Rabu kome manga no sekai ni haitte shimattanode - V3 Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Fireworks Festival, Changing Feelings

About two weeks had passed since the day Sei-chan came to our house, became friends with Rie, and they studied and had dinner together.

That day, after I dropped Sei-chan off, we immediately ate the gyoza the two of them had made.

It was delicious, the absolute best. I wish they’d make it for me every day.

“Siiigh, the exams are over…”

After school, the one who collapsed onto his desk in the classroom with a sigh was Shigemoto Yūichi.

The past few days had been final exams, and today, at last, all the tests were finished.

Yūichi isn’t good at studying, so it must have been tough for him.

“Alright, club activities start up again today!”

“Good for you, Yūichi. So, how do you think you did on the exams?”

“Of course I have a feeling. A feeling that by the time the results come back, I won’t be able to go to my club again.”

“So you’re already guaranteed to have to take make-up exams?”

Didn’t this guy get tutored by Tōjōin-san and Fujise?

I’m not one to talk, but at least I’m not bad enough to get a failing grade and have to take a make-up.

“Yūichi? Do you really have a feeling you did poorly enough to fail?”

Since it was after school, Tōjōin-san from another class had come over to our classroom.

Around Yūichi and me were Fujise and Sei-chan as well.

“Ah, Kaori, thanks a lot! Since you tutored me, it looks like I’ll only have to take make-ups for the subjects I’m especially bad at, not every single one!”

“…Siiigh, well, isn’t that nice.”

“Thanks to you too, Fujise, you were a big help!”

“U-uhm, yeah, I’m glad I could help.”

Tōjōin-san let out an exasperated sigh, while Fujise just gave a wry smile.

It seems the two of them tutored him together, but they were speechless at just how bad Yūichi was at studying.

“Well, whatever. Yūichi, you’d better keep your promise.”

“I know. To thank you for tutoring me, we’re going to the fireworks festival together, right?”

“Tōjōin-san, of course I’m going too, you know? I may not be as good at studying as you, but I tutored Shigemoto-kun properly too.”

“Yes, if it weren’t for you, Yūichi would have failed every subject again this time. Therefore, I will permit you to accompany us to the fireworks festival.”

“The fact that you’re so condescending bothers me, but thanks!”

As usual, the two of them seemed to be sparking at each other over Yūichi.

“Well then, I’m off to the basketball club. See ya!”

Yūichi grabbed his things and sprinted off toward his club. He’s so fast.

I don’t know if he’s oblivious to their rivalry, but the way he just dashes off to do the thing he loves, basketball, feels so typically Yūichi.

He also didn’t seem to notice the guys around him muttering things like, “That guy’s going to a fireworks festival with a girl on each arm…?”

With Yūichi gone, Tōjōin-san also said, “Well then, farewell,” and left the classroom.

“Ah, Sei-chan, I’m going to the fireworks festival with Tōjōin-san and Shigemoto-kun, so I can’t go with you. I’m sorry.”

“Hm? We didn’t promise to go together this year, did we?”

“Yeah, we didn’t, but we’ve gone together every year. But…”

Fujise glanced over at me, then continued speaking with a grin.

“Fufu, I wonder if you have plans to go with someone other than me this year, Sei-chan?”

“! W-well, yes…”

Sei-chan also glanced my way before starting to whisper with Fujise, so our classmates wouldn’t hear.

“Shiho, you know, don’t you?”

“Of course. You’re going with Hisamura-kun, right?”

“W-well, yes, but this time I’m going with Hisamura’s little sister, Rie. The three of us.”

“Eh, with Rie-chan? Is that so.”

Fujise had met my sister Rie at the cooking class we had before.

“If you’re thinking about your future with Hisamura-kun, it’s a good idea to get along with his little sister, Rie-chan.”

“That’s not why I’m getting along with Rie, you know?”

I don’t know what she means by that, but I’m happy that Sei-chan and Rie are getting along.

Though it would be a problem if Rie started to seriously fall for Sei-chan.

The fireworks festival with Sei-chan and Rie is already tomorrow.

I’m really looking forward to it, but I have a slight anxiety, or rather, one point of concern.

It’s the fact that I’m starting to forget my knowledge of the ‘Ojōjama’ original story.

Before I entered the world of ‘Ojōjama’, I loved this manga and read it all the time.

I’d reread it so many times that I should have had the entire story memorized… or so I thought.

I remember there was a story about a fireworks festival.

However, I can barely recall any of the details.

What I can faintly remember is that in the original story, Yūichi and Tōjōin-san went to the fireworks festival as a pair.

Fujise went with Sei-chan, and they were supposed to have accidentally met up somewhere at the festival.

I can’t remember anything else.

It’s been about two months since I entered this world, but my memory isn’t so bad that I’d forget the plot in just two months, and since I reread it so many times, there’s no way I should have forgotten.

The fact that I can’t remember this much… maybe I’m gradually losing my knowledge of the original story.

I have no idea why, but then again, I have no idea why I entered this world in the first place.

It wouldn’t be strange for something utterly mysterious to happen, since the mystery of me being in this world is already an ongoing event.

But forgetting the original story is a little sad.

Because I really loved this manga.

“Tsukasa? What’s wrong?”

“S-Sei-chan…”

I must have been deep in thought, because when I came to, Sei-chan was peering at my face with a worried expression.

It seemed that our classmates, and Fujise, were no longer around.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about something.”

“I see… Did something happen?”

“Hm? No, nothing in particular.”

“If you say so, but you looked a little sad.”

Eh? I can’t believe Sei-chan picked up on that.

Was it that obvious on my face?

“If you have something worrying you, I’ll listen, but are you sure you’re okay?”

Sei-chan is so kind, she’s trying to listen to me with genuine concern.

But there’s no way I can talk about this particular worry.

Besides, it’s not something I’m that seriously troubled by.

It’s true that forgetting the manga’s story is sad, but far more happy and wonderful things have been happening to me.

That is, of course, entering the world of this manga and getting to date Sei-chan.

Compared to that happiness, the pain of forgetting the original story is practically nothing.

“I’m fine. I was just so happy about being able to date you, Sei-chan, that I was just worrying about what I’d do if this was all a dream.”

“W-were you really thinking that? You’re not just trying to change the subject…?”

Though a little embarrassed, Sei-chan is still worried about me.

I’m not telling her the whole truth, but if you were to summarize what’s worrying me, that’s pretty much it.

“For me, dating you is like a dream come true, you know.”

“…I can’t tell if you’re being serious or joking, you know.”

“I’m completely serious, of course.”

Originally, Sei-chan is a character in a manga.

I genuinely loved her, but I never once thought I could date her.

There aren’t many people who seriously think they can date a manga character.

“You really say the most embarrassing things…”

“It’s because I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I’m so happy and glad to be dating you, Sei-chan.”

“…S-stop saying such embarrassing things and let’s go home already.”

“Fufu, you’re right.”

Sei-chan and I left the classroom together and headed for the shoe lockers.

“Sei-chan, I’m looking forward to the fireworks festival tomorrow.”

“Yeah, me too. I’m also looking forward to walking around with Rie.”

Chatting like that, Sei-chan and I started on our way home.

I’m truly looking forward to the fireworks festival, but I’m also a little anxious.

Since I can’t remember the original story, I have no idea what’s going to happen.

If it’s a normal fireworks festival, I don’t think anything special will happen.

But in the manga’s story, during the fireworks festival, something important was supposed to have happened, though I can’t remember it well.

Something is supposed to happen, but I can’t remember what. It’s like a weight on my chest, and it feels awful.

Since it’s a normal rom-com manga, there shouldn’t have been any dangerous incidents.

I think it’ll be fine, but… I’m a little worried.

 

And then, the next day.

As I’d feared, I couldn’t remember the manga’s story, and the day of the fireworks festival arrived.

The fireworks are apparently set to go off at eight in the evening, and the plan is to arrive at the venue before that to look around at the stalls.

We were supposed to meet at the venue at six, but Rie left the house by herself quite a bit before the meeting time.

According to Rie, she was “going to meet up with Sei-san first, then go to the meeting spot.”

If that was the case, I wanted to see Sei-chan too, so I tried to go with her, but…

‘Absolutely not. Onii-chan, you go to the meeting spot by yourself, on time… no, come a little early.’

That’s what she told me, so I came to the meeting spot alone.

I wonder why I wasn’t allowed to go with them. It feels a little sad, like I’m being left out.

I arrived more than ten minutes early, just as Rie told me to, but I wonder when the two of them will get here.

As I was waiting, blankly watching the people walk by…

“Onii-chan, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Hearing Rie’s voice from behind me, I turned around, and my eyes widened at the sight of her.

“Rie, is that a yukata?”

“It is. What do you think?”

Rie was wearing a beautiful yukata, primarily red, with a pattern of scattered purple flowers.

Her hair wasn’t in its usual side-tail, but was beautifully braided, and she wore a blue flower hair ornament.

“It looks great on you. Both the yukata and your hairstyle are cute.”

“…Mmm, thanks.”

Rie’s cheeks flushed slightly in embarrassment, and she looked away.

I never thought Rie would come in a yukata.

But her yukata… I feel like I’ve seen it before, a sense of déjà vu… I wonder why.

“I think Sei-san will be here soon.”

“I see… Hm?”

Wait a minute. If Rie showed up in a yukata, does that mean Sei-chan might also…

“Rie, Tsukasa, sorry to keep you waiting. Am I a little late?”

Before I could mentally prepare myself, Sei-chan’s voice rang out from next to me.

Nervously, I turned to look, and there──.

“This is my first time wearing a yukata, but it’s nicer than I expected. Rie, thank you for inviting me.”

“Not at all. I wanted to wear a yukata with you, Sei-san. It looks amazing on you.”

“Thank you. You look great too, Rie.”

A chic, calming yukata with a black base fabric, adorned with a pattern of white and gray flowers.

Her hair was braided just like Rie’s, and she wore a cute hairpin with a red flower motif that matched Rie’s.

The moment I saw Sei-chan in a yukata, I was hit with a shock so intense I thought my heart had exploded.

“Tsukasa? What’s wrong?”

As I stood there in silence, captivated by Sei-chan, she looked up at me worriedly.

She sometimes looks up at me like this, and every time she does, my heart skips a beat, but today is on a whole other level.

I don’t have the words to express this beauty.

Just let me say one thing.

“I’m glad I was born…”

I clasped my hands together and offered words of gratitude to the goddess that was Sei-chan.

I was probably born just to see this goddess.

“Onii-chan, Sei-san is not a goddess, you know.”

“Eh? Is he praying to me?”

“Hah… You were so beautiful, I seriously thought you were a goddess.”

“What are you talking about…”

Sei-chan made an exasperated face, but she truly is so beautiful and precious that she looks like nothing less than a goddess.

This is bad. If I keep looking directly at her, my eyes won’t be able to handle her divine radiance.

“Too cute, too beautiful, too pretty… I can’t, it hurts, this is bad…”

“Onii-chan has broken.”

“Is he really going to be okay?”

“I think if you say something to him, Sei-san, he’ll recover.”

“Tsukasa, are you okay? Can you go to the festival?”

“I can, my goddess.”

“Wh-who are you calling a goddess!”

I called her that without thinking and got a little scolded.

But to me, Sei-chan really is a goddess.

“Onii-chan, that’s enough joking around.”

“I’m not joking, though? Sei-chan is so much of a goddess I can’t look directly at her.”

“S-saying such embarrassing things…”

Sei-chan’s face turns red with embarrassment, but the damage to my heart is, as expected, greater than usual.

I think I might seriously die from how precious this is…

“Onii-chan, you should go get changed into a yukata too. I hope you can get used to Sei-san’s yukata in the meantime.”

“Eh, me too? Where?”

“You can rent a yukata at that shop right over there, and they’ll help you put it on. That’s where Sei-san and I went.”

I see, so there’s a shop like that. That’s why Rie left the house early.

“It would have been better if you came with us, Onii-chan, but I wanted to surprise you with Sei-san’s yukata.”

“Thanks to that, Onii-chan’s heart was about to explode.”

“So I shouldn’t have done it?”

“Rie-sama, you are a genius. Thank you very much.”

“What are the two of you talking about…”

Sei-chan let out an exasperated sigh.

After that, just as Rie said, I went to the yukata rental shop and had them dress me in a yukata.

I chose a simple black kimono, just like Sei-chan.

The price was surprisingly cheap, and the yukata is very cool and comfortable.

Putting on the geta* sandals really makes it feel like a festival.

[TN - They are traditional japanese wooden sandals worn with yukata.]

Since I’m a guy, getting dressed was apparently simple, and I was able to rejoin Rie and Sei-chan in about ten minutes.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, you two.”

“Mm, that was fast. You look good.”

