The Summer Festival Part 2

The festival was already in full swing when we arrived. Lanterns hung in rows over the street, warm yellow lights... between them the murmur of the crowd, the noise of food stalls, and music playing somewhere down the street.

Yuna stopped at the edge of the festival area.

I felt her tense beside me.

“Hey, if it’s too much, we can turn back anytime, okay?” I whispered.

She shook her head, then took a deep breath and put on her fox mask. Only her eyes were visible.

“So…” she whispered behind the mask. “Now we’re really 2 weirdos.”

“Matching weirdos. That makes it even better.” I added.

I stepped ahead, then turned back to her and held out my hand.

“Come on. It’s pretty crowded. Don’t want you to get lost.”

She stared at my hand for a long moment.

“...Right. It would be… troublesome if I got lost.” she murmured.

Instead of taking my hand, she carefully grabbed my wrist, her fingers warm and slightly trembling. I responded by gently turning my hand and closing my fingers around hers.

The warmth shot straight to my head.

Yuna made a tiny sound, her expression unchanged.

Calm down, Ren. You’re just making sure she doesn’t get trampled. This is practical.

“Let’s go.” I said. My voice came out a little tense.

“Y– Yeah.” came softly from her.

We pushed through the crowd. Children ran around with glow sticks, couples in yukatas laughed, the scent of takoyaki, yakisoba, and cotton candy drifted past us.

I noticed her grip tightening.

“Nervous?” I asked quietly.

“A little.” she admitted. “There are… so many people. But…”

She glanced up at me.

“Somehow… I don’t feel as scared as I thought I would.”

“Good, then let’s try to enjoy it.” I smiled.

—---------------------------------

Our 1st stop was, of course, a food stall.

“Do you want something? Takoyaki, yakisoba, kakigori?…”

Her eyes lit up behind the mask. “...Can I have… all of those?”

I stared.

“You know you’re not feeding twins, right?”

“I’m eating for one and a half!” she said seriously. “Also, I haven’t had proper festival food in… well, never.”

Right. Strict dad, no friends.

“...Go wild. I’ll judge you silently.”

We got takoyaki and yakisoba and sat down on a low wall at the edge of the street. Yuna carefully picked up a takoyaki, blew on it, and bit in.

Her eyes went wide. “Mhmmm…”

I couldn’t help smiling.

“Good?”

She nodded vigorously.

“So this is what I’ve been missing out on, huh…?”

She ate quickly. Too quickly... and too much. 15 minutes later, she suddenly stopped, one hand resting on her stomach.

“Uh…”

My heart kicked into panic mode.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Does it hurt?”

“N– No.” she whispered. “The baby just… kicked. Really hard.”

I swallowed.

“Oh.”

She looked like she was simultaneously startled and… happy.

“Hey, little one. Everything okay in there?” I said instinctively and carefully placed my hand on her belly.

“Oh… sorry! Is it… okay if I?” I quickly withdrew my hand.

She stared at me, expression unreadable behind the mask. Then nodded slowly.

At her nod, I carefully placed my hand back against the yukata fabric. For a moment, nothing happened.

Then I felt it.

A light push against my hand. A tiny, but unmistakable life saying: I’m here.

“Wow…” I murmured.

“You’re talking to the baby?” Yuna giggled softly.

“S– Sorry, I wasn’t really thinking. It’s amazing, though… isn’t it. How a tiny life just forms right there in your belly. And someday, they’ll grow to be as tall as you… or even taller.”

“Yeah… it really is. Sometimes I still can’t believe it… I–” she hesitated.

“I… hope I can be a good mom.”

I took my hand off her belly and held her hand again. “You will.”

—-----------------------------

“Look!” she called out later, pointing at a stall. “Ring toss!”

“Of course. Gamer brain saw a hitbox and got excited.”

She pouted behind the mask. “I’m not that simple.”

…She absolutely was.

“You really want to?” I asked.

“Of course! My aim is god-tier.”

…Famous last words.

We bought a few rings. She stood there with a serious expression, took aim, and threw.

It flew… and landed what felt like 2 stalls away.

I blinked.

She blinked.

Silence.

I had to hold my ribcage from laughing too hard. “Wha– What happened to god tier?” I laughed.

