Vol. 2 Chapter 54 – Summer Festival (5)

Having acquired gear for everyone at the kimono shop, we once again ventured out into the summer festival.

Walking side-by-side down a different path than the first, we headed towards the shrine where the workshop we were aiming for was located.

“Reiya-kun! Look, look! They have a Polyste! A Polyste 5!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru tugged at the sleeve of my yukata, pointing at a game console displayed in front of a lottery stall.

“You’re right. But those things basically never have winning tickets in them,” (Reiya)

“Really?” (Hikaru)

“Yeah. All boys waste their allowance on those and grow into adults,” (Reiya)

“Heeh… Is that so… How harsh the world is…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru said, looking at the elementary school boys crowding around the lottery stall.

In contrast to her, who was innocently enjoying the festival as if nothing had happened—

“Gasp…!”

Ichiru-san remained distant, averting her eyes every time they met mine since earlier.

Maybe it couldn’t be helped since she saw that, but I couldn’t help thinking it was a bit too obvious.

However, perhaps it was a blessing in disguise—

“T-Taiju-kun! Look, look! Grilled eel!” (Ichiru)

“Y-Yes… Grilled eel, right…” (Taiju)

“Isn’t eel unusual for a festival stall?” (Ichiru)

“Y-Yeah… It is unusual…” (Taiju)

“Looks delicious… Maybe I’ll try some. What do you think, Taiju-kun?” (Ichiru)

Perhaps because, or thanks to, keeping some distance from us… her conversation with Taiju-san was increasing.

Taiju-san was the same as ever, but maybe this would help close the distance between them a little.

“Eel is certainly good… but personally, I find a kiss hard to pass up too,” (Taiju)

“K-Kiss…!?” (Ichiru)

Along with Ichiru-san, I was startled by the two syllables that suddenly came out of Taiju-san’s mouth.

“Yes, kiss. That’s good too, isn’t it?” (Taiju)

“O-Oh, really… I don’t really know much about that kind of thing…” (Ichiru)

“Eh? You don’t? That’s unusual. Well then, since it’s a special occasion, why don’t we give it a try?” (Taiju)

Looking Ichiru-san straight in the eye, Taiju-san pressed forward with a somewhat alluringly serious expression.

I never thought Taiju-san would make such a bold move…

No, he might be the odd one out, but he still shared Asahi blood.

Perhaps it wasn’t strange for him to possess this level of offensive power inherently.

“T-Try… with you, Taiju-kun…?” (Ichiru)

“Well, since we’re here, I thought I’d partake…” (Taiju)

“Eh, ehh… But, that kind of thing is usually… something you do with someone important…” (Ichiru)

While receiving Taiju-san’s invitation, Ichiru-san traced her own lips with her white fingertips.

Even watching from the side, I could tell her heart was beating differently than usual.

Her weak spot, which had been protected by a strong guard, was now exposed due to an accidentally triggered gimmick.

Now’s your chance!! I desperately cheered Taiju-san on in my mind, but…

“Look, it looks super delicious with tartar sauce,” (Taiju)

Saying that, Taiju-san pointed towards a stall selling ‘Fried Kiss (Fish)’.

…Well, that’s about right.

“Ah, kiss… the fish kisu… Ahaha…” (Ichiru)

“Oh, that looks good! I want some too! One skewer, please!” (Hikaru)

Next to Ichiru-san, who wore a smile mixed half with relief and half with embarrassment, the oblivious Hikaru handed coins to the stall owner.

And so, the first offensive ended without success… or so it seemed—

“Apparently there’s some live performance on stage later, wanna go see?” (Passerby Girl A)

“Live? Isn’t it just some local old guys’ cover band? Of some old band called Kiss?” (Passerby Girl B)

“K-Kiss…!?” (Ichiru)

Sometimes, she’d jump startled at the conversation of passing high school girls—

“Hey, make sure you cook it through properly! There could be Anisakis,” (Stall Owner)

“K-kiss with my brother…!?” (Ichiru)

Sometimes, she’d be flustered by the conversation of an old man at yet another stall in a way that made me want to say, ‘Surely it wouldn’t come to that.’

