Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 2 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Wish

“Too hot...” Tatsuya moaned. He was languidly slumped over his desk.

“You okay?” Hoshimiya asked as she fanned him with her notebook.

“Well, it’s definitely summer,” Nanase said while gazing outside the window.

I looked out at the sky too. The heat waves exuding from the sun were visible to the eye. Amazing. The weather was beautiful, but I had a feeling that if we didn’t get air conditioning soon, we’d turn into barbecue. We were sweating bullets just sitting in our classroom.

Today was already July first. But despite that fact, we still didn’t have permission to turn on the air conditioner.

“Apparently it’s over thirty degrees Celsius today,” Reita informed us.

“Seriously? How the hell are we supposed to get through this without turning on the AC?!” I replied, trembling in fear.

Right then, Uta opened the door to our classroom and romped in. Once inside, voice full of energy, she announced, “Guys! They said we could turn on the AC!”

“Yes! Finally!”

“I thought I was going to die...”

“Why didn’t they just let us turn it on in the first place? Are they trying to kill us?!”

“This school’s definitely slow at making decisions.”

Various cheers and complaints filled the room, all of which I could agree with. Looks like we’ll be living to see another day, for now.

Uta had gone to negotiate with the teachers directly. She walked back to our group and puffed up proudly. “Mwa ha ha! Aren’t I the hero right now?!” A lovely smile like a flower in full bloom formed on her lips.

It made my heart race. I turned away from her, trying to conceal my palpitations. After we’d resolved the trouble plaguing the girls’ basketball team, Uta’s cheerful vivacity had returned.

I feel like earlier in our friendship, seeing her smile would’ve given me peace of mind, but nowadays I find myself...enraptured by it. And here I thought I was well aware of her cuteness from the get-go! She’s super adorable lately.

“Hmm? Natsu? What’s wrong?” Uta peered at my face and tilted her head cutely to the side.

“Nothing’s wrong. Thanks, Uta,” I replied after a moment.

“Yooou’re welcome!” Her lips melted into another bright smile, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

That was an expression Uta showed only to me. Not gonna lie...but I’m charmed. Something inside my heart is changing. Ever since we solved the problem with the girls’ basketball team, it feels like Uta and I have gotten closer. She makes suggestive remarks all the time, and she doesn’t even try to hide her crush. Even someone as thickheaded as I am can tell she’s into me! I’m still not used to girls, so please cut me some slack!

“Oh, looks like the teachers finally turned the AC on,” Reita remarked.

“It feels so nice! I’m never leaving this spot ever again!” Hoshimiya exclaimed.

“Hikari. You’ll get sick if you stay there. Don’t let the AC hit you directly with cold air,” Nanase chided her.

“Ah ha ha! Looks like things are getting lively!” Uta yelled energetically.

“I-I’m alive again...” Tatsuya moaned.

Now that the air conditioner was on, a cool breeze blew through our classroom that had been hot as hell moments ago.

Tatsuya, who’d been withering away, slowly sat up. “I think I can get through the afternoon classes now.”

“But we won’t have AC going during practice, remember?” Uta piped up.

“Ugh, don’t remind me! I’m gonna get depressed.”

I watched the two of them banter. Nanase, who was next to me, murmured, “Oh, yeah, it’s almost Tanabata.”

I looked over to the bulletin board that she was staring at. Posted there was a flyer advertising Maebashi’s celebrations for Tanabata, also known as the Star Festival. Featured on the page was a picture of a small bamboo plant decorated with colorful strips of paper that had wishes written on them. A schedule was included underneath.

The festival would be open from 10 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and last four days, from Thursday, July fifth, until Sunday the eighth. Downtown Maebashi would be blocked off, and traffic would be regulated. There would also be various stalls with games, food, and more. Maebashi’s Tanabata festival was one of the bigger ones in the North Kanto region.

Uta noticed the flyer that Nanase had been reading, and her energy shot up even more. “Oh, you’re right! Yay! It’s festival time!”

“Festivals seem right up your alley, Uta,” I commented.

“Yeah! I love their atmosphere!”

Of course. Uta at a festival? Sounds like that’d give her an energy boost.

“Well, her parents own a store that runs during the festival,” Reita explained.

“What? Really?” I asked, surprised.

She nodded. “Yeah! They run an okonomiyaki shop!”

This is the first I’ve heard about that, but it does fit her image.

“Our okonomiyaki is really tasty, you know! You’d better come try some, okay? Sometimes I even help out!” She whipped out her phone and showed me the store’s location on a map.

“Good idea. Why don’t we all go next time?” Reita proposed, trying to pull her back on topic.

“I’m down! I absolutely love okonomiyaki!” Hoshimiya accepted immediately. The rest of us nodded in agreement.

“Oh, right! We’re going to open a stall during the festival!” Uta exclaimed.

“Really? I’ll have to drop by,” I said.

“Thanks for your business!” she replied as if she were a shop clerk.

Tanabata festival, huh? I definitely can’t miss that for my Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan. I mean, it sounds like it’ll be full of youthful energy! Don’t festivals just scream “youth”? That was the only reason I wanted to go. Youth energy was a very important factor.

By the way, the last time I went to a festival was when I was in middle school. I’d gone alone but quickly lost the will to persist after being thrown around by the crowd, so I promptly returned home. Got a problem with it?

In the past, I was so jealous of the guys who were on dates with girls in yukata that I almost went bald with rage. But that’ll be me this time. I’ll invite Hoshimiya to the festival, and we’ll dress up in yukata for a fun date!

While I was feeling giddy by myself, Nanase spoke up. “Festivals really aren’t my thing... They’re too crowded.”

“Yeah, I’m in the same boat as Nanase-san,” Reita said in agreement. “I don’t mind ordinary crowds, but festival crowds are suffocating. I’m sick of them.”

They both nodded together. Yeah, I feel that. It doesn’t look like Reita and Nanase want to go, but I wonder how Hoshimiya feels. I won’t force the subject if she doesn’t like them, I thought and looked over to her.

My eyes met hers, and after a moment she asked, “Natsuki-kun, are you planning on going to the Tanabata festival?”

How could I let her beat me to the punch? I’m so slow, I admonished myself internally. “I want to go, but I don’t have any plans yet,” I replied innocuously.

She looked sad as she spoke her next words. “I want to go too, but my family has plans this weekend.”

“Oh, that’s too bad...” On the inside, I was drooping forlornly, but I acted normal on the outside.

I see... So I can’t go to the Tanabata festival with Hoshimiya... No, wait. Even if she didn’t have family plans, who knows if she would’ve gone with me. If I’d asked her to come with me alone, she still might have turned me down. When I invited her to the movies, it sounded like she wanted to avoid being alone with me too. Though, I hope that I’m just reading into it too deeply... All things considered, it might be too early for me to ask her out on a date, anyway. It’s probably a good thing I realized all this before she could turn me down. No need to rush—our relationship will progress over time.

“So, where are you going with your family?” I asked.

“Kanagawa. We’re visiting my mom’s family.”

“Wow, Kanagawa, huh? That’s pretty urban.”

She laughed. “They live in western Kanagawa, so I’ll be in the countryside.”

It’s still gotta be better than Gunma, though... I mean, come on! We’ve even been called “the realm of ghosts” before.

