Ōtsuki Haruto Having finished his report to Ikue, Haruto was now in Ayaka’s room, studying beside her. Stopping her mechanical pencil, which was moving across her notebook, Ayaka said, “Sorry about Ryōta going wild,” with a wry smile. Remembering her little brother proudly declaring he would save money for the two of them, Haruto also paused his studying and scratched his head with one hand, looking a little embarrassed. “No, well, I don’t mind. Actually, I’m pretty happy about it… I guess.” Both Ryōta and Ikue had blessed the news of Haruto becoming Ayaka’s boyfriend from the bottom of their hearts, hearing that made him feel incredibly happy. “Although talk of marriage and all that feels a bit too soon, doesn’t it?” “Y-yeah, you’re right! Marriage is still way too soon for us!” said Ayaka, agreeing, while glancing at Haruto out of the corner of her eye to gauge his expression. “But, Dad seems to really like you, Haruto-kun, so it might get intense when he gets back from his business trip.” “That… is true. I’m very happy that he likes me, but…” Recalling Shūichi’s reactions so far, Haruto offered a slightly troubled smile, saying, “Shūichi-san is coming back this weekend, right?” “Yeah, that’s right.” “Okay then, for the last housekeeping job, everyone will be here.” The housekeeping part-time job he started during summer vacation. Although it started as a short-term job to save for college tuition, he had spent an eventful summer vacation, getting liked by the Tōjō family and signing a regular contract, and even getting into a fake relationship with Ayaka. That summer vacation, which had felt so long, would end this week. “Somehow, this summer vacation felt really long,” murmured Haruto reflectively. Ayaka nodded deeply, replying, “I know, right? It felt super long
for me too, but it was the most fun and happiest summer vacation I’ve ever had.” Saying that, Ayaka leaned her weight against Haruto, resting her head gently on his shoulder. “And now, I’m so happy to be your girlfriend, Haruto-kun…” “I feel the same way. But, I never thought that starting a housekeeping job would lead to me dating you, Ayaka,” said Haruto, gently stroking the head of the girl who was leaning sweetly against him. As he softly combed his fingers through her hair, Ayaka narrowed her eyes blissfully. “I’ve been dreaming that this would happen for a long time, you know?” “Really? But we had no connection at all before summer vacation, did we? We’d never even had a proper conversation.” “But even if we hadn’t met during summer vacation, I think we would have met somewhere and ended up like this.” “Is that… what they call fate?” “Hehehe… maybe?” Perhaps feeling embarrassed by her own words, Ayaka blushed and smiled shyly. Her adorableness made Haruto’s heart rate climb. Faced with the devastating power of Ayaka’s charm as she gazed at him from so close, he reflexively averted his eyes and changed the subject with “By the way, there’s a fireworks festival tomorrow, right?” Ayaka let out a small “hehe” at his blatant change of topic, but confirmed his question with a “Yeah.” “If you want, would you like to go together?” “I’d love to!” exclaimed Ayaka, responding to Haruto’s invitation with a huge smile. Then, she showed a slightly relieved expression, adding, “I’m glad. Thanks for inviting me.” “Were you, by any chance, waiting for me to ask?” “…Yeah,” nodded shyly. “Watching fireworks side-by-side with the person I like has always been a dream of mine, so I was hoping you’d ask me, Haruto-kun.” Looking utterly delighted, she rested her chin lightly on Haruto’s shoulder. “Thank you. For inviting me.” “No, well, yeah…” said Haruto while averting his gaze due to being faced with the beautiful girl’s smile so close by. In response, Ayaka puffed out her cheeks slightly. “You told me yesterday you wouldn’t run away anymore…”
“Ugh…” Hit where it hurt, Haruto turned his head, face flushing red, and met the gaze of the girl right in front of him. Seeing Haruto meet her eyes, even with his face beet red, Ayaka also blushed and gave a smile mixed with shyness and happiness. Her smile sparked a slight sense of rivalry in Haruto. “Ayaka, are you aware that you’re cute enough for the guys at school to call you the school idol?” “Hh… The only thing that matters to me is what you think of me, Harutokun.” Ayaka reacted to Haruto’s word ‘cute’, her lips unable to suppress a smile as she threw back a touchingly sweet comment. He gave a wry smile at her actions and words, which had been steadily raising his heart rate. “I’m a guy, you know. If you come on too strong, I might just want to act on you, you know?” Haruto quickly brought his face close to Ayaka’s and lightly pulled her slender waist toward him. Then, he whispered in a slightly lower voice. Instantly, Ayaka turned so red, all the way to her ears, that he seriously thought steam might come out. “Wh-!? Th-that’s…” She hurriedly pulled her face away from Haruto’s shoulder and flusteredly distanced herself. “W-well, not right now… it’s… I-it’s not that I don’t want to, Haruto-kun… but… still… b-but, I-I’m not mentally prepared… but, um… ugh…” Ayaka, speaking in broken fragments, eventually just looked down at the floor. Seeing her like this, Haruto wore a faintly satisfied expression. Back when he went to the movies with Ayaka on their first date, Haruto had tried to counter her by squeezing their joined hands, only to be utterly defeated. He wondered if he’d finally gotten his revenge, letting his competitive side show. “I want to treasure you, Ayaka, so I would never suddenly pounce on you.” As Haruto smiled softly to reassure her, Ayaka stared back, her face as red as a tomato. Her eyes were slightly moist, and combined with her upward glance, the destructive power was extraordinary. “…So, does that mean you will pounce on me if it’s not sudden?” “Wh-… No, regardless of whether it’s sudden or not, I’m not going to pounce on you in the first place.”
