On the afternoon of the Fireworks Festival.
The sweltering heat in the air slowly dissipated, and the coolness belonging to a summer night began to arrive.
Imaizumi Keita arrived at the agreed-upon station exit in the neighboring city ten minutes early.
He was wearing the dark gray patterned Yukata he had picked out with Yanami Anna two days ago.
The texture of the fabric was more comfortable than he had imagined, and the handsome design made him look a bit more mature and steady than usual.
A cheerful voice came from behind him.
"Keita!"
Imaizumi Keita turned around, and Yanami Anna's figure suddenly came into view.
She had clearly dressed up meticulously.
Her voluminous hair was skillfully pinned up, secured by a hairpin adorned with a red goldfish accessory, revealing her fair neck.
She was wearing the same dark blue goldfish-patterned Yukata that had caught his eye in the kimono shop that day.
The deep base color made her already fair skin look even more dazzling, and the few lively, swaying golden carp on the hem added a touch of playfulness and elegance.
She carried a small drawstring bag, wore a pair of red geta, and ran to him with small, quick steps.
After standing still, Yanami Anna spun around in front of him with a mix of expectation and bashfulness, her wide sleeves fluttering gently.
"How is it? Do I look good?"
"Yeah, you look great."
Imaizumi Keita did not hold back his praise, his tone full of sincere admiration.
"I knew you'd like it!"
Upon receiving the positive answer, Yanami Anna immediately raised her chin proudly, her face filled with the pride of "my taste was right after all."
She naturally stepped forward, reached out to hook her arm into Imaizumi Keita's, and leaned her body against him.
"Alright, let's wait for the seniors here."
As she spoke, she gently leaned her head against his shoulder, as if declaring her ownership.
The two stood leaning against each other for a while, and the figures of the other club members began to appear one after another in their field of vision.
The first to arrive were President Tamaki Shintaro and Vice President Tsukinoki Koto.
The two walked side-by-side. Tamaki Shintaro was wearing a Jinbei similar in style to Imaizumi Keita's but in a lighter color, while Tsukinoki Koto chose an elegant light purple Yukata with subtle iris patterns, perfectly highlighting her unique gentle temperament.
Following closely behind them was Komari Chika, still looking a bit timid.
Today, she wore a cream-colored Yukata dotted with small cherry blossom patterns.
"Yo, Imaizumi, Yanami, you two are here early."
Tamaki Shintaro greeted them with a smile, his gaze falling on their intertwined arms, a knowing smile appearing on his face.
Just as Imaizumi Keita was about to respond, the last figure arrived with a light patter of footsteps.
"Sorry, sorry! I'm here!"
Shioyaki Lemon's voice was as vibrant as ever.
She wore a bright, sunflower-yellow yukata adorned with large, blooming white daisies.
The vivid colors contrasted sharply with her tanned skin, making her radiate summer energy.
"Wow, Lemon-chan, you look amazing in that!"
Yanami Anna's eyes lit up, and she praised her sincerely.
"Hehe, right?"
Shioyaki Lemon scratched her head, a little embarrassed, her gaze uncontrollably drifting past Yanami Anna to Imaizumi Keita.
As soon as she saw Imaizumi Keita, Shioyaki Lemon's breath hitched.
All the polite remarks she had prepared, such as "Everyone looks so pretty today," were temporarily forgotten.
Shioyaki Lemon looked at him in his dignified dark gray yukata, watched him smile at her, and a flutter of emotion stirred in her heart.
"Wow..."
Shioyaki Lemon instinctively let out a gasp, her voice filled with undisguised admiration and awe.
"Kin-chan, you look super—handsome in a yukata!"
This blunt, almost daring compliment instantly made the atmosphere subtle.
Komari Chika, who was standing to the side checking her phone for things to note about the fireworks festival, looked up for a moment, then lowered her head again.
W-what's going on here...
Yanami Anna's hand, which was linked with Imaizumi Keita's arm, unconsciously tightened a bit.
Although a smile remained on her face, a hint of vigilance had entered her eyes.
Imaizumi Keita, however, didn't seem to mind, simply smiling and nodding at Shioyaki Lemon's embarrassed expression.
"Thank you. Lemon, you look beautiful today too."
"Alright, alright, now that everyone's here,"
Tsukinoki Koto stepped forward at the opportune moment, clapping her hands to break the subtle atmosphere.
"Let's go in! The fireworks festival should be starting soon!"
...
On the train to the Seaside Park, there weren't many passengers, but most were young men and women dressed in various yukata.
The Literature Club group was lucky enough to find two rows of empty seats facing each other.