“I’m lagging! There’s input delay!”

“Yeah, blame the game.” I pat her shoulder. “You’re a disgrace to e-sports.”

“H– Hey!” she stomped in protest. “That was just a warm-up!”

“Warm-up for missing even harder?”

“I’ll show you.” she said, throwing ring after ring.

Hit rate: 0%.

I had tears in my eyes from laughing.

“Oh come on.” I teased. “Legally blind people have better aim. I thought you were a gamer. Where’s your muscle memory?”

“S– Shut up! Real-life physics are different!”

The stall owner, pity in his eyes, still pressed a small cheap plastic figurine into her hand.

“Consolation prize.”

She took it with slumped shoulders.

“That was humiliating.” she muttered.

“It was beautiful.” I laughed. “Thank you for this memory!”

“I hate you.” she said, laughing as she lightly bumped into me.

—-------------------------------

We walked on until we reached Goldfish scooping.

“Alright!” she said determinedly. “My redemption arc.”

She was totally locked in.

“He’s swimming away!” she cried, leaning forward with dangerous determination.

“You’re supposed to be gentle.” I reminded her. “You can’t just… WHOA…”

Her paper scoop slid under the goldfish like a ninja blade.

She lifted it triumphantly, water dripping, the fish safely in the net.

The stall owner stared at her.

I stared at her.

Even she stared at her own hands.

“... I did it?” she whispered.

“You actually did.”

The owner laughed, ready to give her the prize plushie, but Yuna grabbed another paper scoop without even paying… and did it again.

SPLASH. And again. 3rd one. Perfect technique.

The stall owner looked impressed.

“I haven’t seen someone that good in a while.” he said, while he pressed the prize plushie into her hand.

“Though… you do have to pay for those 2 other scoops, you know that, right?” he said.

There was a brief pause.

“Worth it.” I said.

Suddenly, Yuna turned toward me and held up the fox plushie.

“For you.” she said simply.

“...Huh?”

“So you remember that I beat you.”

Her tone was proud. Way too proud.

“You didn’t beat me. I didn’t even play.” I protested.

“Exactly.” she pressed the plushie in my hands. “Flawless victory.”

God, help me… I smiled like a complete idiot.

I hugged the plushie to my chest like a trophy.

“Thank you, Goldfish master.”

“Hehe, anytime!” she laughed.

—---------------------

As dusk slowly fell, we wandered past a small souvenir stall. Keychains, mini plushies… and baby items.

Among them: a tiny bib with an embroidered fox on it.

Yuna stopped abruptly.

Her hand drifted to the bib as if on its own. She gently brushed her fingertips over the fabric.

“...Cute.” she whispered.

Her voice was soft, and a little different from usual.

For a moment, she didn’t look like the overwhelmed, tired neighbor, but like… a mother imagining her child wearing something like that. It was way too cute.

Her eyes grew glassy.

“Do you want it?”

She flinched as if caught.

“N– No, it’s fine.” she said quickly, letting go of the bib and suddenly pretending to be interested in another corner of the stall. “It’s too early for that anyway…”

She walked a few steps ahead.

I stayed where I was, looked at the bib, then after her.

Too early, huh?...

Before I could think, I turned to the vendor.

“Excuse me.” I whispered. “I’d like to buy that fox bib. Could you… wrap it secretly? My friend over there doesn’t need to know.”

The man grinned knowingly. “For the baby?” he asked.

Nah brother… for me, I thought… “...Yeah.” I said instead.

“Looks like a good father to me, young man.”

“I’m not–” I started, then stopped. “Just… please wrap it.”

He packed it into a small neutral paper bag and handed it to me. I tucked it deep into my yukata pocket so Yuna wouldn’t see it.

When I caught up to her, she asked:

“Did you buy something?”

“Nope. Just took a longer look.”

She looked at me skeptically, but let it go.

“Where are we going next?” she asked.

I looked toward a narrow path leading away from the main street.

“The fireworks are about to start, so… somewhere quieter. I know a spot.”

“Secret place?”

“Yes, family tradition. Tonight… I’ll share it with you.”

She blinked.

“...That sounds nice.” she smiled.

And with the hidden fox bib in my pocket and her hand once again on my wrist, I led her away from the noise, into the soft shadows of the trees.