*****
Being fond of everyone, and feeling their happiness as her own happiness.
If the one who had said it hadn’t been Ajisai-san, but instead, let’s say, Satsuki-san, I would’ve definitely gotten worried and asked her, “Did you just hit your head?! Let’s go to the hospital now!” But since it came from Ajisai-san who dispersed kindness on a daily basis, of course I took her words seriously.
But I wondered what kind of feeling that was.
Was it something like, if one day Ajisai-san happened to pick up a jewel, and then someone else came and told her to give it to them, Ajisai-san would happily hand it over with her usual smile?
For me, who was the embodiment of greed...throwing away my own happiness for the sake of others’ was something unthinkable.
Was Ajisai-san really happy living her life like that…? If by any chance she felt like pushing herself even just a little, I would really want her to keep that jewel for herself.
I was a huge fan of Ajisai-san, which meant her happiness would also be my happiness.
Ah, so this was how Ajisai-san felt!
No, but, it felt wrong somehow...mine was more impure...something limited only to Ajisai-san… In the first place, I felt like this since Ajisai-san was the one who made my school life more sparkling and increased my quality of life significantly…
Doing everything for my own sake as the top priority...Amaori Renako was really someone no different than a primal beast...
It was time for breakfast, and Ajisai-san hadn’t woken up yet.
It seemed like she had stayed up late last night. I was getting worried but she brushed it aside with a simple, “Don’t mind me~” which led to me eating breakfast alone.
There was toast and scrambled eggs, sausages, and also a petite serving of salad. It really felt like an inn’s breakfast. It tasted good.
...now I wondered if our conversation from last night had merely been a dream.
Somehow I felt like Ajisai-san had said something like, “I do talk about sexual stuff, totally do. I don’t have problems with it. In truth, I really like to talk about it,” or something along those lines......
Angels were beings crafted by God, so it wasn’t like they needed to procreate. Which was why, as expected, the things she’d said last night seemed like a mere dream, eh… Nonetheless, it was wrong of me to have a dream like that, so much that it was basically blasphemy, right?
...I finished my breakfast in anguish.
By the time I got back to our room, Ajisai-san was still wrapped up in her futon.
I didn't want to wake her up, so I decided to play my video game in the next room. I had snuck my portable game console in my bag for this trip just in case. When I went to take it out from my bag—
“...Rena-chan~”
A muffled voice sounded from inside the futon.
“Ah, sorry, did I wake you up?”
In the dim room, Ajisai-san stretched out a small hand from the futon.
She waved it slightly, like signaling for me to come closer.
“?”
I approached her without thinking much, and when I arrived next to her—
“Wa, wawawah?!”
The futon opened wide like a shark’s mouth, catching me and wrapping over my whole body.
My vision was smothered in darkness. Uwaah, eeh?! W-what was it? What the heck was happening?!
I heard Ajisai-san’s sweet laughter close by.
I had gotten pulled inside her futon. Ajisai-san laid next to me, fixating her gaze on me. She looked so innocent, with a carefree smile plastered on her face.
“I just ate Rena-chan.”
“O, ouuuu.”
I couldn’t respond in a proper language.
Ajisai-san and I looked at each other inside the futon, just like we were in our own secret base. Ajisai-san giggled again, and the warmth from the blanket (the warmth that came from Ajisai-san’s body?!) enveloped my whole body.
“Wh-what is it? Did something happen?”
“It’s just, I want to roll around doing nothing.”
“I-I see. Eh, and what’s the purpose of bringing me in here?”
“It would be great if I could do that together with you.”
Ajisai-san slightly closed her eyes, and then she grabbed my finger like a baby.
“L-let me accompany you then.”
“Yup.”
Today, Ajisai-san’s gentle smile really looked like the smile of a pure, innocent child.
“You see, I decided that today is the day where I will bother you.”
“What kind of decision is that?!”
“Renako Big Sis~~~”
Ajisai-san rubbed her head against my chest.
“Eeeh……?”
Her behavior right now, could it be that she had just woken up and still wasn’t fully awake yet, or was she just elated since we were on a trip together, or could it also be possible that this was the release of the emotions she had endured at home? Or all three combined?
I could do nothing other than become puzzled. Wh-what was this…? She was cute, but! This Ajisai-san was definitely cute, but!!
What should I do in this situation…?
Ajisai-san pulled her body close and stared at me from a lower angle. With those dark chestnut-colored eyes gazing straight into my eyes, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Right after that, she hugged me.
“Renako Big Sis~”
“Ee, errrr...Ajisai-san, good girl…”
She shook her head. Her hair was swinging around and hitting my nose. It was ticklish, but it smelled very good… I could enjoy the scent of her hair legally right now…
“You see, today is the day where I become your little sister!”
“Is that so……”
So that sister in my house was a fake, eh… I always thought that it was strange… That brat, even though she was my little sister she went ahead and became a normie. Of course it couldn’t be real.
“And so, Renako Big Sis, what will you call me?”
It came. Ajisai Quiz second round! If you answered it wrong, you would decrease her favorability rate toward you.
“Eh? Eerrr…. A-Ajisai-san?”
“Bu-bu.”
Ajisai-san pouted her lips, looking discontent. Hii.
Surely, I wouldn’t call my little sister Haruna-san.
But, you see, I also couldn’t call Ajisai-san without honorifics. My soul would fade. So I steeled myself and timidly opened my mouth.
“A-Ajisai...chan?”
Ajisai-san smiled merrily.
“Renako Big Sis~~~~~”
“Guieeh.”
She hugged me more firmly than before and squeezed my chest with all her might. This little sister, she sure was a spoiled one!
“A-Ajisai-chan? It’s time to wake up, you know?”
“Eeh? But I want to stay inside the futon with you longer.”
“That’s, for how many seconds?”
“One hundred million seconds!”
“This girl is silly!”
Ajisai-sanーnow Ajisai-chan—wrapped her arms around my back, and wasn’t showing any signs of letting me go.
Suu, suu. I could hear her faint breath, which had been brushing my chest since earlier. It was ticklish. Also, on top of having huge breasts, Ajisai-san wasn’t wearing a bra right now, so, uh, the softness was unbelievable. My face was becoming hotter with each passing second!
“You see, one hundred million seconds is around three years and two months!”
“Is that so...Ajisai-chan is really clever, eh.”
“Am I a good girl? Am I, am I?”
“You’re really a good girl...yup…”
“Ehe~”
While she clung to my body, she let out a very carefree smile.
Ajisai-san, temporarily freed from her duties as an older sister, looked like she really enjoyed her new role as a little sister.
