CH 49

The End of Summer is Approaching

We arrived at Kanau-kun house a little after four o’clock in the evening, and after greeting the uncle and aunt, we paid our respects at the Buddhist altar.

We decided to go visit the grave when it was a little cooler, so we decided to go around six o’clock and wait in the cool living room until then.

By the way, Mom and Dad were supposed to arrive around seven o’clock.

I don’t want to listen to the memories of a romantic comedian, so it would be nice if they arrived as late as possible.

“Amane, look at the lanterns.”

Kanau-kun came back into the living room with a lantern, which I had thought had disappeared.

Did he make them by hand again?

“It seems he bought the lanterns as expected.”

As if she could read my mind, Iori-chan raised her voice.

“There are also fireworks.”

Kanau-kun, who had shown us the lanterns, followed with the fireworks.

He had prepared a lot of things for us, hadn’t he?

“Thank you, onii-chan.”

When I thanked him with a smile, Kanau-kun made a peace with a straight face.

“Stick it.”

Alice, who was sitting next to me, moaned in frustration.

Kanau-kun, who was being stared at by Alice, put the lanterns and fireworks on the floor without seeming to care at all. Then he walked out of the living room. But he came back soon after.

Wearing a blue happi with a twisted headband on his forehead, Kanau-kun placed the machine on the table.

It was a manual shaved ice machine.

Kanau-kun walked out of the living room again, this time bringing out a sheet of ice. After setting the ice into the machine, he placed the colorful syrup on the table and rang the bell.

“It’s a shaved ice shop.”

Kanau-kun’s expression tightens and she raises her voice, while Iori-chan lets out a sigh.

“Well, let’s start with the child, Alice. Since she’s a child, I guess she’ll get the strawberry flavor.”

With that, Kanau-kun turned the handle of the shaved ice machine and crunched the ice.

The reddish Alice is shaking and shouted.

“I’m not a child! But I’ll take strawberry flavor!”

Alice glared at Kanau-kun as she shouted.

I’m not a child, but I guess I like the strawberry flavor.

“Here, I’ll be back.”

After shaving the ice and pouring strawberry syrup over it, Kanau-kun offered the shaved ice to Alice.

“…… Oh, thanks.”

She turned her face away from Kanau-kun, her lips puckered up in a whisper as she thanked him for the shaved ice.

It’s a good thing that she was able to say thank you, even though she has a rivalry with Kanau-kun.

When I patted Alice’s head with that thought, she giggled and started to eat the shaved ice.

When he saw Alice eating shaved ice happily, he nodded and saw Iori-chan.

“Iori-chan’s special is Matcha Kintoki topped with vanilla ice cream.”

Alice’s eyes darted at Kanau-kun’s words.

Iori-chan turned her face away, her cheeks reddened, and scratched her cheeks with her fingers.

“Well, well…… yeah.”

And nodded.

Wow, an Iori-chan special.

Iori-chan, does your brother always make shaved ice for you?

When I looked at Iori-chan with a grin, she glanced at me and her face turned bright red. She turned her head and fidgeted.

She seems to understand my thoughts and is embarrassed.

If she’s embarrassed, it means I’m right.

“Wait, wait, wait! I want vanilla ice cream too!”

Alice, whose eyes had become dots, raised her voice in protest.

“Yes.”

I’m not sure if he was expecting Alice to complain, but Kanau-kun put vanilla ice cream on top of Alice’s shaved ice.

“Aha!”

Alice’s eyes shine and she smiles.

Kanau-kun nodded his head in agreement when he saw her.

You’re being completely played, Alice.

Kanau-kun, who had made Iori-chan Special, presented it to Iori-chan and looked at me.

I like Blue Hawaii.

I like Blue Hawaii because it gives me the feeling of a summer festival.

Kanau-kun started shaving the ice without saying a word, and when she finished, she picked up the blue Hawaii syrup without saying a word.

It seems that the female version of me liked Blue Hawaii too.

“That’s for you, Amane.”

Kanau-kun said, handing me Blue Hawaii.

“Thank you.”

After thanking him, I scooped up a spoonful of the shaved ice, which, as its name suggests, was dyed blue like the South Sea, and brought it to my mouth.

The coldness and sweetness spread in my mouth.

This is what summer is all about.

“Kuu.”

“Nuh-uh.”

As I was soaking in the taste of summer, Alice and Iori-chan frowned and moaned.

Both of them are holding their foreheads with their hands.

They ate too much at once and their head seemed to hurt.

