Every year, every location that hosts a fireworks festival basically becomes synonymous with crowds and traffic jams. Well, if you want to put it nicely, you could call it "lively."
After all, fireworks are truly beautiful, and they do attract a lot of people. What's more, for some individuals, they even hold a special significance.
Akira stood in front of the window, watching the growing crowd below as he dialed the next number.
The call took a little longer than usual to connect—perhaps the person on the other end was busy, or maybe they just thought they could play a little hard to get.
"Good evening, Mr. Shinomiya."
"Oh? It's Mr. Ogiwara. I thought you were the kind of man who would never initiate contact with anyone.
When the servant told me it was your call, I thought he was mistaken. What can I do for you?"
Right from the start, the conversation carried an undertone.
"Well, it's like this," Akira said, not bothering with the usual polite denial of the word "instruct," and asked in a gentle, courteous tone,
"I had plans to watch the fireworks tonight with a few young ladies. But even now, two beautiful ladies still haven't arrived. Would you happen to know why, Mr. Shinomiya?"
A few low chuckles came through the phone.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect someone like you to enjoy fireworks festivals."
"Life is short, and when one comes across beautiful sights, they should take the time to appreciate them.
If you look back and realize there's nothing worth remembering, wouldn't that be far too bleak?"
"Flowers and swords are both beautiful things."
"Well, I suppose that's a matter of personal taste. If there weren't artists who dedicate their lives to painting, how would a man like you find anything tasteful enough to display?"
Speak differently to different people—speak kindly to the kind, sharply to the sharp, and cryptically to those who are neither.
Though he disliked socializing, as an onmyouji, Akira still knew how to play the part.
The hollow pleasantries ended up meaning nothing. The head of the Shinomiya family chuckled again, though this time, the tone of his laugh seemed a few degrees colder.
"Lately, my daughter has been acting out of line. If I don't discipline her now, she'll bring disgrace to the Shinomiya name.
I assume this call is about Hayasaka, since you don't know my daughter personally. No problem—I'll have someone call the annex and send Hayasaka over."
"Oh, no, that wouldn't do at all. I heard Miss Shinomiya was really looking forward to the fireworks festival.
If she's locked up at home now, she might be lying on her bed crying. Sending her maid out to have fun in the meantime? Isn't that a bit cruel?"
Now that he was getting to the point, Akira dropped the pleasantries and spoke directly:
"Miss Shinomiya is just a little girl. Turning her into such a beautiful caged bird—isn't that a bit too harsh?"
"This is the discipline of the Shinomiya family, Mr. Ogiwara. Do you intend to lecture me on that too?"
"Oh? This is the first time I've heard of a family discipline system that includes breaking appointments."
Akira lit a cigarette and exhaled a puff of smoke directly into the call.
"If this really is part of your so-called family rules, then I do suggest you revise it. Word gets around, and it wouldn't sound too flattering."
He heard a faint noise on the other end of the line, like someone crumpling an expensive piece of paper.
"Mr. Ogiwara, you really did call just to lecture me?"
"Lecture is too strong a word. I simply dislike being stood up. Who likes being ditched or lied to, after all?"
Akira twirled a paper talisman between his fingers, letting it sway gently—like it was the last remaining layer of decorum.
"Setting everything else aside, people should at least keep their promises with their few close friends.
Otherwise, you'll end up with no friends at all. You may be the head of the Shinomiya family, but you're also a father.
Surely you wouldn't want your daughter to end up a pitiful, friendless girl, would you?"
"…Hmph."
The Shinomiya patriarch finally let out a cold laugh.
"You have a point, Mr. Ogiwara. I did act a little rashly this time. Do you have any further advice for me?"
"No, no, I already said it's not advice."
Akira squinted his eyes with a broad smile.
"That's all. Now I'll just wait for the two lovely ladies to arrive, so we can enjoy tonight's fireworks together. It only happens once a year—it would be a real shame to miss it."
"Heh, indeed. In that case, please be patient a little longer, Mr. Ogiwara. I'll have someone inform the annex."
"Mm, thank you kindly, Mr. Shinomiya."
Akira removed the phone from his ear and hung up first.
Technically, etiquette dictated that the caller should wait for the other party to end the call.
But really, what difference did that make? A bit more politeness wouldn't make that final veneer of civility any prettier.
Lounging in his hotel recliner, Akira stared leisurely out the window, waiting for the moment when the fireworks would light up the sky.
Until his phone rang again.
So many calls today...
Akira sighed and picked up his phone. Seeing the caller name—Utaha—he raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise.
When he answered, he heard her voice laced with suppressed anger.
"Ogiwara-san, weren't we supposed to watch the fireworks together tonight?"
Akira was even more surprised.
"That was the reward I promised for exorcising the Spencer family's ghost. But weren't you the one who completed that task?"
Utaha took a deep breath on the other end, and when she spoke again, her tone was noticeably calmer.
"But I never said I wouldn't go, did I? Ogiwara-san, even though we agreed to delay settling the payment, I was still willing to do something before then."
"Ah, so..."
"So, as a gentleman, shouldn't you have formally invited a lady to the fireworks festival beforehand—told her when and where to meet?"
Ah, that's... probably true.
"And then on top of not inviting me, your line's been busy this whole time!"
Yeah... There had been quite a few calls today.
Thinking about Utaha probably already dressed up and waiting by her phone made Akira feel a bit awkward—especially considering what he was about to say.
Still, awkward or not, he had to say it.
"Um... I'm really sorry, Kasumigaoka-san. But I already have plans tonight."
Utaha froze. "Didn't you say you didn't want to two-time Aoyama-san?"
Ah… that.
Akira paused, thinking back to how he'd already said a lot of outrageous things that day.
He may have hurt Utaha's already fragile heart more than he realized. Adding another blow now seemed a bit cruel.
So he said nothing.
"…Forget it, forget it. You're a high and mighty big shot. Do whatever you want."
Utaha grumbled and hung up.
Then, standing amidst the crowd, she bit her lip in frustration and used her yukata sleeve to rub her eyes.
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