Pounding Mochi, Hearts and Heads

※ New Year’s ※

“Ah, I just remembered!”

Emi clapped her hands together in sudden excitement as the lively group ambled from the omikuji area. “They do mochitsuki demonstrations for New Year’s! Do you guys want to try it?”

“Oh, the mochi pounding?” Yui tilted her head, the silver bells in her hair chiming softly. “Hmm, MAG-chan, where's the mochitsuki area?”

Pikon! “Searching shrine map... Found. Projecting navigation markers!”

A shimmering trail of glowing cerulean arrows materialized before them, pulsing gently to guide the way through the festive crowds.

“Yoshi! Let's go nyaa!” Narumi excitedly snatched Akari's hand, before skipping towards the first arrow. “Let’s make the yummiest, squishiest, most amazing mochi ever nya!” [We already saw how the most amazing Christmas tree ever turned out…]

Following the MAG’s guidance, they eventually reached an open area where a significant crowd had already gathered.

Children in colorful kimonos darted between the legs of adults, their excited chatter mixing with the steady rhythm of mallets. A tall Deuman father lifted his small daughter onto his shoulders for a better view, though the little girl seemed more interested in haphazardly entangling his horns in festive ribbons. Meanwhile, a pair of teenage girls in fashionable modern haori jackets sneakily took selfies with their MAGs, trying to capture both themselves and an “ikemen” shrine staff in frame.

Before the crowd was a neat row of stations, each equipped with a large bowl of water, an usu (traditional mortar), and a kine (wooden mallet). Within each usu, steam curled invitingly from mounds of freshly cooked rice while finely powdered photon crystals cast a gentle cerulean glow atop each portion, waiting to be pounded and folded into the perfect mochi dough. The winter air itself was rich with the tempting aroma of kinako powder and sweet red bean paste, inspiring more than a few visitors to inhale in delight as they passed.

A young mother knelt at one station, guiding her toddler's hands as they shaped a mass of floured mochi dough. Adjacent to them, an elderly man wielded a heavy kine mallet while the tall Neuman masterfully ducked in to wet and fold the rice between strikes, their movements flowing together as they demonstrated the proper mochitsuki technique.

“ICHI!” DON!

“NI!” DON!

“SAN!” DON!

“ICHI!” DON!

Piyoyo!! Piyoyo PIYO!??? Perched upon Tertiary Airfield, Mochi watched the proceedings with growing alarm. (Warning: Hostile forces employing impact weapons against defenseless white gelatinous targets! Additional Alert: Frequent occurrence of callsign “Mochi” in enemy communications... Am I NEXT!???)

“The key is coordination between partners!” The tall Neuman called out cheerfully, his deep voice carrying easily over the steady drumming of mallets. “One person carefully folds and wets the mochi between strikes, while the other maintains a steady rhythm. Remember—it's like a dance! Your movements must flow together!”

A cat girl shrine maiden bustled from station to station with a water bucket, the white ribbons tied to her hair and tail fluttering gracefully behind her. She paused briefly at each station, refilling their water bowls before offering encouragement and adjusting participants' forms with gentle corrections.

“Maa maa, not so forceful nyaa!” She giggled as an over-enthusiastic ARKS trainee exploded his rice into a splattered mess, wielding the mallet as if it were his photon greatsword. “You're making mochi, not fighting DOLLS!”

“Minasan! We have several more stations that are empty!” The tall Neuman suddenly called out. “Anyone else want to try mochitsuki?”

“Nyaa! Nyaa! We wanna try!” Narumi bounced excitedly on the spot, her arm waving frantically above the crowd.

The two teenage girls quickly raised their hands, nudging each other with barely contained giggles. The tall Deuman father who had been giving his daughter a shoulder ride also perked up with interest, though realistically, he knew his little helper was more interested in reinforcing the wall of ribbons that now spanned his horns.

“Perfect!” The shrine staff beckoned them all forward with a warm smile. “Fill up these stations here!”

As the volunteers moved to claim their stations, Narumi suddenly turned around, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

“Akari-chan will be my partner nyaa! And Emi-chan can take turns after she has fun taking pictures! Which means...” Her heterochromatic eyes glinted with poorly concealed scheming as she literally pushed Ash and Yui together. “You two have no choice but to pair up! Nyahaha!”

“E-Eh!?” Yui's face immediately blazed crimson, the silver bells in her hair tinkling frantically as she glanced between Narumi and Ash. “W-Wait, I—”

“Ara ara! What an excellent idea!” Emi's camera materialized from her kimono sleeve with suspicious speed.

“Sounds good to me,” Ash calmly picked up one of the heavy wooden mallets, testing its weight with the careful consideration of someone who regularly wielded much deadlier weapons. “I can handle the folding if you'd prefer,” he offered the mallet to Yui with a gentle smile that made her heart skip several beats.

