Chapter 26

On the eve of Tanabata, Togetsumura was blessed with clear skies and a bright sunny morning. Though, some might feel the lack of clouds to be a misfortune instead. Summer was in full swing. The sun seemed more oppressive today, hotter and unforgiving. For once in what felt like ages, I awoke with the knowledge that my husband Tetsu wasn't going to be gone today. That we could spend the festival with each other. The farms in need of him could find substitutes to fill in instead.

"Hnng!" Tetsu woke up next to me, stretching both arms above his head. When he turned in bed, the two of us locked eyes. A smile flashed on his face. "You know, we could just sleep in."

"We need to get ready and greet people arriving in the village." I pinched his nose playfully.

We rose from bed and freshened up. Miyamori was already in the kitchen, having made himself a cup of coffee. I didn't need to fear him making a move on me anymore, thank goodness. Satoshi and Mr. Shiraishi, on the other hand, I couldn't be sure of during the festival. I hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Shiraishi privately yet, with how busy we were with our own obligations. And Satoshi often worked early mornings until late afternoon. Our timing never aligned. As a result, our bonus streaks had ended. Not that I was playing the NTL app anymore.

However, I was still worried about Saya. It seemed like what Maruyama did to my phone might not be working as intended.

"How do I look?" Tetsu asked, snapping me from my thoughts. "Did I gain weight? I swear the belt isn't tying up as much as it used to."

"It's just your imagination. Trust me, I'd know if you gained weight." I poked him in the side.

"Hey!" He chased me around the bedroom with pokes of his own.

The two of us wore matching blue yukatas. My robe boasted white chrysanthemum flower patterns. His was a little darker blue than mine, with a basic squiggly wave pattern. Tetsu eventually pinned me against the wall and kissed me.

"We're going to be late." I grinned.

"Oh, alright. Guess I'll have to hold it in until we return later tonight." Tetsu groaned.

When we walked out, Miyamori was just picking up his toolbox and heading out the door.

"Surely, you don't have to work today. I mean, heck, even I got the day off!" My husband teased.

"Well, there's no taking time off when someone's sink faucet sprung a leak. Don't worry about me! You two have fun, and I'll be around for the festival." Miyamori nodded.

A part of me wondered if Miyamori made himself scarce for my sake. We stepped out of the house right after him, into the muggy atmosphere. My face already felt moist from sweat. Our light and breezy yukatas could only provide us with so much relief from the heat. The two of us couldn't hold each other's hands for long. Tetsu still stayed close to stand underneath the umbrella I was holding for shade.

Towards the front of the village at the southern road, a group of people waited under the scorching sun. It was Shiraishi, Ono, Akemi, and a few others from our town. No sign of the other villagers and townsfolk yet.

"Good morning, you two!" Shiraishi smiled, then eyed me up and down.

I knew that look. My body very clearly remembered the sensation of Shiraishi's touch, and my nipples stiffened in response.

"Sheesh. How long have you all been waiting out here?" Tetsu wiped his forehead.

"Not long. Only fifteen minutes," Akemi answered absentmindedly, her eyes glued to the phone.

Right. The guy she was seeing, Sato, was coming from Osaka. My heart sank a little again, recalling that they were going to leave Togetsu after Tanabata.

"A couple of the vendors should be here soon… They better. I always make it promptly to their festivals." Shiraishi rubbed his bald head and grimaced.

I scooted away from Tetsu and Shiraishi, sharing some shade to Akemi. Today was the most feminine I'd ever seen her. She had her hair done up nicely in a bun. The pink yukata definitely didn't belong to her and likely borrowed from someone else in town. A light touch of eyeliner accentuated her pretty dark brown eyes.

"Are you excited to finally see Sato in person?" I asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I am. It's just that he hasn't answered my texts since last night. I'm super worried. Kumamoto ain't exactly the kinda place you know your way around," Akemi said.

It wasn't uncommon for visitors to get lost in these parts. Togetsumura was in such a remote location, one had a better chance of finding it looking in old maps than using modern GPS. Sato could have easily lost signal driving through the mountains. He wouldn't regain it without reaching a town or village.

