Editing Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa:Volume 2 Chapter 5

==Chapter 5: On the night of the festival==

June 7th. Saturday.

At last, the day of the Saegusa festival has come.

What will be the impact of yesterday’s sudden evening shower?

Today’s temperature is 21ºC<ref>Around 70º F.</ref>. Under the shade to protect from the heat of these last days, dressed in casual T-shirt and jeans, it feels a bit unpleasantly chilly.

“Mister. One try, please.”

“Thanks for your patronage.”

Receiving in payment two 100 yen coins, I was handed in return two paper fishing rods with a W-shaped hook.

I wonder why are we blessed with this cool weather.

In the usual yearly hubbub of the Saegusa festival, Youhei’s yo-yo fishing booth seems to be unexpectedly popular.

Customers are mainly elementary schoolers accompanied by their parents, but surprisingly there are lots of female middle school customers of age no different from ours.

Despite that. At first glance it seems there aren’t any that fits our desired stats―

We have yet to fulfill our original purpose.



“Ugaaah!? There hasn’t come even one customer with a skirt!?”



At midday, when no customers came.

Having reached the top of his anger, Youhei, besides me, vented his dissatisfaction.

“Well, temperature has dropped eight degrees<ref>14 to 15 in Fahrenheit degrees.</ref> since yesterday. Isn’t it obvious that miniskirts-wearing customers won’t come?”

“Ku… Why, if yesterday it was awfully hot, had today became cooleeeeer!”

“I too wonder about that…”

“Girls are girls! They had to come, all of them in trousers only because temperatures have slightly dropped! Don’t you lot have any pride!?”

“… What pride.”

Not being able to follow the nonsensical contents of his speech, I still could understand Youhei’s feelings.

The carefully planned plot to see pantyshots was obstructed by the uncertainty of the luck factor from the weather― On that, I have to agree.



“Chiharu… I will take revenge!”



“Why so sudden.”

“I’ll smash all those girls that raise the set temperature on the classroom’s cooler at their whim without reading the mood!”

“…”

Oh, Lord. Forgive Youhei, who has somehow strayed.

I dare say, under extreme circumstances where he doesn’t know if he’s angry or mad at someone, his feelings are in disarray.

The talk steadily progressed on a totally unrelated direction.

“Darn it. Why do girls overcome boy’s opposition to rise the temperature of the cooler, I wonder.”

“Don’t you know!? Don’t girls and boys feel temperatures differently?”

“Moreover, what’s with that girl-oriented fashion that adamantly makes them dress scantily? By dressing scantily, not saying how can they protect against cold with that minimal blankets, isn’t there something called etiquette?”

“What you’re saying, well… I don’t really get it, but…”

At least, that from now doesn’t have any relation?

“And you say that being very hot is not enough reason for boys to attend classes naked!!”

“How much more will you stretch that topic?!”

“… That’s all. My bad. I got carried away.”

“Yep. No problem.”

“Let’s cool our heads by changing the mood. Chiharu… While I’m away buying some drinks, I’ll leave the stall in your hands.”

“… Are you sure? While I’m manning the booth, can’t a girl wearing a skirt come here?”

Youhei, with his hands on his hips, let out a magnificient laugh,

“Gahahaha! Don’t worry about it. Chiharu… Without regarding all the pretty girls around you, you’ve decided to stick with me. That made me really glad.”

“That’s why… Even if you hog all the pantyshots from pretty girls, I won’t resent you.”

“Youhei…!”

I unconsciously let out an admiration voice.

As I thought, this guy is unshakable, I feel a mysterious sense of security when I’m with him.

In truth, I only came with him because I had nothing better to do…

But since it’s gotten this far, it’s too late to tell him. 

<center>× × ×</center>

Right when Youhei left me on charge of the booth.



“Ah. Onii-chan found!!”



When I looked in reaction of that familiar sounding voice, I found the yukata-clad figure of my sister with her eyelids closed in a >< fashion.

“He-hey. Isn’t it Manami?…”

Being greeted by my sister, realizing myself the stiffness of my unnatural greeting, I felt a somewhat uneasy feeling.

