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Author's Note: I'm starting to doubt if I can finish this arc in the next chapter. Also, there's the sixteen-year-old and twenty-something versions. Once this arc is over, there will naturally be some transitional plot involving everyone cuddling. Thanks to all the little angels for your support, mwah 03330
Chapter 80
Whether her future self would be a triangle enthusiast was something the fifteen-year-old Kisaragi Chiyo could not know. She only knew that Hara Kenji had returned, he had brought steaming hot takoyaki with him.
“Quick, try some.”
Golden-yellow, slightly charred takoyaki was held up before her eyes. Sweet mayonnaise was drizzled evenly over every single ball, which was then topped with a layer of bonito flakes and garnished with shredded nori.
Kisaragi Chiyo felt she had suddenly become a bit hungry, even though just before coming to the festival, she had shared a bag of biscuits, a box of scones, several potato chips and candies with Matsuda Jinpei.
"By the way." Just as Kisaragi Chiyo picked up a bamboo skewer and was about to savor the delicacies, Hara Kenji suddenly spoke up.
His dark purple eyes curved with a mischievous smile, on the other side, Matsuda was drawn by his voice.
Looking at Hara Kenji's smile, it took Matsuda Jinpei only three seconds to guess what kind of mischief the other man was planning.
“Chiyo-chan, do you know what a blind box is?” Hara Kenji asked in a mysterious tone, lowering his voice as he leaned his head close to Kisaragi Chiyo.
Blind box?" Kisaragi Chiyo repeated, "What's that?
It refers to something random and uncertain," Hara Kenji gestured for Kisaragi Chiyo to look at the Takoyaki, "which means it's the same type as a mystery prize!
Takoyaki?" Kisaragi Chiyo raised her right eyebrow slightly, her tone filled with doubt. "What does that have to do with a mystery prize?
I'm talking about the flavors!" Hara Kenji emphasized the words 'flavors.' "That stall actually has sixteen different mixed flavor options in addition to the regular takoyaki!
"Besides the thirteen regular flavors, there are also three super-special hidden flavors exclusive to the festival!" Hara Kenji's voice sounded somewhat excited; from his expression, he seemed to have very high expectations for those limited hidden flavors.
Matsuda Jinpei knew it would be like this. That guy Hara Kenji always suddenly takes an interest in all sorts of bizarre things.
For example, a singing rice cooker, or a five-hundred-yen bag of seeds that supposedly grows two-meter-tall lettuce.. Of course, while the former piqued Matsuda Jinpei's interest, the latter only caused him to let out a harsh laugh when Hara Kenji was struggling with seeds that simply refused to sprout.
*
"But.. to be able to make takoyaki with so many different flavors, the owner of this stall is quite innovative.." Although Matsuda Jinpei's tone was calm, his body was already starting to tense up.
To be honest, he had truly stepped on too many landmines while accompanying Hara Kenji in tasting creative foods.
But this guy, however, never seemed to tire of it, jumping from one pitfall to another, completely forgetting the miserable look he had after eating terrible-tasting food.
"So that's how it is." After Hara Kenji's explanation, Kisaragi Chiyo completely understood.
"It means the same thing as drawing lots, right?" Kisaragi Chiyo said, taking the lead by using a bamboo skewer to pick up a plump, juicy takoyaki and popping it into her mouth.
After chewing a few times, she swallowed.
"What flavor is it?" Hara Kenji observed the expression on Kisaragi Chiyo's face, noting that the youth did not show any signs of discomfort.
It's chocolate flavored," Kisaragi Chiyo commented. "It tastes more like a dessert; it's actually a pretty good flavor.
"Now it's Little Jinpei's turn." Hara Kenji grabbed Matsuda Jinpei's arm, preventing him from backing away.
Be brave, Little Jinpei." Hara said with a smile as he handed a bamboo skewer to Matsuda, "Don't worry, it won't be any strange flavor.
By emphasizing it like that, you're actually making me feel even more uneasy.
Although Matsuda said this, he still took the bamboo sticks from Hara Kenji's hand and picked one at random.
How is it?" Seeing the other person's expression as if facing a great enemy, the smile on Hara's face grew even wider. "I didn't lie to you, did I?
.." Matsuda Jinpei fell silent for a moment, then said in a very calm tone, "I hate takoyaki with diced carrots.
"That's heresy," Matsuda emphasized in a firm tone.
Fine," Hara Kenji shrugged. "It seems you still hate eating carrots that much, even though some curries actually include them.
That's different." Matsuda Jinpei corrected him quickly, with enough double standards, "Curry is an exception.
"Then it's my turn next." Hara Kenji did not hesitate, casually using a bamboo skewer to pick up one of them.
"Hmm.." Hara Kenji savored it carefully, but from his furrowed brow, it was clear that the flavor was likely not something easily accepted.
"What is it?" Kisaragi Chiyo asked, feeling a bit curious.
"Okra." After swallowing, Hara Kenji spat out those two words.
"I never thought that one day, okra would be stuffed inside takoyaki." Matsuda once again wore an expression that said, 'This is nothing short of heresy.'
"There are three left." Hara Kenji spoke with a serious tone as he pushed the box of takoyaki toward the center between the three of them.
Have one each.
Upon hearing these words, Matsuda Jinpei wanted to get up and leave again.
Fortunately, the flavors they ate next were matcha, cheese, onion, respectively.
"Can takoyaki without octopus even be called takoyaki?" Matsuda Jinpei complained about this.
*
The three returning from the festival were full of their spoils. Under the lead of Matsuda Jinpei and Hara Kenji, Kisaragi Chiyo had played almost every single game at the festival.