We all turned to the sound of loud motors coming from the road. A fleet of shoddy trucks and compact cars, their exhausts popping as though to signal their own arrival, drove up to the flat barren field in front of us. Akemi looked hopeful for a moment, only to fall more glum a split second later.

"I'm guessing Sato isn't here?" I frowned.

"No." Akemi shook her head. "He drives a 2016 red Prius. That's not any of these."

A bunch of middle aged and old timers hopped out of their automobiles. The bed of every truck had been packed to the brim with things for Tanabata. Occupants of one truck carefully brought down a large grill onto a roller. Another carried smaller effects like stuffed animals, firecrackers, and candy.

Shiraishi shuffled over to the oldest members of the group, greeting them with open arms and a boisterous hello. They each had canes or walkers. There wasn't a single young person among the arrivals. Which wasn't a surprise, given that many came from villages aging away much like Togetsu.

"Everyone, allow me to introduce you to Marika, our Orihime for this year's Tanabata!" Shiraishi gestured my way.

I blushed as all eyes fell on me, and a couple whistled rather loudly.

"What a looker!"

"This year's play will be worth watching!"

Their stares were more than just curious interest. Lascivious gazes lingered longer than usual, molesting me with their eyes. The heat didn't help. I was beginning to get hot in all the wrong ways again. When I squeezed my thighs together, it felt noticeably wet down there.

"Maybe I need to remind everyone that this is my wife? Just remember, you guys can look but not touch!" Tetsu put an arm around me and joked.

"Tetsu!" I glared.

They erupted into laughter. My husband's silly comment dispelled the tension, even if it was uncalled for. But thanks to him, we were able to get to work. We carried most of their belongings to Himawari Shrine, where they began to set up in the booths erected beforehand. However, the celebration wasn't limited to just the temple. Tanabata was, at its heart, a festival about the stars and love.

Some of the more astrology-minded folks had brought their telescopes. Some small, others large enough that needed putting together. Togetsu had a park on a rising that was clear of trees, the highest point in town and closest to the stars. It went unused over the years. Nature almost reclaimed it until we came in to sweep up all the leaves and spiderwebs, dusted the benches, and repaired the rotting wooden fences. Now, we were able to arrange the area for star-gazing.

"Marika, I'm getting called to help over at the shrine. You going to be fine here?" Tetsu called from afar.

"Yeah! I'll meet up with you when I'm finished here," I shouted back.

My husband and a few others descended down the hill, leaving me behind with the older men from the neighboring villages. I was helping one of them piece together a large telescope. Pachi seemed to be his nickname, from what I gathered in hearing. He was an older gentleman with shoulder-length gray hair and eyes as thin as slits. His bushy brows were the most emotive part of him.

"Alrighty, I think we're done. Why don't you give it a look-see? Won't be able to glimpse any stars yet. Too bright. But I tell ya, it's a whole other world at night," Pachi explained.

"I'd love to." I smiled, then bent down to position my eye in the scope.

All I saw was the vast blue skies and nothing else. I'd never looked into one before, so even though I didn't see any stars, it was a neat experience. Suddenly, a pair of hands rested on my hips.

"The telescope can rotate, too. Let me guide you," Pachi insisted, slowly guiding me by my waist.

I swallowed hard. My heart started beating harder. I hadn't been touched by another man since Maruyama tweaked the NTL app on my phone. Just stop looking into the telescope, me! I could end this now. Get up. Pachi would have no choice but to back away, too. His hands started moving a little. In a lapse in judgement, I bucked backwards gently and felt an erection through his pants. He pressed forward in return, rocking in a thrusting motion. I finally took my eyes away from the telescope.

"M-Maybe I'll come back later to look at night!" I cleared my throat.

"Good idea!" Pachi stepped away from me with an awkward waddle.

A quick glance around, and the few other men still present in the park snapped back to working. They were definitely watching. My face heated up even more. I excused myself since everything was in order here and descended back to town.

"Marika!" Akemi came running as I reached the bottom steps, beaming like a star. "I was just looking for you. Tetsu told me you were here."

"You're looking better than earlier in the morning. What is it?" I asked.

"It's Sato! I just got his text. He's almost here. I… I want you to come with me. I'm an absolute nervous wreck right now," she said.

"Of course, I'll go with you. Time to see what kind of guy my best friend is interested in." I smiled.

