Volume 3 - CH 10

Chapter 10: Summer Festival

Kanda-senpai’s transfer… The strange conversation in the canteen with Mishima… This mentally draining week came to an end.

So, I completely surrendered to the power of laziness. On weekdays, Sayu always wakes me up. But on weekends, she doesn’t do that.

That’s why I went to bed for the second time and then for the third time, accumulating all the energy to finally wake up until I noticed that it was already past 3 PM. Since I went to bed after midnight, it means that I slept for almost the whole 15 hours. After that, my sleepiness disappeared. I shook my still-sluggish head, and my consciousness cleared up.

Looking sideways, I saw Sayu curled up on the carpet like a caterpillar.

“Good morning, Sayu…”

“Good morning.”

She said, looking at me. Her voice felt somewhat empty.

“When did you wake up?”

“Huh?”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Um…”

I asked a few questions and realized that something was wrong with her. It’s as if she was lost in her own thoughts.

Sighing, I called her louder.

“Sayu!”

“Whoa!”

She flinched and turned to me.

“Good morning…“

“G-Good morning.”

“Did you sleep?”

“N-No, I’m sorry… Did I wake you up? It’s just that… I had my head in the clouds.”

Sayu flashed a strange smile. She looked kind of lost.

“Are you worried about something?”

I asked, getting up from the bed. Sayu also got up. There was an unreadable expression on her face accompanied by a sad smile.

“Nope… nothing.”

“…Okay then.”

There’s definitely something wrong. But she still insisted that everything was all right. So I decided not to pry further.

Instead, I thought of changing the subject. But nothing came to my mind, so I just sat down, in Indian-style, on the bed and leaned against the wall. Sayu stood up and just stared at the floor. I looked at her since she was lying on one side, her hair stuck to her cheek. At first, I decided to remove them with a finger, but my body seemed so heavy that all my strength was gone even before I got out of bed.

Sayu raised her head and our gazes met. We looked at each other for a few seconds. But even though we stared at each other, it still seemed like she was thinking about something of her own.

“About when I’ll decide to return to Hokkaido…”

I was startled. At first, I even wondered if she was talking to me, but there were only the two of us.

“Well, I don’t want to go back yet.”

She grinned. Then, she dropped her gaze again.

“I don’t want to go home, that’s why I don’t want to return to Hokkaido. Or…”

She muttered those words and looked at me again.

“Or maybe because I don’t want to part with you…”

Her voice was weak. As if to confirm this, she looked at the floor again.

“I don’t understand…”

She said and immediately fell silent.

Me too… I couldn’t say anything and just sat with my mouth open.

During the rainy season, Sayu told me that she would think about her future. It meant that she was getting ready to return to where she belongs. It was an important promise… for both of us.

Although she tried her best, I still felt weakness in her voice when she said “I don’t want to go back.”

I wasn’t going to blame her for that. She ran away from home after all, so I understood her reluctance. But the fact that she said it surprised me.

As far as I know, she always puts others first. She even promised me that she would return home, and yet, she said that she didn’t want to. But what for? Did she want me to perceive it as naivety or to frankly show unwillingness?

And the words “I don’t want to part with you” astonished me.

During all this cohabitation, we started to trust each other. But am I really that important?

“That’s…”

Thinking about it, I shook my head. Kanda-senpai’s and Mishima’s words came to mind again.

“That’s something only you would know.”

I knew that that wasn’t the answer she expected, but I couldn’t say anything else.

Hearing my words, Sayu shot me a puzzled look and chuckled.

“Well, yeah. I’m sorry for bringing up such a strange topic.”

She smiled helplessly.

“No, that’s not it… You’re free to say whatever you want.”

As soon as I said it, Sayu smiled with guilt and nodded.

“…Yes. I… thought about it all the time you were sleeping.”

“I know it’s hard for you…”

“Indeed.”

She replied with sorrow but then raised her head and went to the kitchen.

I watched Sayu as she poured water into a cup and returned.

“Here.”

“Huh?”

“Water. You just woke up, so take a drink to develop your stomach and gain some strength.”

“What? Does it really work like that?”

“I read it on the Internet.”

“Sounds like nonsense… But thanks.”

I drank the water. The liquid spread in the throat and dissolved in the body. Following the first sip, I drank everything.

“Oh, right. You like to get drunk.”

“Shut up.”

I put the mug in the sink. And then I heard a low sound as if something exploded. I looked at Sayu.

