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Page 385
Although she arrived half an hour early, the other person was also a punctual person.
Starting a date a minute earlier means you can spend an extra minute together.
Was she the only one who thought this way? She felt a little disappointed.
The rain drizzled past Aine's feet. Fortunately, Su Shi had given her rain boots, so at least she wouldn't be too disheveled while waiting. However, the hem of her cherry-colored kimono inevitably got wet.
Clear raindrops fell along the edge of the umbrella, making a pitter-patter sound, like the pendulum of a clock, reminding her that time was passing by little by little.
In the misty, rainy weather, the fog became even more pervasive.
Before they knew it, the time they had agreed upon had arrived, but the boy was nowhere to be seen.
Banami, what happened?
Ai Yin couldn't help but dial the other party's number, but no one answered.
Time passed slowly, until Aine finally understood that the boy would never appear again.
"So, he already knew all along."
"Hanami is definitely angry with me now."
Ai Yin chuckled softly, but she couldn't hide the loneliness in her voice.
She was the one who was stood up, but the girl felt guilty.
"That's only natural, since my plan today was to break up with him after our date."
Strictly speaking, she was the one who took advantage of Banami's feelings. From the very beginning, she never intended to give him a chance and would not agree to his request to spend his life with him.
Therefore, it's understandable that Banami, realizing this, would leave without saying goodbye as punishment.
When Aine realized this, she gave up waiting and slowly crossed the five bridges. However, she still followed the planned route and arrived at Benkeishi's location not far away.
Actually, she was really happy that Banami was willing to change her identity for her. It even made her seriously consider that even if Banami was with Ms. Xiangzi, her parents wouldn't object if she met them as Banami Yu. When they got married in the future, no one would find it strange or use terms like "homewrecker" or "bitch" to mock her.
But in the end, she still couldn't get over her own hurdle.
After all, she was just an ordinary girl. When she saw her sweetheart being intimate with his fiancée, it was only natural that she would feel jealous, sad, and in pain. She didn't have the confidence to convince herself otherwise.
The idea of wanting everyone to be happy is really powerful, just like how Xiaodeng can casually say that he wants to be in a band for life.
It was as if they were creatures from a different planet than Ai-yin.
I'm sorry, Hanami. If... if I were more special, like Kodama and Mukomi, would I be able to be with you without any worries?
But right now, I really can't do it.
Unbeknownst to her, Aine, holding an umbrella, saw the famous Benkeishi.
She seemed to hear a voice in her ear.
"Hey, Aine, why don't you sit up there and take a look? I'll keep watch for you."
"Ah, you idiot, Banami! This is a famous historical relic! What if you break it?"
"That proves that Anon-chan's butt has a lot of potential."
"Ahhhh!"
Aine imagined what their conversation would be like if they were truly on a date, and couldn't help but laugh.
Why is it that, even though Banami isn't there, she can so easily imagine the scene of their conversation?
However, when she gently reached out her hand, the illusion called Banami turned into rain and completely disappeared.
"don't want......"
She subconsciously took a step forward, only to realize that she had fallen into a delusion.
A bitter feeling welled up in the girl's heart, and she clenched her fists.
Even so, Aine still chose to follow the predetermined route and complete the date that was supposed to be between the two of them today.
To put an end to this imperfect ending is also a form of punishment for her using Banami.
Chapter 51 Ai Yin: I Want to See You
On the misty, rain-drenched streets, Chihaya Aine walked slowly forward, holding an umbrella. There were hardly any pedestrians on the street at that moment.
Spring rain is so annoying. I wonder how Xiaodeng, Sushi, and Midorikawa fared at Kinkaku-ji Temple today.
Hopefully, Su Shi can keep it from the teacher and not reveal that she is not there.
However, Aine doesn't care much about that anymore.
She looked up and saw the vermilion shrine before her, and the steps beneath her feet covered in blue moss from the rain.
This is Fushimi Inari Shrine, where many of the thousands of torii gates that have appeared in anime are located.
In other words, the passageway formed by numerous torii gates, while not reaching a staggering thousand, is indeed a rare and beautiful sight.
Furthermore, Fushimi Inari Shrine is a shrine for praying for a bountiful harvest, academic success, and...love, which is why Aine chose it as her second stop.
Although, she is all alone now.
She breathed softly, and because of the spring rain, the air became slightly cool. Ai Yi stepped onto the mottled blue steps, entered the shrine, and arrived at the layered torii gates.
On a bright, sunny day, the greenery growing around the Senbon Torii gates would likely block some of the sunlight, creating dappled patterns on the red torii gates and the ground, a scene that would surely be very pleasant.
Aine didn't walk through the red passage; instead, she stood there, her mind filled with images of the two of them, just like when she was at Benkeiseki.
"Xi, how about you take your phone and record me walking through the Senbon Torii gates?"
"But your rain boots are showing, it looks weird."
"Oh, didn't you just say that a kimono paired with rain boots was cute?!"
"But there are very few people with such refined taste as me."
"Then couldn't you just not film the shoes?"
"But I want to record everything about my girlfriend."
"Waaah, Xi, you're so kind. It's a pity it's raining today, otherwise I could have looked even more elegant in my kimono."
