Chapter 541: Chapter 360 Sumida River Hanabi Festival_2
Uesugi Sakura walked along the riverside with his two younger sisters, Meiko Aei seemed very happy and wanted to look at everything.
"Haven’t you been here before?"
"Nope~" Aei looked at the goldfish in the small pond at the roadside stall, "Mom doesn’t let Aei and sister go out to play."
"Really?" Uesugi Sakura paused his bite on the candied apple, turned his head to look at Chiaei beside him, thinking that their mother totally ignored them and wouldn’t impose such restrictions.
"Hmm..." Chiaei looked at the back of her sister.
Aei came back, with the little goldfish she had just caught.
"Look, brother!"
"Great job." Uesugi Sakura ruffled her hair.
"Don’t touch my head, I won’t grow tall!"
"Who told you that? I’ll go fight them."
Little Aei giggled, "It was sister Hanabi who said that."
Little Hanabi?
If I hit her, she’d probably cry.
"Then never mind."
Uesugi Sakura recalled how he often ruffled Hanamaru Hanabi’s head in the past, and she seemed to like it a lot back then.
Aei claimed she didn’t like it now, but she probably felt happy inside.
"Do you miss mom, Aei?"
"Yes."
"Then would you still want to live with brother from now on?"
"Even though I miss her... mom is so far away, Aunt Nobuko and Aunt Meiko are both very nice to Aei and sister, and they give us clothes to wear, and sister Hanabi’s cooking is also very delicious, extremely delicious."
After saying this, Aei changed the topic herself, pulling Chiaei to catch another goldfish.
Aei looked very cute, Uesugi Sakura even felt a bit like how Hanabi was when she was young, just a bit more mischievous.
Chiaei was more mature, with a very tiny tear mole under her left eye, making her look more intellectual, but she was still a child, her face hadn’t fully grown.
Uesugi Sakura had already decided to take care of them as they grew up, their father sent 300,000 yen every month, money wasn’t an issue, what they lacked most was a home.
Now that he was getting married to Hanabi, having two more sisters at home felt quite nice.
As they grew up—alongside his own sister and Hanabi’s sister...
Four little ones...
Although not all cared for by him and Hanabi, there was still a profound sense of responsibility.
"Shall we go rent a couple of yukatas, you probably haven’t worn them before."
"Yes, please."
At home, there were only Hanabi’s, none that fit them.
The idea was beautiful.
But this was a fireworks festival in the city center of Tokyo City.
There was a disadvantage here—there were too many people.
Too many, way too many.
The yukata rental shop evidently had booming business today, the line from the entrance stretched so long that police were needed to maintain order.
Uesugi Sakura glanced at the still-bright sky, listened to the noisy chats of the passersby around, and turned to ask the two little girls:
"What do we do now?"
"Change to another shop, brother is so silly."
Yet what even elementary school students could think of, would also come to other visitors’ minds.
The crowds were still packed.
"What do we do now?"
"Change to another shop, brother is so silly."
They changed through three yukata shops, even retracing some steps, barely finding a store with a slightly shorter queue.
Aei came out after changing, lifting her long sleeves, pouting:
"Ugh, it’s so uncomfortable."
Uesugi Sakura also changed into one, the good thing about yukatas is that they’re comfortable to wear, he glanced at the silver watch on his wrist.
"Let’s go, watch sister Hanabi dance."
The stage was in Sumida Park, across Kototoi Bridge, on the opposite shore was the famous Asakusa Temple.
So this was also the place with the largest crowd.
Aei couldn’t see anything in the crowd.
"Where’s sister?"
"She’s backstage," Uesugi Sakura looked towards the empty stage, only a few staff were adjusting the equipment, "This stage probably wasn’t built solely for the Kagura Dance."
At the center of the stage, there was a small wooden building with a drum on top, presumably for performances.
Time passed, clouds floated by.
