“Wah, you look so cute, Alice.”
“Thank you. You look cute too, Lerunda.”
“Thanks Alice.”
Today is the day of the spirit festival, and Alice and I are wearing outfits made just for today.
Even just wearing something different for a special day like this is exciting.
These clothes have patterns related to spirits too.
Spending the day of the spirit festival wearing matching outfits with Alice makes me so happy.
Our hairpins match too. We made them, and they have leaf decorations.
I step out of the house with Alice and Miss Lan. By the way, Miss Lan is also wearing something different, and she looks really cute.
“This spirit festival really is special for the village.”
“Yes. It’s a really special festival for us!”
“It’s just started, but seeing everyone having fun is putting me in a fun mood already.”
“That’s great! I’m glad you’re having fun.”
Right now, the elves are doing their introduction to the spirit festival.
Alice is next to me listening to them, and it looks like she’s already having fun.
I’m glad, because I want her to have as much fun as possible, after she came all the way out here to the village.
I’m also thinking about how every year the spirit festival gets bigger. Compared to the first one, there are more people and a lot of things are changing, but it really makes me feel like it’s just going to get bigger and bigger and more fun.
“Lerunda, are the spirits flying around?”
“Yes. It looks like they’re having fun too.”
I respond to Alice.
The spirits look like they’re enjoying flying around Mister Sileva. But only a few people can see them, not including Alice.
“What you see must be way more wonderful than I can even imagine.”
“Yes, it really is. Watching the spirits fly around looking so happy makes me happy too.”
These spirits flying around so full of energy were once really weak. I’m really glad to see them all better.
“And the spirits really are special to the elves, aren’t they?”
“Yes. Spirits are really important to them.”
As I talk to Alice, the introduction ends, and the spirit festival begins.
First, it’s time to hold a cooking contest like last year. Alice and I aren’t participating, so we’re just going to watch while we eat.
“Do you cook, Alice?”
“Lately I’ve been learning slowly… But I’m not too confident.”
As we chat, Gaius approaches us.
“Are you having fun?”
“Gaius! Yes.”
“…Yes. A lot of fun.”
Alice still seems reserved about Gaius and the others, and her expression looks a little stiff.
It’s like this now, but someday… When Alice is more familiar with this village, will she and everyone here be friends too?
Alice looks like she’s a little curious about the ears and tails of beast people.
“Alice, are you curious about ears and tails? But only their mates can touch them, so you can’t do that.”
“I’ve never really interacted with beast people all that much, so… It feels strange to be able to see them up close here in this village…”
“I know how you feel. I didn’t know about that at first… So I touched them.”
“Really…?”
“Yes. Now I know, so I don’t touch them. But they’re really fluffy, so sometimes I feel like touching them.”
I say, and Alice laughs.
Gaius listens to us talk, and says that Alice is just like me then, because we’re both interested in their ears and tails.
Alice and I are twins, but we don’t look all that much alike. But it’s nice to know we’re alike in some ways.
Alice and I have been living in different ways, but we’re still twins.
A lot of different food is presented during the cooking contest, and it’s fun just looking at it.
Kayu and Shinomi are participating, and having fun too. Everyone looks like they’re having fun.
Wea is originally from a country that used to be very prosperous, so apparently she knows a lot about the food people make. Among the spirits, she’s the one that looks like she’s enjoying the cooking contest the most.
There’s also the fact that this is Wea’s first spirit festival.
Miss Lan is participating too, and she made something strange like last year. It still looks like the spirits are enjoying it though.”
“This kind of cooking contest is fun.”
Alice says with a smile.
—Girl and the third spirit festival – Part nine
(The miko and her sister watch the cooking contest together.)
