V4Ch6: Festival lights Part 1

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Translator: Soafp

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[Sekka PoV]

“……Yeah, thanks. …Well then, see you later, Yuri-chan.”

I finish the call with my niece and hang up. Sweat trickles down my back, and I turn on the air conditioner. Sitting on the sofa, I take a sip of tea.

…Yuri-chan is going through a lot too. My niece, or rather, my sister’s daughter, seems to be having some troubles. They went on a family trip to a hot spring, but it seems like another incident occurred.

I never expected that scumbag to show up in front of my sister again. Yuki-chan must have some scheme in mind. Haa… He’s really a troublesome boy.

Looking away for a moment, and he immediately gets involved in something strange. And by the time I find out about it, it’s usually already over. I somehow don’t like that. It makes me feel like an outsider.

Yuri-chan seems to be making various approaches to Yuki-chan, but it’s hard to say they’re bearing fruit. Well, it’s not something that can change overnight.

Nevertheless, it was difficult until now, and we’ve only reached a point of zero improvement. It’s not like there has been any significant progress.

Don’t rely on it. Nothing has really started yet. I need to love Yuki-chan more.

Between my sister and Yuki-chan, there must have been some unresolved issues that only the two of them knew. It’s probably the same for Yuri-chan, and Yuki-chan won’t tell anyone about it, nor will he let anyone know. However, their relationship is definitely improving. It’s a positive trend.

What to do from now on is quite difficult. After all, Yuki-chan doesn’t have attachments to others.

He doesn’t wish for anything from anyone and doesn’t seek anything. There is no future in Yuki-chan’s daily life that involves walking with someone else.

That’s why he can’t move forward from there. Each time, he has been alone, and yet he has not broken.

Every time he failed, he continued to be alone, and yet, he never gave up.

Even if I’m the one who initiated it, everything from there was an unexpected series of events.

He has no trust or reliance on anyone. Even if someone he trusted or relied on betrays him, Yuki-chan doesn’t feel anything or get hurt. He accepts it because he’s convinced from the beginning that it’s how things are.

The feeling of giving up, almost like resignation, thinking that everything is his fault.

Whether it’s parents, siblings, or even lovers.

If things continue like this, even if there’s someone who will never betray him by his side until death, Yuki-chan’s perception will not change. That is the rule of Yuki-chan’s world.

Yuki-chan’s “common sense” has been shaped by that kind of rule.

Just unfortunate? Just having bad luck? I don’t know.

However, Yuki-chan lives as a stranger with a different common sense.

It’s a quite sadistic and malicious twist of fate.

Still, he has moved forward just by realizing that the feelings directed at him are not only “hostility” but also “affection.” It’s a long-awaited golden opportunity.

“…I wonder if Galileo felt this way too?”

I chuckle at the quite ridiculous fantasy. It’s too much of a leap.

However, Galileo, who succeeded Copernicus’s will and advocated the heliocentric theory, was subjected to religious trials but never yielded, insisting that the Earth revolves around the sun.

The “common sense” that constitutes the foundation of people is so robust.

Even when presented with evidence, people can be so stubborn as to not acknowledge it. Instead of arguing with facts, it sometimes turns into a philosophical debate, and people believe only what suits their convenience.

Moreover, for Yuki-chan, it’s not even something convenient; it’s just an ordinary daily life. A fate that is hopelessly irrational. It’s extremely difficult to overturn that “common sense.”

Japanese people who, after the sword hunt, no longer carry weapons, cannot understand the “common sense” of a gun society.

We do not know the “common sense” that Yuki-chan has cultivated so far.

Perhaps those who can overcome such a fate might be the ones who can walk together.

Nevertheless, Yuki-chan’s surroundings have been quite noisy lately.

As if a major turning point in fate is imminent…

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[Yukito PoV]

The sound of Japanese drums echoes. Festival music with its unique melody plays, people roam around the stalls, some carry portable shrines, and others dance Bon Odori. Truly, people of all ages and genders, adults, children, and even older ladies. Everyone seems to be having fun, overflowing with smiles.

Except for me.

I stay on the side so as not to be a hindrance, waiting absentmindedly at the meeting place. Checking my wristwatch, it’s past 6 PM. The fireworks start at 7 PM, but the meeting time specified by Hinagi was 5:30 PM. Considering that I arrived at 5 PM, I’ve been waiting for almost an hour.

