Chikasugiru Karera no, Juunanasai no Tooi Kankei [LN] V2 Chapter 1.10

Chapter 1 - After The End Of The Rainy Season

After leaving the park and briefly looking at the stalls in the alley, we entered the neighboring shrine. It was late afternoon, and the summer blue sky was gradually changing to a deep purple with hints of night. The stalls were lit by warm-colored light bulbs, and from the elevated grounds of the shrine, the golden city could be seen in the distance.

Walking around the shrine grounds for a bit, we found an empty bench. I asked Tachibana and Nagai to sit on the bench and save the place for us, and Yuriko and I headed for the food stall where my brother was helping his friend to get yakisoba. At that moment, I heard a voice from the crowd say, "Oh, it's Kenichi-kun and Yuriko-chan,". I looked back and saw a little girl with pitch-black bob-cut hair and a yellow ribbon tied around her head. It was Miyuki-chan, Yuriko's cousin.

"Oh, Miyuki-chan, you're here too. It's been a while," Yuriko said.

Miyuki-chan is a friendly girl, and even though I have only met her once, she was still saying to me, "It's been a long time,". Then, "Kenichi-kun and Yuriko-chan are on a date?" she asked us in a straightforward tone, with no intention to tease us. I almost coughed unintentionally, but when I replied, "No, we're not,"

"Eh, we're not? That's terrible," Yuriko responded in a strange way, covering her mouth with her hand and making a sad expression on her face. What a tiresome act, I thought, but...

"Kenichi-kun, you're terrible."

Miyuki said as if she was following the flow of the conversation.

"Really. Miyuki-chan, don't fall for such a terrible man."

"I'll be careful."

Miyuki-chan nodded her head.

I can't say anything. As expected, they were perfectly in sync with each other since they were related by blood. After that, Miyuki-chan explained to us that she was going to meet up with her teammates after the show.

Miyuki happily said, "Get along well, you two," and walked to the back of the crowd. "Bye-bye," Yuriko also waved her hand beside me, looking somehow satisfied.

I handed Nagai and Tachibana the yakisoba that my brother had given me, and when a nearby bench became available, I left Nagai and Tachibana together while Yuriko and I sat there.

"Ryuuichi-kun's yakisoba is simply delicious." 

Yuriko mumbled as she ate the yakisoba my brother had cooked.

"Yeah."

"He really can do anything."

"He's not a very good soccer player, and he likes women."

"Oh. Brotherly spirit?"

"Shut up."

When I said that, "Fufufu," Yuriko snickered and wriggled around.

"But when I think about Izumi-san, I'm glad Ryuuichi-kun lives alone."

"......Yeah. I think so. Mom said she wouldn't have taken care of Izumi if Ryuu-kun had been there."

"Hmm. So it's all right if it's Kenichi. Auntie trusts you a lot, doesn't she?"

"No. Mom told me a lot of things before she came. She told me not to get too close to her. I think she was worried about me. The room where Izumi is staying didn't have a lock before, but I bought one at a home improvement store and installed a new one."

"......But you guys are so close to each other. It was like you were really relatives."

"We really are relatives. Although it's thin, we're also related by blood."

When I said that, Yuriko lowered the pack of yakisoba noodles in her hand onto her lap, looked at me, and said.

"Then you won't fall for her, will you?"

I was hit by a surprise and had yakisoba noodles stuck in the back of my throat. There should be no pause in this talk. Instinctively sensing this, I swallowed down what I had caught and said, careful not to let my words tremble.

"---We're a relative, so I'm not going to have that kind of relationship with Izumi." 

After I finished, Yuriko quickly took her eyes off me and let out a breath. Then,

"I wonder if it's true."

Yuriko muttered to herself.

At that moment, Tachibana and Nagai, who were sitting on the bench next to us, got up and walked toward the stall.

