#233

---

I looked around while taking a momentary rest under the shade of the trees with the noise and clamor as my background music.

Although it was unnecessarily noisy, it became valuable when I considered the fact it was a part of this event.

 

As I exhaled with an empty cup in my hand, I heard footsteps treading on the grass from behind me.

I turn around to see the person and found that Kirasaka was replaced by Shizuku, who was looking at me with a smile on her face.

 

“Is it okay to take a rest?”

 

“…Then is it okay to not take it?”

 

Shizuku walks up to me with a drink in her hand, which she must have purchased before arriving here, and gently reaches out to me.

I grabbed her hand without refusal and was about to ask her something as I stood up.

But she smiled, as if to say that it was unnecessary.

 

“I’m looking forward to the best break of my life from here on out.”

 

“Is that how you see it…?”

 

Excessive expectations will put pressure on me, so please don’t do that.

Well, it’s not like Shizuku is expecting a gentlemanly response from me.

Around us… it’s a long-standing rule of thumb.

 

I lightly brush the dust off my uniform next to Shizuku, then turn my attention to her.

When our gazes met, she pulled back her arm as if to say she had been waiting for me.

 

“Let’s go! I want to go to the shopping district!”

 

“Ehhh… but it’s far.”

 

“Don’t we have our own buses?”

 

When I was silenced by the legitimate argument, Shizuku smiled smugly and proceeded to walk towards the main gate.

I had no choice but to follow her, so I followed her behind like a ghost.

Let’s forget about that…

 

We boarded the bus that was waiting at the main gate until the next departure time, and sat down side by side.

We had nothing much to say to each other, so we both watched the people visiting the festival from inside the bus.

 

A moment of silence followed, and then the bus engine started.

The driver announced that the bus was bound for the shopping district, and as it started to drive away, Shizuku murmured quietly.

 

“I’m looking forward to it…”

 

“It’s my first time to go to the shopping district for a cultural festival.”

 

“Yes…”

 

A little, it feels like the distance between us has shrunk ever since she said those words.

I looked next to her with only a glance, not turning my face to the side, and she was smiling and clasping her hands in her lap.

 

I watched the townscape flow by through the bus window, and in less than ten minutes, the entrance to the shopping district came into view.

The bus stops at the designated spot, and the people sitting in the front get off one by one.

 

We got off the bus as well, and found that the entrance to the shopping district was decorated in a different way than usual.

The word “Sakura Matsuri” was written in cherry blossom colors on a signboard.

 

We entered the shopping district, feeling somewhat pleased that they had chosen Sakura instead of Kikyo.

 

“It’s a great success!”

 

“…Looks like there are more people here than in our high school.”

 

People, people, just people!

The mayor must be chuckling somewhere at this right now.

 

The shopping district, which is in full swing, looks different from usual.

Both sides of the street were lined with stalls, just like at a summer festival, and even in front of a supermarket, people were selling skewers and other items at a discount.

 

Since the shopping street is mainly for eating and drinking, all the stores were lined with many attractive products at this time of the day.

Shizuku must have felt the same way, and her eyes lit up as she scanned the surroundings and moved her head around.

 

“Where shall we go then?”

 

“…”

 

I answer after a short pause to Shizuku, who looks up at me with such a shining gaze.

 

“Let’s go to Uncle’s first, shall we?”

 

“Yes, we should go there first!”

 

Shizuku nodded and started to walk ahead.

A wry smile unintentionally spills out at the figure of her grabbing my uniform around the elbow as she proceeded.

 

I wonder why they grab uniforms, both Kirasaka and Shizuku?

It’s not like I’ll run away.

 

The shopping district is comparatively older, but there are many junior high school students among them.

The boys’ eyes were on Shizuku, but she didn’t seem to mind and continued on her way.

 

About halfway down the shopping street, the familiar old fish shop came into view.

With its fragrant aroma wafting in the air, they probably were selling seafood skewers.

As the two of us stood in line at the shop, the old man noticed us.

 

“Oh, isn’t it Minato and Shizuku-chan!”

 

“Yo…”

 

“Hello.”

 

I raised my hand and Shizuku responded with a small bow.

With a smile that didn’t seem to fit his strong face, the old man handed the item to the customer in front of us and spoke to us.

