Chapter 143: Fireworks Festival

“Takuya~♡, Look, look~♡, How is it?♡.”

“Super cute… Your hair too…”

“Hehe♡, I’m happy♡.”

Today’s the fireworks festival. Kaede’s going with some fiancées to watch it in person.

Her usually down hair is tied up, showing off her sexy nape.

“Okay, I’m off♡… Chu♡.”

After seeing Kaede off with a kiss, Sakura and the others come to show me their yukata.

Unlike Kaede’s group, Sakura and the others are staying at my place to eat festival-style food and watch the fireworks slowly.

“Onii-chan♡, How do I look?♡.”

“You look beautiful, Sakura. Karen-oneechan and Masami-oneechan too.”

“Ehehe♡.”

“I’m excited to see Takkun’s yukata~♡.”

“Yeah~♡, It’ll totally suit you~♡.”

“D-Don’t expect too much…”

“C’mon~♡, Onii-chan looks good in anything~♡.”

All three are hyped to see my yukata.

As I dodge their expectations, the fiancées watching the fireworks at home arrive.

“Welcome, Fuka-san, Marin-san, Yuika-san.”

“““Thanks for having us~”””

“All three of your yukata are gorgeous…”

“““Ehehe♡”””

The three who aren’t going to the festival still dressed in yukata to come to my place.

“Let’s get you dressed too, Takuya-sama~♡.”

“Okay…”

Moka-san finally drags me to another room to get dressed. It’s a simple yukata, but it’s hard to move in.

“Takuya-kun♡, You look amazing!♡.”

Yuika-san’s the first to compliment me.

“Yup, yup♡, You could be a model♡.”

“Even better than an anime character♡.”

Fuka-san and Marin-san praise me too, and it’s a bit embarrassing.

“Okay~♡, Time for photos~♡.”

Moka-san takes pictures, and we move to the balcony.

“Takuya-sama♡, Yakisoba and takoyaki are ready!♡.”

“Thank you!”

We bring festival-style food to the balcony to eat together.

Yakisoba, takoyaki, cotton candy… store-bought, but still… and ramune feels festival-like too.

“This is so luxurious~♡, Watching fireworks this relaxed♡.”

We’re lucky the festival’s nearby.

Mom says this one’s the closest and looks the best around here.

“Takuya-kun’s yukata… i-is, w-way m-more b-b-beautiful than the fireworks♡.”

“Thanks… But the fireworks haven’t started yet…”

Marin-san’s dramatic line doesn’t quite land, but I’m happy.

While eating dinner and chatting, the night sky suddenly lights up, followed by a delayed boom.

“““Tamaya~♡”””

We shout the classic fireworks cheer, watching vibrant flowers bloom in the dark sky.

“Fireworks and Takuya-sama…♡… Slurp♡.”

A weird sound from behind makes me turn, and a shutter clicks with the fireworks’ boom.

“Eek! That’s an awesome shot! Amazing!♡.”

Mei-san’s hyped, checking the photo.

The fiancées sitting next to me jump up to see.

“““Wow~♡”””

I check it too, and it’s a great photo.

Me looking at the camera, with a huge flower blooming in the night sky behind. It’s kinda vain, but it feels like a miracle shot.

“Kuu~♡, Worth buying that expensive camera~♡.”

“I’d usually call it a waste, but… this is fantastic♡.”

Even Satsuki-san, usually strict with Mei-san, praises it fully.

“Hey, Mei-san, can you take pics of everyone too?”

“Of course! I’ll take tons!♡.”

At my request, Mei-san excitedly starts snapping everyone.

Their yukata are special, so I want lots of memories.

Photos with fireworks in the back, eating food, drinking ramune—she’s snapping nonstop.

Not just us, but the maids, Satsuki-san, and my sisters too.

“But this means no photos of Mei-san, right?”

“True…”

“Then I’ll take over♡.”