“Hee. Onii-chan is selling yo-yos at this place.”

“I’ve told you… Ain’t I helping with a friend’s shop?”

“I know. Ehehe. But, haven’t you done something bad to that friend? I’ve brought the promised friend♪”

“Eh?”

Could it be? Not that can’t…

“… Darn, you should stop telling jokes from time to time. It can’t be you’ve conveniently made a friend on such short a―”

As I stopped on my tracks, I noticed the existence of that girl right behind Manami.

… Could it be she’s a foreigner?

She was a striking girl with straight long blond hair dressed on a cute pink yukata. Judging from her height, she didn’t seem to be the same age as Manami.

With that height, I’d even say she’s still in elementary school.

Even lined up with my sister, she gave no feeling of being out of place, she may give an adult-like impression.

“Eeerm. The… Who’s that child?”

“What~!? Could it be that you’ve not noticed, onii-chan?”

“? What should I notice.”

“Isn’t this girl someone you know very well?”

“Don’t be stupid. What blonde acquaintance have I… Other than Iris, there’s no one.”

“…”

Seeing my sister’s clear expression of ‘you’ve said it’, a single possibility crossed my mind.


“Could it be you are… Iris?”

Shining golden hair and glittering red eyes.

Now that you say it, she had some likeness.

… But isn’t it normal not to realize?

She doesn’t wear her usual robe and she has let down her hair straight.

With her eyes lowered, the blonde beauty nodded with embarrassment.



“Fu… Laugh if thou wantst, Tamer.”



She let out a self-torturing smile.

“… Why would I?”

“Someone like me that stems from the noble bloodline of the dragons, so lowly… I look like a human lass… Isn’t that what thou art thinking?”

With a glance of understanding, Iris looked far away.

It seems like Iris is not pleased by her looks. But since to me it seemed like it suited her, I thought she looked cute.

“I don’t understand the circumstances very well, but… Unless you hate those looks, isn’t it fine?”

“Si-since I like this kind of looks…”

When asked, Iris, averting her gaze ended up speaking very softly.

[[File:Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa 2 p129.png|thumb]]

Maybe there’s some reason she can’t tell people?


“About that, Manami will tell you♪”



<nowiki>*GRIN</nowiki>*

Manami showed a devilish smile.

“… Wha.”

Iris, surprisingly losing her composure,

“Hu-human. Haven’t I instructed thee to keep silent about that in particular!?”

“Iris-chan, did you know?”

My sister’s face turned from devilish to demon-like.

“Humans, you know? They are treacherous beings. That’s why. Shouldn’t you not believe so much in them?”

“Th-Thou bastaaaaaaaard.”

“Haha…”

“You really do as you please too much, sister of mine…”

That’s some daredevilry. Not only Zonmi, you even pick fights with Iris…

With this and that―

I found what lead to Iris coming here. 

<center>× × ×</center>

“―And, for that reason, since Iris-chan is too cute, I ended up unintentionally kidnapping her. Tehe.”

“Haah… Why have you…”

After listening to her story for a while―

Manami, heartbroken after the rejection of a date with her brother, in order to heal her heart, she headed to her usual sex toy store (there are several things to tsukkomi, but I spared them so as to let the story go on).

On the way.

It seems she found a girl in front of a stall for the festival looking intently at the baby castellas<ref>Bite-sized castellas. A castella is a traditional Japanese cake developed from the paõ de Castella brought by the Portuguese, currently known as paõ de Espanha, and similar to the French pain d’Espagne, the Italian pan di Spagna, the Romanian pandişpan, the Bulgarian пандишпа , the Greek Παντεσπάνι and the Turkish pandispanya (with all of them meaning ‘Spanish bread’, except the Japanese version that means Castilian bread, where Castile, Castella in Portuguese, is a medieval Spanish kingdom). The original sweet is the Spanish bizcocho (lit. biscuit, but means ‘sponge cake’), that’s made of eggs sugar and flour (and sometimes lard or butter). The main difference between bizcocho and castella is the addition of mizuame, a liquid sweetener made from starch that can also be eaten as candy and that solidifies when kneaded.</ref> as if wanting some.