I could contact her, but unfortunately, my smartphone is in a state of repair, awaiting the arrival of the latest model. I sent it for repair to retrieve data like addresses from the completely destroyed smartphone with a leaked liquid crystal. The goddess sensei, who compensates me, suggested, “How about upgrading to the latest model?” and I left it at that. However, due to the recent increase in terminal prices and the lack of novelty as new models are released every year, the number of arrivals is low, and I was told it would take about a week.

It’s summer vacation, so it’s only a week, and I can communicate through email on my computer.

Thinking that, I didn’t prepare any substitute device. However, I immediately found myself in trouble.

Hinagi invited me to the summer festival, but if I had made the meeting place her house, it would have been better. But I really don’t want to go there… I’m banned, and Akane-san is scary.

The smell of something delicious wafts from the food stalls. I haven’t had dinner yet, and my stomach was empty. I buy takoyaki to eat, but I couldn’t find anything interesting to do, and it was a fruitless time.

I continue to wait, but Hinagi still didn’t show up. I finally notice.

…Could it be that this is harassment?

Looking back, there was a time in the past when several male and female classmates invited me to play, but I was told a different meeting place from the others. No one came no matter how long I waited. The contact came after I went home, laughing and saying it was just a light joke. Damn it.

Since then, I completely ignored them as if they didn’t exist until graduation. But now I can’t even remember their faces or names.

After that, for some reason, they suddenly started giving lame excuses and completely changed their attitudes. However, I don’t hear the voices of those nonexistent people. It’s a complete afterthought, and today is also a festival.

It’s quite a boring episode, but on the other hand, I can’t imagine Hinagi having such a personality. Oh well. Even Hinagi-chan might want to harass me once in a while.

I think like that, but I understand after being scolded by my family.

—That’s not it. The tears and smiles Hinagi showed were not lies. There’s a reason other than me being disliked. That sweet thought is the correct answer, and I’ve learned that this world can be kind. I’ve been taught that it’s okay to rely on others. So, let’s believe in it.

I try to find a public phone, but if I move away from this place and miss each other, the reunion will be hopeless. On the other hand, it’s not common to answer a call from a public phone.

In times like this, how did people arrange meetings in the era without cell phones?

“—-Kokonoe?”

My name is called. The one who approached me wasn’t Hinagi. Moreover, it wasn’t even a woman.

“…Who are you?”

“Don’t forget me! We’re in the same class!”

“Are you kidding me? Who are you, Kondo?”

“Who the hell is that guy!? I’m Takahashi! Takahashi Kazunari. It’s been about four months already…”

“Well, well. Kazunari Takahashi. I remember.”

“Is that true…?”

“It’s Kazunari Takahashi, who plays badminton, right? I know you.”

“I’m in the soccer club, though…”

“It’s Kazunari Takahashi, who is active in the soccer club. I know you.”

“You’re just gathering information by letting me talk first…”

He’s a guy with a light atmosphere who can see through advanced techniques, but unlike me, Kazunari Takahashi is a popular guy, not alone. A pair of a boy and a girl. Um… who? It’s super awkward.

“Sugar daddy activity?”

“Why would I! If that’s the case, it’s dangerous. It’s my little sister, Kitsuka. Come on, say hello.”

“Hello…”

A little girl who grabbed the hem of Takahashi’s clothes and peeked behind him is looking at us. She looks good in a yukata, but it certainly doesn’t seem like a date. Going on a date with such a girl would be a setup that would anger various people. Somehow, their facial features look alike.

“Takahashi, you’re her big brother…”

“Kitsuka is in the second grade. Mom’s busy, so I brought her to the festival.”

“I see. Well then, here have some candy.”

As a sign of getting closer, I take out candy from my pocket and give it to Kitsuka-chan.

She accepts it hesitantly. She seems a bit shy, but she’s a good, honest girl.

“By the way, why is Kokonoe here?”

“I was planning to meet someone, but it might be different.”

“Our class is here quite a bit. I saw Sakura and others dragging Shakado around earlier.”

“Elizabeth? I just hope that the gloomy Shakado doesn’t melt away.”

“Hey, Kitsuka-chan, pull this. It’s a multicolored flag.”

“Uwaa! Amazing!”

“What’s that!?”

When I pulled the string from the pocket, a multicolored flag comes out smoothly.

I bought it on a whim at a miscellaneous goods store on the way here, and it turned out to be unexpectedly useful.

Kitsuka-chan’s eyes sparkle. Fufu, I’m confident in appealing to children.

“Are the Takahashi brothers heading home already?”