“Did you hear that?”

“Huh?”

She looked confused.

“No, I didn’t hear anything.”

Judging by her puzzled expression, it seems like she really didn’t hear anything.

“I guess I misheard it then.”

When I said that, something exploded outdoors.

“Wow.”

“Well, so I didn’t mishear it.”

This time, Sayu also heard it and nodded at me.

We remained silent for a few seconds and we heard a loud noise outside again.

Sayu tilted her head and asked me.

“Is that fireworks?”

“No, it’s too early for them.”

It was a little over 3 PM. The sun had already begun to drop, but it was still too bright to watch the fireworks.

“Oh…”

Realizing, I sat on the bed and turned on the laptop.

“What’s the matter?”

Sayu looked at the screen with interest.

I opened the Internet, entered the name of the nearest station, and added the word “festival” in the search bar. That confirmed my assumptions.

There was a Shinto shrine within a ten-minute walk, where the shopping district was hosting a summer festival.

“The weather’s good and this is the signal for the start of the festival.”

“I see.”

Sayu nodded and then looked into the distance.

“A summer festival, huh?”

Her voice was full of nostalgia and something unrelated to me.

“Do you want to go?”

“Huh?”

She looked at me in surprise and didn’t answer my question.

“Do you want to go to the summer festival?”

I asked again. She blinked and then looked away from me.

“Um… summer festival… yeah.”

Her eyes were darting back and forth across the floor, she spoke in embarrassment.

“T-That was unexpected…”

“What?”

“I’ve never been to a summer festival in high school”

“I see.”

I also didn’t expect that. High schoolers often go to such events with friends or a lover.

“Yeah, that’s true. I had no friends with whom I could go, so I didn’t think about it.”

“…So that’s how it is.”

Sayu answered calmly, but I was overwhelmed with strange feelings.

Caring, kind, and pretty… A girl that cares about others… I just can’t imagine why she didn’t have any friends. I thought about the reason, but nothing came to mind.

So I shook these thoughts out of my head. Sayu looked at me.

“That’s why… Yeah… I’d like to go to the summer festival with you, Yoshida-san.”

She smiled softly.

I’d already slept enough, so it would be possible to go out and take a walk in the evening.

Thinking that I need to change into casual clothes, something suddenly came into my head.

“It’s a summer festival, right? So you have to wear a yukata.”

“Yukata?”

Sayu’s eyes shone. I guess she really wanted it.

“Wait, do you have one?”

“No, I don’t. Why do you think a lonely man would keep a yukata?”

“Oh… Fair enough… But why did you suggest it then?”

“We can rent one. There seems to be a shop near the station.”

I checked on the Internet, and there really was a shop near the station where we could rent a yukata.

“It looks like you can rent one for about 3,000 yen. Since you’ve got a part-time job, you can rent it with your salary.”

If we go now, considering the time she’ll take getting dressed, we’ll get to the temple just in time.

After my proposal, Sayu hesitated a little. But then she embarrassedly agreed.

*

“Who would’ve thought that there would be such a queue.”

“Well, the festival’s taking place near the station, so it’s not surprising that the store here’s so busy.”

After the station, we went straight to the temple.

The store was surprisingly lively, we left the house and reached it at almost 4 PM. Sayu finished changing at 6 PM.

Even though the days are longer during summer, it’s still really dark after 6 PM.

I heard the patter of Sayu’s shoes. She was wearing a yukata and geta.

I couldn’t look at her.

“Oh, looks like it’s starting.”

Ahead of us, there was a place illuminated by lanterns. The shopping district to be precise. I heard the festival music.

“So it’s really a festival…”

Sayu looked excited. I chuckled.

“Well, of course, it is. This is why you came here in yukata after all.”

“It all seemed unreal…”

Sayu laughed.

“We decided to go to the festival, I put on a yukata… But I just couldn’t believe that we’re going to the festival.”

“Really? But aren’t we already here.”

“Yeah. Indeed…”

Sayu agreed and her shoulders started to tremble. I didn’t look at her, so it was impossible to be sure, but she was probably laughing.

The music grew louder, we went around the corner, right into the shopping district.

And then it suddenly became very bright and noisy.

“Wow…”

Sayu’s voice was full of excitement.

“Haha…”

With her mouth open, Sayu quickened her pace and walked in front of me. She was looking around with her eyes glittering. She looked like a child taken to an amusement park for the first time. Seeing her like that, I realized that she really hadn’t been to a festival in high school.