To tell you the truth, it is the case that that girl was none other than Iris.

It seems that to someone who has lived up till now at the Netherworld like Iris, food from human world stalls looks very charming.

Nevertheless.

Since she lacked human world currency, she couldn’t do nothing but to be at loss.

And then Manami jauntily appeared. In exchange for treating her to the food from stalls, she asked her to come together to the festival as friends.

Like that, that’s the reason for a situation like today’s.



“I see. You’ve bribed her to become your friend.”

“Don’t say disgraceful things! Iris-chan and Manami as of recently do get along really well♪, right, Iris-chan?”

“… (Hmph)”

Iris, with scornful eyes, silently averted her glance.

Seems like she holds a grudge due to the recent betrayal.

“… Muu―”

Being unable of receiving endorsement, Manami, becoming sullen, got near Iris and whispered to her ear.

“(… Wait! That’s troubling, Iris-chan! You’re not saying what we’ve agreed on―)”

“(Fu―)”

“(Is something the matter?)”

“(Ridiculous. Surely, dostn’t thee think thou hast tamed me to that degree? The nature of the beings know as dragons is that of superior beings that don’t get attached to humans. They don’t mingle with lasses like―)”

“(Understood. I understand. Then, let’s make a bargain.)”

Manami rummaged inside her bag and took out a beautifully wrapped candied apple.

“(Mmm. What’s this golden shining offering!?)”

“(… To tell the truth, I had it reserved to eat it later.)”

“Hey. What the heck are you two whispering about?”



“… Fu. I can’t but acknowledge it. I’ve spent an eternity together with this human besides me―we’ve been long-time friends<ref>It says 百年来の友であったと (hyakunenrai no tomo de atta to).</ref>.”



“I have absolutely not bribed her, have I?”

And what was that short give and take interval?

… Be as it may, if I look how happy Iris is removing the wrap and stuffing her mouth with her recently received candied apple, I can guess.

“Witness it! Iris-chan and Manami had become friends before♪”

“No, no. Don’t matter what you say… I can’t acknowledge it.”

“It wasn’t a fraud.”

“Not matter how much I think…”

I sighed.

“How do I put it… If you had to ask someone, it hadn’t to be specifically Iris. Wouldn’t it have been faster if you had persuaded Zonmi, who lives at home?”

“That, are you being serious?”

“… It would help me a lot better if you lot got along better.”

“Absolutely not!  Spending all day long besides that zombie girl! I could easily catch her zombie virus! It could rise a biohazard!”

“…”

Aah. It’s good that Zonmi is not here.

These snide remarks before the person in question… There’s no way I can tell her.



“… Fufu. What an interesting conversation. Mind if I join?”



A somewhat cold tone that seems wrapped in coldness.

“Zonmi!?”

Speak of the devil and it shall appear.

Looking in the direction of the voice, there was Zonmi’s figure making such a silent pressure that at anytime we’ll hear a thundering sound effect.

Isn’t this what’s called awkward?

Why among all girls around me… there are lots of these ‘unexpected places at unexpected moments’ ones, I wonder.

“You… Didn’t you say you wouldn’t come to the festival?”

“… Change of schedule. Since today there’s a bearable weather at the human world.”

“… I see.”

Heavy clouds. Chilly temperatures.

Today’s weather that a certain yo-yo balloon vendor called the worst condition, seems to be just fine to ghouls.

“Even so, how surprising.”

As Zonmi spoke with indifferent tone, the atmosphere was filled with tension.

“Could it be that to this place―even the red dragon has come?”

“Nu?”

“With an appearance like that… Judging from appearances, haven’t you got hooked to human world’s entertainment?”

Said Zonmi with a sarcastic tone.

That glance was filled with clear hostility.

… That’s right. Though those two are currently on a ceasefire, some time ago Zonmi and Iris engaged in battle to make a contract with me.

It may be that Zonmi keeps her guard up against Iris.

Being recognized, Iris hastily hid her candied apple behind her back,



“Kukkuku. Thou seest, thou dostn’t know nothing.”



