<b>I waved to my mother and father as I left my house.</b>
<b>“Take care, Yukiya.”</b>
<b>“Have fun.”</b>
<b>I looked up to the sky.</b>
<b>There was a bit of snow, but that isn’t a bad thing. Because today is the snow festival.</b>
<b>The Hyosei Village Snow Festival is a special event that takes place in the winter, and has become a bit of a tourist spot before the new year.</b>
<b>Snow sculptures are erected, Specialty items are made, Live events, etc. All on a large scale. It’s a true sight seeing event.</b>
<b>This year seemed especially busy.</b>
<b>“Yukiya-chan!”</b>
<b>My female classmates were already at the meeting place.</b>
<b>Azusa Okamoto and Mai Fujisaki. And of course Natsumi-chan.</b>
<b>Her coat focused on warmth, but it combined cute ear-pads, a bright colored muffler, stylish skirt and tights.</b>
<b>Leather winter boots completed the stylish outfit.</b>
<b>“Well, shall we go?”</b>
<b>“We’re off!”</b>
<b>We passed through a simple arched structure and met the main center of activity. A unique snow statue was made just for today.</b>
<b>This one is an imitation of a character from a popular children’s animation.</b>
<b>“Amazing-.”</b>
<b>Although it was not the first time seeing a sculpture like this, I could tell that it was masterly done.</b>
<b>“How did they make this?”</b>
<b>“It looks like it’s about to fall down. . .”</b>
<b>I also wondered that. I’m sure they used various tools and techniques to make it.</b>
<b>“Woah, Amazing!”</b>
<b>Natsumi-chan then raised her voice.</b>
<b>It’s certainly big. . .</b>
<b>It was an ice structure on a huge scale.</b>
<b>It was an imitation of a western style castle.</b>
<b>Not only was it luxuriously decorated, but it even had visible ice rooms inside. So you can actually go in.</b>
<b>There was even a slide that was being used by many children playing around it.</b>
<b>Looking at that sign near it, it said that it was made by the Hikura Hotel.</b>
<b>“Amazing. I guess that’s why a week ago there were many trucks and shovel cars.”</b>
<b>Many people took pictures, it was obvious that this castle was the highlight of the event.</b>
<b>Hikura Hotel brand is also very apparent on it. </b>
<b>Well. . .This snow festival does seem more extravagant than I’m used to. I’m sure that has something to do with the Hikura Hotel.</b>
<b>And there are so many people. There must have been an aggressive ad campaign.</b>
<b>Pumping money into this feels weird and toxic. However it is a very valuable thing to have.</b>
<b>If you overthink it, you’ll start to get envious, and it will just make you miserable. So it’s best not to think about it.</b>
<b>There was also a temporary skating rink set up slightly nearby.</b>
<b>You could hear the cheers of children, and the noise of parents/adults around them.</b>
<b>. . .But I can’t skate. So I’ll pass.</b>
<b>Also some Kamakura snow houses were set up. It seems they were set up as a Kamakura cafe. There was a terrible line for it, so I think I’ll pass.</b>
<b>The winter festival is so elaborate that it’s hard to see the gymnasium. It was tactfully made into a refreshment spot.</b>
<b>Instead we got some pork soups, and a yakisoba at one place.</b>
<b>Mai got a Takoyaki.</b>
<b>We drank some Amazake.</b>
<b>And it was warm and delicious.</b>
<b>“Oh, Yukiya-chan.”</b>
<b>An Onii-san who ran the refreshment store called out to me.</b>
<b>“Hello.”</b>
<b>Because it is a small village. I do know him. It’s a small world so I quickly got acquainted with the locals.</b>
<b>Especially the fellow shop owners.</b>
<b>Sometimes they’d all get together and have a meal.</b>
<b>After graduating high school, a lot of the locals just enter the local workforce.</b>
<b>The Onii-san had a beer in one hand and then muttered.</b>
<b>“Yukiya-chan is the poster girl for our town.”</b>
<b>Poster. . .Girl?</b>
<b>“Amazing, Yukiya-chan is already the face of the town.”</b>
<b>Huh?</b>
<b>Well whatever. . .</b>
<b>I looked at a venue guide map, there are photo booths, a history corner, and contest booths.</b>
<b>Along with specialty stores, which were very crowded.</b>
<b>A fashionable girl wearing makeup and good looking clothes walked around the venue with a camera man behind her.</b>
<b>Written on her stash was Ms.Hyousei Village.</b>
<b>“Oh, There are people like that. . .”</b>
<b>She was beautiful, but seems elegant beyond words.</b>
<b>Fujisaki-san then whispered in my ear.</b>
<b>“That’s Matsuda-Senpai’s Onee-san. Matsuda-senpai is in the soft tennis club. But I don’t want to recklessly say hi.”</b>
<b>Ah, that Onee-san must also be working for the tourist association. . .</b>