“Hmm… I see…” Ayaka stared at him, her head tilted down slightly, her expression seemed relieved, yet at the same time, held a hint of dissatisfaction. To Haruto, it was so enchanting that it felt dangerous. He averted his own crimson face from Ayaka’s dewy gaze. Haruto had been a little aggressive, making her heart race, and he thought he had won. But in the end, he had been defeated again. “R-right, we need to get serious about studying.” Ayaka nodded at Haruto’s monotone statement and turned back to the table, saying, “…You’re right. I have to get over eighty points and get my reward from you, Haruto-kun.” “Oh yeah, we did make that promise, didn’t we…” With everything that had happened, from Ayaka trying to kiss him to his confession, Haruto had completely forgotten. “If I get over eighty on everything, I wonder what kind of reward I should ask for from you, Haruto-kun,” she said with a slightly mischievous smile. “Huh? You get to decide the reward, Ayaka?” “Would you not like it if I decided?” she said cutely, tilting her head to the side. It was a very calculatedly cute gesture, but on Haruto, it was super effective. “I don’t mind, but please keep it within the realm of common sense.” “Of course, I’ll think about it properly within the common sense of an average couple, okay?” Ayaka said cheerfully, but Haruto felt a sliver of anxiety. Through their “relationship practice,” Haruto had come to realize that her standards for a relationship were a little, no, quite far from the norm. What kind of reward would she demand based on those skewed standards? “Make it something I can actually grant, okay?” “Uh-huh. It’ll be fine.” Ayaka still wore a cheerful smile. Her smile only made Haruto’s anxiety grow. After that, the two diligently buckled down and studied seriously. The time passed 2:30 PM, nearing the time for his housekeeping duties. Ayaka, having reached a good stopping point in her studies, stretched with a “Mmm~.” Beside her, Haruto also rolled his neck to loosen the stiffness. “But right, school starts next week…”
Haruto muttered to himself, then turned to Ayaka as if he’d just remembered something and said, “By the way, what should we do about going to school? Wanna walk together?” Ayaka’s face lit up for a moment at Haruto’s question. But it was immediately replaced by a troubled look, replying, “I want to walk to school with you! But…” She wore a very conflicted expression. Since the popularity of the girl known as Tōjō Ayaka at school was nothing short of incredible, she was so immensely popular with the male students that one had even used the school’s PA system to call her out and propose. What would happen if that school idol were to show up on the first day after summer vacation, holding hands affectionately with a male student? “…It would cause a huge commotion, wouldn’t it?” “Well, there are probably a lot of guys who like you, Ayaka.” The gazes mixed with envy and jealousy he received just by standing next to her, the thought of those eyes being on him all day at school, made even Haruto’s expression cloud over a bit. “But, how should I put this… I like you so much, Ayaka, that I don’t think I’d care if people looked at me with envy or dislike… so, um, I think I’d want to be with you normally at school, too?” said Haruto shyly. Ayaka’s eyes widened, and as if overwhelmed with emotion, she threw her arms around him. “Y-you! Saying something like that all of a sudden is against the rules!” Though that’s what her mouth said, her expression had gone completely soft. Perhaps to hide her embarrassment, she pressed her forehead firmly into Haruto’s bicep for a moment before slowly pulling away. “So, what do you want to do at school, Ayaka?” Haruto asked, unable to stop a smile from spreading across his face at her adorable reaction. “I want to be with you all the time too, Haruto-kun! I do, but…” Ayaka’s expression darkened slightly as she began to speak. “Actually, there’s something I’m a little scared of… You see…” In a slightly somber tone, Ayaka confided a past event to Haruto. It was about an incident in middle school when she had a falling out with a friend over a boy’s confession. A friend she had been close with until then had suddenly yelled at her, “Don’t steal the guy I like!” and they had grown distant.