“It happens.”

Kanau-kun, who had raised his voice when he saw them, nodded his head.

Yes, it happens all the time, all the time.

◆

The sun was setting and it was getting much cooler, so I decided to visit the graves.

We took the lanterns Kanau-kun had prepared for us and headed for the temple.

There were a lot of people walking around, probably waiting for the weather to cool down.

Some children were wearing yukata, which made me smile.

And then I heard the chirping of the Higurashi Zemi.

(TN: Higurashi Zemi=Cicadas.)

It’s still the height of summer, but their sad cry reminds me of the end of summer.

When we arrived at the temple, we paid our respects at the main hall and then headed for the grave.

Iori-chan brought offerings to the grave and Kanau-kun sprinkled water on the gravestone and lit incense sticks. We closed our eyes and prayed with our hands.

“Now, who will the ancestors follow?”

Kanau-kun mumbled something like that with a straight face and moved the light from the candle on the grave to the candle on the lantern.

“I think I’ll follow onee-chan.”

“Yeah, that’s the best way to be sure.”

Alice and Iori-chan, who received the lanterns from Kanau-kun, are having a conversation while looking at me.

I’m a little scared.

I received the lantern from Kanau-kun while thinking about that.

◆

I arrived at Kanau-kun’s house and moved the lanterns to the candles on the Buddhist altar.

I wondered if the ancestors had entered the altar properly. They won’t just follow me, will they?

Well, they’re my father’s family, so I don’t think they’re scary.

But I’m a little scared.

Mom and Dad arrived a little later, and the party began.

It was finally time for me to listen to the memories of the romantic comedian.

But after a quick greeting, Kanau-kun told us that they were going to have fireworks and took us out.

I was grateful for the help. Thank you, Kanau-kun.

When we started to set off fireworks in the garden, my aunt brought us watermelons, and Mizuki-chan and Mizuho-chan arrived just then.

The two of them came hand in hand. The sisters are as close as ever.

They are both quite cute, as they are from my mother’s family or Alice’s bloodline.

Mizuki-chan is still in elementary school, so she’s still young.

“Mizuki-chan, are you studying for your exams well?”

When I asked Mizuki-chan that, she looked at me blankly.

She seemed to be silently telling me not to mention the topic.

There’s a reason why I dared to touch on a topic that Mizuki-chan might not like.

I’m basically bored because I finished my summer vacation project early.

That’s why I’ve been compiling a notebook on how to prepare for the high school entrance exam.

I’m good at this kind of thing, as I’ve made various summaries to teach Alice how to study.

“If you want, you can use this.”

With that, I handed Mizuki-chan a paper bag I had brought from home.

Mizuki-chan took the notebook out of the bag and flipped through the pages――.

“What is this? It’s so much easier to understand than the reference books! And it’s for all subjects!”

She shivered and raised her voice.

She seemed to like it.

“Thank you, Amane-chan! If we do well in our exams, you can take us out to play as a thank you!”

“What? Oh, okay.”

Take you out to play? Huh? Isn’t that kind of funny?

“Mizuho! With this Amane notebook, you’ll be able to make it, onee-chan!”

(TN: Not really accurate, but you got the point.)

“Good luck.”

“Yes! I’ll do my best, onee-chan!”

“Fight”

“If I pass, Amane-chan will take us out to play!”

“Yeah.”

Mizuki-chan is very excited, and Mizuho-chan is very calm despite her young appearance.

Mizuho-chan looks like she doesn’t have a lot of emotional ups and downs, but she’s a very kind girl who loves her sister. (TN: Raw is Mizuki, but maybe that’s a typo.)

I think she and Yanomiya might be kindred spirits.

After that, Mizuki-chan, who said she wanted to enjoy the summer just for a moment, hurriedly ate watermelon with Mizuho-chan, enjoyed the fireworks, and left, saying she was going to study.

She left with the throwaway line, “If I pass, take me out to play.”

Is it decided that I’m going to take her out to play?

◆

Last year I was a guy, but this year I’m a girl. But Kanau-kun and Iori-chan have not changed, and that makes me happy and reassured.

If any problem arises, I will consult Kanau-kun this time.

I thought to myself as I stroked Alice’s head, who was snoozing in my arms, and closed my eyes.

The wind chimes are ringing and the cool breeze is blowing into the room, which is pleasant.

It’s still hot during the day, but I can feel that the end of summer is approaching.

This is how my first Obon in a year, or rather my first Obon since becoming a girl, came to an end.