“Don’t talk to us like we are the red and the green brother. I can see the fireworks from my balcony on the top of my apartment. Do you have a date with someone? Sorry. We interrupted you.”

“Wait. Takahashi brother, are you the messiah?”

Takahashi might know Hinagi’s contact information. Let’s ask him to call her for me.

“What happened all of a sudden? Oh, by the way, I saw Suzurikawa-san earlier, but she was with a boy… Well, but, it’s Suzukawa-san we’re talking about, so probably not.”

“–It seems I was mistaken.”

“Ha? What—“

“I’m hungry, I’m going home quickly. See you again, Kitsuka-chan.”

It’s a waste of time to stay here forever. The fireworks will start soon, but I don’t particularly feel like watching them alone. I’ll just stroll around the food stalls and head home.

Reflecting on the words of Kazunari Takahashi, the answer naturally becomes clear.

Hmm, I see. Could it be a mistake?

The contact from Hinagi wasn’t originally intended for me? When she invited me to the summer festival during the beach trip, she might have completely forgotten about it and continued contacting someone else, accidentally sending the invitation to me.

I’m not sure why she didn’t correct it when I replied, but maybe she didn’t notice that it was from me. No, no, that can’t be true, right?

While this hypothesis is the only one, it’s hard to believe. Even if there’s no way such a mistake could happen, the fact that Hinagi is not here, yet she’s with someone else at the summer festival, is an undeniable reality, no matter how unnatural it may seem.

In hindsight, there were several occasions where Hinagi sent messages with unclear intentions. If I had noticed it earlier…

On that day, when she brushed off my hand, the fact that Hinagi, who did such a thing, would invite me to the summer festival is unimaginable.

[Hinagi PoV]

The lively flow of people moves like a pleasant melody amid the bustling atmosphere. In the midst of the noise, I hurry toward him. Wearing unfamiliar geta and struggling with unsteady footsteps, it’s frustrating, but there’s no help for it. I took quite some time to get ready, and it seems I’ll barely make it on time.

I hope he likes this yukata… Such sweet thoughts. If anything, it wouldn’t be strange for him to make a displeased face.

…But, with Yukito, I have full confidence. Complete trust.

Such sweet thoughts, bordering on the side where it wouldn’t be strange to be met with an unpleasant expression.

It’s been a while since we went to a summer festival together. The yukata I’m wearing today has the same pattern as the one I wore that day when I unintentionally brushed his hand away. It might bring back unpleasant memories.

Since that day, I haven’t had a chance to wear a yukata. The size has changed too. Initially, I thought about choosing a different pattern for the new one, but even so, I chose this pattern.

Above all, to overwrite it with a wonderful memory.

“—-I will also move forward to the future. Yukito…”

What I needed was courage. To motivate myself.

Once again, wearing this pattern required courage.

Unchanging me and changed me.

Even if the appearance changes, even if I grow, my feelings don’t change.

I wanted to prove that. The unchanging love I’ve held onto.

Entering middle school, the environment around me, friends, and even myself, were changing rapidly.

I couldn’t stay a pure child forever. But I couldn’t become an adult either. In the midst of such changes, I sought something unchanging. Those days were scary.

Around this time, things with Yukito weren’t going well. I couldn’t sort out my emotions, didn’t know how to approach him. I started to be harsh, hitting him with sharp words. It was from around this time that I became this way.

I’d get hysterical like an idiot, lashing out. I hated the me that I became.

If I had stayed the naive child I used to be, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out this way.

—But I wished for what lay beyond.

In the crowd, he was the same as always, trying to hold my hand so we wouldn’t get separated.

I didn’t reject it because I hated it. I just wiped off the sweat from my hands with a handkerchief and waited for him to hold it again.

I should have just said it myself. I laugh at my foolishness.

At that time, I couldn’t be so honest anymore.

During that time, I found it increasingly difficult to be straightforward like that.

Afterwards, the hands that were always connected never linked up again. Left hanging in the air, I shifted the blame, wondering why he wouldn’t hold my hand again. Unintended words kept slipping from my mouth. Even after the summer festival ended, the distance between us continued to widen.

—Next year for sure, I had decided.

I forgot such a vow and once again rejected him, who had tried to change me.

If I had been able to wait just a little longer, my wish would have come true.

Yukito was trying to progress our relationship. He wanted change.

He needed courage too. The courage to change. I trampled on that. It was me who stepped all over it.

Helpless, in the worst way possible, I did nothing myself, hurt others, and always sought but never gave anything back. An utterly shameless, shitty woman, forever.