That event was the cause of Ayaka’s current behavior at school: acting completely uninterested in romance, not letting boys get close, and rejecting all confessions. Creating a dry impression regarding romance at school was her own way of protecting her friendships. “So… if it gets out at school that I’m dating you, Haruto-kun, I’m a little scared that girls who like you will get mad at me again…” “I see…” At Ayaka’s weak voice, Haruto pursed his lips and hummed in thought. He himself didn’t think any girls liked him that way, so he thought Ayaka’s worry was unfounded. However, he also understood from his own experience that past trauma wasn’t something that could be so easily shaken off. For his part, Haruto had a strong desire to spend his school days together with Ayaka. If he were the only target of envy, Haruto could steel himself and walk to school with Ayaka. But if doing so would make Ayaka the target of jealousy or ruin her friendships, then he had to be cautious. “So, maybe we should hold off on suddenly walking to school together…” “…Yeah. Though really, I want to declare to the whole school, ‘Harutokun is my boyfriend!’” “That’s a little embarrassing…” spoke Haruto while blushing and scratching the back of his head with one hand. Seeing that, Ayaka also smiled, looking a bit amused. “But, for now, let’s keep our relationship a secret at school, okay?” After saying that, Ayaka added, “Besides, I kind of have a kink for it…” “A kink for it?” “Yeah, you know. Spending time together as a couple at school while trying not to let anyone find out, it’s a common situation in romance manga and stuff.” “Oh… well, is that so?” Haruto, who didn’t read much of that genre, tilted his head slightly and gave a vague response. “So, after summer vacation, we’ll act like we’re just acquaintances at school for the time being?” “I guess so. I’ll have to be careful not to hug you in the classroom, Harutokun,” said Ayaka with a serious expression. Unsure if she was joking or serious, Haruto’s expression twitched at her words.
“Even if we were publicly a couple, please don’t suddenly hug me, okay? If you did that in front of everyone, a lot of things might just explode.” A guy being hugged by the school idol was a case that guaranteed a pummeling from the entire male student body. “Haaah… I don’t want summer vacation to end…” she said, sighing with a troubled look. Haruto said encouragingly to her, “ We have the fireworks festival tomorrow. For now, let’s just look forward to that.” “Yeah! You’re right!” At his words, Ayaka’s expression instantly brightened, and she gave Haruto a smile that was almost blinding. ※※※ The day after he promised to go to the fireworks festival with Ayaka, Haruto was working hard at sparring practice at the Dōjima Dōjō. His sparring partner was Ishigura. The match between the two, who boasted top-class skills in the dōjō, was quite intense, with offense and defense switching at a speed too fast for the eye to follow. As he expertly parried Ishigura’s relentless stream of attacks, Haruto felt that his body was lighter than usual. Lately, his mental state had been unstable, either unable to concentrate due to his troubled thoughts about Ayaka, or, on the contrary, trying to throw himself into practice with a single-minded focus to avoid thinking about her. However, now that he had finally become Ayaka’s real boyfriend, his distractions were swept away. This was the reason for Haruto’s improved movements. Faced with Haruto’s sharp movements, Ishigura found himself on the defensive, yet his expression was one of great enjoyment, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit. In response, Haruto also raised the corners of his mouth in a smile, his sharp gaze fixed on Ishigura. Haruto and Ishigura, rivals whose skills had been evenly matched since they were young, had spurred each other on. The two were about to escalate their already heated battle, but just then, a timer sounded, signaling the end of the sparring session. The two immediately took their distance and bowed deeply to each other. “Thank you very much.” — “Thank you very much.” With this, today’s practice at the dōjō came to an end. “Hey, Haruto. You were pretty good today, weren’t you?”