“Thanks, Rie.”

After getting a compliment from Rie, I turned to face Sei-chan.

As I thought, I’m still not used to her in a yukata at all, but I want to keep looking at her forever, even if my heart bursts.

That’s what I was thinking, but Sei-chan was blushing and seemed to be having trouble saying something.

“Sei-chan, what’s wrong?”

“Ah, no, it’s just… your yukata, it looks really good on you.”

Sei-chan averted her gaze and said so in a small voice.

“Eh, ah, thanks.”

The way Sei-chan said it was more serious than I expected, or rather, she said it while blushing, so I got a little flustered myself.

“…Have you two forgotten that I’m here?”

Rie was staring at the two of us blushing at each other with a deadpan look.

“N-no, we haven’t forgotten, Rie.”

“Yeah, there’s no way I’d forget my own sister.”

“…Well, I guess it can’t be helped that you two have your own atmosphere since you’re a couple, but I’m here today, you know.”

Rie said this, looking a little sulky, then took up a position to Sei-chan’s right and clung to her arm.

“I was really looking forward to going to the festival with you, Sei-san. So you can’t forget about me.”

“Rie… fufu, me too. I was really looking forward to it too.”

The two of them snuggled together like sisters and laughed.

It seems Rie has grown more attached to Sei-chan than I thought.

“Well then, let’s go. There’s lots of stuff I want to eat, and lots of things I want to do.”

“You’re right. Let’s go.”

I stood to Sei-chan’s left, and we headed for the fireworks festival venue.

“By the way, Rie, are you planning to walk while clinging to Sei-chan the whole time?”

“This is so Onii-chan and Sei-san don’t forget about me.”

“…Sei-chan, is it hard for you to walk?”

“I’m fine. Shiho clings to me like this sometimes, so I’m used to it.”

“Oh, really… Ugh, you’re so lucky, Rie! I want to walk all close to Sei-chan, too!”

“Wh-What are you saying all of a sudden, Tsukasa…”

“But Onii-chan, if Sei-san clung to you while she’s in a yukata, wouldn’t you be too flustered to move?”

“…You have a point. Actually, I think I’d be too nervous to move even if she wasn’t in a yukata.”

“See? That’s why I’m clinging to her for you.”

“No, that’s definitely not how ‘for you’ works.”

“You two, please don’t have a weird conversation with me in the middle…”

We walked side-by-side, chatting like that.

 

When we arrived at the venue, there were lots of stalls set up, and it was already crowded with people.

It would have been tough to meet up in this crowd, so it seemed we made the right call by arranging to meet near the yukata dressing shop.

With stalls lining the path on our right and left, we walked through the festival.

“We’ve got a fair bit of time until the fireworks start. What should we get?”

“I’ve already decided what I absolutely have to buy and eat.”

Sei-chan and Rie spoke while still attached at the hip.

Seeing them like that, I couldn’t help but think Rie was so lucky.

“What is it?”

“Chocolate bananas. You can only really get them at summer festivals, so I absolutely have to have one.”

“There are other things you can only get at summer festivals, aren’t there?”

“Maybe so, but first, chocolate bananas.”

“I see. So, Rie, you just really like chocolate bananas.”

“…Yes, that’s right. Is that…childish?”

Rie looked a little embarrassed, but Sei-chan smiled and shook her head.

“No, I like chocolate bananas, too. They’re delicious, like eating a dessert.”

“R-Right?! I’ve loved chocolate bananas ever since I was a kid. I used to go to festivals just to eat them.”

“Fufu, you like them that much? Well then, shall we go buy some right away?”

“Yes, let’s go!”

The two of them walked on, talking happily.

They really looked like sisters, or rather, it was a refreshing sight to see Sei-chan acting like an Onee-san.

“Sei-chan, you really like sweet things too, don’t you? You’re always drinking those super sweet, dessert-like drinks at Moonbucks.”

“Eh, really? That’s a little surprising.”

“Hm, you think so?”

“Yes. I don’t know why, but I had this impression that you didn’t eat many sweets, Sei-san, or at least didn’t prefer them.”

“I get it, Rie. But seeing Sei-chan, a total sweet tooth, eating a parfait or something is super cute.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden, Onii-chan?”

“Th-That’s right, Tsukasa. Don’t say such embarrassing things…”

“So even something like this is enough to make you blush, Sei-san.”

“Ugh, Sei-chan blushing in her yukata is so cute I can’t look directly at her…”

“Onii-chan, I’m not your straight man, you know? I’m not going to play along anymore.”

Gradually, Rie’s gaze toward me alone grew colder. Why?

Chatting about this and that, we made our way to a stall selling chocolate bananas.

There were some coated in regular chocolate, as well as pink and white chocolate bananas.

“Which color are you getting?”

“All of them, obviously, Onii-chan.”

“…Seriously?”

I never would have thought Rie was such a chocolate banana fanatic.

There were four colors, so Rie bought four, while Sei-chan and I each bought one.

“Mmm, chocolate bananas really are delicious.”

“Rie, are you sure you won’t drop one, holding four of them?”

“I’ll be fine. There’s no way I’d ever drop a chocolate banana.”

“You’re way too confident. What’s with this love for chocolate bananas?”

The way she held them, wedged between her fingers, was hard to describe, but it gave off an incredible air of professionalism.

“Fufu, I’ve learned a surprising new side of you, Rie.”

Sei-chan said cheerfully as she ate her own chocolate banana.

 

After walking for a little while longer, a shooting gallery caught my eye next.

Arcades have shooting games and stuff, but the cork guns at these places have a unique festival feel to them.

“Rie, Sei-chan, want to try the shooting gallery?”

“Sure. Since we’re doing it, why don’t we make it a competition? To see who can knock down the most prizes.”

At Rie’s suggestion, we decided to have a contest.

There were two guns, so Rie and I went first.

“Heh, I’ve played shooting games before, so I’m good at this kind of thing.”

“I’ve played them too.”

“Is that so? I don’t go to arcades, and this is my first time at a shooting gallery, so it looks difficult.”

Oh, for once, Sei-chan is the only one who doesn’t seem confident.

But Sei-chan is better than an experienced player at any sport, so I can’t let my guard down.

Alright, six cork bullets.

The challenge is to see how many we can knock down, so aiming for the stuffed animals displayed up high isn’t a good strategy.

The plan is to aim for something like those small candy boxes that are sure to fall if you hit them.

Okay, take aim… and fire!

“…Missed.”

“…Me too.”

Rie and I fired at almost the same time, but we both missed.

It seemed Rie had the same idea as me, as she was also aiming for a small candy box.

Well, that was just the first shot. I still have five more, so it’s not a problem yet──

“──…It’s over.”

“…No good.”

I fired all six shots, didn’t hit a single thing, and ended up with zero prizes.

Rie, who was shooting next to me, seemed to have the same result.

“…Is this really that hard?”

Sei-chan, who had never done it before, looked on curiously.

No, I think it’s a little difficult, but I think Rie and I are just terrible at it.

I can’t believe we didn’t hit a single one…

Come to think of it, I’ve never cleared a shooting game at an arcade even once.

“Onii-chan, blood is thicker than water, huh?”

“Indeed, my dear sister. For both of us to get zero prizes.”

“…This is kind of awkward, but may I go next?”

Rie and I stepped back, and Sei-chan took a gun and aimed.

“That stuffed animal is cute.”

The prize Sei-chan was aiming for seemed to be a palm-sized stuffed animal.

Hmph, it seems Sei-chan doesn’t get it.

Even if it’s small, a stuffed animal is so heavy that it barely moves even if a cork bullet hits it.

The standard strategy is to aim for the candy boxes.

“Sei-chan, the small candy boxes are easier to knock down──”

“Alright, it fell. Hm? Sorry, did you say something?”

“…No, it’s nothing.”

The moment I tried to give her advice, Sei-chan had already knocked down the stuffed animal.

I retreated without another word… Well, it’s Sei-chan, so of course she’d be amazing.

After that, Sei-chan won three stuffed animals.

The winner was, of course, Sei-chan. In fact, it wasn’t even a competition.

“You’re amazing, Sei-san. Was that really your first time?”

“Yes. I’d say I did pretty well for my first time.”

“That’s an incredible result even if it wasn’t your first time.”

“That’s Sei-chan for you. Sei-chan has a talent for everything. Isn’t she amazing?”

“Why are you the one bragging, Onii-chan?”

“Because when Sei-chan gets praised, it makes me happy too.”

But for her first time, she really is incredible.

She got three of the same kind of stuffed animal. I wonder if she wanted them that badly?

“Tsukasa, Rie, here.”

“Eh? Isn’t this the stuffed animal you won, Sei-san?”

“Yes. I’m glad I got three. One for me, one for Rie, and one for Tsukasa.”

Sei-chan smiled and handed the stuffed animals to Rie and me.

“Thank you, Sei-san!”

“Thanks, Sei-chan.”

They were bear stuffed animals, almost identical in shape, with slightly different colors and patterns.

It seemed Sei-chan had won them so there would be one for each of us.

“My first present from Sei-chan… I’ll treasure it like a family heirloom!”

“No, you don’t have to be that dramatic about it…”

“I’m just going to display it on my desk.”

“Yes, I plan to do the same.”

“Then I’ll do that too.”

The three of us now had a matching set of items.

I’ll put it on my desk, so now I can think of Sei-chan anytime.

…Wait, I’m always thinking about Sei-chan.

Rie, too, was holding the stuffed animal she received carefully in both hands.

 

After that, we looked around the festival stalls and had some fun.

We each tried the lottery once, but none of us won anything good, just getting some gum as a consolation prize.

Even Sei-chan, with her high physical abilities, didn’t seem to have any special luck, and she came up empty-handed like the rest of us.

I wonder what the odds of winning a good prize in those things are. I’ve never won a single time.

The next thing we did was yo-yo fishing for water balloons.

The three of us competed again, but I was better at this than the shooting game.

Rie and I each got one, but Sei-chan, amazingly, caught five.

“Hmph, my paper string broke. If I’d figured out the trick a little sooner, I could have gotten more.”

“As expected of Sei-chan. When luck isn’t a factor, your skill is just too overwhelming.”

“I didn’t think this was a game where you could get that many…”

I felt like Sei-chan could probably scoop up every single water balloon floating in there.

While enjoying the games, we also bought some classic festival food.

Shaved ice, takoyaki*, yakisoba*, candy apples, and more.

[TN - Takoyaki consists of small, round batter balls filled with diced octopus, green onions, and crispy tempura bits.

Yakisoba is a stir-fried noodle dish made with wheat noodles, sliced pork (or other meats), cabbage, and vegetables, all tossed in a sweet and savory sauce similar to Worcestershire.]

We had them put in clear containers and placed in a bag, planning to eat them later while watching the fireworks.

“The fireworks will be starting soon. If we don’t go find a spot, we might not be able to sit and watch.”

“You’re right. Shall we get going, then?”

“Can I go to the restroom first?”

When I said that, Sei-chan also gave a nod.

“Yeah, sure. Rie, are you okay?”

“I’m fine, so can I go buy one more chocolate banana before we go?”

“You’re eating again?”

Sei-chan’s eyes went wide at Rie’s words.

I get that chocolate bananas are good, but I had no idea she liked them that much.

“Yes. The taste of the chocolate bananas differs depending on the stall.”

“I-Is that so? I wouldn’t know.”

“Rie, can you really eat that much? We bought a lot of food already, didn’t we?”

“It’s fine. I have a separate stomach just for chocolate bananas.”

“I don’t quite understand what that means.”

Is this that “there’s always room for dessert” thing I’ve heard so much about?

“I’ll be right back, so you can go to the restroom, Onii-chan.”

“Mm, roger.”

And so, Rie went off to buy chocolate bananas, while Sei-chan and I headed for the restrooms.

After we had finished our business, Sei-chan and I met up and waited for Rie, but…

“She’s late, that Rie.”

“She is. You don’t think she got lost, do you?”

We waited for several minutes, but there was no sign of Rie.

All she had to do was buy a chocolate banana and come back, so I didn’t think it should take this long.

I tried calling her phone, but it wouldn’t connect.

“Why isn’t it going through?”

“You don’t think she’s holding chocolate bananas in both hands, do you?”

“…That’s a possibility.”

She did say she had a separate stomach for them, so she might have bought four again.

If that’s the case, both her hands would be full, and she wouldn’t be able to answer her phone.

“Tsukasa, what should we do? Just wait here?”

“…No, let’s go look for her. I’m a little worried.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Should we split up?”

“Good idea. Sei-chan and I can call each other. Just try not to hold chocolate bananas in both hands.”

“Fufu, you too.”

With that, we split up and began searching for Rie.

There were so many people that finding her seemed like it would be difficult, but she should have gone to a chocolate banana stall, so I figured I’d search around there.

