CH 132

I was carrying a good number of bags in both my hands.

I was walking, trying to hold myself from the smell coming from below that stimulated my appetite.

Yuuto who was beside me was carrying more number of bags than I did.

The size of each bag was not a big problem.

But there were just too many!

Takoyaki, yakitori, okonomiyaki, yakisoba.

There were also candied apples and chocolate bananas, probably for the sake of dessert.

There were also a number of other bags that I had no idea what they held.

To be honest, why on earth would they need buy so much food that we could never possibly eat?

The reason was the girl who stood at the front of our group. She bought every bit of food she could find.

“I wonder if I should buy that too…”

“Ah, ha ha…”

Kirasaka, who bought cotton candy handing money to the stall owner, handed it to Yuuto.

He received it with a bitter smile and turned his gaze towards me to ask for help.

This situation was a bit difficult to handle since it was an act of pure curiosity, and not only me but also the people around me felt the same.

However, my stomach was about to burst beyond its capacity, so I grabbed her shoulders before she could set her next target.

“It’s time to go home …The more people there are, the harder it will be to move.”

There were already people in every direction, and considering the time it would take to set off the fireworks and reach home, it was better to retreat.

In response, Kirasaka put away her wallet with a reluctant look on her face.

“You can’t help it, I’ll leave it at that for today.”

“…Today? Will there be a next time…?”

Shizuku and Kaede also let out a breath of relief at Kirasaka’s words.

There were too many people to turn around and go back the way we came from. So it would be quicker to go back home through the side streets.

This time, I led the way.

The path was sparsely populated, and after a little while, we were able to reach an open road where we shouldn’t bump into anyone.

“It’s not too late for the festival, considering that there are a lot more people coming.”

Yuuto muttered to himself as he looked at the people walking along the main road behind him.

Indeed, it was still past six o’clock.

It was just after six o’clock, the time when the number of people would increase the most, but the streets were already filled with people.

It was a festival, so of course cars and motorcycles were not allowed to enter.

Some people took advantage of this and sat on the sidewalks.

It was a good choice to leave early.

I didn’t want to walk in the middle of all this.

Occasionally, I saw a familiar face of the locals and saw Yuuto and Kaede waving, but I never stopped to talk to anyone.

Well… that was for me, and not them, if Shizuku and Yuuto didn’t stop to talk, there shouldn’t have been any delays.

We walked through the streets that I didn’t usually go through, finding the way to the familiar ones and finally reached my house. Then what? I just laid my body down on the sofa.

Even in your locality, events can be more tiring than expected.

I was not the only one, everyone was sighing deeply.

But Kaede got up before anyone else and prepared drinks for everyone.

“I’ll go set the food.”

“Oh, I’ll help too.”

“Thank you!”

Shizuku and Yuuto laid out the food they had bought on the folding table which had already been set in the yard.

Kirasaka also headed to the kitchen to help Kaede, while I was left alone to ponder.

There’s nothing to do…

There were people in the yard and also in the kitchen.

A short brainstorming led to the decision to change into loungewear for the time being.

Taking advantage of the fact that it was my home, I changed into my casuals and returned to the living room, where the preparations were already complete.

Kaede and Yuuto were sitting on the chairs in the garden, while Shizuku and Kirasaka have moved their chairs next to the window.

“Nii-san, it’s about to start!”

“Yeah”

At the sound of Kaede’s hurried voice, I rushed a bit to sit by the window.

The time was exactly seven o’clock, and countless fireworks were to go off.

There was just silence as we waited for the right moment.

As soon as we heard the sound of an explosion and a loud cheer from afar, bright sparks formed and spread in the night sky. 

The vibrations of the sound was slightly felt on my skin.

I’m sure the neighboring towns could also see these huge fireworks.

It’s a privilege to live in this town just to be able to see them up close.

“Oh! This year’s fireworks are spectacular again.”

“It’s beautiful.”

First, Yuuto and Kaede exclaimed excitedly.

“Beautiful…”

“Yes, it is….”

Next, Kirasaka and then Shizuku muttered to each other.

They were too quiet to be heard by the others in the garden.

They looked up at the night sky as they let out their true feelings.

It probably didn’t even register in their minds that they had the same impression.

After seeing the reactions of those around me, I returned my gaze to the fireworks.

A number of fireworks were being set off above our heads in various colors and shapes.

It was hard to believe that they were all made by the same person.

Craftsmanship at its finest.

They looked so beautiful and fragile that I didn’t even notice the distant noise and the hot weather.