“N-No!” Yui protested, her hands waving frantically. “What if I hit you by accident? I couldn't—I mean, if something happened—”

Ash stepped closer, his presence steady and reassuring as he demonstrated the rhythm. “We'll follow the call pattern they used—Ichi, ni, san. Here, let me show you...”

With his calm voice establishing the tempo, Ash guided her through a few practice swings, putting into practice the information he had quickly absorbed from the staff demonstrations. “Like that—not too high, and always straight down. The rhythm is what matters most. There. Not so bad.”

“O-Okay,” Yui felt her initial anxiety fade away—only to be replaced by a new one. Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! His hands are touching mine and they're so strong and calloused and yet so warm and gentle and—No! Focus on the mochi! The mochi! Not his hands! Not how perfectly they fit against mine or how safe they feel or—MOCHI! THINK ABOUT THE MOCHI! ...though they really are so wonderfully warm and—HIIIEEE WHAT AM I THINKING!?

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

“Ara ara, such wonderful memories being made!” Emi was already snapping away enthusiastically with her camera. “Yui-chan and Ash-kun look so precious practising together!”

At the neighboring station meanwhile, Narumi had crouched by the mortar, eager to start folding. “Yosha nya! Ready, Akari-chanya?”

“Mm!” Akari nodded with intense concentration, her looped twin tails bobbing. She gripped the kine with both hands, the wooden handle practically as tall as she was.

“Ichi!” …don!

“Ni!” …don!

“San!” …don!

Their rhythm was surprisingly steady, though somewhat slow with Akari's strikes being more like tender pats than the forceful pounds needed to achieve the right consistency.

“Nyahaha! This is fun nyaa!”

“Herrokero! Squishy glowy mochi!”

Back at Yui’s station, Ash positioned himself by the usu with the same focused presence he brought to every mission. “Ready?” he asked.

Yui nodded, gripping the kine. She took a deep breath…

“I-Ichi!” …don!

Her initial strike was hesitant, barely making an impression in the glutinous rice. Yet as she continued to count, her voice grew steadier, her strikes stronger.

"Ni!" Don!

"San!" Don!

Ash's folding became increasingly efficient, making perfect use of his time between pounds. Soon the pair were working in perfect synchronization, as if they'd been making mochi together for years. The steady percussion of their teamwork drew admiring glances from nearby participants.

Piyo piyo! Mochi surveyed from above. (Primary Airfield displaying exceptional rhythmic coordination with Tertiary Airfield! Optimal synchronization achieved!)

With each rhythmic pound and fold, the rice grains mashed and melded, the powdered photon crystals weaving through the sticky dough like threads of cerulean light. As the mixture reached the perfect consistency, it took on an ethereal radiance from within—as if they were kneading captured moonlight itself.

How are we doing this so well? Yui wondered, trying to maintain her focus despite being acutely aware of the growing crowd of onlookers. Her arms trembled slightly from wielding the kine—the traditional mallet was heavy, and almost as tall as she was. Wait, is it taller than me?

“Ichi!” Don!

She called out, letting the mallet descend in perfect time.

“Ni!” Don!

Where she expected awkward fumbling, they found natural rhythm.

“San!” Don!

Yet she could feel her arms starting to ache, the mallet growing heavier with each strike.

“Ichi!” …don!

No, I can't slow down now, not when we're working so well together!

Almost unconsciously, she drew upon her photon energy, letting it flow through her arms in the subtlest enhancement. Cerulean light ghosted across her skin, completely invisible under her kimono—just enough of a boost to ease the burden.

“Ni!” Don!

This feels... like a dream. The thought slipped through her concentration unbidden, making her cheeks warm. Here she was, making mochi with Ash on New Year's Eve, their movements synchronized as naturally as breathing. It was almost like they could read each other's minds, anticipating each motion, each pause, each gentle adjustment needed to keep the rhythm flowing.

Don't get distracted! she scolded herself, even as her heart fluttered traitorously in her chest. Focus on the mochi, not on how close he is, or how his hands move so gracefully, or his—NO! Mochi! Think about the mochi!

“Ara ara! Look at Ash-kun and Yui-chan!” Emi gushed, recording everything with the enthusiasm of a professional documentary maker. “They're so perfectly in sync! Like a beautifully choreographed dance! The way they move together, the trust, the coordination—KYAA!! It's just like a romance anime!” Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

Shut up, Emi-chan!

"Haai! I’d like to try too!" Emi bounced over to the other station with sparkling eyes, exchanging her camera for the kine from a now tired Akari. She determinedly gripped the long mallet and raised it above her head, her chest bouncing dangerously with each movement. "This looks like so much fun!"

“Ichi!” DOKAANN!

“NYA—”

The mallet had somehow missed the mortar completely and instead discovered Narumi's head. The catgirl crumpled dramatically, twin-tails flying up as she face-planted into the snow. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd of onlookers, their expressions frozen in a perfect mixture of horror and morbid fascination.

“E-Ehh! Narumi-chan!?” Emi immediately dropped the mallet, kneeling beside her betrayed friend in concern. “D-D-Daijoubu? I’m so sorry!!”

