drained because Touya instinctively stepped up next to her protectively.
"Akari, they are my parents." Touya introduced. "Touya Koyo my otosan and Akiko my okasan."
"It is a pleasure to meet both of you." Akari bowed quickly, feeling weak in the knee. She had been talking to Touya's mother for the passed few minutes without even knowing it? "I am Fujisaki Akari."
"It had been a pleasure talking to you Akari-chan, it is alright for me to call you Akari," Akiko added and Akari only nodded numbly.
"I will be hoping to meet you soon again Fujisaki-san." Touya Koyo said, finally a small smile appear on his face, breaking his stern expression. "I am sure Akira will arrange a dinner, so we all could get to know one another better."
"Hai," Akari managed to squeak out slightly.
"I will show otosan and okasan around the festival Akari." Touya said quickly knowing that she was about to break out into sweats. "I will meet you back here again after you finished your teaching season."
Akari nodded and bowed at his parents again. "Have a nice evening."
After Touya and his parents left only did Akari managed to get back her posture and drank more cold drink before she went out to continue teaching. The unexpected meeting with Touya's parents wasn't really that terrible, in fact she was sure that Akiko kind of liked talking to her. She smiled at the thought. Her happy thoughts were nevertheless interrupted when she heard a cold clipped voice behind her.
"I never knew Akira will go for someone as boring as you."
Akari whirled around so quickly that she nearly tripped but whoever standing before her would have made anyone fall flat on their faces anyways. It was Yuii, right before her eyes, clad in a black revealing tank top and black tight mini skirt. She wore black shiny high healed boots that reached up to her knees. Her long black hair let loose behind her back, swaying slightly in the summer breeze.
"What are you doing here?" Akari snapped after getting out of her stupor. "And this is a temple! Don't you have any respect! You can't dress like that in here!"
"Let me get this straight," Yuii whispered dangerously ignoring her infuriated retort. "I came here only to tell you this and listen to me carefully. You are a no body to Akira. You hear that!"
"What?" Akari snapped heatedly. "Look, I do not want to hear any of your lame excuse to be here. It is very certain that you are not welcome here if you think that what I do is boring!"
"Ah well, you think a waitress like you could be with Akira?" Yuii smiled spitefully while Akari's angry expression fell slightly. "Akira is brought up in a well to do and distinguished family. He doesn't need a waitress like you to be at his side!"
"How do you know what I work as?" Akari asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"I have my sources." Yuii continued. "This comes as a warning. If you don't turn around, I'll see that you will regret the day you ever met Akira!"
Without waiting for a reply, she turned away, her chilling voice trailing behind her, giving Akari the chills that she had never felt before.
"Mark my words or you will regret!"
Akari watched Yuii walked into the crowd and out of sight, leaving a grey cloud hovering over her like dooms day. Akari had just realized why Touya was never happy being with her. She had a way to corrupt anyone's beautiful day to the worst day of anyone's life. Taking a deep breath, she waved the grey clouds away from her and continued with her teaching. She had no intention remembering the encounter with Yuii and the best way was to continue dancing and have fun.
Nevertheless, all fun things had to end. Soon the festival was over and the crowd was beginning to disperse. Since Touya had not returned, Akari went over to the shrine. Given that she was already at the temple she decided to pray and make a wish.
Near the shrine there was a trough where people were able to toss coins and make their wishes. Akari made her way towards it and threw a coin in, clapped her hands together and closed her eyes. At the end of her prayer and wish she clapped her hands twice and bowed three times. Slowly, she opened her eyes and took a container of sticks marked with numbers that was placed near the trough.
She shook the container gently until a stick falls out from it. She bent over to pick it up, read the number before she placed the stick back into the container and placed it back where it belongs. She went over to a cabinet with drawers, marked with all the numbers and pulled out a paper of her fortune that was marked with her number. She raised an eyebrow at her fortune.
