Autumn in Kyoto brought with it a chill in the air and the fresh scent of pumpkin spice. Alongside a brand new day for the Hifuu Club, who were currently at a coffee shop, discussing club activities and drinking coffee that was more dessert than coffee.

“You seem excited today, Merry.” Renko began. “Did you enter Gensokyo again?”

“Even better!” Maribel exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “I saw a flyer attached to the Hakurei Shrine's torii gate announcing an autumn festival later tonight! This can be our first opportunity to experience Gensokyo festivities!”

“Easy there, Merry.” Renko said with a smile. “We still don’t fully understand Gensokyo. Who knows what we’ll encounter at the festival?”

Maribel gave a mock pout. “It’s a festival, Renko. What could possibly happen to us?”

Renko shook her head. “Fair enough, but you never know when it comes to Gensokyo. Even the most peaceful evenings can end in chaos.”

Maribel bursts out laughing, her laughter sounding like tingling wind chimes. “You worry too much, Renko. Just relax and enjoy the festival.”

Renko sighed. “Okay, fine. But promise me you won’t get absolutely wasted during the festival.”

“No promises!” Maribel grinned. “Now let’s go! We’ve got a long day ahead of us!”

“Wait, Maribel, it’s not even 12 yet-!!” Renko’s protests fall on deaf ears as Maribel starts dragging her best friend away from the coffee shop.

“I know, but why wait? Some of the Gensokyo residents might need our help preparing for the festival.”

Renko was eventually able to find her footing, and the two walk along the natural trail leading through the forest. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this excited about something before, Merry.”

“Why wouldn’t I be excited? The Outside World barely celebrates anything nowadays, and it’s hard to feel festive when everything is so… artificial!”

The two friends approach the eternal cherry blossom tree that marks the boundary entrance to the Netherworld. The Hifuu club hadn’t visited such a place in years, as humans aren’t supposed to frequently visit the land of the dead. However, it should be fine for them to visit on a special day, right?

When the two cross the barrier, the begin their ascent up the stairs, admiring the cherry blossoms along the way. When they reach the Netherworld’s mansion, Hakugyokurou, they’re greeted by the wide smile of Yuyuko, alongside the stoic expression of her loyal gardener, Youmu.

“It’s the two outsiders again!” Yuyuko cheered. “You’re just in time, Youmu was about to start working on cherry blossom mochi for the festival. Would you like some?”

“Actually, we’d like to help!” Maribel offered with a wide smile. “We wouldn’t want Youmu to work alone, especially since festival preparation would likely require a lot of work.”

Youmu’s expression softened slightly. “Maribel, I appreciate the offer, but I can handle it.”

Yuyuko giggles and pats Youmu on the head, much to her gardener’s embarrassment. “Now, now, Youmu. We wouldn’t want you fainting from exhaustion during the festival.” Renko stepped forward.

“Miss Youmu, if I may, we have plenty of experience cooking, and we wouldn’t want you to handle everything alone.”

Youmu sighs, but her lips curl upward into a slight smile. “Well, if Lady Yuyuko is fine with it…”

And so, the trio would spend the next hour pounding mochi into large pink rice cakes that have a lovely aroma of cherry blossoms. The group look down at their beautiful handiwork with wide smiles, although Maribel is covered in flour.

“Oh my, something smells good~” A playful voice emerges from an opening in reality that shows a purple void full of eyes. The previously unnoticed gap now has all eyes on it as the youkai of boundary emerges.

“Well, if it isn’t Gensokyo’s favorite outsider duo.” Yukari turned to Renko and Maribel with a smile reminiscent of sunlight peeking through clouds. “I wasn’t expecting you two to directly help out in baking. I imagined you were just going to do your usual exploration during the festival.”

“It’s been awhile since we visited the Netherworld.” Renko responded with a smile. “And Merry insisted that we helped out where we could.”

Yukari chuckled into her fan. “Ufufufu~ such a polite outsider! I'm sure the Netherworld is grateful for your assistance…”

Yuyuko nods happily in the distance while attempting to take one of the mochi, only for Youmu to stop her.

“…But I would hate for you two to tire yourselves out before the festival can begin.”

Yukari opens up a gap beside them, where they can see night descending upon Gensokyo. “Come along now, the fun is just beginning.”

The Hifuu Club would then exit through the gap, where they’re greeted by the festive atmosphere, and the smell of good food greeted them with (metaphorical) open arms. As the two walked throughout the festival, Maribel turned to her friend with a slightly concerned expression.

“Renko, do you think we should’ve dressed better for the occasion?”

Renko giggles. “Merry, you aren’t worried about youkai, but you’re worried about an outfit? I don’t think anyone’s going to care, and the ones who would care are going to be too drunk to notice.”

Maribel smiled in response to Renko’ encouragement. “Yeah, you’re probably-“

“Renko and Maribel.” A stern voice made both students freeze in place. Turning towards the source of the voice, they see the familiar stern glare of the supreme judge of paradise, Eiki.

“L-Lady Shiki?!” Renko stammered. “W-We were just enjoying the festival.”

“Indeed you are.” The yama said with a calm smile. “I merely wanted to state that I’m glad to see that you arrived in your traditional clothing. Those who visit festivals in regular clothing are those who not feel that they need to uphold a standard in a place where standards are nonexistent. In the meantime, I need to make sure that my lazy shinigami isn’t already passed out somewhere.”

And with that, she walks away, leaving the two girls stunned. “Uh… okay then.” Renko said. “Anyway! What do you want to do first?”

The two would then share a surprisingly heavy meal of various festival foods at a nearby table. Once they’ve finished eating, Maribel leans back and pats her stomach. “Ohh… I’m stuffed…” Maribel groans while reaching for a cup of “water.” “Did you really have to go so heavy on the festival food?”

Renko chuckled. “Don’t act like you didn’t enjoy it, Merry. You practically inhaled that yakisoba.” She then realizes what Maribel is holding. “Wait, Merry, that’s not water, that’s-!”

Too late, Maribel takes a big sip and instinctively spits it out all over Renko when the burn hits.

“…Sake.”

Maribel bursts out laughing at the sight of her drenched best friend. “Sorry! I wasn’t expecting the burn…”

Renko shrugged off the incident, and the two would then share a quick drink, that led into several for Maribel. As night descended upon Gensokyo, Renko was carrying Maribel on her back, who had been fully intoxicated for awhile now.

“Everything’s all… dizzy now…” Maribel manages to say in-between mumbles.”

“Geez, you’re really terrible at holding your liquor, you lnow?” Renko says with a huff.

When the fireworks started exploding above them, Maribel looked upward, and then excitedly squeezed Renko while cheering, almost strangling her girlfriend in the process.

“Waugh?!” Renko yelped.

“Renko look!!” Merry pointed upward where the two could see a magician doing aerial tricks on her broom while setting off magical fireworks that burst into a wide variety of patterns. She was then joined by a ghost lady with a staff, where they would then produce the greatest light show Gensokyo had ever seen.

“Agh, Merry! Loosen up a little!”

“Hehe, sorry!”

Maribel loosened up, but still hugged Renko tightly.

“It is really pretty though.” Renko said with awe. “The entire sky is lit up by their fireworks, I’ve never seen anything like it!”

The two sat down on a nearby hill and watched the fireworks with a smile on their faces, until Maribel inevitably succumbed to the alcohol and passed out, to which Renko would have to carry her to a nearby inn in the Human Village. They would then sleep off the alcohol, until Maribel was stable enough to bring them home.