Author's Note:
Ah, Amato and the Zanna Famiglia, spending time at a festival in Japan! This has definitely appeared on my mind for a dozen times now! At first, I was afraid I'd have to make one up, but it seems the Koshogatsu Festival really does take place at around the time Amato visit Japan. Let's go!
Chapter 55: Koshogatsu Fireworks
While it was just a shy tint of blue washed over the streets when we stepped out of the hotel lobby, the clear, empty sky hanging above us, the streets soon turned into what felt very similar to a fiesta back home. Many lights filled and collided with each other as we stepped into the Koshogatsu Festival, beaming forth from the many stalls lined up one after another. While Hinata told us that this festival was supposed to be one where people celebrates for a peaceful and bountiful harvest, and that those who were to take part would more likely be adults, the voices of both children and adults came in the form of cheers and laughter.
"It seems the news of fireworks spread out pretty quick, if I'm not wrong, it feels like everyone from Akihabara's here, it's packed!" I exclaimed while turning my eyes all around me, catching sight of my little group. Sergio and Johann looked just as surprised as I was, but I was expecting more reaction from Vito and Dante, whose steps were so slow I actually had to slow down a bit. They seemed as calm and collected as they always do. It's fine for missions and all, but I don't believe they never have any fun.
"Right, I guess because of tradition, people of Japan never expected such a western tradition, especially one as loud as fireworks, would be accepted for New Years." Sergio continued as we took our time passing by each stall. They featured numerous activities and food, all part of the Japanese tradition, I think. Food and games galore, I can't help but smile at the sight of the many people enjoying themselves.
"Ha ha, hey guys, this looks easy but it's actually pretty difficult!" Johann gave out after his laugh, already trying out one of the stalls at our side, pulling out a bunch of coins from his wallet. At the rate he's going, I wonder just how much money did he brought with him to Japan. "It's my third try already!" He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself, without a care in the world as usual. His fringe of golden hair glowing under the bright, orange lights, a shine in his brown eyes, I realized I no longer feel any form of disapproval from Johann, as well as a small tinge of guilt. Seems these days, that's what I've been feeling whenever I look at my friends.
A joke or two did nothing to curb what I felt. Somehow, there was a nagging feeling at the back of my head, that I'm the cause for Johann's loss of memories. Looking to the ground with a sudden grimace, I wondered what's the deal he had before, with the dreaded Vindice no less. Knight of Lazarus, is this really how the Knights do it when they go into exile? He may seem happy, but I heard he doesn't even remember his family, only snippets of places here and there. That just seemed so sad.
When my mind dropped itself deeper into this depression, I was knocked awake and back to the festival by a small slap on my back.
"Hey! Why the sudden gloomy look on your face? We're here to celebrate New Years!" Sergio popped into sight as soon as I looked up, forcing me to wipe away my frown on reflex. When the sound of cheers and laughter, the chatter of families and friends filled my ears once more, Johann, Dante and Vito had all but disappeared from my side, with only Sergio standing there looking slightly worried.
"Sorry, just doing some thinking." I quickly pushed out a reason, before pulling a smile over my face once more at the thought of the festival. "So they're all gone, huh?" When I tried to latch my mind onto another topic to keep the saddening thoughts away, that was the first thing blurted out.
"Johann's off chasing the games and giving all of them a try, Vito raised a brow when he caught sight of a candy store a few stalls away and Dante just sorta vanished." Sergio gave off while scratching the back of his head, looking apologetic. Deciding they're more than capable of looking after themselves, the concern quickly leaped out of my mind, but with just the two of us standing in the crowd of people, the many heads going from one side another, another thought came into mind.
"Is Hinata and the girl's here yet? Any sign of them?" The question quickly popped out of my mouth, only to have Sergio reply by shrugging his shoulders, a blank look on his face. That's right, I haven't seen the girls since this morning. I think they went shopping because they were talking about coming to the festival in Yukatas, a casual take on Japanese traditional costumes, at Hinata's suggestion. Remembering how happy Hinata looked when I caught sight of them as I was walking out of my room this morning, my curiosity only grew larger when the Koshogatsu Festival started.
