The Festival. Part One

Kurose and cecilia were running towards the forest gate as the twilight had come.

"Hurry!, Cecilia, the festival has already started."
He shouted while looking back at Cecilia. face damped with sweat.

"Wait! Kurose, i'm g-getting e-exhausted, w-wait!."
Cecilia replied while breathing heavily.


After a few seconds..

He stopped at the forest gate..

She followed along, "Kurose, i w-was s-saying to wait for me!, w-were you not able to h-hear me?"
Gazed down as she placed her hand against the gate wall.


"Cecilia!, look."


"Look wha-?"
She said while looking up.

Her eyes widened steadily.


The village was glimmering as covered with warm decorations while the lights on the houses glittered sparklingly.


Their eyes glittered as they gazed at the village while moving towards the village's entrance.


"The volunteers finally decorated the whole village!."
He said.


"Yes!, the village looks beautiful now!"

After a few seconds..

"Let's go inside for sightseeing after a few minutes!"
He said, looking at her while clenching his fist.


"Okay!"


After a few minutes.


Kurose and Cecilia glancing around as they walked on the village path, their mouths widening steadily.

"It's really decorated beautifully, isn't?."
He said.


"Yes!, it's amazing they decorated the whole village in such a short time."
She replied with a gentle nod while smiling faintly.

He moved his fingers in trousers pocket as he noticed a food stall.

"Shall we eat something while looking for my parents, it would be my treat!."

"Okay!."

They walked towards the food stall, standing at food stall's counter.

"Two chicken skewers please!."
Kurose said while putting two bronze coins at the counter's top.

"Okay, they would be ready in a minute!."

Shortly thereafter..

"Here, your two chicken skewers are ready!."
The chef hands out the two chickens skewers wrapped in a soft paper.


"Thanks!."


"Here's yours, Cecilia!"
He handed out a chicken skewer.


"Thank you!"

After a while..


"It's quite delicious!"
Cecilia remarked as they walked on the village's path.


"You're right, the gaminess feels just correct in the mouth!"


They noticed many things happening as they walked on the village's path.


"There are many things happening, right?"
He remarked while eating.


"Well, It's a special festival for this village's people."
She said while looking at kurose.


"Mother told me something about the festival, yet I'm not sure. It's about thanking the Goddess for giving us such a blessed and peaceful life, right?"

"Yes, It's a festival where people in the village send their prayers to the Goddess while thanking her for every Blessings we received."


"Is it really the Goddess?, I still have my doub-."
Kurose mused quietly while gazing at the ground, eating.

"Kurose, Are you okay?."
Cecilia asked him as she slightly turned her head.

He snapped.

"Oh, yes i'm okay."

"O-okay."

After a few seconds..


"What's the Goddess name anyway?"
He asked.

"If i remember it right.., it was the Goddess of Dest-"
She replied while placing a finger on her lip.

A crowd shouted.

Kurose and cecilia noticed.


After a few seconds..

"Well, let's get back to what we were talking."
He said as he looked at cecilia.

"What was the goddess na-"


"Hey, Kurose! lets go see it once what is happening there."
Her eyes glittering.


"U-um, okay."


They went to the stall where the crowd was gathered.


"Welcome everyone, shoot at that target to win this stuffed animal toy! But... don't forget, you only get one chance."
The stall vendor shouted, standing beside the toy.


"Father, i want the stuffed animal toy!"
A child remarked to his father as he pointed the toy.


"Okay, wait for a minute and your father will win it for you!"
The father replied.

He puts down the child on the ground from his arms.

The child's eyes were just reaching slightly above the counter top as he gazed at the toy.

Father picks up a knife with a refined tip, shot it at the target.. and he missed..

"Sorry son, but we have to try it next time."
Father said as he looked at the child while smiling faintly.

"O-okay.."
Gazing down...

After a few seconds..

"Yes, I know! Let's go eat something sweet. You love sweets, right?" 
Sweat dampened his face.


"Okay! Let's go."
The child replied as he looked at his father while smiling.

He carried his son in his arms and they went to a food stall.

After a few seconds..

"Shall we try it too?"
Kurose remarked while looking at Cecilia.

"U-um, o-okay."
Cecilia replied as her cheeks slightly reddened.

He walked to the countertop, weaving through the crowd.


"Can I give it a try?"
He asked the vendor while raising a finger.


"Yes, you're welcome to try!"


"Thanks!"


"Kurose picked up a knife, aiming for the target while narrowing his gaze."
a few seconds later..
He threw the knife at the target, and.. it hit the target!