Disappointment and heartache will befall. Only will vanquish as one is willing to belief
"What does that mean?" Akari wondered out loud.
"It means that you have to trust." A croaky voice behind Akari startled her and she turned around to see an old lady smiling at her. "It is a fortune of bad tiding and good tiding. Something disappointing may happen one day but trust must be put forth for the good to overwhelm the bad."
"Huh?" Akari stared at the old lady still not understanding.
The old lady chuckled softly at Akari's bewildered face and held out a packet of small taiyaki inside. (Taiyaki: A soft type of cookie shaped like a fish)
"As the day comes, you will understand. Here is a token for luck." The old lady said passing the packet of taiyaki to her. "It is for good luck and blessing. Share it with your love one."
"Domo arigatou," Akari said taking the packet from her and bowed.
When Akari looked up again, the old lady was already walking back into the shrine. She inclined her head watching her for a moment before she looked down at the piece of paper she held in her hand. There was always this saying that bad fortunes were to be 'hung up' so that the bad luck can be blown away. She walked over to a small rail where there were already a couple of 'bad fortunes' tied up.
Akari lifted hers and tied the note on the rail before she walk away. She wasn't the superstitious type but it never hurt to be cautious. When she reached back to the deserted stage, Touya was standing around there looking anxious when she appeared. It was almost immediately he spotted her and stride over to her quickly.
"Where were you?" Touya asked slightly concerned. "I was looking everywhere for you! I thought you were angry at me and left!"
"I was at the shrine praying." Akari explained. "And why would I be angry at you?"
"About what happened today?" Touya answered uncertainly. "Look Akari, I didn't know my parents were coming, honestly!"
"Akira, it is alright!" Akari smiled realizing why he was so uptight.
"I was surprised myself!"
"Akira I said it is ok."
"I am so sorry, giving you a shock like this!"
"I was surprised but it is ok!" Akari protested when Touya didn't hear a single word she said.
"Please don't be angry at me!"
"I am not angry!"
"I'll make it up to you, I promise."
"Akira, you don't have to!"
"I am really, really sorry!"
"Akira?"
"I just hope you will forgive me…"
Akari looked down at the bag of taiyaki, pick one out of the bag and stuck it into Touya's mouth, knowing that whatever she said was not going into his head and he couldn't stop apologizing. But the taiyaki did the trick. Akari finally had Touya's full concentration.
"Ok, will you listen to me now" Akari said, trying not to laughed at Touya's brief expression of bewilderment. "I am not angry at you and I didn't mind at all meeting your parents today!"
"You are not?" Touya asked, taking the taiyaki out his mouth after a small bite.
"No I am not," Akari confirmed it and smiled. "I was slightly surprised though for this sudden encounter but I am not angry."
"Oh," Touya finally smiled and looked down at the taiyaki in his hand. "Where did you get this?"
"Some old lady from the shrine gave it to me for blessing and good luck." Akari said with a shrugged. She had purposely skipped out the part, 'share it with your love one'. Thinking about that made her blushed. There was no way she could tell Touya that.
"So you were at the shrine praying?"
"Well, I went there to make a wish too." Akari said.
"What did you wish for?" Touya asked suddenly looking very curious.
"I can't tell you," Akari smiled back mischievously. "Or it will not come true."
"What if I make you," Touya encircled an arm around her waist pulling her towards him. He leaned down but before he could get any closer, Akari took the taiyaki out of his hand swiftly and stuck it into his mouth again.
"We are at the temple." Akari cried almost bashfully. "And I am still not telling you."
Touya could only laughed softly after finishing the taiyaki and both of them made their way out the temple together, hands entwined.
At the main gate of the Asakusa Temple, Akari turned back towards the temple one fleeting moment with her thoughts playing through the events of that evening. The unexpected gathering with Touya's parents, the unwanted stumble upon with Yuii and the encounter with the weird old lady. On top of all that were the bizarre fortune she had gotten and the peculiar advice that was given to her, which she still didn't understand at all.