They said they'll meet us at the Festival itself. Now I really can't wait to see the three of them!
"Why are the two of you just standing there in the middle the street, in the center of the festival?" A voice spoke out to us, carrying with it a sarcastic tone full of wit and a hint of tease. At first, I thought Vito had returned, but the slight level of concern in the words made me doubt my own thinking. Turning around, my eyes caught sight at one of dazzling colors. Hinata, Kiera and Aria were right behind us, dressed in Yukatas, each complimenting the look of each of the girls.
From the pretty ends of Hinata's brown hair, blue cloth flowed down her body, wrapped in such a manner that was both elegant and distinct. A good many patterns can be found gently spread from one corner of the blue to another, blasting out, like stars and suns. Somehow, I couldn't help but feel that the eye-catching design was something Hinata picked out herself, that it compliments her personality so well. She pushed her shoulders towards us, hands held together at her back as she looked at us after asking that question from before. Her eyes were shining, no longer the sharp red they used to look before, but now a a tint of what looked like a mix between gold and yellow. I think this is the amber eyes we so rarely see, just staring at them made me forget we're at the festival.
Kiera popped out from Hinata's right shoulder, staring down to the ground as I moved closer for a better look. She seemed nervous. The first thing I noticed was her hair, tied up behind her head in a bundle that looked oriental, and from her golden bangs to her neck, a burst of white came into sights, coupled by a band of pink going around her waist. Kiera's own Yukata screamed out power and grace and took it to a whole new level, the phoenix motif both beautiful and slightly overwhelming, but at the same time, it was kept at a level where it still fitted into the festive spirit of celebrations. While her eyes gazed to the side, Kiera maintained her poise and elegance she always had, but with what she was wearing, it brought forth a captivating feel.
Aria looked pretty stunning as well, and seeing her slightly nervous only raised how cute she looked. Her lush, dark hair dangled at her side, reaching down to her back and revealing a bright yellow that glowed even in the lights of the festival. Floral designs were littered all over her Yukata, a calming sight to the eyes. Her actions were a lot toned down than her usual demeanor, slow and careful, but the same behavior gave off an unexpected air of grace. I think she's just not used to the Japanese costume she had on, but anyone could see her genuine tries at mastering the ways. When my eyes met with hers, a smile stretched across her face, and all manner of uncertainty, however small they seemed, vanished.
"Wow! You guys look positively stunning!" Sergio's voice brought me back, as he whistled in appreciation of the beauty before him, so much that a faint tint of red was starting to appear on his cheeks. It was unbelievable, because I don't remember a time I ever saw my best friend blush in front of any girl. The three looked really happy when they received the compliment, their eyes brightening up almost immediately. When they turn and looked at me however, I realized they're waiting for me to say something as well, eagerly in fact.
"Uh... yeah.. You guys look... really good!" I quickly blurt out whatever sentence I could form in my mind as the heat kept rising to my face and the wetness of my sweat could be felt trickling down the side of my face. I hope I didn't look too flustered. Right after I told them the words, my eyes suddenly broke off from the three girls and looked to the side, as if on reflex. I had no idea why I did that, though, they really looked beautiful.
That was when a piece of metal curled up in a ball went in between my ribs, only it wasn't metal, it was a fist.
"Cough!" Turning around, I saw Kiera looking upset, the red blush on her face slowly receding. Behind them, Sergio and Aria shared a laugh at the situation like usual while Hinata only shook her head with an amused expression on her face. With the situation as awkward as it was, we ended up just moving on without a word, getting into the festival and visiting the many stalls.
"Ha-net-su-ki? Hm, how exactly is it played?" I asked out as I walked towards the stall, my interest building up when I lay eyes on the many finely decorated and designed wooden paddles, each as if they could tell a story on their own. Turning back to Kiera and the others, I caught sight of Kiera still ignoring me somewhat, not responding to my question. Turning away with her face still slightly upset, her Yukata flying gracefully with each movement, her eyes told me she wanted something but at the same time she's pushing her desire away, because of that, she had this conflicted look on her face, which seemed kinda cute.
