Part-1 Ch-03 Ep-04

The uncle called out that customer traffic had slowed down for the moment and we could take a break, so we gratefully accepted the rest time.

The two boys were apparently staying behind at the tent to help the uncle.

I really envy their stamina.

My legs were already exhausted from standing so long, something I wasn’t used to.

“Let’s go,” Maki said, and we walked together along the path lined with food stalls.

A humid, pressing heat enveloped us, a different kind of sticky warmth from what clung to us inside the tent. 

Since the uncle had packed okonomiyaki and yakitori for us, all we needed to buy were drinks.

When I asked, “Is there anywhere you want to look around? Should we sit somewhere and eat?” Maki only said “Mm” and kept walking straight ahead.

Pulling me by the hand.

Her purposeful stride made it feel rude to question her, so I followed quietly.

After a while, a small staircase appeared off to the side of the stall row, leading up a little hill. At the top was a tiny shrine precinct. I wondered if it was a branch shrine of some god, but it was dark and hard to tell.

Maki sat down first on the stone steps and said cheerfully, “Todoroki-kun told me this is a hidden spot. It’s quiet and the fireworks look amazing from here.”

“Fireworks…?”

“Come on, Mari, remember how the reason we got our break during fireworks time is because customers thin out?”

Ah, right.

Of course there would be fireworks at a festival.

I finally understood.

“Then I feel kinda bad for Todoroki-kun and the others. They probably wanted to watch too.”

“Those two said they aren’t really into that sort of thing. They told us to go ahead.”

I sat down on the steps, thinking that maybe later I should buy them beef steak skewers or meat-wrapped rice-ball skewers, things they’d probably enjoy. The cold drink felt perfect against my overheated body.

“Ahh, juice tastes so good.”

“It really does.”

“I’m tired.”

“So tired.”

Cold juice on a hot day, the pleasant weariness from working, and even these completely empty exchanges—all of it felt fun when it was with Maki.

“So? Was your first part-time job fun?” she asked, and I answered, “Of course. I’m with you,” which made her cheeks turn slightly red. So cute.

Maki moved the drinks and food that sat between us aside and scooted closer.

Once our sides touched, she softly rested her head on my shoulder with a gentle koten.

A warm body heat, different from the summer heat, settled on my left shoulder.

“It’s starting soon,” Maki murmured, and just then there was a whistle in the air and a huge flower of light bloomed in the sky.

I couldn’t help letting out a small cry at the enormous firework that slowly rose and then slowly scattered.

“They’re so pretty.”

“Yeah. Really pretty.”

“…Maki, are you actually watching the fireworks?”

“I’m watching you.”

Sometimes Maki says things like this as a joke.

When I went “Mou*,” pretending to be annoyed, she giggled “fufu*” and finally turned her gaze toward the sky.

[T/N*- nothing to point out here , but still it's Japanese cutesy noises.]

While watching the fireworks, I felt Maki’s right pinky lightly touch the pinky of my left hand.

It might not have meant anything, but it made my heart flutter.

It fluttered, yet I didn’t feel like pulling away or pressing closer.

In that comfortable distance, the words slipped out: “I’m glad I could watch with you.”

I truly meant it.

“Let’s watch together again next year. We’ve watched every year until now, after all.”

Yes—through middle school, through elementary school, every year we had come to the festival and watched the fireworks like this.

But.

“U…m, yeah, sure.”

“What’s wrong?”

After summer break, more capture targets would appear.

And then someone might catch Maki’s interest.

When autumn comes, winter passes, and the next year arrives, next summer she might be watching the fireworks like this with one of those capture targets.

“Mari? What’s wrong? You’re making such a serious face.”

Maki tugged on my sleeve, and only then did I realize my brows had furrowed without my noticing.

“No no, it’s nothing. Just…”

“Yeah, what?”

“I just thought… I wish this fun time with you, this moment right now, could keep going forever.”

That’s unfair, isn’t it—words that probably wouldn’t make sense to Maki.

For this moment to continue forever would mean Maki and a capture target would never end up together.

That wouldn’t be good for Maki.

It would only be good for me.

It was a selfish wish.

But even so, those words that slipped out were a piece of my real feelings.

I want to keep playing at being childhood friends, just the two of us, for a little longer.

So unfair, I muttered this time only in my heart, and Maki placed her hand on my cheek and said, “It’s not unfair.”

Then her face slowly drew closer and she kissed my cheek with a soft chu.

“So soft…”

“That’s your reaction?”

Maki let out a small laugh as if exasperated, and at that exact moment the alarm signaling the end of our break rang.

I tapped my phone to stop it and held out my hand to Maki. “Shall we head back?”

“Yeah,” she said, naturally taking my hand. With our free hands we each held a plastic bag full of trash and stood up.

On the way back to the stall tent, I couldn’t stop thinking about what Maki had just done.

It was the first time Maki had ever kissed me.

Even if it was just on the cheek.

We had never done that kind of skinship before.

Not in middle school, not in elementary school, not even when we were much younger.

The thought I’d had before summer break resurfaced in my mind.

Has Maki ever liked someone?

Has she ever felt heartbroken, or felt her chest ache?

Has she ever shown that defenseless expression she made when she kissed my cheek to someone else already?

“Mari, let’s make lots more memories while we’re in high school, okay?”

“Yeah…”

The summer of our first year of high school had only just begun.

End of Chapter 3