Forbidden Love (Park Jongseong fanfic)

Kang Festival

"Ni-Ki! Hurry up and get your robe one, we have to be out there now!" I banged on the door as he peaked his head out.

"Y/N, can you help me?" He came out with his robe half on and holding his golden sash in his hands. K came up behind me and laughed at him as I helped him tie his robe and attach the golden sash. Ni-Ki preferred to wear his sash around his waist and let it hang, so I did just that. Everyone wore it differently, some people wore it like a headband on their heads.

"Okay! Everyone ready? Y/N's family is starting the feast soon, so we need to all head down there now. Last time we were late, it didn't end pretty" Mi-Sun started pulling on my arm as I finished fixing Ni-Ki's robe.

"Nishimura! Hurry up, you're slacking behind!" Mi-Sun yelled as she shoved us out the back way of her family bar.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to this" I whispered in his ear as we walked out into the streets.

The sun was setting and music was playing as we walked closer to the center of our town. Everyone was gathered around, dancing and my parents were setting up the tables for our big feast. Of course, our three god's statues stood tall right in the middle of everyone. Mi-Sun immediately ran out and started dancing along with everyone.

"Come on guys! We do this every year!" Eun Ae grabbed K's hand and led him into the crowd as they danced together.
"Well Nishimura Riki, may I have this dance?" I did a curtsey as I held out my hand. "Why yes, Miss Y/N, I'd love to have this dance with you" He took my hand and led me right into the middle where all our friends were laughing and dancing together. Ni-Ki was always a great dancer and caused a crowd to form around him and K as they danced to the beat of the song.

"Go K! Go K!" Everyone chanted as we all clapped along to them.

"Yeah Ni-Ki!" I yelled as he smiled at me and did a quick flip as he and K did a finishing pose and the song ended. Everyone clapped for them and yelled out their names and came back to us embarrassed.

A sudden clink on a glass filled the air and my father was standing on a podium holding up the glass. "Tonight is filled with friends and families. Let us celebrate the creation of our great country, and our great gods. Jimin the god of Kindness! Kamal the god of Living Creatures! And finally our great god Soobin the god of crops. These three gods granted us the peacefulness we have today. So tonight! We celebrate them, we celebrate what they have given us! Enjoy the feast we have prepared in celebration of them!" Everyone clapped and cheered as we all gathered at our assigned tables.

"Ni-Ki! Ni-Ki! You and K should sit by us this year!" I called as I pointed to two empty seats beside me.

They sat down as the food was passed around and we each got a portion. There was tons of food, my father and mother worked so hard all week just for this day. They always are held responsible for how well the festival goes, since my father is the mayor of this city. Supposedly he was chosen by the gods himself at a young age, and whoever was his kids would be next in line. I wasn't interested in taking care of a whole town, so my father agreed to pass it down to my younger brother once he's old enough.

"Woah! Y/N, your father makes the best food!" Ni-Ki exclaimed as he continued digging in, stuffing his face.

"Chill out Ni-Ki! You don't need to choke!" K shouted as Ni-Ki looked up at us and quickly swallowed the food in his cheeks and slowly cut up his food and ate it.

"Jeez Ni-Ki, you need to learn some manners" I laughed as K watched Ni-Ki to make sure he didn't swallow his food whole.

"Ah, that's all right Y/N. Him being messy must mean he really enjoyed my food, right boy?" My father stood behind him and patted his back.

"Sir, your food is the best ever! I look forward to it every year"

"That's nice to hear" He smiled down at us and walked around checking on everyone, asking them how the food was.

Everyone finished eating as the music started again and people continued dancing. Me, Ni-ki and K stayed sitting and continued talking while Mi-sun and Eun Ae went out dancing again. Ni-Ki filled K in on the fact I knew everything and he wasn't happy, but he wasn't mad either. He was more understanding and just told me to watch out, because no one knows what happens when the gods find out someone knows about them being chosen.

"Y/N! Can you and Nishimura go get the buckets of wheat from the shop? It's almost time for the ceremony" My mother called as she helped my father drag the cow near the statues.

Me and Ni-Ki walked into my family's bakery and grabbed the five pails of wheat and carried them out to our spot at the table. My father once again got on the podium as the music died down and everyone grew quiet. "Now! It is time for our ritual! We will pray to the gods for the safety of our country and I am happy to announce my own son has been chosen by our god of Kindness to pick his special flowers. Quill, go ahead and place it on the statue right in front of God Jimin"

My brother looked so excited to be so close to the statues. He gently laid down the flower and ran and hid behind my father's leg. My father chuckled as everyone cheered as a farmer brought out a machete. "Now, it is time for the sacrifice!"

Everyone started chanting as we stood there watching them kill the cow. Ni-Ki and K watched in horror. "We really do this every year?" Ni-Ki asked as they looked down at me. "Oh yeah, we sacrifice one animal at the statues and leave buckets of wheat for the gods. If they accept then we are granted good soil and perfect land"

"But why?" I just shrugged because I wasn't 100% sure why we do it, it's just tradition. "Shouldn't you know this stuff? You are one of them you know"

"They didn't really teach us much about rituals. God Kamal and God Soobin weren't the best teachers and sometimes got lost, and God Jimin was too kind to say something" K slightly chuckled as everyone grabbed their buckets of wheat to the statue and set them around.

I held out two of the buckets my family had and gave them to K and Ni-Ki. "Now come one, join in on the fun"

They took the buckets as we walked up last and sat them right in front of God Soobin's statue. We quickly bowed and walked back into the crowd as everyone held each other's hands. The elders sang as we all stood there whispering prayers to our three gods. Ni-Ki and K were lost and just looked around confused so I leaned close to them and whispered to them what to say.

To finish the night up before midnight we danced and sang songs. Me and Ni-Ki danced together all night, laughing and just cracking old jokes. Eun Ae and K danced together as well and Mi-Sun was watching us dance together. Tonight was a great night, and it's nice to have Ni-Ki back. He hasn't changed one bit.