Chapter 15: Festival Night
Yasmine stepped into the festival grounds, her appearance leaving everyone breathless. She wore a light blue kimono adorned with delicate white flower patterns. Her hair was tied into a neat bun, decorated with jasmine flowers that shimmered faintly under the lanterns.
Aijin, who had been waiting, froze in place. His heart skipped a beat.
"W-wait… am I looking weird!?" Yasmine stammered, clutching the edge of her sleeve nervously.
"No, no, you're not," Aijin blurted out quickly. His cheeks warmed as he smiled at her. "You're looking… really nice."
Yasmine blushed so hard she turned crimson. "T-thank you…"
"Wanna wait for the others?" Aijin asked, rubbing the back of his neck.
"…Sure."
"By the way, that yukata really suits you," Aijin added.
Her blush deepened. "T-thank you…"
"And your bun, with those flowers—it's pretty," he continued honestly.
Yasmine glanced down. "…I… didn't plan to do it. My… mother was the one who styled it."
"Oh? By the way, I wanted to ask—are those jasmine flowers from your garden?"
Her eyes widened. "No! And I'd never use them like this!!" She realized she had raised her voice and quickly lowered it. "S-sorry… I was too loud."
"No, no, it's okay," Aijin reassured her.
She hesitated, then spoke softly. "That plant… was planted on the day I was born. I'm really attached… to it. So I'd never pluck flowers from there. For these… my mother bought them."
Aijin smiled. "Not gonna lie—you look really pretty with these."
Yasmine's face turned tomato red. "T-thank you, A-Aijin… You are… also… looking good."
Before he could respond, a familiar voice called out.
"Guys! Over here!" Jirou waved.
"Looks like they've come. Let's go," Aijin said.
"…Sure," Yasmine whispered.
---
They joined the rest of the group.
"Why are you three so late!?" Aijin complained.
"Sorry, I got busy with something," Mui said quickly.
"Same here," Jirou added.
But Kei's attention was elsewhere. He gawked at Yasmine. "YASMINE—YOU'RE LOOKING SO BEAUTIFUL!!??"
"Th-thank you," Yasmine muttered, shyly turning her face away. "…You… are also… looking good."
"Alright, guys, let's go now," Jirou interrupted, grinning.
"Yeah!" the others agreed.
---
The festival bustled with people, lanterns glowing softly in the summer night air.
"Fireworks will be at the end," Jirou explained. "So let's enjoy everything else first."
"Yeah, you're right," Aijin agreed.
"Look there!" Mui pointed excitedly at a shooting game booth.
"That looks fun. Let's go!" Jirou said.
They each took turns, but…
"Aw, man," Jirou muttered after missing.
"Oh, come on!" Kei groaned as her shot went wide.
Mui's eyes gleamed with confidence. She raised the toy rifle, aimed carefully, and—bang. Perfect hit.
"I won," Mui said smugly.
Jirou and Kei stood in shock as Mui was handed a large box of chocolates.
"Hey, Aijin, wanna try—" Jirou turned, only to notice Aijin wasn't there. "Wait, where'd he go?"
"Look, over there," Kei pointed.
Aijin stood at a nearby stall, buying apple candies. He returned and handed one to Yasmine. "Here, this is yours."
"T-thank you," she said, her voice soft.
"Wow, apple candies!" Mui beamed.
"Here, have one," Aijin said, passing another stick to her.
"Thanks!" Mui grinned.
"And here—these are for you two," Aijin said, offering some to Kei and Jirou.
They all enjoyed the sweet treat together, the candy's glossy surface glinting under the lights.
---
Next, they headed to the goldfish scooping pond.
"Let's see who can catch more fish, Aijin," Mui challenged.
"You bet!" Aijin smirked.
They both crouched down and tried their best, but in the end…
"Uh… guess it's a draw," Aijin admitted, his paper net breaking.
"Yeah," Mui sighed, her own attempt a failure.
"Wow, Yasmine, you caught one!" Kei said, eyes wide.
"…Thanks," Yasmine replied quietly, holding the tiny goldfish cup.
Aijin and Mui looked at her in shock.
---
They moved on to shaved ice.
"It's freezing my brain!" Mui complained, clutching her forehead.
Aijin laughed while sipping tea alongside his ice. "It tastes really good, though."
Yasmine sat quietly, eating slowly, the coolness calming her.
---
At the ball-throwing game, Kei's competitive streak shone through.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Every ball hit its mark.
"I WON!!!" Kei shouted, pumping her fist in victory.
"Wow, that's amazing," Jirou said, impressed.
"Well, she still lost at the shooting game," Mui teased.
"HEY!!" Kei barked back, glaring.
Aijin couldn't help but giggle at their bickering.
---
Later, they tried the crack-the-candy game, where you had to break it into a perfect shape.
One by one, they all failed.
"Guess everyone's lost," Aijin smirked. "Pffft."
Everyone—except Yasmine—burst into laughter.
Yasmine's thoughts swirled as she clutched her skirt. (I also want to laugh like this… but I'm too embarrassed…)
---
They went on to play ring toss, ate yakisoba, drank cold sodas, and explored more of the festival together. After hours of fun, they retreated to a quieter corner to rest.
"Man, so many people here," Jirou groaned.
"I'm kinda getting a headache from all this noise," Aijin admitted.
"Well, the temperature isn't helping either," Kei fanned herself.
"Guys, let's find a spot for the fireworks," Mui suggested.
"Yeah, let's go," Kei agreed.
They walked toward an open field where most people were gathering.
"This place is really crowded," Kei muttered.
"Yeah," Mui said, scanning the area. "But at least we found a spot."
"Wait a second—where's Mizuno?" Jirou asked.
"…Aijin's gone too?!" Mui blinked in alarm.
"WHERE ARE THEY?!" Kei panicked.
---
Meanwhile, Yasmine struggled in the crowd.
"…Guys? Where… are you all? Why… is it… so crowded here?"
Her small voice was swallowed by the noise of the festival. Pushed and pulled by the wave of people, she spun around, her eyes searching desperately.
And then—someone suddenly approached her from the crowd.
What would happen next?
---
[ End of Chapter 15 ]