Chapter 3: Fireworks

When people hear "summer events," what comes to mind?

For most, it’s probably summer festivals.

And among those, fireworks festivals stand out the most.

That’s right — fireworks—the classic setting for those near-final episodes in romantic comedies.

Originally, fireworks festivals were farewell fires for the spirits of the dead. But nowadays, they’re mostly about family outings or romantic dates — or at least, that’s how I see it.

The point is, fireworks are absolutely essential for my plan to work — for taking that guy down.

Several months ago, before summer vacation even started, I promised to go with him.

Actually, the promise had been made last year, but I missed the festival because of high school entrance exams.

This year, though, I was dead set on making it happen, and to make everything go as planned, I had set something different for this year's festival.

I open my closet and take it out—a yukata.

The fabric is deep black, adorned with soft pink cherry blossoms. I had saved up my pocket money to buy it.

Of course, I already have a few yukata at home, but I’ve never actually worn one to a summer festival. 

Besides, they don’t fit quite right anyway, and… well, I do know that otaku are weak to black. Because I’m one too.

For someone who was still a middle schooler last year, this was a painful expense. But since I’ve stopped growing, I figured… well, it couldn’t be helped.

And if he doesn’t react at all…

………………..

Well, whatever. I’ll deal with it when the time comes.

I smooth out the wrinkles caused by my grip and place it back in the closet.

It’s still midday—there’s some time before the fireworks start.

Maybe I’ll drop by his place for a bit.

※※※※※※

His house is just a minute’s walk from mine—an excellent score for childhood friend status. It’s purely a coincidence, but it almost feels like fate, as if God himself set it up for us to be childhood friends.

As I walk, a grand two-story house comes into view. It’s big—almost too big for just the two of them. A father and son alone in a house like this… it must feel a little empty. A little lonely.

I met his mother a few times when I was younger. She was really a kind person.

I ring the doorbell, and after a short wait, my father-in-law answers. Ren, as expected, was still holed up in his room on the second floor. 

I’ve never visited when he wasn’t home, and even when he is, he’s always in his room… Is he okay? I can’t help but worry. Does he even have any friends?

After being welcomed inside, I headed straight to the living room.

It was spacious, with a large TV, a leather sofa, and a sturdy wooden table behind it. In the corner of the room sat a small Buddhist altar, quietly watching over everything.

I gave a soft greeting to my mother-in-law before making my way upstairs.

Somehow, I climbed the stairs without making a sound. Lately, I’ve become oddly good at sneaking around—an unnecessarily refined, completely useless skill.

Stopping in front of his door, I pressed my ear against it.

Click. Click.

The sound of a controller stick shifting. He’s gaming again.

I smirked.

"Open up! Detroit Police Department!!"

Bursting into the room with energy, I caught Ren completely off guard.

“Whoa, S-Sumire!?” he yelped, nearly jumping out of his seat.

On the screen, his character flailed in a panic—he had been in the middle of an intense online match. Splatoon, probably.

A second later, the words GAME SET flashed across the screen.

Ah. I might’ve just done something very regrettable. (Te-hehe~)

Lately, this kind of dramatic entrance has become my thing. Without fail, he always gets startled, and it’s just too funny not to do it.

But still… if I keep interrupting his online matches like this, I might actually get scolded one of these days.

Well, as long as his dad is home, I can keep sneaking in anytime I want. So… forgive me, okay?

“This is really bad for my heart, so please stop it,” Ren sighed, setting down his controller before turning to face me.

“So, what are you doing here today? Isn’t it a bit early for the fireworks festival?”

His tone was a little off—maybe he was in a bad mood?

Ren stared at me blankly, his expression unreadable, though the slight frown on his face made it clear he wasn’t too happy about being interrupted. His voice carried a hint of irritation.

"Oh, so I can't come and play unless I have something?"

‘No, it’s fine…’"

He let out a small sigh and turned back to the monitor.

Yeah, I guess I really did annoy him this time. Maybe I should stop barging in during his games.

