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Festivals in Makochi were one of a kind. A rare occasion when all gangs call for an unspoken truce and mingle with the residents. The only time of the year when a person can walk out of their homes without fear. Since the opening of his stall, he had already served plenty of gang members, some of whom might be causing trouble for Shishitoren shortly and some whom they had already faced in the past. Truly one of a kind.
This year, the crowd was larger than last year. He believes Furin is to thank for that. Despite an unspoken rule against fighting during festivals, townspeople felt unsafe leaving their houses. Since Furin has been looking after the town, people have felt more confident about venturing out, especially after the Norishi battle. Furin's valor has gained widespread recognition, leading to a significant increase in the town's freedom compared to before.
"If it isn't Togame-chan!" An elderly man approached his stall. He was wearing an easygoing smile as he staggered closer.
"Minoru-san, it's been a while." He leaned into a bow, "Would you like some dango?"
"Oh, so it's a dango stall this year. No yakisoba?"
"I just wanted to try something different."
Minoru-san chuckled, "I'll have some then. You always have something delicious with you."
He carefully included a little extra for Minoru-san, who had been his unwavering supporter since he first set up a stall at the local festival. He bowed again and thanked him for his continuous support as he watched him leave.
He looked at the streets lined with lanterns. The crowd was thinning out, people moving towards the location of the fireworks. A few were wandering around but no one seemed interested in eating.
He wanted to watch the fireworks by the bridge, but he couldn't leave the stall unattended. Choji and Sako had volunteered to stay at the stall but he didn't want his friends to miss out so he let them go ahead instead. After all, it was his job, he had to see it through.
He looked around, there was nothing much to do except wait till the fireworks were over. He watched parents playing games with their kids, couples trying to get each other presents, and a few coming up to his stalls. Nothing out of the ordinary… until a certain individual caught his eye.
He naturally stood out from the crowd because of his heterochromatic hair and eyes, but what caught his attention was his attire. A deep blue yukata wrapped around him—definitely wrapped by someone else—with a cherry blossom pattern on his sleeves, matching his name. There were a few wrinkles on the fabric, however, hidden from sight, unless someone looked closely.
"Sakura!" he found himself calling out to him.
Startled at hearing his name, Sakura whipped around, hands ready in a defensive posture. He froze up when his eyes landed on Togame. His face immediately softened and his hands unclenched.
"Togame," he muttered, "what are you doing here?"
"Just running a humble food stall," he gestured to the stall before him, "want to have some dango?"
Sakura's mouth watered at the sight of food. He mumbled out a soft "okay", giving Togame the confirmation he needed.
He immediately began preparing the dango, carefully adding just the right amount of sauce that Sakura might enjoy. Sakura observed his movements intently. Once finished, he offered the dango to Sakura, who eagerly accepted it.
Togame watched Sakura take the first bite, his face lit up as the second flavor reached his tongue.
"Do you like it?" Togame held a breath, anticipating his response.
Sakura nodded furiously, unable to speak with his mouth full, devouring a stickful of dango instantly.
"Glad you like it, Sakura" Togame drawled, "I've heard people say my dango are the best." He ran a hand through his hair, scratching the back of his head, "I've never had them myself though. So I was wondering how you'd like it."
"Heh? You never ate it yourself?" Sakura gulped, slowing down his pace.
"It's because I make it for others so I don't eat it myself."
Sakura paused and looked at his half-eaten dango stick. His face scrunched up in thought.
He stretched his hand towards Togame, "You wanna try it?" He mumbled, diverting his gaze, unable to meet Togame's eyes.
Togame was taken aback by the gesture. But then again, he should probably get used to Sakura surprising him all the time.
"I'll take you up on the offer." Instead of taking the stick, he leaned down and took a bite directly from Sakura's hand. Wiping the excess syrup from his mouth as he chewed, he gave Sakura a soft smile.
Sakura's entire body was trembling, blood rushing to his face and neck. "Y- y- you ate that!" He shrieked.
"Oh, was I not supposed to? Sorry about it then."
