Adachi to Shimamura - Volume 6 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Flight

Everything written in it was about Shimamura, and that made it the Shimamura Note. 
Simple as that. A deep groan left my mouth as I thought about where I would go with it next. 
My mind was burning with inspiration, burning so hot it felt like a second sun had come to be within my head. 
What was the thing to do during a summer festival? Given my limited experience with them, I had no idea how to even begin answering that question. Then again, you could say that my experience with most things was limited and you'd be right. That was something I'd grown painfully aware of myself since my first meeting with Shimamura. I could start studying, yes, but the chances of me finishing in time were slim to say the least. 
Even so, it wasn't like I had any other choice. I would have to squeeze out everything I could and make do with it. 
Putting all that aside for a moment, what even constituted a festival? When could you say that you'd enjoyed one? Was it buying stuff from the stands, viewing the fireworks? Holding the hand of the person you went with, talking with them while you weren't busy doing the other stuff, or perhaps... I couldn't think of anything else. 
I'd already thought about it in detail back when I had days to spare, but I really was too excited about this whole thing, wasn't I? We were just going to attend a festival together, nothing more. Yes, getting somewhat excited was normal, but what I was doing, not so much. I had to make sure to keep my expectations in check so that I wouldn't get massively disappointed when things undoubtedly ended up not playing out the way I would've liked. Besides, us eating something together, laughing, perhaps commenting on how pretty the fireworks looked, that was more than plenty, right? 
Having at last reached that conclusion, I went ahead and closed the notebook shut. It wasn't like thinking about this with my mind spinning in circles was going to get me anywhere. Plus, it might not be a bad idea to occasionally do things without stressing about them for days beforehand. One after one, memories of my past failures flooded my mind, leaving the sleeves of my yukata to rustle as I moved my hands to hold my head. 
I was already done with the preparations. The yukata, everything, I had all of it set up. It had taken me countless retries and do-overs to get my outfit just the way I wanted it, but even now that I was done with that, there were still hours left till our planned time of meeting. 
The giant, yellow flower that was the sun could be seen outside my window. It had travelled across the blue sky and was now starting to set, its faint glow painting my room yellow. These days, I felt evenings to be quite cold, but back in the day, there'd been a time when I thought about them differently; I'd found great relief in the fact that another day had come to an end. I was talking about way back in the day here, back before I'd met Shimamura. I'd been a totally different person, so self-aware. 
Restlessly, my eyes jumped between the window and the clock. 
As staying in my room didn't seem like it was going to help me calm down, I decided that I'd head out and wait for her at the spot. Just like usual. Before going, however, I walked over to the mirror and checked one last time how my yukata looked. I'd searched online how to tie the sash, but now, I had to wonder, had I done it right? Twisting my hips from side to side, I couldn't help but ask if the dress was even the right length. As for my hairstyle, I hadn't really changed it much, and now that I was about to leave, I found myself thinking that perhaps I should've put some more effort into it. Was that the right thing to do here? Should I just ruffle my hair up and start from scratch? That certainly was a possibility, although at the same time, I worried that once I started, I wouldn't be able to bring myself to stop. If that was the case, then it was better not to start at all and stick to the usual instead of making matters worse. Having convinced myself of this, I decided to leave with my hair as it was. 
I'd just exited my room when I noticed a shadow being cast across the hallway. It was not caused by the setting sun, but rather, by a person. 
"Oh..." 
Yes, that person was Mom. She'd returned home from wherever she had been. Based on her expression, she seemed to find the fact that I was wearing a yukata quite shocking. 
The movements of us both grew clumsy, almost as if our bodies had been tied with an invisible rope. 
"You're heading out?" 
"Mmh..." 
I gave her the most vague response possible in the form of slightly tilting my head. Little by little, I could feel my stomach starting to hurt. 
I found the whole situation so incredibly awkward. All I wanted to do was run away. More than that, I wanted her to go, to leave me be. 
Emotions you should never feel towards your own family members flooded my mind. 
A part of me even began to wonder, why was it that I'd been born here? 
With my head pushed out, I began making my way around the woman. 
Right then: 
"You look a little dull with your hair like that. Want me to tie it up for you?" 
At first, I couldn't believe my ears. What had she just said to me? 
Despite being the one who'd said it, the woman looked equally awkward. I got the impression that she too wanted to turn around and leave. 
And yet, she didn't. Neither did I. Slowly, bit by bit, the true meaning of her suggestion began dawning on me. 
I remembered that despite everything, she was, in fact, my mother. 
My hand clenched tight into a fist... 
"Sure..." 
...I went ahead and accepted her proposal. Without as much as a word, Mom began walking, with me closely behind. 
The nervousness I felt here was different from the type I experienced when following Shimamura. 
It wasn't tingly like a wave of electricity, but rather, heavy and oppressive. 
My shoulders slouched as I sat down in front of the mirror, almost as if something massive was weighing on me. Looking more than slightly awkward herself, Mom picked up a comb and began running it through my hair. What was I supposed to do here? That was a question which appeared into my mind. The whole situation, the way we both tried nervously to avoid looking each other into the eyes through the mirror, it all made me so uncomfortable. I found myself having trouble breathing. 
Was this what family was all about? 
We normally never talked, and as such, nothing came to my mind that I wanted to discuss with her. 
It was Mom who ended up breaking the ice, doing so while simultaneously preparing a rubber band to hold my hair in place. 
"You're going with a friend? To the festival?" 
"Mmh..." 
I was unable to bring myself to answer Mom straight. And yet, I knew that wouldn't do. 
"Yeah." 
I repeated myself, making sure that my voice was more audible. My eyes met with those of Mom's reflection. It had been a while since the last time. 
"I see." 
Mom immediately hung her head and turned her gaze away as if she didn't care. In a lot of ways, she was acting exactly like I was. 
A few moments of fiddling with my hair later, she was done. 
"Will this do?" 
I gave the braids that had appeared by the sides of my head a quick touch before nodding my head. 
Obviously, there was no way that I could say that I disliked them. 
Pulled along by the bizarre atmosphere, I left the mirror and headed towards the entrance. I then put on the traditional sandals I'd gotten just for today and—still unable to calm myself down—began making my way outside. 
Just then: 
"Have fun." 
I almost fell flat on my face. It was as if Mom's words had manifested into something physical and given me a push from behind. 
By the time I turned around, she was already in the process of walking away. 
