OreShura: Volume 3 Chapter 9

Chapter 9 The Remembered Promise is Mayhem

August 1st, Sunday.

Fuyuumi arranged for us to meet over to the Hane High athletic grounds.

I looked at my watch, and the time was 6:30pm. Because daylight hours are longer in the summer, the sky was still bright. Club activities were finished long ago, so the athletic fields were empty.

—Why would that Fuyuumi want for us to meet at a time like this?

After that incident, Fuyuumi never told me where we were going. She merely just pointed out a place for us to meet. What is he after? That being said, it was okay to wear casual clothes? If we were going to enter the school building, it would be better to wear the school uniform.

When I was thinking about this, someone called to me from behind.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kidou-kun."

"Aah, I didn’t wait very—?"

My mouth wide open, I couldn't help but being fixed at Fuyuumi.

Because, she was wearing a yukata.

Fuyuumi Ai was wearing a colorful bright yukata with her hair done differently she further gave that "not the usual Fuyuumi Ai" feeling. She seemed to be a little embarrassed as she stood there.

Even though the casual clothes she wore a few days ago were very cute.

This yukata was simply something that belongs to an entirely different world.

｢To be imprinted in my eyes｣ or something, I wonder if that is what is said in a situation like this......

"W-Why, are you wearing a yukata......?"

"What do you mean? This is very common, right? Because we’re going to the fireworks festival."

I could not help but exclaim, ｢Huh｣?

"We’re going to the fireworks festival?"

"That's right?"

Fuyuumi is Fuyuumi with her usual expression that seemed to say ｢What? You didn’t know｣?

"But, you didn't said so in the first place. And if we are going to the fireworks festival, shouldn’t we have just met at the Hane River Bridge, or the municipal park?"

It was quite a considerable distance to go from the school to the location of the fireworks festival; it was relatively closer to leave directly from my house.

Fuyuumi nodded lonely, and said ｢Yeah｣, when she heard me.

"So, you even forgot about this stuff."

"......?"

What does that mean?

I was at a loss, as Fuyuumi smiled and said:

"Come on. Let’s go."

The Geta clattered with a very lovely sounds, as Fuyuumi gave that first step, and I followed behind her without understanding anything.

"Hey, you’re going the wrong way, right? This isn’t the way to the riverbank. We’re heading towards the mountain."

"Enough! Just don’t make a fuss and follow me."

Even though she still spoke with her usual annoyed tone, the atmosphere was completely different.

Because Fuyuumi was smiling.

Even though I spent the entire summer with her at cram school, I almost never saw her smile; but today, she was smiling all over the place.

It was unimaginable to think that the girl who had yelled and chased after me everywhere not long ago, the girl who cried and sobbed in the park, was the same person as the one in front of me now.

"Hmn......"

I have learned it yet again.

Girls are simply mysterious living beings.

We walked in the residential area for about ten minutes, and we arrived at a quiet rural road between rice fields. I remembered that I once came with Chiwa’s family to catch fireflies in the this neighborhood, but that was something all the way back in elementary school.

"Ah, this neighborhood doesn't have fireflies anymore."

"There’s less and less rice paddies here too. If you look at the foothills over there, there weren’t any houses there ten years ago."

"Certainly."

I looked at the place where Fuyuumi’s fingers pointed and nodded, and there definitely weren’t houses back then—

Erm?

"What is it?"

Fuyuumi stared at me blankly, as I had stopped in my tracks.

I looked around, and said:

"Couldn't be that This road is a shortcut that goes to Ipponsugi Hill?"

Yes. It certainly was.

This place was very familiar. When I was in kindergarten, I used to play in this neighborhood a lot. Even though it changed a lot, I think I can somehow remember seeing the shape of those hills from here.

"————————— You finally remembered it?"

Fuyuumi smiled.

It was a very good smile, but why is it that somehow it seemed like she was about to cry?

"Come on, the first fireworks are going to be off soon. We should hurry."

Fuyuumi’s wooden sandals clattered as she walked.

I followed the sound of her sandals— but I didn’t need her to lead the way anymore. I knew the road. After we past the ditch, we should turn right and walk on the rural path. After the abandoned bus station, a little further up were the stone steps that led up the hill. I still remembered when were we in Class Star in kindergarten. Didn’t we come play here several times?

Here was the entrance of the shortcut to Ipponsugi Hill.

And that is a place few people know about, and a great place to enjoy fireworks—

"How could I have forgotten it?"

