Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330656338883634/episodes/16818622174816176206
The Kusunoki family’s New Year’s Eve passed quietly yet peacefully.
We enjoyed the delicious food prepared by my mother and Towa san, my dad and sister fought over the TV remote, and we ate New Year’s soba noodles—
“Happy New Year. We look forward to your continued support this year as well.”
As the new year began, everyone followed my dad’s words and exchanged greetings.
We went to bed at a reasonable hour, woke up a little late, and ate Echigo mochi soup made with ingredients Towa san and I had bought together.
It was the most fulfilling New Year’s holiday I had ever experienced—but it was still far from over.
The moment Towa san stood at the entrance, the family conversation stopped abruptly.
“Eh…”
I was speechless, but my father’s eyes widened and my mom nodded with a smile.
“Hey, let’s take a photo while we can. It’s such a beautiful kimono.”
Towa san, standing there, glowed softly in the clear winter light.
Dressed in a deep purple kimono with her silver hair elegantly styled, she seemed to blend seamlessly into the New Year’s atmosphere.
Glancing down at her feet, unsure of the unfamiliar geta sandals, Towa san smiled slightly and stepped into the entranceway.
Her obi was tied perfectly, and the camellia hairpin swayed gracefully.
I was also dressed in a kimono.
“Oh yeah. Itsuki, stand next to Towa san. Oh, that’s nice.”
“Wait a minute, I’m not ready yet…”
Towa san blushed and shrank back slightly.
Still, when my mom raised her smartphone, she resignedly stood next to me.
Her smile was fragrant. Just standing next to each other, they looked like models in a commemorative photo.
“Come on, Itsuki, don’t make that face. Be more cheerful. ……Okay, smile~”
Click. The shutter sounded repeatedly.
Towa san narrowed her eyes slightly, looking a little embarrassed, but she smiled properly at the camera.
I, standing next to her, might have been the one with the redder face.
Once the two of them had finished taking photos, my younger sister Riko rushed over as if to say, “I’ve been waiting !”
“Onii chan, me too ! Take a photo of me too !”
“Okay, okay, line up. Oh, all three of you are so cute.”
Riko held Towa san’s hand and her eyes sparkled with joy.
“Next, let’s include Dad too~”
“Oh dear. Then maybe I’ll ask to be included too.”
“Then I’ll take the next one !”
In this way, the photo session, which lasted for several tens of minutes, ended with the photographers taking turns.
On the way to the New Year’s shrine visit, I glanced at Towa san walking beside me. The white camellia hairpin in her hair suited her dignified appearance perfectly.
“…It really suits you.”
I muttered quietly, and Towa san turned around and smiled slightly.
“……Thank you. Hearing you say that, Itsuki san, is enough……today is already perfect.”
Her white breath dissipated into the air.
The beginning of the year progressed with a gentle warmth, like melting snow.
We arrived at the shrine just before noon.
The approach was bustling with people dressed in their best clothes and coats, who had also come to visit the shrine for the first time in the new year.
The sweet smell of food stalls filled the air within the shrine grounds, and despite the coldness of the air, my heart felt light.
“Wow, there are so many people. But there are so many food stalls ! Let’s definitely stop by on the way back, okay?”
Riko happily tugged lightly on Towa san’s sleeve.
The gesture was innocent, yet somehow calculated, and I almost laughed.
“Sure, let’s go. I’d like to look around with you.”
Towa san smiled softly, and Riko immediately broke into a smile.
“Yeah. ……But you’re not used to wearing straw sandals, right? It’s dangerous if you fall, so I’ll make sure to lead the way.”
“Fufu, that’s reassuring. I’ll count on you.”
Even though she was acting like an older sister, Riko couldn’t hide how happy she was to be relied upon by Towa san.
Watching the two of them walk side by side, I walked a little behind them.
The temple grounds, just after the new year, were bathed in a soft white light, and a gentle atmosphere flowed through the air.
After cleansing my hands at the water basin, the moment I stepped into the temple grounds, I was enveloped in a cool, refreshing air that made my spine straighten.
“Let’s line up.”
Prompted by my mom’s voice, I joined the end of the long line.
Towa san occasionally glanced at me and smiled nervously.
Just standing next to her made my heartbeat pound loudly. She was so beautiful that I felt nervous too.
Finally, it was our turn, and each member of our family bowed their heads in prayer.
I stepped forward, put some money in the offering box, and bowed twice, clapped twice, and bowed once.
I closed my eyes and made a wish.
“…What did you wish for?”
As we exited the shrine grounds, Towa san quietly asked.
“…It’s a secret. But probably something similar to what you wished for.”
“Fufu. Then it will surely come true.”
Once again, the beautiful silver and camellia decorations swayed.
In the cold, her smile gave a faint hint of spring.
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