A New Year's Commotion (年明け、ざわめき, Toshiake, Zawameki?) is the first chapter of Volume 5 of the My Happy Marriage novel.
Summary[]
On New Year's Day, Miyo and Kiyoka set out to make their first shrine visit of the New Year. Miyo reflects on their kiss the previous night, feeling somewhat inexperienced compared to Kiyoka, which leaves her a bit embarrassed. As they stroll along snowy farm roads toward the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, Kiyoka inquires about her past New Year experiences. Miyo shares that she typically spends the first three days of the year working at the Saimori estate while her family goes out for New Year's greetings, but she deliberately omits mentioning the abuse that follows their return. Kiyoka promises her that starting from this year onwards, she can truly enjoy celebrating New Year's. They aren't able to go to the usual shrine that the Kudou family visits for the New Year because it is located in the old capital and they are too busy dealing with the Gifted Communion. The Emperor's kidnapping is also kept a secret from the public. Upon arriving at a large Shinto shrine, Miyo offers a prayer to be with Kiyoka, but her thoughts soon wander into contemplation about the nature of her feelings for him and whether or not she should put a name to them. Kiyoka gently brings her back to reality and curiously asks about her fervent prayer. Miyo hesitates, but Kiyoka candidly reveals his own prayers for peace in the empire and, with a hoarse voice, his desire to be with her, a confession that fills Miyo with a sense of inner joy.
Leaving the shrine, they explore the bustling shopping streets. Suddenly, a commotion arises. A group affiliated with the Gifted Communion performs in the crowd, showcasing a Grotesquerie that's visible to everyone, even people who don't possess Spirit-Sight like Miyo. Kiyoka suspects the cult has developed a technique to make this possible. He quickly sends a familiar to summon backup from his unit. The cult claims that unlike the government, who conceals the existence of Grotesqueries and only eradicates the ones that are immediate threats to humans, they can eradicate them using Gifts and are willing to teach their powers to everyone. Miyo realizes the cult's potential to entice people with these claims. During the demonstration of their power by slowly killing the Grotesquerie with water, unit members led by Godou arrive and arrest them. As such displays become more frequent, Yoshito expresses concern about their ability to handle them. He also mentions ongoing research into the technique the cult employs and the unit's experiments with the confiscated Grotesqueries. Kiyoka equips Miyo with protective paper familiars and checks that she has her amulet, which can activate the familiars during emergencies, before leaving her side to instruct his subordinates on handling the arrested cult members.
The following morning, newspapers report on the incident, with some criticizing the government and military for deliberately concealing Grotesqueries and Gifts. Some even cast a negative light on the unit. Miyo feels disheartened by the lack of public understanding and worries that this situation will burden Kiyoka. However, Kiyoka seems unaffected and informs Miyo it's almost time to prepare for her stay at the Imperial Palace, which might last at least half a month. Despite opposition from the government and the Ministry of the Imperial Household, Takaihito has decided to place the two Gifted Communion targets, Miyo and himself, in the same location and to concentrate their defenses there. Kiyoka's unit will relocate its base to the palace to bolster security further. Kiyoka also arranges for Hazuki and Yurie to accompany Miyo in the palace, which she's grateful for.
Characters in Order of Appearance[]
Mentioned characters[]
- Kaoruko Jinnouchi
- Emperor
- Takaihito
- Shinichi Saimori
- Kanoko Saimori
- Kaya Saimori
- Masashi Ookaito
- Hazuki Kudou
- Yurie
Chapter Notes[]
- The shrine Kiyoka and Miyo visit could be the Asakusa Shrine near Nakamise-dōri street.
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