After thinking it for a while I could only find one answer.

Because I met Chiwa.

March before the start of elementary school, I moved next door to Chiwa’s house. Since then, Chiwa’s parents drove us to the fireworks festival.

So I completely forgot about the little-known place to the watch the fireworks.

Dodon! Dodon!

The dark air sounded like someone hit a taiko.

Fuyuumi and I looked at each other simultaneously, and shouted:

"The fireworks!"

Already in a rush, I ran up the stairs.

I grabbed Fuyuumi’s hand, and recklessly swung my other hand.

We kicked up weeds and stones, and covered in sweat and grass stains we went to that Ipponsugi place—

"Tamayaaaaaa!!"

In front of us, a huge firework burst into light.

The fireworks seemed to cover up the summer night sky, as the fireworks went up one after another. And accompanied with pleasant sounds that bubbled up from our chests, they bloomed like beautiful flowers.

There wasn’t anything that blocked the field of vision here, and as far as one’s eyes could see, the air was full of fireworks.

On this hill, one could have all the scenery to one’s self.

"This place is great......"

Enchanted by the fireworks, I muttered.

Fuyuumi chuckled when she heard me, and said:

"Actually, you were the one who showed me this place, Ta-kun."

"Ta-kun?"

This was the name that Fuyuumi wrote in her notebook.

At the time I didn’t know who that was, but with my memories in these hills, my thoughts flashed—

"...........Ah, so it's about me?"

"Correct."

Fuyuumi had an expression that seemed to be both crying and smiling at the same time.

"That as your nickname in Star Class, but the only one who called you that was me."

Fuyuumi approached me, and nestled up against my chest.

I could feel clearly her soft yukata and the aroma of her fragrance.

"You’re really too forgetful, Ta-kun. Can you really be number one in our grade like this?"

"Fuyuumi......"

"Even though you are now ｢Ei-kun｣, or ｢Eita-kun｣, or even ｢Eita｣, long before that it was simply ｢Ta-kun｣."

I looked at Fuyuumi’s face that leaned against my chest, and my memories came flushing.

"Star class...... Ta-kun......"

That's why, who was that girl who is here right now?

Right.

It was her.

This was the ｢glorious past｣ that my girlfriend, ex-girlfriend, and childhood friend have been mercilessly laughing about.

She was the lovely and gentle girl that I liked me in kindergarten.

"......So you are...... A-chan......"

Fuyuumi, no, ｢A-chan｣ looked up from my chest and said:

"Right. I even told Kaoru to call me like that, but you didn't remember anything at all."

"He knows everything?"

"Yes. Even though I told him recently, it seemed like he wanted to stay in Harusaki Chiwa's side, so it was kind of unfair to ask him for help he didn't want to give."

"So it was like that......"

The mystery of Kaoru’s suspicious behavior at cram school was finally solved.

"Kaoru must have been put in a difficult position."

"It's fine. After all, I’m also making graces by keeping his secret as well."

"Kaoru’s secret……?"

Although I was a little curious, I didn’t push it further.

"I remember A-chan moved away around that summer, right? When we dug potatoes in the fall and boiled taro in the winter, you weren’t there."

"Yeah. After I watched fireworks here with Ta-kun, I moved away not long afterwards. Because it was rather sudden, we didn’t let you know until after I moved."

"When did you realize that it was me?"

"I recognized you right away, during the opening ceremony of Hane High. But it seemed like Ta-kun was flirting with Harusaki Chiwa while I was completely ignored."

"N-No. It was because your hairstyle was different from when you were in Star Class."

"It’s rare for girls to keep their hairstyles from kindergarten, isn't it obvious?"

So true. Since she said that, I had nothing to say in reply.

"The first person to meet you was always me. However Harusaki Chiwa is the ｢childhood friend｣, while I am the ｢demon disciplinary committee member｣. Do you understand how difficult has been for me?"

"......I’m sorry......"

I finally understood the words she shouted at the movies.

As girl who couldn’t become a childhood friend no matter how she tried— so that was what she meant……

"As a bonus you even became Natsukawa Masuzu’s boyfriend, and even have Akishino-san also seems to like you. How popular do you need to get before you’re satisfied!? Really!"

"......No......"

I really wanted to say she was mistaken, but I couldn’t say it.

Even now, my memory was still quite hazy. This was something from ten years ago, so it was understandable if I couldn’t remember anything, but A-chan seemed to remember everything so clearly.