Among them, Kisaragi Chiyo was best at the ring toss game. With an almost hundred-percent success rate, she repeatedly made the stall owner look like he was about to cry.
Fortunately, Kisaragi Chiyo lost interest after playing for a while. He gave away the items he had won but wasn't interested in to the children watching nearby, leaving behind only a wind-up mackerel that would run quickly across the ground using its fins.
Ta-da! Next up is movie time!
Back at the inn, Hara Kenji put the movie he had chosen long ago into the DVD player, once it was connected, he turned on the projector.
And at that moment, Matsuda Jinpei happened to be drying Kisaragi Chiyo's hair after she had just finished her bath.
So, the three of them sat side by side on the bed, huddled together in a heap. Kisaragi Chiyo didn't even forget to bring along the lop-eared rabbit plushie that Hara Kenji had given her.
Watching horror movies at night provides a much more intense atmosphere than during the day. The silent night outside the window alone is enough to spark endless imagination, let alone the tension and eerie music specifically crafted for the film.
Although Matsuda Jinpei had already seen this movie back in high school, nearly ten years had passed, many of the plot's details had long since become a blur.
Therefore, just like the two people beside him who knew nothing about this film, he watched it with great interest.
Kisaragi Chiyo watched the movie very intently. It wasn't until the screen turned pitch black and the end credits appeared that she was finally able to snap out of it.
This state lasted until Hara Kenji put his arm around Kisaragi's shoulder and leaned his head in, at which point Kisaragi finally realized that the movie had actually ended.
"Are you hungry?" Hara Kenji asked him with a grin.
A movie lasts at least two hours, by the time they returned from playing at the festival, it was already quite late. Now that the movie was finished, the time had quietly slipped into the late hours of the night.
"Little Jinpei went out to buy oden." Seeing Kisaragi Chiyo looking around as if searching for something, Hara spoke with great understanding.
Is there anything else you want to eat, Chiyo-chan?
"No.. are there even any shops open at this hour?" Kisaragi Chiyo blinked, her gaze shifting toward the clock on the wall. It was 10:20 PM; it was her first time staying up this late.
Back when it was only ten in the evening, Oboshima-san would urge him to hurry up, turn off the lights, go to sleep.
The village at night is never truly peaceful. As the hours grow deeper, it becomes the time for those belonging to another world to begin their activities.
Although most of them harbor no ill will, if you happen to encounter them by chance, you can't help but be startled or played with.
The only time, when Kisaragi Chiyo woke up as usual the next day, she heard someone pounding on the shrine doors from the outside.
It was a villager looking for Oboshima-san.
Someone has died.
They drowned in the pond to the west last night.
Kisaragi Chiyo knew that pond; it wasn't particularly close to the village. Normally, people in the village wouldn't choose to run to the west in the middle of the night; even if they needed water, there were dedicated wells within the village itself.
Oboshima-san's expression was very serious. After ordering Kisaragi Chiyo to stay at the shrine and not leave, she followed the villagers and did not return until the early morning of the third day.
And the female ghost that had just crawled out of the well in the movie reminded Kisaragi Chiyo of that past event.
*
“What are you thinking about?” Kisaragi Chiyo felt a weight on her legs, when she looked down, she met a pair of dark purple eyes.
A smile curled at the corners of the Evil Spirit's lips; he seemed to perform such intimate actions with a natural ease, as if they used to do this all the time.
Kisaragi Chiyo lowered her eyes, as that previous triangular speculation, which had been cast aside, uncontrollably surfaced in her mind once again.
"What are you thinking about?" The Evil Spirit seemed somewhat dissatisfied with the human's distraction; he tugged at Kisaragi's sleeve, attempting to draw his attention back.
“I was thinking about the movie we just watched.” Kisaragi Chiyo subconsciously raised her hand and stroked the other's head.
Just as he was surprised by his own overly natural behavior, Hara Kenji took advantage of the moment and pressed his face closer.
"I've been enduring it all along," the other said.
But what exactly was he enduring? As the words reached the tip of her tongue, Kisaragi Chiyo suddenly felt a sudden hesitation to ask.
Asking anything more would exceed the scope of his current age.
So, it was better to just let it be; minors have an exemption for being willful, she thought to herself with a clear conscience.
"Were you scared by the movie?" Hara Kenji turned to play with Kisaragi Chiyo's fingers.
The youth's hands were relatively softer than those of an adult, but between the fingers, there were still thin calluses from frequent writing that could not be ignored when stroked.
"No.. I was just reminded of something that happened in the past." Kisaragi Chiyo shook her head; although the movie's content was terrifying, it wasn't enough to scare him.
"Before? What kind of things from before? Can you tell me about them?" Hara Kenji became interested as soon as he heard about something related to Kisaragi Chiyo's past.
He scrambled up from the bed, looking at Kisaragi Chiyo with burning eyes.
Like a puppy waiting for a meal, Kisaragi thought quite rudely in her mind.
“It’s not actually anything interesting.” Kisaragi Chiyo organized her words; she didn't consider it a beautiful memory, but rather something that had merely added a bit of life experience and trouble.
Kisaragi Chiyo told Hara Kenji about the matter she had just recalled.
"After that, once Grandma returned, she began preparing the ritual." Kisaragi Chiyo's voice was very soft, her expression was somewhat dazed.
Because assistance was needed, I went along as well.
The weather was very cold that day, there was no sun. The deceased was wrapped in a white cloth, water kept seeping out from beneath it.. When the ritual was being performed, a strong wind suddenly blew from all directions.
Even though the cloth was being pressed down by something, a corner of it was still blown open.
.. Amidst the gasps and shouts of the people around me, I saw that dead person.. staring intently at me, then my left eye felt a sharp pain, I passed out.