A Touch of Sorrow [Dazai x OC x Chuuya]

Quadraginta Sex

Hanami: cherry blossoms viewing festival. Yozakura: night cherry blossoms viewing.

Sake: Japanese rice wine. Takoyaki: octopus balls. Karaage: bite-size boneless chicken. Yakiniku: grilled meat. Cream shiroae: vegetables mix with mashed tofu. Dango: dumpling and sweet make from mochiko. Sakuramochi: sweet pink-color mochi with red bean paste fillings.

Sakura, the flower with a rather short life, yet bore incredible beauty that not just any flower could possess. Of course, each type of flower had their own beauty, but to them, sakura was the most beautiful one. And they longed for a time they could watch those delicate cherry blossoms together like they did in the past.

Sakura was in full bloom in many different places, in Kamonyama Park, in Sankeien, in Ooka River,... the cherry color painted all over Yokohama, spreading the festive air to every corner. Besides celebrating Hanami in the morning, they could also see Yozakura in the evening. The sight would be magnificent with illuminating sakura trees and soft lights on the roads.

It would be beautiful like in their memories.

The Hattori's were in a supermarket, they hadn't got the suitable necessities for Hanami, and they were low on food as well. The picnic would be incomplete without the right food to dine under the cherry blossoms. Drinks also, they hadn't got the drinks for the occasion. In summary, they hadn't got anything for the festival.

"Nee-san, what should we make for Hanami?" Ren turned to his left where his sister was busy picking out sake bottles. The female jolted in surprise but was quick to hide her shock.

"Uh? Eh? Hanami?..."

Rei's face twisted into a thinking countenance before she looked down at her hand which was holding the sake bottle.

"Sake?"

Ren only rubbed his temple with a loud and clear sigh.

"I mean food Rei onee-san."

"Ah...food huh..." She glanced around, finding nothing in particular.

"Onigiri! We can make onigiri!" Rei's face lit up brightly as she saw the rows of rice balls behind Ren. She placed the sake bottle back down to run to the aisle where they lined packages of onigiri in different flavors. The girl bloomed a smile as she showed the younger one a handful of onigiri.

Ren couldn't help but smiled to his sister tenderly. "I'll make onigiri for nee-san, you don't have to buy them here." He put the rice balls back down.

"We can also make takoyaki for appetizer, karaage and yakiniku for main course, and sakuramochi for desserts!"

"We can also make miso soup, cream shiroae and dango too!"

The two siblings shouted after each other, clasping hands and smiling brightly all at the same time. They were their best self when together, and it wasn't a bad moment whenever they spent by each other side. Even after 9 years apart, nothing was ever awkward or strange between the two siblings.

"Yes! So we need rice, nori, miso paste,..." Ren pulled out a small notebook from his pocket and wrote down the items with a rapid pace.

"Chicken, meat, mochiko,..." Rei came closer to the boy's side to help with naming the items.

It was by then that she noticed, Ren was bigger than her, taller than her too. 5 months passed and he had already outgrown his sister. That time she hugged him in the base felt so different, that time he was still a boy, he was smaller than her, he fitted perfectly in her embrace. But at this moment it would be the opposite, it would be her fitting perfectly in his embrace.