…For some reason, I have a bad feeling about this.

I’ve forgotten my knowledge of the original story, so I can’t recall, but I feel like something like this may or may not have happened in the original…

I don’t think she gets caught up in any particular incident, but since I can’t remember, I don’t know for sure.

I hope it’s just my imagination.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

“…I’m lost.”

Rie sighed amidst the crowd, holding two chocolate bananas in each hand.

She couldn’t go last year because of her entrance exams, so her plan to eat more chocolate bananas than usual had backfired.

She had bought four this time as well, but she had intended to share them with her brother Tsukasa and Sei, not eat them all herself.

…Though if they both said they didn’t want any, she was fully prepared to eat them all.

“My bag was vibrating earlier, so I think I got a call… I couldn’t answer it, though.”

With chocolate bananas in both hands, she couldn’t get her phone out of her bag.

She had wandered around the festival grounds for a while after the call, but she couldn’t see Tsukasa or Sei anywhere.

This meant that Rie was lost.

But she wasn’t a child who would panic and run around just because she was lost.

“If I could just get my phone out, I could contact them… I guess I have no choice. I’ll have to eat.”

If one hand was free, she could get her phone. If she ate two chocolate bananas, a hand would be free.

Therefore, this was unavoidable. It wasn’t that she wanted to eat them all herself.

Making such excuses, she moved to the side of the path and began to eat a chocolate banana.

“Mmm, delicious.”

As Rie was watching the people pass by and eating her chocolate banana…

“Hey there, are you alone?”

A voice from behind made her jump, and she turned around.

Standing there was a flashy-looking man who was taller than Rie and seemed to be a few years older.

“M-Me?”

“That’s right, Choco-Banana-chan.”

“Ch-Choco-Banana-chan…”

Rie was slightly shocked by the nickname, but since she was holding them in both hands and happily eating them, she couldn’t deny it.

“You’re super cute. Are you alone? I’m alone too, so if you want, why don’t we hang out together?”

“No, um, I’m not alone.”

“I know a great, hidden spot to watch the fireworks from.”

“Um, I told you…”

“It’s a really quiet place, so let’s watch them together, just the two of us.”

No matter what Rie said, the flashy guy just kept talking, continuing the conversation under the assumption that they would be going together.

Rie immediately realized he was hitting on her, but his pushiness was starting to scare her a little.

She hadn’t even finished one chocolate banana yet, and with her hands full, she couldn’t contact anyone.

Since she had moved to the side of the path, it looked like a tall man was cornering her in a dark spot.

“Uh, um, I…”

“I’ll treat you to more than just chocolate bananas, so don’t be shy. Come on, the fireworks are about to start. Let’s go.”

The flashy guy grabbed Rie’s right wrist and tried to drag her away by force.

“Ah…”

Rie let out a small cry and tried to resist, but there was no way she could overpower a man taller than her.

She was getting scared and tried to call for help from the people around her, but her fear prevented her from raising her voice.

Was he going to drag her off somewhere just like this?

(Someone, help me…)

With tears in her eyes, Rie screamed in her mind.

The next moment, someone entered her tear-blurred vision.

“──Oi, what are you doing to my little sister?”

Along with those words, the flashy guy’s cry of “Ouch!?” echoed, and Rie was pulled toward someone.

Startled by the sudden pull, Rie already knew from the voice who had pulled her.

“Onii-chan…”

“Yo, Rie. Sorry to keep you waiting.”

Her brother, Tsukasa, pulled Rie close and stepped in front of her protectively.

The flashy guy was clutching the arm that had been holding Rie, a pained look on his face.

“What the hell, man? You just punched my arm out of nowhere…”

“I just gave a little chop to the filthy hand that was gripping my sister’s arm. Whining about a little pain like that? You need to build some muscle.”

“Huh? The hell you say, don’t get cocky…”

The flashy guy’s face twisted with anger, and he looked like he was about to lunge at any moment.

Her brother Tsukasa hadn’t studied any martial arts, and the flashy guy was bigger than him.

If it came to a fight… Rie was starting to worry, but then…

“Hey, isn’t that Tsukasa?”

“Ah, you’re right! Rie-chan’s here too!”

“Ara, what a coincidence.”

Hearing those voices, she turned to see her brother’s friend, Shigemoto Yūichi, Sei’s friend, Fujise Shiho, and the Ojōsama, Tōjōin Kaori.

All of them were wearing yukata, looking for all the world like a trio of handsome and beautiful people.

“Yo, Yūichi. You came at a good time. Well, I was counting on it.”

“Counting on it? What do you mean?”

“Nah, I just remembered something.”

“I don’t get it… So, is that flashy guy a friend of yours, Tsukasa? You’ve got pretty bad taste.”

“No way. You’re the only friend with bad taste I need, Yūichi.”

As Tsukasa and Yūichi exchanged grins and banter, the flashy guy’s voice grew rough again.

“Don’t you fuckin’ mess with me! A bunch of high school kids, thinkin’ you’re hot shit with all these girls around you…”

Instead of going for Yūichi or Tsukasa, the flashy guy grabbed the arm of a woman who was nearby.

“I can have at least one of you, right!? I’ve got a thing for blondes!”

“Ah…”

Yūichi’s face paled slightly as he saw the woman the flashy guy had grabbed.

“Oi, let go of her right now! Or else…”

Seeing Yūichi’s panicked state, the flashy guy smirked as if he’d found a weakness.

“Hah! What’s gonna happen if I don’t let go!?”

“This is what’s going to happen.”

“Eh──”

The next moment, the flashy guy’s body flipped through the air and he landed face-first on the ground.

“Buheh!?”

“Did you wish to die, grabbing my hand like that? The only one in this world permitted to touch my body is Yūichi.”

Tōjōin Kaori declared, looking down at the man who was now unconscious on the ground.

“I told you… Kaori’s a black belt in judo and aikido.”

“You forgot karate and kendo, Yūichi.”

Having received a prodigy’s education from a young age, taking down a man like this was a piece of cake for Tōjōin Kaori.

“Tōjōin-san, that was amazing!”

“Thank you, Fujise-san.”

Despite competing over Yūichi, the two of them seemed to be getting along surprisingly well.

Afterward, the unconscious flashy guy was taken away by men in black suits that Tōjōin had summoned.

“…Haaah.”

After everything that had happened, Rie’s body went limp, likely from the relief of the danger passing.

“Whoa there. Rie, you okay?”

As Rie swayed a little, Tsukasa wrapped an arm around her waist to support her.

“Yeah… I’m okay, thank you.”

“Sorry I was late.”

“No, it’s my fault for getting lost after going to buy chocolate bananas.”

“The chocolate bananas… you really did buy four, huh?”

Even when she was about to fall, she hadn’t dropped a single one.

Rie had been scared, but she wasn’t about to waste a single chocolate banana just because some flashy guy accosted her.

“It’s fine to buy a lot of what you like, but it’s because of that that I couldn’t get in touch with you.”

“Ugh, I’m sorry…”

“No, what matters is that you’re safe.”

“Mmh…”

While supporting Rie, Tsukasa patted her on the head.

Rie blushed, looking slightly embarrassed, and averted her gaze.

“Tsukasa, good work.”

Yūichi, who had watched the flashy guy get taken away, came over to talk to Tsukasa.

Not wanting others to see her like this, Rie quickly pulled away from Tsukasa.

Tsukasa noticed and, with a wry smile, started talking to Yūichi.

“Yeah, Yūichi, thanks for coming. I honestly think I would’ve been in trouble if I were alone.”

“Maybe. Well, I wasn’t the one who took care of him, Kaori was.”

“You’re allowed to fall for me, you know, Yūichi.”

“I already knew you could do that much, Kaori.”

“So you were already in love with me. Then I guess this makes us a married couple.”

“No, that’s not it.”

While Yūichi and Tōjōin were having that conversation, Fujise took Rie’s hand, looking worried.

“Rie-chan, were you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Shiho-san, thank you for coming to help.”

“I didn’t do anything. You must have been so scared, right? I had a similar experience when I was in middle school, a man cornered me like that.”

“You did?”

“Yeah, Shigemoto-kun saved me back then. He helped me even though I was a complete stranger… fufu, I fell for him right then and there.”

“R-Really?”

“Yeah. But I’m so glad you’re okay, Rie-chan. Your brother, Hisamura-kun, came to help you before we got here, didn’t he?”

“…Yes, I was so relieved.”

If Tsukasa had been any later, that flashy guy would have dragged Rie away.

Because Tsukasa came, it bought time for Yūichi and Tōjōin to arrive.

“Fufu, you have such a reliable big brother.”

“Yes, he is… yes.”

Praising her own brother was embarrassing, and she couldn’t help but feel shy.

Shiho smiled warmly at the sight of Rie.

“Rie, we should get back to Sei-chan… What’s wrong? Your face is red.”

“I-It’s nothing, nothing at all.”

“You sure? Anyway, I contacted Sei-chan, so let’s go meet up with her.”

“Okay. I made Sei-san worry too, I have to apologize.”

“Right. Well then, Yūichi, Fujise, Tōjōin-san. We’ll be going now.”

“Thank you for your help.”

“Hisamura-kun, Rie-san, wait.”

Just as Tsukasa and Rie were about to leave, Tōjōin stopped them.

“The fireworks are about to start. Where do you two plan on watching them from?”

“Where? Well, we were going to find a spot near the venue.”

“You’re going to look for one now? If you start looking only ten-odd minutes beforehand, you won’t find a good spot, and you certainly won’t be able to sit down.”

“Eh, seriously?”

“It’s because I got lost and we lost time…”

Rie’s face clouded over with guilt, but Tōjōin spoke cheerfully, as if to clear it away.

“It was unfortunate that you wasted time getting caught by a trashy pick-up artist, but an even greater fortune awaits you.”

With a smile befitting an Ojōsama, she produced a ticket-like piece of paper from the folds of her yukata.

“And that fortune is the fact that you are my friends.”

 

Sei felt a wave of relief when Tsukasa contacted her to say he’d found Rie.

It seemed she’d been in a bit of a dangerous situation with some guys hitting on her, but they’d managed to handle it after meeting up with Shiho and the others.

They decided on a place to meet, and Sei got there first.

It was a spot a short distance away from the main venue, where the fireworks could still be seen well.

(Why did he choose this as our meeting spot? It’s true that there are fewer people here, so it’s probably easier to meet up, but…)

As she was pondering this and waiting for Tsukasa and Rie…

“Hey, is that Shimada-san?”

Hearing a voice from behind, she turned around in surprise.

Two of her female classmates were standing there.

If she remembered correctly, their names were Satō and Itō.

“Satō-san and Itō-san. What a coincidence.”

“It is! By the way, Shimada-san, that yukata looks amazing on you!”

“It really does! You look so beautiful and cute!”

“I-Is that so? Thank you.”

Although Tsukasa was always complimenting her, Sei still wasn’t used to it, and she blushed a little.

“We should try wearing one to the next festival.”

“Yeah, though I don’t think it’ll look as good on us as it does on Shimada-san.”

“No, you’re both cute, so I’m sure it would look great on you.”

“R-Really? Thanks, Shimada-san. Hearing that from you, who’s cooler than most of the guys, makes my heart skip a beat.”

“Mine too, I’m totally smitten!”

“I’m not exactly thrilled to be called cool, but…”

As they were chatting, the two girls seemed to wonder why Sei was by herself.

“Shimada-san, aren’t you here with anyone? Are you waiting for someone?”

“Ah, we’re just splitting up for a bit…”

It was then that Sei realized Tsukasa would be coming here.

(I-Is this okay? I haven’t told these two that Tsukasa and I are dating. They might find out when he gets here…)

She had to hide it, to somehow keep them from finding out──.

(──Hm? Something feels a little… off…)

The thought that had just crossed Sei’s mind left her feeling unsettled.

She didn’t know why, but there was something about her own words that bothered her.

“Shimada-san, what’s wrong? You suddenly went quiet.”

“Did you maybe get separated from the person you came with?”

“N-No, it’s nothing. I’m meeting them here, so it’s fine.”

For now, if these two would just go somewhere before Tsukasa arrived, everything would be fine.

But, before that could happen…

“Sorry to keep you wait… huh?”

Tsukasa had arrived at the meeting spot.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

“Rie, are you really okay? Does your arm hurt where that guy grabbed you?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. My arm doesn’t hurt.”

“I see. Well, that’s good.”

Rie and I had parted ways with Yūichi and the others and were heading to the place where we were meeting Sei-chan.

Still, I was really glad I’d managed to find Rie.

While I was searching for her, a piece of knowledge from the original story that I’d forgotten had popped into my head.

I don’t know why, but it was completely out of the blue.