She dodged it while her forehead was filled in sweat.

However, isn’t it somewhat sad to dodge it with such a clichéd expression!

… Since candied apple is difficult to eat, there’s no other way, though.

“About that, Chiharu… Is the proposition from before still valid?”

“? Why so sudden.”

“To tell the truth, since before, what kind of thing are those so-called human world ‘festivals’―I’ve developed an unusual interest. ―That’s why, when I was invited by Chiharu before, it made me very happy.”

“… Is that so?”

“Yes. For that reason, let’s promptly go around these booths. Show me around the area, please.”

Zonmi continued with a “… This place is dangerous” in a weak voice.

It seems this girl is worried about me.

“Aah. If you say that―”



“<big>'''Wait a minute―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――!!'''</big>"



As I turned back while grabbed by Zonmi, Manami let out an ear-splitting shout.

“Wait a minute, what the heck!? I really don’t understand it!! Why has the flow gotten to the late-comer Zonmi<ref>Yes. She calls her by name.</ref> hogging a date with onii-chan!! It’s very weird!!”

“Aah. Yup. My bad… Since I’m sorry… Please stop taking out those knives in public.”

At worst, they could report us.

“Then, answer! Onii-chan, who do you want to go to the festival with!?”

“Just to be sure, is there no option of all of us going around together?”

“Only that is an absolute no!”

[[File:Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa 2 p139.png|thumb]]

“Only that absolutely cannot be!”

“…”

These guys… They’ve said it in dubious harmony.

I don’t know if their relationship is that good or that bad.

…

……

Well, what do I do?

Speaking from my personal feelings, since going together only with Manami is not an option, that only leaves going with Zonmi, but… No doubt, things are not that easy.

If I choose Zonmi here, I feel that soon things will get messy.

No, I’ll affirm it. Things will absolutely get messy.

If I leave Iris and Manami alone with each other, my feelings won’t be at ease.

In some sense, they make the top one and two of the people more lacking in common sense on my surroundings.

Thinking about all of annoyances around me, it may be better to keep them under watch lest they cause some kind of trouble.

As a result, I’m at a loss as to which option to choose.

“Understood. Then, let’s do this.”

The one who extended a helping hand (?) there was my sister.



“Let’s compete about who can catch the most yo-yo balloons and wager my brother!”



“… What?”

“Is that fair?”

“Wait a minute. Competing, you say… There’s no reason why Zonmi would agree to those ridiculous…”

“Understood. That match, I'll take it up.”

“Eeh!?”

“Why are you so surprised?”

“You sure, Zonmi? Did you agree to those nonsensical terms?”

“No. This time I have to give credit to her. Little sister’s idea is very logical.”

“Where exactly does it have the logic?…”

“Since it’s impossible for the pathologically indecisive Chiharu to choose one of the two parts.”

“That’s right. If we wait for my good-for-nothing onii-chan to make a decision, it’d be tomorrow.”

“… ‘roblem?”

If it’s about me, they agree magnificiently.

I see. When it comes down to what I’m thinking about, those two know it really well.

“Yosh. Then, we’ll start at the ‘reaaady, go’ signal.”

“Roger.”

“Time limit is five minutes. How about making a rule that if the thread we are holding breaks, you can no longer fish any balloons?”

“I mostly accept, but… Isn’t it unfair that you’re on charge for the starting signal? Chiharu, Could you be in charge of the signal?”

“… I don’t mind.”

“…”

“…”

The moment I answered, they turned their glances into those of battle.

As soon as both of them held their fishing lines, they firstly looked around thinking what {{Furigana|targets|balloons}} should they catch.

How’d I say it, Those two were shamelessly excited playing for free…

… Should I ask them to pay their fares later?

After that, as I unmotivately yelled ‘reaaaaady, go’, both of them started their battle fuses.

“Tamer… By the way, can I inquire thee something?”

“Yeah. What is it?”

“I have been curious about it for a while, but… what the heck are those trinkets called yo-yo balloons?”

“Eeeeerm. Could it be that there are no yo-yo balloons at the Netherworld?”

“… Well. At least at my colony they are unheard of.”