"They look so well decorated!" Aria gave out as she got to my side, picking up one of the wooden paddles for a closer look. They looked of heavy Eastern design, something rarely seen back in Italy.
"I think it's something like Badminton, it's been years since I last played it..." Sergio vaguely tried to answer my question, a slightly confused look covering his face as he dug into his mind for answers. Perhaps Sergio and his family also played games like these in New Years back in Italy, in addition to all those Italian customs we'd do.
"Yes, it's called Hanetsuki. And yes, it's similar to Badminton." Hinata's voice surprised us as she got to my side as well, picking up two of the paddles used in the game hosted by the stall after being so quiet for quite a while. She looked as if she had been deep in thoughts. "We'll take two for a game." Hinata's confidence quickly returned, as did her eccentricity, quickly ignoring the stall owner right after she tossed him the money for playing a game.
In front of the stall, Hinata placed a paddle in my hand and pushed me a few steps away from her, and when I turned towards her wondering why she did that, she was already all geared up for the game, already taken up her stance. With Sergio, Kiera and Aria watching, I was suddenly thrust into a game in which I had no real idea on how it's played. Well, if anything, I'm always happy to play games with a pretty girl.
"We'll send the shuttlecock to each side, trying our best to keep it in the air!" Hinata declared right as I got my game on, before serving and starting the game right on the bat. At that moment, we were surprised at how competitive she was. Well, until the shuttlecock flew past my face right after I tossed back towards her.
"Whoa!" The reaction was given out without much control, overwhelmed by the fact that I couldn't even properly follow it with my eyes. I was left dumbfounded while Hinata just stood there with a haughty grin on her face, as if she was enjoying my expressions.
"Oh, and the loser must have his or her face painted in indian ink, a stroke for each loss!" Hinata gave out playfully, finally revealing everything about the game while trying her best not to laugh. Of course, it took me a while to register what she said, but when the stall-keeper was already making his way towards me with the ink and the brush, denial took over.
"Wait, no! T-that's just a practice round! I didn't know anything!" Crying out, it didn't change anything, and for some reason, I didn't even take one step from where I was. In the end, a dark, murky stroke of ink went over the top of my lips, almost like a mustache drawn for a prank. When the stall-keeper returned to his stall, I saw Hinata all geared up for another round. It seemed the game is paid for duration, not the amount of rounds we play, and so, the challenge was accepted, with me hoping to see a stroke of ink on Hinata's face for payback.
But that feat proved a bit too difficult. Despite being in a Yukata, Hinata all but burned through me round after round, I could barely return her serves. It was really embarrassing. When we finally stopped and moved on to the next stall, I looked like someone from those oriental plays so prevalent in eastern lands, the strokes of black looking like a design or a mask put over my face.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!" Sergio and Aria burst out laughing after trying to hold it back for quite a while. Even Kiera couldn't help but turn her frown upside down when she saw my face. Of course, I didn't feel hurt or anything when they did, their smiles made up for whatever awkwardness I felt from their reactions. My way of thinking also made me wonder if my reaction was a normal one. Somehow, a nagging feeling at the back of my head kept disagreeing.
"Hinata, c-can I wipe it off? Please?" Despite how I felt, the public was starting to giggle whenever their eyes saw me, and the ink, to be honest, felt a tiny bit disgusting. I really didn't want it to dry over my face.
"No, if you did, there will be no proof of my victory!" Hinata proudly replied, obviously boasting about the win. Grinning from ear to ear, she seemed to have really enjoyed herself from that one game. In the end, I gave up trying to persuade her, partly because she only seemed to get more adamant with each try. When my eyes caught Kiera all quiet at the back of the group, an urge to do something about it took over all else, catching sight of a toy shooting range, I quickly ran over.
