Prayers and promises (2)

There was no power strong enough to split those two leeches once they had attached themselves to the Miko for the day. Based on previous experiences. So, once everyone had gathered, they decided to divide into groups based on the priorities of each member. They also wanted to avoid unnecessary crowding, which a larger group would almost certainly cause.

In the end, Makoto has been assigned to the group with Mami and the Nakano family, along with a few other girls and boys from the Yokai gang. Their plan was to go pray first, then get some omikuji, and by the end of the night, buy some warm amazake and gather at the secret spot that Tomoya found a few years ago to watch the fireworks together.

The girls were leading the way to the bell, with Yukari and Kaori occasionally turning around and smirking at the scarlet-haired delinquent while squeezing Watanabe’s hands slightly harder as if they were trying to point out how lucky they were to hold hands with her while Makoto had his hands crossed hidden in the sleeves of his winter kimono.

Great, now even kids were bullying him...

There was not much Makoto wanted to pray for this year. He already considered himself living the best life he could have for a person his age, of course. Winning the fights was more of a skill issue. He didn’t need to ask for gods help in this case. Unfortunately, the same goes for getting good grades. Praying for his friends and family’s health seemed like a good enough New Year’s wish.

But unlike him, it looked like Mami had a lot to pray for. When Onitsuka took a glance at her when it was her turn to ring a bell and clap her hands, she had a serious look on her face. A glimpse of hope and sadness could also be spotted, but only by those who were more perceptive to such details.

On the contrary to serious prayers, getting omikuji was way more entertaining, especially when the raven-haired girl got misfortune written on hers while Makoto managed to get the small blessing.

“Is it that your Miko powers are not working?” Makoto chuckled. “It was easier with those cards from booster packs, huh?”

“Silence, you demon! I am certain that your diabolical doings have disturbed the correct results of this heavenly lottery!”

“You know, we could swap if it bothers you so much.”

“I shall not be tempted by the likes of you! One cannot fight with destiny!”

Although she said all of that, her tactics changed entirely once Kaori and Yukari ran to her, showing off their great blessings.

“Look, Mami-sama, we've got the best ones.” The girls jumped up and down, holding the papers high in the air.

“What did you get?” Kaori asked.

“Well, I… Um…” Watanabe struggled for a moment, but as an aspiring story writer, she managed to find the perfect explanation for her omikuji. “I see that everything went according to plan!”

“Huh?” Everyone looked at her, confused.

“As a priestess, it is my task to take all of the misfortune on myself, as I am the only one able to fight the negative energy!”

The omikuji that Mami was disgusted by was now presented proudly in front of everyone.

“Wow, amazing, Mami-sama!” The oblivious girls cheered while the teens from the group all sweatdropped, sensing the scam from a mile away.

Leaving that behind, the group moved forward with their plan and got in line to get some delicious amazake to warm them up on this chilly but pleasant night. Of course, they got a non-alcoholic one. They may be all, or almost all, delinquents, but they are not deviants.

On their way to a meeting spot, which was actually a bit further from the shrine, in a small park that most people weren’t aware even existed, Kaori and Yukari got tired, so Nakano had to carry both of them half the way.

No wonder the black-haired delinquent was second only to Onitsuka when it came to pure physical strength. Holding both girls at once has to be a great workout routine. Because they were twins, their weight was evenly distributed. That also explained Nakano’s ambidextrousness.

Now that the girls were no longer occupying Mami, Makoto had a chance to walk closer to her. There was no need for small talk. Taking a quiet stroll created a nice, peaceful atmosphere around the pair. There was not a single word spoken until they reached their destination and sat down on one of the benches. By this time, the twins had dozed off, so Nakano busied himself trying to get them a comfortable spot, taking out a few blankets he had prepared beforehand.

“Excited for fireworks?” The gang leader turned to the girl sitting next to him.

“Not in particular,” she retorted, “They are just pyrotechnical products that have been made to visually entertain. Nothing extravagant.”

“Hm… Not magical enough, huh?”

“Precisely.”

The short conversation stopped for a moment when the teens heard another group coming. First in line of sight was Tomoya, helping Mai, with Yamada following behind. The young woman looked drunk and whined about something along the lines of how no guy had been hitting on her for the entire night.

Her extremely low tolerance to alcohol never ceased to amuse.

The younger of the Matsuoka siblings tried his best to shush his sister when he realized that the kids were peacefully sleeping on Nakano’s lap on one of the benches. Makoto saw how Tomoya shot an apologetic look at their gang’s mediator and took Mai further away from the spot right after he waved at everyone to announce that his group had arrived.

Onitsuka was about to once again try to start a conversation with the girl next to him, but he stopped himself for a moment when he noticed that once again the girl with raven hair had that melancholic-like look on her face. Her gaze was set on the Matsuoka siblings, and she followed them as they walked further away from the benches.

“Is there something about Mai that you don’t like?” Makoto asked out of concern. “You were out of it when you met her this evening, and now you are looking at her again.”

Mami’s eyes widened.

“No, no!” She nervously shook her hands and head. “The feelings I have toward the Shapeshifter’s older sibling are not ones of dislike!”

The delinquent waited for her to elaborate. He was still confused by her reactions. He thought she maybe had something against older girls, but it appeared that this was not the case all this time.

“To be truthful, it is not about the elder Mai only. It is about her bond with Shapeshifter,” she explained slowly, her hands folded together with only her thumbs twirling around. “I too have an older sister, you see.”

This was news to Onitsuka. Maybe it was a bit insensitive for him to think this way, but every time he learned something new about this girl, it felt like he was reading into new lore from the video game. This is how much of an exciting mystery Mami was to him.

“But…” Watanabe’s eyes saddened. “She has abandoned our household.”

There was a silence in the air. Fireworks were still nowhere to be seen, but with each minute, it was getting closer to midnight.

“She has joined dark forces, and The moment I crossed her path to stop her, she announced that she would consider returning if I found a strong yokai that I so deeply believed in.”

Makoto’s eyes widened in realization.

“That’s why…”

But before he could finish his sentence, the fireworks set off and turned everyone’s attention to the midnight sky filled with colorful sparks of different shapes and sizes. The teen with scarlet hair could not focus on them, though. Knowing now what the reason for Mami’s persistence was all this time made him sad and upset, though he wasn’t sure if he was to blame himself or her for that. He wished she had told him earlier that she just wanted her sister back, but then again, he wasn’t trying to listen to her further, especially at the very beginning.

What Mami meant by dark forces was still confusing, but overall, he now had a bigger picture painted in front of him. His gaze didn’t leave her even for a second, no matter how loud the sounds and flashes of fireworks tried to gain his attention. He knew Watanabe wouldn’t be able to hear him, but something inside of him needed him to say the following words out loud:

“Whatever it takes, I will help you get your sister back home. I promise.”