episode_0028

Festival

Within their respective daily lives,

For adults, it’s the grind of work life,

For students, it’s the intense competition in studying,

And other aspects of human relationships.

An event that provides a bit of respite to those rapidly growing weary in the indispensable social life as modern individuals.

A place where one can recharge with small doses of energy within this harsh world.

While healing and enjoyment can be found in exploring alone, as is often the case, bringing family or a lover along amplifies the joy.

Countless lodging places surround the area,

Unlike the city center filled with exhaust fumes and noise, here you can hear the chirping of birds and the sound of mountain breezes, a touch of nature.

With Monday being a national holiday, the Golden Weekend, and a sense of something different from before, even before the festival began, there were talks of a fireworks display of unprecedented scale by the event organizers.

These coincidences converged, drawing an unprecedented crowd to this place.

Truly a human flood.

No matter how many people there were,

It was almost easy to get lost if one let go of someone’s hand by mistake.

Among these many people, a couple who seemed like a couple walked hand in hand side by side.

“There are so many people… I didn’t expect it to be this crowded.”

“Haha, that’s true. But if you think about it the other way around, it means the fireworks display will be even more fun. I’m looking forward to it even more!”

“Plus, it’s more fun because I’m with you, hehe.”

“..Haha.”

How does such strength come from those slender arms?

Even if you know, you can’t quite understand.

“Hmm, looking at the event schedule, we still have quite some time before the fireworks display starts.”

“Then we must not have had dinner yet. Let’s go eat something delicious!”

At the mention of food-related topics, Mina couldn’t contain her excitement, smiling brightly.

Seeing these scenes reminded me of the big and small mischief-makers around me, unintentionally bringing a proud smile to my face.

“.. What’s with that expression, Oppa? It’s annoying for some reason.”

“No, no, I’m hungry too, so let’s go find something to eat quickly.”

There was no need to ponder over what to eat.

Wherever there were crowds, vendors selling street food would gather.

Among them, street food stalls lined up on both sides endlessly.

Delicious smells wafting from all directions.

No matter where you went, everything would surely be delicious.

Following those scents, Mina and I wandered around until we found a place we both liked.

Right at the yakisoba stall.

The owner, skillfully pouring his special sauce onto the hot griddle and stir-frying the noodles, made it clear just by watching him that this was the place!

“Hello~”

“Oh, look, a handsome couple has arrived~ Welcome!”

“How many servings would you like?”

“Two servings, please…”

“Pack one serving for me, please, sir!”

“?”

“Haha! Just wait a moment.”

I had planned to order two servings according to the number of people, but Mina confidently interrupted, asking for only one serving.

“Oh, Oppa, there are so many delicious places here. It’s better to buy one dish and share. Otherwise, we might not be able to finish eating, and our stomachs will be too full.”

“Now that I think about it, that makes sense.”

“Here you go, one serving of yakisoba for you. I packed extra since you two look so good together. Enjoy your meal!”

“Wow, sir, you’re the best! Thank you!”

What’s this?

Indeed, if I had ordered two servings as intended, it could have been a disaster.

Feeling apologetic for ordering just one serving as the owner piled up the yakisoba like a mountain with his large hands, we moved away from the bustling street to a quiet bench.

As we unwrapped the packaging, the fragrance we had smelled earlier wafted up.

I tried to offer the first bite to Mina, but she opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting to be fed.

..?

Is she asking me to feed her?

“Mina, do you want me to feed you?”

“Oh..~”

“..?”

The character continues to open their mouth as if saying they won’t respond.

“Even though they probably gave me two chopsticks, was it necessary to go that far?”

Snap.

The wooden chopstick in hand easily snapped in half.

A lonely discarded chopstick.

Why do I even think I could end up like that?

“…Ah.”

“I can’t help it if I want to eat! Here we go~”

It’s not because I’m scared that I’m forcing myself to eat.

…Probably.

Rolling up the yakisoba with the chopsticks held firmly, I pass it to Mina’s mouth.

Chomp chomp.

Mina chews enthusiastically, touching her cheeks as if about to burst like a hamster savoring sunflower seeds.

Whenever Mina does anything, it feels like shooting a food commercial.

Surely she’d be a successful mukbang YouTuber.

