Volume 1 - CH 30

The atmosphere became a little somber.

Although he said it to comfort Arisa, it may not have been the right thing to say when she was about to enjoy herself.

Nevertheless, If Arisa continues to be put off by this, she won’t be able to genuinely enjoy herself…….It’s a difficult decision to make when you think about it.

“Well, let’s stop talking about boring stuff and enjoy the festival…… . Is there anything you’d like to do or eat?”

“… To be honest, I haven’t been to many of these places, and even when I have, I haven’t bought anything.”

Arisa said in a sullen tone of voice, perhaps still reeling from the low tension of earlier.

It’s not like she can pester her adoptive parents for things, given her personality.

“I see. Well, let’s decide while we walk around …….”.

“I agree.”

Festivals, after all, are supposed to brighten people’s hearts.

At first, Arisa was in a gloomy mood, but as she walked along, she gradually began to lighten up.

She was scurrying around looking at the stalls and peering into them with interest.

Although her expression did not change, her eyes were more lively than usual.

Nevertheless, it was the crowd of people that created the lively atmosphere of the festival.

Although the festival had only just begun, there were still a lot of people.

There is always a chance of bumping into other people around you.

“Ah…”

“Are you okay, Yukishiro?

In addition to being bumped, Arisa stumbled over a pebble and almost fell.

Yuzuru immediately supported her.

“I’m sorry for the trouble”

“No, I wasn’t considerate enough. I’m also not used to it.”

Yuzuru pondered a bit and then held out his hand.

Arisa looked at Yuzuru’s hand with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was wondering if we could hold hands. It’s easier to help you when you need it.”

If you don’t want to, that’s fine.

And before he could say so, Arisa grabbed Yuzuru’s hand with her fair hands.

Then, with a blush, she said.

“Will you escort me, please?”

“Certainly. Princess.”

” ……Are you not embarrassed to say that?”

“I wish you hadn’t said it because it makes me embarrassed when you point it out.”

Yuzuru gave a bitter smile.

Then he grasped Arisa’s hand tightly and started walking again.　　

(Still …… I see. I’ve always wondered why couples in the world are so eager to flirt in the streets, but now the mystery is solved.)

Yuzuru thought to himself as he received stares from the people around him.

Arisa was beautiful, to begin with. But today she looked much more radiant than usual, perhaps because of the light makeup she was wearing.

And she was wearing a beautiful yukata.

Because of this, she was attracting a lot of stares from the men passing by.

And Yuzuru, who was holding hands with this beautiful girl, received jealous and envious glances.

He found this strangely comfortable.

But at the same time, there is a sense of emptiness because Arisa doesn’t belong to Yuzuru.

If she were a real lover or fiancée, the feeling of superiority would be very pleasant.

“Oh, can I have some cotton candy ……?”

“Cotton candy huh……. Yeah, sure.”

“…… Didn’t you just laugh?”

“No way.”

It’s a secret that he thought it was adorable that she was so childish with her interests, even though she was mature, to begin with, and even more so today with the atmosphere she was wearing.

This is the kind of “gap moe” that Soichiro was talking about.　

And so, with a newfound awareness, Yuzuru approaches the stall with Arisa.

“Excuse me.”

“Oh…Welcome. …… Ah, you’re the brother from Takasegawa-san’s place?”

The owner of the stall squinted happily when he saw Yuzuru’s face.

Every year, the people who set up stalls at the festival remain the same.

And Yuzuru has been showing up at this festival every year.

So most of the people who set up stalls at this festival are more or less familiar with him.

“Your sister just dropped by earlier. …… But you’ve grown taller again, haven’t you?　How tall are you now?”

“I’m over 170 this year.”

“Wow, you’re going to overtake me next year.”

The owner then turned his gaze to the puzzled Arisa next to Yuzuru.

Then he smirked.

“Is this the girl your sister was talking about?　She’s quite a beauty, isn’t she? I am quite jealous.”

“Thank you very much.”

Arisa bowed dutifully to the shopkeeper’s words.

Then the shopkeeper began to make cotton candy.

“The cotton candy ……is for your girlfriend only? Unlike your sister, big brother doesn’t buy them anymore.”

“Haha, I’m sorry.”

His sister buys cotton candy every year, so he hoped that the shopkeeper would give him a break.

After waiting for a while, they saw that the cotton candy was bigger than the other customers.

With a slightly surprised look on her face, Arisa took it without hesitation.

After handing over the cotton candy, the store owner winked at Yuzuru.

“Takasegawa-san has been a great help to me every year. Can you please tell him that I look forward to working with him again next year ……?”

The Takasegawa family is not directly involved in the running of the festival, but they do have a certain amount of say and influence.

He remembers Yuzuru’s and Ayumi’s faces because he writes to Takasegawa every year to greet them as he sets up his stall.

“I’ll inform my grandfather and father.”

Yuzuru replied, and left the stall with Arisa.

He then bought a frankfurter from a nearby stall.

“Hey, Yukishiro. Can I …… try some cotton candy?”

“You made fun of me earlier, didn’t you?”

With a joking tone and expression, Arisa pretended to be angry.

Sorry, sorry, Yuzuru apologized, and Arisa offered him cotton candy.

“Here you go.”

“You don’t mind if I take a bite?”

“I don’t mind.”

That’s a little more complicated than it sounds.

Yuzuru bit the surface of the cotton candy with his mouth.

“Mm……”

“What do you think?”

“It’s sugar.”

“Of course it is.”

Arisa voiced her dismay.

Then Yuzuru offered the Frankfurter to Arisa.

“Do you want some? I haven’t had a bite yet.”

“Well, I’ll take your word for it.”

She opened her small mouth and bit off the tip of the frankfurter, licking the oil off the surface of her lips with her tongue.

“How is it?”

“It’s delicious. Just …….”

“Just?”

“It’s kind of embarrassing.”

“Right?”

Yuzuru and Arisa looked at each other and laughed.