"Um... Sir? One try please." I muttered out the words in Japanese as I approached the stall owner, pulling out my Japanese language guidebook from my pocket and flipping to the different pages for cross-referencing. I think I got the words right. At first, the man just got mighty startled, but after pointing to the Hanetsuki stall, he immediately understood. Unexpectedly, the man never even gave out a single chuckle, something I was grateful for. Together with my hand signals, the man soon got the message, and handed me a plastic rifle for a try at the game. Everything went okay as I handed him the price with a smile. Closing my eyes for a second, I tried to hone my focus.
Right, games like this one is popular all over the world. Often, we'll always see a shooting range game in any carnival or festival we go to. Combine that with the fact that my training with Fenris, as well as Kiera's insistence on me learning how to use all other forms of firearms, often meant an easy win. My eyes shooting themselves open, I pulled the toy rifle and aimed it with one hand, blasting forth the plastic bullets. Vibrations and recoil, though not as much as a real gun, tried to deter my aim, but they were hardly successful. With the sound of the shots strangely quiet, all five of my shots struck the bulls-eye.
Wondering if Kiera and the others had already moved on, I quickly picked my prize, much to the shocking surprise shown on the stall owner's face. As soon as I got my winning, a large plush of a pig dressed up as a customer, with fork and knife in each hand nonetheless, my steps quickly ran off back to my friends.
Walking through the open fields a ways from the festival itself, the wind gently brushed against my hair, the hustle and bustle of the festival slowly dying down as if fading in the distance. It took me a while, but I found my friends all scattered in the fields, Sergio, Johann and Aria in a corner, Dante and Vito in the far sides. Kiera stood alone, looking up to the dark, clear sky, watching the stars, the moon and the clouds. Watching her profile in her Yukata looked stunning, breath-taking even. Suddenly, it felt that much more difficult to speak to her.
"K-Kiera?" The nervous feel made my words stutter, as I walked to her side with the plush in my hands. Snapping back, I saw Kiera tense as a surprise look appeared on her face, before she regained the usual calmness I'm so accustomed to.
"Pleasant evening, Lord Amato." As she replied, my ears caught an usual stiffness in her words, even more so than usual. She only turned to me with a bow before turning back, her movements almost robotic.
"Kiera, is there something wrong? You've been looking... conflicted..." Giving out the words, I started scratching my chin hoping my observation's not that off the mark while fiddling with the pink plush toy in my hands. Soon, even my eyes had to turn to the toy as I got more and more nervous because of how pretty she looked. Light returned to Kiera's eyes, or at least, it felt that way, as she turned back to me with her eyebrows furrowing, as if she got agitated by my voice.
"It's not that! I just wanted to hear you s-!" Before she could finish venting out, more red stained her cheek and spreads to her whole face as she got hit by realization, the words suddenly cutting off. With that, I couldn't help but feel as if I did something wrong, or at least it has something to do with me.
"I... got you this doll. C'mon, it's a celebration, I want to see you smile and be happy most of all. Right now, we're not Mafia, we're teenagers, right?" However, when I offered the doll, she just turned away again, looking slightly more annoyed. However, when my hands pulled it away, I realized her hand was tugging on the toy at one side even while she'd turned away. In the end, Kiera accepted the doll even as she gave no words of acknowledgment at all.
"You look beautiful in that Yukata, and you don't want your frown to pull things down, ya know?" Following my train of thoughts, I just spoke out the words that formed in my mind. When I realized what I said, it was my turn to turn away, facing out to the open fields, feeling strangely warm despite the cold wind blowing against the grass.
"T-Thank you, Amato." After calming down and turning back at the voice, I saw Kiera finally smiling with excitement, nodding as if too happy to say anything else. Her smile worked wonders, and the pressure on my shoulders lessened, returning to the usual feel I always had with the girl named Kiera De Luca. Checking around, my mind finally noticed something missing from the circle of friends in my sight, Hinata was nowhere to be seen. Recalling her brown hair and the pair of amber eyes, I suddenly felt the need to talk to her again.
