Chapter two: festival of light and darkness

"Mom, come on! Let's go already!" Shinzu said, his face flushed with excitement.

"Yes... yes, I'm coming," replied Shinzu's mother.

"Mom, where are Ganix and Kalino?" Shinzu asked.

"I dropped them off at a friend's house. They should be fine," she said with a smile.

As they walked toward the festival, they passed a house decorated with bamboo, flowers, and lantern-like decorations.

"Mom, look at this house! It's so nice!" Shinzu exclaimed.

"Ah, I guess it's that time of year for them too. Shinzu, today, as we know, is the Kameido Tenjin Festival. But in other countries, like India and Trinidad and Tobago, it's called Diwali. It's the celebration of light over darkness. Those lantern-like things are called 'diyas.' It's said to be one of the darkest nights. Now, let's keep going, Shinzu," his mother said with a smile on her face.

Shinzu and his mother finally arrived at the Kameido Tenjin Festival.

"Wow, it's huge! Mom, look at how many people there are this year, and all these tents! So cool!" Shinzu said.

But his mother responded, "Shinzu, just remember to stay close to me."

Suddenly, as she turned, Shinzu was nowhere to be seen. He had wandered off into the festival.

"Mom! Check out all these games!" Shinzu shouted, but there was no reply. Realizing his mother wasn't around, he remembered what she had told him if they ever got separated: "Shinzu, if we get separated, go to the spot where we always watch the fireworks. Be there by 9 PM, and I'll meet you there."

"Alright, there's nothing to be scared of. I'll just meet up with Mom... now, what game should I play first?" he thought. Just then, a strange man appeared in front of a girl.

"Hey, little miss, are you lost?" he asked. Before she could respond, the man hesitated.

"Hmm..." Suddenly, Shinzu dashed forward and grabbed her hand. "Hey, sister, let's go and play some of these games."

"Yeah!" she replied. The two of them ran to the games area.

The mysterious girl stopped and said, "Thanks for saving me." She explained that she had gotten separated from her parents in the large crowd.

Shinzu said, "It's the same for me. Well, sort of. I technically ran off because I was excited... But I'm glad I helped. I'm Shinzu."

"I'm Shinori," she replied.

Shinzu shouted with excitement, "Let's have some fun!"

The two started playing almost all the games until they reached the final one before the fireworks.

"Shinori, let's play this last game before the fireworks show. We haven't seen either of our parents yet, but I'm sure we'll find them soon," Shinzu said.

"Yeah," she replied. Then, Shinori noticed a prize on the top shelf and was determined to win it. However, her skills in the game were poor, and she wasn't good at shooting objects.

"Don't worry, I'll win it for you. Just leave it to me. I promise," Shinzu said. He started shooting at the objects, but missed every single shot.

As he reached into his pocket for more yen, he thought, I don't have to spend all my money on this.

But Shinzu replied, "I just don't like to give up. I promise I'll win it for you."

With determination, he picked up the toy rifle, aiming carefully. He slowly pulled the trigger, hitting all five moving ducks.

"You see, Shinori? I won!" Shinzu said joyfully. Both of them celebrated. Shinzu took the necklace and put it around Shinori's neck.

"Thank you," she replied.

Then Shinzu grabbed her hand and said, "It's almost time for the fireworks. I know a good spot with a beautiful view of the whole festival. I'm sure we'll see your parents there."

The two ran to the spot, but when they arrived, the fireworks had already started.

"We finally made it!" Shinzu said, but Shinori just stared in amazement.

"Wow, this view is so amazing! I can see the whole festival, and I feel so close to the fireworks. It's so cool!" she exclaimed.

As they were watching the fireworks, Shinori noticed her parents in the distance. She decided to go meet them but turned to Shinzu before leaving.

"Thank you, Shinzu. I hope we meet again. I really enjoyed being with you," she said.

Shinzu blushed and replied, "It was nothing. Well, see you later!"

As Shinori walked off, Shinzu heard someone walking up the hill and realized it was his mother.

"Mom, you missed the fireworks!" he said.

"I saw them on my way up. So, anything interesting happen?" she asked.

"Nothing at all," Shinzu replied, but with a smirk on her face, his mother added, "So, who was that girl I saw you with?"

Shinzu replied, "She got separated from her parents, and I just wanted to help her."

His mother smiled. "Nice. That was very manly of you," as she rubbed his head.

"Mom, stop it!" Shinzu groaned.

They both laughed as they headed home.

On the way, Shinzu said, "You're that girl from the Kameido Tenjin Festival!"

She smiled and replied, "Yes, and it's good to see you again."

Ganix, overhearing, chimed in, "Shinzu, you didn't tell us you have a girlfriend!"

Both Shinzu and Shinori blushed and quickly denied it. "We just met at the Kameido Tenjin Festival," Shinzu said.

---

September 1st, 2023

"Shinzu, remember when you all first came here? You were all complete dorks! You couldn't do anything right!" Shinori teased.

"It's only been two months, but time just flew by. It feels like it was yesterday. But we tried our best, and it looks like we made it. The three of us were devastated when Mom passed away, but because of Miss Inko and you all, we can smile again. Thank you, Shinori, for helping us," Shinzu said.

Shinori smiled. "Yeah, I guess I did help a bit. You've all really come a long way. You're getting better at chores... except for Ganix. But I'm sure one day he might come around."

"Yeah, I hope so," Shinzu replied, his face turning somber.

Soon after, Shinzu and Shinori were called by Miss Inko to go to the convenience store. On their way back, Shinzu asked Shinori to visit his old home, as he wanted to check on the house.

"Shinzu, I heard you all are renting the house with help from social development," Shinori said.

"Yeah, they said it would help us in the long run, and we can use the money for school. It's a win for us," Shinzu replied.

They arrived at the house.

"Shinzu, you have a nice home," Shinori said.

"Yeah, Mom chose the design when it was being built. She had a beautiful imagination," Shinzu said, knocking on the door.

A man walked out. "Hi, I'm Shinzu Muramasa, the owner of this residence," Shinzu introduced himself.

The man replied, "I'm Eichi Yuuko. Thanks for having us rent here. It's a beautiful home. I received a letter yesterday, and I think it's for you. It'll be easier for me to give it to you now."

Eichi handed Shinzu the letter.

"It's from Dad," Shinzu said as he read it. "It looks like he'll be coming for us tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mr. Eichi," Shinzu said, and he and Shinori returned to the orphanage.