Chapter 2 | The City He Stepped On | Remake our Life!
Part 5
After visiting the shrine, we decided to look around the grounds a little.
"It looks like they're having an event right now."
Nanako said so and pointed at the pamphlet.
Love knot wind chimes. Colorful wind chimes are hung along the paths in the precincts of the shrine, and are supposed to be enjoyed by all as they ring and dance in unison with the wind. Come to think of it, there were also some wind chimes hanging just after going under the large torii gate at the entrance.
"Amazing, there are 2,000 of them."
"I never see that much in stores"
While I'm curious,
"...It's a little calm now, so I'm going to go to the bathroom."
"Yes, then I'll be waiting here."
There was a stone monument a little further back, so we decided to meet there.
She went into the restroom, did her business quickly, and returned to the precinct. Then I noticed three men looking at Nanako and talking about something.
"Areh?"
They occasionally point fingers and don't seem to be in a very good mood.
"... What are those guys?"
I remembered the troublesome people at the university festival, and I was just about to get myself ready for them,
"Isn't she so cute?"
"I wonder if she's coming alone"
"No, I saw her with a guy just now. How can she not have a boyfriend when she's so cute."
And then they all sigh together.
It was nothing, it seemed like an attempt to approach her had ended in an attempt to speak to her.
(Thank goodness, nothing happened)
Although I was relieved,
"Wait, them too...?"
The two men near the monument have also been glancing at Nanako since a while ago. They look as if they are discussing whether to call out to her... That's what it looks like.
In a panic, I rushed to Nanako's side,
"S-Sorry I'm late!"
Nanako looked at me and smiled,
"No, not at all! Let's go see!"
With that, we headed toward the path where the wind chimes were being held up.
I followed her and looked around casually.
(I see the guys from earlier... are watching)
I guess they see me as her boyfriend, naturally. It's somewhat annoying to have someone look at me with a clear "I envy you" look.
We usually live in a very small community, but sometimes we can clearly see things by interacting with the outside world.
Nanako is cute. And on a very special level, too.
After all, she would become a nationally popular diva in the years to come. Even though her singing ability was her main attraction, her good looks were also well-received, so much so that a photo book was decided to be released soon after her debut.
I sometimes forget that fact when I spend time with her.
That being next to her is special.
"Ah, Kyouya, look!"
I saw Nanako pointing ahead of me, and I, too, was,
"Wah..."
It made me raise my voice and I couldn't take my eyes off of it.
On top of the many votive picture tablet screens were countless multicolored wind chimes, so many that it was difficult to count them.
Various colors on glass and ceramics, and countless strips of hanging paper sway and overlap with the wind.
Mixed with the sun's rays, color and light dominate the view.
Amidst the clear sounds echoing together, only this place seems to have been transported to another world.
Combined with the location, such a feeling of being out of this world comes over me.
There was an atmosphere that was a bit too good to be described simply as "beautiful".
We stand silently at the entrance.
We were all somewhat in awe of the scene in front of us.
"Shall we go inside...?"
Nanako said,
"Yes"
I immediately nodded and stepped into the corridor where the wind chimes danced.
As soon as I entered, I was surprised by the intensity of the dancing light. The interplay of sunlight and wind chimes was much sharper than from a distance.
With my eyes, and my ears. I had a strange sensation that my brain could not keep up with the sheer volume of information coming into my body.
This sensation of the light changing direction and color balance one after another was somewhat similar to the feeling of entering a kaleidoscope.
But even more than that,
(This is...)
As I got closer, I noticed another element that makes the place.
Each of the strips of paper tied to the wind chimes contained the thoughts and feelings of the individual. Naturally, due to the nature of this place, they were all related to love.
The earnest and straightforward feelings of liking someone, but not being able to reach them, wanting them to be reached and rewarded, are written in straightforward language. Because they are simple and unadorned, they directly appeal to the feelings of those who see them.
The ema (votive tablet) hanging on the wall was more direct. Folded in layers, they were filled with thoughts and feelings. From afar, it was just a landscape, but up close, it was a flood of people's feelings.
I love you, I want you to understand, why I can't reach you, look at me more.
"Uwh..."
I groaned involuntarily. There is power in feelings, and when they come together, they become a violent power. On top of shaking my sight and hearing, the pressure of these words was, frankly, terrifying.
Because the person next to me now had strong feelings.
And I knew to whom it was directed.
The scenery I saw wavered a little. I knew something was wrong with my senses, but I couldn't do anything about it.
Like drinking alcohol and being on the verge of getting drunk. No, it was much more pleasant than that, like being taken somewhere far away.
"It's beautiful, but it makes me feel strange."
Nanako took a breath and looked at me.
"Don't you think so? Kyouya..."
In the flickering twinkling lights, Nanako looked somehow mysterious. Her well-formed face and large eyes stared straight at me.
The girl I mentioned earlier that I thought was special. She is so cute. That fact makes my consciousness almost jump to a distant place.
I could feel my head spinning. I was sure I was intoxicated by the movement of the wind chimes, but more than that, Nanako's eyes were driving me crazy.
"Kyouya..."
Nanako called my name. Nanako's voice echoed in my head.
"Nanako..."
I call Nanako's name too.
Areh, Why am I getting closer and closer to Nanako? I put my hand on her shoulder, and I think, "This is already in front of that". What am I supposed to do? This is no time for that kind of flirting, wait, by any chance, is this, one's earnest prayer being answered by god...
Softly, it was the moment when my eyes were about to be dyed completely white.
"... Kyouya."
Nanako's expression suddenly returned to normal.
Then, only her gaze slides quickly to the side.
"...Nanako?"
I also noticed it and looked in that direction.
I don't know how long they had been there, but there were a few middle school boys and girls staring at us with fixed gazes. Their eyes were clearly anticipating what we were about to do.
"They won't do it?"
The boys were poked and prodded by the other kids, making it a single population.
We finally came to our senses, and as we pulled away from each other,
"T-The wind chimes are beautiful!"
"You're right! Very beautiful!"
Blushing bright red, we covered it up with a laugh, and without even looking at the wind chimes, we continued to walk down the path in a short trot.
(That was a close call...)
Inside, I was sweating profusely.
I was completely taken in by the atmosphere. The place, the situation, and Nanako's cuteness and playfulness combined to make me completely lose my usual self-control. If I had just gone with the flow, things would have been very awkward.
I wonder what's going on. Until now, there had been no sign of such a thing happening with Nanako. However, I felt that she took a major turn around after the party. Including the incident in Shirahama, she became more and more aggressive.
But that was only her side, and I was able to maintain my self-control. But what happened here and now, even though there was an aspect of being swept away by the atmosphere of the place, we almost "became so" of our own volition.
(This shouldn't be the situation to think about that ... What am I doing?)
Perhaps a gradual change has come about between the two of us. Here, I was also at the mercy of a change in consciousness that I had not expected.
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