“I want to do some shopping in Yokohama too. I’m sad I can’t go to the festival, but I’m excited for my trip. Oh, I’ll buy you a souvenir, Natsuki-kun!”

“Whoa, really?” Not everyone? Just...me, Natsuki-kun? Ohooo... Oh, man, I think I’m gonna start grinning like a moron! 

While Hoshimiya and I were chatting, Uta and Tatsuya talked next to us.

“Uta, are you going to the festival?” he asked.

“I have to help out with our food stall, so of course I’m going!” she replied.

“I see. I have practice on those days, so I can only show up after we’re done.”

“Me too. I’m going to be tight on time Friday, but I think I’ll have more time Saturday or Sunday after practice!”

I was curious as to where their conversation was heading. It felt as if both of them were carefully feeling each other out. And it looked to me like Tatsuya was waiting for the right moment to invite Uta to the festival.

On the same day Tatsuya and I had gotten into an argument, he’d told Uta, “I won’t give up.” She knew how he felt about her but had given him no further response after her first rejection.

“Saturday or Sunday, huh?”

“Yeah... I think?”

Uta loved festivals, but she didn’t ask Tatsuya to go with her. At this point in time, even if Tatsuya mustered up the courage to invite her, her answer seemed obvious. He got up from his seat, perhaps because he’d noticed how conflicted Uta looked.

“I’m going to the bathroom. Let’s go, Natsuki.”

“Huh? Uh, I don’t really need to go though,” I answered.

“C’mon, just go with me.”

“What, do you love going to the bathroom with me or something?” I complained. Tatsuya ignored my remarks and forced me to go with him by slinging his arm around my shoulder and pulling me along. I guess this is fine. When he’s like this, he’s probably got something important he wants to talk about. 

We left the classroom and walked down the hall towards the boys’ bathroom. Tatsuya opened up once he’d determined we were far enough away. “Natsuki, you better not reject her because of me.”

“Are you talking about the festival?”

He nodded, clearly working under the assumption Uta would invite me. Perhaps he’d already sensed what was going through her head after seeing her reactions.

After a beat, I said, “She might not invite me either.”

“Yeah, well, don’t feel too bad if that happens. I don’t know if she’ll be brave enough to, but...” He hesitated for a moment. I glanced over at Tatsuya. His expression was grim. “If you turned her down because of me...I’d feel bad for Uta.”

His tone was earnest, and I didn’t know what to say in return. I dunno... But even if Uta invites me to the festival and I go with her, I’d think about Tatsuya constantly in the back of my mind. He’s already boldly declared he’s in love with her. I can’t just ignore who my friend likes... All the more so now that I’m a little bit attracted to Uta.

“Anyway, I’m telling you not to worry about what I said before,” Tatsuya told me.

The reason he had distanced himself from us weeks ago was because he’d been jealous of me. Now he was apparently trying to reassure me that I didn’t need to worry any longer about his feelings from back then.

Wow, this guy can actually be attentive and considerate. I think my heart might just skip a beat! Maybe.

“Also, you’re the reason why Uta’s been back to her old upbeat self, right?” Tatsuya asked. His tone sounded less like a question and more like he was just seeking confirmation, but he was wrong either way.

“I just lent her a hand. That’s all,” I said in denial.

“I doubt that’s true, but I couldn’t even do that much.” He looked frustrated.

I’m sure you were searching for a way that you could help, though, I thought. “I could only help because I’m friends with Miori who was heavily involved with the issue. If I weren’t friends with her, I couldn’t have done anything. Plus, Miori and Uta did pretty much everything on their own in the end.”

Tatsuya didn’t say anything in response. We walked the rest of the way to the bathroom in silence and then turned back the way we came. He halted right before we reached our classroom.

“Even if what you told me is true, that doesn’t change what I wanted to say,” he said. The door to our classroom was open, and we could see Uta and Hoshimiya laughing together by the window.

“She’s finally happy again. I don’t want to see her sad for a while,” Tatsuya murmured as he watched Uta. He put his hand on my shoulder. “Well, the rest is up to how you feel about her,” he said and then entered our classroom ahead of me.

I couldn’t move from that spot. Tatsuya probably meant every word he just said. He cares more about Uta’s feelings than his own; he’s a great guy. But is he really okay with that? Isn’t he just forcing himself? An indescribable feeling of unease rumbled through my mind.

When I had gone to see the movie with Hoshimiya, Miori, and Reita, I’d wondered, Can ideal friendships and romance coexist? And I’d just recently witnessed how jealousy could be a devastating blow for ruining relationships and causing all sorts of trouble.

If I’m forced to prioritize one or the other...then I’ll likely choose friendship over romance. I’m happy enough with my high school life as it is right now. Yes, I want a girlfriend, and I’m in love with Hoshimiya. And I can’t deny that I feel attracted to Uta, but I don’t want to put love first and destroy my friendships. 

Besides, I think about having a girlfriend and all that, but I don’t have any real-life experience. I’d rather protect what I already have than try my hand at something I know nothing about. But will I ever regret it if I choose to maintain the status quo instead? I already asked god, if they could grant me one wish, to please give me a chance to redo my youth. I’m here right now because that wish was granted. Regrets from my high school days will never go away, and I don’t want to have any hanging over me this time. I want to live the rainbow-colored youth I’ve always dreamed of... Just what should I do so I don’t have any regrets? 

I couldn’t come up with an answer alone, and it wasn’t a topic I could discuss with Tatsuya. I want to see Miori, I thought wholeheartedly.

***

That day after school, once everyone left for their club activities, I sent Miori a RINE message.

Natsuki: Are you free after practice?

Miori: I’ve been attending individual training these days so I’m pretty busy

Her reply was blunt, perhaps because she’d sensed that I wanted to ask for advice.

Natsuki: Ah well, next time

She read it as soon as I sent it, and then a stream of texts followed.

Miori: Fiiine, can’t be helped

Miori: Slip out tonight and meet me at the park near my place

Miori: I’ll lend you an ear

Though I’d already told her we could talk some other time, she sent me an okay anyway. That’s Miori for you! Of course, I’m grateful for her help. I sent her a sticker to indicate I agreed with the terms. She’s probably referring to that park where I ran into her on the morning of our entrance ceremony while she was walking her dog.

“All right,” I muttered aloud.

Time to head to work. Nanase isn’t on shift today, so it’ll just be me and the manager. I’m on the clock until eight, but I probably won’t meet up with Miori until at least after nine... My parents won’t mind if I stay out late, but Miori’s will probably worry. Such thoughts floated through my mind as I looked at my phone. Suddenly, I felt the warmth of someone’s touch against my neck. With a start, I turned to see Uta up in my face, close enough that our noses were almost touching.

“Ah ha ha! Did I getcha?” she asked happily.

“Yeah you did,” I replied. “Don’t surprise me like that.”

“Sorry, sorry! I can’t help it, Natsu. Your reactions are hilarious!” She took a step back as she continued giggling.

“Didn’t you go to practice already?” I questioned.

She responded after a split second. “I’m going soon! But before I went...I wanted to ask you something first.”

Something she wants to ask me? I’ve got an idea of what that could be. My earlier conversation with Tatsuya came to mind. “What’s up?” I asked, pretending not to know. She’s probably trying to feel out how much I’ve guessed already.