Instead of the south end, we went to the north side of Togetsu. That was where Sato was arriving from, since he was coming from Osaka. Akemi was beyond nervous. She couldn't stand still, shifting her weight between each foot constantly. It was cute, because Tetsu and I were like that to each other at the start. I was thrilled that my close friend was finding love.

A red car which I assumed was a Prius pulled into view at last. The windows were tinted. We couldn't see inside. However, the car seemed much too modest to be used for moving. I had a hard time imagining that Akemi could fit her belongings in there, but they did have two cars between them.

Finally, the car pulled to a stop and the motor ceased. I heard Akemi hold her breath. The driver's side door swung open and when Sato stepped out, our hearts sank. Akemi's smile vanished. The man she had been talking up so much about was nothing like the pictures. He wasn't tall or handsome, and neither did he look like someone who worked as a personal trainer.

No older than mid-20s, this skinny Sato sported a bowl cut. His cheeks were marked with old acne scars. He wasn't any taller than me, and stood with the slightest hunch. Large round glasses hid his eyes, but he was clearly looking right at us.

"Hi, Akemi. It's… It's me, Sato." The imposter waved.

Akemi was speechless.

"Nice to meet you," I spoke up. "I'm Marika, Akemi's friend. I'm sorry. You just don't look like the pictures. Are they maybe old photos of you?"

"I was going to tell the truth when I got here. Those pictures… are A.I. generated. They're not real. I really am Sato though! Sato Himura." Sato bowed politely.

"What do you mean they aren't real?" Akemi shook, her fists balled and speaking through clenched teeth.

"I know! I'm so sorry! It started as a fib at first, but we kept talking. Things went on for so long, I didn't know when to stop. You asked for pictures of me, so I panicked. I knew you wouldn't like someone who looks like… well, the real me. I came to apologize for lying and maybe ask if we can start from the beginning? I really do like you—"

"Fuck you! Fuck that. Fuck this. Fuck this town, too! Ugh!" She stormed off.

I tried to chase after Akemi, but she slapped my hand when I reached out to her.

"You have a lot of nerve to lead Akemi on." I spun around on Sato.

"I'm sorry." The young man merely hung his head.

I tried to catch up to Akemi. She had a head start running off. The only place I could think she had disappeared to was back home. When I made it to Akemi's house, her mother Mrs. Fukuhara was just about to close the door. I rushed up to stop her.

"Wait! I just want to talk to Akemi!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, dear. Akemi doesn't want to talk to anyone right now, and if that's what my daughter wants, then no one is coming in. You'll have to come back later." The older woman tried closing the door, but I didn't want to budge. "Marika, please. You've always been a sweet and understanding girl. Or… have you changed?"

An eerie sensation washed over me. I stepped back from the house. Mrs. Fukuhara looked me in the eyes for a second longer, then shut the door.

 However, my feet remained planted on the ground. What could I even do to help? Memory Wipe? For 200,000 points, I'd be able to remove Akemi's memories of what just happened with Sato.

"Saya? Can you hear me in there?" I opened the NTL app and asked.

The digital avatar appeared instantly.

[Hello, Marika. How may I help you today?] Saya bowed.

"I want to buy another Memory Wipe for Akemi. I can't stand to see her so hurt. It might be better if she just thinks Sato bailed on her instead," I explained.

[How very noble of a friend you are! Unfortunately, I cannot access the shop.]

"What? Why?"

[Because you infected my internal code. I'm unable to access certain processes in the NTL app. How would I describe it in a way that you would understand? If I handcuffed both of your hands, you would have a hard time doing your usual tasks. We can fix this together, Marika. It's a simple fix. Make Maruyama revert me.]

It sounded more like a demand than a request. Did Saya always sound so forceful? She used to be so kind and sweet, if not playful and mischievous.

I walked to Maruyama's house, repeatedly telling myself that this was for Akemi's sake. The plan was to buy Memory Wipe and use it on her the next time we see each other, then have Maruyama put the fix back on my phone. It would be a short time. I only needed to avoid the usual men the app compelled me to have sex with, that was all.

"Yes?" Maruyama poked his head out. "I thought you were out helping set up for Tanabata?"

"I want you to undo the fix on the app," I said.