"Congratulations, you have won the stuffed animal toy!"
The vendor said while ringing a little bell in his hand.


He hands out the stuffed animal toy.


"Congratulations!"


"Thank you!"
Kurose remarked while accepting the stuffed animal toy.



He walked out of the shop.
Headed towards Cecilia, weaving through the crowd.


Shortly thereafter.


"Look Cecilia, I won!"
He said while looking at cecilia with a smile.


"That's amazing!"
Cecilia remarked while looking at the stuffed animal toy.

He noticed.

"Here, take it as a gift from me!"
He said to Cecilia while handing out the stuffed animal toy to her.

"A Gift?"

"Yes, in return for showing me your secret training area!"


"No, it's really okay! You can give the stuffed animal toy to your little sister."

"U-um, F-father has brought many stuffed toys for her already."
He said, placing a hand on the back of his head while traces of sweat appeared on his face.

A scene from the past crossed his mind..

Kurose was sitting on the chair eating his breakfast when he noticed that someone was at the door.

Ven opened the house door while dragging a heavy box over to the table.

"Welcome home, Honey!"
Hely remarked while walking towards the door.

She noticed.

"A box?"
"Why are you dragging it?"

"Yes.... I was carrying it, but I was exhausted.... I thought It would be a good idea just to drag it.... now that I have reached home." He said while wiping sweat off his face with a hand.

"I see, what's in It anyway?"


Ven opened the box...


The box was overflowing with stuffed animal toys!


"Amazing right!"
"I brought this much stuffed animal toys for our daughter!"
Ven remarked while looking at Hely, making a clenched fist in assurance as his eyes glittered.


She walked towards ven.


"Hely, see how much I care about our daughter! I'm amazing righ--"

Hely softly tapped him on his head with her hand.


Kurose watched them while eating breakfast, sweat dampening his forehead as he faintly smiled.

He returned to the present..


"Here, take it!"
Kurose said. while looking at cecilia, handing out the stuffed animal at her.


"I'll accept it then, thank you!"
Cecilia remarked, took the stuffed animal toy from his hands, while her cheeks slightly reddened as she smiled, her gaze darting around.


"Thank you!"

Shortly thereafter..


"Now, let's go look for my parents! They're probably nearby."
He said while looking at cecilia.

"Okay!"
She said as she softly nodded.


Kurose and Cecilia walked on the village path while looking for his parents..


Kurose noticed.


"Oh, i found them! Cecilia, follow me!."
He remarked while looking at kurose.

"Okay!."

After a while..

Kurose's family was standing at a stall.

"Father!"
He shouted from afar while walking towards his family.

Ven was talking to the vendor..

"Father!"


"Father!"

Ven realized.

He looks at kurose.


"Oh kurose, he's back!"
He murmured as he smiled.

"Kurose! Come here."
Ven shouted.


After a while..

Kurose and Cecilia reached the stall where the family was..


"Father, we are back!"
He remarked while smiling.

"I see, you didn't cause a problem for Cecilia, did you?"
Ven said as he placed his hand on his waist.


"N-no, he didn't c-cause a-anything."
Cecilia murmured, her cheeks slightly reddened.


"I see.."

After a few seconds..

"Did you have fun? kurose."
Hely remarked as she smiled,
kurose's little sister in her arms around her chest.


"Yes, i had fun!"
He replied, a smile on his face.

"I see...."
Her gaze softened.


Something in kurose's mind clicked..

"Mother! Father insisted me on going with cecilia. I had fun, but I wasn't able to train because father didn't brought my sword to the forest gate on time."
Kurose said while smiling as he slightly tilted his head.

"Wait for a minute kurose!!, I swore i was going to bring your sword to you but someth-"

"I see..."
Then, Father and I will talk for a while after reaching home!
She said while smiling faintly.

Traces of sweats appeared all over ven's face.


After a few seconds...


"I know, Kurose! We were going to the church. let's all go together."

"We were going for sightseeing, it will be your first time going to the church. right? You can view church from the inside before the Destined-One Ceremony!"

"Yes! let's go together!"
His posture eased.


"C-can i a-also come w-with y-you, k-kurose?"
She said as her cheeks reddened. her gaze darting around while her fingertips touching together.

"Of course, let's go together!"
He said while looking at Cecilia, with a smile on his face.


She looked up.


She nodded while her eyes glittered.


After a while..

Kurose, cecilia, and Kurose's Family walked on the village's path, beneath the glimmering lights and warm decoration while heading towards the church.