Chapter 24 Grilled Sushi + Halloween Bonus: A Trip to the Amusement Park / Candy Fairy Tale
Akina Amaho finally put down her drawing board with satisfaction. The drawing paper contained a complete sketch of Yu Miyako.
She glanced at the painting a few more times, thinking that the golden sunlight was shining on them, and the surrounding trees were also golden.
It was as if his whole body had turned golden, but his eyes were filled with a different kind of light.
She couldn't explain what it was.
Perhaps I will paint another colored work myself.
Use golden yellow as the main color.
She put down her pen and waved to the twins.
“You can stop now, I’ve finished drawing.” She said, holding up the two sketches in her hand.
Miya Yu and Miyaji stopped what they were doing, wiped the sweat from their faces, and walked towards Amaho Akina.
Gong You regretted it a little. She should have brought a towel and a water cup. Now, no one would prepare these things.
Amamiya seemed to have been prepared; she took out two disposable paper cups, poured in hot water, and handed them to the two people.
"Let's rest for a while before walking back. This is enough for today."
She was very satisfied with the two sketches and therefore did not plan to collect any more material.
"Oh, then let me take a look at my painting first." Gong You quickly finished the water in his cup; the water temperature was just right.
He moved closer to Akina Amaho, who hurriedly moved away, not wanting her sweat to drip down and ruin her painting.
She pursed her lips and held up the painting for Gong You to see.
“Just stand at this distance and you’ll definitely be able to see it clearly.” After saying that, Akina Amaho nodded, confirming her opinion.
"What? Mina, you're not actually looking down on me, are you?" Miya Yu was a little annoyed, but obediently stood still.
He looked at Akina Amaho's painting, a satisfied expression on his face.
Sure enough, he drew himself to look much more handsome than Osamu!
If we compare them, it would definitely be a hundred times.
Miyaji shrugged, saying bluntly, "As for Akina, she's probably annoyed that you just approached her without any sense of distance."
At this point, Miyaji leaned forward a little, and Amaho Akina quickly waved her hand and stepped back.
"King, please just stand there."
Miyaji's expression froze, while Miyayu pointed at him and burst into laughter.
"You're still the same!"
He felt at peace again.
Akina Amako sighed, realizing they had misunderstood, and explained, "I don't want you to get too close because I'm afraid your sweat will drip down and wet the manuscript."
If such an unexpected situation were to occur, she would definitely feel extremely regretful.
"I see. Then I'll take it back to look at later." Miyako sat down a meter away from Amiho Akina, indicating that she would not touch the painting again.
Miyaji also sat down on the other side.
"Thank you for being my models today." Akina Amaho had already packed up her drawing board and pens and put them back into her bag.
Yes, and it's also a meaningful experience—traveling with friends.
Akina Amane is very happy.
"I'm glad Mina is satisfied, but it's really tiring." Miya Yu shrugged.
Moreover, he regretted it a little. He had initially said that he didn't want any payment and would be a model for Amaho Akina for free, as long as she gave him a few paintings.
Although he still proudly hangs those paintings in his room.
"Yeah, but just thinking about the food that Mina makes gives me motivation again." Miyaji was thinking about the seafood rice bowl they had at the beginning.
Rather, it was that seafood rice bowl that made me finally make up my mind.
And then...and then, without realizing it, I was drawn to that dazzling, persistent pursuit.
Miyaji was eager to see just how far Amaho Akina could go, and perhaps he even wanted to get involved.
It wasn't just about participating in her painting process; there was probably much more involved.
Doing that would probably be very rewarding.
Miyako didn't think too much about it. Hearing Miyako's words, he became a little dissatisfied and turned to look at Amaho Akina.
His voice suddenly became serious.
“Minna,” he called out.
Akina, confused, asked, "Huh?"
“I’ve changed my mind,” Gong You said.
"Oh, is it about the models?"
Didn't I already say he had no objections?
Amane tilted her head slightly, looking at Miyako's serious expression, and felt inexplicably nervous.
"Yes—I changed my mind. Why did I say I didn't want any payment at the beginning!"
His serious expression couldn't be maintained, and he eventually looked somewhat devastated.
Akina Amane was a little stunned, and then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Oh, what is it? If it's just this, what kind of reward do you want, Yu-kun?"