“Erm...” Uta was acting uncharacteristically nervous, fidgeting around a lot as she fumbled for words. “Well, um, do you want to go to the Tanabata festival with me?”

She’d purposefully chosen a time when the others wouldn’t be around to ask me, and though I understood what that meant, I felt the need to clarify. “Me...and you? Just the two of us?”

“Yeah. Just the two of us... I thought it’d be nice for us to go alone together,” she said to clearly state her intentions. She looked shy but maintained eye contact with me.

I couldn’t avert my eyes from her straightforward gaze, but I was unsure how to reply. Silence fell over the room; the only noise to be heard was the buzzing of cicadas outside.

The sun was still out, but it was gradually turning a deep crimson as it sank in the sky. The afterglow of the sunset illuminated Uta’s profile. Her short hair fluttered around in the tepid summer breeze, and then she fixed it with her fingers.

I can’t give her an answer the way I am right now. This is what I wanted to discuss with Miori. But my mouth moved on its own, abandoning my judgment for instinct. “Sure,” I spontaneously agreed.

Uta looked like my acceptance came as a surprise. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she hesitantly asked, “Really? You’ll come?”

My mind was made up so I nodded. That smile as radiant as a lovely flower again bloomed across Uta’s face. It was a look that I was very fond of. Then, realizing how obvious her reaction was, she hurriedly covered her face with her hands and turned away from me. But even with her back facing me, I could still tell that her ears had become bright red.

“O-Okay then! I’ll send you the details later, okay? S-See ya!” she stammered and then whooshed out of the room at top speed.

After she left, I flopped over on my desk in the empty classroom. I didn’t need to check a mirror to know that my face was as red as Uta’s had been. Why else would my cheeks feel like they were on fire?

“Her destructive force is too powerful...” I murmured.

In that moment, declining her invitation hadn’t even felt like an option.

***

After work, I took a bath and then headed to the park. I was dressed casually in a white T-shirt and shorts. They were nothing fancy, but I was just seeing Miori, so I figured they’d suffice. The sun had set already, so the stifling heat had dissipated. I didn’t mind summer nights since I could comfortably go out in whatever clothes I happened to have lying around. I leisurely strolled down the street and reached the park before long.

When I arrived, Miori was already waiting on a bench, idly kicking her feet back and forth as she gazed up at the sky. Like me, she was dressed casually. I walked up to her and she smiled, noticing my presence.

“Oh, you’re wearing glasses! Haven’t seen that in a hot sec,” she said.

“I removed my contacts because I took a bath.” I brought my hand up almost defensively and touched the sturdy rim. I lifted the black frames off my nose, instantly blurring the world around me.

I had terrible vision; it was so terrible that I would’ve had trouble going about my daily life without any aid. Miori snatched the glasses out of my hands and put them on.

“Whoa, these are really strong! You can’t see a thing without ’em, huh?”

Man, Miori gives off a different vibe with glasses. She looks like a diligent pupil who’d be on the student council...is what I would say, but my vision is so fuzzy that I can’t see a darn thing!

Once Miori had her fill of messing around with my glasses, she put them back on my face. Hey, too close, I say! She leaned in until she was at point-blank range and peered at my bespectacled face.

“Mm-hmm. You don’t look too shabby even when you’re wearing glasses. You kinda look like a cool scientist.”

“You think so? I thought I looked like an otaku, so I switched to contacts.”

“Maybe contacts are best day-to-day, but I think you’d look good if you wore glasses every once in a while! It’s a different vibe compared to your normal appearance—people’ll eat that gap right up. And you’ll come off as an intellectual! Take it with a grain of salt, though; I’m used to seeing you in glasses, after all.”

I nonchalantly hummed as I listened and took a seat next to her.

“It doesn’t sound like you’re very interested in my wonderful analysis.” Miori shot me the stink eye.

Well, sorry. I’ve got a more important topic to discuss.

“Sheesh... Okay, so? What’d you want to talk about?” Her voice and expression were gentle, but she was way too close.

Is it just me, or has Miori been acting nicer ever since her basketball troubles were resolved? I didn’t do much, but I guess she might feel like she owes me. It should be a positive thing to be on Miori’s good side, but it’s somehow unnerving instead!

“It’s about Uta...” I recounted what Tatsuya had told me, all about Uta’s invitation, my thoughts on the ideal balance between friendship and romance, how I didn’t want to regret my youth, and so on and so forth. I told her everything I’d felt throughout the day. I still couldn’t tell her about how I’d actually leaped seven years back in time, but besides that, I divulged everything.

Miori listened carefully, nodding and giving me small verbal cues to continue. Once I’d finished unloading, she said, “What’s the problem? Tatsuya-kun already gave you his approval, so it’s fine.” She didn’t bother beating around the bush. “If you turn her down, then you’ll be throwing his consideration out the window. Plus, didn’t you say yes to Uta because you actually want to go with her? Then just go have fun!”

“Is Tatsuya really going to be okay with that, though?” I questioned.

“I don’t think you need to worry about Tatsuya-kun. I’m sure he put a lot of thought into it on his own before coming to you, so if you overthink it, then he’ll get the idea you don’t trust him.”

I agree with what she’s saying. But I... At least right now, I don’t think I like Uta in that way. I still have my heart set on Hoshimiya. I can’t deny that I’m drawn to Uta, but will it really be okay if I half-heartedly go on a date with her? Would Uta and Tatsuya really tolerate that? Ugh, what am I thinking now? I already agreed to go with her on an impulse! 

Seeing me fret to myself, Miori interrupted my thoughts in a gentle tone. “You said you don’t want to regret your youth, right?”

“Yeah, but if I lose my friends because of all this, won’t I just be full of regrets?”

“I’m sure it’ll work out,” she assured me. Her words sounded awfully optimistic. I turned to face her, and she was staring at me with her feet up on the bench as she hugged her knees. “You managed the first time there was trouble with Tatsuya-kun, and you helped me out too. You’re surrounded by compassionate people, so I don’t think you’ll be losing anyone with the way you are now.” Her voice was filled with warmth, her words kind.

It sorta gave me the heebie-jeebies. “The way I am now? You mean it?”

“Yep. You need to be more confident!” She smacked my back and stood up.

“Ow...” I complained.

Miori ignored my pain and began walking away as she hummed cheerfully. “I want some ice cream. Let’s go to the convenience store!” She continued onwards without bothering to check whether I was following her or not—there wasn’t a shred of doubt in her mind that I would tag along.

Jeez. She’s always like this, I thought but followed her anyway. I bought a Garigari-kun, one of those classic soda-flavored popsicles, and Miori picked a small carton of Super Cup brand ice cream for herself.

When I asked her why she went for that brand, she replied, “Y’know, other brands are the same price, but I feel like Super Cups are bigger.”

Are you a kid? I thought, internally scoffing at her reasoning. We ate our frozen treats as we walked home. I hadn’t had a Garigari-kun in a long time, so it was mouthwateringly delicious. Just biting into one made me feel so refreshed.

“It feels like summer’s here, you know what I mean?” Miori asked between bites of her ice cream.

“Yeah, which reminds me. Miori, are you going to the Tanabata festival?” I’d been one-sidedly telling her my problems and hadn’t even asked what her own plans were.

“I’ll be there, probably. I might go with Serika.”

