"Phew, groceries are in the house. I'm tired."
"This is what you get for suggesting alcohol. Now let's put 'em on the table. It's time to cook."
"Cook?!"
"You will be only assisting me, like fetching or preparing the ingredients and such. Go wash your hands."
"You're the worst, Denjirou."
I instruct Yukino on how to prepare food for the ceremony. As she's still a novice, I abstain from getting her directly involved with the cooking process, as I don't want anything to go to waste.
Still, she needs to learn some baby steps - so...
"Roll them up like this. It's actually that easy."
"Are you sure? I'm afraid that I'll mess this up somehow."
"Don't be. Just get them to ball shape and place it right here. I'll quickly handle the rest."
"Damn, you're so self sufficient..."
"Am I supposed to wait for some ghosts to make me food? Not a chance."
As we finish with the mochi, on her own initiative - Yukino began to clean the table and slightly decorate it for the occasion.
"It's pretty cozy in there. Small and plain - it's pretty lovely honestly."
"I suppose. Me and my folks wanted to do some refurbishment, but we never bother to do so."
With the food and drinks ready, we turn off the lights for the maximum atmosphere.
"Huh, the moon is beautiful tonight." Yukino notes and I nod. It is beautiful this time of the year.
"I can even see the rabbit on the moon."
"Didn't take you for imaginative type, Denji~" Yukino teases, to which I lightly shove her "Come on, it's not that much of a whimsical observation. I just didn't want to sound like a nerd by calling them dark patches or whatever."
"You know... Wasn't the rabbit here making mochi? And so - are we also rabbits in a way."
!!!
"Now you're being imaginative, Yukino."
"Hehe~, I saw that. They were also pounding the medicine, is it not? Kind of fits with us being medics or whatever."
"Speaking of medicine. It's a bit of a late question, but - why did you go to medical university? Who did you want to become?"
"Well, it's not that I wanted - it's just my parents are the owners of some pharmaceutical company, so they wanted me to inherit the business."
"Huh... Well, as I alluded to earlier - I applied because of my grandma. I didn't particularly like medicine either, but as a way to repay her kindness and being able to take care of her and her husband - I had to."
"Actually. Um, where are your parents? You only talk about your grandparents. Did your they die?"
"... Yeah. Both of them died."
"!!!"
"Well, I wouldn't be grieving them that much if I were you. They... Weren't the nicest people. We were constantly on a brink of poverty and my mom would often try to drown her sorrows away. The only person who was there for me... Was my grandma."
"Oh... I'm so sorry, I didn't suspect."
"What's done is done. Besides, I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't curious. They say alcohol tastes sweeter when your life's bitter. So I guess I'm trying to sympathise with her, to see what she felt all those years ago."
"... How did they die? Did your dad kill your mom?"
"You'll learn in due time. For now I don't want this moment to be too much of a downer."
"Of course."
We continue to drink sake and snack on mochi. Eventually Yukino speaks again.
"You said grandma and her husband... Is he like your step-grandpa then?"
"You have surprisingly sharp ears. But yes, he is technically that. My former grandpa left my grandma to take care of the child all on her own - which explains their strained relationship, especially after she started dating my dad, a ten year old senior of hers. He married my grandma after my parents died as we were moving from place to place. It was him who rescued us from the dumps and allowed some semblance of normality in our lives.
He may be a bit of an odd ball, but he is a man my grandma desperately needed."
"Ahh... You have such a rich history."
"Don't you also have one rich history?"
Yukino waved her hand.
"Eh, like you I had my grannies who took care of me. My parents weren't that involved as they were pretty busy all the time. Too bad they're both beyond their graves now, bless their souls."
"So that's why you're being rebellious."
"Y-Yeah... I just didn't want to be shackled, no more."
In the sky, two stars shone upon us.