After ordering ramune, Haruya and the others moved to a shadowy area again.
Looking around, there were many couples, which made him feel complicated.
Only the fizzing carbonation refreshed not just his throat but his heart as well.
“…Um. The script talk. It’ll be verbal, but could you listen?”
“…(Nod nod)”
Haruya silently nodded and urged her to continue.
Yuna took a sip of ramune before beginning to speak.
“…First, about the main characters.”
───To put it bluntly, Haruya froze at the content that was told from there.
A female protagonist and a male love interest.
The main characters were these two, and the setting depicted a world of just the two of them.
The theme was sweet and sour romance.
They discover they have compatible hobbies online… and they decide to meet.
From there, even when they actually meet face to face, they get along really well talking about their hobbies, and they end up going on dates during summer vacation.
To summarize briefly, this was the gist of the script content Yuna described.
Partway through, it became bad for his heart and the content stopped entering his head.
…Please give me a break.
The script content that was described was, while the details differed, essentially the same framework as Haru and Nayu’s relationship…
The summer vacation date content was also similar to the approaches she had taken toward Haruya during their sleepovers so far, and Haruya could no longer maintain his composure.
“…I’m just talking about hypothetical scenario.”
“R-right. It’s script talk.”
(Hasn’t my identity been discovered already?)
His inner calm self whispered this, but there was still a possibility it was coincidental.
He took deep breaths repeatedly in his head.
“…I wanted to convey that I’m considering this kind of script. That’s all. I won’t say any more. It’s embarrassing…”
“H-heh. I see. I think it’s good.”
He answered with a harmless impression… while pretending to be calm.
Yuna seemed somewhat dissatisfied, saying “Isn’t your reaction thin?” but she convinced herself with “Well, it’s within expectations, so it’s fine.”
“Right. Then let’s end the script talk here, and from now on I’ll convey my gratitude.”
She gulped down her ramune and cleared her throat once.
Yuna looked at Haruya and began to speak. She straightened her posture and directed a straightforward gaze at him.
A serious atmosphere began to drift around them.
Similar to with Rin, he usually received care from Nayu-san, and he didn’t think there was anything worthy of gratitude…
But it wasn’t an atmosphere where he could voice such things.
Haruya also resolved himself and took a posture to listen to Yuna’s talk.
After confirming this, Yuna began to speak.
“…This is going to be repetitive, and it’s embarrassing so I’ll only say it once.”
She prefaced and continued.
“I had a really big trauma from basketball. For a long time. I thought it was fine to live a life where I never gave my all, thinking ‘this is good enough’ because of basketball. But now I’ve been able to return to my original way of living and I feel really happy. Now it’s very easy to live.”
That’s because, she said after a pause.
“I’m clumsy, so I can’t really convey my feelings straight on very well… but it’s thanks to Akasaki-kun. Thank you always… really, thank you.”
The way she said “always” was concerning, but her expression was very lovely.
Haruya was dumbfounded and couldn’t look away from Yuna.
“…Don’t look at me too much right now. It’s a bit embarrassing.”
Saying this, Yuna exhaled.
“…I’m not as refined as Sara, and I can’t often show bright smiles like Rin… but since we became seat neighbors, please continue to treat me well from now on.”
“Eh, ah… please treat me well too.”
He was inadvertently slow to respond.
At the closing ceremony before summer vacation began.
After the seat change, Haruya was in the seat next to Yuna.
“Eh, could it be that you’re mesmerized by me? Just kidding.”
To Haruya who couldn’t look away from Yuna, she retorted half-teasingly, half-embarrassedly.
“…Well.”
Feeling uncomfortable, Haruya averted his face from her and scratched his cheek.
“Eh… enough already… that kind of thing…”
Yuna also averted her face from Haruya there.
With many couples around them getting caught up in a strange atmosphere, Haruya and the others moved.
Following Yuna who muttered “L-let’s go,” they headed toward the picnic blanket where Kazamiya and the others were.
…In the end, he couldn’t get confirmation of whether his identity had been discovered or not.
Well, even if he found out, it would only cause trouble, and he was also afraid of being questioned about how he’d kept quiet all this time…, so he couldn’t bring it up himself.
On the way back.