This was...well, it seemed like I had no other choice, so let’s indulge her for now…
As long as it was for Ajisai-san’s sake, a little bit of embarrassment is nothing. Yesterday, we had already entered the bath together after all.
“Errr...what are we going to do for today, Ajisai-chan?”
“Nn, I want to do nothing for a whole day with Renako Big Sis.”
“You don’t want to go play somewhere?”
“Don’t wanna~ Today Ajisai just wants to laze around~”
It looked like the Ajisai-san who had become my little sister had reverted to her childhood phase.
“Laze around, eh.”
“So I don’t have to wake up early in the morning, change their clothes, prepare breakfast, and tidy up the lego on the floor today…”
“Y-yup.”
For a moment, I could feel a tint of darkness from her, but it was my imagination, probably. Right now, Ajisai-san was in her childhood phase so she harbored no darkness.
Before we started this trip, I did think that I would get to see a lot of Ajisai-san’s sides, which made me both excited and anxious, but...I’d never thought that she would become my little sister, not even in a dream!
“Renako Big Sis~” She said in a carefree voice, bringing her head out of the futon as she squirmed next to me. Then, she pulled me back into a hug again.
Ajisai-san’s body was very soft no matter where it touched mine, and it was a very pleasant sensation…
How weird, what were these feelings…
I-it made me yearn for her body...?
Huh, no, no no, of course I wouldn’t harbor those kinds of thoughts toward Ajisai-san! She was my friend! And she was an angel, you know?! I would definitely punch others who had sexual thoughts towards Ajisai-san!
“Big Sis…”
Ajisai-san called me in a sweet whisper (hii!) and her eyes wavered in agony.
“As I thought...this is really pushing it, right…?”
Ajisai-san’s face turned completely red.
―why did she regain herself out of nowhere?!
“Aa! N-no! Of course, no!”
She covered her face with both palms and trembled.
“Sorry, I’m really bothering you… I just, I thought I could pull it somehow and do it… But of course it’s no good. I am a high-schooler after all...I’m 158 cm tall after all… Of course I can’t be a spoiled child like my little brothers…”
I was making Ajisai-san drown in shame since I had gone with it half-heartedly!
Whatever, let’s just do this!
“That’s not true! Here, what a good girl. Good girl, good girl, Ajisai-chan.”
I wrapped my arms around her and caressed her head.
If I could heal Ajisai-san, being embarrassed to death was nothing. It would only give me satisfaction. Awaken, my motherhood!
“What an adorable girl! Ajisai-chan is really adorable! How old are you?!”
“Fifteen years old…”
“I see, five years old, eh! How clever of you to be able to tell me your age! Yup, what a good girl! The world’s number one!”
Ajisai-san released an inaudible voice as I kept spoiling her, and finally she accepted her fate.
Doing things like this, the one who regained her sanity would be the one who loses, right? Not that I know though.
“Well then, let’s play together with Big Sister here. Ah, how about we watch a video? What do you want to watch? How about a video of a bonfire?”
“A video of a bonfire…? What is that?”
“Eh, you don’t know? It’s a video where the fire is burning on wood. It’s very calming.”
Ajisai-san tilted her head slightly as I pulled my phone from outside the futon. I see, so there were people who didn't watch this… I often watched them when I wanted to empty my mind…
This was a problem. If Ajisai-san had never watched a bonfire video before, then I had nothing to talk about.
But!
That was right. I still had the conversation topic materials from Satsuki-san, my friend. This wasn’t the time to get stingy, so let’s put them into use. I placed my trust in the topics Satsuki-san gave me.
Err, where was it? I opened the third file.
[When was your first time?]
“Koto Satsukiiii!!!!!”
“Eh, what’s wrong...?”
Ajisai-san looked startled when I suddenly clenched my fist and scrambled up. I hurriedly reassured her that nothing’s wrong.
“Nah, it’s just, Satsuki-san sent me a weird message.”
“What kind of message?”
“That’s, no, uh. It’s too early for the five-year-old Ajisai-chan.”
“Funya.”
Still in her little sister mode, Ajisai-san stared at me absentmindedly. Of course she also looked perfectly adorable with that look. Fi, fi...fufufu...fi, first-time...she really told me to ask about her first time? I’m gonna knock you down, Koto Satsuki.
Good grief. I really couldn’t put down my guard since Satsuki-san was the type of person to sneak in this kind of topic. But I bet she had thought something like, “Since you like these kinds of things, right?” when she made this. That person, she really branded me as a pervert after all…
Anyway, it wasn’t possible for Ajisai-san to have had her first time, right? Nope, there was no way. She was still five years old after all.
No way, right…? Eh, I got anxious now.
“Hey, Ajisai-chan.”
“What is iiit?”
Towards those pure eyes, I let out a melodious laugh and spoke.
“You told me that you had interest in cosplaying, right! So I planned to do some research on Twitter, how about that? Ahaha!”
As if I could ask her that!
I laughed and tried to fool her so she couldn’t see what was on my screen. It was possible that my phone might show some weird videos that were too stimulating for five-year-olds after all.
The little girl who laid down next to me was absorbed in watching cat videos, and sometimes she would say, “How cute~”, while smiling. The one who was cute here was you, you know? To think that she had the talent to surpass cats in terms of cuteness, it was an outstanding talent for humanity.
For now, I rummaged through my Twitter feed for cosplay images. So far, I had never really searched for them since I only looked at things that showed up on my timeline, but these costumes were really awesome, eh. Cosplayers made this by hand, right? Aah, but Ajisai-san looked like she was good with her hands, so she would probably be able to make them too.
After scrolling for a while, an extraordinarily adorable girl showed up before my eyes.
The account name was Nagipo@JKLayer. She looked young with wide eyes, and her appearance really felt like she was a fictional character that had emerged from a fictional world. She also had a huge number of followers.
I opened her account. Her latest Tweet was something that had just been uploaded twenty minutes ago. Next to Nagipo-san was a girl wearing a revealing magical girl’s costume.
Uwaa, this other girl was also tremendously beautiful...how lewd…
……...huh?
I furrowed my eyebrows. The tweet was, “Together with my friend Moon-chan! Creminage’s cosplay!”
Uh, wait, this person, she was—
………………
Satsuki-san, right?
Wait a minute. Huh? Then, Nagipo-san was...
At that moment, my phone rang. The one who called me was―Satsuki-san.
“Hiii!”
I was going to be killed!
“Waa, Re-Renako Big Sis?”