"Th- that's not what I meant!" He hissed, chomping down the last bit and looking away.
Togame chuckled at his bashfulness but didn't press further. He took another glance at his appearance. From up close, he could see how well the Yukata suited him.
"By the way, Sakura," he leaned against the stall, "I didn't assess you as the kind to get dressed up for the festival."
"It's not like I wanted to!" He immediately rebuked, "Tsubakino forced me!"
"That's not what I meant." He raised his arms, "I wanted to say that it suits you." He admitted, making a mental note to thank Tsubakino later.
"W-whatever," his face heated up again.
"So where is the rest of the Furin?" Togame changed the subject, hoping to lighten Sakura's mood. "Are you lost?"
"I'm not lost!" He protested, pointing the dango stick at him as if he accused him of murder, "I'm just taking a detour!"
Togame was about to say something when he was interrupted by a loud sound echoing throughout the venue. They both snapped their attention to the sky, which was lit up by the fireworks. Everyone was frozen on the spot, enchanted by the colorful display. The venue was plunged into silence, the only sounds that could be heard were the fireworks and hushed whispers.
Togame’s gaze dropped back to Sakura, gaping at the sky. Excess blood drained out of his face, and he was looking like his usual self. He could see various colors dancing on his face, reflected by the sky. His eyes contained all the light in the world, and Togame found himself paralyzed by the sight.
"It's beautiful…" Sakura whispered softly to himself, not realizing he spoke out loud.
"It is." Togame agreed. He was not talking about the fireworks.
The next day during patrol with Suo and Kiryu
“So you shared your half-eaten dango with him and he ate it?” Suo asked, once Sakura was done recounting his meeting with Shishitoren’s Vice Leader.
“Yeah…”
“Sakura-chan, I don't know how to tell you this but…” Kiryu paused, contemplating the pros and cons of the revelation. “That was an indirect kiss.”
Sakura’s face heated up so fast one might think he was on fire. “I- I- In- Indirect— Ki- Kiss?!”
“That's right, Sakura-kun.” Suo agreed with Kiryu’s statement and added his own explanation, “It is when you share something you've touched with your lips and the other person–”
“I get it!”
“You've already been on a date but you still haven't asked him out, Sakura-chan~” Kiryu put his arm on Suo’s shoulder, leaning against him to tease Sakura.
“D- Date?!”
“Hmm… Kiryu-kun might be right. You were at the festival, shared an indirect kiss, and watched the fireworks together.” Suo summarized his entire interaction with Togame. “Sounds like a date to me.”
“Right? You need to ask him out Sakura-chan~” Kiryu nodded from where he was leaning against Suo, “You can't keep crushing on him forever~”
“Indeed that's the ritual.”
“There's a ritual?!” Sakura exclaimed. Having no prior relationship experience, he readily believed what his friends told him.
“Of course, there is, Sakura-kun. You need to follow the proper dating process.”
“Yep yep. Go ask him out, Sakura-chan! You have our blessings.”
After a moment of hesitation, Sakura asked, “H- how… how do I do that…?” His puffed cheeks were tinted red.
Suo and Kiryu exchanged glances.
“You actually believed that?” Suo was the first to speak. “There's no ritual, we were messing with you, Sakura-kun!~”
“But you really should ask him out~” Kiryu added.
“Hah?!...” Sakura screeched watching those two retreat, “Come back here, I’m going to kill you both!”
Meanwhile Tsubakino, Hiragi, and Umemiya
“Why is Togame texting me 'Thank you'?” Tsubakino asked, staring at their phone screen.
Umemiya, who was tending to the plants, looked up. “Oh, did something happen?”
“Not that I'm aware of…”
Hiragi grumbled, feeling his stomach ache worsening. “Just ask him.”
“But what if it's something I should know about?” Tsubakino fretted, imagining the awkward position they would be put in. “He would feel bad if he remembered but I didn't.”
Umemiya, sat down on the ground, deep in thought. “Oh yeah, that will be awkward.”
Hiragi, having had enough of their antics, grumbled louder, “Just ask him.”