Well, whatever the reward, she'll find a way to satisfy it.
perhaps.
Anyway, there's nothing that money can't solve, and coincidentally, her family is very wealthy, so they send her a lot of money every month.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been allowed to continue her creative and artistic path.
After all, art requires a lot of money.
Miyako thought for a moment, was there any place she wanted to go with Amaho Akina?
Anyway, he's not like Aji, who can be satisfied with just one meal.
If she simply wanted a few more paintings, even without mentioning payment, Akina Amaho would probably try her best to accommodate her.
Finally, he clenched his fist and tapped his palm.
"Minna, how about we put the modeling on hold next week?" Miya Yu said.
Miyaji was also a little curious about what Miyayu was going to say.
After all, it concerns whether he will be able to have a perfect meal next week.
"Hmm? Is it related to Yu-kun's reward?" After thinking for a moment, this was the only reason that Amaho Akina could think of.
Otherwise, judging from Gong You's expression that he still wanted him to give him a few more paintings, he wouldn't have said such a thing so easily.
"Yes, let's put this on hold for next week. My reward is a trip to an amusement park with Mina!"
Gong You was smug because he had made such a request for compensation, and he deliberately ignored Gong Zhi's presence in this statement.
Anyway, it was his payment after all.
He deliberately forgot that he also enjoyed the meals that Miyaji had requested as payment.
Although Akina Amaho doesn't mind taking care of one more person's meals.
Akina Ama didn't think the request was excessive.
So she nodded readily: "Okay, let's go to the amusement park together next week."
Yes, she could understand the desire to go to the amusement park, even though she had lost interest in amusement park rides back in junior high school.
“Then I’ll go too,” Gong Zhi suddenly said.
"This is my reward! Why are you coming along, Zhu Zhi?!" Gong You's eyes widened.
He only suggested going to the amusement park because he didn't want Miyaji to come along.
“But you also received a portion of my reward, right? Why don’t you let me go with you?” Miyaji shrugged.
He wouldn't let Miyako and Amako walk away alone.
Although his foolish brother seems to only consider Amaho Akina as a friend at the moment.
But Miyaji was very wary of Miyayu. After all, at the beginning, Akina Ama unknowingly paid more attention to Miyayu.
"Tch, fine." Gong You pouted, a little unwilling, but he had no choice but to agree to Gong Zhi's opinion.
But couldn't he have simply snatched the ticket from Miyaji after buying it?
That way, even if they want to go in later and buy tickets again, Gong Zhi won't be able to find where they went after they went in first.
Yes, Mina definitely won't refuse the suggestion to go with me first.
Gong You thought to himself with a bit of smug satisfaction, without considering the feasibility of his idea at all.
“In that case, I’ll buy three tickets in advance, and we just need to meet in front of the amusement park,” said Akina Amami.
Hmm, she tried to recall where the nearest amusement park was, but she was a little unsure.
She wasn't very familiar with this place either... After all, moving here and coming to Inarisaki to study was only something that happened this year.
"What? How can we let you buy the tickets? We can each buy our own." Gong You was a little surprised.
Surely she doesn't think this is some kind of compensation, so she has to cover all the expenses?
Gong Zhi also frowned.
Thinking about it carefully, those meals probably cost quite a bit.
Thinking about this, Gong Zhi felt inexplicably guilty and ashamed.
So he spoke up: "No need. Mina must have spent a lot of money on those meals you treated us to before, right? Just consider it our treat to an amusement park."
In just a few words, things changed from the simple reward that Miyau had initially proposed to inviting Akina Amaho to the amusement park.
“Ah, it’s just about spending money, so there’s no need to worry about it so much. I have plenty of pocket money.” Akina Amami smiled.
I have a feeling that some kind of golden light is emerging.
Gong You was somewhat dumbfounded.
He subconsciously swallowed and asked, "Minnai, how much allowance do you have left?"
"Ah, based on the standard of 300,000 yen per month, after deducting the money I spend on art supplies and other daily expenses, I should have at least 100,000 yen left."
Akina Amane recalled the pocket money transfers she usually received in her account.
Gong Zhi also swallowed hard.
He and Miyako said in unison, "Please let us do our best to fulfill our duties as models."
