Chapter 5: Goro

The high sun beaming over a cloudless day offered a warmer day for Goro’s date with Kanna. And despite a chilling wind, the mood of the festival was high spirited and filled with celebration. Kanna had worn just a casual black sweater with her blue pants and that purple scarf of hers. Goro didn’t think it was that cold, but he wore his usual white t-shirt and slacks, and had changed his cloak to look like a black hoodie. He didn’t bother to take any of the other armaments from the tower today, figuring Trimy wouldn’t have anything for him to do, so Goro took a relaxed approach to his date today. Even if, at the moment, the date didn’t seem to be going too well.

They arrived at the festival around three o’clock in the afternoon. Kanna said that she already had lunch, so Goro lied and said he did too. He survived off of some of the local treats before they started hitting up some of the festival games. Goro hadn’t really attended one of these before, only ever passed by them and caused somewhat of a scare for the adults and kids as Kaiyo Omo. Kanna however, turned out to be quite more competitive than he had originally guessed. She got a prize from almost every stall they visited. And most times she gave the prize back so they didn’t have to carry so much.

For a while, Goro felt just content that she was having fun playing games and having the occasional snack. But as the day went on, Goro wanted to take some prizes home himself to no avail. The game they had stopped at now was a throwing game. You simply had to toss a tiny iron hoop from a certain distance over a tiny upright stick. Goro considered himself to be plenty accurate when it came to anything that required the dexterity to aim with precise accuracy. But time and time again, he could not land the ring where it needed to go. It was three tosses per one-hundred yen, and Goro had just missed his eighteenth throw.

“Shoot,” Goro mumbled. The old man running the stand seemed pleased with himself, and Goro was getting irritated. “Another round!” Goro told the old man, slamming another hundred yen on the table. The old man happily supplied Goro with another three rings as not only Kanna, but several other festival goers gathered around to watch Goro fail, laughter held and all.

The first toss almost hooked but slipped off the last second. Goro narrowed his eyes and readied his next toss. He glanced behind himself, noticing Kanna in a thinking pose watching the stick he was aiming for. Children were gathering and were catching each other up on what had already happened. He tried not to think about how embarrassing it was to have to try so many times, while Kanna herself had won every other game on her first try. The second ring pinged off of the front of the stick. Some of the kids laughed while others felt sorry for him. Readying his last ring, Goro felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

“Mind if I give you a tip?” Kanna asked, and Goro, reluctant to accept the advice in the first place, nodded since he didn’t want to waste anymore of the date on this. Kanna kelt down with him and pointed at the target. “Aim just past the top of the stick in the open air. It’s kinda hard to explain, but it will work. Trust me.”

Goro watched her step back and she gave him a smile. He then turned all of his attention to the open space past the stick. Tossing the third and final ring, Goro watched as it fell shorter than he thought he had aimed for and the ring landed perfectly around the stick.

“Yes!” Goro shouted, and the kids watching all cheered with him.

“Alright, sonny,” the oldman said. “Pick your prize from the one ring shelf.” The one ring shelf was hardly anything to look at. They were all marbles and cheap necklaces, but Goro was content with his meager prize and picked the one marble that was half red and half blue.

“Here,” Goro gave the marble to Kanna, who was both surprised and amused at the gesture, but happily took it anyway.

“Thank you, Goro-kun,” she said, admiring it in the sun. Goro put his hands on his hips and felt proud for all but a second before Kanna scooted him out of the way and placed a hundred down on the table herself. The oldman gave her the rings and she took all three in one hand before she stepped back a bit and readied an underhand toss. Swinging her arm past her body, she stopped just before her arm got past her chest and let the rings fly. All three rings followed each other down onto the stick perfectly with a resounding clink, like a hammer striking just right.

“C- choose your prize, miss,” the oldman said as he pointed to the top shelf for the three ring prizes. All of the spectators behind Goro were too awe struck to vocalize Kanna’s achievement. Goro wished he could act surprised like the rest of them, but this had already happened at all the other stalls, and this just felt like an unnecessary reminder of how good she was at games like these. But he smiled nonetheless as she returned with her prize, a stuffed pink squid with a tuxedo.

“Here,” she presented the toy to Goro. His instincts told him to reject it, but he couldn’t help but laugh as he took it anyway.

If only Hanabi Ryu could see me now. Me, Kaiyo Omo, being handed a squid plushie by a girl ten times better than me at something.

They then started walking along the main street of the festival, just watching people. Goro felt like that was a pretty good moment, but he could tell just by watching Kanna, that she had spaced out, like she had been frequently throughout their date. While Goro had only grown to like her even more than when they first met, he could tell that Kanna was most likely thinking of something better. She probably didn’t dislike him, but he knew she didn’t feel the same way that he did right now. A fire burning in his heart, and ready to shoot sparks everywhere as long as she was around.

“Do you want to trade prizes?” Goro asked.

“Why?” Kanna said.

“Just, you earned this one, and I-”

“I like my marble,” Kanna said. “And I’m not giving it back.” She faked a glare with a smile on her face and walked ahead of him to walk backwards. “Also “Squid Boy” there is just for safekeeping. If I ever want him back you have to take good care of him.” She finished and turned around. Goro smiled at that and looked to the stuffed animal, pondering.

Well, even if I don’t get a second date, this will have been a good memory. He thought, before his thoughts ceased to be his own.

“Goro! I’ve got work for you!” Trimy’s voice ringed loud in his ears. Goro almost tripped into Kanna and dropped the stuffed animal before righting himself, his good mood officially gone. Glancing around quickly, Goro failed to see where exactly Trimy could see him, as that was the only way the wolf could telepathically talk to him.

Where are you? Goro demanded, keeping up with Kanna as he continued to search for the wolf.

“Who’s… That?” Trimy asked. Goro assumed it meant Kanna, and ignored the thought.

What do you want, Trimy? Goro asked again, this time with as much anger as he could transfer over to Trimy’s hiding spot.

“Nevermind, a fallen goddess has escaped from the underworld with a few dangerous monsters. I need you to capture them and bring them back there!” Trimy’s voice was filled with worry, which wasn’t something Goro heard all too often from the wolf.

Why? Goro asked. Isn’t paranormal threats more of a Magical Girl thing to deal with? If you haven’t noticed already I’m a bit busy, so let Hanabi Ryu deal with it while I-

“This is our problem!” Trimy interrupted. “We have to take care of this!”

Since when do you talk back to-

“Fine! I’ll just bring one of the others back to handle it.”

No… Goro mouthed as he thought.

“Katsuo’s close enough that I could hand him his old armament, debrief him, and-”

Alright, alright! I’m on it! Goro thought back. He stopped all of a sudden and Kanna noticed.

“Good… Now get ready, the goddess is close,” Trimy ordered, sounding not all too happy itself.

“What’s up?” Kanna said, watching Goro’s miffed expression.

“I need to go get something,” Goro lied. “It’s a surprise.”

And before Kanna could ask what, Goro had already handed her the stuffed animal and ran off behind the stalls, up the hill and through the trees. Goro found an old forgotten shrine where he could more easily transform. Trimy was no longer talking to him, so it was safe to say he couldn’t hear his thoughts as he ran his hands over his hoodie and transformed it back into the cloak of the Ocean Lord.