Chapter 644
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Chapter 644: Festival
Three arrows flew gracefully through the air, tracing three arcs. Two of them zipped past the bronze pot and struck the wall, while only one arrow hit the mouth of the pot but did not fall inside; instead, it bounced off and landed on the ground.
Out of the three arrows, one missed entirely.
Hoshimi Shouta lowered his head in disappointment.
“It’s my turn now,” the fox girl said with a smile as she grabbed the three arrows in front of her, preparing to throw them with all her might…
“Ah-choo!”
Suddenly, the fox girl sneezed.
Her hand holding the three arrows trembled, causing all three arrows to scatter and fall to the ground several meters away from the bronze pot, not even grazing it.
Hoshimi Shouta was taken aback.
While rubbing her nose, the fox girl sighed regretfully, “Oh dear, my hands are shaky today… I didn’t even touch the edge of the pot. It seems that Shouta has won for the first time in a while…”
Shouta stood in shock for a long time before coming to his senses. Realizing he had truly won against the fox girl, he excitedly jumped up from the ground.
“Hahaha! I really won!” He turned around and ran over to the fox girl, speaking earnestly, “Today, I want a prophecy related to the descendants of Yuzuriha Kurotetsu!”
“Sure thing.”
The fox girl’s eyes took on a hazy red glow. After a moment, she leaned in close to Hoshimi Shouta’s ear and whispered something.
In the next instant, Shouta’s pupils suddenly constricted!
…
Evening.
Osaka Festival.
Bright yellow paper lanterns hung on both sides of the street, illuminating a corner of the dim sky. Bustling stalls lined the cobblestone path, with the aroma of food wafting through the air—grilled squid, oden, takoyaki…
The vendors stood behind their carts, wearing black headbands emblazoned with the word “Strive.” Their sleeves rolled up, they quickly prepared ingredients while calling out to passersby, their voices mingling with the laughter of the crowd, creating a lively atmosphere.
The festival was held beside the Yodogawa River, and across the riverbank, a grand fireworks display was about to begin. Most of the pedestrians were dressed in colorful yukatas, wearing wooden sandals, walking in pairs.
While yukatas and kimonos may seem similar, kimonos are generally more formal and suitable for official occasions, whereas yukatas are more vibrant and typically worn at festivals or informal events.
At that moment, pedestrians at the end of the street seemed to notice something, stopping in their tracks to point at a few people slowly approaching.
At the end of the road, three men dressed in bright floral yukatas, each holding a red paper umbrella, were walking slowly…
On the back of their yukatas, a black paper strip displayed the logo of the Black Paulownia Club, with two lines of large white letters beneath it:
—Welcome to the Black Paulownia Club!
—Starting tomorrow, all drinks are 5% off!
At the very bottom of the paper, a string of contact numbers and the address of the Black Paulownia Club were densely written.
Leading the group, Lin Qiye wore a black and red floral yukata, holding a red umbrella, his expression extremely stiff!
At this moment, he wished he could find a crack in the ground to hide in, while beside him, Amamiya Haruki was already contemplating how to jump into the river without causing a scene…
The color scheme of this floral yukata was described as black and red, but in reality, pink was the dominant color, resembling cherry blossoms wilting in the night. Even in the bustling festival, it was eye-catching and easily drew attention. Coupled with the red umbrella that was being held despite the lack of rain, it guaranteed a 100% turn-back rate.
Amamiya Haruki’s blue-gray yukata was no better.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jin casually wore a white and yellow floral yukata, leisurely holding a red umbrella as he strolled down the street. Compared to the stiff and awkward Lin Qiye, he looked as if he were genuinely out shopping, completely unconcerned about the gazes of others.
About fifty meters behind the spotlighted trio, Uncle Jingjie, dressed in casual clothes, held Yuzuriha Rina’s hand as they navigated through the crowd, grinning from ear to ear.
Look!
What does it mean to be a human advertisement!?
With this level of attention and image, after tonight, the Black Paulownia Club is sure to become a sensation in Kansai!
Since they couldn’t open for business tonight, why not take the opportunity to do some advertising while enjoying the festival?
“Uncle Jingjie, isn’t this a bit too harsh on Qiye and the others?” Yuzuriha Rina hesitated to ask. “I think I just saw Qiye’s fists clenching. Shouldn’t you escape Osaka overnight? Otherwise, I’m afraid you won’t be able to withstand a punch from my brother…”
“What are you talking about?” Uncle Jingjie puffed out his chest, speaking confidently. “What I’m doing is boosting their popularity! Just look at how many girls are staring at them along the way! There’s even a large crowd following behind!
And I think the clothes I picked out are quite nice. Young people should wear something flashy! It’s full of energy!”
Uncle Jingjie looked down at Yuzuriha Rina’s new outfit and asked, “By the way, how do you feel about the clothes I bought for you? Are they comfortable?”
“They’re pretty comfortable, but…” Yuzuriha Rina clutched the hem of her clothes and said softly, “They seem a bit too expensive.”
“Not expensive, they’re all replicas. As long as they’re comfortable, that’s what matters.”
Uncle Jingjie smiled and glanced at a nearby stall. “Do you want to eat takoyaki?”
“Sure!”
“Let’s go, Uncle will buy it for you.”
…
“You know, what color of sack does Uncle Jingjie like?” Lin Qiye asked seriously while walking forward, turning to look at Amamiya Haruki.
Amamiya Haruki thought for a moment. “I think deep red would be nice; you wouldn’t be able to see the blood after a hit.”
“You make a good point… I’ll keep an eye out for which store sells them.”
“Xiao Jin, why are you so unresponsive?” Amamiya Haruki looked at the relaxed Xiao Jin beside him.
Xiao Jin pondered for a moment. “You get used to it. This isn’t my first time wearing these clothes; just relax.”
“…”
“By the way, Xiao Jin, it seems like you’re not interested in being a host?” Lin Qiye recalled how Xiao Jin always appeared lazy during every shift and asked curiously.
“You guessed it.” Xiao Jin smiled helplessly. “I really don’t like being a host… Dealing with various customers is quite troublesome.”
“Then why are you still here?”
Xiao Jin tilted his head and thought for a moment. “Because Uncle Jingjie… he’s an important person to me. He thinks I can be a host, so I became one.”
“…”
Lin Qiye and Amamiya Haruki exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in each other’s eyes.
Another naive young man who had been tricked…
The three of them strolled down half the street under the watchful eyes of the crowd. Xiao Jin wandered into a figurine shop and refused to leave, leaving Lin Qiye and Amamiya Haruki to continue exploring together. After being stared at for so long, Lin Qiye’s composure thickened, and he began to relax and observe his surroundings.
“What time is it now?”
“Eight-thirty, the fireworks festival should start in about ten minutes.”
Lin Qiye pondered, “Calculating the time, Shen Qingzhu and the others should have started arranging the personnel… After the fireworks festival ends, we’ll find a reason to leave.”
“Mm.”
Ten minutes later.
Bang—!!
A loud explosion echoed from across the Yodogawa River as a solitary, brilliant firework burst forth from the darkness, blooming under the night sky!
Then, a wave of dense fireworks followed, illuminating the entire night sky.
