Delia opened the door of the guestroom after she heard Misty ask her to come in. She got inside. "Morning, Misty. Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning!" Misty was setting the bed. "I slept really well. It's very calm around here." The sheep bleating in the distance, the birds chipping... it was soothing.

"Well, thankfully, Mars got so busy with Ash he didn't bark at five in the morning like he usually does," Delia  said. "I wanted to know if you have a yukata for today."

"Oh." Misty blinked. "Do I have to wear one?"

"Well, all the women are going to be wearing it."

"Ahem... I think I'll go without." Misty nodded. She never put on a yukata before. It wasn't a thing in her home city, and honestly, she wasn't sure how she'd look in one. This was her first time coming to the spring festival.

"Well, breaking news: that's not an option."

Ash spread the yukata on his bed. He kept looking at it for a moment, before shifting his gaze to his dog. Mars was seated on the ground.

"I was so excited for this moment and now, it's all ruined." Ash frowned. "Why couldn't dad be the same size as me?"

Mars barked.

"What was that?" Ash pointed at him. "Take it back right now!"

Mars barked louder.

Ash gasped dramatically. "How dare you body-shame, you spawn of dog Satan."

Mars barked one more time.

"I'm not listening to you. You're not supportive. You're just like mom." Ash put on his headphones.  He tried folding back the yukata to the way it was but he was unsuccessful. Either way, he put it back inside its box. He opened the closet-

"Oh." This was the first time he'd open this closet after he got here and it was also the first time he'd see that one white box inside. He grabbed it and opened the lid.

"You finally found it. I was thinking you'd never open that closet." Ronald smiled when he saw Ash wearing the dark blue jinbei and standing by the front door, waiting for Misty to show up. Ronald had his usual clothes on but with a haori over them. "Your mother said I should go with dark blue and she was right. It looks good."

Ash smiled. The color was like a reminder of his yukata's father. "Yeah. I like blue. And thanks. It's really awesome. You didn't have to, though."

"It's our tradition to buy new clothes for children for the festival."

"I know - I remember, but now I'm twenty-six."

"It's ongoing until you get kids of your own."

"Fair enough." Ash laughed. "Thanks. Saved my butt as usual."

Ronald smiled back at him. He looked upstairs. "The women seem to be enjoying the makeup too much."

"Makeup?"

"Your mom is doing Misty's hair and stuff."

Ash laughed. "What are you talking about? Misty doesn't wear makeup!"

"Well, she is right now."

"She must be suffering." She probably didn't want to upset his mother.

Mars came suddenly down the stairs, looking very excited. He ran toward Ash.

"I think this buddy over here fell in love with Misty. He goes around her all the time. He didn't let her have her breakfast in peace!"

"He's not the only one." Ash whispered to himself.

Ronald gestured upstairs. He clapped his hands to get Mars's attention. "Come! You're staying with old Ronny today." He petted the dog and lead him outside. "We need to give Ash some privacy!"

Ash watched as Misty got downstairs. With each step she made, his heart skipped a beat. His eyes traveled all over her pink and yellow yukata. It looked so beautiful. She looked really beautiful. It was a Misty he's never seen before.

Misty finally reached downstairs. She and Ash made eye contact and smiled at the same time.

"You forgot this!" Delia followed her downstairs and gave her a small bag to carry.

"Okay." Misty giggled and put the strings around her wrist.

"I wish I could do this forever but I have more food to cook." Delia was behind Misty. She made a peace sign to Ash and walked toward her kitchen.

"Do I need to tell you how beautiful you look?"

"The makeup feels heavy on my face and I feel like a bad imitation of my sisters, so you probably should."

"It looks great." Ash walked toward her. "You look stunning, really beautiful."

"Thank you." She replied, her voice low. Ash wasn't sure if it was the makeup or her cheeks were really flushing like that. She looked cute in both ways. Her orange hair was low in a side bun and she had a big flowery hair clip on, and indeed, she had on... makeup. A good amount of makeup. Her face was glowing. His mom was serious about this stuff, wasn't she?

"You look handsome."

"Yeah, I thought so." Ash grinned. He grabbed Misty by the hand and the two headed outside together.

"This is something you should get during the spring festival."

Misty giggled when Ash handed her the pink cotton candy. "This is so childish."

"Look around you."

