There was a festival at the end of the summer, not to long before Kuwabara and Shizuru were going to have to return to school. Kuwabara was excited about going to the festival; it was a big one, so there was a good chance he'd meet up with all his friends there.
"Mom, aren't you ready yet?" Kuwabara asked, impatient to be on their way.
"I'm ready," she replied, "but your sister isn't quite yet."
Kuwabara pouted. His mom had made Shizuru a yukata to wear to the festival, and she had insisted on doing up Shizuru's hair as well. Kuwabara knew that Shizuru didn't actually like getting dressed up, but their mother insisted every year. Luckily, she had never tried to force Kuwabara into dressing up as well.
Kuwabara's dad walked over and ruffled Kuwabara's hair. "Here's a lesson you need to learn early, son. Never rush a woman; they'll be ready when they're ready, and not before."
"That's right," his mom said with a smile.
"Can we be ready now?" Shizuru asked.
Their mom adjusted the bow she'd been tying in Shizuru's hair. "Okay, we're ready."
It didn't take long to get from their house to the festival, and Kuwabara felt a familiar thrill when he saw it. The smell of frying food, the loud chatter and laughter of the people, the brightly colored booths; he loved every part of the experience.
They'd been there nearly an hour when Kuwabara caught sight of Okubo. "Mom, I'm going to say hi to Okubo over there," Kuwabara said.
"Okay, but come right back here," she said. "I don't want to lose you in this crowd."
"I will," Kuwabara promised, and then he dashed off to say hi to his friend.
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