The train smoothly entered the station in the neighboring city, and with a soft "swish," the doors slid open to both sides.
The still lingering chill of the air conditioning mingled with the hot summer night air surging from the platform.
Accompanied by the sound of festival taiko drums and the clamor of the crowd, the anticipation of the festival was pushed to its peak.
"Wow! Listening to this sound, it feels so lively!"
Shioyaki Lemon was the first to jump off the train, looking at the lively surroundings.
The excitement she had deliberately suppressed on the train was now unreservedly revealed on her face.
A somewhat flustered Komari Chika stood behind her, holding her small cloth bag, her eyes filled with anticipation as she looked at the bustling street in the distance.
Yanami Anna followed closely, intimately linking arms with Imaizumi Keita.
Her face was also beaming with anticipation, but more so with the sweetness of "attending a festival with her boyfriend."
Tamaki Shintaro and Tsukinoki Koto walked last, discussing which stall to visit first.
Stepping out of the station, the festival scene appeared before everyone's eyes.
Along both sides of the main road leading to the Seaside Park, rows of lanterns adorned with various patterns hung, emitting a warm yellow glow.
Young men and women in various yukata gathered in twos and threes, chatting or playing in front of the various stalls.
"Alright, since it's a rare outing for everyone in the Literature Club,"
Tsukinoki Koto checked the time, then thoughtfully suggested, "I see we still have plenty of time, why don't we all explore the festival together?"
"That way, everyone can look out for each other."
"Great! Does anyone have anything they want to play or eat? I want to eat grilled squid!"
Shioyaki Lemon enthusiastically responded to Tsukinoki Koto's suggestion; she also didn't really want everyone to explore the festival separately.
"Komari, what do you want to play? Tell me quickly..."
"Uh, that... I want to... play goldfish scooping..."
Komari Chika also quietly expressed her wish to Shioyaki Lemon.
"No problem! We'll go to all of them!"
Yanami Anna waved her hand, then shook Imaizumi Keita's arm and said, "Let's go! Everyone, let's see what there is to eat and play."
She half-dragged, half-pulled Imaizumi Keita, leading the way into the bustling crowd, and the rest of the Literature Club followed.
Shioyaki Lemon was chatting with Komari Chika, but her eyes kept drifting to Imaizumi Keita's face and his jinbei.
When Imaizumi Keita noticed, she naturally displayed a frank and open smile.
Yanami Anna naturally noticed this as well.
This behavior, combined with Shioyaki Lemon's earlier compliment about Imaizumi Keita looking handsome in his jinbei, wasn't so abrupt.
But she knew that Shioyaki Lemon had confessed to Keita!
In her eyes, this behavior was simply a provocation!!!
She pulled Imaizumi Keita to a stall selling fox masks.
Yanami Anna picked up a mask with red patterns and playfully put it on Imaizumi Keita's face.
Then she picked up a mask for herself, put it on, and asked Tsukinoki Koto for help, saying, "Senpai! Could you please take a picture for us!"
Tsukinoki Koto smiled, took out her phone, and took a photo of the two. Imaizumi Keita, on the other hand, paid for his mask.
He could tell that Anna-chan had absolutely no intention of buying it...
The group looked around and arrived at a takoyaki stall.
Yanami Anna was very excited; she could finally buy a small portion of snacks to tide her over.
"Boss, one serving of takoyaki!"
"Keita, do you want some? How about everyone else..."
After asking Imaizumi Keita, Yanami Anna remembered that it was a group activity and quickly asked everyone for their preferences.
"Boss, five more servings."
"Eh?!"
The others were just about to order from the stall when they heard Imaizumi Keita's words and couldn't help but look at him.
"It seems we haven't really celebrated the success of the light novel with everyone yet..."
Imaizumi Keita awkwardly scratched his head and said, "Today, let me treat everyone to some snacks to celebrate..."
"Yay! Kin-chan! Watch your wallet, though."
Shioyaki Lemon immediately cheered, and Komari Chika also looked at the suddenly generous Imaizumi Keita with a bit of surprise.
He was still snatching her bread earlier...
Before long, a steaming box of takoyaki was handed to her.
She picked up a takoyaki with a bamboo skewer, blew on it, and then offered it to Imaizumi Keita's mouth.
"Here, Keita, ah—"
This sudden intimate feeding made Imaizumi Keita slightly stunned, but he still obediently opened his mouth and ate it.
"How is it, how is it? Is it delicious?"
"Hmm, not bad."
Receiving an affirmative answer, Yanami Anna narrowed her eyes contentedly and then ate one herself.
While eating the takoyaki, she didn't forget to secretly glance at Shioyaki Lemon from the corner of her eye.
Hmph, did you see that?
This is what a girlfriend gets.
Sigh.
But Keita, that philandering guy, would definitely be nice to Lemon too...
Yanami Anna suddenly lost interest in showing off like this...
If Lemon were to cling to Keita, talking about how pitiful she was, wouldn't it make her seem bad...
