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Chihiro and his sister, Karen, were at the Meiji Shrine for New Year’s. The crowd at the shrine was huge, so it took them some time to get their turn at the offering box.
“So, Chihiro,” His sister began. “What are you going to wish for this year? A great Featherman season?”
“Sis! Come on!” he whined. Karen was teasing him, in front of onlookers. “Not in front of everyone.”
“I don’t think people would care. Any kid could wish that.”
“I’m not a kid! I’m sixteen!”
Karen pondered. “...Nah, still a kid.”
Chihiro was getting pouty. He didn’t need this. “Let’s just do our wish already. We’re hogging the line.”
“Oh, right!” Karen forgot.
Both inserted their money at the offering box and prayed.
“I wish for success for my law studies and family.” Karen said to herself. After finishing hers, she looked at her younger brother, and wondered what he’s praying for this year. For a brief moment, she noticed his face was sulken, but before she can even process what she saw, Chihiro was done.
He then grabbed the bell rope. “Sis.” he reminded her. Karen snapped out of her brief daze and grabbed the rope with him. Both siblings tugged the rope and the bells chimed, hoping their wishes will be heard by the gods. Both walked off after.
They next went the omikuji vending machine to get their fortunes told. Karen inserted money into it and got two fortunes for each other.
“Mine says ‘Small Blessing: You will achieve success in your studies.” she read, then groaned. “Small? Come on.” She turned to her brother. “What did you get, Chihiro?”
He was smiling at his fortune. “‘Great Blessing: You will discover a deep bond with someone unexpected.’” he read.
“Well, damn! Can we trade?”
“Nope!” Her brother clung to his fortune. “The gods gave me this, so nyeh!” He stuck his tongue out at her.
“And who’s the kid now?” the sister snapped back, teasing him again.
Banter aside, the siblings walked away from the omikuji machines to go get something to eat from a nearby vendor. For Karen, this New Year’s was the happiest she’ve seen her brother in a while, besides fanboying over Featherman.
Since their mother died a decade ago, their family was in near shambles. Their father tries to care for them, but is too busy with work as the sergeant of the local police and she herself had to take over some of her mother’s duties while still in grade school. But Chihiro was hit the hardest. He would not talk to anyone, even his own family, for weeks and cry at any instance of the word ‘mom’.
One day, her brother discovered Featherman and feverishly watched everything there was to them. He would talk about each series and episode and recite lines from the shows to her. He was happy for the first time in a while and that happiness spread to the family.
‘Whenever you cry or smile, Featherman will be there for you.’
That quote stuck to Chihiro like glue.
And seeing him this happy over a fortune brought in an ease of mind to her. “‘You will discover a deep bond with someone unexpected.’,” she repeated in her thoughts. “Wonder who can it be.”