The whole situation took me completely off-guard. I was barely able to stay on my feet. 
I did eventually manage to get a hold of myself, but even then, no words would come out from my mouth. 
I was left to slowly wave my hand at the now-empty hallway. 
This wasn't going to lead to anything. I really didn't think so. I was well aware of the fact that it was already far too late for change. 
And yet. And yet, I hadn't felt bad about it. 
I was at least able to puff my chest and take a step forward. 
Holding the keys to my bike, I began making my way outside, but quickly turned back as I realised that I wouldn't be needing them today. There, I noticed that the key chain I was sure had been attached to them had at some point disappeared. I could only assume that the reason for this was that these days, I was too busy chasing after Shimamura to pay mind to such things. And yet, I didn't regret it. Not one bit. I might end up losing a lot more things due to my own decision, but choosing this path, that was the one thing I would never grow to regret. I was sure of it. 
I had confidence that I was at last moving forward. 
My step continued to grow lighter and lighter as I left my home. 
It almost felt like I was floating through the air. All this because I was heading to a festival. What was wrong with me? 

"Whoop dee doo dee da dee doo~" 
"......" 
"Dun dun dun dun!" 
All this unbearable noise because I'd decided to let her tie up my hair. Was this woman seriously incapable of being silent for even a single moment? 
The sun was starting to set, and with it, the song of cicadas had faded away, making this the time of perfect tranquillity. Or rather, that's what it should've been. Not in our house. Sitting in front of the dressing table tinged with nostalgia, I found myself experiencing a slight amount of regret; perhaps I should've done this by myself after all. I would've been saved from the noise, if nothing else. 
"It's been a while since I last fiddled with your head, hasn't it?" 
"My hair. Not head. Please don't fiddle with my head." 
If it had the possibility of making me super smart or something, then maybe I'd be for it, but that seemed unlikely; knowing Mom, she'd probably handle my brain like she was putting together a plastic model. 
"The last time was just before your graduation ceremony in middle school", the woman continued. She then stopped combing my hair momentarily and placed her hand on top of my head: "You've grown quite a bit since then." 
"Have I?" 
"Yep. Sadly, it's just your body that's growing." 
Could she really not tone down the snark and act sentimental for once? Then again, I suppose our relationship wasn't one that left much room for that. 
"Now, what do you want? A giant whirlpool over your head?" 
"Stop messing around." 
"Hmph. Alright then. I'll just do the usual." 
A hint of bitterness could be heard in her voice. She sounded unwilling, almost like a teenager being forced to do something they didn't want to. I was definitely not going to ask her to do this the next time. 
Well, not that I even knew if there was going to be a next time. 
Through all of that, my hair ended up taking on the safest style possible—that being, a bun. Looking at it in the mirror, I found myself quite pleased with the end result. 
"This will do." 
"Hmm? And why are you saying it like that. Well, whatever. Alright." 
Having said that, Mom pushed out her palm. I was left staring at her confused. 
"That'll be 3000 yen." 
"Ahahaha." 
"Hahahaha." 
"Hahaha!" 
"Ahahahaha!" 
As I laughed, I found myself starting to feel a little distressed; was she really not going to pull her hand back? This lasted for some more time, until ultimately, I was forced to give up. 
"Put it on my tab." 
"Got it." 
You can imagine my shock over what happened next; the woman pulled out an actual memo and wrote the whole thing down. She never held back, not even when it came to her jokes. Even her jokes... 
Pretending like I'd seen nothing, I moved on from examining my hair to checking my yukata. 
The cloth was white with a sunflower pattern, and as for the sash, that was vermilion. My sister and Yashiro had both worn yukatas the last time, but this was a new one, separate from those. 
"We sure have a lot of these, huh?" 
"I got them from Mom as hand-me-downs. Speaking of, I heard that you became her email pen-pal. What's up with that?" Mom asked me, all the while plucking out individual strands of hair that had gotten stuck in the comb. Touching my own hair, I replied: 
"Yeah. She's been sending me photos of Gon." 
"Gon, huh?" 
Her response flowed out surprisingly smoothly. And yet, what came after was anything but. 
"If anything happens to Gon, you should go visit him too." 
I quickly turned around. Still holding the comb, Mom continued as if nothing had happened. 
"I'll take you there. When the time comes." 
"......" 
"Ah. You thought something rude just now, didn't you? Go ahead, say it. I won't get angry." 
"I was just shocked that you can sound like a mother every now and then." 
"Kyeeh!" 
Despite her strange yell, it didn't seem like the woman was angry. A weirdo though? Definitely. 
After one last time checking my hair, I got up and left the room. As I did, I immediately came across my sister who'd been running down the hallway. 
"Ah, Sis. You're wearing a yukata." 
The girl wasted no time as she rushed over to me. Hmm, yes. This might have been quite the troublesome encounter. Then again, considering that we lived under the same roof, I suppose it was completely normal for us to meet like this. It would've been the safest option for me to simply slip out unnoticed. 
"You're heading to the festival again?" 
"Yep. A friend asked me." 
"Hmph..." 
The girl appeared extremely unsatisfied with my answer. I was left with the impression that she was once again planning on insisting that I take her with me. 
There was no way I could do that; Tarumi might have been fine with the idea, but Adachi, I was sure that she would just hate it. Plus, it wasn't like my sister was particularly fond of her either. 
Festivals were places meant for fun, not for personalities to clash and creak against one another. 
Unsure as to how to proceed, I was left laughing awkwardly. Just then: 
"Well, in that case, Mom will take you there." 
It was Mom who cut in, having appeared from behind me as if to save the day. 
The consideration she showed here, the concern, it really brought to mind my grandmother. 
"You will?" 
"Yep. I decided that I'll do all that mom stuff today." 
Was she implying that she normally didn't? I couldn't help but laugh at her a little, but even that honestly felt kinda nice. Plus, judging by the smile on my sister's face, it appeared that she took no issue with this unusual suggestion either. Hmm... The whole situation was simply pleasant. 
I wasn't quite able to put it into words, but there was something about the atmosphere here that made me want to stay like this forever. 
"How exciting." 
That all came to a sudden end when a ball of blue hair popped up from next to my sister. 
Huh. She always did just kinda show up. 

