Belladonna | Sano Manjiro

07 "Takemitchy can you afford international phone call?"

Its been awhile since she wears a yukata.

When she first moved to Japan, Alessia with her European dresses and bright blonde hair had stick out like a sore thumb amidst the rich traditional girls around the neighborhood. Yukata, in a way, is one of the first steps she took to forget her life in Europe and made herself comfortable with Japan.

The red one she owns, had been a gift from her old caretaker. She received it when she was eight and the yukata itself is way too big for her. Her old caretaker said to wear it when she's bigger, so she could remember the old caretaker that had passed away the next summer even when she had grown up.

It becomes her favorite yukata.

Its the day of the festival and for the first time in years, she took out her red yukata and wears it.

"Manjiro's going to be late?" Asked Alessia when she arrived in front of the Sano household.

The familiar street in front of the Sano dojo had been dimly lit from the street lights. She could see people walking around with yukata or not, obviously excited to enjoy the ongoing festival nearby. Not that she's any different. Emma had dragged her to join, saying that she needs to have some fun.

Emma climbed into the car. Her dark yukata looks wonderful on her. "Yeah" she nodded. "At first he's not even gonna come, but you asked so he decided to go"

"I see" said Alessia, closing the door behind Emma and signed Awatabe-san to start driving. "He has some Toman business to do first?"

"Yep" replied Emma, producing a small mirror in hand before she tried to fix her bangs. "Don't worry, he'll never bail on you"

"He better don't" grumbled Alessia. "I know where he lives"

The drive to the festival is full of small chatters between the two girls. Emma told her about one of the older students that had confessed to her, of course she rejected him. Alessia, in turn, told her how demanding her school is lately. The other girl merely answered that its her fault to attend some posh elite school instead following Mikey and her.

When they arrived, it was not long to spot Hina, Takemitchy, and Draken standing arounf the entrance.

"Hina-chan!" Greeted Alessia with a bright smile. "Oh Takemitchy you're here too"

"I'm an after thought!?" Yelped Takemitchy.

"Emma-chan! Takahashi-chan!" Greeted back Hina as all three of them cooed excitedly. "You both looks so pretty!"

"You look really pretty too Hina-chan!"

It was not long, when all five of them walked around the festival that Alessia feels something wrong. Truth to be told, its easy to lost herself inside the throes of the festival. She can feel the excited vibrating in their as well as thrumming under her skin as she let herself bask the sheer joy and boundless energy around her.

Lanterns are hanging around her, yellow, red, orange, the color that reminds her of sunset. Kids with bright smiles running around, holding candied apples as they babble in an excited chatter.

The first time she experience a festival is oddly, with Shinichiro-nii-san. She was six, just moved to Japan and barely able to speak the language. Back then, she was so so excited to finally attend a festival but alas, Mikey, Emma, and Baji got sick from their adventure in the river just one day prior, not to mention her older brother too was accompanying their father for some work. Imagine the sheer disappointment in her face when Shinichiro-niisan who opened the door informed her that.

Somehow, it ends up with her and Shinichiro-niisan going to the festival alone. It was also the first time she saw the older scary friends up close.