“Serika?” I questioned.

“My classmate. We’re real tight. You’ve met her before—remember that girl who was at the study session with me?”

“Oh, yeah. The fashionable blondie, right?” I recalled. Contrary to what one might’ve expected based on her appearance, she had actually been very diligent during our study group. I didn’t remember her at all from my first run through high school, so I’d never interacted with her before. “You’re not gonna go with Reita?”

“I brought it up, but he said he didn’t really like festivals.”

“Right, he did say that today...”

“Yeah, so I didn’t push it. But that aside, maybe I’ll have fun observing your purehearted date with Uta. I heard it’ll be hella crowded, so who knows if I’d be able to spot you guys, though.”

“Please don’t... I’ll die of embarrassment.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to go out of my way to search for you two. But remember: festival dates come with the risk of other people seeing you. I bet tons of our classmates will be there. If they catch you and Uta alone, they’ll obviously think you two are dating. You’d better be mentally prepared for what’ll happen after that!”

That’s... That’s sound advice! It’s very likely rumors that Uta and I are dating will spread.

“I bet Hikari-chan will wonder what’s going on between you guys too,” she continued.

“That’s true... I guess life do be like that sometimes.” I think she’s already wondering what’s going on, to some extent.

“Well, all you have to do is deny the rumors if she asks... But who knows? Maybe you two will end up dating,” Miori said with a giant smirk. I didn’t react and just walked along quietly. Peeved that I’d ignored her, she slapped me on the back. Hard.

Quit it already! All you’re doing is hurting me! Violent heroines aren’t in these days, you know.

“All righty! You’d better have a blast on your date! I’m cheering for you guys, got it?” Just as she said that, we arrived in front of Miori’s place. “Here you go. Good night!” She innocently handed me a plastic bag with the remnants of her Super Cup in it and disappeared into her home with a buoyant little skip in her step.

What the— Throw your own trash away!

***

Days flew by, and soon came Saturday—the day Uta and I had promised to go to the festival together. I’d never gone on a date with a girl before. The nervous jitters were so powerful that I woke up too early even though it was the weekend. Uta had basketball practice, so we were meeting up in the evening.

I lay on my bed and stared at the RINE messages I’d exchanged with her. We’d decided to meet up in front of a convenience store near a section of town where the festival would be held. Our rendezvous time was tentatively set for 5 p.m., but more accurately, Uta had said she’d contact me after her practice ended.

Ah, man. I’m way too restless! When I get like this, working at the café is the best way to calm me down, but I don’t have a shift today. We’ve got finals coming up, so I guess I’ll study instead... Wait, what am I supposed to wear? Uta’s probably going to show up in a yukata. Should I get in the festival spirit and wear something traditional like a jinbei? Will that make me look too gung ho? I feel like most people wear western clothing to Tanabata festivals these days.

Hold on, snap out of it, and think calmly! I don’t even own a jinbei in the first place. A Japanese festival it may be, but western clothing it is. Still, clothes... Miori picked out some for me, but that basically means those are the only outfits I have, and Uta’s already seen all of them! I don’t want to wear my pre-debut stuff and make her think I’m unfashionable, but if I don’t want her to think I’m the type of guy who wears the same clothes every day...

Okay, I’ll go to downtown Takasaki and do some clothes shopping there. I’ve got time to kill until the evening, anyway. I didn’t have any fashion sense, but I’d been studying up by watching fashion YouTubers lately. I already had a few outfit candidates in mind. The only reason I hadn’t bought them yet was because I didn’t have enough money, but I’d recently received last month’s paycheck, so that problem was solved.

And so, after I studied for my finals in the morning, I got on a train to Takasaki. It was no exaggeration to say that Takasaki was Gunma’s only city. It had way more buildings and facilities than anywhere else in the prefecture, and there was a constant stream of people coming and going from the city. It was pretty close to my town too, so it was convenient for me.

I walked into a large department store and looked around the clothing section. Hmm... I’m not sure anymore, I thought as I browsed the merchandise.

A saleswoman started talking to me. “Can I help you find something?”

Urgh! I’m a shy introvert, so I don’t like talking to store employees. Though I thought that, I figured a professional’s fashion sense would be more dependable than my own. I gave her a rough description of what kind of clothes I wanted.

“Okay! Please wait one moment!” The lady began to select clothes with an enthusiastic smile. Her reaction was so positive that it started making me feel uneasy instead. When she finished picking out several outfits, she urged me into the changing room. “Sir, you’re very tall, so I believe these will suit you well!”

The saleswoman handed me the clothes, and I felt as if she was treating me like a dress-up doll. Hmm... This seems pretty good. I look cool...but it’s sorta pricey. Huh?! This is ten thousand yen?! That’s way too much for a high schooler! I shouldn’t buy this. I know I shouldn’t, I really do...but...

“Thank you for your patronage! Please come again!”

Ultimately, due to the saleswoman’s encouragement, I left the store with multiple articles of clothing in tow. My hard-earned wages had disappeared in a mere thirty minutes, but strangely enough, I didn’t feel any regret. After that, I looked around a few other stores and ended up purchasing another piece of clothing after losing to a salesperson’s persistence.

It was now noon and I was hungry, so I went up to the sixth floor—the restaurant floor—of the department store to eat lunch. I picked a Japanese place and satiated myself with a tonkatsu set meal, then checked the clock. It was still only 1 p.m. I had plenty of time until Uta and I were scheduled to meet, so I went to the bookstore. I bought the mystery novel that Hoshimiya had recommended and then left the department store. There was a chic café nearby, so I dropped in for a break.

Ah, coffee is delicious! Ever since the time leap, I’ve been making do with canned coffee since funds were tight, but nothing beats a proper brew from a store. While I was relishing the taste of fresh coffee, my phone chimed.

I checked the screen. It was a RINE message from Hoshimiya. And it wasn’t to the group chat—it was a private message to me. I wonder what’s up?

I opened up her text. The message said, “I’m shopping in Yokohama!” Also attached was a picture of Hoshimiya standing in front of what must’ve been a shopping mall in Yokohama. She wore casual clothes and a hat, with her hair tied behind her head. She smiled brightly and held up her fingers in a peace sign.

Hoshimiya is super cute today too! And it feels kinda flirtatious, though she probably doesn’t realize it since she’s an airhead. I sent her a “Nice!” sticker in response. Won’t I seem cold if that’s all I send? I worried and then threw in an “I’m jealous lol” after.

I grinned and stared at the picture until she replied to my messages.

Hoshimiya Hikari: What do you want as your souvenir?

Natsuki: I’ll be happy with anything!

Hoshimiya Hikari: Whaaat? That makes it hard for me! lol

Natsuki: Then, how about sweets?

Hoshimiya Hikari: Sure, Natsuki-kun, what kind of sweets do you like?

Natsuki: I guess cookies or chocolate?

Hoshimiya Hikari: Okie dokie!

Natsuki: Thanks! Can’t wait!

She followed up our conversation with an anime sticker that said, “Leave it to me!” on it. Oh, Hoshimiya watches anime too. In the past I would’ve found it unexpected, but now that I’d gotten to know her, it seemed in line with her personality. I’d learned that she had the makings of an otaku. I thought our exchange would end there, but...

Hoshimiya Hikari: Natsuki-kun, are you going to the Tanabata festival?