“Sorry for surprising you. Uh, it’s a call from Satsuki-san! I’m going to answer her for a second!”
I hurriedly rushed out of the futon to the place by the window. I covered my mouth and answered her call in a whisper.
“H-hello?”
“―did you see?”
Scary.
Was she a youkai?
“No, eh, what are you talking about? I have no idea. I don’t have a Twitter account.”
“I see. So you saw.”
In the first place, how? Was she watching me from somewhere? This was not on the level where I was too easy to read, right? It was practically telepathy.
“You know what to do, right?”
“...if I told someone about this?”
“I don’t have any choice. It would cost you your family.”
“What a splendidly evil thing to say…”
I groaned, and then tried to change the mood to cheer her up.
“D-don’t worry! You looked really good in that outfit!”
“....................”
“I-I beg your pardon.”
The pressure from her silence was too strong. I couldn't do anything other than apologize.
“Um, why did you do it even though you are this reluctant…...?”
“I made an agreement.”
“Agreement…? Like those magical girls’ contracts…?”
“I don’t intend to tell you the details. At any rate, just enjoy your time with Sena. The thing you need to do now is block that Nagipo@JKLayer account. That’s it.”
Tu―tu―
After saying what she had wanted to say, she cut the call in an instant.
What did she mean by cosplaying as part of an agreement…? I had no clue what she was saying.
She told me to block the account, but instead, I chose to not follow it. Then, I bookmarked the account, and also saved the image of Satsuki-san cosplaying.
Little did I know that my action today would snowball into a massive tragedy―(to be continued)
And so, I really stared hard at Satsuki-san’s cosplay picture on my phone screen, licking her all over with my gaze. After a while, the five-year-old girl I had neglected called for me, “Hey, hey.”
“Renako big sis~?” she said.
“Ah, yeah?”
I walked to the futon, sat down, and then she pulled me into a hug again. She really liked an excessive amount of skinship, eh...ah my heart was beating so fast…
“What did you talk about with Satsuki-chan?”
“Ah, no, it wasn’t something important.”
I answered her with the bare minimum answer, since I couldn’t answer with anything else. From the moment I leaked that photo, my family would face dangerous consequences.
“Muu~”
Ajisai-san wasn’t convinced with my answer, and pouted her lips. Why?!
“Is it a secret, Big Sis?”
“Eh, eeehh…?”
She stared at me from below, urging me for a proper response.
No, uh, even if you looked at me with those eyes! I couldn’t!
“I see, so it is a secret...just between you and Satsuki-chan…”
“M-my family would be taken as hostage!”
“...whatever.”
Ajisai-san turned to face the opposite direction, curling into a ball, like a sulking kid, watching a kittens' video. She was really attacking my guilt to a great extent!
“No, listen, you have it wrong! I’m not like that with Satsuki-san!”
“Cats are really cute, eh, nyaa~nyaa~”
“Ah, she didn’t listen to me, she pretended to not listen! This girl, she won’t listen to Big Sis! What a bad girl!”
Ajisai-san peeked at me and then turned around again. “...am I a bad girl…..?” she asked.
“Of course not! Ajisai-chan is the most good girl in human history! The last girl that was more good than Ajisai-chan existed almost 4,000,000 years ago!”
Her body became smaller as she hugged her knees to her chest.
“But for Renako Big Sis, Satsuki-chan is more important, right?”
“Of course that’s—!”
“Even back when she was fighting with Mai-chan, you really got along with her…”
Wh-what should I do now?
Would it be okay if I shouted something irresponsible like, “Ajisai-san is more important than Satsuki-san!” following this mood? But, I wondered…? Between Satsuki-san and Ajisai-san? No, of course both of them were important!
“I’m, uh, well…”
“......”
Unlike earlier where she enjoyed looking at me all flustered, this time she was giving off a completely different air. It was like she had discovered something she didn’t want to admit.
Ajisai-san, who was usually restrained by her identity as “Sena Ajisai”, cast her eyes down and slowly opened her mouth.
“Am I not your number one...Renako Big Sis…?”
“I, I…”
Number one was...what kind of number one…? Number one friend? Or could it be…?
No, that other option was definitely wrong. What Ajisai-san needed right now wasn’t a sensible answer. What she wanted was a feeling of reassurance where she was my number one.
Ajisai-san looked so fragile even though she was usually showered with everyone’s affection, since she was someone relied on by others. Seeing her like that made my chest twinge.
If kind words from someone like me could cheer her up, I really wanted to tell her, “You’re my number one!” no matter how many times she wanted. I really wanted to do it, but…
“Renako Big Sis, hug me.”
“O-okay…”
She opened her arms wide and then I gathered her body into my arms. Her lips rubbed against my cheek, and it made my face burn.
But I still had no clue.
Who was my number one?
If Satsuki-san and Ajisai-san both needed my help at the same time, whose hand would I take?
Perhaps, after considering a lot of things, I thought that at least I probably wouldn’t turn my back on Satsuki-san, since she looked like had fewer friends than Ajisai-san.
I was also certain that Ajisai-san had other friends she could rely on, other people who could help her.
Thinking that way, if I said something casually like, “Of course you are my number one!”, that would be an utter lie…
Feeling her body warmth, it felt like our pulse had become one.
“Rena-chan…”
“...Ajisai-san.”
Right after we called each other’s names, like making sure of each other's existence, knock-knock. Someone knocked on our door.
Ah…
“I wonder if they came to tidy up the futon.”
“......nn.”
“Ajisai-chan wants to take it easy for a bit longer, right? I’ll tell them to come later. Wait here, okay?”
Ajisai-san released me reluctantly. With her eyes lowered, she slowly said, “Big Sis...sorry for saying something weird… thank you for being kind.”
“I-it’s okay.”
“I’ll be a good girl and wait here.”
Saying those words, Ajisai-san gave me an adorable smile. That smile was so lovely that I was sure no one would be able to resist her charm...or so I thought.
Somehow I felt like she was pushing herself with that smile.
I really had no idea...what should I… This really reminded me that I was a powerless being.
I sluggishly got up from the futon and then walked to the door.
“Yes...excuse me. Umm, actually about the room...”
I opened the door.
The one who stood there wasn’t the inn’s employee―
“Heya.”
I felt like I heard the sound of stars falling, shalalan~, like a window chime.
She had tied her blond hair up, and even though one can humbly describe her appearance, the word of matchless beauty still suited her the most.
That perfect body really made you contemplate that God sure put a lot of work into creating humans...considering the perfection of her beauty. At least a girl like this wasn’t someone that you could casually meet at a random inn.
It was Oozuka Mai.