“Don’t be mad… I’m sorry, okay? I’ll apologize for interrupting you. Come on, cheer up, cheer up~”

I grabbed his shoulders and gave them a playful shake as he sat there, still staring at the screen. But even though I kept talking, his replies were brief, and the conversation never really picked up.

It’s not like silence between us is unusual. We’ve spent plenty of time together just sitting in the same room, reading manga without saying a word. But knowing I might have actually upset him made the quiet feel… awkward.

I shook his shoulder again, trying to get a reaction, and finally, he turned around with an exasperated look before standing up.

“I’m not angry or anything,” he said with a sigh. “I was just too concentrated, that’s all.”

"Really?"

"Really really."

Saying this, he handed me the other controller that had been charging next to the monitor. Then, without a word, he grabbed an extra chair and placed it beside his own—a chair he had brought over a long time ago, since I always ended up playing whenever I visited.

His lips were slightly pursed, making it hard to tell if he was actually mad or just messing with me. But, well, if he was still paying attention to me, then it was fine.

I plopped down beside him and glanced at the screen. Ren had already selected his main character under serious 1-on-1 rules.

When I turned to the side, I caught him grinning at me.

Ah, so that’s how it is.

He was fully prepared to vent all his earlier frustration on me through this match.

I see. Fine then—I’ll take him up on that challenge.

──────────────────────

If I ignore her, Sumire persistently bothers me, and it’s so amusing that I sometimes end up teasing her. She’s always been the type who craves attention.

Usually when we play 1v1, I hold back and give her a chance to fight back, but today, for the first time in a while, I decided to go all out. I picked my main—a male high school student in a black outfit.

I play online battles whenever I get the chance, so I’m fairly confident in my skills. On the other hand, Sumire tends to dabble in a wide variety of games rather than specializing in one, which means she’s not particularly strong at any single genre.

As expected, I beat her easily.

She shot me an annoyed glare, but I ignored it, pretending not to notice her death stares as I focused on the screen.

And just like that, for a while, we fell into our usual silence—where the only sounds filling the room were the rhythmic clicking of buttons, and the game’s audio.

After a while, the male high school student I was controlling landed a brilliant knockout combo. Below the character, three icons showing the stock count are lined up. In other words, it’s a three-win streak.

“Why is this happening…!?

I glanced sideways at her—her face was completely red with frustration as she clicked the buttons aggressively.

For a moment, I wondered if it was okay for me, as a guy, to go all out like this. Maybe I should let her win a round?

But then, a tiny, sadistic urge rose up inside me.

…Just a little longer.

“No more!” she screamed, dramatically flopping onto the bed as if on the verge of tears. Maybe I had been a bit too hard on her.

Meanwhile, I simply stretch my hands up.

“Ah, I feel refreshed.”

She peeked at me from under a pillow and huffed.

“See? You were really angry.”

“I’m already satisfied, so let’s play Mario Kart.”

As expected, she preferred lively, chaotic games like Mario Kart—well, as long as there weren’t any hardcore players involved.

While she laughed and cheered throughout the race, I stole a few glances at her, watching as she smiled, completely engrossed in the game.

I quickly looked away, hiding my own smile as I focused on the screen.

※※※※※※

“I’ll go get ready for now,” she said, heading back to her house. Meanwhile, I did a little preparation on my end.

However, there wasn’t much to do, so it was over in an instant, leaving me bored. All I had to do was check my wallet and toss a few things into my bag. Hanging up my clothes only took about three minutes.

After a moment of hesitation, I decided to go pick her up at her house.

Sumire's house was only a short walk away so I decided to grab my luggage and head over.

I walked along the familiar road and soon arrived at my destination, an apartment building.

She lives on the fifth floor of the apartment building. I checked the room number and rang the intercom in front of the auto-lock door. But no one answered and the call ended.

She's always so quick with her preparations that I thought she'd be done by now, but it seems it wasn't the case this time.

After waiting for a while, I received a message from LIN◯ saying, "Please wait a little longer."