"It's okay. Where Anon-chan is, it's always a sunny day for me."
The sound of raindrops brought Ai Yin back to her senses. There wasn't a soul in sight in the vermilion passageway before her. The conversation between the couple she had just heard was nothing more than her own imagination.
However, the conversation was so vivid that she could easily imagine it.
If Yana were here, the two of them would definitely be saying such silly lovey-dovey things.
However, it was because of her mistake, because she only thought about using Banami.
Ayane's tongue tasted slightly bitter as she walked to the offering box at the shrine. Surprisingly, even on a rainy day, there was a couple praying side by side.
A moment later, the two turned around, held hands, and whispered, "I hope the weather is clear for tomorrow's wedding."
"Then it was worth it for us to come here in the rain today to pray to the gods."
After they finished speaking, the couple prepared to leave. When they noticed a pink-haired girl standing not far away, they were clearly taken aback, probably not expecting that there would be other worshippers besides them on such a rainy day.
But Ai-yin took the initiative to say, "I wish you a happy marriage and a long and happy life together."
Hearing the girl's blessing, the two couldn't help but be happy and nodded to her in thanks. The girl probably thought that Aine's appearance was a good omen, and even walked up to her and handed her a red amulet.
She said, "This is an amulet I got at this shrine before, to pray for good luck in love. I don't need it anymore, if you don't mind..."
Aine instinctively took the amulet and said with a light laugh, "Thank you."
Then, the two left, leaving only Aine staring at the red amulet in her hand.
"Xi, look, look! This is an amulet for praying for love! It must be the gods blessing us through other people's words. What a lucky day! (^_-)"
"Weren't you just complaining about the rainy day?"
"Hey, don't talk nonsense. We're in front of Camille-sama right now."
"The gods love cute girls the most, so they definitely won't blame you."
"Xi, you're so annoying, hehe."
Aine seemed to see right in front of her a happy, silly couple talking nonsense in the rain.
She slowly walked forward to the offering box, gently rang the bell, dropped in a coin, and said, "I hope..."
At that moment, she paused for a moment, and then said, "I hope that you, Hanami-kun, and everyone else will be healthy, successful, and happy."
She didn't pray for a smooth romance as she had initially planned; she had probably lost that right.
Gion, Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka, Rurikoin...
And so, Aine spent a whole day walking alone through all the places she had originally planned to meet.
Finally, she arrived at the cherry blossom tree at Kurama-dera Temple, gently raised her head, and felt the drizzle pattering against the cherry-colored tree.
Even the fallen cherry blossoms were innocently dropped to the ground, unable to reach a perfect end when they should have fallen most beautifully.
She gently stroked the trunk of the cherry blossom tree.
"Oh, what a pity. I wanted to take a picture of myself holding an umbrella while the cherry blossoms were falling. That would have been so beautiful."
"That's too artsy, it doesn't suit you, Anong."
"Tell me, what kind of photos suit me?"
"Probably a photo of him hugging a tree and grinning like an idiot."
"How can you talk about your girlfriend like that? That's so mean!"
Aine's fantasy was as vivid as ever, as if she and Banami had completed their last date in this fantasy.
She couldn't help but laugh, but tears streamed down her face, mingling with the raindrops.
A gust of wind even blew her umbrella away.
"Will we...will we be together forever, Xi?"
"What are you talking about, you silly Anon? Of course I will! I want to see you turn into a toothless old woman with white hair."
Aine placed her hand on the cherry blossom tree and whispered, her voice choked with emotion, "Xi, I miss you so much."
Separation turned out to be more painful than she had imagined. She had overestimated herself and underestimated the pain of parting, especially since she had imprisoned herself by agreeing to a limited-term relationship with Banami.
Everything he did for her kept replaying in Aine's mind.
It is precisely because we have possessed it that we feel even more pain when we lose it.
It even made Aine feel like she was suffocating.
"I want to see you so much," she said softly, her voice trembling.
But at that moment, Aine felt that the rain that had been dripping on her seemed to have vanished into thin air.
However, the rain was still drizzling nearby.
That's because an umbrella landed on my head.
Ai Yin turned around in surprise, only to find... the boy who had stood her up was standing right behind her.
"When...?" Aine's mind went blank for a moment.
“From the very beginning,” Hanami replied.
From the very beginning, at the Gojo Bridge, Hanami had been following behind Aine.
"Someone told me that the only way to keep you is not to show up today, so that you can experience the taste of loss. If I do show up in the end, all my efforts will be in vain, and you will eventually choose to leave me."
I originally thought I could endure it.
But......."
Banami reached out and wiped away the rain and tears from Aine's face.
"But I still can't help but want to wipe away your tears."
I lost.
Chapter 52 Fireworks Display in the Rain
When Aine learned that Hanami had been following her from the beginning, but had deliberately avoided showing up, she wasn't angry at all. Instead, when she heard that Hanami had chosen to appear because she couldn't bear seeing her so upset, and had even given up the chance to be with her forever...
She was completely captivated.
Banami gently extended her hand and said, "Even though there's only half a day left, would you still be willing to be my girlfriend and spend the rest of our date together?"
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