Turning around, Sayu suddenly looked at me and smiled widely.

“It’s amazing!”

That’s when I saw Sayu in a yukata right in front of me.

In the lights of the shopping district, it looked bright orange. Usually, loose hair was gathered with a hairpin. There wasn’t much makeup, but under the bright light, Sayu literally shone.

“Y-Yeah… Amazing.”

I replied, looking away from Sayu.

“Hey, Yoshida-san.”

Sayu stopped in front of me and looked into my eyes.

“How do you like the yukata?”

She asked… I avoided this question from the moment she came out of the store.

To be honest, it really suits her.

She looked more like an adult rather than a “high school girl in a yukata,” but at the same time felt childishly young. The bright orange color harmonized with Sayu’s natural beauty. I felt uncomfortable.

“Hey! You’re not even looking at me at all.”

She pouted, so I looked at her. Sayu raised her sleeves and asked me again.

“So what do you think?”

I looked at her. The landscape seemed to focus on Sayu, and it seemed as if all the lights around were deliberately illuminating her.

“You’re beautiful.”

Sayu looked at me with her mouth open. I realized what I just said.

And got embarrassed by my own words.

What did I just say to a high school student? Why didn’t I just say that she was cute? It looked like Sayu didn’t expect that answer either and got flustered. But she continued to look at me, even though I turned away. Although I didn’t see it, I felt her glare on my cheek.

“Um… I mean…“

Her voice was pretty quiet, but I still heard everything clearly.

“Even more beautiful than… Gotou-san?”

“Huh?”

I looked at Sayu in surprise. She was blushing as red as a tomato.

I didn’t get why she wanted me to compare her to Gotou-san, but then I heard a child screaming.

“Hey, Mom! They’re playing drums there!”

The woman who followed this kid behind said, “Really? Let’s hurry then,” and quickened the pace.

“…It looks like there are drummers. Shall we go take a look?”

I asked, and Sayu’s eyes flickered for a moment. Then she suddenly closed them.

And when she opened them again, she smiled at me.

“Yeah, I’d like to see!”

“Well, let’s go then. I think they should be in the center of the square.”

“Okay, let’s go.”

I followed Sayu, who was walking in front.

My heart began to beat faster.

I was able to evade her question. The girl in front of me or Gotou-san. I was at a loss who to choose and how to say it. To be precise, it wasn’t that difficult, but I just didn’t want to choose.

Although not long ago, I would’ve immediately answered, “Of course, Gotou-san.” I was confused by my own feelings.

Am I starting to see Sayu as a “woman” and not just a “high school girl”?

Before, I perceived high school students as children. But it seems that this no longer applied to Sayu.

“Yoshida-san, w-wait.”

A voice sounded from behind and I turned around. She was standing far from me. It looks like while I was lost in thoughts, I sped up my pace.

“I’m sorry…”

“So many people…”

She looked around and smiled embarrassedly. There were really a lot of people near the square, and it was difficult to walk around. Also, Sayu’s wearing geta, so I needed to adjust my pace.

When I thought about it, I felt a warmth on my right wrist. Sayu held my hand.

Surprised, I looked at her. She blushed slightly and looked at the ground.

“W-With that… We won’t get lost.”

“Y-Yeah. Of course.”

I was embarrassed and scratched my nose with my left hand.

The sound of drums came from the square. Even though we were still far enough, the sound seemed loud.

“Looks like it has already begun.”

“It has.”

“Let’s go.”

Together with Sayu, who was holding onto me, we walked through the crowd.

It was really crowded, but I didn’t pay attention to it.

My face was burning.

*

Two men banged on big drums, and two women on small ones.

The sound of unpausing bangs was echoing inside the drums. The audience was joyfully shouting.

Watching the performance, I thought that this happens here every year. And looking back, every time I heard that noise, I thought to myself, “Looks like there’s a festival nearby.”

I’ve been living here for 5 years, but I’ve never been to the festival. What a boring person. I don’t show any interest in anything but myself.

But it turned out to be very interesting. The people gathered here were having fun. I haven’t felt anything like this since high school.

Out of the corner of my eye, I looked at Sayu. She was fascinated looking at the drummers.

If not for her, I wouldn’t have come here.

Her appearance changed my life. I began to eat 3 times a day. On weekends, I often leave the house and communicate more. I used to live with my job, but now I’ve begun to learn the taste of life.