And so, by the time we arrived back at the shrine, a single woman who was hyper-aware of Taiju-san had been created.

“…Um, are you okay? Your face is bright red, maybe you have a fever?” (Taiju)

Unaware of such subtleties, Taiju-san simply showed concern for her unusual state.

“N-No…! I’m fine…! I just ate something hot, so I’m just flushed…” (Ichiru)

Perhaps that worked in his favor, as her guard, which had been so rigid, was now completely relaxed.

“Ah, over there, the sparkler—” (Ichiru)

Perhaps unable to bear the unprecedented atmosphere any longer, the moment Ichiru-san turned around to hide her embarrassment—

“Kya…!” (Ichiru)

Someone walking nearby bumped her shoulder, causing her to lose her balance and start to fall.

“Whoa there… Are you alright?” (Taiju)

However, Taiju-san effortlessly supported her with one hand.

His core strength, completely unshaken even while supporting an adult, was admirable even to me as a man.

“Ah, thank you…” (Ichiru)

“Be careful… It’s crowded…” (Taiju)

“Yes… I’ll be, careful…” (Ichiru)

The two exchanged feverish glances, gazing at each other from close range.

I felt like the romantic wave-like energy between them was rapidly amplifying.

Even though I was uninvolved, my own heart started pounding a little.

“Hey, hey… Aren’t those two looking pretty good together…?” (Hikaru)

As I observed the pair, Hikaru whispered in my ear.

“I don’t know if they’re ‘good together,’ but I do think they make a picturesque couple,” (Reiya)

Taiju-san was, needless to say, a tall, handsome model-type, and Ichiru-san, even setting aside my familial bias, was a gentle beauty who looked stunning in traditional Japanese clothing.

Based on appearances alone, few couples fit the word “well-suited” as perfectly as they did.

“Right? I’m thinking of getting serious about setting them up…” (Hikaru)

Hikaru sought confirmation from me, her relative, her voice tinged with determination.

“That’s fine, but… why go that far?” (Reiya)

However, sensing an enthusiasm that seemed beyond just helping her brother, I asked—

“I want to call Mizumori-san ‘Onee-chan’!” (Hikaru)

The reason was more mundane than I expected.

“Well, actually, I was starting to think about giving them a little push too, as long as it doesn’t cause trouble,” (Reiya)

Initially, I intended to respect their wishes, but seeing this made me want to meddle a little.

Above all, I’d always thought Ichiru-san needed someone to support her.

“Then let’s declare a joint front,” (Hikaru)

“Okay. But basically, we’ll just watch over them gently,” (Reiya)

We bumped fists, sealing the agreement.

To slowly and carefully cultivate that still-awkward soil and eventually grow a giant tree of love.

“Huh? If it isn’t Reiya,” (Minami)

As we were doing that, a familiar voice called out from behind.

“Ah, Minami-san…” (Reiya)

Turning around, I saw Kochi Minami-san, the owner of my usual hair salon, standing there.

“Whoa, and you’re wearing a yukata…! Is it gonna start raining or something…?” (Minami)

“What’s that supposed to mean…” (Reiya)

“Ah, Senpai! It’s been a while!” (Ichiru)

A little after me, Ichiru-san also noticed her presence.

“Oh, Chiru, you’re here too… You’re also in a yukata? What’s this? You two at the festival together, looking kinda suspicious… While I’m over here sweating buckets doing unpaid labor helping the Chamber of Commerce,” (Minami)

“No, that’s not it at all… Besides, it’s not just the two of us…” (Ichiru)

“Hey, hey, Reiya-kun… Who is this person?” (Hikaru)

As I looked exasperatedly at Minami-san, who had jumped to strange conclusions, Hikaru whispered discreetly from beside me.

“Um, this is Kochi Minami-san… She’s the owner of the hair salon I go to, and Ichiru-san’s high school senpai. She helped me out a lot back in the day… Well, that kind of person,” (Reiya)

“Heeh… Mizumori-san’s…” (Hikaru)

While I was introducing Minami-san to Hikaru, she was literally wide-eyed.