The piece of the original story I remembered was a scene where Rie is being hit on at the fireworks festival, and Yūichi saves her.

That was Hisamura Rie’s first appearance in ‘Ojōjama.’

Rie is saved from the guys hitting on her by Yūichi, and that’s what makes her start to fall for him.

When I remembered that, I knew I had to prevent it at all costs and searched for Rie with everything I had.

If Yūichi saved her here, Rie might fall for him.

If that happened, I figured Rie would get dragged into the battle for Yūichi between Tōjōin and Fujise, which was already more of a quagmire than in the original story. As her older brother, I absolutely wanted to prevent that.

Fortunately, my knowledge of the original story gave me a rough idea of where Rie was being hit on, so I was able to find her before Yūichi.

Though if Yūichi and the others hadn’t shown up at that exact moment, it might have gotten a little dicey.

In the original story, Yūichi was the one who defeated that sleazy guy, but this time, Tōjōin-san, who was with him, took care of it.

I knew she was strong, but I had no idea she was that strong… I’m worried about Yūichi’s future.

Since I got there before Yūichi, Rie probably doesn’t feel like he saved her.

If anything, it was Tōjōin-san… In the unlikely event she fell in love with her, it wouldn’t even turn into a full-on showdown, so I guess it’s fine.

“We should be at the meeting spot with Sei-chan soon.”

“Oh, Onii-chan, can I go throw this away?”

“Yeah, sure. Want me to come with you?”

“It’s right over there, so I’ll be fine. You worry too much.”

Rie smiled slightly and went to throw away the stick from her chocolate banana.

…She ate all four of them right away. As expected of Rie.

The meeting spot was just ahead, so I could already see Sei-chan.

Even from behind, her yukata made my heart pound more than usual. So cute.

“Sorry to keep you wait… huh?”

Just as I was about to call out to her, I saw two familiar faces in front of Sei-chan.

Weren’t those two our classmates, Satō-san and Itō-san?

I hadn’t expected anyone else to be with Sei-chan.

Did they run into each other by chance?

“Hey, Hisamura-kun?”

“Wait, the person Shimada-san was waiting for was Hisamura-kun? Does that mean you two came to the festival together?”

“Is that right?”

“Ah, well…”

I froze, caught off guard, and my eyes met Sei-chan’s.

We had a promise between us—“We’ll keep our relationship a secret.”

So we had to keep it a secret from these two; we had to hide it.

Our eyes met, and I think we understood each other, but… hiding it in this situation is going to be pretty tough, isn’t it?

The two of us, Sei-chan and I, in yukatas, look for all the world like we’re on a date.

“Wait, you really came here just the two of you? Are you two… a couple?”

“Really?! That’s a huge surprise, but…”

Satō-san and Itō-san spoke as if it were already a fact.

It felt impossible to hide that we were dating anymore, but…

“Onii-chan, Sei-san, sorry to keep you waiting.”

Rie, who had gone to throw away her trash, appeared from behind me.

Rie looked at Satō-san and Itō-san and tilted her head.

“Um, are you friends of Onii-chan and Sei-san?”

“‘Onii-chan,’ you mean Hisamura-kun?”

“Yes, I’m Hisamura Tsukasa’s little sister, Rie.”

“Oh, right! Hisamura-kun did say he had a sister!”

The two girls’ interest shifted to Rie.

“You’re so cute! We heard Hisamura-kun loves his sister and is a total sis-con, but seeing you, I can kind of understand why!”

“Ngh… Onii-chan, you said that?”

“I do recall saying something to that effect.”

“Geez, Onii-chan…”

Rie looked embarrassed, and Satō and Itō watched her with warm smiles.

“Fufu, your sister is so cute.”

“So the three of you came together today?”

Yes, this is it!

A way to hide it came to mind, and I spoke with a strained smile.

“That’s right. My sister Rie and Shimada are good friends, and I’m just kind of tagging along.”

I felt bad for Rie, but if I put it that way, they wouldn’t find out we were dating.

“Oh, so that’s how it was.”

“Rie-chan, where did you meet Shimada-san? You’re in different grades, and Shimada-san isn’t in any clubs, right?”

Damn, she asked a question that gets needlessly close to the heart of the matter.

Hearing the question, Rie looked up at me, troubled.

I conveyed with my eyes and expression, “Just play along…!”

“…Well, I was studying in the high school library, and Sei-san happened to be sitting next to me and helped me with my studies. We became friends after that.”

“I see. Shimada-san is really smart, after all.”

“Yes, Sei-san is incredibly smart.”

The conversation progressed based on the story Rie had improvised on the spot.

Alright, Rie, nice one!

Thanks to Rie, it looks like we can avoid them finding out that Sei-chan and I are dating.

“Man, I totally thought Hisamura-kun and Shimada-san were dating.”

“Me too, I was so surprised when you showed up, Hisamura-kun.”

Hearing those words, both Sei-chan and I flinched.

S-So they were suspicious after all.

But thanks to Rie, it looks like we can get through this.

“N-No, I’m just here with Rie. It’s not like Shimada and I are dating or anything.”

I forced another smile and told a lie to keep our relationship a secret.

Then, I glanced at Sei-chan for just a second…

She had a slightly complicated expression on her face.

Huh? What’s wrong?

I felt like she looked a little hurt…

“Shimada?”

“Sei-san?”

Both Rie and I called out to her without thinking. It seemed Rie was a little worried, too.

Sei-chan snapped out of it and answered with a slightly forced smile.

“N-No, I’m fine. I was just lost in thought.”

“If you say so…”

What was she thinking about? I’m a little worried.

As if to deflect, Sei-chan spoke to Satō-san and Itō-san.

“Shouldn’t you two be heading to the fireworks venue soon? You might not get a good spot.”

“Oh, that’s right! Gotō-chan and Katō-chan are saving us seats!”

“You’re right, we’re keeping them waiting. Well, we’ll be going then.”

Satō-san and Itō-san said their goodbyes, waved to us, and started running toward the venue.

After they were out of sight, Rie spoke to Sei-chan.

“Sei-san, I’m so sorry for all the trouble I caused by getting lost.”

“No, it wasn’t any trouble. I heard you were in a bit of a dangerous situation, but were you okay?”

“Yes, Onii-chan and Tōjōin-san’s group helped me.”

“I see. As long as you’re safe, Rie, that’s all that matters.”

“Sei-san… thank you.”

“By the way, what happened to the chocolate bananas? Didn’t you buy some?”

“I already ate them.”

“I see. Since you couldn’t answer your phone, I figured you’d bought four again.”

“Yes, I ate four. Now my hands are free.”

“…I-I see.”

Sei-chan looked like she wanted to say something but just gave a wry smile.

“Rie, thanks for a minute ago. For playing along with my story.”

“Well, your face was screaming ‘play along.’ Why are you hiding the fact that you and Sei-san are dating from them?”

“Our relationship is a secret. We don’t really want to spread it around.”

“Why are you keeping it a secret?”

“Heh, a secret just between me and Sei-chan… isn’t that kind of wonderful?”

After the party for the ball sports tournament, Sei-chan and I had a talk.

She said that she didn’t want to show off something precious to others, but rather keep it treasured and all to herself.

I was so happy to hear that. I could tell people I was “dating someone,” but I wouldn’t say who.

That’s the promise we made.

We hadn’t even told Satō-san and Itō-san that we were “dating someone,” so they didn’t find out we were a couple.

That’s why I kept the promise and kept it a secret.

“…But I know, you know? And there are a few other people who know, too.”

“Well, yeah, but that’s fine. Right, Sei-chan?”

“Ngh… Ah, yes, that’s right.”

Sei-chan seemed to be lost in thought again, her expression complex.

I don’t know what she’s thinking, but if she doesn’t want to talk about it, there’s no need for me to ask.

“Hey, Sei-chan. About the place to watch the fireworks…”

“R-Right. We should get to the venue soon, or we won’t be able to see the fireworks. We might not be able to sit, but we should be able to stand and watch.”

It wasn’t Rie’s fault, but we were now quite late to get to the fireworks venue.

That’s probably why Sei-chan was in a hurry to go…

“About that, here.”

I took the tickets I’d gotten from Tōjōin-san out of my pocket.

Sei-chan stared at them quizzically.

“What’s that?”

“A special friends’ ticket, from Tōjōin-san.”

“Special friends’ ticket?”

“Yeah. According to Tōjōin-san, it’s the best seat in the house for this fireworks display.”

“Hoh, that’s impressive. So, where is it?”

“She said it’s over there.”

I pointed to the building Tōjōin-san had described.

“…Are you pointing at the biggest building around here, Tsukasa?”

“Yeah, the top-floor terrace.”

“Well… I can’t say I’m surprised.”

“Yeah, really.”

We shared a wry smile and headed toward the building.

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

Afterward, Sei and the others headed to the top floor of the building.

The top-floor restaurant had been booked for a private party, and there was nothing to obstruct the view from the terrace seats.

There was no roof, either, offering a panoramic view of the summer night sky.

Shigemoto and Tōjōin were already on the terrace.

“Oh, Tsukasa and the others, you made it.”

“Yeah, of course we came. You invited us to such a great spot, after all.”

“Well, I didn’t arrange it. Kaori just had it prepared at some point, of course.”

“I would have preferred a zeppelin, but then I wouldn’t have had time to walk around the festival with Yūichi, so I reluctantly decided to watch from the ground.”

“Yeah, this is good, Kaori. A zeppelin would have freaked me out.”

Shigemoto calmly retorted to Tōjōin’s ridiculously extravagant celebrity line.

Sei and Rie also put their bags on a table on the terrace and looked around, letting out cries of admiration.

“To book out a place this nice… Tōjōin-san really is amazing…”

“The fireworks will go off right in front of us. Looks like we’ll be able to watch them at our leisure.”

“At this height, won’t the fireworks be exploding at almost the same level as us?”

“That might be the case.”

“It’s a little scary, but I’m looking forward to it.”

“Oh, Sei-chan! Rie-chan!”

As the two were talking, Shiho approached them, a huge smile on her face and bags in both hands.

“Whoa, Sei-chan’s wearing a yukata! You look so beautiful and cute!”

“Thank you. You’re wearing one too, Shiho. It looks good on you.”

“Thanks! Rie-chan, you look super cute, too! The patterns are similar, did you maybe rent them with Sei-chan?”

“Yes, I wanted to wear a yukata with Sei-san. And Onii-chan was there too, so…”

“Nice one, Rie-chan! Sei-chan never wears stuff like this, so it’s thanks to Rie-chan… or maybe, thanks to Rie-chan’s brother?”

“Wh-What are you talking about?”

“Because you wouldn’t wear one when I invited you, but you put one on right away when Rie-chan and Hisamura-kun were there. Who did you want to show your yukata to… right, Sei-chan?”

“Ngh, that’s… Rie, of course.”

“Oh, Sei-chan, you can’t use Rie-chan as an excuse.”

“That’s right, Sei-san.”

“Th-There was only one choice from the start! And Rie, don’t you get in on the teasing!”

Seeing Sei react with a beet-red face, Shiho and Rie giggled.

“Honestly… Shiho, what’s in those bags? They look pretty heavy.”

Sei asked, pointing to one of the bags Shiho was holding.

“Thank you, Sei-chan. This is, of course, the spoils of war from the food stalls!”

“Spoils of war?”

“Yup! Okonomiyaki*, takoyaki, candy apples, yakitori, cotton candy, yakisoba, french fries, karaage… I don’t remember what else I bought, but it’s a lot!”

[TN - Okonomiyaki is a type of savory pancake made from a batter of flour, eggs, and shredded cabbage, mixed with ingredients of your choice, such as pork, seafood, or cheese.]

Rie looked a little taken aback as Shiho listed off the food, her “spoils of war,” with a sparkling smile.

“Th-That’s amazing. But can you really finish all of this?”

“It’s for five people, so we’ll be fine! Besides, Shigemoto-kun and I eat a lot!”

“True, if Shiho and Shigemoto are here, it should be fine.”

“I-Is that so?”

Rie had no idea how much Shiho and Shigemoto could eat, so she wondered if they could really finish it all.

“Oh, I also bought about ten chocolate bananas! Do you want one, Rie-chan?”

“Yes, please. Thank you.”

“Rie, just how many chocolate bananas are you planning to eat today…?”

“Chocolate bananas go into a separate stomach.”

“I-I see.”

Now it was Rie’s turn to make Sei recoil.

“Festivals really are fun! I was wondering how it would go with just the three of us—me, Shigemoto-kun, and Tōjōin-san—but it was a lot of fun!”

“I see. Well, that’s good.”

“Yup! Did you guys have fun, too?”

“Yes, it was a lot of fun. I couldn’t go last year because of my exams, so I’m really glad I got to come with you, Sei-san, and Onii-chan this time.”