On one side, there were two empty seats, and on the other, four empty seats.
Yanami Anna pulled Imaizumi Keita to the two empty seats first.
She sat next to Imaizumi Keita, her arm naturally linked with his.
Tamaki Shintaro and Tsukinoki Koto sat in the seats opposite them.
Thus, only Shioyaki Lemon and Komari Chika remained.
Shioyaki Lemon glanced at the two figures who had already started whispering to each other as if no one else was around, then looked at the President and Vice President on the other side, who were also chatting quietly.
She walked straight to the seats directly opposite Imaizumi Keita and Yanami Anna, placing her small bag beside her.
This position allowed her to look directly into Imaizumi Keita's eyes without effort.
Komari Chika's face showed a hint of bewilderment and helplessness, and she finally sat down next to Shioyaki Lemon, shrinking her body as much as possible into the corner.
The train slowly started, and the scenery outside the window began to rapidly recede.
Yanami Anna leaned her head on Imaizumi Keita's shoulder, casually sharing what she wanted to do at the fireworks festival later.
"Hey, Keita, after we watch the fireworks, how about we go play goldfish scooping? I really want to try it!"
"Okay."
"And those Candy Apple! They look so delicious!"
"Mm."
Imaizumi Keita responded intermittently, but his gaze uncontrollably fell on Shioyaki Lemon opposite him.
Shioyaki Lemon didn't participate in their conversation, nor did she take out her phone to pass the time like the others.
She just sat there quietly, hands on her knees, her eyes occasionally looking at him.
This situation gave Imaizumi Keita a peculiar feeling.
On one side was Yanami Anna, warm and soft in his embrace, intimately asserting her claim.
On the other side was Shioyaki Lemon, frank and resolute, communicating silently with her gaze.
This was hardly a summer activity.
This was clearly... a war of love without gunpowder.
Yanami Anna also noticed Shioyaki Lemon occasionally looking at Imaizumi Keita, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sourness.
A feeling called "sense of crisis" surged up.
This woman...
She was definitely doing it on purpose!
Yanami Anna's hand, linked with Imaizumi Keita's arm, uncontrollably tightened a bit more.
Shioyaki Lemon, sitting opposite, immediately noticed Yanami Anna's little movement, and the curve of her lips couldn't help but turn up a bit more.
Imaizumi Keita was caught between these two gazes, feeling the possessive energy from beside him and the combative energy from across.
He only felt his temples begin to throb faintly again...
Seriously...
It was summer, so why did he feel so cold?
This feeling of both ice and fire was truly... a bit much to handle.
Just as he was enjoying this unique "sweet burden," Shioyaki Lemon finally retracted her gaze.
Her eyes turned to Komari Chika, who had been trying to minimize her presence since getting on the train.
Tamaki Shintaro and Tsukinoki Koto were huddled together, whispering about something, not noticing Komari Chika's awkwardness and unease.
Shioyaki Lemon looked at Komari Chika's pitiful appearance, almost blending into the background, and the empathy of a loser welled up in her heart again.
She turned her head, leaned closer to Komari Chika, and spoke up first.
"Um, Komari."
"Eh?!"
Komari Chika, whose name was suddenly called, looked up.
Shioyaki Lemon naturally started the conversation, "Speaking of which, Komari, what do you usually do on your days off? Do you always read or write novels?"
"Um... m-mostly..."
"Wow, that's amazing! You're so persistent!" Shioyaki Lemon praised sincerely, "For me, if I don't go for a run on my day off, I feel like my whole body will rust."
As she said this, her eyes lit up, as if she had a good idea.
"Oh, Komari, do you usually exercise?"
"Ex-exercise?" Komari Chika shook her head, "I... I'm not very good at it..."
"How can that be!" Shioyaki Lemon immediately showed an expression of "you can't do that," "Girls should exercise more, it's good for your body! Otherwise, when you get old, your bones will become brittle!"
As she spoke, she patted her own chest, volunteering enthusiastically.
"How about this! Next time I go for a morning run, I'll call you to come along? I'll introduce you to it! Don't worry, we'll start slow, it definitely won't be tiring!"
She eagerly squeezed Komari Chika's excessively slender arm, explaining very reasonably.
"Look, you have no muscle at all, you're all soft. No, no, this won't do! Girls need to have healthy bodies too!"
"I, I..."
Komari Chika was flustered by her sudden enthusiasm, and could only instinctively shrink back, trying to escape from her clutches.
Imaizumi Keita looked at the scene before him and found it somewhat amusing.
Lemon-chan, this girl...
She's always so full of energy, no matter when.
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