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Gin isn’t a big fan of festivals.
They’re not sure what exactly it is. Objectively, they’re lovely, full of good food and people having fun and upbeat music that keeps everyone’s spirits high. But something about them just makes Gin miserable, like there’s a wet blanket over them, keeping them in a perpetual state of moodiness.
Then again, Tachihara says that’s how they always look, and Higuchi would be crestfallen if Gin rejected to go, so here they are now, weaving through the crowd-filled streets and coasting past the dozens of stalls.
They’re dressed in a black kimono with white accents, a few flower petal prints decorating the sleeves. It matches Higuchi’s sky blue one and Tachihara’s maroon one. They’ve elected to let their hair down for this festival, but they’re starting to regret not bringing a hair tie. Despite the chilly breeze, the bustling atmosphere has sweat pooling under the fabrics they’ve donned on, and a bit beading beneath their mask as well.
“Tada!” Higuchi says, snapping Gin out of their misery. She’s holding onto a box of takoyaki. “The queue was so long, but they’re so worth it. Here.”
Tachihara takes an offered wooden pick with no hesitation, popping one in his mouth. He hisses, fanning his lips rapidly as he tries to speak. “F—uck! That’s hot!”
Higuchi shakes her head. “Duh. Oh, I saw a really nice spot further uphill. Let’s go snap some pictures!”
Gin glances at the general direction she’s pointing in. There’s a mossy hill at the end of the street, its rocky road lined out with hanging lanterns. There seems to be more stalls above, and it’s bound to provide a great view of the city.
Gin takes a step forward and winces when they hit a small puddle. A splash of water gets on their bare skin and they take a moment to wonder why the hell they chose to wear traditional shoes too before following after their friends with a sigh.
On the way there, they stop by more stalls to get some snacks. Tachihara gets an entire box of mochi that he clings to protectively the whole night. Gin recalls that Tanizaki really likes mochi, so maybe that’s why. Higuchi buys a nice floral headpiece that matches well with her outfit and instantly puts it in her hair, elevating her look.
They each get a cup of boba tea to sip from on their walk. Gin’s eyes drag over the stalls, but nothing really catches their eye.
By the time they’ve made it up the hill, the night has reached its peak. There’s a low, comforting hum in the air as people continue to chatter. They find a shady spot under a large tree and look out over the city, taking a break.
Warm lights flicker across the area, matching the twinkling of stars in the sky. A pang of bitterness fills Gin’s heart, though they’re not quite sure why—perhaps it’s the sudden feeling of being so small, like they’re just a tiny, insignificant speck in their spinning world.
They can hear Higuchi and Tachihara giggling about something, and in the distance, Gin sees someone trip over their own feet. They’re struck by the invisible bubble forming around them, separating them from the world. Everyone has their own lives. Gin has theirs. And somehow, that acknowledgment makes them feel awfully lonely.
“Oh, there’s games over there!” A tug on Gin’s elbow shakes them out of their head. They turn just in time to see Tachihara’s wide grin, though they think it looks gentler than normal. “C’mon, Gin. Betcha can’t beat me in ring toss.”
“You suck at ring toss,” Higuchi deadpans, ignoring his indignant protest. “You’re pretty good at shooting games though. But not as good as me.”
“You think you’re so clever, huh, Higuchi—”
Gin takes a deep breath, letting themself be tugged along and trying to fill the emptiness in their heart.
They do go for ring toss first, and Tachihara does lose miserably. They play a shooting game next, where they have to use a toy gun and foam bullets to knock a tower down. Tachihara redeems himself then, winning a cool fidget toy thing that glows whenever he clicks on it. Higuchi beats their asses at a memory game, going up to break the high score of the night, and Gin is convinced she’s secretly superhuman.
And Gin does have fun. Even if the world seems too great and their heart feels too small, they find themself smiling under their mask and a bit of fiery competitiveness sparking at the prospect of a challenge.
As they’re searching for the next game to try, Gin’s eyes land on one with darts and balloons and points to it, perking up. They know they’ve got pretty good aim—they had a phase where they were obsessed with knife throwing when they were younger. You could say they had deadly accuracy.