A moment after I’d received her last sticker, she sent me another message. It was a natural question to ask; she’d told me what she was doing, so now she was asking me what I was up to, simple as that. It was common sense that this was where our conversation would head, but my hands froze. I don’t really want to tell Hoshimiya that I’m going to the festival with Uta... But then I’d be dishonest. I chose to go, so I shouldn’t hide it. And everyone will know on Monday, anyway.

Natsuki: I’m going with Uta!

I replied honestly. She read my message immediately, but there was a disconcerting pause before her next response. My throat felt oddly dry, so I took a sip of my coffee. It had cooled already, so it tasted more bitter than usual.

Hoshimiya Hikari: Have fun!

Despite my nerves, all she sent back were those simple words.

Welp, it doesn’t mean much when someone takes time to reply after they read your message. Stop getting weird expectations... There’s no way Hoshimiya would feel anything if Uta and I went somewhere alone. After all, she doesn’t think of me as anything more than just a friend.

I finished off my cold coffee and took out the book I’d just bought. I was feeling strangely down, so I began reading it to lift my mood. I could hear people chattering around me, but I found the background noise pleasant. I traced the words with my eyes and immediately immersed myself in the world of the book.

After some time, I was brought back to reality by the footsteps of a new customer entering the café. When I came to, it was almost time to meet up with Uta. I paid my bill and left the store.

That was a good time! Hoshimiya’s recommendations never miss, and it’s nice to amble about on my own sometimes. I think I’ve calmed down too, and wearing my new clothes feels nice. I can show up to my date with mental clarity now. As I psyched myself up, I received a message from Uta that said, “I can make it on time!”

I’m good to go. All right, let’s have a blast with Uta at the festival!

***

My so-called mental clarity was brittle and crumbled as soon as I saw her.

She wore a red yukata. Blooming against the striking red cloth were flowers of all different colors. Her short hair had been loosely braided, and a large flower accessory was pinned to one side. Uta usually kept her appearance simple, but today she was dressed to impress, with her cuteness on full display.

She glanced restlessly around. When her gaze found me, she waved in a reserved manner. My sanity returned to me, and I rushed over to her, feeling flustered.

Uta fiddled with her hair and averted her eyes. “Uh, um... Err, m-morning?” Her voice dwindled with each word.

I couldn’t believe I was hearing those timid noises coming out of her mouth. “U-Uh, yeah. G’morning,” I stiffly fumbled out. The voice that escaped my throat was raspy. What the hell? Surely there must’ve been a calm brain cell somewhere inside of my head, but for the most part, my mind was in a state of mass panic.

Mental clarity? That guy’s long dead! Also, what the heck are we saying? Morning? It’s evening! Look, the sky’s turning crimson already!

However, neither of us commented on our silly greeting, and no one was around to make fun of us. I couldn’t formulate any words; nothing would come out of my mouth. She and I were facing each other, but our eyes refused to meet. Eventually, I glanced at Uta, and her downcast eyes looked up at me at the same time. We locked eyes for a moment. She quickly averted her gaze again, causing me to look away as well.

“I...” she whispered in a subdued tone. “I wore a yukata! Wh-What do you think?” There’d been a spike in intensity midway through her question—she clearly couldn’t control the volume of her voice.

I peered at her, and she clasped her hands behind her back, showing herself to me.

“It looks good on you,” I managed to wring out.

For some reason, she hung her head. “Th-Thank you very much.”

Why is she being so polite? There are a lot of things I could tease her for today. I mean, she’s practically a different person! Whatever was going through Uta’s head was a mystery to me, but it was clear that she was way more nervous than I was.

“Are those two high schoolers? They’re adorbs!”

“Wow, they’re both bright red. You can do it!”

A few girls who looked to be in college made comments that obviously referred to us as they walked past. Embarrassed, our blushes deepened.

“A-Anyway! Let’s get going!” Uta took a step forward with her right hand and left foot stretched out together in an exaggerated manner.

Right. We’re not even inside the festival area yet. And it’s directly in front of the convenience store. Again, what the hell are we doing? I took my place next to Uta, and we headed down the sidewalk along the main road. She looked like she was having trouble walking because of the yukata. On the bright side, it looked like she’d chosen a pair of comfortable sandals rather than hard geta shoes.

“Am I going too fast?” I asked after a moment.

“Oh, no. I’m fine!” she assured me.

As we continued onwards, the amount of people walking around gradually increased. Many festivalgoers were in high spirits, and of those, many looked to be young students. The closer we got to the festival grounds, the more the mood transformed into that trademark merry atmosphere.

Before long, a road lined with stalls on both sides came into view. Large crowds of people bustled along the road, and the darkening sky was lit up with lanterns. Uta had been walking next to me with a stiff expression, but her face brightened when she saw the festivities.

“Oooh!” she exclaimed. “Don’t you think festivals are great? Everyone looks like they’re having fun, so it gets me going too!”

“Yeah, I get what you mean. The ambience is nice too,” I agreed.

We slowly regained our ability to converse normally. My heart was still pounding harder than usual, but at least I looked calm on the outside now.

When we stepped into the festival area, Uta suddenly said, “I want cotton candy.” I somehow managed to look at her face. Her lips protruded slightly in a shy pout. “Why are you looking at me? Are you gonna call me a kid?”

“No, no, I wasn’t going to say anything like that!” I said.

“Then don’t look at me... I-It makes me nervous.”

“O-Okay...”

“Sorry, I lied. I want you to look at me.”

“Which one is it?”

“I put all this effort into wearing a yukata, so I want you to look at me. Just don’t let me catch you gaping!”

“Uh, that’s pretty unreasonable, don’tcha think?” I quipped.

She giggled. “I’m gonna go buy cotton candy. Wait here, ’kay?” she said and lined up in front of the cotton candy stall.

I waited in front of the vending machine until Uta returned with cotton candy in hand. She stood next to me and began licking it. She looks like a small animal. How cute!

“It’s so sweet!” she exclaimed.

“Of course it is. You know it’s just a lump of sugar, right?” I replied.

She glared at me with narrowed eyes. “That’s an unimaginative way to put it. What a killjoy!”

Did I lose points for that just now?

Uta quickly finished her cotton candy and then asked, “Natsu, what do you want to eat?”

“I’m not sure, though I am hungry.” Let’s see. There’s yakisoba, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, buttered potatoes... Huh? Okonomiyaki? Aren’t Uta’s parents running an okonomiyaki stand? “Okay, then, how about okonomiyaki?”

Uta realized what I was thinking immediately and frantically rejected my idea. “Y-You can’t come to our stall!”

“What? Why? Didn’t you say it’s tasty?”

She hesitated for a moment. “It’s fine if it’s just you, but if we both go... They’ll see us!”

That’s... That’s very true. If we showed up together, Uta’s parents would bear witness to their daughter all dolled up in a yukata, walking around a festival with me—a boy. When I imagined that coming to pass, the conclusion was obvious. “You’re right. Let’s not.”

“Yeah. Why don’t we have some yakisoba together instead?”

I went along with her suggestion, and we bought yakisoba from a nearby stall. After we picked up our food, we continued down the street for a bit until we reached a place with open space on each side of the road. The people in charge of the festival had designated this as the rest area, and many people were already taking a break. We found an empty spot and sat down.

