CH 90

The Confession

When I looked around with Eihashi-san in my arms, Ichinose-san and Misaki were already gone and the only thing I saw was Masato being swept away by the crowd.

Perhaps Ichinose-san and Misaki were walking in front of Masato. They must have been caught by the wave of people while I was helping Eihashi-san.

It would be impossible to catch up to them now and we’d just get in the way if we stayed here so I decided to move us off the street for the time being.

“……I’m sorry, because of me we got separated.”

“No, if it’s anyone’s fault then it’s the person who bumped into you. Also, I’m glad that you didn’t get separated by yourself”

“Hiura-kun helped me out in time so I didn’t fall but…….the fireworks are about to start, you are going to miss it because of me……..”

For the time being, I contacted the others to see if we can join them but it seems that the seats Misaki group found are already filled so we can’t.

Their seats seem to be the last remaining ones so they told us that it is unlikely that we can get any if we go now.

We were heading in that direction because we know that there are good seats where we can all watch fireworks from so Eihashi-san’s probably depressed because of that.

Also, she’s probably feeling guilty that I ended up getting separated from the group too.

When I was wondering how to cheer her up, a message came to my phone.

“Eihashi-san, there seems to be a spot that is not that well-known, it’s not that far from here too. Do you want to try that place?”

“…….How did you…….?”

“Ichinose-san just told me. It seems to be a place that she used to go to when she was in junior high so she gave me directions too.”

“……Akira-chan……”

“So, what do you want to do? She said that there were only a few people there when she was in junior high but we don’t know how it is now. Do you still want to go?”

“Y, Yes! I’m going!”

She marked the place on the map for me. Still, I barely managed to read the direction at the last minute and get to the opening in the forest she marked on the map.

Just like Ichinose-san said, there are no people here and it seems that I and Eihashi-san are alone. At the same moment we arrived, we heard the firework going off in the sky.

“Alright, we’ve arrived——-oh, it started huh.”

“Yes, it’s very beautiful from here. Akira-chan really introduced us to a nice place.”

“Rather, it’s way easier to watch fireworks here since there are so few people a—–round.”

My words trail off when I glanced at Eihashi-san.

I think this thought has already crossed my mind once today but her yukata and her expression under the dim light of the fireworks were so beautiful that I lost my words.

What I was about to say was blown away in an instant. When I noticed that she was about to turn my way, I quickly averted my eyes from her.

“Hiura-kun, can we talk?”

“Wh, What’s wrong?”

“…………‘The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?’, that’s how Natsume Soseki translated the words ‘I love you’. It seems that he wants to communicate such expressions in a roundabout way. To not say it straight but to romantically imply instead. He said that such words are already enough to convey your feelings.”

(TLN: Natsume Soseiki is a famous author from Japan, the man’s face’s even on 1000 yen bill)

“……I don’t know the origin of those words but I do know about it.”

It’s not widely used in light novels but I know that it’s a fairly famous line. After all, everyone knows Natsume Soseki.

Fireworks go up to the sky one after another. The one’s exploding just now look like a shower.

“Did you know? ‘I can die happy’ is a common reply to this line of Natsume Soseki from another author called Futabatei Shimei.”

“……No, I didn’t.”

“Then since Natsume Soseki’s ‘the moon is beautiful, isn’t it?’ means I love you, what do you think ‘I can die happy’ means?”

“……I love you too, or something along that line right?”

“Fufu, it’s a little different from that. The correct answer is, ‘I am yours’. This one also seems to be a romantic and roundabout way to convey love too don’t you think?”

“When you put it like this, it seems that the romantic factor is pretty important in this kind of thing huh.”

The firework show now switched to the bloom-type fireworks. There are the weeping sakura, the UFO, characters, and all kinds of fancy fireworks. It’s almost time for the big ones.

“Unfortunately, I am not so good at literature that I can come up with my own words and even if I try to think of one, it would end up going unnoticed.”

“…….I don’t know what you want to say but I felt like this is a jab on me ………..”

The next firework looks like an oversized shakutama firework. It must be one of the big ones to prepare us for the final closing firework.

“For me, I can only rely on coincidence to create a romantic moment like this.”

To be able to watch fireworks like this, it made me feel bad to think this way but it’s probably thanks to Eihashi-san’s accident earlier. This certainly is a coincidence.

Another super-sized firework has just been launched.

“Hiura-kun, no, Seiya-kun. I like you.”

The fireworks are really loud but for some reason, I could perfectly hear her small voice. I immediately turned to Eihashi-san. She is looking at me with a serious expression. So, I’m sure that it wasn’t just my imagination.

“Is that——”

“——not as a friend but as a man. This feeling might have started from the time Kamishiro Kousei helped me, but I think that it is only the reason I got to know Hiura-kun. I’ve come to love S-E-I-Y-A-KUN as the man who treats me like a normal girl.”

“…..I think of Eihashi-san as a friend and I think that you have plenty enough charm that you would be wasted on me. Even so, right now I am still clueless about love.”

That’s why I can’t go out with you.

When I gave her my reply, Eihashi-san nodded as though she was already expecting that answer.

“Yes, I know that.”

“……..eh?”

She, knew?

“The other day, I still remember what you said at the mall. Earlier, when I talked with Suzuka-chan, she told me. That she will make you look at her.”

“…..meaning……?”

“I too, will do my best to make Hiura-kun look at me……from the day I realized this feeling, I decided to convey it to you today. But it’s still a coincidence that we got to be alone like this.”

Although the fireworks should still be going on, the only voice I can hear belong to Eihashi-san. My brain must have encountered some major bug.

“……Instead of Hiura-kun, can I call you Seiya-kun from now on?”

“W, well, I don’t mind……..”

It will attract a lot of eyes when we go back to school though.

“Thank you very much…….will you, call me Reika too?”

“……..that’s a little……”

“…..is it, a no?”

“U,gh, Reika……-san.”

So lame.

“……just like how you call Suzuka-chan. Can you not use the honorifics too?”

“Ugh….Rei, ka……”

“Yes!”

She replied with a very cheerful smile. It’s a natural smile that you don’t have that many chances to see so it possesses high destructive power.

Suzuka and Reika……..-san. Do I have something that attracts both of them who possess both beauty and good personalities? I don’t know, am I even qualified to be the target of their affection?

Top caste and mobs. An absolutely impossible combination. This time around, the people around me won’t just stay still for sure. However, perhaps such thoughts never crossed her mind, Eihashi-san continues speaking with her best smile.

“Please be prepared, okay.”

IT’S DEJA VU!