Cotton candy was pretty popular among the crowd. Even older people had one. "Well, maybe."

"We should go check out mom's food before it's gone." Ash put his hand on Misty's back and the two started walking again. The redhead took all her time to study her surroundings. There were stands of different activities for all ages; you could try catch a plushie, catch a goldfish, try the fortune-

"Hey, is that a fortuneteller?"

Ash raised his eyebrows. He turned to his left. "Uh, yeah. That's Susan's stand. She does that every year."

"How accurate is she?"

"Do you really believe those things?"

"Let's just try! For fun!"

"Okay?"

Misty giggled and dragged Ash with her toward the stand. Susan, a woman who looked in her early forties, greeted them with a smile. "Ash! So good to see you in town."

"Hey Susan."

"I don't think I've seen this lovely lady before."

"I'm-..." Misty stopped talking when Susan raised her hand. She mixed her cards quickly and started spreading them in the shape of a cross. "Let's see..."

As Susan flipped the cards, she spoke, "I see a lot of things!"

Ash and Misty looked at each other.

"I see restless and hesitation. I see money. A change of house – of residence."

"That's Brock." Misty giggled.

"And..." Susan flipped other cards. "I have a 24 close to a 47 and 39..." She looked at the two. "I see a friendship warming into love."

Ash didn't believe in fortunetelling. Susan probably predicted it, or maybe his mom was going around town telling everyone how he was in love with his best friend and too scared of breaking it to her.

"But with all the cards, hummm..." Susan sat straight. "I see a sudden, big shock from bad news."

"Bad news?" Misty gasped. She looked at Ash. "What do you think it is?"

"I don't know." What the heck? Was the woman talking about... his plan for today? Is it going to turn badly? Ash wasn't feeling so good and it's not the cotton candy they ate.

"What do you see?" Misty was having fun. Ash thought she wasn't taking any of this seriously. Of course. She wasn't the one who has plans and just got told that it's "bad" news.

"Well, I need some elements first. Are you hesitant about something? A job? A partner? Moving to another city?"

"Uhm, thanks Susan. We need to get going." Ash left some cash on the table and dragged Misty away.

"But I really want to know!"

Ash stopped walking and told her, "It's not accurate. You can't believe in that kind of stuff."

"But it's so much fun!"

"You said it! It's just for fun! You can't believe what she says."

"BEHOOOOOOLD!"

The crowd suddenly stopped moving and started to cheer. Ash and Misty, standing together, were completely frozen as the petals of roses were scattered all over. Women threw rose petals from their balconies, others held petals' baskets and scattered them over the streets.

While the children jumped and tried to catch them, Ash and Misty just stood there, not moving.

"Mist." It was early! They were supposed to scatter them after lunchtime! "I have something to tell you."

Misty's hair was full of rose petals. She covered her glossy lips with her hands. "Is it what I think it is?"

"It was a bad decision to keep you waiting all these years!" He was speaking a little loud so she can hear as the crowd was cheering. "But there! I'm saying it!"

"Ash."

"Please listen."

"You have to listen to me too! I have something very important to say!"

"Mine is more important - Misty! Just listen!"

"Ash!"

"I love you!" They spoke in unison, their faces close to each other. For Ash and Misty, time seemed to slow down, people seemed to move in slow motion, and the rose petals were falling slowly. Every second counted.

"Say it again." Misty looked Ash in the eye. "Please. I need it." Her voice started to get wobbly.

"I love you." Ash was trying not to cry too. Damn it. This petals decor was too mushy. It was making him feel too sensitive.

Misty covered her mouth with both her hands. She finally understood that it was all planned. "Oh my God..."

"I saw people confess here when I was a kid." Ash could feel his hands shake. "It's no longer a thing, but..."

Misty pulled even closer. She put her hands over his shoulders-

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" The crowd around them started cheering for them, clapping their hands in unison.

Misty looked into Ash's chest, feeling completely embarrassed. Ash grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips, making people of the two all scream and cheer happily.

"Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

"Again?" Ash and Misty laughed. They made eye contact and leaned forward each other; their lips ready to meet again.

"Those old women scattered the petals too early! We're still serving food around here!" A woman who was helping Delia in the buffet kept complaining. "I can't believe I missed it!"

"They already did?" Delia smiled in satisfaction. "Huh."