“I see, that’s great! How about you, Sei-chan?”

“Ah, of course…”

Just as she was about to say she had fun, Sei remembered what had happened earlier.

Hiding her relationship with Tsukasa from those two, Satō and Itō.

The turmoil she felt in her heart at that time.

Since that feeling hadn’t cleared up, the words got stuck in her throat.

“Sei-chan…”

Hearing Shiho murmur her name again in a curious tone, Sei snapped back to her senses and answered.

“I-It was a lot of fun. But, well, sorry. I was just lost in thought for a bit…”

“…Is this about meeting those two people from earlier?”

“Hah, Rie, you noticed?”

“You’ve been acting a little strange ever since then, Sei-san.”

“I see…”

At that time, Sei’s heart had been in constant turmoil, a murky feeling clouding her mind.

She had experienced this murkiness before.

It was exactly the same as when she’d hidden her relationship from Tobise.

She’d been wondering why it happened, and now she finally understood.

(I hate lying that I’m not dating Tsukasa.)

The moments he felt a pain in her chest were when she was trying to hide their relationship.

Why did she feel so unsettled when she tried to hide it?

(I was the one who said I didn’t want to reveal this relationship, that I wanted to hide it…)

She and Tsukasa had promised to hide this relationship, so Tsukasa had kept it hidden from the two they’d run into.

So why did trying to hide it make her feel so unsettled?

(Wanting to keep this relationship a secret, wanting to cherish it—that’s also how I truly feel. But…)

She wanted to hide their relationship, to cherish it.

But when she tried to hide it, her chest grew turbulent and ached.

Why were these contradictory feelings welling up inside her?

She still didn’t know, but one thing was certain—she hated hiding it.

“Can I ask for some advice? From you, Shiho, and Rie.”

“From us?”

“Me too?”

“Yes. This is something I can’t talk to Tsukasa about yet…”

“Did something happen with Hisamura-kun?”

“No, it’s not that something happened. This is a problem with my own feelings…”

“That sounds like an interesting conversation. Let me in on it.”

“Hah! T-Tōjōin, how long have you been behind me…?”

Rie turned around in surprise to find Tōjōin standing there with her arms crossed.

“Since you said, ‘Can I ask for some advice?’ It’s rare to see Shimada-san show a moment of weakness, so I thought I’d listen in.”

“It’s not a moment of weakness, and it’s in poor taste to find this amusing, Ojōsama.”

“I’m an Ojōsama, so I have many hobbies. Didn’t you know?”

Tōjōin said with an elegant fufu, her yukata-clad figure the picture of grace.

Sei sighed at her attitude.

“Hah, fine. If you’re going to offer advice too, I don’t mind you listening.”

“Ara, you don’t? How unexpected. I may have invited myself, but for you to ask me for advice…”

“You may be an Ojōsama with poor taste, but you’re not the kind of woman who would make fun of a serious consultation.”

“Fufu, that’s true. I’m not quite that ill-mannered.”

Sei looked around and confirmed that Tsukasa and Shigemoto weren’t there.

“Where did those two go? I don’t see them.”

“Yūichi went to buy food and drinks. He also said something about the two of them having some kind of manly competition.”

“Aww, but I bought a ton of food, too.”

“Between you and Yūichi, you could eat any amount, couldn’t you?”

“Well, that’s true!”

“…Just how much can you two eat?”

Rie, who didn’t know about Shigemoto and Shiho’s voracious appetites, murmured, looking a little taken aback again.

She couldn’t have asked for advice with Tsukasa here, but since he was gone, it wasn’t a problem.

Sei told them about hiding her relationship from the two classmates she’d run into.

Hiding their relationship was something she and Tsukasa had decided on before.

So there shouldn’t have been a problem with successfully hiding it.

“And yet, my chest feels all turbulent… Even though it’s what I wanted, I found myself hating it.”

“You mean you hate hiding the fact that you’re dating Hisamura-kun?”

“That’s right.”

“But didn’t you say some cheesy line like, ‘I want to keep my treasure locked away and not tell anyone’?”

“Ghh, I did… but I don’t know why I’m having these contradictory feelings.”

Sei’s face flushed red, but she maintained a serious expression as she asked for their advice.

Tōjōin had teased him lightly, but she was now thinking about it seriously.

“Isn’t it simply that your desire to talk about the relationship has surpassed your desire to hide it?”

“That’s certainly the simple way to look at it, but…”

Rie’s opinion was correct and made sense, but it still didn’t quite sit right with Sei.

She didn’t really have a strong desire to talk about it.

“Even now, I still have the desire to keep this relationship a secret, to cherish it. But I also have this feeling that I don’t want to hide it.”

“Hmm, I’m not really sure…”

Rie didn’t quite understand and had no further opinions to offer.

“This is a more troublesome problem than I thought… If you have this feeling that you hate hiding it, wouldn’t it be faster to just say it?”

“Ghh, well, that’s true, but I also have this desire to keep it a secret…”

“This is kind of surprising. I didn’t think you were the type to worry about things like this, Shimada-san.”

“Wh-What do you mean, ‘things like this’?”

“I mean a maidenly sort of worry. For me, a worry like that is something to be envied. If it were me, I’d want to start dating Yūichi as soon as possible and announce it to the whole world.”

“Well, I’m sure you would…”

Even before she started dating Yūichi, Tōjōin had spread the rumor that “Shigemoto Yūichi and Tōjōin Kaori are dating” just to eliminate any other women from his side.

From her perspective, Sei’s worries were probably completely meaningless.

“It’s no use. The only thing I can say is, ‘Just go public and be all lovey-dovey already.’”

“I feel like I’ve heard something similar from you before…”

“You and I have completely different ways of thinking and different values. I don’t think I can be of much help.”

“I see… No, just listening to me helped. Thank you.”

“Of course. And so… what is the person who’s been silent this whole time with sparkling eyes thinking?”

“…I was the one who asked for advice, but I was a little hesitant to ask her.”

Ever since Sei had started his consultation, Shiho had been looking on excitedly, her eyes sparkling.

“Sei-chan, I’m so happy! To think I’d get to hear such a lovely and cute problem from you!”

“I-Is that so?”

“It is!”

Unable to contain her excitement, Shiho took both of Sei’s hands and brought her face close.

“To think I’d get such a heart-pounding romantic consultation from you, Sei-chan! I have to thank Hisamura-kun!”

“I don’t really get it… Shiho, were you actually listening to my problem?”

“Of course!”

Shiho nodded emphatically, then calmed down a little and spoke with a smile.

“You want to keep the relationship a secret, but you hate hiding it from people, right? What you probably don’t understand, Sei-chan, is why you feel that way, right?”

“Ah, that’s right. I think my feelings are contradictory…”

“No, no, they’re not contradictory.”

“Eh?”

“Keeping something a secret and hiding a relationship are two slightly different things, I think.”

“Is that so?”

Sei had thought they were the same, but Shiho began to explain.

“Up until now, no one suspected that you and Hisamura-kun were dating, so you were able to just not mention the relationship and keep it a secret, right?”

“Ah, that’s true.”

“But from what you said earlier, you hid it when your classmates were about to find out, right? That’s less like keeping a secret and more like telling a lie, isn’t it?”

“You’re right, that’s exactly it.”

“Sei-chan, you probably hated having to go so far as to lie to hide your relationship, didn’t you?”

“Hah! I see, of course…”

Indeed, keeping it a secret until now had simply meant not telling anyone about her relationship with Tsukasa.

That wasn’t the same as lying or actively concealing something.

But today, when her two classmates had grown suspicious, both she and Tsukasa had lied to hide their relationship.

That’s what she had hated.

It was as if she were saying their relationship was something shameful that had to be hidden from others.

“So wanting to keep it a secret, but not wanting to hide it, wasn’t a contradiction after all…”

“Nope, that’s just a normal maiden’s heart, Sei-chan.”

“A maiden’s heart… huh.”

Now that her seemingly contradictory feelings were resolved, she felt a wave of relief.

At the same time, a sense of embarrassment washed over her, and she blushed and averted her gaze slightly.

“…Aah, I can’t take it anymore! Sei-chan is too cute!”

“Wha—!?”

As if overcome with emotion, Shiho threw her arms around Sei from the front.

“Sei-chan was always cute, but since you started dating Hisamura-kun, you’ve become even more maidenly and way too cute! It’s criminal!”

“Wh-What are you talking about!?”

“I don’t know whether I should be grateful to Hisamura-kun for bringing out this cuteness in you, or jealous of him for seeing a side of you I don’t know!”

“Shiho, calm down! Tōjōin, Rie, don’t just stand there, help me!”

“How sweet. It seems your problem is solved, so may I go look for Yūichi?”

“Sorry, I’m not as strong as Tōjōin-senpai, so I can’t pull Shiho-senpai off.”

Tōjōin had no intention of helping Sei from the start, and Rie had little desire to try.

“Ghh, you two…”

Since it seemed neither of them would come to her rescue, Sei reluctantly tried to pry Shiho off by force.

But just before she did, Shiho let out a “Hm?” as if she’d noticed something, and her body pulled away.

Shiho placed her hands on Sei’s shoulders and looked her yukata-clad figure up and down.

“What is it? What’s wrong, Shiho?”

“Sei-chan… did your chest disappear?”

“Wh-What are you talking about!?”

Sei pulled away from Shiho and covered her chest with his arms.

But Shiho narrowed her eyes, stared intently at Sei’s chest, and nodded firmly.

“Yup, it’s definitely gone! I’m the one who’s been staring at your chest with jealousy every day, so there’s no mistake!”

“What kind of conviction is that…?”

“Fujise-san, doesn’t this make you sad?”

Tōjōin, who had been listening from behind, asked in exasperation.

“I’m used to it by now, I… yeah.”

“I didn’t know you were capable of such an enlightened expression, Fujise-san.”

“I’d rather not be the cause of such enlightenment because of my chest…”

“Hah, that doesn’t matter right now!”

Shiho shook her head to clear it and questioned Sei.

“When I hugged you, Sei-chan, the chest that’s always there was gone, you know?”

“When you put it like that, it makes me not want to be hugged by you anymore…”

Sei sighed, confirmed that Tsukasa and Shigemoto still hadn’t returned, and lowered her voice slightly.

“It’s just that, when I was getting dressed, the person at the shop told me it’s better if your chest isn’t too emphasized when wearing a yukata, so I’m wearing underwear that makes my chest less noticeable.”

“Eh, they have stuff like that? They didn’t say anything like that to me. I wonder why?”

“I-Is that so? I wonder why indeed…”

Sei knew the answer, but not wanting to hurt Shiho, she averted her eyes as she spoke…

“It’s because you don’t need it, Fujise-san.”

“Guh…”

Tōjōin delivered the merciless truth, and Shiho clutched her chest as if she’d taken damage.

“T-Tōjōin! You, how dare you say something that would hurt Shiho…”

“Shimada-san, you know it too, so you might as well just say the truth. There’s no point in trying to sugarcoat it.”

“Th-That’s true, but…”

Of course she knew, but she hadn’t said it because it would hurt Shiho.

“D-Don’t tell me, Tōjōin-san, you’re wearing that kind of underwear too…”

“Yes, I am. Yūichi likes women with large chests, but I decided to match my attire.”

“Ghh, I saw you in your yukata today, Tōjōin-san, and I thought your chest size was about the same as always…”

Shiho looked extremely frustrated.

Hearing about their two chest situations seemed to have dealt her a considerable blow.

Sei wanted to comfort her somehow, but she understood that at times like this, nothing she could say would cheer Shiho up.

“R-Rie-chan is different, right? You’re wearing normal underwear, right?”

“Y-Yes, just normal…”

Shiho asked as if clinging to her for dear life, and Rie answered with a jolt.

Hearing her answer, Shiho let out a relieved smile.

“Right? I’m so glad! I would have been shocked if you were big enough to need that kind of underwear too, Rie-chan!”

“I-Is that so?”

“We’re comrades!”

“Y-Yes…”

Shiho took both of Rie’s hands and shook them firmly, while Rie forced a strained smile.

“Doesn’t she feel sad, clinging to her junior, Rie-san, like that?”

“Tōjōin, be quiet. Shiho is recovering relatively quickly.”

“…You have it a little rough being Fujise-san’s friend, don’t you? With the chest thing, and the cooking…”

“…Aside from all that, she’s a very good kid, Shiho is.”

Sei replied, her gaze a little distant.

But this time, Shiho had given her some very good advice about what was troubling her.

(So I want to keep my relationship with Tsukasa a secret, but I don’t want to hide it…)

Is that why her heart had been in turmoil when she tried to hide it from those two?

Just realizing that made the murky feeling in her heart clear up considerably.

“What are you going to do now, Sei-chan?”