I’m salivating just watching her.

“Wow! Oppa, this is really delicious, isn’t it? My taste buds are spot on!”

“Leave the foodie recommendations to me!”

“I’m glad you like it. Then I’ll…”

“Right? Since I took a bite, you should try it too, right?”

“Here, let me give you some chopsticks so you can have a big bite.”

“..Ah.”

Knowing that refusing now would only invite more pressure, I give in and obediently open my mouth.

“Wow… Director’s defenseless appearance… sigh.”

“..? Mina, are you still far from finishing?”

“Oh, sorry.”

As the yakisoba enters my mouth, it explodes as if to say I wasn’t lying.

“Delicious!”

“Right? It might taste even better when I feed you, right?”

“Now it’s my turn, right?”

We continue this back-and-forth exchange, and before we know it, the abundant noodles disappear as if by magic.

“That was delicious! Oh… Oppa, next time let’s go eat that!”

“Mina, let’s take it slow…”

Next on the list was takoyaki.

Once again, thanks to the owner’s generosity, we received a generous portion and continued feeding each other while sitting on the bench.

Crunch crunch.

“Oh, right…”

Every time she lowers her head to eat takoyaki, Mina seems uncomfortable due to her side bangs falling over her face, so she brushes them behind her ear.

Sizzle sizzle.

Around us, people murmur upon seeing Mina’s appearance.

“Wow… Is she a celebrity? She’s really pretty.”

“Should I ask for her number?”

“Hey, hey, can’t you see the guy next to her? People should stick to their own kind, you squid.”

“Damn it…”

“Honey, why are you looking at him?”

“Oh, oops!”

…

Does Mina realize she’s inadvertently disrupting the peaceful relationships of many couples around her in real-time?

As if she doesn’t know, Mina just smiles brightly without a care.

“That’s enough! Now I feel comfortable! One more for me, Oppa!”

.

.

.

After that, we continued to wander around eating foods that were easy to overlook at the festival, gradually feeling full and tired.

As we took a break and looked around at the shelves selling local specialty character goods, Mina suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, Oppa, isn’t this teddy bear mascot adorable?”

The cute teddy bear mascot doll that Mina pointed out was part of a strategy that turned animals commonly found in the mountains into characters, highlighting nature as a local advantage.

Despite its large size and somewhat blank expression, the bear doll was undeniably cute to me.

The same applied to the other animal dolls; they must have appeared even more beautiful to women.

How long did we browse through these items?

From animal character keychains to appropriately sized dolls, something caught Mina’s eye.

“!”

Oh.

What’s this?

The source of our surprise was a very large doll proudly displayed in the store, meant to be a perfect decoration for a room if not forgotten.

Mina seemed to like it too, sneakily checking the price tag behind the doll…

“Eh?”

“..? What’s wrong, Mina?”

Surprised and puzzled, I leaned over to look at the price tag with her.

And there, the numerous zeros revealed themselves.

What is this?

“No.. Is the price really this high?”

Even if it’s a festival, isn’t this too overpriced?

Is one doll really worth this much?

No matter how much of an economically active adult who can afford what they want,

I don’t think it’s worth investing such a large sum to buy it.

It seemed like Mina had the same thought as she gently put down the doll and shifted her steps.

However, as if her heart was saying otherwise,

She sneakily turned her head back, continuing to gaze at the bear doll as if reluctant to leave it.

It’s pitiful..

“Or should I lend you some money?”

“No, no, oppa, I’m fine. It’s just a bit disappointing, that’s all.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it.”

Even if she said so, it would still be very disappointing. Feeling down for not being able to have what you desire is inevitable.

As I pondered over any other possible solutions, a sound reached my ears.

“Huh..?”

Click!

Click!

The familiar sound of a toy gun.

Clang clang!

The familiar sound of bells.

“Congratulations! As a guest, I’ll give you a keychain as a prize!”

The voice of the host welcoming the guests.

Following the sound, I saw

On the table were toy guns laid out,

And on the other side, numerous prizes.

Yes,

A game where you shoot to knock down prizes and take them.

It was a place many people knew well.

And among the items stubbornly standing upright like a fortress,

A doll that caught my eye exceptionally well.

It seems I’ve found a way.