“Uwaa, a familiar face!”
“Really? Even though being one of a kind is my selling point? Have you ever met someone who looked like me?”
“I was talking about you!”
I pointed my finger at Mai. As if she was watching something interesting, she let out crisp laughter.
“Well, you’re sure being rude since you went travelling without telling me anything. So, is it okay if I join?”
“Wait, uh, wait a minute!”
I lost my chance to stop her. Oozuka Mai entered the room.
Crap. Right now―
A sleepy Ajisai-san was laying on top of the futon.
“Renako Big Sis~? Hey, hey, hurry up and get back in the futon, and give me a lot of hugs. Hey, hug,” said the perfectly adorable five-year-old girl.
“Oh?”
“...............fue?”
Mai, taken aback, exchanged a stare with the oblivious Ajisai-san.
Right after that—
“UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”
A scream I’d never heard from Ajisai-san echoed in the room.
***
“And?” I folded my arms while glaring at Mai. “Why are you here?!”
“I wanted to see the ocean.”
“You’re lying! As if royalty like you would come out of your way to stay over at this rundown inn! I’m sorry for calling this inn ‘rundown’!”
Mai made herself at ease as she settled into the tatami chair. She sipped the tea I had just brewed with a smile.
“Well, I’m glad you're still here. I was surprised when I heard that you suddenly went away on a trip with Ajisai. I have the whole day off today so I chased after you.”
“Ah, aaah.”
The mystery had been solved!
That message from my little sister last night was for Mai’s sake. That annoying pushover...!
“Who would’ve thought that there was a spy from within...”
“Haruna is a polite and adorable underclassman. She adores me and even properly called me sister-in-law.”
“So, ‘if you want to kill the commander, shoot the horse first’ tactic, eh…”
The heck with ‘sister-in-law’? I had already told her numerous times that I wouldn’t marry Mai…
I had spent an exciting night with Ajisai-san last night, but it felt like the distant past now. It was all thanks to the Oozuka World that had painted over those moments in a flash. It was the power of an absolute ruler.
On the other side, Ajisai-san had finished tidying up the futon and sat calmly with her ears still red...so this was the true meaning of “shame”...!
“Heya, Ajisai. This is our first time meeting since summer break started, huh. How are you doing?”
“F-fine…”
“I see. Anyways, about that “Big Sis” from earlier.”
“Th-that was! It was nothing!”
“Ah yes, did you know?! Ajisai-san spent a lot of her childhood in the area around here!”
Ajisai-san’s face resembled an apple again so I forcefully changed the topic. Mai chose to go along with me.
“Is that so? This town is a very comfortable place to relax. So you know the area around here well?”
“Y-yup, quite a bit...”
“Then, would you like to show us around? I like to walk around a town I’ve never been to before. Only if you’re willing to.”
“Wh-what do you think, Ajisai-san?!”
“Y-yeah, okay, let’s just do that!!”
Ajisai-san clapped her hands, appearing agitated despite smiling in desperation.
Fu. That ended well. Ajisai-san was now on the brink of self-destruction since her classmate had just witnessed her in the middle of “play”.
“Aah, of course, I won’t force you to. Each person has their own way of enjoying a vacation. One of them is, well, going on a trip together with Renako, I think? Right, Renako Big Sis?”
“S-stop that!!!”
I desperately shouted at Mai as Ajisai-san turned completely red again while trembling. Did you really intend to keep us both in anguish?
What was it? Was she annoyed because I had gone on a trip with Ajisai-san so she decided to bully us? She was really bullying us, right? I didn’t like bullies, since they were bullies.
I glared at Mai who had a bitter expression.
“Nah, um, my bad. I just got a bit lonely since you left me out. Well, of course, I’m also in the wrong since I was busy and couldn’t really get in touch…”
“N-no, it’s okay. Me too. I’m sorry, Mai-chan,” Ajisai-san said.
“It’s not something you should apologize for. I'm just being immature.” Mai said, downhearted. Being honest at times like these was one of her virtues.
In fact, I could only gaze at the scene before me where Mai and Ajisai-san flirted with each other and accept it with, “Ah...this is fine.”... Well then, it can’t be helped, I should just forgive her.
“In the first place, Ajisai-san planned to travel alone and I just joined her forcefully in the middle...so I’m practically the same as you...”
“Is that so? Then once again, can I join your trip as well?”
“Yup, of course.”
At last, Ajisai-san flashed us her bright smile, and looking at that, Mai also beamed. Even Mai would be a simple, relieved human, looking at the smiling angel Ajisai-san.
Mai stood up and looked like she was going to get ready.
“Well then, should we get ready now? The truth is I booked the next room. Err, so, where is your room, Renako?”
Mai glanced around the room restlessly.
“Where is...it’s here though?”
“....hm?”
Mai cocked her head slightly.
“But this is Ajisai’s room, right?”
“This is our room. Back there, you saw our futons lined side by side, right?”
I had a “That’s obvious, right?” tone in my words, but Mai froze solid for a while.
“......you stayed in the same room with Ajisai?” Mai muttered, gaping in disbelief. Huh?!
“That’s indecent!”
“What is?!”
“Two girls spending the night together in the same room, of course it’s indecent!”
“The heck are you saying?!”
I really couldn’t understand her!
“You really are...good grief, you really do this with everyone!”
“Not everyone! Just Satsuki-san and Ajisai-san!”
“With Satsuki?!” “Satsuki-chan too….?”
Huh?! Why are you joining in, Ajisai-san?!
Having a sleepover with a friend is normal, right…? No, well, not really?
Right. For the current me, a sleepover wasn’t something [normal], since it was an activity that was too advanced for me. Going by that reason, what I did were practically huge sins…..fufu….
Wait, this wasn’t the time to quiver in delight.
Mai placed her hand on her chest like she was about to declare something important. Then she said firmly, “I get it. I’m also going to sleep in this room.”
“You just said you already booked the next room, though?!”
“Why are you so eager to leave me out, Renako?! Is it because of my beauty?! Is my beauty really a sin, a poison for your eyes?!”
“It's because it's already written on the inn’s agreement!”
This super darling was hopeless. My words wouldn’t reach her.
See, see see? Even Ajisai-san was stunned!
“Hey, hey, you also tell Mai, Ajisai-san!”
Ajisai-san, who had been watching us arguing back and forth since earlier, realized something.
“....eh, ‘Mai’?”
“Ah.”
Right, I usually called her by ‘Oozuka-san’.
Beethoven's Symphony No.5, “Fate”, was sounding in my head.