Akina Amane leaned back slightly: "Huh?"
Why would they react this way?
“Because Mina has a lot of pocket money, it should be easy for her to hire other people to be models,” Miya Yu said.
"In other words, we don't actually need to do anything with them." Miyaji nodded.
“But those who exercise like you and have obvious muscle definition are still a minority,” Akina Amako said with a slight chuckle.
She hadn't expected the twins to react so strongly to the amount of her allowance.
She wouldn't just take money and ask someone to be her model for an afternoon; people would think she was a pervert.
“Art can actually be very expensive. I heard that the tuition for that public art school in Tokyo is 500,000 yen a year, and it’s very difficult to get in.” Akina Amami chuckled.
"If my family hadn't been relatively wealthy, my parents would have tried their best to stop me from doing so in the first place."
At this point, Akina Amaho's expression turned somewhat forlorn.
It was the first time that Miyako and Miyako had heard Akina Amaho talk about her parents. They exchanged a glance and fell silent.
However, Akina Amaho had no intention of continuing the story.
She simply picked up her bag and stood up: "It's getting late, you should all go home and rest. I need to go back too. I'll buy my tickets in advance for next weekend."
"I'm not paying for dinner, and you don't need to take me home." Turning her head, Akina Tensui glanced at the two people who were still trying to follow her.
"No, I'll take you home instead." Gong Zhi shook his head.
"I just wanted to take you home, not for dinner," Gong You said.
“That’s what a friend should do.” He patted his chest.
Akina Amane's eyes curved slightly.
"Then, let's go."
The group walked together toward Tian Sui's house.
——
[A Halloween fairytale AU, completely unrelated to the original story]
This is a fairy tale that has been passed down for a long time.
Long, long, long ago, Miyako and Miyaji were born.
They were twins from a farming family in the town.
At that time, having children born at the same time was considered a misfortune.
But their parents loved them very much and, even without any savings, still struggled to take care of the two children.
Under their careful care, the children grew into their teens, and in a few more years, they will be able to take on some of the work.
Furthermore, Miyako and Miyako had a very good relationship; in fact, they often liked to go to the woods together to play.
Their parents couldn't stop them, fearing that wild animals in the forest might eat them.
“Children, children, the forest is dangerous. If you really want to go into the forest, please come back before dark.”
Busy with work, the father could only offer these words of advice.
"This is the food I prepared for you. After you finish eating, hurry home."
The mother handed them a basket full of bread.
Gongji didn't like bread, but he still reached out and took the basket, nodding: "We'll be back on time."
Gong You pulled Gong Zhi outside and ran towards the forest under the worried gazes of their parents, whispering as they went.
"Ah Zhi, let's eat slowly so we can play a little longer."
In the forest, as usual, there were no wild animals, only their cheerful laughter.
They played and made noise in the forest, chasing each other and throwing wild fruits around.
Unbeknownst to them, they had gone further, beyond the paths they knew.
Miyaji tugged at Miyayu, who was still trying to walk forward.
"Ayu, let's not go any further. We should find our way home."
He was a little hungry, and along the way, despite his conscious efforts, they had only been given a little less bread than a meal.
When I looked again, the basket was empty, with only some bread crumbs left.
"What should we do, Aji? It seems we can't go back." Gong You then noticed and turned around, trying to find the way they came, but it was already dark, and the forest had become dim. There was a faint sound of wind and the rustling of trees.
He could no longer see the way back.
"There's no other way, let's look for the way carefully," Gong Zhi said.
The two people carried baskets aimlessly, supporting each other as they walked forward until a light appeared in the distance.
They ran quickly in that direction, their rumbling stomachs already growling.
What appeared before them was a house made of soft bread and sweet pudding, with a huge cake on the roof that exuded a sweet aroma. On top of the roof was a strawberry, and along the sides of the roof were countless lollipops.
In addition, the windows are made of translucent candy blocks, the door panels are made of a whole piece of chocolate, the door lock is a donut, and the whole house is decorated with countless macarons.
Gong Zhi gaped open and swallowed hard: "My God, are we hallucinating?"
Otherwise, how could there be a house like this, made entirely of desserts, standing right in front of you?
