The central town was bustling with people. The markets were overflowing with customers and she pitied the overwhelmed workers behind them. They frantically chopped, sorted and delivered their goods with such accuracy she couldn't help but admire. Jewelry shops and clothing were being bought and carried, and every so often people would bump into each other and drop something. "What the hell?! That was my new kanmuri! You've drenched it in mud!" One angry man would yell. "Kanmuri?! You made me drop my precious mochi!" would yell the other. However, neither were brave enough to actually fight, and would back down and mutter indecencies while walking away.

On another side of the town, kids played with broken sticks as if they were swords. One smaller boy shoved his stick into the air, yelling something she couldn't hear. The other kids reacted by falling, groaning as if they'd been struck. Hiyori giggled to herself, how cute.

"Hiyori! Hiiyori!" a girl shouted loudly. Hiyori looked from the ground, and saw a girl with short, light brown hair and a bright green kimono smiling at her.

"Yama-chan!" Hiyori exclaimed joyfully. She gave her friend a small embrace and giggled. Yama stepped back, a look of confusion on her face. "I thought you were like, almost dead." said Yama with a somber expression. "What happened?"

"Ah well..." Hiyori muttered. Truth to be told, she didn't really know what happened either. Her mom had told her she'd been found unconscious and not breathing, and over breakfast that morning; she found that she hadn't been awake for two days. And she swore she saw herself lying in bed, almost like...like... an out of body experience. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. It was just a dream, Hiyori. Don't get stupid ideas.

"Ah.."The last thing she'd remembered was how terrified she'd been. She thought of the male voice, the voice that sent static shivers down her spine. And the girl. The girl in a white kimono with a cloth crown. The girl who glowed in the dark night. The girl who stood over dead flowers. "Flowers are so pretty..."

"Too bad they die so easily..."

Hiyoris head pounded, new waves of pain washing over her head felt like daggers etching deeper and deeper into her brain. She fell to the ground, groaning, gasping for air. Her friend Yama yelled for her name, and yelled for help from strangers nearby. Yama's voice was only an echo to Hiyori, an echo that got farther and farther away. Soon, her voice was so far that all Hiyori could do was let unconsciousness take over her. Before the blackness enveloped her, she heard the same, spine chilling low voice.

"Come, Hikki."

/

A kanmuri is a hat usually worn by japanese upperclassmen. if a middle class man bought it then they're just buying it for sport. honestly i'd be mad about my mochi lmao