The summer evening sky, still too warm to be called cool by any stretch of the imagination.
But perhaps because it was atop a hill slightly higher than its surroundings, a refreshing breeze brushed against my cheeks.
The liberated shrine’s main hall.
As the Shinto priest performed the ceremonial prayer, I couldn’t help but let out a soft gasp, watching a boy sitting upright in perfect seiza posture at the center of a dozen or so gagaku musicians.
“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?”
The murmured comment came from Sandra.
“Oh, right, this is your first time seeing him, isn’t it?”
“I’d heard about him, but… yeah, this is definitely something you need to see from the start.”
“Right?”
For some reason, Kaori puffed out her chest proudly.
Beside her, Sakuna gazed absently at the miko-clad dancers, her expression distant, as if her mind were elsewhere.
“Oh, there she is.”
Sakuna muttered suddenly.
“Who?”
“Hino Hana Toki-san.”
Hearing that name, I scanned the musicians one by one.
Among the performers sitting with impeccable posture, I spotted a particularly petite girl—one I recognized, her face brimming with charm.
“Everyone’s wearing different outfits, huh?”
“The musicians’ outfits seem to be coordinated based on their instruments.”
Kaori, still inexplicably proud, chimed in.
“What about the dancers’ outfits?”
“They’re custom-made every year, apparently. I heard about twenty percent of the budget goes to them.”
“Who told you that?”
“A relative. A lot of people involved with the previous dancers know all sorts of details.”
As she spoke, Kaori turned her gaze back to the dancers.
Drawn along, we all shifted our eyes back as well.
“Honestly, with a face that gorgeous, I could watch him forever.”
Sakuna’s dreamy murmur was met with wry smiles and nods of agreement from Kaori and Sandra.
“Hahaha…”
“I totally get what you mean.”
“But if a guy like that was in our class, I bet a ton of girls would lose their minds.”
Nodding along, I thought I heard an unfamiliar voice and glanced at Kaori and the others.
It seemed everyone else felt the same unease, as they all turned their heads to the side.
Though there should’ve been just the four of us watching, there were now five people standing there.
“Oh, Ruri-chan?”
“Yo, Kaori-chan. Long time no see.”
A girl with a short bob and shaved sides. Even standing next to Sandra, her figure didn’t pale in comparison. Sakuna casually shot a glare at her chest.
“Hello, Ruri-san.”
“Hey, it’s been a while, Kaname-san. And Sakuna-san.”
“Yo. You here for the dancers too?”
“Of course, that’s part of it, but I’m also meeting up with my cousin.”
While Sakuna and Ruri-san chatted, I leaned over to Sandra and gave her a quick rundown on Ruri-san.
“She was Aoi-san’s classmate in middle school… Why is it that all of Aoi-san’s friends are beautiful?”
“Well, you know, Ao-kun tends to only talk to cute girls.”
“He’s surprisingly guy-like in that way, isn’t he?”
Though I’m not sure that has much to do with the fact that the girls drawn to him are beautiful.
“Ugh…!?”
Suddenly, as the prayers ended and the musicians and dancers began to leave the shrine, Sakuna let out a strange yelp.
“Huh? What’s wrong, Sakuna? Why’d you scream?”
“Uh? Oh, no… I just got startled because our eyes met or something.”
Our eyes met, she said…
“One of the dancers looked over here for a second.”
“We were being a bit loud…”
True, a group of girls chattering together would naturally draw attention.
Feeling a little guilty, I shifted my gaze toward them and gave a small bow just in case.
Sure enough, the boy dancer was looking our way.
Surrounded by several female musicians, he directed his gaze at us, his shoulders shaking slightly as he gave a faint smile.
“What are you staring at?”
“Eek!?”
“Whoa, you’re way too startled. What’s up with you, Himura? What’s going on~?”
“N-no, it’s not like that! I was staring, sure, but—”
“Isn’t it kinda bad to be ogling other guys like that~?”
It’s not like I was ogling, and besides, I’ve been curious about him since last year.
I definitely like Himura-kun, and seeing his face—especially his smile—makes me feel so happy…
“It’s not like that, you know?”
I’d hoped for a bit of understanding, but Kaori and Ruri-san just gave wry smiles. Sakuna was grinning mischievously, and Sandra was staring straight at the dancer.
Would it kill one of them to agree with me?
Come to think of it, Kaori and Sandra should feel pretty much the same as I do, right?
Sandra hadn’t said anything, but to my eyes, the way she looked at Himura-kun seemed a little more affectionate than just a friend’s gaze.
Maybe she was holding back because Kaori and I were so focused on him.
“So, Nanami-san, what’s the plan after this?”
“Well, obviously, we enjoy the summer festival like normal.”
“Then let’s head down and hit the food stalls.”
“My cousin’s here, so I’ll catch you guys later.”
Parting ways with Ruri-san, the four of us glanced at the dancers as we descended the hill where the shrine stood.
After that, we enjoyed the festival much like last year.
Kaori led Sandra, who was experiencing a Japanese summer festival for the first time.
Sakuna, who came every year, seemed to know how to have fun in her own way. It was my first time last year, so I followed the three of them…
Walking around in yukata as a group of four girls, we seemed to attract even more attention than usual.
Luckily, this wasn’t the kind of place where we’d get hit on, though we did occasionally run into classmates or acquaintances.
We had fun until nightfall, and by the time the sky was completely dark, an unbelievable crowd had gathered around the shrine.
“…Whoa, aren’t there way too many people this year?”
“How many people are here, anyway?”
“No idea… It’s too many to even guess.”
“Ugh, some people are holding up their phones. Isn’t filming banned?”
With so many people, there were bound to be some troublemakers, but security guards were stationed around the stage.
Near the eaves of the shrine, the gagaku musicians were preparing and waiting, while the boy dancer was being fawned over by the crowd beyond the guards.
“I love how every year, the noisy crowd goes dead silent the moment the kagura dance starts.”
“What are you talking about, Kaori…?”
“I didn’t think Nanami-san had such a weird fetish.”
“No, it’s not a fetish!”
As we were talking, a loud boom! from a drum echoed through the area.
In that instant, the clamor stopped dead.
Despite the massive crowd, the only sound was the clack of the dancer’s geta as he ascended the stage.
(…Isn’t this insane?)
Kaori whispered to me in a tiny voice, and I nodded honestly. This was, indeed, insane. I hadn’t paid much attention last year, but…
The way a single boy completely commanded the space was nothing short of breathtaking.
As the miko-clad boy stood at the center of the stage, it felt as if even breathing required his permission.
Even though I wasn’t doing anything, the atmosphere swallowed me, making me tense.
I’d felt this strongly last year, too.
The kagura bell was raised slowly, and in the silence, you could almost hear the faint rustle of the musicians readying their instruments.
Oh, I remember this so vividly.
The kagura bell was gently lowered, its soft shan resonating calmly.
Last year, right after this, I was so shocked I nearly cried out.
The miko dance, far too intense to simply call kagura.
Without any run-up or momentum, a leg was suddenly kicked high into the air.
The perfectly extended foot traced an arc, floating gently as if ignoring gravity.
Could a person even move like that?
I could do a sideways somersault, but I’d need a running start.
Even without a run-up, you’d normally use your upper body to generate momentum.
But that dancer moved without any momentum, relying solely on core strength and leg power.
What kind of training would it take to do something like that?
The sharp clack of the stage and geta rang out, and from that moment, elegant sounds enveloped the audience.
For the next two hours, not a single person moved, utterly captivated by the boy’s kagura performance.
I was one of them.
Unable to think of anything else, I was completely entranced by the boy before me.