“So many… pretty stars… nyaaaa...” Narumi mumbled into the snow, her tail twitching. [Those might be just your brain cells exploding]

"NYANI!?" The cat girl shrine maiden's ears shot straight up in alarm as she rushed over, her ribbons fluttering behind her. "Oh no no no! A mochitsuki mishap means bad luck for the whole year nyaa!"

She quickly produced a paper charm from her sleeve, PACHI slapping it onto Narumi's forehead. "This will prevent the bad fortune from sticking! Quick, everyone clap three times to scare away the bad spirits nyaa!"

The crowd of onlookers—uncertain but not wanting to risk collective bad luck—hesitantly clapped, three times.

For a moment, there was an awkward silence, broken only by a soft humming glow as Emi frantically channelled healing energy into a concussed Narumi. Gentle green light flickered and surged between her desperately working fingers, illuminating both their faces, casting strange shadows across the snow beneath them.

“Mama, did she kill the catgirl?”

A wide-eyed child in the crowd tugged innocently at his mother's kimono sleeve.

“Shiiiii! No! And don’t ask things like that!” the mortified mother quickly whispered back.

Meanwhile, the staff supervising Ash and Yui's station had been watching their progress with growing appreciation. The elderly man reached into the usu, checking the glow consistency and texture of their mochi with expert fingers.

“Remarkable!” He praised, genuine admiration in his voice. “It’s perfect, and you finished before anyone else! You two must have been together for quite some time to work so naturally together. How long have you two been a couple?”

“C-C-COUPLE!?” Yui nearly dropped the mallet, her face erupting in flames—the silver bells in her hair tinkling wildly as she waved her hands in denial. “N-No, we're not... I mean... we just...”

“Thank you for the kind words,” Ash replied smoothly, seemingly unaffected by the misunderstanding. “We're just fortunate to have good timing.”

“Hai, douzo!” The cat girl shrine maiden appeared behind them, handing each of the pair a freshly wrapped glowing mochi. She wore a knowing smile suggesting she didn't believe their denials for a second. “An extra reward for such excellent work nyaa!”

Piyo! Piyo! Piyo! Piyoyooo! (MAYDAY! MAYDAY! MAYDAY! Primary Airfield suffering critical systems malfunction!)

Finished with pounding their mochi, the other participants soon moved on to flattening and cutting the dough into neat luminous squares. The cat girl shrine maiden—now satisfied that her emergency talisman had properly warded off whatever curse came with Narumi's bonkening—darted between visitors, presenting them a tray of toppings. Her tail swished happily behind her as she distributed golden kinako powder that shimmered magically against the cerulean glow of the mochi, and rich anko (sweet red bean paste) that steamed gently in the winter air. The shrine grounds soon filled with appreciative "Oishii!" exclamations as visitors savored their creations, the earlier commotion already fading into just another amusing New Year's memory.

As laughter and chatter from the crowd filled the winter air, our chaotic group of friends gathered around a small table beneath the gentle glow of paper lanterns.

"Nyaaa~" Narumi had recovered remarkably quickly, now happily nyam-nyaming on her mochi while sporting an impressive bump on her head. Her eyes sparkled with delight as she took another bite. "Oishiiiiiiii! Totally worth the bonk!"

"Mou! Don't say that, Narumi-chan!" Emi fretted, her lavender hair falling forward as she leaned in, still channelling heals to Narumi's head every now and then. "Ahhh, I feel so terrible! I should have been more careful with the mallet!"

Ash and Akari exchanged a quick smile before looking down at their mochi and taking simultaneous bites. The kinako powder melted on their tongues, its sweet nuttiness perfectly complementing the stretchy, chewy texture of the fresh mochi that pulled and separated with each bite.

"This is really good," Ash nodded appreciatively, a small smile softening his features in the lantern light.

Piyo? Mochi fluttered down to investigate the tantalizing plate of fresh mochi sitting on the table, his tiny wings creating a gentle breeze.

Akari's eyes lit up as the tiny bird landed before her. She reached out, gently patting Mochi's head with a delicate index finger.

"Herrokero, Mochi-san!" she giggled, her snow-white hair catching the golden lantern light as she carefully offered him some kinako crumbs from her palm. "Would you like to try some?"

Piyo. Piyo. (Nutritional payloads acquired. Proceeding with sampling operation.)

While her friends chatted between bites of mochi, Yui found herself lost in thought. Her fingers absently brushed against the crane omamori and crumpled omikuji hidden in her kimono sleeve. Stealing another glance at Ash, she watched as he enjoyed his mochi with that quiet contentment he sometimes showed. Something about his calm enjoyment made her heart flutter traitorously in her chest, like Mochi during unexpected turbulence.

Reaching towards the plate of mochi, a question continued to linger in her mind, refusing to be silenced despite her best efforts.

Was it just good timing? Or was there something more to how they had worked together so effortlessly?