So, here's the complete version.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Year Shrine Visit
New Year’s Eve. I hurry up the slope to the bottom of stairs to the shrine. I’ve been invited to a School Council outing to visit the local shrine for the New Year. But a run-in with Kenji made me waste a lot of time. Now I’m running behind late. I don’t know what they’ll do when I get there.
Hisao: “I’m here!”
The two girls turn their head towards me as I lean against the gate post trying to catch my breath. I look up at them and my breath stops again. They are strikingly clad in kimonos. Misha is in a traditional pink kimono with a pattern of red petals. Shizune is in a modern green one with at first seems to be a pattern of blurry line patterns, but are actually quotes and sayings. Quite the opposite of what I expected them to be wearing. A wind blow and I could catch the faint scent of perfume and shampoo.
Misha: “You’re 10 minutes late! Don’t you know that you shouldn’t keep girls waiting? That calls for a penalty!”
Shizune: >=D
Misha: “Now what do you think the punishment should be?”
She grins at me. Her bouncing drill-hair seems even more elaborate than usual, sporting more curls that I remember seeing her with before. She takes a contemplative pose, her smile never leaving her face. She turns to her partner in crime who’s signing an undoubtedly wicked punishment. Her fingers move too fast for me to follow, but I manage to catch the part about me having to pay.
Misha: “Okay! The penalty is that you have to give us money!”
It looks like I’ll be starving this week.
Misha: “We forgot to get some change, so we don’t have anything for the offering box.”
I breath a sigh of relief. They didn’t have me doing the usual things I get roped into doing. I take out some coins and hand them some.
Misha: “And you can’t run away later.”
That made me pause. Just what did she mean by that? She just laughs when I ask her. I look at Shizune, but she just gives a small smile and looks away.
Misha: “Hahahahaha!”
Now I’m worried.
Fireworks explode in the sky overhead as we climb the stairs. Even though the official New Year’s celebration haven’t started yet, the neighborhood are launching their own fireworks. I suppose in this locale where not much happen, the residents take any opportunity to have good time.
As we get to the offering box, I hesitatingly drew out some coins. What should I pray for? I haven’t actually considered about it until I got here and my prayers for video games as a kid don’t seem that appealing anymore. The girls have already tossed in their change and have their hand together in prayer. Shizune’s face is expressionless while Misha’s forehead is scrunched in concentration. I wonder what they are praying for. Since I there’s still a line of people waiting right behind us, I just settled for the cliché of world peace.
When we’re done, we head over to the shrine shop to draw some omikuji. I opened up mine. A few uncertain luck, half-luck...
Great luck in romantic relations and engagement?
Misha: “Hicchan, what did you get?”
I hand it over to her. She looks at it, and immediately goes over Shizune to show it to her. They sign back and forth in a frenzy, looking back at me a couple of times. This makes me uncomfortable. They’re not taking the fortunes seriously, are they? When it seems that they’re done with whatever they’re talking about, I go over to them.
Hisao: “So, what fortunes did you get?”
Shizune: “...” >_>
Misha: “Nevermind that. Let’s go someplace else.”
We head out on a path going out from the side of the shrine. It goes out into the woods. After going through a patch of tall bamboo, we end up into a clearing overlooking a cliff. A length of rope tied between two trees near the edge The two girls survey the area.
Shizune: {It’s clear and ______ is ready and just before _______ starts. So go with _____ before.}
Misha nods. I only caught part of what she signed. She turns to me.
Misha: “I’m gonna leave for a bit. Try not to fall off, Hicchan.”
Hisao: “I don’t share your carelessness.”
Misha: “Ahahaha!”
She starts walking out of the clearing, then stops. Suddenly, she spins around to face me with a look on her face that suggests a mischievous idea has crossed her head.
Misha: “Hey Hicchan, did you know that Shicchan wears kimonos traditionally?”
Hisao: “That doesn’t look very much like traditional kimono to me.”
Misha: “What I mean is... this!”
She takes hold of the obi on Shizune’s kimono and yank. Shizune spins around until the obi is completely unwrapped, causing the front of her kimono to flare open and reveal skin... and nothing else. She falls towards me and I catch her in my arms. With nothing her and me besides my own clothes, I can feel her soft body with incredible sensitivity. Shizune pushes me back and quickly close her kimono. She starts chasing after Misha, who laughs and runs around. Shizune stops and scowls, then signs for her to leave.
Misha: “I’m leaving you two alone now. I’ll stand guard so that nobody walks this way. Try not to fall over the cliff.”
Hisao: “Just go!”
Misao: “Wahahahaha!”
Awkard silence falls after Misha leaves us alone. The normally aggressive Shizune is being surprisingly passive. Seems like Misha’s unexpected actions threw her off her game. She has an unexpectedly shy side to her, though that might be just because of embarrassment. Getting an unexpected view of her going commando would do just that. An impish twinge made the corners of my mouth twitch and I tug at her kimono. The kimono in danger of falling open once again snaps her out of it, and she smacks my hand back. I smiled at the scowl that’s back on her face.
Then a sudden explosion jolts us. We look up to see a pyrotechnic flowers bloom in the sky. The official fireworks show at the town has started.
I remembered that time during the school festival, when we went to the rooftop. The view here is even more incredible. When I look back at Shizune, there’s an expression of satisfaction at my reaction. She must have brought me here for this.
She signs slowly, so that I can understand her.
Shizune: {It’s a great view, isn’t it? You should appreciate this.}
Hisao: {It is. And I do.}
Smiling proudly, she takes out a sheet placed to the side. I help her when she struggles to spread it over the ground while needing one arm to keep her kimono closed. With a picnic basket for some snacks, we lay on the sheet and watch the fireworks continue.
When the last firework has exploded, we stay still in silence for a few moment. When I look at her, I realized how close our faces are to each other. Shizune has a hand frozen in the air, short of touching my face. Then she leans forward for a kiss. Her lips are much softer than I thought.
Shizune stands and takes a step. I look up at her back. She looks back at me with the moonlight framing her body in an almost mystical aura.
Hisao: {You’re beautiful.}
Shizune smiles and turns towards me. This time, she doesn’t try to close her kimono. She slowly falls unto me, and we lay in an embrace. Our bodies become hot under the cold winter air.
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Suddenly got the urge to start writing when I saw the Japanese shrine visiting during New Year.
