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It was a quiet summer evening. Or rather, it would’ve been a quiet summer evening if not for the bustling festival that was going on. Tiny but nonetheless ergonomic food stalls, manned by grizzled middle-aged gentlemen, emanated a constant stream of clacking, scraping and sizzling sounds, perfuming the air around them with the rich scent of savoury, carbohydrate-loaded snacks in the process. Loudly colored banners erected next to, and bedraped over these temporary establishments, proclaimed the goods they each peddled: okonomiyaki, taiyaki, yakisoba, takoyaki, and goodness knows how many other snacks with “yaki” in their names. The whizzing sound of ice being shaved into cool piles of kakigori, the plodding of numerous feet, and the shuffling and swishing of yukatas filled the night air with a brisk, spirited hum, while bright lanterns and electric bulbs basked every surface in a lively orange glow.
Kanna and Koharu sat on a bench situated on the edge of the festival. It was adjacent to a large tree, which gave the area not only fresh air but some much-needed cover from the incessant hustle and bustle. Chiyo and Ena, being significantly more energetic, had left the two cupids to recuperate while they explored some of the festival games. Koharu held a small box of takoyaki in her hands, the contents of which both girls were slowly emptying with the aid of thin bamboo skewers.
Kanna thrust a ball of takoyaki into her mouth and, still holding the bamboo skewer in her right hand, reclined on the bench backrest, giving a little exhale of relief. She was no introvert, but being packed into a throng of festivalgoers for a full hour, even if it was with her friends and precious kouhai, seemed to suck something precious out of her. It was nice to leave the crowd behind for a short while, and soak in the relative quiet of her surroundings. Still draped over the bench, Kanna relaxed her neck and lazily allowed her head to flop in Koharu’s direction. While Koharu hadn’t unwound quite as much as Kanna, her placid and slightly pleased expression showed that she, too, appreciated their little break. The bright festival lights, vainly casting their rays in Koharu’s direction, only succeeded in suffusing themselves over the gentle curve of her supple cheeks, and imparting a soft candescence to the fringes of her twintails.
Kanna’s eyes drifted from Koharu’s face to the patterned folds of her yukata, down its lapels and then along its loose sleeves, landing on the takoyaki box resting on Koharu’s left palm. It was empty save for two remaining balls. Lightly grasping a bamboo skewer in her right hand, Koharu stabbed one of them, brought it to her mouth and took a small bite. Still munching, she noticed that Kanna’s eyes had followed the path of the takoyaki and were now staring at her mouth.
“Do you want another one, senpai?” Koharu asked, holding out the box invitingly.
Kanna roused herself from her comfortable position over the bench. “Sure, Koharu-chan! Thanks.” So saying, she readied her skewer and moved to eat the last remaining ball of takoyaki.
At that moment, they heard a loud “Oooi~!” ring from a distance away. Looking towards the source of the sound, Kanna saw Chiyo sprinting towards her and Koharu. The pitter-patter of her footsteps rapidly grew louder, and a few seconds later Chiyo brought herself to a panting halt in front of the bench. Ena followed soon after, having continued to walk at a mellow pace.
“What’s up guys??” Chiyo breathlessly exclaimed. “Had fun sitting under a tree for the past half hour? You missed out on a ton of fun not coming with me and Ena, let me tell you—” she paused upon seeing the takoyaki box. “You still haven’t finished the takoyaki yet? Here, let me help.” she exclaimed, before grabbing the single remaining ball and popping it into her mouth.
As Kanna moved to say something, Chiyo yelled “Whoa, the ramune I had earlier’s coming out! I’ll be right back.” and with that, ran off to the bathroom. Ena mutedly gave Koharu and Kanna an apologetic glance, and wafted off in Chiyo’s direction.
“My takoyaki…” Kanna dissapointedly stated, before giving a soft sigh. “I guess that’s just how it is when Chiyo’s involved.”
Koharu, who had been silently observing the flow of events, hesitatingly extended her skewer, which still had the bitten takoyaki ball on it.
“Senpai…” she shyly suggested, “if you don’t mind, do you want the rest of mine?”
Kanna, momentarily taken aback, stuttered: “I—I mean, if you’re okay with it…” A wordless nod from Koharu confirmed that this was the case.
Still somewhat disoriented, she tentatively brought her fingers towards the stick, and received it from Koharu with a quick, murmured “Thanks.” She flinched as Koharu’s soft skin brushed against hers while she took possession of the bamboo skewer.
Kanna brought the takoyaki to her mouth and, after a few false starts, took a bite and began munching. As her chews broke up the food and distributed it throughout her mouth, her ears reddened into a bright, hot pink, and she found herself staring at the ground as an awkward silence enveloped her and her kouhai.
After some time had passed, the pair heard Chiyo and Ena returning from the bathroom, although it was mainly the sound of Chiyo loudly talking that alerted them.
“I guess it’s about time we get up.” Kanna said, rising from the bench as Koharu nodded and did the same. She gave the tree behind the bench a last look, savoring a final moment of quiet before they returned to the festivities.
“Whew! You know how your bladder feels kind of hollow after going to the bathroom? That’s me right now.” Chiyo loudly announced. “Anyways, we should start for the fireworks viewing area soon, or there won’t be any good spots left.”
“Alright, let’s get going then.” Kanna replied.
Making their way towards the fireworks site, they passed a takoyaki stall, its owner still grilling away despite much of his clientele having departed for the night’s pyrotechnics. As the sizzle of takoyaki batter grew steadily fainter behind her, Kanna recollected what had just transpired between her and Koharu, and felt her ears begin to flush again. She felt compelled to glance in her direction, and see if she was being reminded of anything as well.
Looking at Koharu, Kanna noticed that she was staring at the floor, listlessly watching her own feet shuffle forward as the group walked. The festival lights shined even more brightly on her now, highlighting every strand of her snow-white hair, and the red streak on her bangs, which bobbed with every step she took.
Noticing that she had Kanna’s attention, Koharu returned it with a little smile. As she turned to face her senpai, Kanna saw that Koharu had a blush suffused across her face. She gave Koharu a smile, too.