When I looked at the sky, dusk had deepened again without me knowing it. The sky, which had been tinted red and purple, had turned blue-gray, and the thick summer shadows had melted away in the evening darkness. The noisy cicadas had now been replaced by the evening cicadas. The strong sunlight was gone, and the temperature seemed to have dropped considerably.

We kept silent and somehow watched Nagai and Tachibana's backs, which we could see through the crowd. Then, Tachibana quietly grasped Nagai's hand. I was inwardly surprised, and Yuriko said beside me.

"I told her. I told her to at least grab his hand, because you have to be the first to make a move against someone who is ambiguous." 

Yuriko then leaned in so close to me that our hips were almost touching.

"Hey, Kenichi, you haven't forgotten about the other day, have you?"

I was taken aback and looked at Yuriko's face. Yuriko's face was right in front of me. Her face was shaded in thin darkness, so I could not read the emotions behind her face.

"You know. When things have returned to normal lately, you seem to be trying to pretend that it never happened."

"No, that's......"

"At that time, I was a little out of my mind. I was thinking a lot of things and my head was all messed up. But I was serious."

Yuriko looked me in the eye and said that.

"I understand why you are attracted to Izumi. She's a nice girl, and the way she looks, her taste in clothes, and the way she talks, she seems to be very appealing to men."

Then she let out a single breath. I felt her warm breath on my skin from my chin to my neck.

"You will answer me, won't you? We can't stay in a relationship like we were in elementary school forever. We're going to be seventeen. It's time to get that straightened out."

Her dark eyes reflected me and the lights of the surrounding stalls and lanterns. She looked into my eyes, as if trying to see through me. In the distance, the sound of drums continued to echo.

"---I know."

I squeezed out my words and replied that. Then, Yuriko quickly moved away from me, and said in her normal, casual tone of voice, as if the previous conversation had never taken place.

"I'm thirsty. I'm going to get something to drink."

She stood up and started walking alone. A lantern just ahead of her casts a dim light. The chirping of cicadas overlapped with the sound of drums.

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A short time later, Tachibana and Nagai returned. They were no longer holding hands. Tachibana and Nagai were in the same mood as before. We went back to the park and spent some time buying snacks at the food stalls and watching the event on the turret. Yuriko and I acted as usual, not mentioning the fact that they were holding hands.

After seven pm, the sun had set entirely. We decided to go home, and parted from Nagai and Tachibana at the entrance to the park. Yuriko then sent a message to Izumi, asking her to meet her. A little later, Izumi came to us. Hoshino-san was not around, and Izumi was alone.

When I asked her, "Where is Hoshino-san?" Izumi replied, "We just parted ways,". I said, "I see," and we started walking. We soon arrived at the intersection where we parted ways with Yuriko. Yuriko turned to face us.

"Bye, Izumi-san, Kenichi. I enjoyed the day." 

Saying that, she waved her hand in a small gesture.

"Me too. Thank you very much."

Izumi put her hands together and bowed.

"Then, Kenichi, don't forget about earlier, okay?"

Yuriko said with a smile. Izumi tilted her head, but was not interested, perhaps thinking it was none of her business.

I nodded, "Yeah." Yuriko said, "See you later," and walked off on her own. The red and orange lights of the festival lanterns dimly illuminated the street, and the sounds of festival music still echoed around us.

"Let's go home, too," Izumi said, and we started walking toward our house. On the way, Izumi told me that she had introduced Hoshino-san to my brother, and that the uncle at the food stall had given them more chocolate bananas. As we walked, the streets became less and less crowded, and the festive atmosphere gradually faded away, and by the time we were getting closer to home, Izumi put her hand over her mouth and yawned a little.

"Somehow, I'm getting sleepy," Izumi said.

"We've been outside since this morning. I'm a little tired, too."

"I think I'll sleep well tonight."

Saying that, Izumi gave a soft smile.

There were a few white stars in the night sky that looked as if they were dotted with paint. Low in the sky, light gray clouds were slowly drifting by.

End of Chapter 1