“Oh, Konuma-kun?” “Wait, with Yurisuke?” “Is that a thing now...?”
When Azuma pulled me by the arm to the square where the fireworks were being held, I got three different reactions from the girls who were already there. (Look at that, the third leaf of the clover has appeared!)
Ah, just to be clear, that was Ichikawa, Sako, and Erina-san, in that order.
“Hm?”
After seeing the three reactions, Azuma glanced at me and said,
“Ah, sorry, it’s not like that. Konuma was just walking too slow, so I dragged him along!”
She quickly let go of my arm and waved her hands in front of her chest.
“Oh, so that’s what it was.”
Ichikawa let out a sigh of relief before scolding me.
“Konuma-kun, even if it’s Yuri, you shouldn’t cause trouble for the Instrumental Music Club, okay?”
“S-Sorry.”
Wait, this was for the sake of our band though...
“That was close...”
Hey, Azuma-nee-san, you’re starting to sound like a young boy.
While I was making that comeback in my head, a girl with fluffy twin-tails approached me with a grinning smile.
“Hoooh? Takuto-kun, hooooh?”
She peered into my face. Seriously, you’re too close...
“What is it, Erina-san...?”
“Nooothing? Just feels like only Erina is left behind, doesn’t it?”
“Huh...?”
Seriously, what is she talking about?
By the way, Sako was standing off to the side, jumping up and down slightly with a blank expression. ...Wait, Sako-chan, what are you doing?
“Alright, shall we start! Yuri, over here.”
With that, Ichikawa pulled Azuma along and stood in front of everyone.
“Is everyone from the Rock Club here?”
“““Yes!”””
“Is everyone from the Instrumental Music Club here?”
“““YES!!”””
As usual, two commands with completely different energy levels rang out, but it seemed everyone had gathered in the square.
So I was the last one? I’m sorry... You guys could have just started without me...
“Now then, it’s time for the fireworks display! Though they’re just handheld ones. We’ve bought a lot, so don’t hold back and enjoy them! Come to the front to pick some up.”
Ichikawa said cheerfully.
Sako had a look of realization on her face and started stretching her Achilles tendons next to me. Hmm? Is she preparing to run?
“Is it really okay to just play?” “We might get scolded if we don’t practice...”
The Instrumental Music Club members nearby were whispering to each other.
“Instrumental Music Club members!”
Then, President Azuma called for their attention.
“““YES!!!”””
“The sound of fireworks popping is the sound of youth sparkling! Enjoy it like your lives depend on it!”
“““YES!!!”””
The Instrumental Music Club members replied happily.
The Yuri-poem is sparkling and shining quite nicely. Just like the fireworks. (That wasn’t a very good joke.)
But wait, it feels like Azuma has cheered up a bit...?
“Alright, let’s do this! The firework display starts now!”
Following Ichikawa’s command, everyone swarmed around the handheld fireworks placed near the two presidents.
The moment the command was given, I felt like the blonde hair next to me vanished at incredible speed, but whatever.
Hmm... wait, what is this?
Is this the kind of free-for-all where everyone just does their own handheld fireworks? I don’t know what to do, it’s like a labyrinth.
This is hard, awkward, and embarrassing. Zui-zui-zukkorobashi-goma-miso-zui.
While the panicked me was accidentally dropping rhymes in my head (not that there's any reason to), the blonde girl who had disappeared earlier came back with a few fireworks in her hand.
“*Puff*, *pant*, Takuto, here, fireworks.”
“Yeah, I can see that...”
She’s out of breath for some reason.
“Here.”
“Ah, yeah, thanks...”
I took the fireworks and looked around for a candle to light them.
“Takuto, you were talking about the song with Yurisuke, right?”
“...Yeah.”
Sako, who talked to me while we were moving, seemed to know what I was doing. Does Sako also have the ‘Mind Reading’ skill?
“What did Yurisuke say?”
“She said she’d think about it if my song is good.”
I skipped all the details in the middle and just gave her the conclusion.
“Yurisuke is acting pretty high and mighty.”
“No, it’s not really like that...”
As I vaguely blurred my words,
“Well, if you’re fine with it, then okay. You have to do your best.”
She encouraged me.
“I guess so...”
While having that conversation, I got fire from a candle and lit the firework.
“Wow, it’s beautiful.”
“I guess so.”
While Sako-san might not look like her tension is rising based on the words alone, from the perspective of her childhood friend and emotion-master Konuma, Sako’s tension is actually through the roof.
She used two words to express her feelings: ‘Wow’ and ‘beautiful.’ That’s a big deal.
“Sako, you’ve always liked fireworks, right?”
“...I guess so.”
“Eh?”
“...It’s nothing.”
Hm? Was that Sako’s version of an imitation joke just now...?
“Fireworks come as a set with happy memories.”
She said while looking away.
“I guess so...”
By the way, this ‘I guess so...’ was the authentic one from me. Sorry for the confusion.
“Hey, Takuto.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you have plans for the day of the Ichika-cho Firework Festival this year?”
Sako was asking a question (probably).
The Ichika-cho Firework Festival is the one held in our hometown, Ichika-cho. (That didn't add much info.)
“No, I don’t.”
Well, to be honest, I don’t even know what date the festival is, but since I have zero plans for summer vacation, it’s definitely fine. More than fine.
“Then... let’s go together.”
“To the firework festival?”
I tilted my head.
“Do you not want to?”
“I didn’t say that.”
When we were in elementary school, I often did handheld fireworks with Sako’s family, and we even went to the big firework displays with our parents.
Once we entered middle school, I started feeling embarrassed, or rather, I felt like it would be bad for Sako if we were seen together, so we hadn't gone together since then.
I wonder why. When Sako looks at fireworks, the corners of her mouth rise to a normal level.
And that was true even now.
“Then, it’s a promise.”
Sako smiled brightly and held out her pinky finger to me.
“O-Oh.”
Feeling flustered by Sako’s rare smile, I also held out my pinky and gently hooked it with hers.
...Wait, this is actually pretty embarrassing?
“If you lie, I’ll make you swallow a thousand needles.”
She said it while still smiling. It feels like she’d actually make me do it...
“Is swallowing a thousand lit fireworks okay too?”
No, that’s even scarier...
“Because then, you can do a thousand fireworks.”