~~ • ~~
Evening had fallen.
The sky was no longer bright, replaced instead by a deep, dark blue stretching out over the city. The air should have felt cool, but the sheer density of the crowd made the atmosphere a little stifling.
We had returned to the festival grounds.
"Woah... there are so many people."
Yuna stared straight ahead, her eyes sparkling.
Lanterns hung all along the street, illuminating every corner of the festival. Rows of food and game stalls formed a sea of light stretching far into the distance. The sounds of laughter, music, and overlapping chatter blurred together into a lively hum.
Several attendees were dressed in brightly colored yukata. Not all of them, but enough to make the atmosphere feel entirely different from an ordinary day.
I followed Yuna's gaze.
Her eyes were fixed on a few young women and children wearing beautiful yukata adorned with summer flower patterns.
"What is it, Yuna?"
"Huh?"
She immediately snapped her head toward me.
