Chapter 68 – Summer Festival (2)
The sound of drums and the melody of flutes echoed from somewhere in the distance. The lanterns hung overhead shone brightly, and the shopping street was lined with numerous festival stalls.
As evening approached, the temperature began to cool. Crowds gathered in front of the many stalls, and the mouthwatering aroma of dishes like yakisoba and takoyaki filled the air. The lively and dazzling atmosphere of the summer festival made our hearts race as we walked through the crowd.
“Whoa, check this out! They've got everything! Target shooting, ring toss, yo-yo fishing!”
“Calm down, Nishikawa. What’s with the 'whoa'? I’ve never heard you make that sound before.”
“Ryusuke, you should remember this. When Kyoya gets too excited, he starts making weird noises.”
“Hey, cut it out, Reo. I'm just getting carried away with the festival vibe, that's all.”
“Isn't that what people generally call ‘getting excited’?”
“Shut up. You were just saying ‘Wow, candy apples!’ a minute ago.”
“W-well, so what? What’s wrong with me getting excited about candy apples?”
“Heh, you’ve had a sweet tooth since you were a kid. Every time you see something sweet, your eyes light up. You glutton.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at Nishikawa's excitement and Reo's unusually talkative demeanor. Mashiro also smiled at their exchange.
After Mashiro and I met up at the plaza, Reo and Nishikawa joined us, and together we headed to the festival grounds.
Both of them were completely mesmerized by Mashiro in her yukata, and Reo kept praising how cute she looked.
True to his role as the ideal best friend, Reo’s compliments were natural and free of any pretense.
Although Mashiro looked a bit shy from all the praise, she smiled happily, making her look even cuter—and I couldn't help but be captivated by her too.
Nishikawa, on the other hand, was so nervous around Mashiro’s overwhelming cuteness that he stiffened up like a robot, moving awkwardly the entire time. It was quite the effort just to get him to the festival, but now that his attention was focused on the bustling stalls and crowds, he seemed to have regained some composure.
And now, the four of us stood amidst the noise and excitement of the summer festival.
Just as Nishikawa said, there were all kinds of stalls lined up.
There were the classic goldfish scooping stalls, as well as ones for candy molds, super ball fishing, and target shooting. Both kids and adults were thoroughly enjoying themselves.
There were also plenty of food stalls selling things like frankfurters, yakitori, and cotton candy, all emitting such delicious aromas that my stomach was almost growling.
The atmosphere of the town was completely different from usual, and the festive air only made us more excited.
“All right, Nishikawa, Reo, that’s enough. We’re here to enjoy the festival, not argue. Let’s settle it at that goldfish scooping stall, shall we?”
“That’s a great idea, Mashiro. A competition to see who can catch the most with a single scoop sounds fun.”
“That does sound fun. I’d love to join.”
“Not bad. I’ve been good at this kind of thing since I was a kid. I’m not planning on losing.”
With Mashiro’s suggestion, we made our way to the goldfish scooping stall.
There was a large tank filled with beautiful red and black goldfish swimming around. It looked like a scene from a treasure trove, and Mashiro’s clear blue eyes sparkled at the sight.
“Wow, look, Ryusuke! This one is super cute! And that one over there looks kind of bold!”
“Yeah, they’re all really pretty. Even though they’re all goldfish, they each seem to have their own unique charm.”
“You’re right. Each one has its own personality, even if they look the same. It’s kind of fascinating.”
“Heh, I’m all about the black ones. They’ve got that lone wolf vibe going on, which is pretty cool.”
The four of us gazed at the tank, then paid for our scoops and bowls.
“I’m going to go for this one. Its tail flutters so elegantly—it’s adorable.”
“I think I’ll go for this one. It’s the most confident-looking one, and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to grow big.”
“Heh, Reo, you’re as analytical as ever. Well, I’ll take this black one. It looks like the liveliest of the bunch. All right, let’s do this.”
With our sights set on our chosen goldfish, we each found a spot around the tank and began scooping.
Nishikawa had boasted about being good at goldfish scooping, and he wasn’t lying. With practiced ease, he scooped up his black goldfish and made a triumphant pose.
Reo was taking a more cautious approach, waiting for the perfect moment to make his move.
Mashiro, however—she aimed carefully, but when she lowered her scoop into the water, she made a huge hole in it, letting her fish escape.
Watching the goldfish swim away, Mashiro slumped her shoulders in disappointment.
“Oh no, it tore... Ryusuke, my scoop broke… and my goldfish…”
“You’re great at sports, Mashiro, but you’re surprisingly bad at things like this. Don’t worry, leave it to me.”
“Okay… Thank you, Ryusuke…”
Seeing Mashiro’s sad expression, I took my scoop and focused intently on the goldfish.
Even though I’d just said “leave it to me,” I’d hardly ever done goldfish scooping before either.
I’m good at video games, but when it comes to goldfish scooping, I’m pretty much a novice. Even in my past life, I’d never had many opportunities to see goldfish up close like thism
But still, Mashiro was counting on me. I’d promised myself that I’d help her create the best summer memories, so I couldn’t back down here.
I focused all my attention on the goldfish with the fluttering tail that Mashiro had her eye on. Then, when it rose near the surface and stopped moving—
“Now!”
Without applying too much force, I smoothly slid the scoop under the goldfish. Before it could tear through the paper, I quickly transferred it into the water-filled bowl.
“Wow, Ryusuke! You caught it so quickly!”
Mashiro’s eyes sparkled with excitement as she watched me in awe. She clasped her hands together, grinning happily.
Feeling a bit embarrassed by her gaze, I looked down at the goldfish in the bowl. There it was, swimming lively with its long, fluttering tail.
Thank goodness… I was relieved that I’d managed to catch the goldfish Mashiro had wanted.
After handing the bowl to the stall owner, the goldfish was placed into a water-filled plastic bag.
I handed the bag to Mashiro.
“Here, Mashiro. This is for you. Take good care of it.”
“Huh? Are you sure, Ryusuke?”
“Of course. I caught it for you, after all.”
“Ryusuke… thank you. I’m so happy. I’ll treasure it.”
Mashiro smiled as she gazed at the sparkling goldfish in the bag, her expression full of joy.
Her smile was so full of happiness that I felt my effort was totally worth it.
Seeing Mashiro so pleased, I couldn’t help but gently pat her head like I always did. She smiled softly, like a cat, nuzzling her head against my hand.
Nishikawa and Reo watched us with grins on their faces.
“I know Ryusuke and Mashiro are close, but it’s really heartwarming to see them together like this. I’m almost jealous.”
“No kidding. It’s kind of embarrassing to watch, honestly. They’re so naturally lovey-dovey.”
Their words made my face heat up. Hearing it said out loud like that really made me self-conscious.
Mashiro’s face turned red as well, and when our eyes met, she blushed even more and looked down. She was like a cute little animal curling up, but I resisted the urge to fuss over her since Reo and Nishikawa would probably tease us more if I did.
In the end, without worrying about who won or lost, the four of us had a great time scooping goldfish. Each of us managed to catch the goldfish we had our eyes on, and we left the stall feeling satisfied.
The goldfish swam energetically in their plastic bags, and we all watched them contentedly.