“Thanks. Thanks to you, Kazu-senpai, a lot of my worries have been resolved.” Ishigura hung a towel around his neck and wiped the sweat streaming from his forehead as he spoke to Haruto. In response, Haruto also smiled with a refreshed expression. “Are those the worries you were moping about alone in the park that night?” “Yeah. Thanks to you back then, Kazu-senpai, um… I got a girlfriend.” Haruto said, his face flushing slightly with embarrassment as he scratched his cheek. Yesterday, in his discussion with Ayaka, they had decided to keep their relationship a secret at school. However, it was impossible to hide it completely. So, they decided to confide in those closest to them. In Haruto’s case, that was his best friend, Tomoya. In addition, he decided to tell his dōjō companions, Ishigura and Shizuku, about his relationship with Ayaka. At Haruto’s words, Ishigura smiled and said, “I see.” “That’s great. Congratulations.” “It’s all thanks to your lecture back then, Kazu-senpai.” “It wasn’t much of a lecture; I didn’t say anything that great,” replied Ishigura with a slightly embarrassed smile. The tense, strained atmosphere from their sparring session had completely changed, and the two were now conversing in a friendly mood. Just then, Shizuku, with her usual expressionless face, popped her head out in front of Ishigura. “Kazu-senpai, what’s with that evil smile? Did you figure out a way to destroy humanity?” “Stop making me sound like a demon king every single time,” he shot back. It was the usual retort to Shizuku’s standard joke. “Haruto got a girlfriend. I was just congratulating him, it’s got nothing to do with the survival of humanity.” “Oh? Haru-senpai has a girlfriend…” At Ishigura’s words, Shizuku’s perfectly shaped eyebrows twitched, and her gaze shifted to Haruto. “Could it be that this girlfriend is Tōjō-senpai?” “Well, yeah. That’s right.” “I see… so that means I should become Haru-senpai’s mistress, is that right?”
“No, I don’t get what you mean.” Haruto’s understanding couldn’t quite keep up with Shizuku, who spoke as if she were saying something perfectly reasonable, and he denied her words a bit too quickly. “Then… second wife?” “Now I’m even more confused.” “Hmm… then a concubine?” “No.” “How about a consort?” “Am I a feudal lord?! All of those are wrong!” Haruto couldn’t help but retort to Shizuku’s stream of jokes, as the two were having this exchange, Ishigura chimed in nonchalantly, “If Haruto were a lord, he’d probably be a foolish one, hahahaha.” Haruto shot a light glare at Ishigura, who was laughing cheerfully. “If I became an empress, I’d work you to the bone, Kazu-senpai,” teased Shizuku. “Oh yeah, bring it on. I’d overthrow you in an instant.” “Kazu-senpai’s face is already like a coup d’état. It’s so menacing, even Oda Nobunaga would be surprised.” TL/N: “Coup d’état” is a French term meaning “government overthrow” or “political coup”—a sudden, non-democratic seizure of power, often involving military or political force. “Who are you calling the Sixth Heaven Demon King?!” “Please don’t burn down this dōjō, okay?” “I wouldn’t!” Though her face was expressionless, Shizuku’s voice was full of amusement as she relentlessly teased him. Having had her fill of fun with Ishigura, she turned her gaze back to Haruto. “But Haru-senpai, you’ll have to come to this dōjō even more seriously from now on.” “Hm? Why is that?” “Because, if you’re dating Tōjō-senpai, you’ll be hated by all the guys in school, and they’ll attack you, you know? It’s a guaranteed street fight behind the gym every day after school.” Shizuku went to the same high school as Haruto. Therefore, she fully understood just how popular the person known as Tōjō Ayaka was. “Even if you knock them down, you’ll definitely be constantly attacked by boys crying tears of blood.”