"Where's Hinata?" I casually tossed out the question while admiring Kiera's hair, tied in an oriental style so much more different than her usual braids. Kiera, however, immediately flinched a bit from those words.
"She's... a few ways in front of us, Lord Amato." After hesitating for a second, Kiera answered me, pointing towards a hill before us. Catching sight of Hinata as I squinted my eyes, I bounced off to a jog, making my way towards her. Glancing back, Kiera's face looked a bit sad as I left her side. Sorry, Kiera, but I'll probably only get to see Hinata while we're staying here in Japan, so don't fault me if I try to see her more often than not.
There, she stood still while gentle wind whistled behind my ears, lifting up the ends of her blue Yukata and pushing them side to side. Her brown hair swaying, she almost looked sad as she stared up into the night-sky. Was she waiting for the fireworks? Or perhaps observing the stars? The light show should start any minute now. Slowing down as I got near, Hinata never even reacted to my presence, the blank look in her eyes from before now looking so prevalent.
"Hinata!" Crying out to her with a smile, I thought of putting my hand on her shoulder to snap her back to the festival, but soon realized the lack of courage needed for such an act. In the end, I just got in front of her and started waving, until the light returned to her eyes.
"You're too... strong... and loud." Hinata whispered out into the fields, before blinking her eye, the golden color flickered brightly even at night. "Well, what is it, Amato?" Hinata threw at me yet another question even before I began to wonder about what she said.
"Nah, it's nothing, just wanted you here so that I can enjoy the fireworks with my friend!" Right, I'm really happy I got to meet such a cute and independent girl here in Japan. The trip to this country has been a wild one, but meeting Hinata kinda even things out.
"... Friend, huh? We're... Friends..." She repeated the words with such a tone one would believe she had no idea of friendship before today. When her eyes gazed upon me while still looking slightly confused, I beamed to her another smile before turning to the skies, trying to catch the light-show should it start. Suddenly, something soft grazed against my cheeks, gently rubbing against my skin. Through the cloth, I could feel five fingers wiping on the side of my face. That was when the heat burst up to my head even before I realized who it was.
"I'll just help you clean the ink off... I guess my victory's not that important..." Hinata spoke from the side, a kind, gentle, loving tone to her voice. It felt nice, I didn't know she could sound so loving. Although my body was frozen from the sensation to even look at Hinata, something told me she had the same smile as me on her face.
"Whish! Fwoosh!"
Suddenly, the loud whistles rang across the fields, followed by the bursts of light spreading across the black sky. A rainbow of colors began exploding into flowers, blooming with each second passed. My eyes soon followed the lights exploding in the skies above, too entranced to do anything else. Standing at where we were, it felt like the perfect location to watch the fireworks, with the sound not too loud and the explosions of light feeling just right. Soon, Hinata finished qiping away the ink, and turned to the fireworks as well.
"I'm... glad... to have met you that day, at the station..." Softly, I heard the words whispered out, as if Hinata was still afraid to say them, but they only got louder with each syllable, even in the sound of the fireworks. "I'm... happy that I'm friends with you and the others, Amato Zanna." The last part sounded as if she took every ounce of her being to have it spoken, and it made me feel all tingly inside. Surprised that Hinata had such a side to her, I felt my attraction to her going up just a little more.
"Yeah, me too." I gave my short reply.
With one last look at her Amber eyes while the many lights lit up the sky, Hinata is starting to feel more and more familiar. As the words end and we watched the dazzling display of light and sound, it felt as if I was spending time with someone I knew, from long ago.
Together, we watched the blinding lights and listened to the sharp whistling of the fireworks amidst the cheers and joy of the crowds of Akihabara. It would remain a memory that I would never forget.
Well, this chapter certainly took it's own sweet time. Is the interaction between Amato and his friends, especially Hinata, believable? Or does it sound absurd? I fear I may have written too much, is it good? Is it boring? Please tell it to me in your reviews! Soon, this arc will come to its end, I hope you guys are as excited about it as I am! I'll try to update soon, see you next time!