"""Festival!?"""
Everyone echoed in surprise at Grandma Lyla's idea, their expressions clearly showing their shock.
"Yes, a festival."
Grandma Lyla replied, nodding firmly with confidence.
"But can just a festival really make this quiet village famous?"
Kai countered, clearly doubtful about the idea.
"I'm sorry, Grandma, but I agree with Kai... do you really think a festival alone could make this place famous?"
Elly added. It wasn't that she thought her grandmother's idea was bad—in fact, she found it rather delightful. The problem was whether something so simple could truly transform a tiny village of just a few dozen residents into a bustling tourist destination. Honestly, Elly wasn't naïve enough to believe that so easily.
"Hehehe..."
While everyone was doubting Grandma Lyla's plan, a sudden laugh broke out among them. As they turned to find the source, they spotted Bob grinning from ear to ear. Everyone looked puzzled. Why was the man who had been silent all this time suddenly smiling so broadly?
"Brother, why are you laughing like that all of a sudden? You're disgusting, you know!"
Claire snapped, not even trying to hide the disgust on her face.
"Oh, my dear sister! Don't you think that idea is brilliant!?"
Bob shot back as he stood up, raising his open hand in Claire's direction.
"Huh?! What are you even talking about?"
Claire tilted her head, utterly confused by her brother's words.
"Do you really not understand? My dear sister, I've actually been thinking about that very idea this whole time—but I wasn't sure how to bring it up."
"So you've been silent all this time because you were dwelling on such a useless idea?"
Claire looked visibly disappointed in her brother.
"Claire, you really shouldn't say things like that... don't you realize your words could hurt someone's feelings?"
Kai said as he glanced toward Grandma Lyla. Claire immediately followed his gaze, realized her mistake, and quickly covered her mouth with both hands, regret written all over her face.
"I'm sorry, Grandma Lyla... I didn't mean to belittle your idea!"
Claire apologized earnestly.
"It's alright... you don't need to apologize, I'm not angry,"
Grandma Lyla replied with a steadfast expression—but a moment later, tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
"Ah... I really am sorry! I didn't mean it, I swear!"
Claire said in a panic.
"It's fine... what can I say? I guess it's only natural that someone from your generation wouldn't
know how amazing the festivals in this village used to be."Grandma Lyla spoke with a nostalgic look on her face.
"Heheh... actually, I know just how amazing those festivals were!"
Bob declared proudly, puffing out his chest with his hands on his hips.
"Why are you making that smug face!?"
Claire snapped, clearly annoyed by her brother's expression.
"So, just how old is Bob, anyway?"
Kai whispered to Kurt.
"He's not that much older than us—only about two years."
Kurt whispered back.
"Then how does he know about a festival that probably hasn't been held in decades?"
"How should I know?! Honestly, I've always thought he was a man full of mysteries."
Kurt replied. Both he and Kai glanced at Bob with the look one might give some strange, incomprehensible creature.
"So if making this village famous is as simple as holding a festival, why haven't you ever tried doing it before?"
Kai's question left everyone in silence. Their eyes turned toward Grandma Lyla, who was likely the only one who knew the answer.
"Hmmm... if you want the simple answer, it's because the festivals we once held were extremely difficult to organize in this day and age."
Grandma Lyla explained, leaving everyone looking rather disappointed.
"If we can't pull it off, then why even suggest the idea in the first place?"
Kai replied, sounding a little irritated with her answer.
"It may be difficult, but that doesn't mean it's impossible,"
Grandma Lyla answered with a faint smile.
"What do you mean by that?"
Kai asked again, tilting his head slightly.
"It won't be easy, but if we prepare properly, we can create a festival that's truly spectacular—far greater than any this village has ever seen in the past."
"Then what exactly do we need to prepare?"
"..."
Grandma Lyla fell silent at that question, which only made Kai more curious—and impatient.
"What's wrong? Did you forget what we need to prepare?"
Kai pressed.
"Do you really take me for some senile old woman? Of course I remember it clearly!" she retorted.
'Didn't you forget things a few times earlier...?' Kai muttered to himself with a hint of sarcasm.
"This may be hard for you to accept, because I'll be naming things you've probably never even heard of—things that might make you think I've lost my mind... but even so, will you still hear me out?"
Everyone looked at one another, then nodded in agreement.
"Very well... here are the things we'll need in order to create the greatest festival the world has ever seen."
Everyone gulped nervously as they waited for Grandma Lyla's answer.
"Hmmm... what were we talking about again?"
Grandma Lyla asked, tilting her head.
Thud!
Almost everyone who heard her response toppled right off their seats. The only ones still upright were Claire—clutching her head in pain—and Elly, whose face had turned bright red from embarrassment.
"Come on, Grandma... don't embarrass us like this!"
Elly protested, lightly pounding her grandmother's shoulder.
"Oh, Elly... do you want to give me a shoulder massage?"
Grandma Lyla asked, clearly misunderstanding.
"Grandma Lyla, maybe you forgot... but we're talking about the festival right now. If we don't know what needs to be prepared, we won't be able to get anything started."
Claire explained, trying her best to stay patient—though her face still showed a clear frown.
"Oh, right... that's true. I almost forgot."
Grandma Lyla said, clapping her hands together.
"You didn't almost forget... you actually did."
Kai muttered, frowning as well.
"Don't sweat the small stuff—or you'll never be popular with girls."
Grandma Lyla shot back with a pout of her own.
Kai froze for a moment, then slowly nodded before sitting up straight in his chair.
"Alright, I understand! I'll do whatever it takes to become popular with girls!" he declared with dead-serious determination.
"Do you seriously not have any other motivation?"
Claire asked, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"So, what do we need to prepare?"
Claire turned to Grandma Lyla once again.
"What we need to prepare isn't much, but obtaining them will be very difficult,"
Grandma Lyla replied with a serious expression.
"What we need are... the fastest horse in the world, a flower with seven petals each in a different color, a rainbow-colored fish, a golden egg, golden milk, the fountain of eternal youth, and most importantly... the legendary soup, said to be the most delicious soup in the world."
Everyone froze upon hearing the grandmother's answer. They looked at each other with troubled expressions.
"What the heck is that? Where are we supposed to find all of that?"
Kai asked, clearly baffled by Grandma Lyla's words.
"I'm not entirely sure myself... but since that festival was once held in this village, all of those things should exist here somewhere."
Kurt answered, his expression not much different from Kai's.
"If we don't have them, then we just have to make them... hahahaha!"
Bob declared, oddly unbothered by the ridiculous list.
"Brother... do you even understand what Grandma Lyla just said? Have you ever seen the world's fastest horse, a flower with seven differently-colored petals, a rainbow-colored fish, a golden egg, golden milk, the fountain of youth, or the legendary soup—the most delicious soup in the world—anywhere in this village!?"
Claire snapped, glaring at him so fiercely it was almost frightening. But Bob still kept his wide grin.
"Don't worry, we'll definitely find them!"
"And just where does that confidence of yours even come from?!"
Claire groaned, clutching her head. She was starting to think she was surrounded by nothing but idiots.
"As Kurt said, the festival was held here once before. That means those things must exist somewhere in this village—we just have to search for them!"
Bob insisted, still full of confidence.
"So where exactly are we supposed to look for all of that?"
Kai asked flatly.
Silence fell over the group. No one knew the answer—not even Grandma Lyla, who had proposed the idea in the first place. Seeing everyone's bewildered faces, even Bob's wide grin began to fade, replaced by a confused expression.
"It seems this village really is doomed after all..."
Kai muttered pessimistically.