“Our high school isn’t a den of such a martial arts-crazed group,” said Haruto looking exasperated, but unable to completely deny her words, he quietly added, “Well, something similar might happen, but…” “What? Is Haruto’s girlfriend so famous that it would cause such a fuss?” said Ishigura looking at Haruto with a curious expression. Since he went to a different high school than Haruto and the others, he had no idea what kind of person Ayaka was. “Well, famous, or rather, how do I put it…” “Tōjō-senpai is a beauty who can rival even me.” Shizuku placed her hands on her hips and, for some reason, proudly explained to Ishigura. At her explanation, Ishigura looked skeptical, “Rival you…?” At his reaction, Shizuku’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s with that look, Kazu-senpai?” “…No, well. You do have a nice face when you’re quiet… Yeah.” “Huh? I’m cute even when I’m not quiet,” she said with a slightly sharp edge to her voice, despite her expressionless face, and let out an exaggeratedly loud sigh. “But I guess it can’t be helped. As a demon, Kazu-senpai has different tastes from humans. Can’t be helped.” “That’s the kind of thing you do, you know!” Ishigura retorted with the very face of a demon king to Shizuku, who was shaking her head as if to say, “oh well.” Haruto’s expression softened at the usual conversation between the two. “Well, for a while, we plan to keep our relationship a secret at school.” “…Hmm.” Shizuku, who had casually brushed off Ishigura’s retort, replied to Haruto’s words with a somewhat displeased tone. “Are you okay with that, Haru-senpai?” “No, I’m not, but…” “Could it be that you’re chickening out because you’re scared of the other guys’ jealousy?” she said while giving him a pointed look. Haruto then shook his head. In response, he said, “That’s not it. Well, I don’t like being envied, but… It’s a problem with Ayaka’s friendships. If it becomes public that we’re dating, her friendships might fall apart, and she’s apparently scared of that.” “Oh, I see, so that’s what it is…” At Haruto’s explanation, Shizuku nodded as if she understood, then looked down as if deep in thought.
While Shizuku sank into a sea of thought, Haruto checked the time on the clock hanging on the dōjō wall, realizing he needed to go, he said, “Oh, I have to go home now.” Haruto had a promise to watch the fireworks with Ayaka today. After his morning practice at the dōjō was over, he had to go home for a bit to shower and get ready. “Oh, are you going on a date right away?” Ishigura asked as Haruto hurriedly started to pack up. “Yeah, I have a promise to watch the fireworks with her today.” “Oh right, there’s a fireworks festival today.” Ishigura said as if he had just remembered. “Haru-senpai, please get me a candy apple as a souvenir.” After him, Shizuku, who had surfaced from her sea of thought, raised a hand and casually made a request to Haruto. “…Alright. Is one enough?” Haruto gave Shizuku a pointed look but tried to fulfill her request. “No, no, I’m just kidding, of course.” “You joke around so much normally that I can’t tell the difference between your jokes and your real feelings.” As Haruto said this with a wry smile, Shizuku tilted her head expressionlessly. “I rarely ever joke around, you know? I’m always serious.” “That’s the kind of thing you do, you know.” Haruto threw the words Ishigura had said earlier back at her. In response, Shizuku pouted her lips with a “hmpf.” “Haru-senpai.” “What is it?” “Couples should just go explode.” Shizuku puffed out her cheeks and pouted, her face looking displeased despite the limited emotions it showed.
“You’re popular too, you know. If you wanted to, you could get a boyfriend right away and be one of those normies, right?” “Hmph, so you’re going to say things like that, senpai,” she said while pouting even more sharply. “Haru-senpai.” “Hm?” “Congratulations on your girlfriend.” “Even if you say it with that face… well, thanks.” For the usually expressionless Shizuku, her current expression—cheeks puffed out like a hamster and lips pouted like a parakeet—was anything but congratulatory. Haruto said his thanks with a conflicted expression, checked the time again, and hurriedly tried to leave the dōjō. “Well then, Kazu-senpai, Shizuku, see you next time.” “Yeah, enjoy your date.” “If you eat too much for lunch, get a stomachache, get stuck in the bathroom, are late for your date, and get scolded by Tōjō-senpai, please contact me. I’ll comfort you.” “That’s less likely to happen than the sun rising in the west.” While retorting to Shizuku’s joke, Haruto headed for the entrance hall. He heard the pleasant conversation between Ishigura and Shizuku from behind him. “Shall we go see the fireworks too?” “Hmm, so we’re going to go kick some normie butt. As expected of Kazusenpai, a truly demonic idea.” “That’s not it! I was asking if you wanted to go to the festival together!” “I see, I thought you were asking me to be your accomplice in a plan to make the normies explode.” “You, you…” Listening to their comedy routine, Haruto left the Dōjima Dōjō for his date with Ayaka. Walking home from the dōjō, Haruto squinted at the strong sunlight beating down from above and pulled his smartphone out of his pocket to check the time. It was just past eleven o’clock. If he went home now, made and ate lunch, and got ready, it would be just the right time. As Haruto was making plans in his head, a message notification appeared on his phone’s screen. He reflexively tapped the notification and opened the messaging app.