Ah. This was the end.
“No, well, this is, uh…!”
The more agitated I got, the more the words wouldn’t come.
“We are in a relationship, called Rema friends.”
“Rema friends…?”
“R-right. Well, you see, a lot of things happened. Like, a lot!”
I really didn’t know what kind of information or explanation I should give her, so I ended up blabbering in a very nonsensical way.
I couldn’t say anything regarding Mai’s secret, and of course I also couldn’t tell her that we were temporarily in a lovers-like relationship.
Even so, I really didn’t want to lie to Ajisai-san! It was a check-mate!
Help me, Maiemon!
(TL Note: It’s a Doraemon reference, in case some of you is confused.)
“In short, Renako and I got along better after a lot of things happened...but well, Renako is a very reserved person so she wouldn’t call me by my first name and went with ‘Oozuka-san’ instead.”
A short and easy-to-understand explanation from Mai. Ah, so that much was alright?!
Ajisai-san seemed to slowly process the new information.
“Err, i-is that so? I was surprised when she suddenly called you by your first name.”
She was convinced!
That was great, really…
“How’s that, Renako? Why don’t you use this opportunity to just call me by my name even at school?”
“Impossible! The reaction from people around me would be too scary!”
“Would it? I don’t really mind it though.”
“What do you think, Ajisai-san?!”
“Errr, but, I think I can understand. You just need courage to do it, I guess?”
“I would also welcome it if you call me by my name without honorifics, you know?”
With a dazzling smile, Mai took Ajisai-san’s hand.
Ajisai-san hesitated for a bit.
“...Ma-Mai.”
“Yeah, Ajisai.”
Ajisai-san’s cheeks turned red.
“A-as expected, this is making me shy. Also, Mai-chan felt like a ‘Mai-chan’ anyway.”
“Does it?”
“Yup. You are very ladylike, someone who looks like a princess, but even then, you’re humble. So that side of you really seems like ‘Mai-chan’.”
“Well then, what if I call you Ajisai-chan next time?”
“I-it would be a bit embarrassing in its own way…”
Looking at the two of them smiling at each other, the harmonious atmosphere between these two really felt like they were a couple, prepared for their wedding ceremony.
Did you see it, MaiAji camp? Right now, a reception for the marriage between the two beauties was being held.
Enjoying my time as the wedding staff who looked over them, Mai got up with a smile.
“Well then, it’s time to head out.”
At first I was lost when Mai suddenly came and intruded on our trip, but in the end it was our usual friendly group. Mai was really something, huh.
“Yup.”
“Okaay.”
Honestly, if I played sisters with Ajisai-san for a whole day, I was pretty sure that I would end up damaging my brain and forgetting how to speak Japanese, so this was a good thing.
And with this, on the second day of our runaway trip, we left the inn to walk around the town.
***
This coastal town was also close to the mountains, so there were quite a few hills. During our walk, due to the number of steep slopes, it felt like we were hiking in the mountains. The walk was basically a workout.
At such an altitude, we could see the vast ocean stretching out before us. It was really exciting. If you lived around here, you probably got used to seeing this, but for me, this was a rare sight, which I enjoyed.
Ajisai-san led the way and Mai walked next to her. I followed along behind them.
If the three of us walked side-by-side, we would trouble other pedestrians, blocking up the path. Every time we went out as a group, I usually intentionally kept one step behind. That was something normal to do, right?
“But really, there’s nothing in this town.”
“Yeah?”
“Yup. I usually come here during summer or winter break, but since I don’t have any friends here, there aren’t many things I could do. I basically just walk around aimlessly.”
Today’s sun wasn’t as strong as usual. Nonetheless, Mai was sheltering herself under a white-laced umbrella. From her elegance and beauty, she looked like a proper lady. Mai really had a strong sense of duty since she was properly protecting her body from the sunrays. As expected from a professional model, how cool.
“My little brother had just been born so my parents had their hands full, and that was why they asked my relatives here to watch over me.”
“I see, so this town is like your second hometown, right?”
“Fufu, that’s not really wrong. I’m sorry for forcing you two to tag along on my trip down memory lane.”
Ajisai-san turned to look at me with a smile.
Shaking my head, I said, “Ah, it’s okay.”
On her other side, Mai laughed composedly.
“What are you saying? I love this. Of course I consider this a very precious time since we can deepen our friendship.”
Unlike my shoddy answer, Mai answered pleasantly, which lightened the mood. As expected from Ashigaya’s super darling.
With Mai joining this runaway trip, I felt greatly reassured by her presence. If it was only just the two of us, we probably would have spent our entire day under the covers, not leaving our room.
Right. Her existence was so reassuring, but...it also annoyed me!
“And so, where are we heading now?”
“Fufu, I wonder where? The hint is a place where I often spent my allowance during elementary school.”
“Let’s see. The art gallery?”
Going to an art gallery with an elementary school student's level of allowance...was that the story of a famed artist or what?
“Fufu. What do you think, Rena-chan?”
“Err, err, game center?”
I definitely wanted to score a point here, so I mentioned a very likely place. Compared to Mai, I understood Ajisai-san better after all!
Hearing my answer, Ajisai-san responded with, “That’s close~”. Ah, cute.
“We’re arriving soon.”
“A place like a game center, I wonder what it is. An amusement park?”
“Could it be something like that attraction they placed around Odaiba Plaza...?!”
“Can you stop raising the bar too highly?!”
Ajisai-san retorted, and it made me happy somehow.
We finally arrived after blabbering about random things.
“R-right here.”
At the corner of the street, there was a store with a rusty sign board, with gachas lined below the window of the storefront. The inside of the building was filled with displays of different products. Compared with the convenience store, it had much more variety in its products.
I blurted out in surprise, “C-candy store!”
Whoa, this was a relic from the Showa era!
It was my first time seeing this. I had only ever seen them from manga or videos.
In my hometown, if I wanted to buy snacks during my elementary school years, I just needed to make a trip to the convenience store or supermarket. This was pretty rare for me.
“So it still hasn't closed down yet.”
Ajisai-san looked relieved.
“Uwaah, amazing. This is a real candy store. Let me take a picture.”
Ajisai-san looked elated seeing my overt enthusiasm. She clasped her hands behind her back and then glanced at Mai with a complacent smile.
“How’s this? I bet the elegant and fashionable Mai-chan has never been to something like a candy store before, right?”
“Fuu.”
Mai flashed a bold smile at her.
“Too bad, Ajisai. Satsuki’s my childhood friend, and she taught me how to have fun without spending lots of money in our early days. Of course, that also included buying stuff at candy stores.”
