Asakusa Temple.
Located in Tokyo's Taito Ward, it is the city's oldest temple.
For that reason, the number of visitors who come to worship every year is enormous.
Toru held up his umbrella and pulled his scarf tighter around his neck.
It had snowed heavily yesterday, and now the sky was still fluttering with fine snowflakes.
"Toru-kun, are you cold?"
Kita tucked herself under his umbrella, tilting her face toward him.
"Of course I'm cold. I just hope I don't draw a bad fortune later, or this trip will be for nothing."
Hatsumode, the first shrine or temple visit of the year - is a Japanese New Year's custom, a way to pray for good fortune in the coming year.
The best result is daikichi, great luck. Even drawing a bad fortune isn't too terrible, since you can leave it at the temple to dispel misfortune.
Kita leaned closer so the snow wouldn't fall on her head. "I heard the bad fortunes at Asakusa Temple are really common. Like, thirty percent!"
"Impressive."
With that many bad fortunes, yet still such a thriving temple, Toru could only shake his head.
They walked on.
Passing through the Thunder Gate with its statues of the Wind and Thunder Gods, they stepped into the bustling shopping street that led to the temple.
Even though the morning was long gone, the crowd of visitors hadn't thinned at all; it was packed to the point of being difficult to move.
They squeezed their way to the omikuji stand.
Each paid one hundred yen and drew a fortune slip.
For Toru, coming all this way early in the morning was mainly for this.
Didn't it feel like drawing cards in a gacha game?
Great misfortune, an N card. Misfortune, R. Small luck, SR. Great luck, SSR.
He pulled out his fortune from the wooden box and began to read.
"Kannon fortune, number twelve... great luck."
When the willow meets the spring breeze, old branches bloom anew.
Through frost and snow, the gold still gleams.
A dead tree finding spring again, new buds sprouting on old wood, frost and snow unable to defeat it, shining like gold.
In short, the coming year would be smooth sailing.
In wealth, dreams, travel, even romance...
Well, not that he really believed it.
Toru knew his own condition better than anyone, he didn't have much time left anyway. This kind of fortune was just for fun.
He folded the slip and put it in his pocket.
Leaving the stand, he saw Kita staring at her fortune with an unhappy expression.
He walked closer.
"What'd you get, bad luck or very bad luck?" he asked with a teasing smile.
"Minor luck," she muttered. "It says this year will be terrible, especially for romance."
"Small luck is still luck. Let me see."
Toru took the slip she handed him, ready to make a few jokes.
But after glancing at it, he had to admit, it looked rather grim.
"When the great fish Kun has yet to transform, it must remain in the deep green stream.
When the clouds rise and the winds stir, one breath will carry it beyond the horizon."
The Kun, a massive fish, must wait patiently in the blue depths before it transforms into the bird Peng. When the time comes, it soars, stirring up great waves and fame that reaches the ends of the earth.
In short, the message was: Endure.
There were more notes below.
Wish: Will come true, but only after a long time.
Lost item: Won't be found anytime soon.
Person awaited: May not appear.
…
Love and relationships: Not good.
"Pfft... what a terrible fortune."
"What about yours? Let me see!"
Kita, who had impulsively drawn a virtual fortune for fun, hadn't expected her luck to be this bad.
She didn't want to suffer alone.
"I got great luck," Toru said smugly, waving his slip like a seal showing off a shiny card.
Kita glanced at it, pouting. "Only I get bad luck? That's not fair."
"Want me to draw again?"
"Forget it. It's fine if your luck's good. Drawing twice would ruin the blessing anyway."
She handed his fortune back.
Good friends share blessings and burdens alike.
"When we buy charms later, I'm getting one for romance to counteract the bad luck."
Kita was ready to pay to ward off misfortune.
If she couldn't fix it by drawing, she'd just buy her luck instead.
"Tch, Toru-san, why are you so obsessed with your love fortune?"
Toru really couldn't imagine this carefree girl being into anyone.
"I can live without love, but I can't have none at all."
Well, that somehow made sense.
"Come on, let's go."
Kita hooked her arm around his and pulled him toward the incense burners.
Toru let himself be dragged along. They each spent 400 yen to buy bundles of incense, lit them, and placed them into the burner.
After making their wishes, their visit was mostly complete...
They tossed in a few coins, pressed their palms together in prayer, bowed, and stepped back.
As they walked toward the hall selling good-luck charms, Kita asked, "Toru-kun, what did you wish for?"
"I wished that your dream would come true, that you'd stand on a big stage."
"…?"
Kita tilted her head. Why was he making wishes for someone else instead of himself?
"No need to thank me," Toru said seriously. "I'm already a winner in life, you know. Popular with girls, good with money, career going great, and I even drew great luck."
So it turned out to be yet another roundabout way for him to brag.
Come to think of it, that earlier wish was probably a lie too.
He really did love lying.
—
[After winter break.]
[Spring draws near.]
[Your relationship with Toru grows closer.]
[His violin playing has reached a new level. You can no longer grasp the technique. Only that it's beautiful, carrying his unique sense of freedom.]
[In mid-January, you two compete again in the Towa Music Competition. This time, your opponents are much tougher: "The Western Violin Princess," "The Prince of Kanagawa Piano," "A Once-in-a-Millennium Beautiful Violinist"…]
So dramatic.
Thanks, I'm cringing already.
[Despite their flashy titles, their skills are only average. At least compared to the genius Toru they're weak, very weak.]
[The entire contest turns into Toru's personal showcase. The audience cheers his name nonstop.]
[Eventually, a judge can't stand the noise and tells them to quiet down, which only backfires as the crowd boos him instead.]
Pfft… Kita laughed at the scene on her simulator screen.
Toru's violin really was powerful, almost magical.
Pieces centuries old would come alive again in his hands.
[When the competition ends, you advance to the third round.]
[Winter fades, the air still cold.]
[Toru invites you to go camping near Mount Fuji.]
[You decide: ]
1. Camping in the freezing cold? No way. I'm not going.
2. Camping alone together? Perfect chance to confess, let's go!
3. Hmph, it's not like I like him or anything, I just like camping, that's all (tsundere face).
4. Bring along Hitori Gotoh - make it a trip for three.
5. Simulate it yourself.
Which one to choose?
Hmm.
Let's go with number 2.
As for Gotoh-san…
Sorry, there's no room for a third person in love.
---