Uta took a bite of the yakisoba and burst into a smile. “Mmm! Deeelish!”

“Eating yakisoba during a festival makes it taste even better,” I said.

“Yes! I suuuper get you! Maybe it’s the whatchamacallit effect?”

“Are you thinking of the placebo effect?”

“Yes, that! I’m surprised you guessed it.”

Tell me about it. “Whatchamacallit effect” is not a lot of info. And I don’t think this is the correct use case for “placebo effect” either.

“Okay, I finished my half. Here you go, Natsu.”

While I was wondering whether I should explain what the placebo effect was actually about, Uta had already finished scarfing down her noodles. She handed me the container and wooden chopsticks. Predictably, the chopsticks had already been used by her.

Isn’t this...an indirect kiss? Nah, stop it. No one cares about stuff like that these days. Right? It’ll be more embarrassing if I make a fuss over it. Okay, I’ll just eat it like all’s right with the world.

“This yakisoba is really tasty,” I commented. Uta didn’t say anything in return, so I glanced over at her to see if something was wrong. Her face was bright red for some reason. “Uta?”

“I-I’m gonna go buy us drinks! Keep eating!” she said and then ran off in a hurry.

Was she that thirsty? Huh, well, I guess this yakisoba is pretty salty.

***

The sun finished sinking beyond the horizon, and nighttime soon came, bringing with it even more people. I had to avoid bumping into them as I walked, and I was concerned about Uta. She was so small that I worried I’d lose her in the crowd. Another large wave of people approached us from the front, and I dodged it. But I felt a tug on my sleeve—Uta was quietly clinging onto it.

“I-I feel like you’re going to get lost, Natsu,” she babbled out an excuse.

Hah. I’m going to get lost, not you? If you’re gonna do that, then we might as well just hold hands. That’ll be more secure... I have a feeling that’s what Uta actually wants to do too. However, I didn’t suggest that myself. I had an inkling that there would be no turning back if I did.

Holding hands isn’t something friends do. A guy and a girl do that when they’re dating. If I propose we hold hands, it could be construed that I like her in that way. If Uta confessed to me then, I wouldn’t be able to reject her. How am I supposed to tell her that I’m okay holding hands, but I don’t want to date her?

Well... Of course I’m fond of her. That’s why I’m here, after all! As I thought that, Hoshimiya’s smile flashed through my mind. At the end of the day, I hadn’t decided what I wanted to do. That’s why I couldn’t take the initiative in anything. Miori told me to go if I wanted to...but wasn’t it a mistake for me to come here after all?

My inner turmoil was interrupted by Uta. “It’s fine. I get it,” she told me in a gentle tone as she looked up at me.

What on earth do you “get”? How much do you know? I wanted to ask, but I hesitated. I didn’t dare ask her to spell it out for me.

“More importantly, look! There’s a shooting gallery! I wanna play that!” She dashed off without another word. Now, she was so full of energy that her reserved tone from just a moment ago felt like a passing illusion.

She’s being considerate and focusing on letting me have fun. Well then, I’d better respond to her considerations in full! “Leave this game to me!” I grinned and flexed my arm. I may not look like it, but I played a lot of FPS in college to kill time. I’m pretty good! What do first-person shooter games have to do with a shooting gallery? Nothing. Nothing at all... Unless, uh, I can control the gun with a mouse?

“You’re that confident?” Uta asked.

“No, actually, not really...” I admitted.

“Whaaat?” She laughed, her sides shaking hard. “Okay, then, let’s see who’s better!”

She and I entered the shooting gallery and competed to see who was the better shot.

“Oh! I hit it!” Uta shouted near the end of our contest.

The results of our match determined that Uta was the superior marksman, though only by a small margin of error. I had missed every single shot while she had managed to hit one.

“Yeah, but that’s way off from the one you were actually aiming for,” I remarked.

“L-Luck is part of skill!” She vigorously cleared her throat to gloss over the subject. The owner of the shooting gallery handed Uta the prize she’d knocked over. Contained within the small box was a practical-looking key chain. “Here, it’s yours, Natsu!”

“Nah, I couldn’t. You won it fair and square.”

“Take it! Besides, if I had to label it, I’d say this was designed for guys, right?”

Okay, yeah, it does look boyish. Well, I don’t own a key chain anyway, so I guess I’ll just accept it with gratitude. “All right, then. I’ll treat you to something in return.”

“Ehhh? It’s fine! You don’t have to.”

“I make hard-earned dough while you’re at practice, you know? Don’t worry about the money.” I shot her a smug grin, though in reality, I’d spent pretty much all of my money on clothes today. I was kinda concerned.

“Okay, then! I’ll take you up on that!” She nodded cheerfully.

However, in her bliss, Uta had failed to notice someone weaving through the waves of people at full tilt—directly at her. I spotted them first and instinctively grabbed Uta’s shoulder and pulled her close.

“Huh?” she said in surprise, but she didn’t resist and tottered right into my chest.

The person who’d been charging their way through the crowds in hurry cut right through where Uta had just been standing.

Uta finally realized that I’d done it to protect her and looked up at me. “S-Sorry... And thanks.” Her face was right below mine, and combined with the angle, her destructive force was tremendous.

After a pause, she spoke up again. “When we’re this close, I’m reminded how tall you are.”

“Same here... You’re really tiny,” I replied. “You’re a snug fit in my arms.”

“I’m still growing.” We both sounded so hesitant and awkward.

We moved away from the crowd and stood at the side of the road, eyes locked. For some reason, Uta didn’t try to break free from my hold...and I didn’t let her go either.

“Huh? Isn’t that Haibara-kun?” A familiar voice called out to me.

We flinched and quickly separated from each other. I turned in the direction of the voice and saw my classmate Fujiwara standing still in the crowd. “H-Hey,” I said.

“I see you came to have fun too, Haibara-kun.” She walked over.

Accompanying Fujiwara was another one of my classmates, Hino. “Wassup. How’s it hanging?” he said, flippant as ever. They were both in my cleaning group.

Fujiwara noticed Uta standing next to me and stared at her blankly. “Oh? Uta, you’re here too.”

“H-Heyooo...” Uta blushed and timidly raised her hand in greeting.

“Whoa! Sakura-chan, you look super cute. That yukata looks good on you! And the hair accessory is a nice touch too!” Hino looked overly excited and laid on the praise.

Her expression unreadable, Fujiwara pinched his cheek, causing him to yelp in pain. She then looked at Uta and I in turn, as if surprised that we were together. “Are you two... You know?”

“No! Don’t misunderstand. We’re just hanging out as friends!” Uta replied bluntly. “Right, Natsu?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Fujiwara let out a disinterested little “hmm” and tilted her head to the side. “So you’re not an item yet?”

“S-Stop blabbing!” It was unlike her, but Uta looked genuinely upset and drew up close to Fujiwara. The two of them began talking in hushed voices off to one side, so I couldn’t hear what they were discussing.

Hino came up beside me and started chatting me up. “Yo! Having fun?”

“Yeah, man,” I replied. “What about you? Are you guys...like that?”

“Mm-hmm. We started dating two weeks ago.”

Fujiwara and Hino, huh? That’s kinda unexpected... Or maybe not? “Wow. Well, I did think you guys seemed close during cleaning time.”