While returning to the picnic blanket where Kazamiya and the others were, Yuna muttered as if remembering something.
“…Akasaki-kun. About Sara, please properly face her.”
At Yuna’s statement in a serious tone, Haruya’s eyes widened.
(…Kohinata-san, and Kazamiya all mentioned something about Himekawa-san, but what exactly is going on?)
With such questions… Haruya was about to have his alone time with Sara.
“I’m last, aren’t I?”
“…Eh, well, that’s right.”
The time was past 7 PM. Perhaps the foot traffic for the fireworks festival was reaching its peak, as the area around the venue was more crowded with people than ever before.
While he couldn’t help but frown looking at the crowd, setting that aside, when he looked at Sara next to him, Haruya harbored questions internally.
(…What do they mean by face Himekawa-san?)
From Kazamiya, from Rin, from Yuna…
Since the sleepover began, Haruya had been told this by everyone.
“…Have you already eaten, Akasaki-san?”
“Ah~ I haven’t eaten yet, come to think of it. I ate quite a bit for lunch so maybe I’m not that hungry.”
“…You ate quite a lot of that garlic tortilla with Yuna-san, after all.”
“Yeah. What about you, Himekawa-san?”
“I already ate at a food stall. At the shop near the picnic blanket.”
…Ah, I see.
So that’s why they didn’t run into Kazamiya and the others while walking around together.
Haruya understood by himself on the spot.
They hadn’t stopped by the shops near the picnic blanket.
She probably arranged it so they wouldn’t run into each other while they were alone together.
“Are you okay not eating, Akasaki-san?”
“Right. I’m really fine. Don’t hold back on my account, Himekawa-san. Are you okay for food?”
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
Sara smiled small and nodded.
Looking at Sara’s expression, Haruya felt something was off.
(…Did Himekawa-san have eyes like this before…?)
Sara’s expression appeared “normal” at first glance, but the depths of her eyes seemed somehow cold.
As Haruya pondered and froze, Sara continued.
“Well then, after we walk around the fireworks festival stalls that Akasaki-san hasn’t enjoyed yet… please let me say words of gratitude. When that’s finished, let’s return to everyone.”
Saying this matter-of-factly, she began walking toward the central food stall area.
The central food stall area was a space where food stalls were densely packed.
She probably thought to take him to stalls that Haruya hadn’t been able to visit with Rin and Yuna and let him enjoy them.
Her small clenched fists seemed to be trembling slightly.
As soon as he noticed this, her expression that had seemed normal also began to look like a dispirited face.
(…Ah, I see.)
So that’s what they meant by “face her”…
Haruya understood by himself and exhaled softly.
(…What an idiot I am.)
Then he slapped his own cheek with a smack.
After finishing that, Haruya called out to Sara’s back as she walked away looking lonely.
“Wait…!”
“What’s wrong?”
To Sara who tilted her head, Haruya smiled and said:
“…Want to slip away from the food stalls for a bit?”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
When Haruya said this to Sara, meanwhile at that time───
Kazamiya, who had secured an excellent spot for viewing fireworks, was addressing Rin and Yuna.
“…Was it really okay? Giving Himekawa-san time to see the fireworks. You two──”
The fireworks were set to begin at 7:20 PM.
Sara, who was currently walking around alone with Haruya, would be watching those fireworks.
Rin and Yuna looked at each other and nodded. Rin opened her mouth.
“We already got plenty of alone time, so we’re fine. Sara-chin seemed a bit down, and that was decided beforehand anyway.”
“…I see. So it was decided from the start.”
Kazamiya chuckled and shook his shoulders.
Continuing to address the two, Kazamiya made light conversation.
“…But you two. Are you sure you should be saying such things to me? It sounds like you’re not trying to hide your feelings for Akasaki.”
“Isn’t it too late for that?”
It was Yuna who retorted.
Having a direct gaze from Kazamiya, she hurriedly shook her head.
“No, it’s not that I like him… but this is about conveying gratitude to Akasaki-kun.”
“Th-that’s right! Kazamiya-kun.”
Yuna and Rin averted their faces from each other while emphasizing that it [wasn’t that they liked him].
Kazamiya couldn’t help but show a wry smile.
Because they weren’t hiding it at all.
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