I can’t just keep waiting. I can’t be a princess who only receives.

—I’ve always made the wrong choices. So, this time for sure!

Contrary to my feelings, I threw nothing but conflicting words, and I stepped into the exitless darkness—my chosen path. Everything is my own doing.

But he helped me, never let go, and protected me no matter how much of a villain I became, no matter how much I belittled myself, even if I turned everyone around me into enemies and became hated.

Now, it’s my turn.

From now on, it’s always going to be my turn.

The glass slipper has long since shattered.

No carriage to the castle, no fairy godmother to give a push.

There are many rivals, but that doesn’t matter.

With my own feet, I’ll go to where he’s waiting.

With an exhilarating feeling, I head to the meeting place.

On this day, the road is closed to cars due to the festival.

The festive excitement. Even from a distance, the joyful atmosphere is palpable.

It’s almost time. Is he waiting for me?

My smartphone seems to be malfunctioning and is in repair. I didn’t ask for the reason. I’m sure I messed up something. However, the situation of not being able to contact the person I’m waiting for immediately feels somewhat romantic, and I can’t help but feel my emotions rise.

I check the clock. I’m quite late. I’ll have to apologize when I arrive.

I’ll be honest. There’s no need to fake anything. If I express my true feelings, it will surely reach him. There’s no need to pretend or cover up. I keep telling myself that.

—Goodbye, past me. Nice to meet you, future me.

“Are you Suzurikawa?”

Such determination crushed, a disgusting voice came from behind.

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“…….Yoshikawa…?”

“Oi oi, calling me without honorifics is pretty rude. I’m your senpai, you know.”

The exhilarating mood, as if being doused in cold water, froze. I could only mutter that name, which I had avoided recalling. A name so repulsive that I had tried to evade even the thought of it.

I hoped it was a case of mistaken identity, but the figure that emerged was unmistakably Yoshikawa himself, the one from my memories in junior high.

“What’s up, Toshiya? You know her?”

“My ex-girlfriend from junior high.”

Toshiya Yoshikawa. Someone I had been in a relationship with during junior high. In reality, there were no such days, but the fact remained, etched into memory, making it impossible to erase.

– Ex-girlfriend.

The repulsive word sent shivers down my spine, and nausea surged within me.

“She’s beautiful, isn’t she, senpai? Please introduce me later.”

Yoshikawa wasn’t alone. There were two other guys, one significantly larger than Yoshikawa and another smaller. Their assessing, lustful glances clung to me.

“Long time no see, Suzurikawa.”

“—-Why… why are you here!”

“Doesn’t really matter, right?”

“What’s up, Toshiya? Got something wrong?”

“Just a bit from the past.”

Suppressing the shivers in my body, I try to put on a bold front, but it seems ineffective as if they see through me. Finally, my mind, which had been in a state of paralysis, starts to work again.

I shouldn’t have engaged with him in the first place. It’s too late to realize that now.

It’s a big festival. Many students are participating. It’s not uncommon to encounter acquaintances. I should have ignored him and moved on. Stopping here was a mistake.

“Are you alone? Why don’t you join us and go around together?”

The guy who called Toshiya “senpai” casually speaks. Toshiya is a second-year student.

So, this guy must be a first-year student like me.

“That works. Suzurikawa, come with us.”

“Don’t mess with me! Why should I――”

“You don't want to be made a mess or a bitter person again, right?”

“――!”

The words whispered softly bring back nightmares.

I cried and suffered every day, unable to do anything about it, desperately trying to scrape it off. I finally thought I had moved forward. I thought I had escaped that bottomless swamp.

To be helped and have the past I had cut off interfere with me again.

“Let’s have fun. Shall we go?”

“Yeah. Suzurikawa… no, wasn’t it Hinagi? Let’s forget the past and get along.”

They gradually close in from all sides. A chill runs through my entire body.

Toshiya speaks again. If I don’t take Toshiya’s hand here, will I be broken again? The everyday life I finally got my hands on. The days I wanted to regain.

――And the bond with Yukito.

I can’t bear such things anymore. I stood frozen like a frog stared down by a snake.

I was too shocked, and the courage I summoned seemed to dissipate like mist.

“…Ah…ah….”

I couldn’t even muster a proper voice. This man had become a trauma, a corrosive force in my life.

I slumped powerlessly. Ultimately, nothing had changed. The past continued to cling to me, refusing to let go like being trapped in an antlion pit. I couldn’t escape the despair.