The cloth was pale pink with a flower pattern, and the sash light purple. Comparing it to the yukatas of the random people I happened to pass by, I found myself thinking that it might have been a little boorish. Was this simply a case of me worrying too much about things? Possibly. Even so, it was true that I had rushed to buy the yukata I was currently wearing basically on a whim after my phone call with Shimamura, and looking back to it now, a part of me wondered if I'd really made the right choice choosing the one I had. Should I maybe have called her and asked for her opinion? Hmm, probably not; if I did that all the time, I'd basically end up becoming her personal dress-up doll. 
Being dressed by Shimamura. Having my clothes removed by her. The image that came into my head was that of a fish cut open. 
"Seriously, I'm such an idiot..." 
An immense wave of shame passed through me as I stood there, hiding my face behind my hand. Had I not been outside, I likely would've ended up twisting and turning all around. 
We'd agreed to meet just outside a hotel near the riverside where the fireworks would be launched. One by one, people flowed out through the building's entrance—mostly parents with their children all dressed in yukatas—giving me the impression that the place had been packed full of tourists. Though there was still some time left till things would start, the banks of the river were already overflowing with people, apparently there to reserve themselves a good spot. That was what I'd read online, at least; I'd never actually seen how these things tended to play out for myself. If I had to choose between observing something pretty up close and viewing a beautiful scenery from afar, I'd much rather choose the former, which was exactly why I felt no particular attachment towards fireworks displays. She hadn't shown up already, had she? I found myself repeatedly turning my head around and scanning the road behind me, the same one I'd walked down to get here. 
By this time, the thick veil of dusk had already covered the town, leaving the road to be painted in a still tone almost like a river made of shadows. Among the people flowing down that river—like lanterns made of paper—I was searching for her. Searching for Shimamura. No matter how many people there were, I was confident that I would be able to spot her. 
While tonight's event wasn't going to be quite as large as the one from earlier, there was still a certain sense of liveliness that could be felt in the air. It might have been the fact that our town didn't really have much else special going for it that caused it, but seeing all these people, it kinda made my head spin. Were these people all excited for the fireworks display? Or were they perhaps more focused on the people they'd come with? 
As far as I was concerned—Well, I probably didn't even need to say it. 
Then, at last, it happened. My hand that had been busy swatting away mosquitoes froze in the air. 
"Ah..." 
There could've been others wearing a similar outfit, but that didn't matter. Only she did.  

My eyes were instantly captured. Everything else around me grew blurry. 
This sight of Shimamura wearing a yukata had caught me completely off-guard. It was as if a firework had gone off and exploded right in front of me. 
She waved at me, and barely able to stay on my feet, I turned around and sprinted into her direction. I could feel my cheeks growing hot as I ran. I had to imagine that this sensation was accompanied by them turning red, although thankfully, the fact that the sun had already set meant that Shimamura was unlikely to notice that. 
With a broad smile on her face, she welcomed me. 
Shimamura's hair was tied in a bun above her head, and although a bit different from mine, her yukata too had a flower pattern. 
Confusing? Quite. Even I didn't know what I was trying to say. In any case, what I did know was that there was a certain shine to her. Simply staring into her eyes I could feel my mind grow full with emotion. Before she said anything, before any greetings, I wanted to convey those feelings to her in the most direct way possible. 
"Y-You look cute." 
"Really?" 
I ended up nodding my head multiple times. 
"Very cute." 
In the same way, I also said that more than once. Seriously, what was this happiness flowing through me? I just didn't know. Its true nature escaped me. 
"Well, thanks." 
My excessive praise appeared to have left Shimamura to feel slightly embarrassed, and with her mouth twisted into an awkward smile, she turned to look away. She then pushed out one of her palms and slammed her fist, and after a small pause, stated the following: 
"You're cute too, Adachi." 
At first, I couldn't believe my ears. It was as if someone had poured something hot down them, something which caused them to melt. 
The pause and what she did with her hands had left me feeling slightly curious, yes, but this, this was just something else. If I had to describe how it felt to have her state something like that to me, the ensuing sensation, I'd say that it was similar to a firework going off inside my head. Another firework? There certainly was a lot happening both inside and outside of me. 
There, Shimamura extended her hand towards me. What was going on? Nervously, I watched as she drew closer, only for her to end up touching my braids with one of her fingers. She gently lifted the tip of it upwards. The tuft of hair looked almost like a broom or something as it moved in the corner of my vision. 
"These braids fit you well. Did you do them yourself?" 
I could only assume it was the fact that I never did anything with my hair that caused this change to stick out so much. Sounding a little stiff, I stated the following: 
"No, my mom did." 
Shimamura appeared quite shocked by my answer. I'd figured that this wasn't what she expected me to say, and by the looks of things, it seemed that I'd been correct. 
"Really?" 
"Yeah..." 
"Wow." 
Was it just me, or was she acting a little too shocked here? The two of them had never even met. Not as far as I knew, at least. 
"What about you, Shimamura?" 
There was something about the bun that made her appear quite adult. Mature, even. Regardless, she was still cute. 
"Oh, this? I had Momma do it for me too." 
Just as she'd gotten those words out of her mouth, our eyes met. The awkward smile which soon appeared on her face let me know that I wasn't the only one who found this situation slightly embarrassing. 
"Well then, shall we go?" 
"Yeah." 
By her suggestion, we then began walking. Like the others around us, we too joined the river of shadow, becoming one of the many lanterns. 
Staring at Shimamura's face, her composed and unconcerned portrait, I found my fingers naturally unravelling. 
Not wanting to be greedy, I made sure not to snatch her hand away, but rather, grasp it softly, gently. That was my intention, at least; in reality, I was so self-conscious about the whole thing that as I pushed my hand forward, my fingers ended up shivering all over the place. Furthermore, I also misjudged how much force to use, leading to me once again practically smothering her hand. What an absolute blunder. All the things around me grew hazy, almost as if the darkness surrounding me had found its way into my eyes. 
The wry smile which appeared on Shimamura's face gave me the impression that by this point, she didn't really mind anymore. 
"Pretty clumsy." 
"Sorry..." 
Despite apologizing, I didn't let go. Wait... Huh? 
"Shimamura, have you been holding hands with someone?" 
Small amounts of residue warmth could be felt on her palm. Swiftly, Shimamura turned to look at me. 
"Can you really tell that? Wow. I take back my earlier remark." 
Honest admiration could be heard in the way she talked. 