Shiho, who had developed a strange sense of camaraderie with Rie, asked Sei.

“Hm? About what?”

“Are you going to stop hiding your relationship with Hisamura-kun?”

“Right… I don’t know, but I’ll try talking to Tsukasa about it.”

“Yeah, that’s probably for the best.”

Hearing Sei’s answer, Shiho smiled and nodded.

Shiho was a very good, reliable best friend who seriously thought about the relationship between Sei and Tsukasa.

(…She can be a bit troublesome at times, though.)

But everyone has their flaws, and those parts are part of what makes Shiho who she is.

“…I feel like you just called my flat chest a ‘personality trait.’”

“N-No one said that, Shiho.”

“Really?”

“Anyway, enough about Fujise-san’s chest. Isn’t Yūichi taking a while to come back?”

“You’re right, Onii-chan isn’t back yet either.”

The two who had gone to the venue about ten minutes earlier to shop and compete still hadn’t returned.

It was almost time for the fireworks to start.

“Oh well, should I call him?”

Tōjōin took out her smartphone and called Shigemoto.

He seemed to pick up right away, and Tōjōin began speaking.

“Yūichi ? Where are you? The fireworks are about to start… huh?”

As the conversation went on, Tōjōin’s expression gradually clouded over.

Then, with a sigh, she lowered her phone slightly and spoke to Sei.

“Shimada-san, do you happen to know someone named Tobise Marino?”

“Tobise-san? She’s a senior at Tsukasa’s part-time job. I know her, but why is her name coming up here?”

“It seems she’s with Yūichi  and Hisamura-kun.”

“…Why?”

 

◇ ◇ ◇

 

While casually buying food from the stalls with Yūichi, we had another competition at the shooting gallery and other games.

I couldn’t do the shooting gallery earlier, but I thought I might be able to this time… I gave it a try, but as expected, I couldn’t win a single prize.

As we were messing around, we talked about how it was about time to head back to where Sei-chan and the others were.

As a Punishment game for losing our last match, I bought us some juice and returned to Yūichi, but…

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah, thanks! I think I’m heavy, so I’m sorry—you’re really strong!”

“No, you’re not heavy at all, but…”

…for some reason, Yūichi was carrying Tobise-san on his back.

Huh, is he cheating? Did I just walk in on him cheating?

Oh, wait, Yūichi isn’t dating Tōjōin-san or Fujise yet, so I guess it’s not cheating.

“T-Tsukasa! Help me out here!”

“Oh, it’s Tsukasa-kun! Were you friends with Tsukasa-kun? Wow, it must be fate!”

Yūichi had spotted me, and Tobise-san, on his back, was waving at me like crazy.

I sighed and walked closer.

“Yūichi, what are you going to do if Tōjōin-san sees you like this?”

“I-It’s not like that! I was just helping this woman who was getting hit on! She seems to have twisted her ankle while we were getting away, so I’m just carrying her!”

This guy, saving another woman from a pick-up attempt.

It’s a commendable act, but he’s raising way too many flags with women.

If today had gone according to the original story, he would have saved Rie from a pick-up attempt and raised a flag with her.

Did Tobise-san take Rie’s place? I don’t really get it, but…

“Tsukasa-kun, long time no see! Thanks for covering my shift the other day!”

“It’s been a while, Tobise-san. No, it was fine. I got paid more for covering, so it worked out for me.”

“Tsukasa, you know her? In that case, you carry her…”

“No way. I’ve decided there’s only one woman I’ll ever carry on my back.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Ah, you mean Sei-chan, right? Fufu, you really do love Sei-chan, don’t you, Tsukasa-kun?”

Tobise-san, you’re absolutely right.

It seemed Tobise-san had also come to enjoy the festival today, as she was wearing a yukata.

She probably twisted her ankle because she wasn’t used to wearing geta.

“Yūichi-kun, if I’m too heavy, I can walk, you know? It hurts a little, but I can manage.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. I’ve got nothing but strength and stamina, so, yeah.”

“Really? Fufu, that’s amazing. Thanks!”

Tobise-san, riding on Yūichi’s back, wrapped her arms around his neck from behind, clinging to him.

Her yukata was thin, so her ample body was no doubt pressed against Yūichi’s back.

The proof was the blush creeping up Yūichi’s face.

“Good for you, Yūichi.”

“W-What’s good for me? It’s not like I’m happy about this or anything.”

“You’re right. When you think about Tōjōin-san seeing you like this, there’s nothing to be happy about at all.”

“…The feeling’s gone in an instant.”

Yūichi’s face instantly transformed from bright red to deathly pale.

Still, even if he was going to carry Tobise-san, what was the plan?

“Who did you come to the festival with, Tobise-san?”

“I came with my younger brother and sisters, but I got hit on when I went off to do some shopping.”

“I see. Where are your siblings now?”

“I think they’re under that big building over there. I told them to wait for me there.”

That big building… Ah, she must mean the building where Yūichi and I are headed, the one with the top floor rented out.

It’s a little ways from the main fireworks venue, so there are fewer people, making it a good landmark for a meeting spot.

But I don’t think you can see the fireworks from down there, since the building itself would be in the way.

“You’re not going to watch the fireworks?”

“Hmm, I really wanted to, but I didn’t expect it to be this crowded, so we haven’t saved a spot. And since I’ve hurt myself, I was thinking we should just go home. I feel bad for my siblings, though, since they were looking forward to it…”

Tobise-san said with a slightly apologetic smile.

It’s true, Tobise-san has three younger siblings, so it would be tough for that many people to watch without saving a spot.

And now that she’s injured her foot, she’d have to sit down to watch, which would be difficult.

Yūichi and I exchanged a glance.

We had secured what was probably the best spot in this entire fireworks venue—a place so spacious that an injured Tobise-san could sit and watch, with enough room for her three siblings to run around.

However, it wasn’t me or Yūichi who had gotten the spot, and we couldn’t get in without Tōjōin-san.

“Hey, Tsukasa, if we ask Kaori, it’ll be okay, right?”

“If I ask, it’s a definite no, but I think she’ll consider it if you’re the one asking. But are you sure about this?”

I couldn’t imagine that person reacting well to Yūichi bringing along a woman she doesn’t know.

“I’m a little hesitant, but it’s my fault she got hurt when I helped her escape that pick-up attempt.”

“That’s not true, Yūichi-kun. It was because you saved me when that man was trying to drag me away…”

“Even so, I’d feel bad if you and your siblings couldn’t see the fireworks, so I’ll take responsibility.”

“Yūichi-kun… Thank you!”

Whoa, Yūichi’s being so cool.

Except for the slight smirk on his face as Tobise-san hugged him tightly from behind.

“Maybe I should tell Tōjōin-san and Fujise…”

“Oi, Tsukasa, wait, stop.”

“Oh, did I say that out loud? It’s fine, it’s fine, just kidding.”

“Any guy would have the corners of his mouth turn up in this situation…”

I suppose that’s true, but I would never waver.

Though if Sei-chan did that to me, not just the corners of my mouth, but every muscle in my face would probably go slack.

“Hm, crap, my phone’s vibrating. Might be a call.”

Yūichi was carrying Tobise-san, so both his hands were full and he couldn’t answer.

“Ah, I’ll get it.”

While still being carried, Tobise-san reached out her right hand and took the phone out of the bag Yūichi was holding.

“Thank you.”

“Should I operate it and hold it to your ear?”

“Yes… please do.”

“Okay.”

With Tobise-san holding the phone for him, Yūichi took the call from Tōjōin-san.

“Kaori? Sorry, I’m on my way over, but there’s something I need to ask you…”

Yūichi explained the situation with Tobise-san.

I couldn’t really hear Tōjōin-san’s voice, but from the way Yūichi’s tone grew more and more timid, I could tell her mood was souring.

“So, would it be all right if I brought Tobise-san and her three siblings over there with me…?”

By the end, he was speaking in formal Japanese.

“Ah, I heard that Tobise-san is an acquaintance of Shimada and Tsukasa…”

After that, Yūichi went quiet for a while, so Tōjōin-san was probably talking it over with the others on her end.

Then, Yūichi started talking again.

“O-Of course, I’ll do that much. Yeah, thank you. Okay, we’re heading over now.”

Yūichi said, then sighed as if the call had ended.

“Tobise-san, thank you for holding it for me.”

“No problem, but how did it go?”

“I managed to get permission, so let’s go.”

“Really!? Thank you, Yūichi-kun!”

It seems he got the okay, but I’m curious about that last part of the conversation… Did she attach some kind of condition?

He looks a little pale…

In any case, the fireworks were about to start, so we hurried toward the building.

 

We met up with Tobise-san’s younger siblings at the base of the building.

Two younger brothers and one younger sister, making them a family of four siblings including Tobise-san.

The sister was in the fourth grade of elementary school, and the two brothers seemed to be twins, not yet in school.

They were all adorable, taking after Tobise-san.

“Onee-san is getting a piggyback ride!”

“I want a piggyback ride too!”

The twins were a little restless, but in a cute, childlike way.

Then we went up to the top floor of the building and joined Tōjōin-san and the others.

We did some brief introductions, but an awkward atmosphere hung in the air at first.

“Wow! It’s so big and spacious!”

“We can play so much!”

But the two brothers, oblivious to the mood, shattered the tension and started playing and laughing, and a more relaxed air began to spread.

“Kaori-chan, thank you for today! As you can see, my brothers are so happy!”

“No, it’s fine… Kaori-chan?”

“Yeah, you’re Kaori-chan, right?”

“…I suppose that’s fine.”

Tōjōin-san seemed a little surprised by how Tobise-san addressed her.

Well, anyone who knew anything about Tōjōin-san wouldn’t normally dare to call her with a “chan.”

If I remember correctly, Tobise-san called her “Kaori-chan” in the original story, too.

“I heard you were injured, so I have prepared a compress patch and tape.”

“Wow, thank you! You’re really taking care of me.”

“It’s nothing… So get off Yūichi’s back already.”

Ah, I was wondering why Tōjōin-san seemed to be in a bad mood, but that was the reason.

“You’re right. Yūichi-kun, thank you for carrying me.”

“Yes, it was no problem.”

“You’re so strong, you made this Onee-san’s heart race. I’ll have to thank you properly sometime.”

Tobise-san looked Yūichi in the face and said with a sweet smile.

Yūichi, seemingly flustered, blushed.

“N-No, it was nothing, really…”

“Yūichi? What are you blushing for?”

“Ugh! I-I’m not blushing, Kaori.”

Yūichi frantically tried to cover it up, as if he’d been caught cheating.

Tōjōin-san, and even Fujise behind her, were glaring at him with narrowed eyes.

“By any chance, are you and Kaori-chan dating?”

“Yes, we are.”

“We are not, are we!?”

“You’re not, are you!”

Tōjōin-san lied as easily as she breathed, and both Yūichi and Fujise shot back.

Tobise-san tilted her head, looking puzzled.

“So which is it?”

“My mistake. We are simply engaged to be married.”

“That’s not right! The one who’s going to date and marry Shigemoto-kun is me!”

“Hm? So Shiho-chan likes Yūichi-kun too. Yūichi-kun, you’re so popular.”

Tobise-san watched the conflict between Tōjōin-san and Fujise with a cheerful smile.

Caught between them, Yūichi, looking pale, quietly tried to escape in my direction.

“Yūichi, you look exhausted. This seems like a lot.”

“Easy for you to say, it’s not your problem…”

“That’s true. Still, I have to respect your guts for bringing Tobise-san here and pissing off Tōjōin-san, even if it was to help her.”

“I’d feel terrible if those kids couldn’t see the fireworks because of me.”

The three siblings seemed to be talking and playing with Sei-chan and Rie.

“You’re a real man, Yūichi. Even if it’s causing a full-on showdown.”

“I’m just glad to hear you praise me.”

“By the way, didn’t Tōjōin-san give you some kind of condition on the phone?”

“Ah, yeah. She said I have to take her on a date, just the two of us.”

“Is that all? That’s surprisingly simple.”

“…The fact that it’s only that is what’s scary, you know?”

“True…”

She might be plotting something.

“Good luck, Yūichi. You were born under that kind of star.”

“I know it’s a luxurious problem to have, but I wish I’d been born under a more normal, peaceful star.”

Yūichi, who has the two most popular girls in school fighting over him.

He seems to be aware that his “full-on showdown” situation is, in fact, a luxury.

Well, not that I’d want to trade places with him. I have Sei-chan, after all.

“Yūichi! Get over here! What did you do to Tobise-san!?”

“She said Shigemoto-kun pulled her into an embrace!?”

“Fufu, it’s not a lie, you know.”

From a short distance away, I could hear the angry voices of Tōjōin-san and Fujise calling for Yūichi.

Only Tobise-san was smiling cheerfully… That woman, she’s enjoying this.

