Chapter 54: Beautiful Girl at the Fireworks Festival (Part 1)

"Ayumi-chan, come on down♪"

I heard Mom calling from downstairs.
She sounded unusually cheerful, which was… concerning.
Honestly, that could only mean one thing: trouble.

It’s already been three days since I told Mom I wanted to live as a girl.

Of course, I’d already talked to Dad and Kaname about it too. But apparently, they’d both already assumed I was living as a girl, so when I finally said it out loud, they just looked at me like, “What’s new?”
Please, have some sympathy for how crushed I felt when my big, life-changing confession was met with blank stares.

Still, when I went to clean Dad’s room today, I noticed he’d placed two photos side by side in a frame—one of me back when I was a boy, and one of me after I became a girl. It made me unexpectedly happy.

Ever since that day—the day I told Mom I wanted to be a girl—my list of household chores has increased.
Before, I only cleaned my room and the living room. But now, I’ve been alternating with Mom to clean the entryway, the garden, the toilet, and even Dad’s and Kaname’s rooms.
Though honestly, I still think they should clean their own rooms…

I’m not sure how this is supposed to be part of my “training,” but according to Mom, “What you do every day should be something you can do every day.”
Otherwise, when I eventually live alone or get married, I’ll slack off and regret it.
It sounds convincing enough, but I can’t help but suspect she’s just trying to get out of doing more housework herself.

Not that I’m complaining—she lets me skip chores when I’m working part-time or going out with friends.

Anyway, whenever Mom calls me in that cheerful tone, it usually means she’s about to give me more to do.

Still, I couldn’t just ignore her, so I replied and headed downstairs.

There she was, smiling brightly, holding something up for me to see.

"A yukata…?"

"That’s right! You’re going to the fireworks festival with your friends today, aren’t you? Of course, you have to wear this!"

Sure, fireworks and festivals go hand in hand with yukata, but most people just wear regular clothes. Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing.
Still, with her looking at me with that expectant sparkle in her eyes, how could I say no?
At least it’s not as bad as the cheerleader outfit from the sports festival—or that maid costume.

The yukata in Mom’s hands was pale pink, decorated with morning glories in shades of pink and purple. It was very cute. A little embarrassing, yes—but I only get the chance to wear something like this once or twice a year. It’d be a waste not to, especially since she went through the trouble of buying it.

Besides… it is cute. Not that I’m wearing it for anyone in particular.

"Alright, I’ll wear it. But Mom, do you even know how to put one on properly?"

"My, aren’t you obedient today♪ Who do you think I am? I’m the woman who can strip even a crying child! Of course I can do a little dressing, don’t worry."

…Maybe Kaname picked up her teasing habits from Mom.
Mom calls it “a rebellious phase,” but trust me—your influence is showing, loud and clear.
In the worst way possible.

The doorbell rang.

That must be Ryoji.

I waddled over to the front door—“waddle” being the only fitting word.
Okay, maybe that’s exaggerating, but walking in a yukata really is hard! The sash made it even more restrictive than the ones they lend you at inns.

Ryoji rang the doorbell again.

"Wait, wait! I’m coming!"

I slipped on my geta, grabbed my purse, and opened the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Ryoji froze when he saw me.

Mom had helped me dress, so I was sure everything looked fine… but did something look weird?
When he still didn’t move, I reached up and gave his cheek a couple of light slaps. Tap, tap.

"Hey, drop the weird comedy bit and let’s go already."

"Ah… no, it’s just—you look really good. Seriously, I’m shocked."

"O-oh."

Weird. It’s kind of unsettling when Ryoji talks normally.

"I mean it! That neckline’s amazing. You’re not even trying to be sexy, but somehow you are! And your hair looks totally different too—it’s adorable!"

Today, I’d tied my hair up into a bun on top of my head. It actually took a lot of work. Even with Mom’s help, my hair’s thick and kept coming loose—getting it just right was tough.
So when it finally came together, I was honestly proud of it.

"Hehe, thanks."

I wasn’t entirely sure that counted as a proper compliment, but it still made me happy.
If I had to rate it, maybe a six out of ten on the compliment scale… but enough to make me smile naturally.

"Ayumi, what’s up? You’re even more like a girl than usual today."

"Huh? Am I? …Wait, did you just call me Ayumi?"

Until now, he’d always called me “Ayumu.” Hearing him suddenly switch to “Ayumi” caught me off guard.

"Do you mind?"

He looked a little uncertain as he asked.

"Not at all. Both are my names, after all."

I shook my head.

At school, everyone—Sakurako-chan, Moeka-chan, Togo—they all called me “Ayumi.” Even at home, it was the same. So no, there’s no way I could dislike it.

"It’s just… it surprised me, that’s all."

"I see. Well, since you’ve become a girl now, I figured it’d be kind of rude to keep calling you ‘Ayumu,’ you know?"

Maybe… he changed how he called me so I wouldn’t be reminded of my time as a boy.
If that’s the case, then he’s really being considerate. I might’ve made him overthink things a bit.

"Oh, Ryoji-kun! And Ayumi-chan, you’re still here? You’ll be late if you don’t get going!"

Mom called out when she noticed we were still lingering at the front door.

Ryoji checked the time on his smartphone.

"Yikes. Ayumi, we’d better hurry."

He dashed toward the street and waved for me to follow.

