Facing the bearded middle aged man in front of him, Ryuya's expression stiffened slightly.
Did this guy think he was someone harassing Ichika?
Was he trying to protect her?
Judging from the situation, his relationship with Ichika seemed somewhat unusual.
Just as Ryuya was about to say something, Ichika suddenly slapped the middle aged man on the shoulder.
"Ah! It looks like someone is prying open your car window!!"
"What!?"
The bearded man immediately turned around.
Seizing the moment, Ichika grabbed Ryuya's hand and ran off into the distance.
"…Hey, Ichika?"
Ryuya had no choice but to follow as she pulled him along, feeling a bit puzzled.
"Haha, don't ask. Just run, or we'll get stopped."
Ichika turned her head back and said with a smile.
However, when Ryuya saw her expression clearly, his eyes shifted slightly.
The girl's smile looked somewhat forced.
For the time being, he chose not to ask anything and simply followed her into a narrow alley.
Back in the distance, the bearded man finished checking his car and scratched his head as he walked back.
But by the time he returned, Ichika and Ryuya had already disappeared without a trace.
His expression immediately froze.
Looking completely confused, he wandered around in circles for a while, yet all he could see was the surging crowd…
Inside the alley, Ryuya was suddenly pressed against the wall by Ichika.
Smack!
She stretched out her arm and placed her hand against the wall beside him.
This was… the legendary kabedon?
Ryuya felt speechless inside.
What exactly was going on?
He had absolutely no idea what had just happened.
Maintaining a calm expression, Ryuya quietly looked at Ichika in front of him, while she stared straight back into his eyes.
After a long moment, Ichika finally revealed a faint smile.
"Say… could you keep what just happened a secret for me?"
Her gaze lowered slightly, and she said with a trace of melancholy,
"I won't be able to go watch the fireworks with them."
Ryuya lowered his head slightly, keeping his gaze aligned with hers.
"You should know they want all five sisters to watch together."
"Of course I know." Ichika smiled helplessly.
She herself wished for the same thing.
"It's just that work suddenly came up, so I can't go see the fireworks."
"Work?" Ryuya's mind worked quickly. "So that uncle earlier was your coworker?"
"Hehe, that's right."
"Looks like the others don't know either."
Ichika suddenly looked a little embarrassed.
"Haha… well… I was planning to tell them after I'd made a bit of a name for myself…"
"Are you sure it's fine if the five of you don't watch the fireworks together?"
"This is a memory you share with your mother. You used to watch them together every year, right?"
Ryuya's calm words made Ichika pause slightly.
"…How do you know about that?"
"Miku told me."
"That girl even told you something like that…"
Ichika smiled helplessly.
"Well, we're quintuplets after all. We all look exactly the same."
"So it shouldn't matter if one of us is missing, right?"
Ryuya curled his lips slightly and said calmly,
"Do you actually have the guts to say that to them face to face?"
"..."
That single sentence completely shut her down. Ichika could not help but laugh helplessly.
"Now that I think about it, what does this have to do with you, Ryuya? Why are you getting involved with us in the first place…"
"Who knows. Maybe because this is the perfect moment to show off the charm of my calm and reliable personality, so I don't want to miss it."
Ryuya made up the excuse without the slightest ripple in his tone.
Ichika: "..."
You can really say something that shameless with a straight face…
At that moment, Ichika spotted a familiar figure appearing outside the alley. It was the bearded man from earlier, and her expression immediately changed.
"Ah! How did he find us here?"
She hurried forward a couple of steps. When she saw the bearded man heading toward the alley, her small face grew tense.
"Oh no, oh no… I tricked him into running off just now. He's definitely going to scold me…"
Suddenly thinking of something, she wrapped her arms around Ryuya's waist and turned slightly, using his body to hide herself.
From outside the alley, it now looked just like a pair of lovers locked in an embrace.
Ryuya felt a bit speechless and muttered quietly,
"That wasn't included in the commission. This costs extra."
"…What are you even talking about?" Ichika said with a helpless laugh. "Please help me out, or I'm really going to get scolded…"
Ryuya could only raise his arms and hold Ichika.
His shoulders were broad, perfectly blocking her figure. There were plenty of people wearing yukata at the fireworks festival anyway, so there was no need to worry about being recognized by their clothing.
Ichika had practically squeezed herself completely into Ryuya's embrace.
Ryuya could clearly feel the impressively developed curves beneath her yukata, soft and full against him.
"If someone saw us like this, would they think we're a couple?" Ichika asked shyly.
"There's no 'would they.' We'd definitely be mistaken for a couple."
Ryuya answered in an even tone, glancing toward the alley entrance from the corner of his eye. The bearded man had actually sat down right at the entrance.
"Ahaha… We're clearly just friends, but it feels like we're sneaking around doing something bad…" Ichika laughed awkwardly, her cheeks turning red from the situation.
As the sound of fireworks exploding echoed from outside the alley, the two of them stayed quiet for about ten seconds.
"You're not actually worried about being scolded, are you?"
Ryuya suddenly said softly.
"Huh?"
"You're just conflicted about whether to leave or not. In truth, you want to stay with everyone and watch the fireworks together, right?"
The boy's gentle voice sounded right beside her ear, and Ichika's expression froze slightly.
She smiled bitterly.
"You could tell even that…"
"What did you expect?" Ryuya replied calmly. "I'm a devil, after all."
"Haha… You're really scary, Ryuya," Ichika sighed.
"It's just that you're easy to read. And I think you can't bear to give up this job either, right?"
She fell silent.
After a few seconds, she finally spoke softly.
"I like this job. That uncle is a photographer. We discuss together how to take better pictures and produce better work. These moments have been the happiest time for me."
"…I see."
For Ichika, watching the fireworks with her sisters was important because it was a shared memory with their mother.
But the job she loved was also important.
That was why she felt so conflicted right now.
She wanted to go work, yet hesitated because she did not know how to explain it to her sisters.
Ryuya could see through her hesitation.
"People often say you shouldn't waste your life on something you know you'll regret.
But in life, there are always choices that are impossible to make easily."
Ryuya continued calmly,
"Still, there are very few things in this world where you can have it both ways. In the end, you'll always have to give something up.
But fortunately, no matter what choice you make, I think that as quintuplets, you'll all understand each other… right?"
…
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