"No, it's more important to fill our stomachs first. If it's just a hallucination, it'll disappear before our eyes when we take a bite, right?" Gong You swallowed hard.
Miyaji thought he was right.
So he stepped forward first, pulled a soft pudding off the roof. The house didn't look any different. Gongji put the pudding in his mouth, and the sweet taste filled his mouth, satisfying his hungry body. He couldn't help but tear off another piece of pudding and put it in his mouth.
Gong You climbed onto the roof and began eating the cream cake. His lips were covered in white cream, and he also stuffed the strawberry into his mouth.
Besides that, he also ate the lollipops as snacks, popping them into his mouth in two bites.
Feeling they weren't quite full, the twins opened the window, nibbled on some chocolate, and then bit off a piece of chocolate from the door panel.
The hut had been chewed up beyond recognition, but after a while, the whole hut suddenly shook and returned to its original state.
Gong You and Gong Zhi both widened their eyes and couldn't help but take two steps back.
"Ah Zhi, could it be that we're really hallucinating?"
But when he touched his belly, it was full, so it didn't seem like he was hallucinating.
“No, perhaps the one living here is an evil witch who lured us, who were starving, with this house,” Miyaji said with a serious expression.
Immediately afterwards, the previously closed door was indeed opened, and even when I was just eating the chocolate on the door panel, the inside was still foggy and not very clear.
The person who came out wasn't an old witch, but a girl who looked to be about the same age as them.
She had long brown hair and bright blue eyes, as clear as the sky. She wore a blue dress adorned with white lace and pink bows. In addition, her dress was covered with chocolates, donuts, and macarons. Her wizard hat also had several candy canes stuck in it and a large donut hanging from it.
Her expression was full of surprise: "You two are the ones who gnawed most of my house, causing me to wake up from my sleep?"
“Yes, we couldn’t find our way home, we were tired and hungry, and when we saw this house, we just couldn’t resist,” Gong Zhi said.
"Is all of this magic? If possible, Miss Shrine Maiden, could you please take us home?" Miyako looked at the unfamiliar girl with sparkling eyes.
Wow, magic! It sounds so sophisticated and amazing. They've never encountered it before, so naturally they're curious.
The girl nodded and then shook her head: "I forgive you for eating my house, but I have only just awakened and my magic is not yet enough to send you back. I am really sorry."
After pausing for two seconds, she said, "If possible, I can prepare dinner for you. You can leave tomorrow morning, and perhaps you will be able to find your way out then."
“Okay, thank you, Miss Shrine Maiden. What’s your name, Miss?” Gong You nodded.
Miyaji had already followed the girl inside.
The shrine maiden glanced at them: "Mina, Amaho Akina."
She picked up her staff and waved it, and countless plates wobbled onto the table, on which were placed appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
The appetizer was pan-fried chicken breast, made with spices and exuding a fragrant aroma; the main course was two roasted pigeons, their bodies stuffed with seasonings and vegetables, thoroughly filling them with the flavor of roasted pigeon; dessert was two slices of tiramisu cake, with a slightly cool and refreshing aroma, a little bitter yet full of sweetness, melting in the mouth as soon as you put them in, making you want to take another bite.
Akina Amane waved her staff again, creating two chairs for the two of them to sit down.
"You guys eat, I don't need to eat."
While enjoying his meal, Miyaji couldn't help but ask, "Miss Akina, why do you decorate yourself and your house with so many candies and sweets?"
Moreover, I had been to the forest countless times before, but I had never seen this house before, a house that I would never forget once I saw it.
After all, they don't usually get to eat that many snacks.
"Well, it's Halloween today, and lots of kids will come asking for candy. If I don't prepare some for them, they'll bother me. So I prepared this room in advance so as not to disturb my rest." Akina Amami shrugged.
"But I was still woken up by the two of you. Looks like this is my fate." She pouted, seemingly not very happy.
"Halloween?" Gong You looked up, somewhat puzzled.
They had never heard of this so-called Halloween night before. Could it be that they could eat as much candy as they wanted?
"Halloween is actually a festival for ghosts. The souls of the dead return to their former homes on this day, seeking life in the bodies of the living in order to be reborn. That's why so many little ghosts appear on this day," Amaho Akina explained.