She was the type to stir things up in the original story, too, but it looks like things are about to get even more difficult for Yūichi.

“Good luck, Yūichi.”

“…Yeah.”

With a somewhat haggard look on his face, Yūichi headed toward Tōjōin-san and the others.

His retreating figure was, how should I put it, like that of an old man, completely exhausted and worn out from work.

Wasn’t he supposed to be the handsome protagonist in the original story?

 

After that, I headed over to Sei-chan and Rie.

It seemed they had been talking with Tobise-san’s three younger siblings, but the trio had already gone back to Tobise-san’s side.

To walk right into that full-on showdown… Those kids have some nerve.

“Onii-chan, I’m glad you made it back before the fireworks started.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“It looks like Tobise-san came with you… I heard she was injured, so I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Sei-chan was looking toward Tobise-san with a slightly complicated expression.

Come to think of it, Sei-chan had once told Tobise-san, “I hate you!”

I don’t think she meant it, since she’d said it in the heat of being teased by Tobise-san, but Sei-chan probably isn’t very good at dealing with her.

“Tobise-san’s younger siblings were very cute.”

“They were. They all seem like good kids.”

“The twins are quite a handful, but even that is adorable and heartwarming.”

Watching the children playing happily around Tobise-san, Sei-chan smiled gently.

“You like kids, don’t you, Sei-chan?”

“Ah, yes. I never knew it myself until now, but it seems I do.”

The gaze she directed at the children was incredibly gentle.

I’m happy to have discovered this new side of her.

“Tsukasa, do you like kids?”

“Me? Well, I like them, I guess. I think I’d like to have my own someday.”

It’s not a particularly strong feeling, but I think I’d be happy if I had children.

I stood next to Sei-chan, and we both watched Tobise-san and the others.

“I see. I hadn’t thought about it much either, but seeing Tobise-san’s siblings makes me want to have children.”

“Right? It’s probably better to have siblings like that, too.”

“Yes, if I could, I’d want two or more childre…!”

Sei-chan stopped mid-sentence. When I looked at her, her face was bright red.

“Sei-chan? What’s wrong?”

“N-No, it’s nothing…”

“Your face says it’s not nothing.”

“Ugh, even so, it’s nothing!”

Her face beet red, Sei-chan moved a little away from me and went to Rie’s side.

Looking a bit embarrassed, she seemed to be hiding behind Rie’s back.

“Sei-san, could you please not use me as a shield?”

“J-Just for a little bit. So please.”

“Well, I don’t mind… but did you just find yourself talking about marrying Onii-chan and having kids without realizing it?”

“D-Don’t say the whole thing!”

They were speaking in low voices, so I couldn’t hear them, but Sei-chan was so red it looked like her face might burst into flames.

What part of that was so embarrassing?

As I was wondering about that──a booming explosion echoed through the air.

And in the next instant, a large, beautiful flower bloomed in the night sky.

The fireworks had begun.

I’d never seen fireworks from this close before, so this was the first time I realized the sound could reverberate in your chest.

The sound of the fireworks bursting, the colorful flowers blooming in the clear night sky.

We were watching from the top floor of a building, so the flowers bloomed so close it felt like I could reach out and touch them.

Overwhelmed by the beauty and sheer presence of the fireworks, I found myself gazing up in silence.

“Whoa, amazing!”

“So big!”

I could hear Tobise-san’s twin brothers cry out in admiration.

Hearing their voices, Sei-chan and Rie, who were next to me, also started talking.

“This is the first time I’ve seen fireworks this close. They’re so beautiful.”

“It’s my first time, too… They’re truly beautiful.”

I moved to stand next to Sei-chan, and we looked up at the fireworks that continued to launch into the sky.

Or rather, we were in such a high place that the fireworks were right there when I looked to the side.

“This is amazing… I’m a little lost for words.”

“Yes, me too.”

“Yeah, me too.”

For a while, we just stood there in silence, watching the flowers bloom in the night sky.

The smell of gunpowder and smoke filled the air, the sound vibrating through my body. This close, you could experience the fireworks with all five senses, not just your eyes.

It’s truly incredible.

As I was watching the fireworks, I heard the children start to get noisy behind me again.

Looking over, I saw it was, as expected, Tobise-san’s two younger brothers.

Had they already lost interest in the fireworks? They were eating and playing around.

Yūichi seemed to be keeping them company, eating and chatting with them.

No, rather than keeping them company, he probably just wanted to eat.

Fujise was also eating a ton of food with Yūichi, and she seemed to be having a fun conversation with Tobise-san’s younger sister.

Next to them, Tobise-san and Tōjōin-san were still talking… but was that a calm conversation?

They were gathered near the entrance to the spacious terrace, a slight distance away from us.

“Looks like they’re having fun over there in their own way.”

“It does, though it seems they’re mainly enjoying the food.”

“Fufu, you’re right.”

“Well then, I’m going to go get another chocolate banana.”

“Rie… you shouldn’t eat too much, you know?”

“It’s fine, it’s just for today.”

I don’t think that’s an answer to “don’t eat too much.”

I wanted to tell her she’d get fat, but Rie is skinny to begin with, so I guess it’s fine.

Before heading over, Rie whispered something in Sei-chan’s ear for some reason.

“Sei-san, don’t you think you should talk to Onii-chan alone, to continue your earlier conversation?”

“You have a point…”

“That side over there has decorative plants and stuff, so you can’t be seen from the seats by the entrance. I think you can be alone there.”

“I see… Rie, thank you.”

“Not at all. I just thought if you’re going to be all lovey-dovey like before, it’s better to be alone.”

“I-I’m not trying to be alone to be lovey-dovey. It’s to talk…”

“Well, you two are a couple. Isn’t it nice to watch the fireworks together, just the two of you?”

“…That’s… true.”

“…You know, Sei-san, you’re surprisingly girlish.”

“Ugh, Rie, don’t tease me so much…”

“Fufu, I’m sorry, Sei onee-chan.”

“That name, too… you are absolutely not to use it in front of Tsukasa…”

“I know, I know. It’s because you’d get self-conscious, right?”

“B-Be quiet and go eat your chocolate banana already.”

The two of them seemed to be having a fun chat, and then Rie headed toward the seats by the entrance.

“What were you two talking about?”

“N-No, nothing special, nope.”

“You sure?”

Sei-chan’s face was a little red, so I was sure she’d been teased about something.

But I’m glad that Sei-chan and Rie seem to be getting along so well.

I had to leave them at home together for that temporary part-time job before, and it seems like they’ve become really good friends since then. I’m happy about that.

“Um, Tsukasa. There’s something I want to talk about.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“I want to talk just the two of us, so shall we go over there for a bit?”

Sei-chan pointed in the opposite direction from where everyone else was, toward an area with a fair number of decorative plants.

“Of course. Let’s go.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Sei-chan and I moved over there.

It was at the very edge of the terrace seating, where normally the wall would be too close and block the view of the fireworks, but here the entire wall was glass, so we could see them without any problem.

If anything, because we were closer to where the fireworks were being launched, they felt even more powerful than where we were before.

“The fireworks are so beautiful.”

“Yes, they really are. I’ve never seen them from this close, but it’s breathtaking.”

“I never thought I’d get to see them from a place like this. We have Tōjōin-san to thank.”

“That’s true. For this, I’ll offer my sincere gratitude.”

Sei-chan and I watched the fireworks there for a while.

We were surrounded by decorative plants, and right before our eyes, large, beautiful fireworks continued to bloom.

It was a very surreal space, alone with the beautiful, yukata-clad Sei-chan.

I feel like my heart is pounding harder than usual.

I wonder if Sei-chan feels the same way.

I glanced over at Sei-chan next to me, and at that exact moment, she must have looked at me too, because our eyes met.

After our eyes widened in mutual surprise, we both smiled.

It felt like we had a moment of understanding, and it made me very happy.

Following that impulse, I took Sei-chan’s hand.

Even though today was a special day at the fireworks festival, I hadn’t held hands with Sei-chan at all.

With my little sister Rie around, we couldn’t really do anything too couple-like.

“…”

Sei-chan’s body tensed for a second, but she immediately squeezed my hand back.

We continued to watch the fireworks for a while, holding hands.

Just this alone is true happiness.

“…Tsukasa, I said I had something to talk about. Will you listen?”

Right, we came to this private spot to talk.

“Of course. What is it?”

“Earlier, we ran into our classmates, Satō-san and Itō-san, didn’t we?”

“Ah, yeah. That was a huge panic.”

Rie wasn’t with us at that moment, so it was hard to come up with an excuse at first.

“I’m happy that you kept our promise to keep our relationship a secret, but…”

Sei-chan seemed to find it a little hard to say, but she looked up at me as she spoke.

“I realized I don’t like hiding our relationship.”

“Eh?”

She doesn’t like hiding it?

Huh, is that right?

“But you were the one who wanted to keep it a secret, Sei-chan.”

“That’s right. I know it sounds contradictory, and I’m sorry… but may I explain?”

“Yeah.”

Apparently, while Yūichi and I were gone, Sei-chan had also consulted with Fujise and the others.

As a result of that conversation, Sei-chan had come to the conclusion that while she wanted to keep their relationship a secret, she didn’t want to hide it.

I see. Wanting to keep it a secret and actively hiding the relationship are two different things.

I hadn’t realized it, but she might be right.

“It made me wonder if our relationship is something shameful that we have to lie to hide…”

“I see…”

A little while ago, I lied to Satō-san and the others to hide our relationship.

‘It’s not like Shimada and I are dating or anything.’

A complete lie. When I said it, my chest felt a little uneasy.

Maybe I, just like Sei-chan, didn’t like hiding our relationship either.

“I’m the one who said I wanted to keep it a secret, so I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I felt a little weird when I was hiding it, too.”

“In that case, from now on, if someone asks about our relationship, I’d like to stop hiding it. What do you think?”

“I don’t mind at all.”

I never particularly wanted to keep it a secret in the first place, and this incident made me realize that doing so was painful.

“Thank you. I know I’m just stringing you along, saying I want to keep it a secret and then saying I want to stop hiding it. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I think both are adorable requests.”

“A-Adorable?”

“Wanting to keep it a secret was about ‘wanting to keep your treasure all to yourself,’ right?”

“W-Well, yes.”

“And wanting to stop hiding it is about ‘wanting to brag about your relationship,’ right?”

“Wh-!? I-It’s not that I want to brag! I just don’t like the idea of hiding it…”

“You think so? I want to brag, though. I want to tell the whole world, ‘I have the cutest girlfriend in the entire world!’”

“I-In the entire world… that’s an exaggeration…”

Sei-chan laughed as if exasperated, but also a little shyly.

To me, it’s not an exaggeration at all; it’s just a fact.

“So you don’t have to feel sorry at all, Sei-chan.”

“…I see. Thank you, Tsukasa.”

Sei-chan’s eyes softened as she gave me a lovely smile.

This level of selfishness or requests is really no problem at all.

“But bragging at school is a little… Yūichi is right next to us, so will it be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the guys will definitely get jealous. They’re already a little jealous that the five of us—Yūichi, me, Tōjōin-san, Fujise, and you, Sei-chan—eat lunch together.”

A male classmate once told me, “You’ve got it good. You get to eat with all those beauties just because you’re best friends with Yūichi.”

It’s true, and there’s nothing to deny about it.

But the jealousy has remained at that level only because Tōjōin-san and Fujise are in love with Yūichi, and it’s assumed that I and Sei-chan are just there with them.

“If they find out you and I are dating, Sei-chan, the guys’ stares will definitely be piercing. I hope having Yūichi there will disperse some of those glares…”

“…Are you really sure it’s okay? If that would be hard for you, I think we can keep hiding our relationship after all.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine.”

I made Sei-chan worry.

“The guys’ stares will be a pain, for sure, but the happiness of being with you easily outweighs that, Sei-chan.”

“I-I see…”

“I’m dating the woman I love most in this world, and I can brag about it. I’m a very lucky man.”

I seriously wonder if there’s anyone in this world luckier than me.

If I can receive this much happiness, I’ll gladly accept the jealous stares of other guys.

“…I-I am, too.”

“Hm?”

“I, too, have been having such fun days since I started dating you, Tsukasa… and I think you’re a boyfriend to be very proud of.”

“S-Sei-chan…”

Sei-chan, who rarely says things like this, said it with her face beet red.

I was so surprised that I couldn’t help but stare at her face.

“Ah, don’t stare so much…”

Aware of how red her face was, Sei-chan shyly averted her gaze.

Then, as if to hide her face from me, she did the opposite and pressed her body against mine.

While still holding hands, Sei-chan’s body was now pressed against my right side.

She was so close that her head was resting on my right shoulder.