I thought this was odd, so I waited outside while playing with my smartphone. A little while later, I heard the sound of the automatic doors opening.

"Sorry, I'm a little late."

"Oh, Hey..?!" I called out while turning around, and for a moment… 

the world seemed to stop. 

There stood a girl in an elegant yukata, radiating a grace that could easily be mistaken for that of a refined young lady. The fabric was as black as the night, with delicate cherry blossom patterns in pale pink that felt fleeting, almost fragile.

Her usually straight hair was swept up, revealing the gentle curve of her neck. She normally carried a playful, childish energy, but now she exuded an alluring, mature aura — like an entirely different person.

Frankly, I was captivated.

Even though she usually has a carefree, messy appearance, she’s undeniably stunning. But when she dresses up like this... does she really have this much destructive power?

Huh, am I supposed to walk with her? Isn't this dangerous? Won't I get stabbed by jealous classmates? 

As I lost my words and was opening and closing my mouth like a goldfish, she looked at me with a smirk.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? If you have something to say, just say it.”

This girl... she knows she’s cute!

She said that to snap me out of my daze, but I panicked and blurted out, “It’s nothing. Let’s go,” before quickly starting to walk.

With her right in front of me, I felt like my heart was going to explode.

She walked beside me, chatting about all sorts of things, but I couldn’t focus at all. My mind was spinning, and all I could manage were clumsy responses like, “Yeah” and “Uh huh.”

At first, she sounded cheerful, but her tone gradually dimmed, growing quieter and more disheartened.

This is bad, I have to say something clever, I thought to myself, but I was so nervous that nothing came to mind. In the first place, that kind of talk is too difficult for a shitty otaku like me.

“Ah...”

She started to say something but quickly fell silent. Then, finally, Sumire stopped walking and tugged on the hem of my shirt.

I froze and turned around.

There she stood, her face twisted into an unmistakably displeased expression.

What, what is it? What on earth is she going to say to me? 

I braced myself, heart pounding, but she just looked down, her gaze drifting as if searching for words.

After a while, as if she had made up her mind, she raised her face and pierced me with a strong gaze.

"Hey, do you have anything to say to your childhood friend who worked so hard to dress up?"

Seeing her pout like that, an inappropriate desire stirred inside me, but I somehow managed to shove it down.

She puffed out her cheeks, expressing her displeasure with all her might. 

Huh? Ah... so that’s why she was sulking?

Wait, what’s the right thing to say here?

“It looks really good on you.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “Hmm, anything else?”

“I think you're really cute. Yeah, I think you wouldn't look out of place on TV.”

Before I even realized it, my mouth was already moving.

I was dying of embarrassment, but teasing her here seemed like a terrible idea. Maybe blurting out the truth was the right call...

I just hoped she wouldn’t think I was some kind of creep.

“Ah, I see...”

With that, she started walking again. I hurried to follow her, but for some reason, silence lingered between us.

She kept turning her face away, making it impossible to see her expression.

Ugh... this is terrifying.

“...Thank you.”

“Huh? What?”

“Nothing.”

What on earth is this? (I’m seriously confused.)

You’re the one who asked for my thoughts, so what’s with that reaction?! I was dying of embarrassment over here!

“Wow... as expected, there are a lot of people, huh?”

After walking in silence for a while, we arrived at the park — the venue for the fireworks festival.

Even though we’d come early, the place was already overflowing with people.

Since it’s a pretty large-scale event, the massive crowd used to terrify me when I was little. Even now, a faint unease lingers in my chest, though it’s nothing compared to back then.

The warm glow of food stalls, the rhythmic beat of festival drums — just these simple things are enough to fill me with happiness.

She, too, seemed unable to resist the magic of the festival. Before I even realized it, her earlier frustration had completely melted away, replaced by a bright, excited smile.

Her eyes sparkled as she eagerly pointed at various stalls, exclaiming, “Let’s go over there and check it out!”