“There are.”

The one who answered in place of Iris, was Zonmi, who was fishing balloons with terrific handling.

“However… Speaking from the conclusion, it depends on the area. Since what’s called the Netherworld is pretty big.

Saying it differently, there are cultural differences similar to those on the human world.

Though around the central areas, one’s lifestyle is no different from that of the human world, there are still people who adhere to traditional lifestyles.”

“… I see.”

“By the way, there were where I lived. In my childhood, I played like this.”

While giving that fluid explanation, Zonmi got her fourth balloon of the day.

That manual ability has been polished without waste, it’s not something that comes in a day.

I see. It sure seems that yo-yo balloon fishing does exist at Netherworld.

“Muu…”

On the other hand, Manami was slightly behind having just caught her third.

Against Zonmi, who shows a surprising skill on an unexpected field, it seems she’s up to a hard fight.



“There’s no way. If possible, I didn’t want to employ this technique, but… Handing onii-chan to that zombie, as if!…”



“Fufu. What a sore loser. Do you think you can still turn the tables with this difference in balloons caught?”

“That… We won’t know until I try! I absolutely won’t give up till the very end! Ey!”

“!? That technique, could it be…”

Suddenly, Zonmi showed astonishment in front of the unleashed master technique.

Be that as it may, those two are very lively.

“It cannot be. Something like fishing two balloons at the same time… The fishing paper cannot possibly support the weight of the balloons…”

“Fufu. She can’t be catching two at a time! Come on! This little zombie doesn’t understand!”

Hey, hey.

“… Ku. Don’t talk in a grown-up fashion.”

“Come on. The true showdown starts now! I haven’t been playing with onii-chan’s balls since five just for show♪”

“… Won’t those words raise many misunderstandings?”

Like mistaking it for ‘I’ve been playing ball games with onii-chan since I was five’<ref>She says she’s been sexually assaulting her brother. He says they may misunderstand that she has been playing soccer, basket, catch and the like with him.</ref>.

“Fufu. It seems I have no room for going easy. Should I really go at full strength, little sister?”

“… Mu. What do you mean?”

“Even so, it’s not easy to be a march to me when balls are involved!”

“Th-th at technique, could it be―!?”



From here on―I think both of them will engage in a great showdown without giving up an inch.

Perhaps. Surely. I feel.

Why can’t I say it with certainty―

That way. As a result of their absurdly heated up showdown, surely it would be a critical hit if Youhei returned with that timing.

If I told I didn’t expect it, it’d be a lie―

A rose-colored scenery unfolded before my eyes―the defenseless figures of two pretty girls.

Hey, hey. Are you lying?

That usually ridiculously on guard Zonmi that doesn’t even show the p in pantyflash… I’d say, the showdown in front of me may be dulling her awareness.

Her cautiousness has vanished like smoke.

The color was light blue.

Personally, when you talk to me about light blue what crosses my head are panties with light-blue and white horizontal stripes―the so-called striped panties, but of course the straight-laced Zonmi won’t wear that kind of underwear fully aimed to moe.

Nevertheless.

Better than striped panties, I find these more charming.

The panties that Zonmi is wearing are rare jewels arranged with the orthodox white lace, but here they had an elegant yet oriental―irresistible charm.

If I had to liken Zonmi’s panties to something… I know.

An oasis in the middle of the desert!

For starters, the raw material is outstandingly good, but Zonmi’s pants that don’t forget tidiness as a standard, have something that strikes to the heart of the people of this generation of societal stress.



And then, let’s try looking at Manami.

Though Manami usually is totally erotic and lets out a smell that would draw away a narcotic inspection dog, being like Zonmi before absorbed on the showdown, she doesn’t look like she notices anything this way.

Let’s confess it.

Being rude, I shouldn’t be especially glad to see my sister’s panties when she would show them to me anytime I asked, but… Today is different.

For some reason… In this situation where I can take a peep without the other party noticing, it awakes in me a tremendously pleasant sensation.

Now that I think, before, when I ogled Kyouko’s panties at the girl’s toilet, it didn’t raise in me much excitement.