Weak, I remained weak. Despite resolving to become strong enough to stand next to him.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

I had shaken off his hand that day, and now he was not the one holding my hand.

“…There’s no way, there’s no way I can accept that!”

As if driven by intense emotions, I ran away from that place.

Admit it. I am weak.

I’ve always pretended to be strong, unable to be honest. Different from him.

――But, I’m not alone.

I almost forgot again. Despite repeating the same mistakes, I may cause trouble again. I’ve always been relying on others.

Nevertheless, there are things I can’t handle alone, but together, we can.

If I’m with him, we should be able to overcome anything. Let’s start over from the beginning. And this time, let me be someone he can rely on, someone he needs.

It should never be one-sided. An equal relationship between him and me.

――Because, we are “childhood friends.”

[Yoshikawa PoV]

“Aah, looks like you got rejected, Senpai.”

“What the hell is that? Toshiya, was she really your ex?”

“As irritating as ever.”

I and the others were watching Suzurikawa’s back with our eyes. We didn’t intend to cause a commotion, especially in such a crowded place. It’s true we’re looking for potential romantic interests, but in a festival where troubles are common, the police are vigilant. It’s not foolish enough to act without thinking.

“But she looked delicious.”

“Did you do her already?”

“No, but well, that might be good. Can’t let it end while being made a fool of.”

“You have to! The way she was, she’d easily fall, right? Girls like her are fragile. By the way, Toshiya-Senpai, you’ve been quite popular since middle school, right? Must be nice, being handsome. Doing whatever you want.”

“Idiot. I was a proper guy in middle school.”

“Don’t lie, Toshiya.”

“I’m serious. I didn’t stand out because there were some really sketchy guys in the lower grades.”

“Were there guys who were good at fighting?”

“Let’s not talk about that… no, stop. I don’t want to remember.”

I frowned as if recalling something very unpleasant. Some things are better left untouched. If you touch a god, so to speak.

Getting close to her would only lead to trouble. As if to cut off the conversation, I started walking away, leaving the others behind.

“Well, let’s go look for other partners today. The main event is a future enjoyment.”

I smiled wryly at my junior’s words and began searching for other women.

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[Yukito PoV]

On such a night, the moonlight is not the only thing illuminating the night sky. The grand experiment of flame reactions on the canvas of the pitch-black sky creates a vivid burst of colors for just a few seconds.

However, it’s essential not to ruin the beauty of fireworks by talking about mundane things like red indicating lithium, purple indicating potassium, or yellow indicating sodium. It’s a bad habit of boys to boast about such things. If someone says, “Eww, that’s so weird!” it’s because it is.

Girls who say, “It’s beautiful,” while watching fireworks aren’t looking for discussions on chemical reactions. Such temperature differences might be considered the difference between men and women. Just for fireworks.

This is also something my sister taught me a long time ago. A great sister. I learn a lot from her.

Leaving the exhausted summer festival grounds, I return home and change into jogging clothes. I then head out for my routine run. Daily training is crucial and shouldn’t be neglected.

Fireworks start during my run, but it feels dull to watch them alone. I continue running silently without stopping to look up. The thunderous sounds echo through the air.

In the end, whether it’s a festival or not, these events form a kind of community and a place for communication.

It’s meaningless without someone to enjoy it with. It’s meant to be enjoyed with someone else.

It wasn’t intended for me, who embarrassingly thought I was invited to the summer festival, to participate alone.

I didn’t receive any emails from Hinagi on my computer, nor did she get into an accident.

There’s no reason other than my embarrassing misunderstanding. Acha, so lame.

A certain rhythm clears my thoughts. The history of humans and horses dates back thousands of years, but I’m distant from zebras. Human relationships might be surprisingly similar.

Near yet far. Similar yet different. Known yet unknown. Understood yet not knowing. Zebras, despite appearances, are apparently more aggressive than horses. Interesting.

It’s still hot even though it’s nighttime. To relax my body heated by the temperature and exercise, I exhale slowly and switch to a gentle walk. By that time, the high-volume sounds piercing through the night sky were no longer audible. The fireworks festival must have ended.

Taking my time to return to the apartment, someone was sitting in the entrance. She seemed deeply exhausted. Seeing her in a yukata, it seems she just returned from the festival.

So, I wonder why she is here. Perhaps she lost her keys?

Though I don’t have many connections in the neighborhood, it’s essential to greet people. About to pass by without saying anything, I realize the person is someone I know well.