Akari couldn't admit more to herself that she had a somewhat unusual day.
TBC
Thanks for reading mina-san! If anyone is interested I had written a little self knowledge of the Asakusa Temple and the meaning of Bon Odori below.
For Knowledge:
Asakusa Temple is a tourist attraction in Tokyo which is actually known as the Sensoji (Kannon Temple). It is located in Asakusa, a central part of Shitamachi (downtown), the old town of Tokyo.There are also functions that are held in Asakusa Temple and the research I had made did tell me that Bon Odori Festival is NOT one of them, but this temple had struck the best one I could find in Tokyo and also one of the main tourist attractions so I had used the location in this fic...
The various functions that were held in the Asakusa Temple are:
Sanja Matsuri held in May- one of the Tokyo3 major functions
Hozuki-ichi (Hozuki market) held in July- Hozuki are ground chernies a typical summer plant in Japan
Tokyo Jidai Matsuri held in November a festival commemorating the history of Tokyo and the Edo Culture
Hagoita-ichi (Hagoita Market) Held in December Hagoita is the wooden paddle used in Hanetsuki,a traditional game that resembles badminton without the netor maybe ping pong without the table and net. (since the wooden paddle look very much like ping pong pad)
This temple is one of the oldest temple in Tokyo. According to the legend, one day in the 7th century, two local fishermen discovered a statue of Kannon, the buddhist Goddest of Mercy in their net. The first temple is said to have built on this site to house this statue. Since then the temple had been rebuilt and made bigger many times. Now it is believed that the original statue of Kannon found by the fishermen is buried beneath the gold planted shrine, which is behind the main alter in the main hall.
The place is really huge too, there is actually an outer gate, the kaminarimon- Gate of the God of Thunder with a huge red lantern with the (chinese character on it) 'Tian Men' (Meaning in chinese: The door of the sky) is the main entrance to the everyday world from the divine world. Then as you walk on you will come to Hozomon the main gate into the temple itself. As you walk along towards the main gate, there will be food stalls and Japanese cultural material sold along the aisle. (Kind of remind me of Catlogcy in Penang Island, (Pulau Pinang) here in Malaysia. You have to walk up thousands of flight of stairs to reach the temple and along the way there are stalls to buy things)
Bon Odori Festival:
This festival is a Japanese traditional summer dance festival. During the summer evenings everywhere in Japan, the local community enjoys Bon Odori (dance) in the near by park or playground or even at the temple. Bon Odori is a Japanese Buddhist Folk Dance performed outdoors and participants dance in a concentric circle around a raised platform called a Yagura.
Odori means dance and Bon is the abbreviated name of a Buddist text, the Ullambana Sutra, whose Japanese pronounciation is Urabon, shortened to Bon. The sutra tells the story of a Monk called Mokuren (known as Mogallana in Pali) who in meditation saw his deceased mother suffering of starvation in the Hell of Hungry Ghosts, where any food she touched burst into flames. Mokuren appealed to Shakyamuni Buddha to save his mother from her fate. Shakyamuni instructed Mokuren that in order to overcome his mother's selfish past life Karma, he should make offerings of food from land and sea to his fellow monks at the end of their 90 day retreat, which ended in mid July. Upon following Shakyamuni's intructions, Mokuren danced for joy when his mother and seven generations of his ancestors were freed from their sufferings.
This story gradually developed into a major memorial festival for one's ancestors and took root in many forms in Mahayana Buddhist countries. For 70 years, this annual event has attracted thousands of festival goers who help dance and traditional Japanese foods. The highlight of the festival is the colourful folk dancing that takes place in the street where young and old come together to celebrate the Japanese and Buddhist traditions of remembering and thanking one's ancestors. The folk dancers, dressed in brightly coloured traditional kimonos, yukatas and happi coat, dance to traditional songs that are accompanied to the beat of a large taiko drum. Everyone is invited to join the dancing.