“And, this is… well, the person I mentioned briefly to you before, Minami-san…” (Reiya)

“Nice to meet you! I’m Asahi Hikaru! Reiya-kun’s girlfriend!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru introduced herself in her usual clear, energetic voice, completely unfazed by meeting someone new.

“Girlfriend!? Reiya’s!? This girl!?” (Minami)

Hearing that, Minami-san’s astonishment reached its peak, transforming into a three-part bewildered shriek.

“Yes, well… that’s right…” (Reiya)

“Eh, ehh… Reiya, can you, like, use hypnosis or something…?” (Minami)

“Of course I can’t…” (Reiya)

I retorted to Minami-san, who was saying something rather rude while looking back and forth between Hikaru and me repeatedly.

“Well, I mean… You, having a girl as cute as an idol or actress be your girlfriend… Actually, I feel like I’ve seen her somewhere… Ah! The tennis girl who was on the cover of last month’s Nanateen!” (Minami)

“Ah, yes! That’s right! I was featured on the cover last month!” (Hikaru)

Hikaru replied happily to the conclusion Minami-san had reached.

“Hae~… Wow… To think that gloomy kid who only played games would catch a girl like that… Well, I always thought Reiya was a man who could get things done when it counts! Yep!” (Minami)

Minami-san puffed out her chest as if to say, ‘I raised him.’

Well, it’s true she was the one who cut my hair into its current style, so it wasn’t entirely untrue, but…

“And, who’s the tall, handsome guy over there?” (Minami)

“Ah, Taiju-kun is Hikaru-chan’s older brother. He’s also a regular customer here, but today, due to various circumstances, the four of us ended up touring the festival together,” (Ichiru)

“Asahi Taiju,” (Taiju)

Following Ichiru-san’s polite introduction, Taiju-san returned the greeting bluntly.

“Are you two dating too? Wearing matching yukatas and all,” (Minami)

“N-No, we’re not. Geez… Everyone always tries to steer the conversation that way…” (Ichiru)

Ichiru-san gave the same reply to the question anyone would ask.

However, her words seemed a little less crisp than usual.

“Well, I figured as much… Hmm…” (Minami)

Minami-san walked towards Taiju-san, her expression appraising.

“W-What is it…?” (Taiju)

“Wow, you siblings are both incredibly good-looking… By the way, are you a student?” (Minami)

“Y-Yeah, I am…” (Taiju)

Being approached so unreservedly by a woman he’d just met, Taiju-san recoiled slightly.

Despite being handsome, smart, and capable at work, his complete lack of immunity to women was the one thing I found incredibly relatable.

“Which university?” (Minami)

“T-Toutei, Science I…” (Taiju)

“Todai!? Hae~… Wow… Goes to show the gods really do grant two gifts…” (Minami)

“H-Haah…” (Taiju)

“By the way, are you seeing anyone right n—” (Minami)

“S-Senpai…! Taiju-kun is getting uncomfortable, so…!” (Ichiru)

Ichiru-san stepped in, stopping Minami-san’s barrage of questions.

“Sorry, sorry. But it’s just rare to see you with a guy other than Reiya… so I couldn’t help myself,” (Minami)

“Geez, even after all this time, you haven’t changed at all…” (Ichiru)

Ichiru-san let out an exasperated sigh at Minami-san, who scratched her head apologetically.

“You’re the one who’s changed quite a bit, though. Your big sis here is happy,” (Minami)

“Happy…? About what?” (Ichiru)

“What do you mean ‘what’? Don’t play dumb about something so obvious now…” (Minami)

Minami-san now spoke exasperatedly to Ichiru-san, who couldn’t grasp the meaning of her words.

“You like this Taiju-kun, don’t you?” (Minami)

And just like that, onto the soil we were trying to carefully cultivate, a super high-concentration pesticide was sprayed from the sky, carried on an east wind.

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• Anisakis means a parasite in fish, but Ichiru mishears/misinterprets it as “K-kiss with my brother…!?” or in short “K-Kissing brother!?”.