"Oh, yes, umm..." I quickly mumbled, worried that she would find what I'd just said to be either distasteful or otherwise repulsive. Paying no mind to this, Shimamura continued: 
"I came with my little sister. That's probably why. We parted ways once we got here, though." 
"I see..." 
So, it hadn't been someone of our age. That revelation alone allowed me to sigh in relief. Anyway, moving onto the second half of her statement, her sister had come as well? I wonder, was it okay for me to interpret the fact that the girl wasn't with her right now as Shimamura prioritizing me over her? 
Did I dare to do that? For some reason, simply thinking about it I could feel myself growing weirdly excited. 
There was definitely something, err, substantial about me topping a family member of hers. No, not substantial, but rather... Darn. My vocabulary wasn't wide enough to describe how I felt. 
As I was busy indulging in those thoughts, Shimamura turned over towards me as if she'd had an idea of some sort. She then grabbed my remaining hand. 
"Huh? What?" 
"What about this one? Does it feel different in terms of temperature?" 
"No?" 
Her hand felt like pure, undiluted Shimamura. 
"I see. Hmm, I wonder what it is then." 
Puzzled, she tilted her head. It seemed that she was finding this all at least somewhat amusing. Seriously, what was she talking about? 
"Anyway. I see that you're still sticking to your habit of coming early, Adachi." 
Always so strict with the time, she added, almost as if ridiculing me. I got the impression that she wasn't like that, strict with the time. 
"Still, coming early does have its own problems." 
"Huh?" 
I could see a grin form on Shimamura's face. 
"There is still some time left till the fireworks, Missy." 
"Oh... No, no. That's not really a problem." 
It just meant that I'd get to spend that much longer with her. 
Rather than give her a concrete answer, what I did instead was grasp Shimamura's hand. I could feel her arm move slowly from side to side. 
Walking together, we crossed a nearby bridge and found ourselves standing in an area full of food carts and different types of booths. Simply being part of the stream of people which surrounded us made me feel like I was going to choke. So, this was how it was, huh? Viewing the situation from inside one of the food stands had left me with the impression that there were way fewer people. The light of the lamps painted the scenery in their gleam, all the while being soft and reserved enough that I didn't find them annoying. 
"Has the place you work at put up a food stand again, Adachi?" 
"Yep. Oh, but it's fine. I don't have work today", I quickly explained, waving my hand from side to side. 
"I see", Shimamura nodded. I wasn't quite sure why she chose to shrug her shoulders, but she did. 
Now then, where should we head? I was just thinking about which one of the pathways lined with booths to take when all of a sudden, I heard a childish voice I was sure I'd heard before not all that far away. "This watermelon is yummy", the voice said. I turned to look, and just above the crowd, a glimmer of light distinctively different from that of the lamps could be seen. It was blue light. 
"L-Let's go this way." 
I ended up pointing at the exact opposite direction from the voice. 
"Sure, okay", Shimamura stated back, perfectly willing to go along with my suggestion. 
We'd not taken all that many steps when another, different voice I recognized from somewhere reached my ears. 
"Hey, hey. Have some takoyaki. Hey, hey." 
Before I knew it, my attention had been caught and I'd turned my eyes towards the speaker. 
"Ah." 
"Ah." 
It wasn't just my jaw that dropped; Shimamura's did as well. 
The person beckoning to us from inside the food stand was the same fortune-teller from that one time. Even there in the darkness illuminated only by the dim lamps, it was easy to tell just how red her cheeks were. Had Shimamura had her fortune read by her as well? Based on her reaction, I could only assume so. It was quite surprising to me that she'd be interested in such a thing; normally, she wasn't the type of person who liked telling others about the things that were bothering her. Wait, actually... There was that late night fortune-telling show she'd watched. Could it be, was she actually interested in this sort of stuff? Would this make for a good topic of conversation? 
"Oh my. Your 'friend' has changed her hairstyle, I see!" 
The woman sounded extremely excited in the way she spoke, which was kinda strange considering the calm and collected look on her face. Also, my "friend"? Why did she say it all weird like that? Moreover, which one of us was she even talking to? 
Shimamura appeared slightly confused by this herself. And yet, she did nod her head to the woman, all the while giving me a glance for some reason. 
I wonder, what was the reason behind the faint smirk that could be seen on her face? 
"Oh, is Kamon Tatsuo not popular with the current generation?" 
In any case, she waved her hand, signalling that we were done with that topic. 
"Now then, yes... I see... So, that's how it is, huh?" 
The woman looked at both Shimamura and I, her eyes sparkling in a way that hinted at something deeper. 
What was she talking about? That's how it was? What was? I spent a few moments thinking about it when all of a sudden, the realisation hit me. 
I grew so incredibly flustered as I made the connection between the woman's words and the matter we'd discussed earlier. 
So flustered that I even ended up letting go of Shimamura's hand momentarily. 
"Is she an acquaintance of yours, Adachi?" 
"I'm not sure if I'd go that far... What about you, Shimamura?" 
Despite my intention of pretending like I was calm, I couldn't help but notice how fast the last part of my sentence ended up coming out. My neck was starting to feel like it was on fire. 
"Hmm, I got involved with her during the previous festival." 
"Involved with her?" 
I quickly shifted my attention towards the woman. Looking at her, I got the impression that she wasn't the kind of person who thought twice before opening her mouth, and a part of me began to worry, what would happen if she were to blurt out everything we'd talked about? What if she told all that to Shimamura? Those worries were likely visible on my face as soon, the woman let out a hearty laugh aimed towards me. 
"Hahaha. Rest easy. We fortune-tellers have this thing called a duty of confidentiality." 
The comfort her words brought to me was short-lived; if that was the case, then why say anything? 
"Confidentiality? What?" 
Sure enough, Shimamura reacted just the way I thought she would. Saying that out loud is the opposite of what you're supposed to do! 
"Oh, yeah, umm... Ah. What a nice smell." 
Well aware of just how unnatural it sounded, I decided to go ahead and change the topic by force. With large, clumsy steps, I drew near the booth. I found it kinda strange that, despite being a fortune-teller, all she had here was food. Furthermore, this stuff was... 
"It doesn't really look like takoyaki", Shimamura stated, just as confused as I was. Like me, she too had taken a step forward towards the booth. Her assessment was also correct; what was being sold here was not takoyaki, but instead, taiyaki. The cakes appeared far more bumpy than usual, leaving me to assume that too much filling had been used when making them. 