──What time do you think you can come over today? The message was from Ayaka, sent along with a sticker of a rabbit peeking out from behind a wall. The fireworks festival being held today had many food stalls set up, making it like a festival. The fireworks were scheduled to start at seven o’clock, so he planned to go earlier and tour the stalls with Ayaka. ──I’ll pick you up at your house at four. The fireworks venue was a few train stops away. Considering travel time, looking at the stalls, and securing a spot to watch the fireworks, Haruto told her the time he would go to her house. ──Okay!! Then I’ll get my yukata ready for then!! A reply came from Ayaka right away. Seeing its content, Haruto couldn’t help but smile. Ayaka, whose looks were so outstanding that she was called the school idol… I wonder how beautiful she would be if she were dressed up in a yukata. The main charm that drew Haruto to her was not her appearance, but her inner self. However, for him, who was also quite attracted to Ayaka’s beautiful appearance, just imagining her in a yukata made the corners of his mouth turn up. Haruto desperately suppressed the grin that was trying to form on his lips and sent Ayaka a sticker of a bear giving a thumbs-up. Then, he quickened his pace a little more than before and hurried home. When he got home, Haruto quickly finished his lunch. Normally, he would stand properly in the kitchen and make a decent meal, but today his grandmother was at work, and the desire to see Ayaka as soon as possible won out, so he settled for instant noodles. After that, he took a shower and used styling products to fix his hair. “It’s running out soon, isn’t it…” Haruto looked at the small container of hair wax in his hand and muttered to himself. Normally, he didn’t use styling products, so he was still using the hair wax he had bought with Tomoya in his third year of junior high. Even though he had bought the smallest container, he had been using it for over two years. But since meeting Ayaka, his consumption of it had increased considerably. “I need to buy a new one…” He wanted her to have a good impression of him, even if just a little. He wanted her to think he was cool.
The girl known as Tōjō Ayaka was someone who could captivate all the male students. To be a person worthy of standing next to Ayaka as her boyfriend, a man who was her equal, he couldn’t neglect the effort to polish both his appearance and his inner self. Above all, he couldn’t take for granted the fact that she liked him. Staring at his reflection in the bathroom mirror, Haruto made this resolution. Just then, Haruto suddenly noticed something. The inside of his house had become dim. “Did it get cloudy…?” Haruto stood by the window with a curious expression and looked outside. According to the weather forecast he had seen in the morning, it was supposed to be clear all day today. Despite that, the sky was now covered with thick, heavy, dark clouds, blocking the summer sun. “I have a bad feeling about this…” muttered Haruto with a grim expression. The recent thunderstorm flashed through his mind. A sudden bout of bad weather caused by the unstable midsummer climate, not mentioned in the forecast. Thinking back now, it might have been a good thing for Haruto, as it was what had allowed his relationship with Ayaka to move forward. However, for the two of them, who were now a real couple, an unforecasted rain was nothing but a nuisance. “Please, don’t rain,” uttered Haruto as if in prayer. However, contrary to his prayer, the sky gradually worsened, and Haruto’s anxiety grew, and just as he was about to leave the house to pick up Ayaka, large drops of rain began to pour down from the black clouds that had gathered in the sky. “…This is the worst.” The intensity of the rain instantly grew fierce, and the inside of the house was filled with the sound of the strong, pounding rain. Looking out the window, the rain was so intense it blurred his vision, relentlessly beating against the ground. If he were to go out now, even with an umbrella, he would probably be soaked in a matter of seconds. “Give me a break…” said Haruto as he glared resentfully at the incessantly falling large raindrops. Just then, the notification sound of a message arriving on his smartphone rang out. ──It’s started to rain… A message from Ayaka. Her anxiety seemed to bleed through the text.
