“Eating takoyaki first is fine, but if you’re going to be late you have to tell us. We were getting worried.”
“Yes, Kano-san. I’m sorry.”
“Sis, sorry for making you wait.”
Suzuno and I were standing at the HQ tent area being lectured by an arms-crossed Kano.
Kano’s been the eldest of the four of us since childhood; she’d scold us whenever we were wrong. Same now — but with the gal styling, the pressure was completely different. Kid versions of us would have cried.
“Yeah, you two need to reflect.”
“Quick to gloat, Ayato — but you and I should reflect too.”
My brother — caught off guard — went what?
“Why?”
“Because if you and I hadn’t walked off without checking, none of this would have happened. Negligent on our end.”
“But them stopping without notice is the bigger problem.”
“It’s not a which-is-worse. I’ve told you many times — blaming-others is a habit you need to break.”
She said it cleanly and his bravado died. As the awkward silence settled, Kano clapped.
“Lecture over. Let’s enjoy the festival.”
(Her ability to switch modes is impressive.)
“Right — fireworks start soon.”
“Already?!”
”…Yeah.”
Suzuno and I came back up; my brother lingered low — he was still chewing on what Kano had said. (Suzuno’s better at consoling him; I’d leave it to her.)
We moved to the viewing area. The four-person group couldn’t sit together, so we split: me with Kano, Suzuno with my brother on the grass.
The first firework cracked the night, and color and percussion filled the sky.
“Fireworks really never get old.”
“Yeah — Japanese summer essence.”
We sat close, watching. The bursts of color falling away — beautiful.
“How many tonight?”
“Twenty thousand.”
She answered immediately.
“Sumida launches that many?”
“Yep — best to enjoy all of them.”
We were both grinning like kids. Fireworks land at any age.
After a while, Kano tugged my T-shirt sleeve.
“Isn’t there something you should say to me?”
“What now?”
I’d done the yukata-impression — what did she want?
“Stuff like Kano-san, you’re hundreds of times more beautiful than these fireworks or I’ll make you happy, please marry me — your chance.”
“That is not happening.”
(The second one is literally a proposal — too fast.)
”…What if I had said the line?”
“I would have stopped at the city office on the way home to grab a marriage form.”
“I’m seventeen — a minor. Can’t legally marry.”
In Japan you need to be 18 to marry, no exceptions.
“I said I’d grab it — never said sign and submit it. Oh — could it be Yuito actually wants to marry me?”
”…Please stop torturing me.”
“Aw — what to do.”
I was being toyed with — wanted to disappear.