“W-what!”
Ajisai-san widened her eyes in surprise.
“That can’t be. Even though you look like someone who would say something like ‘Without a fork and knife, how am I supposed to eat this?’ when you’re served a burger!” I played along with Ajisai-san in attacking Mai.
On a side note, I had gone to a burger shop with Mai after school before. She had eaten the burger normally.
A smile still plastered on her face, Mai closed her umbrella.
“It was something that Satsuki taught me before. Like how to use 100 yen efficiently to have a feast by choosing the right snacks. My favorite one is the potato fries.”
“Mai-chan, you’re good…!”
I was excluded since I had no idea what they were saying, but since Mai and Ajisai-san looked like they were having fun, it was an OK from me.
“Alright then. I understand now, Mai-chan.”
Ajisai-san curled her hand into a fist with eagerness and then pointed her finger at Mai.
“Let’s see who can get a better snack lineup with the budget of 100 yen. It’s a match!”
“Hohou, of course I accept your challenge. So Renako will be the judge, yes?”
“Eeeh?”
“Yup. So, the battle of choosing the ultimate snacks, starts now!”
The two of them looked like they enjoyed this with sparks flying from their eyes.
I knew about Mai’s competitiveness, but Ajisai-san unexpectedly also had this side of her.
But now if I thought about it, Kaho-chan and even Satsuki-san would probably join in on stuff like this. Being someone with a bright personality, you really needed to be someone who could go along with the mood, eh...
If so, I also needed to go along with the mood since I just performed a debut as part of an outgoing group. If I said something like, “Nah, I don’t really know about candies anyway…”, that would be a big no.
Let’s do this. With a face like the world’s snack master, I nodded with confidence.
“Leave it to me. But let me say this, I'm really picky when it comes to snacks. I can easily tell the difference between lightly salted snacks and consommé-flavor snacks with my eyes closed. By the way, my succession rate is around 80%.”
“I can also do that though?!”
I received another retort from Ajisai-san again. Kuh, my body was really brimming with happiness…
The two of them entered the store, and I followed behind.
Since the store offered a huge range of products, I saw a lot of snacks I had never seen before. Eh, how small! These were cute. It was like a confectionery factory run by dwarves.
It looked like a snack corner in the supermarket, but somehow—how should I put this—it felt nostalgic? I wondered if this sense of familiarity was already engraved on the DNA level for us Japanese people.
Holding a small basket, Ajisai-san shopped around the store, sometimes saying, “Waah, I ate this often,” with a smile.
“Somehow I get the feeling that Ajisai-san has the same expression from when we went to the department store and general store. You have it now in this store.”
“Eeh? Is it weird?”
Ajisai-san patted her cheeks lightly. I shook my head.
“That’s not what I mean. Err, it’s like, everything really feels like Ajisai-san, with a high favorability rate…”
“High? I see. That’s good then.”
Ajisai-san smiled and gave me the peace sign, showing her joy. To think that this adorable creature was choosing adorable snacks, it was the pinnacle of cuteness.
“You see, somehow I really like it when I need to choose a few options from a lot of things. It’s like it gives me a feeling of luxury since I often have trouble deciding on what I want.”
“Oo, Ajisai-san, this one look pretty good, this chocolate stick.”
“If so, it would be better if we pick this 25-yen chocolate since it allows us to pick other items, so we can thoroughly enjoy other kinds of flavour~”
“I understand, Ajisai-paisen.”
On the other side, with a serious face like she was in the middle of trading stocks, Mai diligently inspected each product.
I thought she was carefully deciding the greatest lineup, but instead she muttered, “Hohou, I never had this one…” So she was engrossed in choosing things she’d never eaten before?!
But this was really peculiar.
If I was by myself and ended up in front of a candy store, I bet I would have felt uneasy and embarrassed to enter since I was already in high school.
But since I was together with Ajisai-san and Mai, it became something like a youth memory trip during high school’s summer break.
I wondered why. Was it because of their aura…? When they were together like this, the store felt like it was a filming location.
I went to stand next to Mai as she was browsing through the aisles.
“What kind of snacks did you usually eat when you were a kid?”
Rather, did she even eat snacks in the first place? She really didn’t look like someone who snacked often in her free time, but she often brought stuff like Pocky to school though.
“Let’s see, something like ‘Big Katsu’?”
“It’s that thing in your hands though?!”
It was frightening when I imagined she ate something like Big Katsu in her luxurious living room. Wait, no, it suited her…? Mai who drank Ramune soda while eating snacks. Mai sure had that side of her.
“That’s a joke. I often ate sweets that were delivered directly to my place.”
“You had sweets delivered to your house?! Like Choco-Pie?!”
“No one sent Choco-Pie. They were mainly from people at work, like popular sweets from popular stores. There were a ton of things I wanted to try, but since I’m a light eater I couldn’t finish them by myself. Because it would be a waste, I had to give them to our hired help before they expired.”
“I see.”
“It really made me guilty when there was a lot remaining, so I never really bought sweets myself. That’s why it makes me happy when I can pick snacks by myself like this. Fufufu.”
Mai’s eyes crinkled as she laughed.
Could it be that Ajisai-san had already foreseen this and that was the reason she had proposed this match…? I wasn’t sure. At least I understood that Ajisai-san wasn’t Satsuki-san, so she didn’t have any intention to inflict mental anguish on Mai, to make her grovel on the floor for the sake of having her taste the flavor of defeat.
Sometimes I thought that the relationship between Mai and Ajisai-san was quite mysterious. I wondered what they truly thought of each other. From my point of view, they looked like a long-time married couple and really suited each other.
As I was thinking about this, Mai and Ajisai-san had finished selecting their ultimate lineup.
After paying the old lady at the cashier, the three of us exited the store.
There was a bench right in front of the store, so we sat side by side while basking in the sun just like three cats.
“Well then, Rena-chan. This is my pick.”
Without delay, Ajisai-san revealed the contents in her plastic bag. There were three items inside.
“Marshmallows, potato fries, and this cotton candy thing that pops inside your mouth when you eat it.”
I see. These choices closely suited Ajisai-san. (?)
“Sweet, then salty, then followed by a stimulating sweetness. It’s a plan to make Rena-chan become a captive of snacks.”
Next to me, Ajisai-san revealed a rare expression of confidence, the corners of her mouth lifting sharply.
Compared to what had happened this morning, seeing her proud face touched me deeply, since yesterday she looked like she had hit rock bottom in terms of her self-confidence.