I forgot about time and just watched the scene as it disappeared and the next one formed in the blink of an eye.

I wondered how long had it been.

The show was getting more and more colorful and vigorous by the minute, and then an oversized shot was launched to end the show.

Sparks of many colors brightly spread and then colored the night sky.

The town, which was supposed to be dark and lightless, lit up for a moment.

It was just for a moment but I was able to see everyone’s faces clearly.

This was the signal of the start of our summer vacation, and the reminder that we were more than halfway through the year.

I wondered under what circumstances I would see these fireworks next year.

Will it be with this group again, or just Kaede and I?

No one knows what the future holds.

Still, I couldn’t help but think about it.

At a time like this, a high school boy might say, “I’m going to see it with my girlfriend next year.”

But unfortunately, I can’t quite relate to that idea.

The only thing that comes to mind is that I would like to see it in a place where there are no crowds.

But for now, all I could do was burn this fleeting scene into my eyes so that I wouldn’t miss it.

And so, this year’s festival ended with a boom, and our festival ended in the yard of Shinra household.

[…Well, it was another great year.]

In the living room, the sound of the TV was audible, and we were all letting out our impressions.

Kaede and Yuuto, who still hadn’t cooled down from their excitement, were watching the video they had taken with their phones as a memento.

I returned to my place on the sofa and watched the scene while drinking my slightly cooled coffee.

At the end of the living room, Shizuku and Kirasaka were talking about something that was unusual for them, as they spread out my family album.

“…What are you guys looking at?”

“This? I were wondering if there were any pictures taken during the old fireworks display.”

Aah, that…

It’s true that we used to have dinner and watch fireworks with the Kanazaki family in our yard in the past.

…But I don’t remember there being any photos from that time. The two of them quickly returned their gaze to the album.

There were pictures of Kaede and I side by side, like a growth log.

It’s so embarrassing.

I knew from experience that there was no point in trying to stop them, so I decided to have some food that I had forgotten about during the fireworks.

“I didn’t see any pictures from the fireworks display.”

“…”

Kirasaka did not react to Shizuku’s words.

She just kept her gaze fixed on the album.

“Kirasaka-san?”

Shizuku asked, when she felt uncomfortable when she looked at the girl next to her, Kirasaka muttered sadly.

“He’s not smiling …in any of the pictures.

(TL/N – The POVs here are changing a lot from here on)

<Narrator>

None of the photos of Minato on the screen were smiling.

The mere sight of him in the picture made Kirasaka feel lonely.

“……”

At these words, Shizuku couldn’t help but be speechless.

Then, she turned her gaze from Kirasaka to “him” who was eating a meal a little ahead.

<Shizuku>

This is the first time I’ve ever seen such a thing.

There were a few photos in which he smiled but…

…All of them are either fake or bitter smiles, and none looked like they really enjoyed themselves.

It was pure loneliness, and Shizuku knew that.

She smiled.

I have to melt the ice in his heart that no one has ever been able to melt.　It takes a lot of patience to like that person.

I know it’s not easy.

And I had already made up my mind long ago.

That’s why to provoke and confirm whether she was ready or not, I asked.

“Do you want to run away?”

“I’m serious, I’ve never run away before and I won’t ever have to.”

<Narrator>

These words came back immediately.

Shizuku smiled as if relieved by this, and Kirasaka also smiled this time.

“…We’re taking a picture, both of you.”

Minato called out to the two as they faced each other from the yard, where he had somehow moved to.

Kaede and Yuuto were already preparing for the picture beforehand.

“Shall we go?”

“Sure.”

The two stood up and rushed to Minato’s side.

And then, as if to sandwich them, Kaede and Yuuto also lined up near them.

The digital camera on the table started flashed several times.

And the pictures that were taken showed the five of them clearly.

The four of them seemed to be having a good time around Minato, who was still not smiling in the true sense as in the previous photos.

The boundary between Minato and the four of them had not yet been crossed…

<Author>

The last part of the story is not from Minato’s point of view, as a break in the heroines’ minds. (TL: yeah yeah author-san, u just wanna fry my brain, right?)

The next will be the summer vacation arc and the appearance of a major character that I have been planning to add for a while.

It won’t be an immediate appearance, but I hope you enjoy it.

<TL> : Maybe a new heroine LESS GOO!! (Just a guess, plz don’t take it to heart. I haven’t read ahead.)

This arc’s over, so I’ll go for a week’s hibernation again.