Fujiwara is coolheaded and something like a mediator for all the girls in our class, while Hino comes off as shallow, but he can be surprisingly serious. Maybe they’re actually a good match for each other!

“I don’t care if we keep it a secret or not, but she doesn’t want to tell anyone. She said it’d be embarrassing if other people knew we were dating,” Hino explained. “Isn’t she the cutest?”

“Uh, yeah... Very cute.” How can she say that when she’s the one who chose Hino? No, don’t jump the gun. Maybe she didn’t? “Who confessed?”

“You’d think I was the one, right? Well, she confessed to me.”

“Whoa, seriously? That’s shocking.” My image of Fujiwara changed. I see, so she’s into guys like Hino.

As if she’d sensed we were talking about her, Fujiwara stopped talking to Uta and walked back over. “Just so you know, anything that comes out of this guy’s mouth is a lie.”

“Sure, whatever you say,” I replied with a half-hearted shrug.

She glared at Hino, and he shrugged the same way I had.

“In the first place, I don’t really care if I’m dating this guy...”

“Kanata, just drop it. We should get going.” Hino grasped Fujiwara’s hand.

“Hey! They’re standing right next to us!” She was flustered but didn’t look as annoyed as her words sounded.

Yeah, she’s cute. Usually Fujiwara’s the one lording over Hino, but when it’s just the two of them, she gets pretty shy. Wow, I see... So that’s how it is. Y’know, that is pretty cute. I can get behind this ship! 

“We’ve gotta run now, so we’ll see you two some other time,” Hino said. He turned to Uta and winked at her. “Sakura-chan, good luck!”

“Uh, thanks...” Uta nodded back.

We watched them leave, and right as I thought they’d disappear into the crowd, Hino stopped moving and turned over his shoulder. He looked like he couldn’t help himself as he smiled at us mischievously and added, “Oh, yeah. Here’s some advice: if you don’t want people to think you’re dating, then you’d better stop embracing each other in public.” Without giving us a chance to respond, he vanished into the crowd with Fujiwara.

We barely heard Fujiwara ask in a surprised voice, “Huh? They were hugging?”

I really wish he wouldn’t drop a bomb at the very last second... Though, it is our fault for doing something that would give other people the wrong idea. I turned to check up on Uta. She was looking towards the ground, her face as red as an apple.

“Did we really look like...that?” she asked.

“Sounds like we did,” I replied.

“S-Sorry...”

“Oh, no, I’m sorry too...”

Once again, an awkward silence fell between us. It was my first date with a girl, but I’d already faced numerous challenges. If Miori saw us, I bet she’d shower us with nonstop complaints.

***

“Hey, wanna hang up our wishes?” Uta asked.

She pointed at some nearby bamboo. It was adorned with tons of colorful strips of tanzaku paper, perfect for writing wishes on during Tanabata. Festivalgoers were welcome to freely decorate the bamboo with tanzaku of their own. The neighborhood association was running a booth that handed out the strips, and they even had a table with writing tools at the ready.

“Good idea. It is a Tanabata festival after all,” I replied.

We each picked up a tanzaku and pen and started writing at the table. Hmm... What should I wish for? God already granted my wish. I glanced over at Uta who was staring at her own piece of paper with pen in hand. She, too, looked lost.

“What’re you gonna write, Uta?”

“Hmm... Natsu, can you look that way?” She grabbed me by both arms and faced me in the other direction.

I guess she doesn’t want me to see? The thought ran through my mind while she quickly filled out her tanzaku.

“Okay, you can turn back now!”

“You’re not gonna show me?” I questioned.

“If you really want to look you can, but I don’t think you should,” she said shyly.

I’m curious, but if I persist and read something about me, then I won’t know how to react. Lemme just quietly write down my own wish. I quickly jotted down, “best youth ever.” Yeah, it’s gotta be this for me!

Uta blinked at me. “Wow. ‘Best youth ever,’ huh?”

“Mm-hmm! We’re only high schoolers for so long. Don’t you want to enjoy it to the fullest?”

“Yeah, good point. I think so too... But...” She flailed her hands a bit, unsure of what to say, and then peeped up at me. “Hasn’t that already come true?” The soft timbre of her voice combined with her yukata really drove home in my mind that today was Tanabata.

“This is one more facet for having the best youth ever,” I quietly murmured.

Uta laughed. “That sounds like something an old man would say!”

That’s the most insulting thing you could say to a guy who’s on his second round of life. Please, no more!

“Ahem, ahem!” I cleared my throat in an exaggerated manner. “A-Anyway, let’s hang up our tanzaku.”

“Come to think of it, why do we hang up pieces of paper on bamboo?” she wondered.

“Isn’t it because the stories say that they’ll reach the heavens that way?” I wasn’t well versed in Japanese culture or folklore, so I was just guessing based on vague recollections. If memory served me right, paper used to be a luxury item in the past, so the act of writing a wish on it had ritualistic value. People believed that their wishes would then reach the heavens if they decorated bamboo with those little strips. Or something like that.

“I see.” Uta gazed up at the sky.

I copied her and looked up as well—it was a beautiful night sky without a cloud in sight. Though they were slightly obscured by the lamps and buildings’ sky glow, I could still make out some shining stars. Unfortunately, it wasn’t dark enough for the Milky Way to be visible. Or maybe I was just looking up at a bad angle.

“You know what? I’m going to change my wish,” Uta said after a moment.

“Huh? That’s random. Why?”

“I feel like it’d be wrong of me to wish for this... So I think I’ll wish for the same thing you did. I want to have the best youth ever too!”

She threw away her first tanzaku and wrote the same thing that I had on a new slip. The two of us picked a spot on the bamboo and decorated it with our colorful pieces of paper.

“Awesome sauce!” Uta looked satisfied, with her hands placed on her hips.

As I peered at her back, a memory from mere moments ago flashed through my mind. I’d accidentally caught a glimpse of her original wish when she’d dropped her tanzaku into the trash. “I hope Natsu falls in love with me.” Sakura Uta had not made a wish to the gods for that.

***

“How was practice?”

“It was exhausting, but I had fun! Miorin and Wakamura-senpai looked like they were enjoying themselves, and it feels like the team’s gotten stronger as a whole. I’m gonna get waaay better too!”

“I can’t wait to see you on the court!”

“Oh, I know! If you’ve got time over summer break, then come help me do some private training.”

“Sure, but I’ve got nothing to teach you. I learned on my own, so I’m decent at one-on-ones, but that doesn’t necessarily transfer over to team play.”

“You just need to show up. It’ll motivate me!”

“Well, if you’re fine with that, then all right. I’ve got nothing planned for summer break, anyway.”

“Yippee!”

“But man. It’s summer break already? Time really does fly!”

“I know, right? But I can’t wait! I’ll probably be engrossed in club activities most days, though.”

“Maybe I should throw myself into my work, then. But I do want to seize this opportunity to go somewhere with everyone.”

“Oh, that sounds good! I super duper can’t wait! It’s the summer, so we gotta go to either the mountains or the sea!”

“I know, right? Well, I’m sure everyone will be busy with club activities or have other plans, but I hope we can all fit a trip into our schedules.”

“True. But I’m still looking forward to it. Oooh! I also want to have a barbecue with everyone!”

