This is a seasonal side story. The timeline is set after the conclusion of the main story.
It was the 7th of the Second Month of Fire. I had just finished my daily routine of brushing Bell and was contemplating how to spend the rest of my day when a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
"Kaito-kun-san! Kaito-kun-saaan!!"
"Raz-san? Hello."
"Hello indeed! Kaito-kun-san, this is big! It's huge news!!"
"What's the matter? You're in such a rush..."
Watching Raz-san frantically wave her tiny limbs to emphasize just how "huge" the situation was, I tilted my head in confusion and asked for clarification.
She scanned the area as if checking for eavesdroppers, then fluttered close to my ear and spoke in a hushed tone.
"Raz has... discovered something... incredible."
"Something incredible?"
"Yes. I’m only telling you because you're my favorite, Kaito-kun-san."
"Well, thank you, I suppose?"
I still couldn't grasp what she was getting at, but her grave demeanor made it clear she believed this was vital information. I felt a pang of nerves myself as I waited for her next words.
"It turns out... that today... is apparently the 'Day for Wishes to Come True'!"
"...Huh?"
"I'm serious! Today is the day when any wish can come true!"
"I-Is that so..."
What in the world was she talking about? And her voice was getting louder again; so much for being secretive. Well, Raz-san coming out with something completely off-the-wall was a regular occurrence, all things considered.
"It’s apparently called 'Tanabota'!"
"Do you mean Tanabata?"
"You know it?! Kaito-kun-san!"
"Yeah... it’s a tradition from the world I came from."
I see, Tanabata... It was true that the Month of Light had ended and we were now in the Second Month of Fire, the latter half of the year. If you mapped it to Earth’s calendar, it would indeed be July.
Now, how should I handle this? I assumed she was referring to the tanzaku strips, but there was certainly no guarantee that wishes would actually be granted.
"Is that so? Then it’s a 'ritual' from your world! That makes it so much more believable!"
"..."
Wouldn't that make it less believable? After all, the world I came from didn't have anyone nearly as powerful as the people here. Well, except for Eden-san, but she generally didn't interfere in the lives of ordinary humans.
"Kaito-kun-san! Tell me, what do I have to do to make my wish come true!?"
"E-Err... you write your wish on a tanzaku—a strip of paper—and tie it to a sasa..."
What was I supposed to do? I didn't have the heart to crush her dreams, but I couldn't irresponsibly promise her that her wish would definitely come true either. Was this how parents felt when trying to explain things to a child who still believed in Santa?
"Tanzaku? Sasa? What are those!?"
"Well, a tanzaku is just a long, thin piece of paper... and sasa is a type of bamboo tree."
"I've never heard of those names... Does it have to be this Sasa-san for the wish to come true?"
"W-Well, yes. If it's not bamboo... the certainty of it working goes down..."
Come to think of it, I had never seen bamboo in this world. This might be a perfect way to side-step the issue. I could tell her that while bamboo was the only way to be sure, other trees might have a slight effect. That would satisfy her curiosity while managing her expectations. If the wish was something within my power, I’d just grant it myself.
"If it's bamboo you need, I've got—Gah!? Wh-Why did you hit—Ack!?"
Reality, however, was a cruel mistress. That tone-deaf idiot—the General Store owner who could seemingly source anything—appeared with bamboo in hand at the worst possible moment.
"Wow! Phantasm King-sama, thank you!! Yay, now I can do the Tanabata!"
"..."
It was over. There was no way to talk my way out of it now.
I shot a murderous look at Alice as she vanished after dropping off the bamboo, then let out a heavy sigh and turned back to Raz-san.
"...Shall we get started then?"
"Yes!"
She gave me a radiant, full-faced smile. I felt terrible. I could only hope and pray that whatever Raz-san wrote on that paper was something I could actually handle.
Once we had the bamboo, preparing the tanzaku didn't take much time at all. Raz-san looked as though she was having the time of her life, excitedly scribbling her wish and tying it to a branch exactly as I’d instructed.
"Now my wish will come true! I'm so happy!!"
"R-Raz-san."
"What is it?"
"Actually, I have some cake that Theta made for us. Would you like to have some?"
"Cake! I definitely want some!!"
"Then please, head inside. I'll find a proper place to set the bamboo up."
"Okaaay!"
I watched Raz-san as she raised her hand energetically and flew into the house without a single doubt in her mind. Now was my chance!
I quickly reached for the strip of paper Raz-san had tied to the branch to check the contents. Please, let it be something simple...
Wait, her handwriting was tiny! Well, I suppose that made sense given her size. I had to pull the branch right up to my face to make it out.
'I want to stay good friends with Kaito-kun-san forever!'
...Eh? Wait. What was this sudden emotional blow? This... this was what she wished for?
I stood there, frozen in shock by the simple words written in that tiny script, until Raz-san came back out of the house to see what was taking me so long.
"Kaito-kun-san? Is something wrong?"
"Raz-san... Um, could you do me a favor and change into your human-sized form for a second?"
"Huh? Sure, if you want?"
Despite her confusion, she complied with my whispered request. A soft light enveloped her, and she grew until she was roughly the size of a human child.
"Raz-san! I'm sorry, just let me hug you for a moment!"
"Hawa!? K-Kaito-kun-san? Wh-What’s the matter? I mean, I'm happy, but... it's still broad daylight!?"
She was simply too precious. I couldn't help myself; I pulled her small body into a tight embrace. She let out a bewildered squeak at my sudden display of affection, but she didn't try to pull away.
I held her for a long moment, taking in her warmth and the faint scent of flowers, before finally stepping back.
"...Kaito-kun-san?"
"Ah, sorry... It was just an impulse. I startled you, didn't I?"
"Yes, you certainly did! But... Raz was really happy that you hugged her so tight!"
"..."
"Hawawa!? Again? Kaito-kun-san is being very bold today..."
What on earth was with this adorable creature?
The overwhelming affection I felt was undoubtedly because I had seen her wish. I realized then that I didn't need to worry about managing her expectations. If this was what she wanted, I didn't need to ask the heavens for help. I knew, with absolute certainty, that I could make that wish come true myself.