Chapter 1
Subtitle: A Rainy Night, a Broken Gumball Machine, and a Gentle Miracle
“Why don’t you step inside and shelter from the rain, little ones?”
The old woman of ‘The Magpie Sweetshop’ slid open the wooden door. Before her, five young children stood stranded, caught in the sudden downpour. On the bamboo branch at the storefront, the colourful Tanabata wishing papers hung drenched, heavy with water.
“Thank you so much,” they chimed, tumbling into the shop in a small, rustling flurry.
Their faces were unfamiliar; they were likely from another town. Noticing that some had damp hair, the old woman gently handed them towels. Their clothes, at least, seemed dry enough.
“You may each choose any treat you like. It is my treat today.”
As the children raised a joyful cheer and began scouring the shelves for sweets, she turned around to prepare some cold barley tea. When she looked back, she noticed one child gazing intently at the ten-yen gumball machine. It was a relic of days gone by—a machine where you inserted a shiny copper coin, twisted the metal lever, and watched a kaleidoscope of vibrant, round gumballs tumble down. To a child of the modern world, it must have seemed like a curious treasure.
“Would you like to give it a whirl?” she asked, slipping a ten-yen coin into the slot. But alas, the lever turned stiffly, and nothing came out.
“Oh dear, I’m terribly sorry. It seems to be broken. When my husband was still with me, he would always fix it right up. But I have never been any good with these mechanical things…”
So, it had finally given up the ghost. It wasn’t just this machine; the shop itself had seen fewer customers of late, and she, too, felt worn and weary. Perhaps it was time to consider closing the shutters for good. Catching sight of the child looking up at her with worried eyes, she realised she had let her gloomy thoughts show and quickly forced a warm, reassuring smile.
“And to think, today of all days is Tanabata. With rain like this, Princess Orihime and Prince Hikoboshi must be having a dreadful time. Even the magpies, who fly up to form a bridge across the Milky Way, must be exhausted.”
The child grinned softly. It seemed her words had brought comfort.
“Oh, not at all. A little rain like this is no trouble for us magpies. And now that we have received these delicious sweets, we are bursting with energy. Thank you for rescuing us from our plight.”
A sudden, soft rustle of beating wings filled the air—and in the blink of an eye, the children were gone. In their stead lay only the empty wrappers of the sweets they had eaten and a cluster of hollow glasses. For a moment, she wondered if she had been bewitched by a mischievous fox or a tanuki.
Just then, the shop’s sliding door rattled open once more.
“Hello! Grandma, it’s been ages!”
“How have you been?”
Several junior high school students, who used to frequent the shop when they were small, came bursting through the door.
“Hmm? Grandma, what’s wrong?”
“Ah, well, it seems this old ten-yen gumball machine has finally broken down…”
“Let me take a look. Oh, yeah, I can fix this easily!”
“Truly? Oh, what a blessing you are.”
Outside, the rain had completely cleared away.
That night, the Milky Way spanned the heavens, casting a brilliant, crystal-clear radiance down upon the world.
(The End)
[Author's Note]
To help you enjoy this story even more, here are a few fun cultural details behind it:
・Tanabata (The Star Festival): Celebrated in Japan on July 7th, this festival honours the tragic love story of Princess Orihime and Prince Hikoboshi, two lovers separated by the Milky Way. Legend says they can only meet once a year on this night—and a flock of magpies flies to the heavens to form a bridge with their wings so the lovers can cross. People celebrate by hanging colourful wishing papers (tanzaku) on bamboo branches.
・Dagashi-ya: A nostalgic, traditional Japanese candy shop aimed at children, where sweets and small toys cost only a few yen.
・Foxes and Tanuki (Raccoon Dogs): In Japanese folklore, foxes and tanuki are mythical shapeshifters famous for playing gentle tricks or magically transforming into humans.
