Farewell Lanterns (1)

"Alright, who wants to be served?”

Shiraito had bought sake at the festival, and nothing could go well when he wandered around so joyfully with the bottle in hand. One of Takachiho's neighbors saw the situation as she passed by the stalls, terrified.

"Sir, you cannot drink alcoholic beverages in front of minors."

"It's not sake, miss. It's Gametuneaid," Shiraito responded cheerfully, referring to another drink.

While the unruly coach roamed with his bottle, Nao and the Tsuno team boys were busy preparing their Obon lanterns, which they would later leave on the riverbed to convey their deepest wishes and longings to the spirits of those who were no longer with them.

The warm summer air, allowing vegetation to flourish in all its glory, carried the aroma of freshly grilled yakitori and mochi, delighting anyone who was near. A unique mystique permeated the joyful and welcoming atmosphere of Takachiho, captivating anyone who came close.

"We were amazing! It was a great match!" Takashi was excited as if he had won the lottery.

"That's the fifth time you've said that!" Hiroshi, seated on his left at the small lantern station, used his brush to inscribe his wishes in ink. He noticed the word 'light' in his writing as Shiraito wandered among the tables offering “energy drinks” to the rest. Laughter was contagious among all present.

"I'm sorry, it's just that it was truly incredible."

"Hey, Hiroshi!" Jun scolded him from his side, his lantern showing a request for guidance. "You shouldn't be so hard on him, you silly crow."

"Cro..." With equal parts anger and exhaustion, he chose not to get up from his seat and kept working. "You're hopeless."

However, he was right, and Takashi knew it. They had stopped at all the signs and newspaper stands that displayed the tournament results on their way to the festival. They deserved it, but they weren't far from heading to the Gokase riverbed to release their lanterns, letting the water carry away their thoughts. A ritual that was like bringing Nao's liberation technique into reality, possibly why he then looked to his right to appreciate her, seeing how the sweet girl wrote with great concentration.

The mystique of the environment was only surpassed, and significantly so, Takashi thought, by the spell that fell over him as he looked at her. He could never tire of her lavender scent, and her soft hands, which occasionally caressed him, made him curl up like a playful kitten. Although he had said he liked dogs more. Before he realized it, he had stared at her in awe for long enough for her to notice.

"What's wrong?" She tilted her head sweetly, her lips forming a smile that conveyed how flattered she felt by his gaze.

"Well, the thing is, you still owe me about nine hundred and eighty suns," Takashi said, sounding entwined between his poetic and loving sides.

Her soft chuckle was partly due to being impressed by his quick and sure response, and partly in response to the tingling sensation she felt in her stomach. "Silly."

Without hesitation, she leaned forward and planted a kiss on his cheek, resting there for a few seconds. Takashi wished his reflexes were at their best, allowing him to turn his head and receive that kiss on his lips. Still, he couldn't complain; after all, except because if they were alone, he would have asked for another one.

"Now I owe you one less," Takashi felt touched as Nao coquettishly covered her mouth with her fingers.

There was no need to listen to their giggles or see their glances for too long to know that they both liked each other a lot, and Jun and Hiroshi shared that thought as they exchanged knowing looks.

"These two, so attached," Jun's words made both of them lower their gaze to continue writing.

"Their sweetness will blind me," Hiroshi added, as joyful as envious.

As if that kiss had been high-octane fuel, Takashi managed to finish writing his wish on the lantern in a matter of seconds. He admired his work for a moment, resting the brush aside as satisfaction enveloped him.

"It looks really nice."

Nao leaned over his shoulder to appreciate his work, marveling at it. Artfully crafted on golden paper, the lantern bore a short but beautiful message that touched her heart.

"You are my light," it said.

"Tell Haruki thank you very much for the teaching," Takashi turned gently towards her, "I hope the stars will take care of me."

Nao couldn't help but soften her expression into a gentle smile, captivated by his kind features. "I will."

"And what did you write...?"

Takashi was also surprised when he saw Nao's lantern, but his reaction was more out of disbelief than tenderness. White and black lines merged into an endless array of shades to depict an animal figure.

"It's Inari," she murmured softly.

"You drew Inari?"

Nao exclaimed in surprise, as if her sense of anxiety had suddenly been triggered. It was logical, since Takashi couldn't help raising the tone of his voice in his question.

"I-I mean, yes, sorry, it's just that..."

Luckily, he quickly realized that Takashi could never make her nervous, finding reassurance in his serene gaze. She began to speak very slowly, as if each word were a new story.

"Since we went to the shrine, I haven't stopped being happy by your side, and I think she, wherever she is, had a lot to do with it. So, I wanted to draw her as a message. A white fox, as they always show us. The symbol of life and hope."

Takashi felt relieved inside. “Of course, I keep forgetting that this town is devoted to Inari. The nickname, the drawing...”

And even so, despite being surrounded by her, Takashi felt something that made him not want to part with his protector. He knew Inari would take care of him, and Nao was already the greatest gift he could have, but he still felt nostalgia and attachment. “I wish... I could talk to her one more time. And she'd help me take care of Nao.”

"Do you want to help me paint it?" Nao gently caressed his hand. "You seem very interested in her too."

"Oh...” Takashi fixed his gaze for many seconds while lost in his thoughts. “Sure."

"Alright, take this."

Takashi took the white watercolor brush and held it over the figure, uncertain of how to proceed, not wanting to ruin the painting.

"Relax." Nao wrapped his right hand, which held the brush, with hers, leaning her back against Takashi almost as if she was hugging him. "Let's go slowly."

Takashi focused on the painting, shimmering in the light of the lanterns, but also on his hand, which felt like paradise, caught between the warmth and softness of Nao's skin and the firm contact between the brush and the paper.

Little by little, the watercolor became less of a mess of lines and more of a wild animal. It wasn't very elaborate, but Nao had detailed the fox's silhouette and the imperfections of its fur with a keen eye for detail. Completely enthralled, Takashi wished he could help her at least a little. “She's so good, and she's painting it with so much care. After all, Inari is the symbol of our...

...love."

His mind filled with doubts as he thought that word. “Did I just think...”

"Done," Nao guided Takashi's hand until he gently placed the brush back on the palette. "It looks really nice."

Takashi felt the weight of her chin on his shoulder, catching a side view of her, the smile on her lips masking an apparent struggle of tenderness and melancholy in her eyes, both while gazing at the lantern and after turning towards him. Takashi associated it with an effect of the lantern's glow, focusing on something else.

“I... Nao...”

"Hey, guys!"

Nao leaned to the side, separating herself after hearing Kenjiro's unmistakable voice, filled with leadership.

"Are your lanterns finished?"

"Yes!" All four of them replied in perfect coordination.

"Then we're all set," he said before turning to the rest of the group. "Follow the coach..."

Kenjiro's face turned even colder when he saw Yoshida, Sasaki, and others gathered around Shiraito, whose flushed cheeks betrayed his intoxicated state.

"This sake is the best in the world, Yamahai," he patted the bottle. "I usually drink Nigori sake, but when it's time to celebrate something special, the best is Yamahai. It's an elixir... and the other one is sake. One is to drink, and the other is to savor," he explained with an air of importance, as the bewildered group nodded along.

"Finish your lantern!"