We got into line at the main shrine. The flow was — pray at the main shrine first, then approach the Bond-Severing-and-Forging Monolith. There you sever what you want gone and forge what you want.
“Yeah, this line is long too.”
“The monolith line is long too, so we’ll be a while.”
“It’s the reason everyone comes.”
We waited. Weekday line; weekends would be theme-park-attraction lengths.
“Once the trip ends, the festival prep starts.”
“Right, next month. Second-years are doing a play, so it’s rehearsals and prop-making mostly.”
“Just thinking about it makes me depressed.”
Amaki High’s festival is two days cultural + one day sports, with middle-school-through-high-school teams competing. Major annual event. For loners like me — misery with extra steps.
The festival as youth is reserved for the upper class. Same complaint I’d had previously. Reona, smiling, said:
“Looking forward to your performance, Ryouya-kun.”
“I’m crew, obviously. Or no-line mob at most.”
“To make sure Ryouya enjoys the festival, you’re playing a main role this year.”
“Wait, what?!”
Depending on the play, a main role means a lot of lines, lots of rehearsals, and ensemble coordination. Absolutely not what I want.
“Riona and I will back you up. Let’s commit.”
“This year’s festival will be a memory you never forget.”
”…Yeah, I’ll try.”
I was in no way enthused, but Reona and Riona were amped, and I couldn’t say no in that atmosphere.
We chatted about the festival until our turn came up at the main shrine. Spirit-based prayer, no formal form mastery required.
“Right — let’s write our katashiro.”
“Hard to pick what to write.”
“Mine and Nee-chan’s are decided.”
We picked up a paper effigy (a katashiro, used as a substitute for yourself) each and started writing. The content is what you want severed or what you want forged. I wrote: end my habit of negative thinking.
“Ryouya-kun and Riona, both done? Let’s hit the monolith.”
“What’d you guys write?”
“Riona and I wrote about severing Ryouya’s bad ties.”
She showed me. Reona’s read: I pray that all those who would interfere with Yagami Ryouya have their ties to him cut entirely. Riona’s read: I pray to sever all ties between Yagami Ryouya and any human in past, present, or future who is unworthy of him.
Yeah — that was significantly more than I’d anticipated. With wishes like these, the loner stat was going to intensify.
We got into the monolith queue. Long as expected; we chatted while waiting.
“I’ll go first.”
“Yeah, go for it.”
“I’ll watch Ryouya’s heroic moment.”
I went through the monolith front-to-back through the small hole, then back-to-front. The front-to-back direction severs bad ties; the back-to-front direction forges good ones. Then I stuck my katashiro to the monolith — done.
The hole was barely adult-sized — tight. For larger adults this must be a challenge.
Reona passed without incident. Riona’s turn — and her skirt almost caught and rode up spectacularly.
“Got it. Just in time.”
“Riona, that was close.”
”…Thanks, Ryouya.”
The catastrophic-panty-display had been averted, barely. Apparently Riona’s clumsiness trait was holding.
The gap-between-cool-and-flustered was cute. I would never say that out loud — the teasing it would unleash would be unsurvivable.