They approach the stall and the stall owner turns around, a customary smile on her face, and Gin—
“Hi! Three people?” she asks. Her hair is a bold red tied back into two braids that run down her back. She has striking teal eyes that glow even in the dim light, a splattering of freckles across her face, and glinting braces that reveal itself when she smiles.
Oh no. She’s so pretty.
“Yup!” Tachihara answers, oblivious to Gin’s crisis. She nods, reaching under the stall to take out three buckets and placing them on the counter. Each bucket has ten darts in them.
As the stall owner explains the prizes, Gin’s eyes catch onto a name tag. Lucy.
“Whenever you’re ready!” Lucy says, letting them take the stage. Tachihara and Higuchi are picking up darts instantly, throwing them with such ferocity that all they do is ricochet off the walls, missing the targets. They’re laughing and jeering at each other, and at one point Higuchi manages to hit the ceiling, which makes Lucy frown in confusion, and even the furrow of her eyebrows is cute—
“Gin, are you just gonna stand there?” Tachihara laughs. He’s on his last dart. He’s hit a solid three balloons. “You might be our only hope.”
Gin stiffens when Lucy’s eyes turn onto them. She tilts her head, a kind smile gracing her features as she asks, “Do you know how to play?”
They grimace, nodding hurriedly. They can’t embarrass themself in front of a cute girl like this. That’s, well, so not Gin’s thing. They prefer to keep their cool.
If Higuchi notices their red ears and gives them a questioning look, Gin pretends not to see it.
Taking a deep breath, Gin picks up a dart and zeroes their gaze into their target. A bright red balloon stands in front of them, taunting, calling.
Drawing their hand back, Gin lets the muscle memory flow through them. With a simple flick of their wrist, the dart goes flying straight through the balloon. Pop!
They ignore the awed gasps from their friends as they continue tossing in rapid succession. One by one, an entire row of balloons is knocked out, and Gin lets out a relieved sigh once it’s over.
“Wow,” Lucy whispers, sounding genuinely stunned. “You’re the first person to hit all ten this whole day. That’s amazing!”
Her eyes are shining with earnest excitement and Gin ducks their head, something warm filling their chest.
As Lucy points to the prizes Gin can pick, they notice a phone lying on the counter. It must be Lucy’s since it’s on her side. The phone cover is of a red doll and the background is of pink accents. There’s a bear keychain hanging from the casing as well.
Gin looks up and instantly knows what prize they want.
They point to a medium-sized pink bear plush, just about as large as a football. Lucy chuckles and the sweet sound rings in Gin’s ears as she plucks the prize for them, handing it over. Gin takes it, squishing it in their hands and staring into its round eyes, before passing it back.
“Huh?” Lucy asks, looking down at the offered plush. “Wh—”
“For you,” Gin mumbles, cheeks flushing pink when Lucy looks back up at them with a gaping jaw.
“O-oh!” Like a rush of wind, Lucy hurries to accept the prize, holding it close to her chest. Her own cheeks begin to redden and Gin watches in awe as she bites back an adorable smile. “Thank you.”
Shrugging, Gin gets ready to leave when Lucy makes a noise of protest. “Wait!”
They pause.
“There’s going to be a fireworks show at ten. I get off in a few minutes. If you’d like, then we can meet over there by the tree, and we can..?”
Gin finds themself nodding, hope blooming in their chest before they can even think. From the corner of their eye, they can see Higuchi trying to subtly drag Tachihara away from them, who is fighting back quite insistently, and they hold back an eye roll.
Lucy laughs again, nodding back. “I’m Lucy.”
It’s not necessary, but Gin appreciates it all the same. “Gin,” they answer softly, admiring the way Lucy’s eyes seem to light up.
“Gin,” she repeats. “I’ll see you soon.”
Gin makes a noise of agreement, and after a bit of deliberation, makes a small heart with their fingers before dashing away.
Lucy’s sunny smile is worth more than any prize at this festival.