In moments like this, it feels like she hasn’t changed at all since we were kids.

Even though it’s only been a year since I last came, the festival carries a strange nostalgia — like it’s been much, much longer.

Maybe it’s because the sight of her standing next to me in a yukata overlaps with a distant memory — a fleeting image of her just after starting elementary school.

Back then, she’d worn a child-sized yukata only once. I doubt she even remembers it now.

She bounced from stall to stall, buying anything that caught her eye — yakisoba, takoyaki, fries, and more. Before long, both of her hands were completely full, a perfect picture of indulgence.

We eventually found an empty bench and sat down to eat, occasionally exchanging bites of our food.

In return for the yakitori I’d bought, she handed me bits of her takoyaki and fries.

Somehow, food from festival stalls always tastes unusually delicious. If I ate the same thing at home, it probably wouldn’t feel special at all. But here, surrounded by the hum of voices and the glow of lanterns, every bite felt different — almost magical.

She must have felt the same way.

“Wow, this is it! I’m going to eat a ton to make up for last year!”

With a satisfied grin, she dove back into her food without hesitation.

I watched absentmindedly as she devoured the takoyaki at an incredible speed, barely even flinching when she almost burned her tongue..

I really like watching her eat like this — so cute...

Hm?

Noticing my gaze, she blushed and gave my thigh a light slap with a playful peshi.

After that, we wandered through the festival, stopping at various stalls.
We ate cotton candy, drew shady-looking lottery tickets, and soaked in every moment of the summer night.

"Hey, look! This goldfish is so much bigger than the others!"

We came to the goldfish scooping stall, which could be called the highlight of the summer festival.

Honestly, I’m not a big fan of goldfish scooping because there’s a high chance the goldfish are carrying diseases.

In contrast to me, who wasn’t very enthusiastic, her eyes were shining.

Because she tries it every time we come to the festival, the number of goldfish in her house keeps increasing.

"Alright, I’ll name you Alexander II!!"

As usual, she failed in one try, but thanks to the kindness of the stall owner, she received the goldfish she was aiming for.

She was guaranteed to get at least one goldfish anyway…the face of hers comes in handy in situations like this.

While we were playing around, the flow of people started to shift.

It looked like the fireworks display was about to begin.

The crowd continued to swell as the festival reached its peak.

If this keeps up, we might get separated.

Especially since she tends to rush toward anything that catches her eye — I can’t help but worry she’ll wander off and disappear.

Just as I was thinking that, a voice whispered right by my ear.

My whole body jolted from the sudden sensation.

Is this real-life ASMR!?

“Hey, we might get separated. Shall we hold hands?”

Eh? What did she just say? H-Hold hands?

Wait, wait, wait! Are my hands sweaty? Should I wash them first? Disinfect with alcohol? Wipe them down? Or maybe just wear rubber gloves…?

While I was flustered like a typical virgin at her sudden proposal, she sighed and quickly took my hand.

“Eek…”

I was too busy focusing on the softness of her hand to notice anything else — until I realized we were already sitting in a perfect spot for the fireworks.

“When did we... No way, was that a sneak attack!?”

Just as I was stuck on that foolish thought, a distinct whoosh echoed through the air, and a streak of light shot up into the sky.

The fireworks show had begun.

Each distant thud felt like a gentle drum tapping against my heart.

When I was little, I couldn’t handle that feeling — the fireworks' roar swallowing the frantic pounding of my chest.

The hand I was holding grew warm and sweaty, and I worried she might notice through our tightly clasped fingers.

She gazed up at the sky, lost in the spectacle, her cheeks faintly flushed with color.

Ah... I see now.

There’s no mistake.

I really love this girl.

────────────────────────────────

It was getting late, and after watching the final large firework, it was time to head home.

For some reason, today felt unusually hot. Maybe it was the heat from the crowded festival... or maybe it was because my hand had been sweaty from holding his.

Probably both.

My face felt hot — it must have been because of the disgust, or the embarrassment, of holding hands with a man... that sure should be the case.