"So, does that mean the shrine maiden is actually a ghost?" Miyaji asked.
“No, I’m not. I was just born and raised here, inherited the identity of a shrine maiden, and have never left this place.” Akina Amaho shook her head.
"Of course, there will always be children who wander into the forest and encounter danger, or young adults. At that time, I will secretly use magic to guide them out."
“I have never appeared in front of anyone except on Halloween, which is the day when my magic is weakest in a year. That is why this house is exposed in the forest with me.”
“But recently, there hasn’t been any danger in the forest, right? We’re the only ones who have wandered into the forest by mistake, aren’t we?” Gong You asked.
Akina Amaho nodded.
“Then, Mina, would you like to leave the forest with us? Come and see the outside world with us; it’s much more exciting than the forest,” Miyaji said.
Akina Amako hesitated for a moment, then finally said, "You'll be leaving tomorrow, so let's talk about it next time."
The implication is that she doesn't want to leave right now.
The next day, they woke up. The so-called candy house was like a dream. Amaho Akina was no longer in front of them. Miyako and Miyako just felt that they had eaten their fill. Then they woke up on the ground in the forest. When they woke up, the exit of the forest was in front of them.
Miyako and Miyaji ran out of the forest and met their anxious parents, who were worried because they hadn't returned home all night. They decided to keep Amaho Akina's situation a secret for the time being.
On the third day, they returned to the forest and ventured deeper into it. As night fell, they still refused to leave.
Because both of them firmly believed that Amako Akina existed here and would definitely not abandon her.
Sure enough, the candy shop reappeared in front of them, and Amaho Akina pushed open the door and sighed.
"You two are really a handful. Why are you here again?"
"Because we want Mina to go out and see the world with us," Miya Yu and Miyaji said in unison.
Amane Akina didn't answer them, but simply waved her staff and prepared a meal for them.
Today's appetizer is roasted quail, the main course is pan-fried pork chops, and dessert is matcha cake.
It's piping hot and fragrant, making you feel drowsy after eating it.
When they woke up, they reappeared at the entrance of the forest.
Miyako and Miyaji did not lose heart; they went to the forest again and again, determined to bring Amaho Akina out.
The father and mother also found their daily trips to the forest strange, but since they could see them appear the next morning, they simply let it go.
Finally, a year later, Akina Amako looked at the two little devils who were pretending to be Halloween and asking for candy, and sighed.
They were dressed in crudely made clothes, and it was unclear how they had prepared them. Gong You was wearing a black and orange wizard coat, an oversized wizard hat that didn't suit him, and he was striking a pose as if he were a monster.
Gong Ji then disguised himself as a ghost, seemingly cutting out a huge piece of white cloth and piecing it together to resemble the ghost in his imagination.
The two people stood close to the candy store: "Trick or treat!"
Akina waved her wand, and the windowpanes turned into candies, falling into the basket they had drawn in the shape of pumpkin heads.
"Alright, I'll go out with you."
After being persistently searched for for a year, she began to soften her stance.
Gong Zhi and Gong You gave each other a high five and whispered "Yay!"
The next morning, Miyako and Miyako appeared at the forest exit as usual, but this time they were accompanied by a plain-looking girl with brown hair and blue eyes.
-
"So, the rest of the story is about them living happily ever after?" Gong You asked.
Just as he was getting into the story, Amaho Akina suddenly stopped talking, and he was scratching his head in frustration.
The story wasn't finished, but Amako Akina was already sleepy and didn't want to continue, so she simply curled up under the covers.
"This is an adaptation of the story of the candy store," Miyaji said, but he didn't dislike the story; in fact, he liked it very much.
"Let's just assume they're happily together. If we stay up any longer, we'll really be spending Halloween night." Akina Ama yawned; she didn't want to continue.
Miyaji lay down next to Amaho Akina and pulled her blanket down a little so that her cheeks were exposed.
Her cheeks now look rosy.
Goodnight.
With her eyes half-closed, Akina Amako mumbled, "Goodnight."
Gong You lay down next to her, leaned over and gently kissed her cheek, "Goodnight."
-
And so they lived happily ever after.
【End】
What a delightful fairy tale! Now that the story is over, get some rest. Goodnight, this is a candy just for Halloween.
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