Mentioned Characters: Sanae

Sanae Kochiya is a living god running on pure hyped-up miracle energy. Between the summer heat and the excitement of the Summer Fest concerts, her sun-kissed skin and golden hair were practically glowing. Dressed in her sarong swimsuit, she was enjoying every second of it.

Summer Fest is the biggest event of summer, and it's what really brings Gensokyo to life. Concerts run back to back on the massive main stage, scheduled down to the minute, so the pounding groove reaches everyone no matter where they are. And of course, there are plenty of food stalls, offering everything from food and drinks to recharge after a long day, plus souvenir shops with a little something to remember the day by.

"This is so much fun!" She could hardly believe the day had finally come after all that waiting. Was it the stifling summer air, or the giddy rush of getting swept up in the crowd? She honestly couldn't tell anymore. She couldn't stop sweating, but instead of feeling gross, she felt strangely refreshed. Being at Summer Fest with her friend made something inside her burn even hotter. "Whoo! Let's crank it up to max!" "This is exactly what I mean!" Swept up in Sanae's excitement, she threw her arms up as high as she could, hungry for more.

"You know a ton about this world's music scene, right? Come with me!" That's what Sanae said as she handed her two tickets. She couldn't be more grateful to Sanae for inviting her to Summer Fest. Sanae was clearly enjoying the festival in her own way, happily listening to her as she rambled on about music and concerts. "Ooh, nice! You were right, that new song earlier was really good. Best. Decision. Ever. Bringing you along was the smartest thing I've ever done!" When Sanae smiled at her, it was like staring straight at the sun, and for a second, she was dazzled. "...Oops." She hadn't meant to let it show, but Sanae leaned in, looking concerned. "Maybe we got a little too excited, huh? Let's take a break."

"Want me to go grab you a drink? The lady at the stand recommended the Blue Sparkle Crush Soda." "...No, I'm good." She was just caught off guard by how pretty Sanae's smile was, and that's what she told her. "Whoa, nice compliment. You're gonna be a real smooth talker one day." Sanae grinned from ear to ear, but it was doing a pretty poor job of covering up her blush. "...But promise me you'll say something the second you start feeling sick!" Sanae grabbed her hand and took off running back toward the stage. "All right! Let's kick this up a notch!" Sanae shouted loud enough to drown out the whole crowd, and it even caught the band's attention. "C'mon, I know you can go louder than that!" The crowd roared in response, and she was pulled right back into the thrill of it all. Summer Fest was far from over.