"Are you sure you're not selling the wrong thing?" 
"No, no. Nothing like that. You see, these cakes are actually filled with octopus." 
"Huh?" 
Having said that, the woman picked up one of the cakes, bit a piece off, and showed us what was inside. 
She hadn't been kidding; inside the cake, you could definitely see octopus. The filling had really been stuffed in there, to the point where it looked like any second now, it might all spill out. This appeared to be the reason behind all of the cakes' strange, bulgy appearance. Honestly, it kinda killed my appetite looking at them again with this information. 
"I went a bit stingy with the octopus when making Good Luck Takoyaki, and as a result, ended up with loads of it left over. I figured I might as well use it here." 
The woman followed this confusing explanation by shrugging her shoulders. Unintentionally, I ended up glancing into Shimamura's direction. She'd had the same exact idea, and there, our eyes met. 
"So, what do you think of this innovation? I think it'll be a hit among the youth! Your kind are so easily tricked by appearances, you see." 
Shimamura paid no attention to the woman's little marketing spiel. What she did instead was take my hand. 
"Ah..." 
"Listen up, okay? You mustn't make eye contact with people like her." 
I ended up being dragged away from the booth by her. 
"Hey!" the woman yelled after us, prompting Shimamura to pick up the pace. 
Her feet might have been moving fast, but even they were no match for the intense beat of my heart. The fortune-teller's actions had—in an indirect way—caused Shimamura to grab my hand. Sure, we'd been holding hands for a while now, but this was different. 
She'd been the one to take initiative. Her. Not me. The process through which we'd gotten here was far more important than the outcome itself. 
"Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure she once said that she specialises in palm reading", Shimamura muttered as if she'd remembered something, all the while her eyes were pointing slightly upwards. "Have you ever had your palm read, Adachi?" 
Having said that, she shifted her attention towards me. A part of me wondered if I should maybe lie here, but since I didn't really want to do that, I decided simply to tell the truth instead. 
"I have. Once. Just once." 
I lifted my index finger as if to emphasize my point. In response, Shimamura tilted her head, almost as if asking if that really was something worth emphasizing. 
I might have screwed up there. 
"So, what did the person say? Something extreme?" 
"Extreme.. Hmm..." 
I went ahead and recalled the event. Honestly, it was really me who'd been yelling out loud. 
"No. It was the opposite, really." 
"Hmm? Opposite?" 
"At least have some regular takoyaki." 
"Whoa!" 
The woman had come after us. In her hand she was carrying a plate filled with takoyaki—the regular kind, just like she'd said. 
Shimamura once again broke into almost a sprint, leaving her unable to keep up with us. What was going on here? I just didn't get it. 
"These are round, I tell you. Round. Takoyaki, not taiyaki." 
"Okay, okay. I'll buy one." 
The way Shimamura spoke indicated that she just couldn't be bothered anymore. There was a clear hint of her telling the woman that once she got her money, she better leave us alone. 
"Thank you greatly." 
With those words, the woman turned around and returned to her booth. We'd only taken a few steps forward when I felt someone staring at me, prompting me to take a look over my shoulder. There, I saw the woman with her arms now raised high in the air. It was almost as if she was cheering for me. I dismissed this apparent sign of support by waving my hand at her and thus telling her not to get involved. As I did that, I could feel a wave of cold sweat travelling down my back; it really did seem like she saw right through me. Was I really that easily read? Easy... I ended up glancing at Shimamura's hand for some reason. 
"Anyway, like I was going to ask. What did the fortune-teller tell yo—" 
"Ah! C-Candy apples!" 
While this might well have been the most blatant way in the world to avoid having to answer her, it was the only one I had available to me. Grasping Shimamura's hand, I charged towards the candy apple booth. 
I had never actually eaten one before. The only thing I knew about them was their name. 
There were apparently multiple varieties of them, but as to what those were, I had no idea. Well, whatever. It wasn't like that even mattered. I went ahead and bought one. 
"It's just like your face", Shimamura commented, prompting me to make the following observation: my face had in fact grown pretty warm. No doubt was it bright red by this point—just like she'd said. Shimamura then took the apple from me, and contrary to my belief that this would at least buy me a few moments, switched back to the previous topic almost immediately: 
"Now then. What did the fortune-teller say?" 
"Okonomiyaki!" 
We can gloss over the exchange that ensued as it was pretty much identical to the previous one. I finished buying the okonomiyaki, and there, almost like she'd planned it, Shimamura let out a giggle. 
"Let's talk about the fortune-teller now." 
"Oh, umm... A water balloon! I want a water balloon!" 
Splash, splash. 
"Tell me, Adachi. What was your fortune like?" 
"Hmm..." 
Alright, alright. Even I could see what was going on here. I shifted my attention towards Shimamura and gave her a look tinged with just a hint of bitterness. 
"Are you messing around with me?" 
"Yep. It's fun." 
She followed this blunt statement with a grin. Hmm... I ended up deciding to let the matter go; as long as Shimamura was satisfied, the rest didn't really matter. 
I could see her bounce the water balloon I'd bought earlier on top of her hand. Had she perhaps taken a liking to it? 
Whatever the case, it was there that I made a crucial realisation; I'd bought way too much food to comfortably eat it while walking. 
"Is there anywhere we could sit?" 
Holding her own plate of takoyaki, Shimamura turned her head around and began looking. It went without saying, but at this point, I was no longer able to hold her hand. It was one of the reasons I needed to finish eating as soon as possible. 
"I'm pretty sure there's a park over there." 
Obviously, I already knew that; I'd made sure to scout this area in advance. Hmm, no, maybe that wasn't the best way to put it. It was more that I'd simply been restless and had found myself loitering around here a few days prior. 
"Really? Well, alright. Guide me there", Shimamura stated jokingly, and so, I ended up doing just that. 
I didn't want to say it out loud as I figured that she'd just end up laughing at me and calling me a child, but there was something about the fact that she was relying on me that made me really happy. Having no real relationships to speak of, it was quite rare for me to get a chance—for the lack of a better word—to show off. 
Maintaining a posture just a bit more upright than usual, I guided Shimamura to the nearby park. The place was quite a distance away from the bridge we'd crossed to get here, and the plentiful trees that surrounded it did much to block most of the light coming from the lamps of the festival area. Due to it being relatively far away, there were way fewer people here—or at least that's what you would've thought. In reality, even the park was crowded. 
