Farewell to Past Regrets Pt. 2

"Tsuki, look!" Taiyori exclaimed.

I looked over when she tugged on the sleeve of my coat. On the other side of a busy path was a crowded tapioca stall. The line was extremely long, but that's to be expected.

"Say, you think we can use our status as culture club members to cut the line?" Taiyori asked connivingly.

"Absolutely not," I said. "It'd be no different from using your status as the heiress to Yori Corp to get what you want, don't you think? If we're trying to be ordinary like everyone else, then we should play the part."

"Eugh... Fine."

"We'll wait until the line dies down and come back. Until then, let's check up on the other stalls and see if they need us to do anything."

"Sure, but if it involves manual labor, then count me out. I can't risk spraining these delicate hands."

"... Seriously?"

"Yup! You'll handle it for me, won't you?"

What the heck is this? I've somehow become Taiyori's servant, and the worst part is that I don't even mind it. Still... She's so freaking fragile.

We made our way around the area a couple of times, admiring the view and checking up on each stall as we passed them by. So far, so good. Everything seems to be running smoothly. However, we stumbled upon a stall overrun by irritated customers shouting over each other.

"What's going on?" Taiyori asked.

"Hm... Let's check it out," I said.

Upon closer inspection, the reason for the outrage is that there was only one person manning this stir-fried noodle stall. It seems like he's struggling to keep up with the surplus of orders.

"I could've sworn there was another person here to help him," I muttered. "Where did he go?"

"Doesn't matter right now," Taiyori said as she ran behind the stall.

"W-whoa! Miss Taiyori...?" the guy mumbled.

"Pass me an apron."

Despite his confusion, the boy reached for one of the aprons hanging in the back and handed it to Taiyori. When she slipped it on, she grabbed a pan and sat it down on the makeshift stove. Her eyes trailed over to me, and so did everyone else.

"Tsuki... Watch me," she smiled gently.

With that, Taiyori got to work. First, she drenched the pan with oil and threw in the raw noodles. The sound of sizzling whisked through the air. After checking a small piece of paper with someone's order on it, she scooped up a few ingredients from the side and tossed it into the pan. The sizzling intensified, followed by an amazing scent.

Once the dish was finished, she rolled it into a disposable bowl before moving on to the next order. There wasn't a single second for her to rest. Once she was done with one thing, she moved on to the next. While a plate was being cooked, she began preparing the ingredients for another.

It was a mesmerizing sight, but as impressed as I was by her cooking, I couldn't stop looking at her face. She was focused and concentrated on what was in front of her, allowing nothing to distract her. I didn't realize it before, but a smile was growing on my face. Taiyori really is such an amazing person.

For a single moment, she paused, noticing the smile on my face. She smiled back and went off to finish her next order.

Finally, the guy who was previously there came back. He expressed how sorry he was, saying that he had to take a 'number two,' whatever that means.

"Thank you so much, Miss Taiyori," the boy from before bowed his head.

"Of course," she said before turning her attention to the one who just came back. "Next time, manage your time better. What are you doing, leaving your friend alone to suffer?"

"S-sorry!" he exclaimed. "It won't happen again."

"Good."

With that out of the way, Taiyori approached me with a proud smile.

"Well?" she asked. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"Yeah," I scoffed. "I knew you could cook, but not to this extent."

"I'm something of a masterclass in the arts of culinary. Since I refused to see anyone when I was kid, I had to learn to make my own food."

"That's... both amazing and depressing at the same time."

"It be like that sometimes. Come on. Let's pick up where we left off."

We finished our rounds for the fourth time and deduced that everything was as it should be. It seems like everyone is having a good time, so I'd call this festival a success.

"Alright!" Taiyori threw her arms up for a stretch. "Now that we've got that out of the way, it's time to have some fun!"

"Where to first?" I asked.

"Um... Um... I don't know. There are too many options. Wait... Ah!"

She suddenly dashed ahead, and I slowly followed behind her. We stopped at one of the larger stalls hosting a gun-shooting range. Of course, they're not using real guns—just plastic ones that shoot soft pellets.

Taiyori didn't seem all that interested in the game itself, as her eyes were glued to one of the stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling.

