Carrying a heap of snacks, Aqua contentedly left the still-bustling night market and strolled along the stone steps, unknowingly arriving at a secluded shrine.
Moonlight poured down like quicksilver, enveloping the vermilion torii gate and the ancient shrine hall in an atmosphere of cold tranquility.
Aqua held no reverence for places like shrines; in her opinion, they were nothing more than old buildings.
She glanced around, spotted a clean area beneath the shrine's veranda, and skipped over to sit down.
"Alrighty~☆ It's time to enjoy the spoils!~☆"
As if performing a magic trick, she first pulled out the bowl of still-steaming oden from the Imaginary Space, followed by the colorful rainbow cotton candy, then fragrant fried chicken pieces, bright red candied apples... Soon, one corner of the bench was covered with all sorts of snacks.
She rubbed her hands together, her golden eyes sparkling with happiness, just about to dig in.
Just then— "Grrrrumble~~~~"
A clear, faint sound drifted over from the shadow of the adjacent shrine's offering hall. It was the unmistakable protest of a hungry stomach.
Aqua paused her chewing, curiously turning her head toward the source of the sound.
She saw a petite figure standing timidly at the boundary between the moonlight and the faint glow of the stone lantern.
It was a girl wearing a green hooded coat, with deep blue eyes and wavy, curly short hair. She was clutching a comical-looking rabbit hand puppet.
The girl looked extremely shy; the moment her eyes met Aqua's, she shrank back into the shadows like a startled bunny.
Only a pair of watery eyes, filled with timidity and a hint of longing, peeked out, secretly gazing at Aqua... and the tempting, fragrant food beside her.
Aqua blinked, instantly recognizing the other party—another Spirit! The Hermit! And she looked... hungry?
Aqua recalled how warmly the kind uncles and aunts at the night market had greeted her and offered her food earlier.
The feeling of being treated with such kindness warmed her heart.
Looking at the seemingly timid Spirit hiding in the shadows, Aqua almost instinctively copied the mannerisms of the barbecue vendor.
She put on a smile she believed to be very "kind" and waved toward that direction:
"Hey! You! Why don't you... come over and eat with me?~☆ I have lots here!~☆"
Yoshino, hiding in the shadows, trembled slightly, seemingly startled by Aqua's directness, and retreated a little further.
Her small face flushed bright red, and her lips moved hesitantly, but she couldn't utter a single word.
Just then, the rabbit hand puppet in her arms—Yoshinon—suddenly sprang to life and spoke in its unique, somewhat comical tone:
"Oh dear! What an enthusiastic young lady! Yoshinon has been spotted!" Yoshinon shook its puppet body and replied on behalf of the shy Yoshinon.
"Our Yoshinon is a bit shy, sorry about that! But those foods really do look delicious, don't they, Yoshino?"
Yoshino, hiding behind Yoshino, nodded vigorously, tightly clutching Yoshino with her small hands, still afraid to look at Aqua.
Aqua looked at this interesting pair, especially the talking rabbit puppet, and found it very novel. She didn't quite understand why the Spirit herself didn't speak, but she could sense that the other party held no malice, just... extreme shyness?
"It's fine!~☆ Come and sit down!"
Aqua patted the stone steps beside her, her tone relaxed, "Anyway, I can't finish all of this by myself~☆"
Encouraged by Yoshinon, Yoshinon finally mustered the courage, taking tiny steps to shuffle out of the shadows.
She cautiously sat down on the stone steps a little distance from Aqua, still keeping her head down and fiddling with Yoshino's paws.
Aqua didn't understand formality; she simply picked up the bowl of still-warm oden and offered it to Yoshinon: "Here, this is for you! It's warm and very tasty!~☆"
Yoshinon looked at the oden, then at Aqua's smile—which was a little strange but seemed harmless—feeling overwhelmed by the favor.
Urged by Yoshino, who said, "Hurry and take it, Yoshino! This kind lady is treating us!" she finally extended a slightly trembling small hand, took the bowl, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz:
"Th-thank you..."
"Don't mention it!~☆"
Aqua waved her hand generously, then picked up the rainbow cotton candy.
"This is for you too! It's sweet and feels like a cloud!~☆"
The moonlight flowed like water, quietly washing over the ancient shrine grounds. The vermilion architecture, the tranquil stone steps, and two Spirits of extraordinary nature—one lively and direct, the other shy and introverted—shared the most common yet warmest delicacies from the human night market under the cool night sky.
The air was filled with the fragrance of food and a subtle, peaceful atmosphere.
For Aqua, this was her first lesson in "sharing"; for Yoshino, this might have been the first time she felt pure, unconditional kindness from a "peer."
Yoshino, meanwhile, actively served as a translator and mood setter, the puppet's face seemingly always wearing a smile:
"This young lady is truly a wonderful person! We Yoshinon are so lucky today! Oh, right, we haven't asked for your name yet?"
Aqua, while gnawing on a candied apple, answered indistinctly: "My name is Phoenix-in Aqua, but you can just call me Aqua~☆ How about you two?"
"We are Yoshinon and Yoshinon! Please take care of us, Miss Aqua~!"
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