The first bench we came across was in use, but it just so happened that as we approached it, the pair of people—a man and a woman—who'd been sitting on it got up and walked away. What luck. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I sat down, and shortly after, so did Shimamura. Little by little, the people all around us began making their way towards the side of the park which faced the river. I could only assume that this was a sign that the fireworks were going to be launched soon. 
Again, it was difficult to tell from so far away—and because it was quite dark with the trees blocking most of the light—but there really were a lot of people here. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that they probably even outnumbered the cicadas living in the nearby forest. You could even see a few groups of girls standing around. I wonder, why was it that seeing them caused me to feel so oddly relaxed? 
"Which one do you wanna eat first?" 
Shimamura's eyes bounced between the candy apple and the plate of takoyaki. 
"The takoyaki sounds good, I think." 
It was the one I'd eaten before, and in my mind, that made it the sensible first choice. I grabbed the plate, picked up one of the pieces with a toothpick through it, and brought it to my mouth. Though it hadn't been listed anywhere, these appeared to be covered in soy sauce. 
The piece of takoyaki was way too hot to eat in its entirety, and as a result, I was mostly left to nibble its surface. A few bites in, I noticed that something was off. 
"Hmm?" 
I took a closer look at the takoyaki I was eating. Particularly at its inner section. 
"What is it?" 
"There's no octopus inside." 
There was onion, yes, but as for octopus, that was nowhere to be seen. 
"Really? That's weird. I thought she specifically said she had octopus left over", Shimamura stated out loud, clearly puzzled. However, it only took a moment for her face to twist into a wry smile: "Oh, wait. I think I get it now..." 
"Huh?" 
"She probably used way too much of the leftover octopus on the taiyaki, and so when it came time to make the next batch of takoyaki, she no longer had any remaining. Probably. That's my theory, at least." 
"Ahaha..." I laughed weakly, not even moving my face. Was this the sort of joke where you needed to laugh? I guess so. 
Despite everything it lacked, as far as taste went, it being a bit dry was honestly my only complaint about the takoyaki. I was about halfway done eating it when Shimamura presented me with the candy apple. Something thick, almost like honey dripped down along its surface. I took the treat from her hands, and in return, gave her what remained of my plate of takoyaki. 
Staring at the apple, I found myself momentarily overwhelmed by its redness. 
"Wow. Candy apples really are... apples." 
"What are you even talking about, Adachi?" 
It was true. Anyway, I next shifted my focus on the part that Shimamura had taken a bite out of. She'd placed her mouth against the apple, and just like that, had bitten in. And now I was going to do the same. Bite the apple she'd bitten. I realise it was quite late to be worrying about this stuff considering all the drinks we'd shared in the past and what have you, but honestly, it just hadn't ever crossed my mind before. In any case, nothing weird was going on. This was perfectly normal. Trying my hardest to convince myself of that, I slowly brought the apple close to my mouth and sunk my teeth in it. The taste that was unleashed was both bitter and sweet all at the same time. 
We had already split and eaten the okonomiyaki earlier—with my portion having end up being just a tiny bit larger—and by this point, I could no longer feel it moving around in my stomach. A lot more people had also shown up since then, and as I looked around, it almost felt like I was viewing an over-ripe fruit on the verge of exploding. 
Just a bit more, and the fireworks would be launched. 
"Are you having fun, Adachi?" Shimamura asked me, all the while playing with the water balloon I'd purchased earlier. 
"Yep." 
"Well, that's good then." 
A wide grin appeared on her face as she said that. She looked so relaxed, so innocent. Just staring at her I could feel my heart shaking all around. 
"What about you, Shimamura?" I asked her back, only to get a response almost immediately: 
"Yep. It's fun." 
Just look, she added in the form of bouncing the water balloon up and down. As long as she had that balloon, nothing else mattered to her? While almost certainly not the case, for some reason, I found myself wondering about that for a second. Regardless, seeing that she was enjoying herself really helped me relax. Those feelings were very much welcomed considering that what I was about to do next was anything but relaxing. 
Should I do it? Should I ask her? I really didn't know. There was a part of me that was scared senseless. Regardless, the temptation was too much to resist, and with my eyes cast towards the ground, I ended up blurting out the following words: 
"M-More fun than the last time?" 
Did she find coming here with me to be an upgrade over when she'd come with the other girl? 
The water balloon acted as my one thread of hope. Soon enough, a pleasant smile formed on Shimamura's face. 
"Perhaps." 
She then reached for my head and gave me a pat, almost as if comforting me. I understand that it was exactly her intention, but even so, her reply didn't really answer my question. I was left feeling just as anxious as I'd been originally. 
Of course, it wasn't like I wanted to keep pressuring her. The last time I had done that I'd ended up in tears. Instead, what I chose to do was stand up. 
My head was going to explode if I didn't move away from her for a moment and cool myself down. 
"I'll go throw the trash into the bin." 
"My, how sensible. Please do." 
Leaving Shimamura to sit on the bench, I trotted over to a trash bin that could be seen just a bit off in the distance. The bin was surrounded by random bits of trash, likely thrown there by someone with a bad aim. That, or by someone who just didn't care. I did initially consider simply looking the other way—it was hardly my duty to clean up after others—but the more I thought about it, the more I realised that just didn't sit right with me. I found myself picking the pieces up and throwing them into the bin. Why did I do that? Well, while I didn't believe in the existence of a god or any such entity, there was a part of me that felt that by doing bad deeds you would never get what you wanted. That was to say, my motives were ultimately selfish. 
By the time I finished cleaning up the trash, I'd managed to calm myself down—at least a little bit. If nothing else, my face no longer looked like steam was about to shoot out from my ears. I turned around to look in the direction of the bench, and there, my eyes came across Shimamura, bouncing the water balloon up and down with a smile on her face. 
Looking at her again from slightly farther away, there was something that I realised. 
She hadn't been wearing a yukata during the previous festival. 
Could it be? Could it really be? Had she worn it for my sake? 
I knew it was pure hubris to assume that to be the case. I knew it. And yet, at the same time, what if? 
"What's wrong? Why did you stiffen up?" Shimamura asked, her head titled slightly to the side. 
Ah, I gasped silently deep within my throat, almost like I'd practised doing so. Then, having swallowed that gasp, I stated the following: 
"It's just... You're so pretty, Shimamura." 