"It's a flying squirrel!" she squealed. "Isn't it so cute? Look! It even has the flaps for its wings!"

"Try it out," I said. "Who knows? Maybe you'll win."

"Pft, yeah, right. I don't think I've ever held anything remotely close to a gun in my life."

"Then... Should I try?"

"What makes you think you'd do any better...? Ahhh~ I forgot about that. So, what? Are you telling me you're gonna win it for me?"

"If that's what you want."

"Then, Tsuki... Impress me."

I stepped up and paid the necessary amount for a couple of shots. In order to win that squirrel, which is considered a 'grand prize,' I have to knock down all the bottles. Eight shots, eight bottles. It shouldn't be that hard.

However, when I aimed down on the rifle and pulled the trigger, the pellet glided a fair distance before it plummeted toward the ground.

"Pahahaha!" Taiyori laughed. "What was that?! That wasn't even close! Hey, Tsuki? You awake? Your brain working?"

While she continued to pester me, I studied the rifle. Even for a plastic replica, it shoots terribly. There's not enough force in the shot to properly aim using the receiver alone. The pellet will simply fall without ever reaching the target.

Still, I can make this work. I've had my fair share of faulty firearms in the past. Adjusting to something like this is nothing.

I paid for another shot to replenish all eight pellets. This time, I'm going for the grand prize.

I pulled the rifle up, aligning the receiver with one of the bottles. I then pulled it up by several inches. Since the pellets are so weak that they would be affected by gravity, I'll use gravity to my advantage. With a deep breath, I pulled the trigger.

The pellet raced across the air. Just as I thought, it began to curve down after traveling halfway toward the target, but I had already accounted for that. Flawlessly, the pellet knocked over the bottle.

"Whoa!" Taiyori exclaimed.

Alright. I've gotten used to this trash piece of weaponry. Now, all that's left is to finish the job. I aimed at the second bottle, and, using the same technique, knocked that one over as well. I quickly switched to the next target. Three down. Five down. Seven down.

"You got it, Tsuki!" Taiyori cheered. "Don't panic!"

I've always worked well under pressure. It's a skill I gained over many years. However, today... I feel more nervous than I've ever felt before. Even then, I shot the last bottle down.

"We have a winner!" the girl behind the counter announced. 

"Wooo~! Tsuki!" Taiyori threw herself onto me with a massive grin. "You did it!"

"Did you think I couldn't?" I chuckled.

"I had my doubts, but you proved me wrong. That was so cool."

"Alright, sir!" the girl said. "You may choose one from our grand prizes."

"The squirrel, please."

"Got it!"

Using a rod, she pulled the stuffed flying squirrel from the ceiling and handed it to me. I turned around to see that Taiyori was glaring at it with great anticipation. For a moment, I thought about keeping it for myself to gauge her reaction, but... she'd probably start bawling.

I reached my arms out. "Here, Taiyori. Take it."

Without hesitation, she snatched the squirrel out of my hands and hugged it tight. I couldn't help but throw a hand over my mouth as I thought about how cute she was.

Her eyes then opened, and while the squirrel was covering her mouth, I knew there was a smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Tsuki," she simpered. "I'll treasure it forever."

My heart skipped yet another beat. My mouth opened slightly, but no more than that. Amidst a crowd of watchful spectators, I could only see her. Each heartbeat pounded against my chest, and all I could hear was my own breathing.

"What's wrong, Tsuki?" Taiyori's eyes curled even more. "You seem nervous."

"There's just... too many people watching us," I gulped as an excuse.

Her head twisted left and right. I fully expected her to tell them off, but instead, she slowly approached me. Her arms lowered as she stood only a hair away from me.

"Then I guess I should let them know just who it is I belong to for tonight."

She forcefully yanked me down by the collar of my yukata before pushing her lips against my cheek. An audible wave of gasps and murmurs erupted from the crowd.

It felt like ages had passed until she finally let go. Her eyes glistened like a pair of gems. The light from the many lanterns filled her face with color, yet all I could see was a red glow. I wonder if she knows just how bad she is for my heart.

"Let's move on," she said as she took my hand. "Shall we?"