 

“What, just the two of you on a date? How nice to be young.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

…I just came to the store during my break.

You don’t have to thank him while smiling either Shizuku…

 

You don’t even get uncle’s jokes, do you?

He’ll take it seriously, and I’ll have to deal with the hassle of being teased later.

While the two of them were having a pleasant conversation, I decided to ask for a proper order.

 

“Two scallop skewers”

 

“Aiyo, I’ll cook delicious food for the cute boy and the young lady.”

 

Thinking about it, it had been a long time since I had a casual conversation with Uncle like this.

Even at the summer festival, he threw some serious words at me.

I wonder if he was happy that I came together with my childhood friend to the store, as good friends.

I felt a little sorry if I had him worried.

 

While waiting for our order to be ready, Shizuku looked around happily.

I also looked around with curiosity at the unusual shopping street.

 

After all, this street with many meat shops is strictly prohibited to enter when hungry.

There are plenty of things that can make you fat.

Shizuku is a girl, so she must be extra cautious in this area.

She seems to calculate her calories or something.

 

Girls are amazing, aren’t they?

They’ve got a spirit of steel, suppressing their greed and taking care of their diet.

 

Then again, I feel that the moment a trendy food is discovered, that suppression is reduced to nothing… I wonder if that is a kind of reward for perseverance.

It’s hard to say something…

 

“Look, it’s Uncle’s special grilled scallops.”

 

“Thanks, here’s your money…”

 

“I can’t take any money from someone like my grandchildren, just eat it!”

 

He pushed back the money I had offered and said so.

I checked behind, but since no one was lined up, I decided to accept the courtesy.

I handed one of them to Shizuku, who smiled and thanked me as well.

 

“Thank you very much!”

 

“Thanks …then, good luck.”

 

I turned back and thanked him, and the old man smiled with a puckered expression on his face.

He let out a hearty laugh in a voice that must have come from his depths and said a few extra words as he looked over at us.

 

“Enjoy your date!”

 

…Let’s stop because there are eyes around us.

Not only me, but Shizuku’s face was red too.

 

But it’s not a bad feeling to still be treated kindly by someone who has taken care of you since you were a child.

I waved my hand appropriately and left with a wry smile on my face, and Shizuku chuckled as well.

 

Sitting on a bench on a street in the shopping district, chewing on a freshly grilled scallop, Shizuku reveals her feelings in a gentle tone of voice.

 

“They are good people, all of them in this shopping district.”

 

Before reaching Uncle’s store, I was approached by many other stores.

A meat shop owner, a kimono vendor, a fruit and vegetable vendor, and a candy store owner also approached me.

 

They have been using this place for a long time, and since they have known us since we were young, they are kind to us as if we were their own children.

That’s why we can’t help but feel indebted to the people who work in this shopping district.

 

Many people say they don’t like the countryside because it is inconvenient, but I, on the contrary, don’t dislike the close relationships that exist here in the countryside.

I think this is because they are older than my parents.

 

“It’s even more now when I come here, …the only one’s I seem to remember are the ones who I meet alongside Minato-kun.”

 

“…It’s because we’ve known each other since childhood.”

 

The order of magnitude of the time we shared is different from other students.

The amount we know is also different, so it’s not surprising that the ones that remain in your memory are the ones with me.

 

But I knew that was not what she meant.

She knew, and the words spilled out of her mouth unconsciously, as if to go unnoticed.

 

“I have lots of friends. There have been many fun and exciting things… but the things that remain in my memory are only the casual things I did with Minato-kun.”

 

“…”

 

“I am sure that if other people heard about me like this, they would think I am a terrible person.”

 

She looked up at the sky, her expression was clear but her voice sounded very sad.

There were no other students from our school nearby, and since I was next to her, her innermost worries were spilling out.

 

So I’m responsible for making sure I hear it.

I’m the one who is still not giving answers and creating ambiguity in the relationship.

 

“What should I do for …everyone, for Minato-kun?”

 

The gaze directed at me was very fragile, tinged with a pale light.

Her arms were held tightly, pleading for an answer.

 

Comforting words would not solve her problems.

That is why I thought about it in silence.

 

And when I slowly opened my eyes and met hers, I quietly decided to tell her my thoughts without a single lie or pretense.

---

: Cliffhanger-kun strikes again!! ---