"...Thanks." 
I honestly felt like I'd managed to get those words out quite naturally. Wow. Go me. I could feel a wave of blood gushing through the veins in my neck. 
Shimamura responded by grinning and slamming her fist against her palm—just like she'd done earlier. 
"You're pretty too, Adachi." 
"Th-Thank you." 
It was the second time today she'd said something like that to me, and because of that, the emotional response her words invoked was just a tiny bit weaker. Was this what they meant by having too much of a good thing? 
Well, whatever. At least there was some lead-in. 
"Ah, look! A firework!" 
All of a sudden, Shimamura leapt up from the bench and pointed her finger towards the sky. I looked up, and right in the next instant, the world around me was swallowed by light. 
The red sparkles came together to draw a picture of a flower in full bloom. 
It was as if they were carving it into the canvas that was the night sky. 
Having only ever heard fireworks from far away, I was caught a little off-guard by just how intense the sound of them going off actually was. 
"Wow..." Shimamura gasped. A few moments passed before the next firework was launched, once again accompanied by the voices of the people around us. 
"Cardinal red, then dark crimson. Next up, burnt sienna!" Shimamura stated cheerfully as one firework after another shot up and painted the sky in a reddish tone just barely different from the previous one. I didn't really get it, but it seemed like she was listing off the individual colours. How did she know them? Beats me. We ended up taking a few more steps towards the main crowd while this was happening, almost as if to get closer to the fireworks. I personally wasn't really looking at them. No, something else had caught my eyes, that being Shimamura's face now illuminated by their glow. 
There was something dreamlike about the colours of the fireworks, and that something now caused her to appear immensely beautiful, almost transient. 
My skin, my organs, my tears. All the fleshy bits that formed me felt completely ecstatic. 
A wave of the purest of emotions gushed through me, leaving my mind and body alike to shiver. 
I had no idea how to fight back, how to stop this. Not just that, the voice inside me was urging me to do it. 
Urging me to be honest to myself, like a baby crying. 
With the flight of the objects shining above me acting as my motivator, I went ahead and straightened my shoulders. 
Like the fireworks, my feelings too soared through the sky. 

"I 
love 
you!" 

I love you. Those were the words I heard. 
Adachi's feelings had been released alongside the fireworks, and having taken the form of sparks, were left to fall upon me. 
I turned to look at her over my shoulder, leaving the fireworks behind me as I did so. 
She stood there, frozen in place with her mouth wide open, the light of the fireworks painting her face bright. Was she perhaps waiting for a reply? To give her one, I first needed to dissect her sentence. It couldn't be that I'd misheard her and she was actually saying that she loved the fireworks, right? No, that didn't sound right. I'd definitely heard her right the first time. What she was saying was that she loved... 
Me. 
Hmm, yes. This was quite the difficult situation I found myself in. 
"Well, umm, thanks." 
That was the first thing that came to my mind. Realistically, what else could I say? 
Whereas Adachi had been practically yelling, the volume of my reply was closer to that of an insect flapping its wings. Even so, judging by the way her face changed colour soon after, it appeared that she'd been able to hear me regardless. Just like the fireworks continued to transform into different shapes above us, she too seemed to have come back to her senses. 
"Whoa. What a face." 
Never before had I seen a Green Adachi. Nor an Orange Adachi for that matter. They must have been some super rare subspecies. Wanting to take a closer look, I began leaning forward towards her, only for Adachi to take an instinctive step backwards. With her expression muddled and the muscles in her face jiggling all around like a piece of pudding, she followed that step with a few more before turning around and breaking into a sprint. That was to say, she was running away from me. 
"Ah, hey. Where are you—" 
Going. Had something like this happened before? I definitely felt like it had. There was that one time she'd run off when she was visiting our place, and also numerous others. It's not good to be running in a crowd, I wanted to say to her, although then again, the speed at which she was going at was a bit too high for that to be the appropriate reaction. 
I watched as Adachi sprinted into the exact opposite direction of the festival area, her goal apparently being to disappear into the night. Time continued to flow no matter how much I urged it to stop, and so, my words ended up never reaching her. I was left with no choice but to run after her. 
The sounds of the fireworks going off grew distant. 
We'd run all the way to the hotel we passed earlier when Adachi finally came to a stop. She then slouched down. It didn't seem like she'd tripped and stumbled, but rather, like she'd simply run out of stamina. Panting heavily and with the gaps between my toes hurting from the traditional sandals I still wasn't quite used to wearing, I rushed over to where she lay. I circled around her, only to see her staring up at me with her face as red as an apple. This was Red Adachi, one of the more common varieties. I held my hand out to her, expressing that her yukata was going to get dirty if she stayed like that. 
Nervously, Adachi grabbed my hand, letting me pull her back on her feet. She'd just gotten up when Blue Adachi began making her appearance. That was to say, the tinge of her face was starting to resemble that of the ocean—a sight not often seen around this town. 
"Let's just calm down, alright?" I stated, all the while placing my hand firmly on her shoulder. Maintaining that position, we walked over to the corner of the hotel, with Adachi moving like a crab. The fact that everyone was busy viewing the fireworks display meant that there was no one else here. However, the two of us, we were way past fireworks. 
"Have you calmed down yet?" 
A part of me felt like that was too much to ask from her given her current condition. 
"Mnhn", she replied. What exactly was she trying to say? I didn't really know; her jaw was shaking way too much for me to make sense of her. Whatever the case, it seemed like she had at least recovered enough to be able to respond. 
It also seemed like any second now, the Adachi Bomb might end up catching fire again and blow up in a way that even the fireworks couldn't match. 
"You shouldn't run around like that. It's dangerous. Not only is there a chance of you bumping into someone, you might even get run over by a car." 
First things first, I figured that I should give her a warning. I'd definitely felt pretty uneasy and prayed that she wouldn't get in an accident while I was chasing after her. 
"Sorry", Adachi replied. Her head was hung, almost as if someone had smacked it. 
More than an older sister, it really felt like I'd assumed the role of her mother here. 
"Right. Anyway, did you have something that you wanted to, err, say to me?" 
I found it a little difficult forcing those words out. As for Adachi, well, she was left staring at me with her mouth wide open, desperately trying to form sounds. 
"A... Ai..." 
"Aisle?" 
