Chapter
"Yes, the chief priest made it himself," the shrine maiden said calmly.
"Chief priest?" Tsuna asked tentatively.
"Hmm..." the shrine maiden nodded.
"Hmm?" Tsuna frowned.
"Hmm!" the shrine maiden nodded firmly.
"You didn't make this yourself and sell it to tourists? And you're pretending it was made by the chief priest..." Tsuna took the amulet from Shouko's hand and sifted through it, speechless.
"No, I'm the chief priest of this shrine," the shrine maiden said calmly, but Shouko and Tsuna didn't take it seriously, thinking she was joking.
"So how much is one?"
Shouko thought it was a bit ugly, but seeing it was a good idea to buy two—and since it was fate—it seemed like a good idea for some comfort.
Of course, this assumed it wasn't expensive. If it were, she would've grabbed Tsuna and left immediately.
"Hehe... one hundred yen each," the shrine maiden chuckled and waved her left index finger at them.
"Are you sure, sister?" Shouko, a bit incredulous, took the amulet Tsuna offered her.
Traditionally, lesser-known shrine amulets cost around 500 yen, not to mention the more famous ones, which were even more expensive.
Even the small stall selling amulets at the fireworks festival below sold them for about 300 yen each.
"Are you really that sure? These are getting sold out as they go," the miko thought, paving the way for a chance. She pulled another one from her pocket and handed it to the empty-handed Tsuna, adding,
"We only have these two left. The rest are sold out."
Tsuna took the amulet and whispered, "Are you sure you didn't just make two to sell?"
Before she could say anything, Tsuna glanced down at the amulet and suddenly looked up, wanting to throw it in her face—but restrained himself.
"Is this appropriate for you to give us?"
The amulet was embroidered with the words 'Prayer for a Safe Childbirth', a prayer for a safe and smooth birth for both mother and child.
Shouko leaned over to take a look at the amulet in his hand and said, speechless, "Yeah, this one's of no use to us. Don't you have anything else, sister?"
"Oh, they're just for safety," the miko waved her hand dismissively.
"..."
"Then we'll take the first one. I'll give this one back to you." Tsuna handed the amulet back to her without a second thought, but she didn't take it. Instead, she chuckled and said,
"Buy two together for 200 yen. One for 5,000 yen."
Tsuna observed the ever-present smile on her face, which looked more and more like the smirk of a profiteer.
Without hesitation, Tsuna grabbed the amulet and swung it at her face, showing no mercy—only the urge to beat her to death.
"It's just a joke, don't be so impulsive, little brat. You'll easily get hurt like that."
The miko easily caught the amulet, explaining without a trace of anger and with a chuckle. She even finished with a teasing tone.
"Amazing..." Seeing her catch the amulet so easily, Shouko couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"I'll consider this 'Prayer for a Safe Childbirth' as a gift to you, and the one for ensuring safety will be 200 yen." The shrine maiden smiled and inspected it. After confirming that the amulet had no problems—such as loose threads—she handed it back to Tsuna.
"Isn't this still 200 yen for two?"
Seeing that the little boy didn't want to take it, the shrine maiden handed it to the cute little girl. After she took it, the miko slowly explained:
"They're different. One is a discount if you buy two, and the other is a gift from me. I think both are a good idea."
"Then I'll take it." Ignoring Tsuna's puzzling eye, Shouko pulled a coin from her purse and handed it to her.
The miko took the coin and laughed out loud, "Haha... My amulet, made by the chief priest, is very effective." She rubbed Shouko's head.
Tsuna casually said, "Yes, yes, we're incredibly lucky to be able to buy an amulet made by the chief priest himself."
It was only 200 yen, so Shouko could buy it if she wanted. It was nice to pray for safety, too. As for the prayer for a safe birth, she could just ignore it. Shouko took Tsuna's watch-studded hand and checked the time. She said gently,
"Sister, we'll go downstairs first. It looks like it's almost time for the fireworks."
She took the two amulets and put them directly into her purse.
"Bye, be careful down the stairs," the miko said, waving to the two without another word.
"Bye." x2
---
As soon as the two descended the mountain, they found Shizuka and the others in the seats on their tickets. The seats were almost full.
"What did you do for the past hour?" Shizuka asked curiously as they sat down.
"I went to the shrine halfway up the mountain," Tsuna casually explained, pointing in the direction.
Shouko pulled the amulet for safety from her purse and waved it at them, shouting,
"We bought this when we were up there. The miko said it was handmade by the priest himself."
As for the amulet for a safe birth, she was too embarrassed to show it to them.
"Hahahaha." Shizuka took one look at the amulet and burst out laughing. After the laughter died down, she didn't say anything like, "You've been ripped off."
"How much is this?" Yaeko, who was next to Shouko, asked curiously.
"Two hundred yen." Shouko raised her free hand and gave her mother two fingers.
Yaeko simply nodded, saying nothing. She figured she hadn't been cheated much, so it was nothing to worry about. Besides, Tsuna was watching beside her.
If it had been a large sum, he certainly would have stopped it.
"Okay, the fireworks are about to begin," Daisuke, standing at the edge, shouted a warning.
As the final countdown ticked, everyone looked up at the sky, which resembled a vast expanse of black silk.
As the countdown ended, the first firework impatiently shot into the night sky. Like a brilliant shooting star, it trailed a luminous arc across the darkness.
Instantly, with a resounding "bang," like a heavenly sound, the firework exploded high in the sky, transforming into a gigantic golden chrysanthemum.
Fine golden rays, like tiny stamens, spread from the center, illuminating the faces of those looking up in delight.
Between bursts of fireworks, children's excited cheers and exclamations mingled.
Each of them reflected the other in their eyes. Then, one after another, fireworks shot into the sky—like a grand magical feast.
At this moment, Miyamura Tsunayoshi
Also witnessed a scene that would remain in his memory for the rest of his life.
It felt like the world had been muted.