Thanks to Yuika-san’s notice, Reina-san takes photos. Both Yuika-san and Reina-san are so thoughtful.

“Then with Takuya-sama…♡.”

I take photos with Mei-san to make memories.

After tons of photos, we eat slowly and watch the fireworks.

“So~♡, Like Fuka-chan said, why not be a model, Takkun?♡.”

“Nah… No way…”

“No way it’s impossible! Takkun can do it! Right, Mom?”

“Well~♡, If Taku-chan did it, he’d be crazy popular, so I’ve always hoped he would~♡.”

“B-But there are already models…”

“That’s me, right?”

“Y-You’re doing it, Oneechan? Men’s stuff?”

“Yup♡, Unisex, technically♡.”

In this world, clothes are split into women’s-only ladies’ and unisex for both men and women.

Men’s stuff exists, but with this gender ratio, it doesn’t sell much. Only high-end stores carry it.

So our EC site’s original brand is just ladies’ and unisex to sell widely.

“Well, it’s up to Taku-chan if he wants to~♡… So, Karen, don’t push him too much, okay?♡.”

“Okay~♡.”

“Yup.”

Karen-oneechan seems to give up on making me a model for now.

“T-Takuya-kun… If modeling’s out, how about a V-tuber…”

Marin-san hasn’t given up on making me a V-tuber.

“Your face wouldn’t show, so maybe…”

“Maybe more doable than modeling…”

“Gah!”

Saying V-tubing seems easier shocks Karen-oneechan obviously.

“I-I’ll work hard on the art… P-Please consider it!”

“Marin-chan, you can draw?!”

Yuika-san reacts to Marin-san’s casual comment.

Drawing well enough for V-tubing must mean she’s super talented, right?

“Show us, show us!♡.”

“Yup… It’s still rough…”

Marin-san’s art is so pretty and cute, I don’t know what’s “rough” about it.

“Amazing!♡, Why’d you hide this~♡.”

“C-Cuz… I only draw otaku stuff…”

“I think it’s just plain beautiful… Not bad at all.”

“See! Takuya-kun says so?♡.”

“Y-Yes…♡.”

Yuika-san and Fuka-san convince Marin-san, and her talent shines.

“Hehe♡, Then Taku-chan needs a PC♡.”

“I-I haven’t said I’d…”

“C’mon~♡, Do it, Onii-chan♡.”

“Hmm…”

Mom and Sakura act like I’m already set to V-tube.

“Okay, Takuya♡, Try streaming a few times?♡, If it’s fun, you can keep going♡.”

“If it’s just trying… maybe…”

Like Masami-oneechan says, trying a bit might be okay.

It’ll probably flop with no viewers and get boring, though.

Plus, I’ve been wanting a gaming PC anyway.

“But what should I stream? Games, probably?”

“Yup! That’s the way!”

Marin-san’s super hyped that I’m considering streaming.

While we plan my streaming, it’s time for Kaede’s group to return.

“Back~♡.”

“““““Thanks for having us~♡”””””

With Kaede come Arisa, Kanon-san, Ran-san, Mikoto-san, Mikuni-san, and Amane-san.

“Hey, Takuya♡, Got anything to say to us?♡.”

Kaede prompts my thoughts.

“Yup… Everyone’s yukata looks great… Beautiful.”

Everyone in their colorful yukata looks like fireworks blooming in the night sky.

““““Ehehe♡””””

“Takuya-sama, you look great in your yukata too♡.”

“Thanks, Mikuni-san…”

“Mei-sa~n♡, Take our picture♡.”

“Of course♡.”

In our yukata, we take group photos. Two-shots too.

“This is totally going in my wallpaper rotation~♡.”

Arisa’s hyped, sending the photos to her phone.

“Arisa, you change your wallpaper all the time~♡.”

“Cuz♡, I’ve got so many pics with Takuya, I wanna use them all!♡.”

“Thanks… Arisa…”

“Ehehe♡, I’m the one who should say thanks♡, Thanks for taking so many pics, Takuya♡.”

