Keiko nervously glanced around and, seeing the area enclosed by fences, felt a slight sense of relief.
"Now, take turns stepping forward and shouting out your wish."
The adult in charge of the ritual said this.
Soon, a young boy at the front walked up to the railing and shouted.
The first boy was quite bold, loudly declaring his love for the person he fancied.
But it seemed that the person he liked wasn't among tonight's festival crowd. After all, most of the participants in this event were boys. There were only a handful of girls, including the Shinagawa sisters visiting from the city during their vacation.
After a short while, the boy's echo resonated through the mountains.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Keiko, now slightly calmer, also began pondering what wish she should shout out when her turn came.
Should she just wish to become a little smarter?
As she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard her sister whispering, "Just now, what was that sound?"