Firmly, she shook her head from side to side. It appeared that "aisle" wasn't correct. Well, not that there were any aisles nearby. 
I had to say, even my pulse was starting to pick up pace here. Just a little bit. I felt, hmm, how to put it... Flustered? Bewildered? Something like that. 
Whatever the case, one thing was true: I'd never experienced anything like this before. 
"I lo... la..." 
Adachi once again tried to speak, only for her to immediately fumble. Tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. It seemed that she'd bit her tongue at some point. 
I was just about to ask her if she was okay when all of a sudden, she yelled out the following, almost as if repelling me: 
"I love you!" 
Those words weren't the only thing that left her mouth; there, under the light of the fireworks, I could see droplets of blood from her tongue soar through the air. 
Here I was, being confessed to by someone from my own class while they spat blood at me. Not in my wildest dreams had I expected to find myself in this sort of a situation. 
I'd never had anyone confess to me in the first place. That alone would've made this a shocking experience, never mind the blood. 
Combine it with the scenery of the summer festival and the warm light that spread all around us, and you can perhaps see why I was starting to feel a bit dizzy myself. It was a strange situation to say the least. 
"I see." 
Roger that, I nodded my head. 
That's all? you could hear Adachi ask. Well, maybe "hear" wasn't the right word; it was really the colour of her face changing that did the talking for her. 
"Give me a second. I'm thinking." 
This had all happened way too fast for my emotions to keep up. Crossing my arms, I decided that I'd take some time to think the whole thing through starting from the very beginning. And yet, only a few moments later, I'd already lost my focus; there was something about the way Adachi was bouncing up and down in front of me that made it impossible for me to concentrate on anything else. It was almost like she was a car engine that'd been left on idle. Why exactly was she reacting this way? It was questions like those that made it so hard for me to focus. 
"Hmm... Well then, Adachi. If you love me like you say you do, then what might you be hoping for from me?" 
In a strange way, seeing her act all hectic had a calming effect on me. It was as if my levels of nervousness were inversely proportional to hers. 
Adachi's body jolted. Then, after a few moments, she went ahead and expressed her hopes and wishes with her head hung: 
"I want you to be with me." 
"I'm right here." 
"I want you to think about me." 
"I am thinking about you." 
It was here that Adachi lifted her head. She did so at great speed, shaking off the hair that had previously covered her eyes. 
Said eyes were both blurry and flickery, just like the midday sun. 
"I want you to look only at me." 
"Hmm..." 

So, ultimately, that was what it came down to, huh? Just her. Just her... 
To summarize, what she was saying was... 
"You're asking me to go out with you?" 
Adachi's shoulders jolted in response. Droplets of sweat could be seen appearing along her hairline. 
I personally found the night to be a bit on the cold side, but I suppose that being as excited as she was changed things. 
Just like that, Adachi fell completely motionless. She wasn't even blinking anymore. If I had to guess, I'd say that she was likely trying to decide whether my interpretation was one she wanted to go with. Hmm... I decided to give her some more time. A few moments passed, after which—having apparently reached a conclusion of some kind—Adachi nodded her head lightly. 
I love you. Please go out with me. 
The journey to get here had been one filled with chases and spilled blood, but when you actually sat down to write what had happened, those two short sentences were all that you were left with. 
Still, what exactly did she mean by that, by us going out? 
We were both girls, Adachi and I. Normally, that would be strange. Abnormal. From the point of view of a regular person, it was definitely weird. Sure, Adachi might not have cared what others thought, but what about me? Did I care? 
Would I be able to hold her hand even if that meant becoming the target of the cruel words and cold stares of those around us? 
Hmm... If I loved Adachi, if I truly loved her from the bottom of my heart, then I think I would be. 
"......" 
Couples were primarily formed by men and women—boys and girls. Then again, the reason why that was the case had to do with making children, and as far as I was concerned, well, that topic was years away from being relevant to me. Instead, people of our age fell in love and did what they did for wholly different reasons. 
It wasn't a problem of weighing the positives against the negatives. 
That wasn't at all what going out with someone was about. 
Personally, I loved Gon. I really did. At no point had I ever hoped to receive anything from him. No, it was his fur, his innocence, the way he behaved and acted in all situations that I'd found to be absolutely lovable. 
Falling in love with someone was an abrupt process. It just... happened. 
There was no room for calculations, for give and take. 
I was sure that Adachi felt that way too. 
No way could I bring myself to simply turn her down. 
Hmm... If we were to go out, what would that entail? We'd hold hands, go on dates, and... Huh? 
Was that really different from what we were already doing? 
"No..." 
It wasn't different. 
Things would continue mostly the same. Thinking about it that way, it didn't seem all that bad. Not bad at all. 
The incomprehensible situation I'd not been able to make sense of now felt like it was under my control. 
"It's kinda strange, huh?" Adachi added while staring up at me shyly, almost as if afraid of being yelled at. I got the sense that my lack of reaction was causing her to grow nervous. 
The way her droopy braids swung from side to side honestly made her look kinda, hmm, cute. 
"Yep." 
"Weird, even." 
"Yep." 
"Do you... dislike that?" 
For a moment, I found myself wondering how to respond. What exactly was she asking me here? Did I dislike what? 
The world? How society worked? Or perhaps... 
"No." 
Instantly, a wave of sorrow swooped across Adachi's face. It was as if her flesh had come separated from her bones. 
What followed Orange Adachi was Blue Adachi. While certainly pretty in its own way, it was hardly a good note to end on. 
"Oh, no. Not like that." 
It wasn't her who I was saying no to. I mean, yes, I had said no to her, but I meant it differently. 
All this constant thinking was starting to annoy me, and so, instead, I brought my hand to her and touched her. 
I stared at her. 
I thought about her. 
There was nothing about that I disliked. Nothing. 
The distress on Adachi's face faded away, and with it, I shifted my gaze towards the night sky. 
The sky above was dark and without a single crack. Not even the light of the fireworks would allow you to see what lay beyond it. Only time itself, the days to come knew that. 
This whole thing would almost certainly end up being far more difficult than I'd thought. No doubt would I end up having trouble even breathing trying to make sense of it all. But, those were problems for the future me. 
The me of today was left free to make the following decision: 
"Sure, why not." 
A firework went off right as I said those words, leaving me to wonder if Adachi had heard me. Regardless. 
And so, it happened. I ended up deciding to see what it would be like to go out with Adachi.