I’m grateful to you, Manami.

Thanks to you… I could take a step closer to the psychology of eros.
 
You’ve made me keenly realize that immorality is eroticism’s best spice .

The color was black.

As expected, you may think.

Probably… No absolutely. My little sister, unlike Zonmi, isn’t suited to innocent underwear. On the contrary, attacking me while wearing innocent underwear―the so-called <i>gap-moe</i> is a possibility, but naturally the risk is high.

[[File:Maou na Ore to Fushihime no Yubiwa 2 p149.png|thumb]]

Thinking about it, I’d say it’s a risky choice.

If I had to liken Manami’s panties to something… I know.

A black hole from outer space!

As you think there’s no possible way in front of you, if you make a bad step―they have a tremendous suction power.

You will be sucked to a social death!

They have a dangerous borderline charm that no one can imitate. What the heck am I saying. I want to die.

I don’t know if it was answering my wish, but something came flying with good energy against my face.

“Guhah!?”

I unconsciously let out in a pathetic voice.

Looking at what was rolling on the ground, It was what was inside ramune<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramune]</ref> bottles.



“Chiharu… What the heck is this…”



… What a bad timing.

Raising my face, isn’t that Youhei glaring at me with the face of a Rakshasa demon<ref>[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakshasa]</ref> as if I was his family enemy?

“Youhei… Welcome back…”

As I said those carefully selected words, Youhei seemed to inhale a big chunk of air.



“Be careful! Zonmi-san, Little sister-san, this ero-kappa<ref>Kappas are a very perverted kind of turtle-like water spirits that like cucumbers and steal shirikodama, little spheres that humans supposedly have inside their asses.</ref>, isn’t he peeping inside your skirts!?”



This guy… He instantly sells his friend out!?

Like usual, he’s a fellow that changes his allegiances very easily.

“Wha” “Eh”

Engaged on the highest of their battle, Zonmi and Manami were left for a moment with their mouths agape and face of not understanding, but they soon realized the defenseless of their stance and, with their face bright red, pulling down the hems of their skirts,

“Chiharu… Until what lengths will you…”

“That’s mean onii-chan… If you asked… I would’ve show you to your hearts content…”

“Youhei, bastard. You promised! That you wouldn’t resent me if I hogged all of the pantyshots!!”

“Shut up, sex offender! The one who broke his promise first was you! As if Zonmi-san and little sister-san weren’t enough, you’ve just added a golden-haired loli as a harem member!”

“Ugh. Th-This. It’s not what it seems.”

“Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Youhei interrupted me with a scream,



“You, die with a marble stuck in your throat!”



After spitting out that rejection sentence, he ran way full throttle.

From Youhei’s hand, I caught a second bottle of ramune that bumped into me.

Could it be, this guy… Did he go to buy me a drink for my sake?

Seeing it like that… Though I haven’t done anything bad, I became a little remorseful.



“Well. What the heck is this?… Why don’t you explain it in detail? You… Perverted Daimaou<ref>Great Demon King.</ref>!”



“…”

I take back what I said. Thinking about it with a cool head, I did something bad.

Never and nowhere, evil has never prospered.

After that, being harshly reprimanded I was made to bitterly realize that ‘… In this world there’s no way things so good can be true’. 

<center>× × ×</center>

And then.

We had normal fun at the Saegusa festival.

About the incident from before, I was temporarily let out on parole under the single condition of “Today all day it’s my treat, you can eat anything you want to your heart’s content”.

Eh? Only that?

Well, you may have doubts, but I’d say the crux is on the words ‘on parole’. I believe they are currently gathering evidence.

First of all, we went to make the prayer that makes this festival’s main event.

Couples, parents with children, some people I think they form a school group and so were lined up before the shrine, so we ended up waiting 30 minutes for our tanzaku.

Once we received our wishing papers from priestess I’d say they were part-timers, we promptly went to hang them on the provided trees.

By the way, I’ll introduce what we all wrote.



<b>Let my master become a top-class monster tamer. Zonmi</b>



Huuum. As expected, ain’t that what Zonmi would say?