Perhaps if I hadn’t picked her up that day, I’d still be living by walking from home to work. If I started dating Gotou-san, my life would’ve become more enjoyable, but we haven’t started dating yet.

If I hadn’t met Sayu.

Thinking about it, I noticed.

The drums began to beat more intensely. The musicians were preparing to end their performance. The audience too became even more excited, and I was overwhelmed by only one feeling.

If I hadn’t met Sayu.

As soon as I thought about it, I understood.

I can’t even imagine it.

I can’t even imagine how I would’ve lived without her. She has already become a part of my life.

As soon as I thought about the fact that Sayu would be taken out of my life, I was scared.

“…shida-san… Hey!”

“Huh? What?”

Through the sound of drums, I heard Sayu’s voice and looked at her. My heart jumped.

She wasn’t here.

“Huh?”

I began to turn around. Surrounded by strangers, I couldn’t find Sayu among them.

“Sayu?!”

I walked through the crowd and finally got out in the open. I walked through the shopping district and looked around, but Sayu was nowhere to be found. I looked into the distance, but I never saw her yukata.

“Bang bang!” I heard the sound of drums, blended with applause, coming from the square. The show has come to an end. People began to scatter around the district. What terrible timing.

Making my way through the advancing crowd, I looked for Sayu, but couldn’t find her.

Where did she go? I saw her during the show, and then, she was gone. In such a short time, she couldn’t go far… What if someone took her away?

A chill ran down my spine. I remembered the last time she left home without notice. I was scared that she had been kidnapped, and set out to search, but now everything was much more complicated.

I walked quickly. My gaze wandered, I was looking for Sayu. And then, I noticed an orange yukata and blackish-brown collected hair.

“Sayu!!”

I immediately called and grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Huh?”

However, the woman who turned around wasn’t Sayu. She stared at me with wide eyes. Looking closely, the yukata she was wearing was different.

“Ah… Sorry… I mistook you for someone.”

I quickly let her go. The woman smiled and disappeared into the crowd.

Sighing, I continued the search. For starters, I needed to get out of the crowd.

I went where there were fewer people, but I couldn’t find Sayu. I haven’t moved that much for a long time, so I was out of breath.

“Ah, Yoshida-san! Found you!”

A voice sounded from behind. I turned around and saw Sayu. I blinked at first and didn’t notice how I began to shout.

“Where were you?!”

“Huh? I told you that I need to go to the bathroom.”

“…Bathroom?”

She looked at me in puzzlement.

“Why are you out of breath?”

“I see… bathroom…”

So that’s probably what she told me that time when she called me, I just didn’t hear it. Most likely, she said something like “I’ll go to the toilet,” and when I turned around, she was already gone.

I sighed.

“W-Were you looking for me?”

“…Yeah.”

“I-I’m sorry. And here I thought that it was you who had gone somewhere. It turns out that we were both looking for each other.”

Sayu came closer and looked into my face.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah.”

“But you can hardly breathe.”

“Everything’s alright. After all, I’m not some old fart.”

I turned away, desperately avoiding her gaze. Sayu started to giggle.

“The moment I disappeared, you rushed looking for me.”

She said that while standing next to me. She began to poke me with her elbow and said “I still remember how you were out of breath that time when you found me with Yuzuha-san at the park.”

“…Shut up.”

I recalled it as if it were yesterday.

Sayu looked at me again. Then she mockingly smiled at me.

“Are you that worried about me being lost?”

After those words, my heart began to pound faster.

Yes, there’s no better wording.

When Sayu disappeared, I thought she had been kidnapped. But I wasn’t scared because “Sayu’s in trouble or she was kidnapped,” rather because of the fear that “I won’t see her again.”

“Yeah, if you disappear… I-I’ll worry.”

I said looking at her. Her eyes flickered. She immediately lowered her head.

“Is that so? I’m sorry.”

She said quietly and grabbed my hand.

“I won’t go anywhere… anymore.”

I felt how she squeezed my hand. Not understanding what she was thinking about, my lips moved of their own accord.

“Hey… Are you really going to return?”

“…Huh?”

Sayu opened her eyes wide and made a puzzled look.

I was even more confused.

“Ah… no—”

Why did I ask her that? I don’t understand myself.

Sayu will return home. I gave her time to make up her mind. She finally made a decision and told me about it, and yet I asked her that.

“No, nothing… Forget it.”