This change was definitely nice, right? Ajisai-san, how nice…
My big sis act was quite worth it. Huh, was it?
After Ajisai-san showed her lineup, Mai sounded rather taken aback.
“I see, so you chose those snacks.”
“Hm?”
“What is it?”
“Look at this.”
Mai showed us her plastic bag with four items inside.
There was Ramune Japanese soda candy, something that looked like a tiny serving of yoghurt, and then also marshmallows and potato fries. Both Mai and Ajisai-san looked at each other.
Then the two of them cracked up.
“We picked similar stuff.”
“Yeah, we did.”
Seeing them like that, I ended up laughing too.
We were really laughing at something peculiar in front of the store. We had turned into a trio of suspicious high school girls.
“Haah.”
Mai let out a huge sigh.
“There’s no other choice. It’s a tie, then.”
“Umm, too bad. Even though I was sure that I could beat Mai-chan.”
Oh?
“I thought you’re someone who doesn't really care about something like that.”
I also nodded at Mai’s words. Even our table tennis match last night was me forcing her to compete. I always thought of Ajisai-san as someone who preferred peace rather than the battlefield.
“Eeh? I have moments when I get pumped up, you know?”
The pouty five-year-old Ajisai-san spoke again, “For example…”, but then she stopped.
Slowly, she averted her eyes and her cheeks reddened.
“...for example...it’s a secret.”
“Mu. You make me curious.”
Mai was...well it was obvious when her opponent was Satsuki-san, but she unexpectedly had a tendency where she liked to tease others. She once again tried to urge Ajisai-san to speak.
But Ajisai-san didn’t budge and turned her down, “Nope, you can’t know.” Ajisai-san’s stubbornness was also quite remarkable. These two were pretty similar in their own way.
The air between them wasn't dangerous like a serious argument. It was just a “Say it,” “Don’t wanna,” kind of playful bickering. Since the ones bickering were Mai and Ajisai-san, it felt so striking. I hoped we could stay like that forever.
While I wallowed myself in contentment, someone called out to us.
“Oh, are you...?”
I turned my head to the source of the voice. It was an older man with a good physique. He was looking at us, surprised.
Oops, was this the usual occurrence where Mai’s identity was exposed…?
It was unlikely that he was hitting on us but I wanted to be prepared to flee in case something bad happened. Right when I thought of that, the uncle called her name.
“Could it be that you’re Ajisai-chan?”
“Eh?”
Ajisai-san looked surprised at first, but then looked like she realized something.
“Ah, could it be that you are...Uncle Suzuki?”
***
Turned out that Ajisai-san had often chatted with him during her time in this town since she always explored this neighborhood. The two of them launched into a conversation like, “You sure are grown up, eh?” “It’s been a while, Uncle!”
He was a stranger so I became more timid than usual, but it was nice seeing the two of them talking about their nostalgic memories.
“Uncle Suzuki owns a photo studio nearby, and he often took pictures of the kids around this area for their shichi-go-san.”
“I remember every kid I took a picture of. Among these children, you sure have grown into a striking beauty. Ah, could it be that these girls are your friends? Everyone sure is very beautiful.”
“Hehe…”
(TL Note: Shichi-go-san is a ceremony for shichi (seven)-go (five)-san (three) years old children.)
I was only able to respond with a polite laugh. The conversation progressed.
Let’s drop by that photo studio!
Ajisai-san told us, “I kind of want to look at the old photos.”
Mai also agreed, “Sounds fun. Let’s do that.”
It had already been decided, eh…
“Ah, but, are you okay with this, Rena-chan?”
“Eh?! Of course! Let’s go. I want to go!”
No matter how pathetic I was, I wouldn’t faint speaking to this uncle! If I was that weak, I would’ve passed out every morning on my commute to school!
Umm, but, Ajisai-san’s shichi-go-san picture, eh.
Eh?! I really wanted to see that!
***
“Uwaaa………...how adorable…”
It took us about five minutes to walk from the candy shop to the photo studio after we rounded the hill. We arrived at the photo studio, located in the shopping district.
The store next to it sold school uniforms, and right across it was a salon. Around half the stores in the shopping district had the shutters down.
We entered the studio, and inside I saw many wedding photos, coming-of-age ceremony photos, family photos, and the photos of children during their shichi-go-san.
To find a single photo in the huge wall of photographs would be a hard thing to do, but...I found it with a single glance. Of course it was impossible for a big sister to fail to notice her little sister.
A seven-year-old Ajisai-san was wearing a kimono, her hair decorated with a pretty accessory. She held a candy typically sold during the shichi-go-san festival in her hands, and had a smile on her face.
“C-cu...cu, c-c-c-cute…”
“Th-that’s embarrassing, Rena-chan…” Ajisai-san said in her hazy voice behind me. I got too absorbed looking at the picture before me.
Ha! She was so cute I almost hyperventilated.
“I-it’s not like what you think, I’m not a lolicon! It’s just, I got too excited since Ajisai-san as a kid looks super adorable! It’s not like I have any weird...kuh! This picture has an extremely destructive power! This is the true five-year old Ajisai-san…!”
“Since it was taken during the shichi-go-san, I think she’s seven years old in this pic.”
Beside me, Mai gently pointed out from the picture. I know. It was just a figure of speech!
“Haaa, Ajisai-san has always been adorable. Even back then…”
“Am I, I wonder? Uuuh, how embarrassing.”
Ajisai-san flapped her hands as she fanned her face.
Crap. If the one who had gotten into the futon together with me and called me “Big Sis” was this seven-year-old Ajisai-chan, I would definitely build an empire just for the two of us inside the futon...I would definitely do anything...if it was for Ajisai-chan’s sake, I would do anything I could manage to do…
It wasn’t like I was a lolicon though! It was just like how babies used their cuteness to siphon out the affection from adults around them for the sake of their protection, right? The feeling in my chest was the same as that! (Fast-talk)
Right, it couldn’t be helped! In front of little girl Ajisai-san, it was a given that everyone would definitely become a lolicon! (Snapped out)
Haaah. I was so extremely glad I tagged along on this runaway trip! My massive gratitude toward God!
I didn’t move from the picture, not even an inch. The uncle spoke to us again.
“Ah right, how about a photo?”
“Ah, that’s a nice idea.”
Even though I had behaved like a totally reserved girl, due to my current excitement I instantly agreed with his suggestion.
But it sounded great, right? Having little girl Ajisai-san’s picture next to the high schooler Ajisai-san’s picture, it would mean world peace! (?)
But unlike what I had thought, the uncle standing in the middle of the studio looked in our direction.