"Hey, wait! I can’t exactly run in this outfit!"

The clack-clack of my geta echoed as I awkwardly jogged after him. Between the sandals and the yukata, moving fast was almost impossible.

Ryoji glanced back, let out a small laugh, and slowed down to match my pace.
I felt relieved—if I tried to rush like that, I’d definitely trip and fall flat on my face. I know myself too well.
So yeah, that was a lifesaver.

"Well, if we’re late, we’re late. I’ll just send Aikawa and Togo a message."

As expected, we missed the bus.

Mikawa City is fairly big and decently populated, but that doesn’t mean buses run constantly during the day. Which meant… we were pretty much guaranteed to be late.

"Sorry, Ryoji. I totally made you late too."

He would’ve easily made it on time if he’d gone alone. It was my fault for being so slow—I couldn’t help but feel guilty for dragging him down with me.

"Don’t worry about it. If I said I left you behind, Aikawa and the others would probably beat me up."

Yeah… that definitely sounds like something they’d do. I could picture it way too easily.

I laughed awkwardly at his words.

While we waited for the next bus, I could feel a lot of eyes on us. I’d gotten more or less used to being looked at as a girl, but it still made me self-conscious—especially today, dressed up like this.

What if something looks off? Did we mess up the outfit somehow?
Mom did the dressing, so I doubt there’s a mistake, but still…

"What’s wrong? Why’re you looking down?"

Ryoji leaned forward a little, peering into my face.

"Ah, it’s just… I can feel people staring."

"Well, that’s only natural. You really stand out, Ayumi. With your black hair and that yukata, you look like a traditional Japanese doll. That ‘princess’ nickname of yours fits perfectly. You’re absolutely stunning in traditional style."

"Ugh… that ‘princess’ thing is still around?"

And stunning? Seriously, that’s embarrassing…

Ryoji smirked at my flustered reaction.

"Not just around—it’s picking up steam. With the school festival coming up, everyone’s betting you’ll enter the Miss Contest."

"What!? No way, I’m not entering that!"

They can have their expectations all they want, but I’m not joining unless I actually sign up. And I definitely won’t.
Those contests are better left to the student council president—she’s beautiful and totally fits the part.

"Hey, don’t get so worked up. They’re just excited, that’s all."

"Y-Yeah."

While we were talking, the bus finally arrived.

We boarded together and took a seat side by side. Even though I’m small, the seat still felt cramped. I let out a small sigh as I sat down. It’s not like we’d walked that far, but somehow I already felt tired. Maybe it was the yukata I wasn’t used to wearing… or the geta sandals.

"What’s wrong? You’re not feeling sick again, are you?"

Ryoji glanced at me, misreading my expression.

"I’m fine. Just a little tired, that’s all."

"Hey now, we haven’t even made it to the venue yet! Once we get there, it’s gonna be packed."

Ugh… I groaned under my breath. I hate crowds.

It’s mostly because I’m small—if I get surrounded by tall guys, I can’t see anything at all, and it’s terrifying, like I’ll get crushed. Even on TV, fireworks festivals always look insanely crowded. Maybe this one isn’t that famous, but it’s still bound to draw a ton of people.

"M-Maybe I should just go home…"

"Whoa, whoa! You came to see the fireworks, didn’t you? I’ll buy you some water candy later, so let’s just go and enjoy it!"

"…Well, if you’re getting me water candy, then maybe I’ll go."

I’ve always had a bit of a sweet tooth.

Mizu-yokan is my absolute favorite, but water candy’s pretty high up there too. That sticky sweetness—it’s addicting. Sure, the bright colors look like they can’t possibly be good for you, but still.

…Ugh, now I sound like some kid being bribed with snacks! I’m such a cheap girl.

Not that it’s just the candy, okay? I want to see the fireworks too! Really! …Or so the Ayumi inside my head tried to convince the other Ayumi arguing back.

Still, it wasn’t a lie—I really was looking forward to it.
I’d only ever watched the fireworks from our second-floor balcony before, so seeing them up close for once was exciting.

After a while on the bus, we transferred to a train bound for the fireworks venue.

There were a few other girls in yukata scattered around the train, which made me feel a lot better. At least I wasn’t the only one dressed up.

The closer we got to the station, the more crowded the train became.
By the time we arrived at the stop for the fireworks…

"Whoa, this is insane."

The platform was packed wall-to-wall with people.

It wasn’t even a particularly busy station on a normal day, so the platform was narrow to begin with. Now it was overflowing, shoulder to shoulder.

If it’s this bad just at the station, what’s it going to be like at the actual venue? Maybe I should’ve stayed home and played with sparklers instead…

I looked around and realized Ryoji had been pushed a few steps away by the crowd. Panicking, I hurried toward him.

"That was close! If we got separated, I’d get crushed for sure!"

I grabbed onto the sleeve of his arm.

"Haha, careful not to lose me, alright? If we get split up, call me right away."

"R-Right. I’ll be careful."

Gradually, the crowd began to flow toward the exit, and we followed along until we finally made it out of the ticket gates.

It took ten whole minutes just to get out. Seriously, what a mess. I sighed, thinking about what was still ahead of us.

Part of me was thrilled for the fireworks, but another part dreaded the packed streets and the thought of this entire crowd heading home together later.
My face must’ve been the perfect mix of excitement and exhaustion.