Haruto replied with a difficult expression. ──It’s a sudden shower. It might stop soon. ──You think? I hope so… Wanting to dispel Ayaka’s anxiety, Haruto sent a positive message. However, as if to mock his efforts, the weather only worsened, and eventually, even thunder began to roar. ──Do you think it will stop by the time the fireworks start? At Ayaka’s message, an image of her with her eyes downcast, worried about whether they could have their date properly, rose in Haruto’s mind. ──I’ll check the weather for a bit. Haruto immediately checked the current rain cloud situation online. Then, he checked the rain clouds in the area where he lived and grimaced. “Ugh… it’s bright red…” On the site Haruto was checking, precipitation was displayed in different colors, and the area where they lived was displayed in red, the color for the heaviest rain. “When is this rain going to stop?” he said as he looked at the movement of the rain clouds for the next few hours. According to the site’s forecast, the rain was expected to continue. “Seriously…” Haruto scowled. Just then, another message arrived from Ayaka. ──I looked at the weather forecast too, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to stop for a while… That message was sent along with a sticker of a rabbit with teary, on-theverge-of-crying eyes. ──Maybe we should wait and see for a bit… ──It’s okay, you don’t have to force yourself to come pick me up, I’m totally fine with meeting there. ──Yeah, in the worst-case scenario, let’s do that. If the rain continued like this, going to Ayaka’s house before heading to the fireworks venue might make them late for the launch time. The noisy sound of the rain, which filled the house without a break, made Haruto’s anxiety grow. If it had been sunny, he would have already left the house to pick up Ayaka. And yet, the rain showed no sign of stopping. “…Is this divine punishment?” Haruto muttered to himself, his eyes darting between the wall clock and the window outside.
Was God angry that he was dating Ayaka, a girl so beautiful it was no exaggeration to call her a peerless beauty, thinking, ‘You’re not worthy of her’? The weather outside was raging so fiercely that it made him think so. Eventually, the time came when they should have been on the train heading to the fireworks venue. Outside, it was still raining heavily. “…Are they even going to have the fireworks festival?” Feeling doubtful, Haruto checked the official fireworks festival website. At the top of the page, in red letters, was the message: [Regarding the Postponement of the Event due to Inclement Weather]. It explained that due to the lack of foreseeable improvement in the weather, and with a thunderstorm warning and heavy rain advisory in effect, the event date would be postponed for safety reasons. Haruto was stunned by the unexpected postponement of the fireworks festival. Just then, his smartphone’s ringtone sounded. Checking the screen, it displayed “Ayaka,” and Haruto immediately tapped the screen to start the call. “…Hello?” “Ah, Haruto-kun… it seems the fireworks festival has been postponed…” Her listless voice made Haruto’s spirits sink as well. “Yeah, I just checked the website, too.” “…It’s a shame.” “It is. But it’s postponed, not canceled. Let’s go together next week.” “Yeah… yeah, you’re right!” she said in a bright reply. It was so obvious that she was forcing herself to be cheerful that a frustrating feeling welled up in Haruto’s chest. “We can watch them together next week! If you think of it as having more time to get excited and look forward to it, it’s not so bad, right?” Her forced cheerfulness made Haruto feel unbearable. “And you get to imagine me in my yukata for a whole week! Though it’s a little sad we can’t meet today…” “Ayaka…” “Oh, but you shouldn’t leave the house today either, Haruto-kun. If you go out in this weather, you’ll get soaked and catch a cold again.” Haruto, who had gotten sick before from wearing a half-wet shirt, couldn’t argue with her words.
“Oh, I know. Can I come over to your house tomorrow, Haruto-kun? I want to properly report to your grandmother that we’re a couple now.” “Yeah, that’s fine. I’m sure Grandma will be happy too.” “Then… see you tomorrow.” “Yeah… right. See you tomorrow.” Haruto ended the call with Ayaka, feeling a sense of reluctance. As he placed his smartphone powerlessly on the table, a loud sigh escaped him. Haruto leaned against the wall of his room, looked up at the ceiling, and closed his eyes. Behind his closed eyelids, the image of a sad-looking Ayaka appeared. Just then, Haruto remembered. A few days ago, when she had tried to kiss him, and he had run away from it. The expression he had seen on Ayaka’s face then. “If this keeps up, I’ll be breaking my promise…”, he murmured as it mixed with the noise of the rain crossing the room. When he confessed to Ayaka, Haruto had made a promise. He recalled their conversation at that time. “Ayaka, I promise. From now on, I won’t run away. I won’t make you sad.” “…Really?” “Yeah. Never again, absolutely.” Her voice on the call had been bright. As the image of Ayaka holding back her sadness and trying to be strong formed behind his eyelids, he opened his eyes and stood up. “Alright.” Haruto gave himself a small pep talk, did a quick search on his phone, packed a few things he could take from home into his backpack, and headed for the entrance. Then, grabbing the umbrella that was leaning there, he braced himself to get soaked and dashed out into the still-heavy rain.