The purple evening glow faded, the sky became a bluish-grey, lanterns hanging from trees lit up at some unknown moment, casting a warm light, the sounds of laughter and conversation around surged into the ears.
"Is it about to start?"
"Yes, it’s about to start."
Above the stage, the host held a microphone to introduce the official start of the Sumida River.
To the applause and laughter of the crowd, the witches arrived on stage.
Uesugi Sakura already saw Hanabi in a delicately white Chihaya outer garment, wearing a Mae Tenkan on her head, holding a Kagura Bell at the front, stepping towards the stage.
"I want to see, I want to see!" Aei realized the show was starting, but her height clearly couldn’t compare to the adults, so she could only keep shouting to Uesugi Sakura.
Sure, carrying just Aei was no problem, but what about Chiaei, she couldn’t just not watch.
Uesugi Sakura had to tell her, "I can’t carry two of you."
"Aei can be on brother’s shoulders, then brother can carry sister!"
...
The method was a bit odd, but indeed was the only feasible solution at the moment.
The drawback was it demanded a lot from the brother’s physical stamina.
Fortunately, Uesugi Sakura was totally up for it.
He wrapped his arms around Aei’s waist, directly lifting her onto his shoulders.
The first feeling.
Heavy.
Aei developed a bit late, looked small, but wasn’t light at all.
"So high!"
Aei pressed her hands on Uesugi Sakura’s hair, her eyes reflecting the lights, swirling with new and intense colors.
"Sit still."
Now it was Chiaei’s turn to be lifted.
"Brother, let’s not..."
"...Embarrassed?"
"Yeah."
Chiaei was in sixth grade already, although not fully grown, it was indeed an age where one can feel shy.
Even though they were two little girls, they weren’t as grown as Hanami and his own sister, he couldn’t carry both of them at once.
"There are rocks under the tree at the back!" Aei directed while on Uesugi Sakura’s neck.
Uesugi Sakura glanced back, indeed there were some rocks, used as ornaments around the tree, a few people were already standing on top, Chiaei standing on them might just see.
"Let’s go."
They squeezed through the crowd, barely finding a spot for Chiaei.
Looking back at the stage, the earlier part of the shrine ceremony had already ended.
"Is it over already?"
Aei saw sister Hanabi and waved excitedly at her.
Hanamaru Hanabi saw them too, on the stage above, giving an absolutely beautiful smile.
In the twilight, Uesugi Sakura couldn’t help but smile; she’s as beautiful as his own wife.
"Not yet, the Kagura Dance is just about to begin."
Dong!
A drum resounded.
The previously noisy surroundings gradually quieted down.
This was like a reminder, reminding everyone of the official start of the dance.
Soon, the deep and ancient sound of the Shino flute rang out, the witches closed their eyes, gently swayed the radiant Kagura Bells, they sounded amidst the bustling city, conveying a serene tranquility.
The people below, tourists, were all attracted.
Phones, cameras, all turned on their recording functions.
"Day of the last heat
Firework prayers
By the waterside
Prayers to the heavens and earth and gods
Chao Liu’s sea, an untroubled world"
This special tone roughly sang those words, Uesugi Sakura couldn’t hear them too clearly, but it was probably the gist of what was being sung.
The witches at the four corners of the venue, lifted their elegant white sleeves, raised their bells, and lightly shook them, creating a delightful and melodious bell sound.
They were all young maidens.
Symbolizing the purity and flawlessness of youth, just like the golden Mae Tenkan on their heads, dazzling and beautiful.
Uesugi Sakura watched Hanamaru Hanabi, just as most people’s cameras were focused on her, her exquisite features seemed to attract all eyes, her slowly shutting eyes held an indescribable peace and calm.
She squatted slightly, hands raised high, her every move and stillness tugging at everyone’s hearts.
She was like a dandelion, swaying with the gentle breeze and Kagura Bells, floating gracefully and purely to the distance.
Standing below the stage, Uesugi Sakura looked upwards, almost instinctively calling out her name:
"Hanabi..."