All the mistakes, all of them are Keita's fault!
Thinking this, Yanami Anna glared fiercely at Imaizumi Keita, making him look bewildered.
Her expression changed in a second; she was just feeding him a moment ago...
What did that disgusted look on her face mean now...
At this moment, Shioyaki Lemon, who had been standing quietly by the side, suddenly let out a soft cry of "Oh!"
"What's wrong?"
Tsukinoki Koto asked with concern.
"N-nothing,"
Shioyaki Lemon pointed to the corner of her mouth and the tip of her nose with some embarrassment. "I ate too fast just now and accidentally got some sauce on me, haha."
After she finished speaking, she frantically rummaged through her drawstring bag, a troubled expression on her face.
"Strange... where are my tissues? I clearly had them just now..."
Before Yanami Anna understood what Lemon was doing, Imaizumi Keita had already taken out a tissue from his pocket and handed it over.
"Use this."
"Wow! Thank you, Kin-chan!"
Shioyaki Lemon immediately smiled with a'saved' expression.
She took the tissue, wiped her nose and the corner of her mouth, then looked at him gratefully, "You're my savior!"
This exaggerated thanks made Yanami Anna's mouth involuntarily turn down.
That Lemon, she's just taking advantage of me being a good woman!!!
She's too bad!
I shouldn't have pitied her, boohoohoohoo...
Yanami Anna turned her indignation into appetite, quickly finished the takoyaki in her hand, and bought another box.
"Lemon-chan, do you want more? Boss, another serving."
Yanami Anna asked Shioyaki Lemon but didn't wait for her answer, kindly buying her a serving on her own initiative.
"Eh! Thank you, Anna!"
Shioyaki Lemon looked at Yanami Anna's actions with a little confusion, then saw Imaizumi Keita's helpless expression and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
Kin-chan, who wants to have two girlfriends, is so pathetic...
But, who told you to be so fickle...
As if hearing Shioyaki Lemon's thoughts, Yanami Anna handed the takoyaki to Shioyaki Lemon, and they both started chatting behind Imaizumi Keita's back.
It was as if nothing had happened between them; they were still like good friends.
By the time they reached the goldfish scooping stall, everyone had more or less something to eat in their hands.
"Boss! Six nets here!"
Yanami Anna paid generously and distributed the paper nets to everyone.
Then she was the first to crouch in front of the pool, her face full of confident determination.
"Hmph hmph, just you wait and see! I am Lady Yanami, known as the 'Goldfish Killer'!"
However, reality did not conform to Yanami Anna's expectations.
In less than a minute, with a frustrated cry, her paper net was declared dead, a large hole torn in its center.
"Darn it! Just a little bit more!"
She threw the broken paper net into the bucket in exasperation and got a second one from the boss.
The result was still failure.
After three consecutive failures, Yanami Anna finally accepted reality and gave up.
She squatted aside, pouting, watching the joyfully swimming goldfish in the pool, her face full of unwillingness.
"Let me try."
Imaizumi Keita had unknowingly crouched beside her, holding an intact paper net.
He didn't rush to put the net in the water but first observed the goldfish's swimming patterns for a while.
Then, he gently herded a seemingly most sluggish goldfish into a corner with the paper net and steadily scooped it up.
"Wow! Keita, you're amazing!"
Yanami Anna's eyes lit up instantly, and her previous disappointment vanished.
Imaizumi Keita put the scooped goldfish into a plastic bag filled with water and then handed the bag to her.
"Here, it's yours."
"Hehe..."
Yanami Anna contentedly took the bag, her face full of undisguised joy.
On the other side.
Shioyaki Lemon also displayed the coordination and reflexes she possessed as a sports girl.
Of course, this ability might not have much to do with scooping goldfish...
But watching her hold her breath, aiming at a black goldfish that was surfacing for air, her hand moved the net down.
"I caught one too!"
She successfully caught one by herself, a triumphant smile on her face.
She glanced at Yanami Anna, who was praising Kin-chan next to him, and a hint of disappointment suddenly appeared in her heart.
Shioyaki Lemon put the black goldfish she had caught into the bag Imaizumi Keita had just given her.
She crouched in front of the water basin again, patiently watching the goldfish with her paper net, and successfully scooped out another yellow goldfish.
Holding the plastic bag containing the yellow and black goldfish, she looked towards the distant sky.
In the distant night sky, a tentative signal flare had already risen, bursting into a small cluster of bright sparks.
"Eh! Look! Are the fireworks about to start?"
Shioyaki Lemon stood up, pointing at the sky to remind everyone.
"It's true! Let's quickly find a good spot! If we go late, there won't be any room!"
Tsukinoki Koto also chimed in.
The festival atmosphere was ignited at once, and everyone present began to flock towards the open lawn of the Seaside Park.
Everyone can join the group to help me decide on the chapter illustrations. The images uploaded to Hedgehog Cat need to be compressed; if you want clearer images, you can ask me for them.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"