Chapter 126: Ebook Bonus: Original Short Story — ‘Sweet Like Cotton Candy’
Even in a city where minimal social interaction is the norm, some believe that a community's existence hinges on the tradition of festivals, no matter how much the customs of a village society are forgotten.
Even in an apartment complex not far from Shibuya station.
It was the last Sunday of July. The festival began at precisely 5 pm.
In the modest space beside the parking lot in front of the residential building, speakers were set up, endlessly playing the Tokyo Ondo[1](was it?). A digital tablet was connected to the speakers.
[Tokyo Ondo: A traditional Japanese song and dance associated with Tokyo. It's a popular song at Bon Odori, which are dances held during the Bon Festival, a Japanese Buddhist event to honor the spirits of one's ancestors. Participants typically dance in a circle around a tower (yagura) with taiko drummers, moving to the rhythm of the song.]
Stalls were lined up, albeit not many of them. Children with insatiable curiosity and sparkling eyes darted from one to the next.
It was a summer festival for the apartment's residents.
"They did this last year? I don't remember," Ayase-san said.
"It's just for a day. Easy to forget."
"Did you forget too, Asamura-kun?"
"Well, yeah, last year I did."
That was a lie.
While Ayase-san often stayed in her room on weekends, I usually went to cram school or work, so naturally, I had noticed the festival, clearly visible from the entrance. But at this time last year, Ayase-san and her mother had only been living with us for about a month. We were still figuring out our relationship. It didn't feel right to invite her to the modest apartment festival.
"Do you wanna eat something? Although, there's just yakisoba[2], cotton candy, and okonomiyaki[2]."
[Yakisoba: Popular dish made of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and often meat, seasoned with a savory sauce. Okonomiyaki: A Japanese savory pancake made with flour, eggs, shredded cabbage, and various fillings, grilled and often topped with sauces and mayonnaise.]
It's probably typical of an apartment complex festival. Heck, a summer festival event at a mall might even have more stuff and variety.
"I think we still have some yakisoba in the fridge," she replied seriously.
I tried to remember what we had in there. Not the instant cup yakisoba, but the bagged ones you cook in a pan. And enough for four people.
"Yeah, we do."
"Plus, there's not many vegetables in this one."
I glanced at the yakisoba served up at the stall, noting the token amount of cabbage.
When Akiko-san and Ayase-san make it, they put in so much cabbage, carrots, and bean sprouts that you can't even see the noodles. Indeed, our family's yakisoba feels way healthier. I guess the same can be said about the okonomiyaki.
But for elementary school age kids, it's a feast.
Children excitedly tugged at their parents' clothes, saying, "I want this!" and "Buy that!" as the sky dimmed to a shade of light ink. The lanterns hanging around the perimeter lit up, their LEDs mimicking the flicker of candlelight.
"Do you want something, Asamura-kun?"
"Not particularly."
She tilted her head.
"So you'll eat even if you don't want to?"
"Yeah, because it's more memorable that way. They say that memories are harder to forget when they're tied to emotions."
"So if you remember it as being delicious, you'll remember the festival?"
"That's part of it," I said, scratching the tip of my nose.
"But?"
"But more than that, I want to remember walking here together, with you."
It wasn't the festival itself I wanted to remember, but the fact that we were walking side by side, a year into our relationship.
"You're so sweet, like cotton candy—" Ayase-san said.
"Let's get some cotton candy then?"
Yeah, I guess you need a special machine for cotton candy, so it makes sense to buy it from a stall.
"Okay. Well... that's not what I meant though."
Ayase-san nodded, so I lined up at the stall and bought a big bag of cotton candy. We walked around the venue one more time, taking turns eating it.
As the sky gradually darkened, the wind began to blow, driving away the heat of the day, and making the wind chimes at the stalls tinkle gently.
Ting, Ting. Ting.
As we left the stalls behind and walked back towards the entrance, Ayase-san said softly, "That was really sweet."