Let the Festival Begin!

The golden-brown leaves on the trees swayed gently with the soft gusts of wind that caressed them. Paired with the warm rays of sunshine, the scene and the weather together were simply splendid. Some might say this day felt far too perfect for an ordinary autumn afternoon. No clouds in sight, no threat of rain.

It was as if everything had been orchestrated to fit the Soulmate Festival.

The only element that didn’t align with this oh-so-perfect picture was the absence of Tsukasa. Despite Nami repeatedly reassuring him that she didn’t mind him missing their first-ever festival, the Soullet on her wrist weighed heavily, a constant reminder that her lover was thousands of kilometers away.

It also served as a reminder of the guilt she had felt when she realized she hadn’t taken it off since the day of the concert. She had simply forgotten. While technically just a decorative accessory, and despite the fact that some people with soulmates didn’t wear theirs at all, Nami couldn’t bring herself to remove it. The lack of physical closeness with her other half was beginning to take its toll. If she could forget to wear something she’d once put on habitually every morning, how could she be so sure she wouldn’t one day forget her feelings for Tsukasa?

It was a terrifying thought—perhaps a bit dramatic—but how could she not think it, especially when she realized that nothing in her time with Tsukasa had made her as exhilarated as the world she’d begun exploring thanks to Atsushi?

Only one more week. One more week, and everything would go back to how it had been.

The problem was… Nami wasn’t sure if that was what she truly wanted.

To quiet these intrusive thoughts and actually enjoy the beautiful autumn day, she decided to attend the festival on her own, no matter how pitiful it might seem. It was almost unheard of for someone with a soulmate to wander around without their other half, but she didn’t care. This wasn’t the sort of event where you could casually invite a friend—it would feel strange, given the romantic aura surrounding it. The issue was that Nami didn’t have many friends to begin with. Most of her circle consisted of family and co-workers. It was honestly kind of sad now that she thought about it but she couldn’t be the only one having limited relationships. Quality is always better over quantity. Sure, there was Aya and Erika, but she didn’t want to be a third wheel to them on such a day. Besides, the two weren’t fans of this festival.

“Who needs a second Valentine’s Day anyway?” Aya, the redhead, would always scoff.

So, the pianist resolved to spend her day off alone. She wasn’t even sure if she would browse the event stalls—it wasn’t necessary. The rest of the city would be deserted anyway, offering her a rare opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet of usually crowded places.

Then again… her curiosity about the festival was hard to suppress. Perhaps the occasion would inspire her to compose something new. Tsukasa might be absent, but maybe it was time to draw on other people’s experiences to create fresh music. After all there are some limits when it comes to taking inspiration from her own life.

That thought eventually led Nami to a bustling area filled with colorful stalls offering all sorts of street food and tacky merchandise—most of it sold in pairs for couples to share. Here and there, she heard the soft beeping sound she’d first encountered during her Soullet ceremony, though it was far less intense now.

That’s right.

Many people came here alone, hoping to find their soulmate on this special day. It was a rarely acknowledged truth: receiving a Soullet was one thing; finding time to meet one’s destined partner was another matter entirely. The search for a soulmate was a romantic concept until you included sad and boring reality into the equation.

The brunette quickly pulled out her smartphone and noted down the beeping sound as a potential concept for her next melody.

Engrossed in the sudden flow of ideas as she typed, Nami forgot to watch her surroundings. Inevitably, she bumped into someone.

Fate, it seemed, had a sense of humor about whom she’d stumble upon.

“You know, maybe we could make bumping into each other our official way of saying hello in public. This is the second time, Nami.”

“Atsushi?” Right before her stood none other than the blonde, freckled man, his glasses perched on his nose and his iconic smug grin firmly in place. “What are you doing here?”

“Enjoying the festival and looking for my soulmate, like everyone else, of course!” He placed a hand dramatically over his chest, but when he saw her deadpan expression, he dropped the theatrics. “Well, you could say I’m working right now.” He gestured to the tablet in his other hand.

“You’re working at this festival?” Nami asked, incredulous.

Despite some time having passed, Nami realized she still knew little about Atsushi. After the concert, their interactions had been sporadic. She was grateful he’d wanted to keep in touch—they’d exchanged contact info—but their messages had mostly revolved around her music and creative inspiration. Casual conversations that might have allowed them to know each other better were rare, as if Atsushi deliberately avoided them.

She wasn’t mad at him for doing it but it still was a bit disappointing. He was the only person she could freely talk about her beliefs and perspective with. She wasn’t worried about having to hold back or readjusting her words just in case he would find them offensive or inappropriate.

“Nah, more like… managing the general system? You know, making sure everything runs smoothly.”

The explanation was so vague that the brunette had no idea what he meant. Before she could ask for clarification or steer the conversation into more familiar territory, a man came rushing over, visibly distressed., sweat dripping down his forehead all the way to the cheek.

“Mr. Ide! We’ve got a big problem!”

“What is it, Hashimoto?”

Nami had never seen Atsushi look as serious as he did at that moment. Suddenly instead of a jokester easy going guy, he looked like someone Nami would entrust her safety to without a second of doubt.

“The System! It’s been corrupted!”