I never expected her to be the one to close the distance, and it caught me off guard. My heart is pounding so loudly.

Since I couldn’t see Sei-chan’s face anymore, I turned to face forward and watched the fireworks that were still launching into the sky.

Boom, boom, they thundered, and beautiful flowers bloomed in the night sky.

Every time the explosions echoed in my chest, Sei-chan’s body seemed to tremble, and I felt like my heart was pounding loud enough to rival the blasts.

I continued watching the fireworks like that, but then there was a brief pause.

The sound of the fireworks had been so loud until a moment ago, but now that it was gone, it suddenly felt very quiet.

If I strained my ears, I could hear everyone chatting over by the terrace entrance.

But here, it was just me and Sei-chan.

I lowered my gaze to Sei-chan, who was resting her head on my shoulder.

And once again, our eyes met.

Closer than before. I could see her beautiful, long eyelashes.

“…”

I could tell Sei-chan had just sucked in a breath.

Her cheeks were red, and I could feel her body heat and her nervousness.

Her large, beautiful pupils looked slightly moist.

I’ve had this feeling before.

At Tōjōin-san’s house, when we had the cooking class for Fujise.

When Sei-chan and I were alone.

It’s the same as that time… which means, is this that kind of moment?

I didn’t know what to do the first time, and I’m not used to it the second time either. In fact, I’m even more nervous.

To calm myself down, I looked away from Sei-chan.

If I keep looking into her eyes like this, I won’t be able to think straight.

Just as I was about to take a deep breath, the fireworks started going off in front of me again.

Seeing them, I thought I should calm down, but…

“──do it?”

“Eh…?”

Sei-chan’s quiet voice was drowned out by the sound of the fireworks.

But her next words reached my ears, a little louder──

 

“…Aren’t you going to do it?”

 

In a faint, wispy voice.

But it reached my ears clearly, a sultry voice that felt like it could melt my brain.

My heart gave a great leap, and drawn in by her voice, I looked into Sei-chan’s eyes.

Moist eyes, flushed cheeks, and… her shapely, red lips.

Before I knew it, I was facing Sei-chan head-on, my hand wrapped around the back of her neck.

Sei-chan was looking up at me.

Then, she closed her eyes.

Her chin was tilted up slightly, waiting.

As if to embrace her, I brought my face closer.

And then, I closed my eyes, too.

──Our lips met.

“Ngh…”

A sensual breath escaped from Sei-chan’s incredibly soft lips.

Her escaped breath, the feeling of her lips, the warmth of her body transmitted through my embrace.

Every bit of it was so stimulating that my heart pounded wildly and my body grew hot.

I felt like Sei-chan’s body was getting hotter too, as if we were exchanging our body heat.

The sound of the fireworks must have been booming, but I could barely hear it.

How many seconds, or tens of seconds, passed?

I had no idea, but after a short while, we slowly parted our lips.

When I opened my eyes, Sei-chan’s face was, of course, right there.

Her face was even redder than before, and I was probably bright red, too.

I must have been holding my breath from the tension, as I was now a little winded.

I could see Sei-chan’s shoulders rising and falling slightly as she breathed.

Our gazes met again, and we stared at each other.

It would be awkward if we just fell silent again, so I had to be the one to say something.

“Ah…”

My throat was completely dry from nervousness, and no sound came out.

I swallowed once, then started to speak.

“Um, thank you, Sei-chan.”

“…F-For what?”

“For giving me another push, I guess.”

“Hmph… I didn’t mean to do that, you know.”

Sei-chan, apparently unable to take it anymore, averted her gaze.

But I was still holding her, so we were very close.

My hand was resting on her waist, and it was so incredibly slender.

I felt like if I hugged her tightly, she might break.

And yet she was so soft, so… yeah, she’s too cute, this is bad.

If I kept holding her like this, I felt like I might lose control.

But a part of me couldn’t let go.

“…Tsukasa, when are you going to let go?”

“Sorry, can we stay like this a little longer?”

“…I don’t mind, but isn’t this position a little awkward?”

It was true, there was still a small gap between my body and Sei-chan’s.

I thought I should just hug her tighter, but I was too nervous and hesitant.

There wasn’t much strength in the hands I had around her waist and back, either.

“Any more than this is… impossible for me…”

“Why the formal language…? You’re hopeless.”

Sei-chan laughed, a little exasperated, and closed the gap between us.

Then she wrapped her arms around my back and hugged me tightly.

“H-Hey, Sei-chan…”

Sei-chan clung to me, resting her head on my shoulder, so close that our cheeks were touching.

“Why are you getting nervous now…? We just did something more than just hugging.”

I wish she wouldn’t whisper such stimulating things in my ear in that cute voice…

Because we’re in yukata and the fabric is thin, I feel like I can feel the texture and heat of her body directly.

It’s incredibly embarrassing and my heart won’t stop pounding… but I don’t want to let go.

“Aren’t you embarrassed, Sei-chan?”

“O-Of course I’m embarrassed. But right now, I’m too embarrassed to have you see my face.”

“I feel the same way… so what about the option of letting go and looking away?”

“…That would be lonely, wouldn’t it?”

Please stop saying such ridiculously cute things in my ear while hugging me.

Ugh, my head is spinning.

Normally, it wouldn’t be strange for me to have a nosebleed by now, but I have to hold it in today.

If we’re this close, I’ll get blood on Sei-chan.

Plus, these yukata are rentals, so that’s absolutely out of the question.

“Um, when will you be letting go?”

“…Do you want me to let go, Tsukasa?”

“No, I want to stay stuck to you like this for the rest of my life and go to the grave together.”

“W-What are you saying, you idiot…”

Hey, Sei-chan, please don’t hug me even tighter to hide your embarrassment…

I was honestly reaching my limit in more ways than one. I grabbed Sei-chan’s shoulders to try and pull away, but just then…

“Ah! They’re stuck together!”

“They’re doing a big hug!”

Hearing those voices, Sei-chan and I jumped, pulling apart as we turned toward the sound.

Standing there were Tobise-san’s mischievous twin brothers, pointing right at us.

“Were you playing hide-and-seek here?”

“They were hiding together and hugging!”

The rambunctious boys shouted, making a ruckus.

Their voices, of course, reached the entrance to the terrace, and everyone started to gather.

“Ehh, Sei-chan and Hisamura-kun, you were hugging?”

“Ara ara, I was wondering where you’d gone, but it seems you were doing what couples do.”

“Well, I knew you two were alone, Onii-chan.”

“Wow, how nice. This is what youth is all about.”

The girls came over, each with a smirk on her face.

Yūichi seemed to be behind them, but that guy was still eating shaved ice.

Sei-chan and I had already separated… but it didn’t look like we could talk our way out of this.

“Y-You… all of you…”

Sei-chan was trembling, her face bright red as she glared at everyone.

Normally, she would get angry and try to dissipate the teasing atmosphere.

“I-It’s fine, isn’t it? Tsukasa and I are a couple, after all.”

With her face still beet red, Sei-chan clung to my arm and declared it.

Not just me, but everyone else there stared, wide-eyed with surprise.

“S-Sei-chan…”

“Tsukasa, there’s no need for you to be so embarrassed, either…”

“Yeah, but Sei-chan, your voice is trembling from embarrassment.”

“Sh-Shut up! I’m not used to this yet, so it can’t be helped!”

It seemed that since Sei-chan had decided not to hide it anymore, she was trying to act confident.

But it looked like she still couldn’t suppress her embarrassment.

“For Sei-chan to say something like that… It’s super cute, but it feels like my best friend is getting farther and farther away…”

“I’m the one who left them alone, but I never thought it would develop this far…”

Fujise had a complicated look on her face, and Rie looked surprised, too.

Wait, Rie was the one who left us alone? Come to think of it, she did leave us to go get a chocolate banana.

That was very nice of her. I’ll have to treat her to a chocolate banana sometime.

“Shimada-san, it looks like you’ve gotten over it. Well, it was frustrating to watch, so I think this is for the best.”

“Tōjōin, why do you sound like you’re talking down to me?”

“What did you say?”

“I have a boyfriend named Tsukasa, and you have someone you like but aren’t dating… Now, who’s in the better position?”

Sei-chan said, holding my arm and raising the corners of her mouth in a provocative smile.

The fact that her cheeks were still red made her provocation feel a little incomplete. It was very cute, though.

“Ugh, I can’t believe Shimada-san would pull rank on me like that…”

Tōjōin-san glared at Sei-chan with a frustrated look on her face.

“Fine, enjoy it while you can. I’ll start dating Yūichi in no time.”

Tōjōin-san is surprisingly weak to provocation.

She said this angrily, then turned to Yūichi, who was still eating shaved ice in the back.

Yūichi flinched and stopped eating.

“Yūichi, start dating me right now!”

“Hey, Tōjōin-san! I’m the one who’s going to date Shigemoto-kun!”

Fujise, unable to stay silent, joined the fray.

They seemed to be getting along just a moment ago, but now Fujise and Tōjōin-san were glaring at each other.

“Yūichi, which one of us will you choose?”

“Shigemoto-kun, you’ll choose me, of course, right?”

“Um, well, could I have a little more time to think…?”

Yūichi said in a small voice, completely overwhelmed.

“It’s fine, Yūichi, don’t hold back for Fujise-san’s sake. Rejecting someone always hurts.”

“That’s right, Shigemoto-kun. You might hesitate to reject your childhood friend, but you have to do it eventually.”

“Ara, I may have said this before, but Yūichi likes women with large chests, you know? There’s no way you’d be chosen.”

“Heeh, so Tōjōin-san thinks she’ll be chosen for her chest alone. I think other physical features, and personality, are important too, you know.”

Fujise and Tōjōin-san were trading barbs with smiles on their faces, but their eyes weren’t smiling at all.

This is scary… Yūichi is trying to sneak away, making himself as unnoticeable as possible.

“Heeh, so Yūichi-kun likes girls with big chests, huh?”

“Eh!? Ah, well, I wonder…”

For some reason, Tobise-san didn’t let Yūichi escape, and spoke to him with a grin.

“When you carried me on your back earlier, my chest was touching you and you seemed pretty happy about it!”

“Hey, Tobise-san, that’s…”

“What did you just say?”

“Shigemoto-kun, is what she just said true?”

Tobise-san’s words made the two of them stop arguing and turn to interrogate Yūichi.

Yūichi broke out in a cold sweat and backed away.

“No, that’s, um…”

I think Yūichi glanced my way… but even if he’s asking for help, this is an impossible situation.

Besides, I think Tobise-san said it as a prank, but she must have noticed that Yūichi was grinning happily.

“Fufu, it looks like they’re having fun over there.”

“Tobise-san… you’re quite a wicked person, you know.”

“Ehh, Sei-chan, that’s so mean. I only said it to protect you and Tsukasa-kun.”

It’s true that thanks to what Tobise-san said, the atmosphere of teasing us for being close was gone.

But I think that atmosphere was already gone when Sei-chan provoked Tōjōin-san.

“Because you and Tsukasa-kun weren’t just hugging, were you?”

“H-Hey, we were just hugging…”

Sei-chan tried to play it off by looking away, but Tobise-san glanced at me and laughed.

“Fufu, there’s lipstick on Tsukasa-kun’s lips. I wonder whose it is?”

“Wh-! Wha…”

Sei-chan looked at me with a gasp of surprise.

I instinctively tried to touch my lips to check…

“Ahaha, just kidding. I don’t think there’s anything there.”

Tobise-san laughed lightly.

Both Sei-chan and I froze and stared at her.

“It’s dark, so I can’t tell anyway. I can’t see a thing, so you’re fine.”

“T-Tobise-san, you…”

“But that reaction… fufu, how nice. This is what youth is all about.”

Tobise-san showed her biggest smile of the day.

She got us…

I sighed, while Sei-chan trembled, her face bright red.

“Ugh… Tobise-san, I really do dislike you!”

“Fufu, but I love you!”

Tobise-san tried to hug Sei-chan like before.

But Sei-chan must have seen it coming, because she dodged and moved behind me.

“Aw, you got away.”

“I don’t know why you’re trying to hug me, but I don’t like you.”

“Fufu, seeing someone cute just makes you want to hug them, right?”

I don’t really get it, but I wish they wouldn’t have this conversation with me in the middle…

 

After that, the fireworks stopped at some point, and the fireworks festival was over.

It seems the only ones who properly watched the fireworks until the very end were Rie and Tobise-san’s younger sister.

Although, I think Rie was holding and eating a chocolate banana the whole time.

I couldn’t really watch the fireworks at the end, but today’s fireworks festival was really fun.

Actually… I was truly happy.

TN - Geta* - 

Takoyaki* - 

Yakisoba* - 

Okonomiyaki* - 

<V3 Chapter 2 | Index | V3 Epilogue>