“O-Okay…”

She nodded and fell silent. I didn’t say anything else either.

“Um…”

Unable to withstand the silence, I looked towards the shopping district.

“They sell a lot of tasty things there. Wanna go take a look?”

I suggested. She also looked there and nodded.

“I’ll buy whatever you want.”

“T-Thanks.”

Together, we went to the stalls. There were fried soba, sausages, takoyaki, chocolate-covered bananas, and more. Everything typical for a summer festival.

“Wow.”

Sayu stopped in front of a cotton candy stall.

The stall owner poured granulated sugar into a candy maker that looked like a donut. To the smiles of the children, he rolled candy on sticks.

“Cotton candy…”

Sayu muttered.

“Do you want it?”

“Yes, I always wanted to. I once was at a festival when I was a little kid, but that time, I didn’t get to try it. Since then, I’ve always wished for it.”

As if remembering the past, Sayu narrowed her eyes.

“Then let’s buy it.”

The moment I said it, she was already opening her wallet. But I stopped her.

“I already told you that it’s my treat.”

“B-But I can buy it myself.”

That wasn’t the point, I just wanted to treat her.

While I was thinking… Ah… I get it now.

Kanda-senpai and Mishima talked about it. I felt irritated.

“It’s okay.”

I said, looking at the happy children who received their cotton candies from the stall owner.

“I want to treat you.”

After saying this, I went to the stall owner.

“One cotton candy, please.”

“Sure. One hundred yen.”

I took a hundred yen out of my wallet and handed it to him.

Then I called Sayu, who was watching from a distance.

“Come on. Don’t you want to take a closer look at how it’s made?”

“Uh… yes.”

She came closer.

The owner was rotating a stick, and cotton candy gathered around it. It looked very funny.

“Hey.”

Sayu called me and I looked at her. She didn’t take her eyes off the sugar wool and continued.

“The thing you asked me.”

Remembering my last question, my stomach tightened.

I fell silent, and Sayu looked at me and continued.

“You don’t want me to go back?”

The question was asked, but I couldn’t answer. Sayu didn’t reproach me for anything. She just wanted me to honestly tell her about my feelings, which was incredibly difficult for me. After all, I still can’t express my feelings properly.

I also looked at how cotton candy was made.

The stick was already covered with cotton, and it almost disappeared. Although the cotton candy threads were winding around it with each turn, it seemed to me like the roll was building up by itself. Now, it was a large sugary mass with a strange shape.

“Y-you… have to go back.”

I muttered.

“…Yeah, of course.”

Sayu nodded.

She didn’t complain that I didn’t give her a proper answer.

“And… it’s done.”

The owner handed Sayu a cotton candy the size of a soccer ball.

“Wow, so big… Thank you.”

A joyful Sayu opened her mouth and took the candy.

“A real cotton wool…”

Sayu smiled, indicating the cotton’s sweetness. Now she looks like a high schooler. It’s very cute.

“Good.”

“Yup! Thanks, Yoshida-san!”

She thanked me, but I was embarrassed and silently scratched my nose.

Carefully pinching the cotton wool, Sayu exclaimed, “Wow…”

“So sticky.”

“Of course it is. It’s granulated sugar after all.”

I grinned. She agreed and put a piece in her mouth. Her eyes widened.

“It melted right away!”

“Haha, again. It’s granulated sugar.”

The reaction was funny. Seeing me laugh, Sayu pouted.

“Don’t laugh! This is my first time trying it.”

“Sorry, sorry.”

Sayu clucked again and pinched another piece of cotton candy again.

“It’s so sticky, but the moment you put it in your mouth, it immediately melts.”

When the piece melted in her mouth, she spoke.

“If I hadn’t met you, Yoshida-san, I certainly wouldn’t have found out about it…”

And I wouldn’t have gone to the summer festival without you. Before I could say that, Sayu turned to me and tore off another piece.

“Yoshida-san, here. Say ‘Aaaa.’”

“What?”

“‘Aaaa…”

She held out a piece to my mouth. I didn’t want it, but just couldn’t resist, so I opened my mouth. When she put the cotton candy into my mouth, I felt her fingers touching my lips.

Sayu removed her hand and smiled.

“Cotton candy is so tasty.”

It melted on the tip of my tongue.

“Yeah…”

Surprisingly tasty.

“Delicious.”

I said.

Sayu began to giggle and her geta were clapping.

We enjoyed our first summer festival until the very end.