“I hate to burst your bubble, but we have finals before summer vacation. Did you forget?”

“D-Don’t remind me! Argh, and here I was in such a good mood!”

Uta and I chatted as we walked home together. We’d had our fill of the festival ambience, so we were being good kids and returning home before it got too late. Uta had met up with me after practice, so she did look a little tired. Plus, she wasn’t used to walking around in a yukata, so it wouldn’t be good to have her stroll around too much.

She lived close to the festival area, so I was walking Uta home. As we got further and further away from the festivities, the number of people ambling about gradually decreased. The loud hustle and bustle that had surrounded us just moments ago soon vanished, and only the sound of crickets chirping remained.

Suddenly, something touched my left hand. And then that something wrapped itself around my hand. I didn’t need to look down to know—it was Uta’s right hand.

I was walking down the night street while holding hands with Uta.

After a beat she said, “I can do this much, right? No one is around anymore.”

I didn’t tell her it was fine, but she took my silence as a yes.

I could feel the warmth of her skin against my left hand. Her heat was making me worry that I might sweat, and my heart began to race, raising my body temperature even more. No words passed between us. I was way beyond nervous, to the point where I purely felt comfortable again. I want to stay like this forever. Just as I thought that, our time came to an end.

“My house is over there.” Uta pointed at an okonomiyaki store that practically oozed local vibes.

We walked around to the back of the store, and it turned into a quaint-looking single-family home. So this is where Uta lives, huh? It’s a marvel that I know where one of my friends lives now!

She gently let go of my hand, took a step forward, and then turned back to face me. “Natsu, I had a ton of fun today! Thanks for coming with me!” she said in her usual energetic voice and shot me her brightest smile.

“Same here, I had a good time. Thanks for inviting me,” I replied.

Uta nodded.

A lukewarm breeze blew between the two of us. We’d walked around to a backstreet, so there wasn’t a single soul around. We stood there in silence. Uta seemed like she wanted to say something; I could tell that much simply from looking at her.

Seeing her get extremely nervous made me feel an irresistible urge to help her, but I had no words to offer at that moment. I still had lingering thoughts about Hoshimiya—I had no right to say anything.

While I contemplated, Uta continued to stare at me. We stayed like that, eyes locked, for what felt like seconds or perhaps even minutes. I didn’t find the situation strange or embarrassing. Uta looked beautiful wearing her yukata no matter how many times I saw her in it.

Eventually, she gazed downwards and lightly waved at me. “Well, um, see you later.”

“Yeah, see you at school,” I replied and turned around.

I felt like hanging my head, but I looked up instead. It doesn’t make sense for me to look down. I had fun today! In contrast to my muddled feelings, the night sky was perfectly clear. The twinkling stars were especially visible from the unlit street.

“Natsu,” Uta whispered directly into my ear. She tugged on my sleeve and forced me to look at her.

The moment her face came into view at point-blank range, I felt something warm against my cheek. I stopped breathing. It felt like time had come to a standstill.

“This is how I feel,” Uta said. She moved away from my face and looked into my dumbfounded eyes. “But I won’t put it into words yet, so don’t give me your reply.”

Her logic was sound. If she didn’t say anything, then there’d be nothing for me to reply to.

“I won’t give up. Right now, no matter who it is you hold in your heart...I won’t lose to them.” She was staring me straight in the eye. “Natsu, I’ll definitely make you turn my way.” She conveyed her fierce words with an earnest expression—she was more dazzling than all the stars twinkling in the night sky. “So just wait and see, okay?”

She tilted her head at me, and all I could do was nod in return.

Seeing my flabbergasted expression, Uta smiled brightly like a sunflower. “All righty! I’m going in for real now! See you on Monday at school!” She waved, turned around, and opened her door.

I stood stock-still until I saw her disappear into her home. When I touched my cheek, I could still feel the lingering sensation of Uta’s lips. I had spent some time earlier wondering why she’d changed her wish. For a moment, I thought she’d given up on the notion of dating me, but I had been wrong. The answer was much simpler: it was a declaration that she wouldn’t let her wish be passively granted by anyone, but that she would make me pay attention to her by the strength of her own charm.

“That’s gotta be a foul...” I murmured.

At any rate, the only thing I was sure of was that I had been completely and utterly defeated.

***

That I had seen the whole thing was a downright coincidence.

After our main basketball practice ended, Uta flew out of the gym as soon as individual training was over. Everyone cocked their heads in puzzlement, wondering what was so urgent, but I’d heard the details from Natsuki already, so I found her rush endearing. She had plenty of time until their date, but it took us girls a long time to get ready.

At my own pace, I met up with my closest classmate and good friend, Serika, and we headed to the festival together. We ran into our other friends as we aimlessly walked around, which made it all the more fun.

Serika was a pretty low-energy person, but she’d converse with me when I wanted to talk and stay quiet when I didn’t. She was good at picking up on my mood, and I liked that about her. Well, when the topic turns to music, Serika will keep chatting forever. As usual, she carried her guitar case on her back. She was part of the light music club, and I’d heard she was a good guitarist.

“Whew. I’m full,” I said.

“Wanna go home? I’m satisfied enough,” Serika replied.

We were stuffed with buttered potatoes and yakisoba, so we left the festival. It was fun to walk around, but our legs were getting tired. I was curious how Uta and Natsuki’s date was going, but it was too hard to spot them in the crowds. Of course, going out of my way to search for them just to check up on them would’ve been too overprotective of me. Natsuki occasionally needed to give it his best shot alone so he could mature.

I explained everything to Serika while we walked, until she suddenly said, “Y’know, you’ve been talking about your childhood friend a lot lately.”

“Huh? You think so?” I tilted my head as I mulled it over. I don’t mean to talk about Natsuki that much. Well, the only one who knows about my deal with him is Serika, so maybe it’s inevitable that I’ll always wind up talking to her about him. I trusted Serika to keep secrets. After all, music was the only thing that interested her.

“To be fair, a lot of things have happened recently!” I responded.

“Hmm,” came her disinterested reply.

The main street was still full of people, so we took a backstreet to the station. As we walked down the empty street, we happened to catch sight of a boy and a girl facing each other. The girl was wearing a yukata. A couple at the end of their date? I wondered as I approached the heartwarming scene. But then I realized, Huh? That’s Natsuki and Uta! Why are they standing in the backstreets staring at each other like that?

The air between the two felt serious. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I stopped walking. Eventually, Uta waved goodbye to Natsuki, and he turned around. Oh, I caught them right when they’re splitting up. That’s right. I heard Uta lives around here, I thought as I watched them.

“Huh?”

The sound slipped out of me when I witnessed Uta stop Natsuki from going home...and kiss him on the cheek. After exchanging a few words, she parted ways with him and entered her house. Natsuki stood frozen for a while until his consciousness returned, and then he walked away.

I’d watched the whole thing play out.

“Wow, Sakura-san really worked up her courage,” Serika commented in an even tone from beside me. I didn’t respond, so she glanced over at me, puzzled. “Miori? You all right?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Let’s go home.” I hastily glossed over my awkward pause and continued walking as if nothing was wrong. When I acted with my A game, not even Serika would notice anything.

There’s no way... I can’t say it. Not even to Serika.

The moment I’d seen the kiss, I was frightened by how my heart clouded over.