A-chan pouted unhappily and said:

"Even though I confessed to you, you completely forgot."

"Sorry, honestly I don’t remember things from that time very well."

"Your "no good" habits haven’t changed at all! If you acted a little more like Ta-kun, I would feel so much more reassured!"

So, I have such a trashy reputation.

However, this situation was something that I caused myself. No one else did it to me.

"That year, Ta-kun proudly said, ｢I know a good place to watch fireworks!｣, so I asked you ｢Show me please!｣. Then you said, ｢If you confess to me, I’ll show you｣!"

"......"

Such unimaginable scum.

Using the fireworks as bait, I forced a kindergarten girl to ｢confess｣.

The worst......

"In any event, as long as you remember, that’s fine."

A-chan took out a wrinkled piece of paper from her pocket.

It seemed to be very old, and it was discolored everywhere.

When she opened it, I could see the clumsy text written in pencil.

★ Marriage Registration Form ★

Husband: Kidou Eita (Ta-kun). Stamp here:

Wife: Fuyuumi Ai (A-chan). Do the same here:

In a daze, I spoke:

"What is this piece of paper?"

"As you can see, this is a marriage registration form."

"Haa?"

This is just too unexpected!

"Is not ｢Haa｣? Didn’t we agree to stamp it ten years later, today?"

"Isn't that a lie!?"

It was a lie. I definitely wouldn’t have agreed to this. Impossible!

If I was a scumbag of this level, I definitely couldn’t be saved! I should just go kill myself!

"Come on, let’s stamp it? Our fingerprints should be good enough ♪"

A-chan sweetly smiled and pushed and paper against my chest.

"How can you stamp this kind of thing?!"

"Why are you so reluctant all of a sudden?"

"B-B-But you have a boyfriend, right? What about Michel, Daigoro?"

A-chan tilted her head slight, and simply said:

"About that thing, of course that is nothing but a lie."

———————What did you sayyyyyyy——————!?

"B-But didn’t you talk about him so enthusiastically?! So that was all a delusion?!"

"Fufu! I'm not trying to boast, but delusions are my specialty among all my skills!"

But that really can't be called boastinggggggggggggggggggggggg!!

"Then you should have picked up a cooler sounding name from the start!! What is Daigoro?! What era is that from?"

"Don’t say bad things about my dad’s name."

"Eh—!"

Ehhhhhhh—!

Then, your father’s name was……

"T-Then, I guess there is no other way, we should just explain it to Masuzu and the rest clearly next time—"

"That, I refuse!"

A-chan resolutely shook her head.

"Why!? There’s no reason to lie anymore?"

"But it would be too embarrassing to just say ｢In reality, I don’t have a boyfriend｣. Furthermore, being heralded as the Love Master feels quite good."

"Wahh, What's with this woman————————!"

"True, if Ta-kun is willing to marry me, then I’ll break up with Michel."

"Hey, but isn't Michel your fictional delusional boyfriend?"

When A-chan heard this, she ｢hmphed｣ right away, and gave that old smile.

"Remember this clearly Ta-kun, In this world there is no woman who isn't a liar!"

"Even if you make it sound cool, I won't let this go!"

That being said, she actually said the same thing as Masuzu!

"Ah—Enough! I've had enough! You’re not the A-chan that I remember! You’ve changed! Your brain has been poisoned by some lovestruck mind!"

"But aren't you just the same! Your girlfriend sits on top of you! Where did the unpopular but so confident Ta-kun go?"

Saliva from my mouth flew as I retorted!

"How do I know! How did I know! I’ll just call you Fuyuumi! I definitely won't call you A-chan anymore!"

A-chan, no, Fuyuumi’s saliva also flew as she argued:

"If that’s the case, then I’ll just call you Kidou-kun! I don’t get it, I treat you so gently, but you just get carried away!"

"When were you gentle?"

"I was gentle the entire time!"

"Oh enough, I don’t even want to stay here anymore! I’m going back to study! I'll get engaged to my reference books!"

"Wait, are you trying to run now? Wait there, you baka!"

I ran full throttle down the hill, and Fuyuumi caught up to me waving her paper.

"Baka ! Baka ! I like you ! Stamp the paper !"

"No ! I absolutely————— won’t stamp it !"

Incidentally, the fireworks festival continued, and the night sky blooming with huge flowers was very beautiful.

Ah, even though I don’t have time to watch!

---

Notes

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