“Since it’s a rare chance, why don’t you take the photo together with your friends?”
That was what he said.
No, no. nope, no no, definitely no.
I stepped back with all of my might. Imagine me standing between Mai and Ajisai-san...right, it would be horrible. I would definitely decrease the value of the picture.
Unlike me, Ajisai-san agreed, clapping her hands, “Ah, sounds nice!” What should I do?!
Help me, Maiemon!
Understanding the plea in my teary eyes, Mai sighed and gestured like she didn’t have another choice. And then, with a voice quiet enough for only me to hear, she whispered, “Honestly, I would also like to take a picture with the three of us, though?”
“I would be okay if it’s just a picture…! But he’s going to put them up in his gallery later. I can’t handle that…!”
“Good grief...”
Mai patted my head, and then her lips formed an affectionate smile.
“So you're already this skilled at making me spoil you like this, eh...”
My face felt hot in an instant.
Wh-who, who was so skilled at making you spoil me?! I was handling things smoothly with Ajisai-san before you came! You’re wrong! You’re totally wrong!
I was just, uh, aiming to become an independent normie, and I was in the middle of making it come true! It didn't mean that I needed your help for that! Kuh, you...! Hey, are you listening to me?! I didn’t say any of this loud though!
“Well, Ajisai, let’s take it with only me for now.”
Slapped with a sense of defeat, I could only listen to Mai’s request in frustration.
Kuuh...since she was here, I had ended up relying on her too much. I needed to do some deep self-reflection after this...!
Nonetheless, Ajisai-san easily accepted her request, “Yup, okay”, really reflecting her good side. If she had responded with a face like, “Haa? Party-pooper,” I would rather die. Ajisai-san didn’t snip off the strands of my soul, how nice of her.
Haaa…...for now, let’s calm down.
Ajisai-san and Mai stood in the center of the studio, behind them a white background screen and fancy lighting above their heads. The uncle held a splendid camera in his hands, and he looked through the viewfinder.
“Ooh? Oozuka-san, could it be that you’re used to getting your photo taken?”
“Right, a bit.”
With a smile, Mai struck a proper pose. As expected, she was awesome.
Just like the fashion show last time, she really pulled people into her world when they laid their eyes on her. The Mai standing before the camera was really powerful.
Even Ajisai-san looked like a regular high-schooler when she stood next to Mai.
Uwaah, Mai...what a fearsome person…
They took a few shots, and then both Ajisai-san and Mai returned to me.
“Fuu, that was nerve-wracking.”
“Doing things like this is pretty interesting once in a while.”
“Y-yup. Both of you look very cute!”
Hearing my totally fangirl-like compliment, Mai flashed me a confident smile and said, “Thank you,” while Ajisai-san, appearing bashful, replied, “Thanks,” with a small smile.
We browsed around the gallery for a while, and then like reminiscing about something, Ajisai-san spoke.
“Actually, I just remembered that I cried a lot here.”
“Eh, really?”
“It was terrible. Right, uncle?”
Agreeing with Ajisai-san, the uncle said, “Ah, that time,” with a bitter smile.
It was a story from around ten years ago, but it seemed that they still clearly remembered it.
After that, we parted ways with the uncle and headed back to the inn after we filled our stomach.
While walking, Ajisai-san recalled what had happened back then.
“Both my parents were too busy to take care of my little brothers, so they asked my relative to take care of me. On top of that, even during the shichi-go-san, my little brother broke a fever and they couldn’t come so I was left alone. ‘Geez, why was this happening~~~’ was what had been on my mind back then. I think I was really irritated back then.”
Before we left the studio, Ajisai-san had offered to pay Uncle since he had taken the photo of Mai and Ajisai-san, but he declined her payment.
In fact, since it had been a while and he was glad to see Ajisai-san healthy, he took the picture out of gratitude after not seeing her for so long. So he turned down Ajisai-san’s offer and promised to send the picture to us later.
“Back then, Uncle was trying his hardest to calm me down. He said, "Let’s take Ajisai-chan’s photo at your cutest so your parents will regret that they couldn’t see you in person." It was because of those words that I got worked up to appear as cute as possible.”
The town was now basked in twilight, and the ocean began to change into a scarlet color.
It was a breathtaking view but the light was too dazzling. I blocked the reflected rays with my hand.
“And then it became that picture. They even covered the trace of my tears with makeup. Back then, I disliked it when I wasn’t a priority, so I said a lot of selfish things, and troubled a lot of people. Now I kinda remember everything.”
Ajisai-san stuck out her tongue.
“I felt like I had only showed Rena-chan and Mai-chan weird things since earlier.”
“Is it weird?”
Hearing my question, Ajisai-san answered like she hid something behind that smile. “It is, I think.”
Both today and yesterday, Ajisai-san saw my embarrassing sides, but in exchange, I had also come to understand Ajisai-san better, which made me happy.
Well, these were my own feelings, though.
If, by any chance, Ajisai-san saw my social recluse side and still responded with, “But I’m glad since I could know you better,” with a smile, it was not impossible that I would pierce my own belly.
Humans weren’t creatures that could live only by showing their true feelings.
Even Mai couldn’t help but show her fabricated side in school. Humans truly were complicated beings.
When we made it back to the point where we could see the inn, Mai tilted her umbrella and opened her mouth.
“Still, today isn’t over yet, you know?”
“Which means?”
Mai didn’t say anything. We could vaguely hear the sounds of the festival.
Huh, the sounds of the festival? Ah, right.
Ajisai-san also looked like she figured it out. It had really slipped our minds that they were holding a festival this evening.
Mai nodded her head.
“That’s right, I was really looking forward to it. Of course, you two are going, right?”
“Yup!”
Ajisai-san nodded excitedly, and I also copied her.
But...festival, eh.
I really wanted to see these two wearing yukata, especially since we were going to a festival… But well, we weren’t in the position to indulge ourselves in luxury, since we hadn’t prepared for that.
“Ah, could it be that there is a yukata rental shop nearby?”
“I wonder. Let’s ask the inn staff, shall we?”
“R-right, let’s do that…”
If it was for the sake of seeing Ajisai-san in a traditional yukata, I would do anything even if I had to talk to strangers…and I wouldn’t rely on Mai this time!
“Aah, about that.”
When I had steeled myself to do something like that, Mai called after us and smiled.
Right, it was the same smile she had whenever she was thinking something like, ‘I’ll form a better plan next time to surprise her!’. The smile that was born thanks to her pure intention to surprise Satsuki-san.
“My bad. I already prepared them.”
“Huh?”
*****
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