<b>A small village. Has somebody like that.</b>
<b>Of course, I know to stay clear.</b>
<b>I don’t want to make a mistake in front of a cameraman. Or somebody like that.</b>
<b>“What the? What is that costume?”</b>
<b>Besides Ms.um Hyousei Village. Was a cartoon character costume waving vigorously.</b>
<b>“Eh? What the? Thats Hyousei-kun.”</b>
<b>“Hyousei-kun?”</b>
<b>“Three years ago, in an attempt to attract more tourists, the Hyousei-kun was designed.”</b>
<b>“So a mascot?. . .For the town.”</b>
<b>Natsumi-chan who was the mayor’s daughter would also be aware.</b>
<b>I’m sorry for your loss.</b>
<b>I’m already aware. And I know that character was not popular.</b>
<b>It’s expression was uncanny, and the kids would often start crying.</b>
<b>“Oh, it’s Dad.” </b>
<b>It was then we noticed a group of people in suits.</b>
<b>Natsumi-chan’s father- – – The mayor was in their group.</b>
<b>The people in suits where his entourage.</b>
<b>“Look, those people were specially invited. These high ranking people are friendly with the mayor. One of them is even coming from Kagoshima. . .”</b>
<b>Kagoshima.</b>
<b>All the way from Kyushu. . .Amazing. There is even a booth with a Kagoshima Black Boar made for them.</b>
<b>Speaking of which. It’s obvious they aren’t used to the cold. Wearing a ton of extra clothes. I do hope they don’t get a cold from the constant sweat.</b>
<b>“I wonder if they are also doing business.”</b>
<b>I wonder if there must be a lot of hardships on the business end happening that I don’t know about.</b>
<b>“Ah, it’s Kouko-san. Is that her father next to her?”</b>
<b>Fujisaki-san then noticed a man who stabbed a toothpick into a Takoyaki and then chomped on it.</b>
<b>“Really. . .”</b>
<b>There was Hikura Kouko. Walking around the venue while holding the arm of a man standing besides her.</b>
<b>The man looked old, old like a father.</b>
<b>Looked like my father’s age.</b>
<b>That girl. . .</b>
<b>She was dressed in a western style dress. Today she had her long hair elegantly tied behind her, as it swayed every time she moved.</b>
<b>So classy. . .</b>
<b>She then noticed us and put on a smile.</b>
<b>“Oh, Good Evening. Everyone.”</b>
<b>Naturally I’m aware of it.</b>
<b>The other girls are aware of it. </b>
<b>The elegant atmosphere was apparent.</b>
<b>But the friction between us was also obvious. Our peers the spread a bit away from us two.</b>
<b>“Ara Ara, if it isn’t Yukiya Kitahara-san.”</b>
<b>“If it isn’t Kouko Hikura-san.”</b>
<b>The fellow Yuki Onnas identified each other.</b>
<b>“How is this new life in the town? Did you get some femininity yet?”</b>
<b>She remarked because she knew who I was.</b>
<b>“It seems like you’re doing your best to imitate a human. But don’t you miss the mountain air?”</b>
<b>I also know her true identity. Even though she calls herself a city lady.- – –</b>
<b>“Ohh, who is this?”</b>
<b>The man besides Kouko-san then broke the tension in the air.</b>
<b>“Oh, are you guys friends of Kouko-san?”</b>
<b>“Ah, Y-Yes!”</b>
<b>This looked like an important person from the Hikura group.</b>
<b>The high quality suit and coat shows the wealth.</b>
<b>I’m sure he was a good looking guy in the past, it’s obvious to see. And the atmosphere he exudes is nice.</b>
<b>“Well please continue to treat her well.”</b>
<b>“H-Ha. . .”</b>
<b>“Father-sama, let’s go over there.”</b>
<b>“O-Oi. Don’t call me that in public. . .”</b>
<b>Kouko then pulled the father by the arm towards the next exhibition booth.</b>
<b>“You guys are awfully close.”</b>
<b>“Um, and constantly quarrel. . . Is there something between you two. Yukiya-chan?”</b>
<b>“I don’t know about that. . .”</b>
<b>Unexpectedly there was a bitter smile.</b>
<b>I wonder how my mother would deal with a situation that involves another Yuki Onna.</b>
<b>“Ah, Dad!”</b>
<b>Natsumi-chan then waved her hand.</b>
<b>I looked over to see her father, and his group noticed us. </b>
<b>They are the people in charge of this snow festival.</b>
<b>This was a more fun chapter then the recap. Sorry for the delay, got distracted. I’m looking forward to part two. And I also wonder if Kouko actually knows Yukiya’s true identity. Like the fact she used to be a boy. That femininity line could also just be directed at her, because she thinks she is a female monkey. Who is crude. Regardless, I love their interactions. It’s fun to translate/write evil people lines.</b>
<b>Next chapter in 2-3 days. I’ll try to get more out consistently. So I can get the momentum back. This chapter was also longer then I expected so that had something to do with it.</b>
<b>If you’d like to blah, here. https://ko-fi.com/G2G6EFF3#</b>