When she said she was "organizing the manpower," it really just meant having a brief chat with the other shrine maidens and the musicians responsible for the accompaniment.

Soon after, Yurine led several maidens dressed in white robes and scarlet hakama, lightly ascending the central wooden tower known as the yagura.

"Phew~~!"

Once the maidens were lined up, the clear, melodious sound of a bamboo flute rippled through the hot air. Immediately following was the deep, resonant rhythm of the taiko drums—Dong, Dong, Dong—while the sound of the shamisen intertwined like flowing water.

The sounds of the three instruments blended perfectly, rippling out across the Hanazono Inari Shrine.

On the high platform, the maidens danced gracefully to the music. As their sleeves fluttered, the bells they held chimed crisply.

Seeing this, the tourists visiting the shrine gathered around. Clapping to the beat, they began to dance the Bon Odori around the tower.

The dance wasn't intense, but it involved a lot of hand movements.

Although there were slight differences in attire between the male and female participants, most wore yukata paired with matching accessories.

The atmosphere instantly heated up, becoming very festive.

"..." Ryohei Tanaka took his phone out of his pocket, found a good angle, and started filming Yurine on the high platform.

Yurine had been paying attention to Ryohei the whole time. Seeing him take out his phone to film her, the corners of her lips couldn't stop rising, and she flashed him a bright, dazzling smile.

It truly gave off the feeling of that classic line: "A single glance back, a hundred charms born!"

For a split second, Ryohei Tanaka's heart beat faster...

...

"Phew... I'm dying of heat. I feel like I'm literally smoking."

The main event was in the evening; the daytime performance only lasted an hour.

So, at ten o'clock, the accompaniment came to an abrupt halt, and the maidens on the platform stopped as well.

Dripping with fragrant sweat, Yurine came down from the tower. As she walked, she took off the outer chihaya embroidered with crane and pine patterns, draped it over her arm, and fanned herself with her hand. She walked up to Ryohei Tanaka, looking at him with a hint of coquettishness.

"You actually are smoking."

Ryohei Tanaka thoughtfully unscrewed the cap of a thermos filled with ice water and handed it to her.

His gaze fell on the top of Yurine's head, where wisps of steam were actually rising from her reddish-brown hair. He couldn't help but smile amusingly.

"Eh? Really?"

Yurine blinked her beautiful eyes but didn't say much more.

She took the thermos, tilted back her pale, slender, swan-like neck, and took small sips.

Then, lowering the thermos and peering inside, she remarked, "The water isn't that cold, is it?"

"It's cold enough. Drinking something too ice-cold right now isn't good for your body."

"Fine."

Yurine dragged out the syllable, accepting the explanation. She took a few more sips, handed the thermos back to Ryohei Tanaka, and said, "I'm going to take a quick shower."

Her body felt sticky and uncomfortable.

"Okay." Ryohei Tanaka raised the thermos and took a few swallows to moisten his throat. He naturally followed Yurine and asked, "What are you doing for lunch?"

"My mom will prepare it."

Yurine turned her head to look at Ryohei Tanaka. Guessing his intent, she paused and said, "Usually she prepares somen noodles, red bean rice, or ohagi (sweet rice balls), along with some vegetables and tofu... Our family eats vegetarian during this period."

The Japanese believe that a vegetarian diet helps save the spirits of the deceased from suffering, so during the Obon Festival, they express respect for their ancestors by eating vegetarian food.

For the next few days, the Hanazono family would be eating vegetarian meals.

Yurine looked at Ryohei Tanaka apologetically, afraid he wouldn't be used to it.

Personally, Ryohei Tanaka preferred meat, but eating vegetarian for a few meals was no problem.

He nodded and proactively took over the cooking duties, saying, "Let me prepare lunch."

After all, everyone in the Hanazono family was busy; he couldn't just stand around doing nothing!

That wouldn't fit his persona as a hardworking, capable future son-in-law!

So, he planned to put in some effort in his area of expertise. At least he could say he worked and contributed.

"Then I'll trouble you with that!"

Yurine didn't stand on ceremony. She immediately changed their destination: "Let's go tell Mom first."

"By the way, Ms. Yuko, Mr. Kawaguchi, and the others will be eating at the house today too, so you'll need to prepare extra food."

Yurine was referring to the other shrine maidens and the accompanying musicians.

"How many people in total?"

Ryohei Tanaka didn't mind; it was just a little more work, nothing troublesome.

Yurine counted silently in her head, then looked at Ryohei Tanaka and replied, "Counting us, there are 13 people."

Just then, the two arrived in front of Yō Hanazono.

Her mother was also dressed as a miko, but she didn't wear the chihaya. She was a "part-time" miko, unlike Yurine, who was a clergy miko.

Generally speaking, shrine maidens are required to be unmarried and under the age of 25. This is because miko are seen as symbols of "purity and innocence," traditionally requiring unmarried women for the role.

However, the Hanazono Inari Shrine was a family shrine, so they weren't as strict. They allowed married women to serve as miko, though they couldn't participate in the core divine rituals.

Right now, her mother was inside the shrine office, responsible for selling products like amulets (omamori), demon-breaking arrows (hamaya), and ema voting tablets.

Seeing Ryohei Tanaka and Yurine approach, she asked curiously, "Ryohei-kun, Yurine, do you need something?"

"It's like this," Yurine said straightforwardly. "Ryohei-kun said he'll cook lunch. There are 13 people in total, right?"

"...Yes, 13."

Yō Hanazono handed an amulet to a young couple, then hesitated.

She was a bit tempted by her future son-in-law's cooking skills, but she felt it might be improper. Eventually, she looked at Ryohei Tanaka apologetically and asked, "Won't that be too much trouble for you, Ryohei-kun?"

"Not at all."

Ryohei Tanaka quickly waved his hand, smiling. "Cooking isn't a hassle for me."

He paused, then added, "I'll make somen noodles for lunch and whip up a few Shojin Ryori (Buddhist vegetarian cuisine) dishes. How does that sound?"

Shojin Ryori is vegetarian food that originated from the Buddhist concept of "devotion" or "diligence" (shojin).

"That sounds good."

Yō Hanazono nodded with a smile. She looked at Yurine, then said to Ryohei Tanaka, "Her father already bought the ingredients this morning; they're all in the kitchen. I'll have Yurine help you later. Feel free to do as you see fit."

"Okay."

Ryohei Tanaka nodded in agreement. After asking about the mealtime, he left with Yurine.

~~~

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