“What’s your wallpaper, Takuya?”

“Mine’s set to cycle through a bunch…”

“Whoa, you’re using the latest feature to the max!”

Ran-san’s jealous of my phone’s function. Seems her group’s phones don’t have it.

“You got a new phone, Takuya~♡.”

Well, more like my old one got smashed, so I had to replace it…

“Will today’s photos go in your wallpaper gallery?♡.”

“Yup.”

“I’m so happy, Takuya-sama♡.”

Mikoto-san’s thrilled her photo’s in my favorites.

“Takuya-sama♡, What about the pic I took?♡.”

“Nah, my pics are fine…”

“Takuya’s pic?”

Arisa jumps on it. Everyone else tilts their heads, curious.

“The photo Mei-san took of Takuya-kun was super gorgeous♡.”

““““I wanna see!♡””””

Yuika-san spills to everyone, so I reluctantly show them the pic.

“Here, here!♡, Adding this to my wallpaper rotation~♡.”

Arisa switches her wallpaper to my photo and shows it off.

It’s me with fireworks in the background, fitting perfectly as a wallpaper.

“Let’s make this the group chat icon♡.”

“Ugh, that’s embarrassing…”

Kaede messes with her phone and changes it to my photo. Well, it’s better than the last one…

“Wanna take off the yukata now…”

“Yeah~♡, We’ve enjoyed them enough, let’s change♡.”

We ask Moka-san and the others to help us out of the yukata.

The moment I take it off, it’s like a weight lifts off my shoulders—feels good.

“By the way!♡, It’s Mikuni-chan and their first festival today!♡.”

“Really… Was it fun?”

“““Yes!♡”””

“We ate takoyaki~♡, Ice cream~♡, Had a blast, right~♡.”

Ran-san seems like she’s all about fun like this. Perfect person to learn from.

“Was it fun for you, Takuya-sama?♡.”

Amane-san checks on me too.

“Yup. The food was tasty, and I saw the fireworks.”

“Hehe♡, Glad you thought it was delicious♡, Right, Miki-chan?♡.”

“Yes♡.”

“Everyone~♡, Let’s do handheld fireworks in the garden♡.”

Mei-san got us fireworks, so we head to the garden.

We prep a bucket for extinguishing and candles for lighting, then light the handheld fireworks.

The smoky, burnt smell of gunpowder spreads, but it feels so summery.

“So pretty~♡.”

“This is my first time with these too♡.”

“Mine too♡.”

“They’re beautiful, Amane-san♡.”

Mikoto-san, Mikuni-san, and Amane-san are happy with this simple summer fun.

…Am I not a commoner? I’m rich, but…

Satsuki-san lights the ground-based fireworks that burst in the air, and we watch from a distance.

“Hehe♡, Takuya flinched a bit♡.”

“Cuz… I’m bad with loud noises…”

Arisa teases me for jumping at the fireworks’ sound. I’m not good with sudden stuff.

“Then watch the next one hugging someone!♡, C’mon, hug~♡.”

Kaede urges me to pick someone to hug. Here goes…

“Ohh♡, Me, huh~♡, Man, I’m so reliable~♡.”

I pick Arisa, and she immediately gets cocky.

But Arisa’s big and always protective, so it feels safe.

“Then I’m scared too, so I’ll stick to Takuya-kun~♡.”

Kanon-san clings to me, and we both jump at the same time.

The second and third bursts, I watch hugging Arisa while Kanon-san hugs me, and the fireworks end.

“What’s everyone doing~? Staying over?”

“Here, here! I came prepared to stay!♡.”

Ran-san’s totally ready to stay, with a big bag in tow.

Looks like everyone else planned to stay too, showing their bags.

“Then let’s hit the bath~♡.”

“““Yay!♡”””

I bathe with Amane-san and Ran-san, who won rock-paper-scissors, and we all plan my V-tuber debut until we’re sleepy.