Autumn Festival Part 1

When Kaede opened her eyes, a surge of coldness jolted through her. Her hands and feet felt like ice. It seemed she had forgotten to close the kitchen window again. Without fully opening her eyes, she reached out with her right hand to check for Ren, who should have been sleeping beside her. He was there. To feel the rise and fall of his chest with his breath, she placed her hand on it. As always, he was by her side, alive.

She did this several times each night, as if Ren might die if she didn’t check on him enough. Her heart, which had started pounding faster, finally calmed down. When Kaede quickly got out of bed, the wind brushed against her skin with a spiteful intensity, as though it carried some grudge. She closed the window with a firm push, ensuring Ren wouldn’t feel colder.

That alone was enough to wake her up without even washing her face. Dragging her sluggish legs, which seemed reluctant to wake up like her mind, she headed to the bathroom. In the mirror that resembled a cold and foggy winter night, she fixed her gaze on the lifeless reflection of a living being.

Yet Kaede had not realized it before; the concept of a mirror was indeed an odd phenomenon. Somehow it always made her feel as if she were looking at an entity lacking the warmth and light of a soul. It was a feeling akin to that of a woman who had suffered a miscarriage, swinging a porcelain doll in her rocking chair.

The state of her body, long deprived of water, was evident from her pale face and sunken under-eyes. Grateful that she didn’t always look this way, she decided to ignore her reflection this time, as usual.
She turned the valve of the tap to the left, making the water just a little cold, and then splashed it on her face with a little more force than most people would. Ren always made fun of her for that, saying that she almost fought the water instead of washing her face. Remembering this brought an involuntary smile to her face, pulling her back to the real world.

Kaede pushed aside the wooden wedge propped against the bathroom door, a triangular piece of wood placed in front of every door. It was because of one of Ren’s peculiar phobias; he couldn’t stand doors being fully closed. She respected his preference and had long since grown accustomed to living this way. The only exceptions were the bathroom door and the front door, for which practicality made closing unavoidable.

Having finished her morning routine, Kaede returned to Ren, who was still sleeping soundly in their bed. With the wide sleeve of her satin robe, she gently stroked his left cheek. Ren frowned in his half-asleep state, waving his hand as if to shoo away a fly buzzing around his ear. His eyeballs were moving rapidly from side to side under the cover that hid them.

Thinking he might be having a beautiful dream, Kaede lay down on the bed and rested her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and got lost in the bumping of his heart. This was an important day. She didn’t want to drift back to sleep, so she called out to Ren as she straightened up.

Ren had a unique face. His features were sharp yet harmoniously proportioned. His light chestnut hair would make his moss-green eyes appear even more on sunny days, looking like a deep and quiet forest.

“Is there something on my face?” Ren asked in his deep voice.
“Oh, no, not at all. I was just spacing out, sorry about that.”
“Typical you,” he replied with a faint smirk.

Ren chuckled as his eyes narrowed as usual. Every time he laughed like that, Kaede found herself loving him even more.

As Ren got up, Kaede fed Max. He barked twice and spun in a small circle, as if trying to express his happiness. She patted his head, approving of his little performance.

To make sure she didn’t forget the melody that had popped into her head, Kaede sat at her piano, mentally repeating it. Humming softly, she pressed the keys with the urgency of someone working on a life-or-death task, jotting down notes in the notebook beside her. She was so absorbed in her work that she completely forgot about the event until Ren came over, looking a bit annoyed as he checked his pocket watch.

In the meantime, Ren had tended to his bees, watered the flowers in the garden, and even prepared breakfast. Whether it was a trait of men in general or just Ren, Kaede could never wrap her head around this absurd efficiency.

After breakfast, they began dressing in their costumes. The process was both enjoyable and a bit painful or, more accurately, it was painful for Kaede, as she constantly pricked her fingers with needles, and enjoyable for Ren, who laughed heartily at her clumsiness.

On their way to the event area, Kaede saw a flock of birds as the sun began to set. The sky, bathed in soft hues of pink and orange, seemed like spun sugar. As they flew toward a tree, the lead bird made a sharp maneuver, and the entire flock followed, rising effortlessly.

They soared in a kaleidoscope of color, so beautifully in tune with the rhythm of the universe that, if this moment were captured in a painting, it would be one of the most precious works of art in the world.

In those moments, she felt as though a candle burned softly within her, warming her soul gently. Just as she tripped over a rock and all the romance within her hit the ground, Ren, as always, caught her with his extraordinary reflexes.

"Maybe focus less on birdwatching and more on your surroundings! You didn’t even see where we arrived, did you?" he said with a playful yet teasing tone.

“I did see it.”
“Liar!”
“I did see it!” Kaede replied, raising her voice just a notch, still trying to sound polite.

Then they both laughed and made their way into the festival grounds.

Upon arriving at the event grounds, they were greeted by a doorway fashioned from crimson-tinged ivy, its leaves casting a spell as if they were stepping into an otherworldly realm. Once inside, the atmosphere itself transformed. The wind carried a peculiar charm, brushing through leaves half-turned brittle with a sound that blended seamlessly with the hushed melody drifting in the air. Turning her head toward the sound, Kaede felt it piercing her soul, the purest Guqin melody she had ever heard.

The notes held everyone captivated, weaving an invisible web that bound them all to the moment. Her hairpin, long and intricate, occasionally drew the attention of nearby crows, who cocked their heads as if intrigued by the spectacle. In her Faenil costume, she looked as though she was from ancient China, a blend of styles that Kaede would never have expected to be so harmonious.

The grounds were divided into various zones: areas for competitions, nature exploration, and meditation, an autumnal paradise of orange hues, where Kaede felt she could pass weeks without a hint of boredom.

At her request, they first joined a nature painting contest using only natural pigments. Ren crafted a broad autumn landscape, with a leaning orange tree beside a pond reflecting its fiery colors. Kaede, keeping it simpler, painted a leaf in three tones, partially wilted, partially vibrant. They all received a small chrysanthemum in a pot as a token for participating, two new lives to bring into their home.

Next, they entered a knowledge competition on autumn flora. Ren reached the final three, only missing the top spot because of a forgotten name, though he still won a medium-sized pumpkin. Laughing, he claimed it was the best prize he had ever received. The prizes there were whimsical yet charming, adding to the vibrant yet tranquil atmosphere.

They went on to other contests, winning a plant remedy, a natural honey-scented candle, a beautiful ceramic plate, and a tomato-growing kit. There was a unique pleasure in earning these small prizes, knowing they came from effort.

Tired, they finally rested by the lake, stretching out on the grass. Robots dressed as forest fairies brought them jasmine tea and cinnamon cakes, and surrounded by the mingling fragrances of countless flowers, they let themselves breathe.

“Look at how adorable this is!” Ren said, eyes gleaming as he pulled the pumpkin from his bag.
“It’s so cute, we might have to let it sleep beside us, lest it gets nightmares!” Kaede laughed.