I think that, since we are at a festival, you could have written more lively things, but even here you show an honor student-like attitude.



<b>Make my stature grow taller. I command thee. Iris</b>



Why a command!?

Couldn’t you make it look a bit more like a wish…

However, what a surprise. Iris is concerned about her height…

<b>Onii-chan and I have become one in body and soul. Manami</b>



Why past tense!?

… Could it be that Manami burns with rivalry against the lovey-doveyness of Orihime and Hikoboshi?

Even if it’s like that, you shouldn’t made things up!



<b>Let all the reajuus<ref>Person who is satisfied with his or her real (offline) life.</ref>, if possible, suffer horrible deaths. Y</b>



By chance, that kind of tanzaku entered my sight.

It seems it’s written on a fashion so that expressly only the initial is used, but… Isn’t this one clearly Youhei’s!?

And, this most important tanzaku of mine―



<b>Let everyone spend their lives with happy faces. Chiharu</b>



Even if I say so myself, isn’t it too immature?

I’d rather write a wish that is a bit more material―more mundane, but I felt it wouldn’t fit this formal a place.

Since I feared the girl’s stares, I felt it was safer to write something harmless.



And with this and that.

Having hung our tanzaku and gone around the stalls, we made our way to the river bank to see the closing event―the fireworks show.

Really, it would be good if there were seats left, but something so convenient is bound to not happen.

We chose the top of a suitable set of stone steps.

Despite there being still an hour before the start of the show, the area around the river was already crowded.



“What’s the matter? You’ve been looking disheartened for a while.”



Looking up to the starless night sky of the city area, Zonmi, who was sitting besides me, asked with a meek expression.

“… I’m only a bit tired.”

I won’t lie.

In fact, the tiredness from going around the stalls all day long may be part of the reason.

… No, wrong.

After all, I―can’t do anything other than worrying.



I have since last night been unable to contact Kyouko―



Could it be she has normally attended the festival?

That’s what I hope, but it seems unlikely.

While I was going around the booths with the girls, I kept looking around, but I couldn’t find her.

This was not a very big neighborhood; you could search around in a day.

Had Kyouko come to the festival, I’d surely have found her.

In that case she―where and what was she doing?

I somehow picture she’s crying alone, and it becomes an unbearable feeling.



“No way, is it.”



“… What?”

“Since it’s Chiharu, perhaps―are you thinking about the missing Nephilim?”

“…”

“As I thought, right on the mark? That she alone among all of us is missing―it’s unnatural.”

“That may be, but… Why did you know what I was thinking about?”

“Don’t look down on us. Could it be―you thought we didn’t notice?”

“What thing?”

Manami and Iris, sitting near, exchanged glances and smiled bitterly,

“Onii-chan has been looking around restlessly all day long♪”

“―It’s impossible to keep any secret before me.”

“…”

Holy cow.

Do I have a face so easily to read?

It seems they’ve found out I’ve been all day long looking for Kyouko.

“What about I try to contact the Nephilim right now?”

“… Truth is, I’ve been calling her since yesterday, but it won’t connect.”

“In that case, why don’t you go directly to her home? There’s still more than 30 minutes until the fireworks. If you go now, won’t you make it in time?”

“!? I see. I still had that?”

If phone calls won’t connect, I can go directly to her home.

Living on this times of cell-phone correspondence, that choice slipped my mind.

“Even so, it’s very weird.”

“What?”

“That each and everyone of you read my mind. It can’t be that all of you have spent all day looking at my face.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“… Oi. Why the sudden silence?”

“Really, you, until what lengths will you…”

Zonmi, sighing deeply with a perplexed expression,

“Go now. Because later it will be a bother to scold that outcast Nephilim.”

“… Understood. Thanks.”

With a word of thanks, I thoroughly started to run along the riverside.

I see. That’s right.

If we are all gathered, that only her is missing… It’s not natural that someone seems to be excluded from the group alone.

If we come together to the festival, it won’t be difficult to make a chance to strike a talk with her.

And then I could ask her about last night.

And then everything will go smoothly.

The me right now unconsciously thought those things.


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==References and Translation Notes==
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