She is Reading My Thoughts Again Today - Chapter 31

Fireworks Day

Lithium is red, sodium is yellow, potassium is purple, and many more. By using those flame colour reactions, they add colours to fireworks like a beautiful flower blooming in the sky.

Yeah, fireworks.

It’s a firework festival.

Kisaragi invited me to go to a firework festival the day before, since I had no plans for the day, I accepted her invitation. I wonder how long it has been I sit in an air-conditioned room, just listening to the sound of fireworks. This is the first festival I’ve been to in a long time. I waited her in the park where it is very hot and humid even though the sun has set, the smell of insect spray is all around me.

People who are going to the fireworks festival passed in front of me several times. We agreed to meet at the park at 7 PM, no matter how many times I look at my smartphone, it’s long past the scheduled time. She doesn’t respond to the message I sent to her a while ago, something must’ve happened. It’s a summer festival day. Even though it’s not dark it’s already night time. I’m worried that something might happen to her. Should I send her another message, or should I call her? As I was staring at my contacts, I got a call from her. My fingers are trembling as I accepted the call.

[Yes, hello. It’s Usami.]

[Hokuto-san? It’s Kisaragi.]

[What’s wrong? Are you okay?]

[Sorry, I had the time wrong, I’ll be a little late.]

Then she hangs up the call. It was a short conversation, but there is something strange with her voice. To be more specific, I think I heard my voice mixed in with hers.

No way, it can’t be. Looking back with half a doubt, I see a familiar face in the shadows of the playground.

“Kisaragi?”

“Ah…”

“What’s with that reaction?”

She turns around and tried to run away, but I quickly caught up to her. When I stood in front of her, she suddenly stops and cowers.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

She kept her face looking down and she doesn’t answer my question.

“If you’re not feeling well, we don’t have to go to the festival. I’ll take you home.”

“No, that’s not it.”

She said it clearly, I don’t think it’s a lie.

“You’re not sick right?”

“Yeah, I’m not sick at all.”

I feel relieved.

“Then, what’s wrong?”

“I thought I’d get too carried away in a yukata.”

“Get too carried away?”

As she said, she is wearing a beautiful yukata which has a pattern of the blue sky with red Koi fish swimming on it. She has her hair pulled back and she is wearing a flower ornament on her hair. She also wears a geta to match her outfit, so apparently because of it she wasn’t fast enough to run away from me.

“Come on, stand up. You’re going to get your Yukata dirty.”

So, I reach out my hand to her, she looks up at me and stares at my hand. I look at her feet as if telling her to hurry and get up. Is that a purse on her hand? So she is wearing a summer festival attire, she looks prepared to look at some fireworks.

“Suddenly you’re embarrassed by the way you’re dressed?”

Perhaps she thought that summer festivals are all about yukata, so she came dressed in one, but she is embarrassed because there are fewer people wearing them than she thought. She probably called to say she would be late and planned to change her clothes. I am sure that must have been the case.

Her eyes look averted when I’m talking to her, her cheeks are blushing in red. She finally looks into my eyes and nodded as if she had given up.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

It’s not like there are no people wearing yukata, and above all…

“Does it suit me?”

She suddenly asked me.

“…well, it’s not for me to answer right?”

Shouldn’t you ask it to someone who is closer to you, like a lover perhaps. This time, I’m the one who turn around to avoid her gaze.

“Oh, god.”

She grabbed me by the hem of my hoodie, it seems she won’t let go of it until she gets an answer from me.

“You look beautiful.”

I said it to avoid the awkward atmosphere between us. She is laughing happily. What in the world is she laughing about?