One-Shot Collection (Karma Akabane x OC)

Summer Festival

Disclaimer: I do not own Karma, or the concept of summer festivals in Japan. I, however, own Hayoung and the plot, so no copying.
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"So this is your first time at a summer festival?" Karma asked as they admired the brightly lit stalls selling all matter of things, from toys to trinkets to snacks.

"Yeah."

Hayoung was clad in a creamy white yukata that bore a serene image of a flock of black cranes flying over a sunset valley. Karma had went with her to get a yukata for the festival, and thought that particular one suited her calm, composed demeanour. Her black hair was put up in a loose bun and secured with a wooden hairpin to keep the heat away. Karma thought she looked quite regal, despite the fact that her surroundings were anything but.

The festival was quite crowded, with all sorts of people. Young women and girls browsed through the stalls, chattering among themselves. Tourists taking pictures and being captivated by everything. But Karma was only focused on Hayoung, who had seemed to go into a trance, captivated by the sights and sounds of the festival.

"Hey." He snapped his fingers in her face. "You wanna start exploring?"

Hayoung nodded, and let Karma take the lead. It wasn't hard to lose each other, as they towered over most of the people there. Karma immediately went for the gaming stalls, with Hayoung in tow. He went over to a shooting stall and, when Hayoung finally caught up to him, he puffed out his chest slightly.

"You have someone to impress, lad?" The stall owner joked, gesturing at Hayoung behind him.

Karma shrugged. "Maybe."

He paid the owner, picked up a rifle and aimed at his target: a tower of soft drink cans. For a while, he paused as he adjusted his aim. Then he fired. The cork shot out like a bullet and hit the cans, sending the structure crashing to the ground. The owner applauded.

"Good one! Now, pick your prize!"

Karma's eyes wove about the small inventory of stuffed animals, toys, snacks and small trinkets. A red fan caught his eye and he drew it out for the owner.

"I'll have this."

The owner's eyes widened in clarity. "So you do have someone to impress."

Karma shrugged and handed the fan to Hayoung, who mumbled a soft "thanks" as she accepted it. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he led her away from the shooting stall towards a stall that advertised a luck and chance game. The owner, a bony old woman with wisps of white hair pulled back with a headband and wearing a faded floral yukata, beckoned them over.

"Are you willing to try your luck? If you're lucky, you win a prize. If you aren't, better luck next time!" She chuckled at her own joke.

Hayoung seemed to be interested in the game, however. "I'll try my luck."

The old woman grinned toothlessly at her. "Very well, then. The rules are very simple. See this board here?" She gestured to a board with widely spread out circular markings, each about the size of a 100 yen coin. "All you have to do is toss a coin onto one of the markings and you get to win a prize! But here's the catch. You see that these markings are exactly the size of a 100 yen coin, yes? You have to completely cover the mark with it! Now, good luck!" The woman cackled.

Hayoung merely nodded and fished out a 100 yen coin from her purse to use for the game, and money to pay the old woman. The old woman happily accepted the money and stepped back, her eyes flickering back and forth between Hayoung and the board. Hayoung waited for a minute, then tossed the coin. From there, everything seemed to be in slow motion. The coin flew in a perfect arc before landing squarely on one of the markings, completely covering it as the woman decreed it should. Needless to say, Karma, the woman, and the other spectators crowded around the stall were shocked.