My Childhood Friend, a Cool, Beautiful Girl With a Pure Face, Is a Monopolising Yandere
When the fireworks that lit up the night sky were over, the festival was over just like that.
It was a magnificent feast of light that shook the heart, but once it was gone, of course the rush home awaited.
If you go out for fun, you have to go home.
It is a harsh reality.
The aisles were bustling with people going home. The walk was slow and sluggish, perhaps jammed up at the front.
“……It’s crowded after all.”
Ran murmurs softly.
Her expression is slightly dissatisfied. Maybe she regrets that she couldn’t completely avoid the crowds even though she had planned so much.
Unlike on the way out, where everyone arrives separately, on the way back everyone tries to leave the venue all at once, so it can’t be helped that it gets crowded.
“Well, this is how it is after a fireworks display. Besides, it’s all part of the summer festival.”
I chuckled, and this time I gently took Ran’s wrist.
Ran was guiding me until just now, but I also want to show that she can rely on me a little.
“Let’s go together so we don’t get separated, okay?”
“…… Okay.
I’ll follow you.”
Ran nodded lightly.
Ran’s wrists, wrapped in the sleeves of her yukata, were so thin that I was surprised.
I was afraid that if I put even the slightest force on it, it would break, so I tried to squeeze it as softly and gently as possible.
Then we started walking together.
The main street was as busy as ever, but once we got to the side streets, the situation changed.
People are concentrated in the direction of the bus station, so if you move away from there, there is no problem.
The narrow alleyway, illuminated by moonlight, was quiet, as if the bustle of the previous day had been a lie, and although it was dimly lit, it was actually a space that made me feel at home.
“Thank goodness, this one’s empty. We’ll have to go around a bit.”
“No problem.
Rather than getting caught in that crowd, it would be quicker to take the detour in the end.”
Ran responds in a nonchalant manner.
The hem of my yukata swayed under the dim streetlight, and the faint scent of the food stalls that had lined up just a moment ago hung in the air.
The heat has eased somewhat and a cool breeze passes between the two of us.
“If you’re tired, do you want to rest?”
I was wearing sneakers as usual, but Ran was wearing footwear that matched her yukata. I was wearing my usual sneakers.
I was walking around during the festival, and it might have been hard on her feet.
“Don’t worry, unnecessary breaks are inefficient. …… more importantly, your, you know, hands.”
“Hand? Ah.”
Come to think of it, I was still holding onto Ran’s wrist.
It was so naturally familiar that I wasn’t aware of it at all.
“Sorry, sorry, I forgot.”
I let go of her hand while apologising.
There is no reason for us to be holding hands as we are no longer in the crowd.
So it was natural to let go, but for some reason I felt a little, a little regretful.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Ran was as cool as ever.
Good. It seems she doesn’t mind.
On the way home, we walk slowly, with no big topics of conversation.
Even though our conversation is quiet, it’s strangely enjoyable when we’re together. Even if we don’t force ourselves to look for our next destination, it’s pleasant to just walk side by side.
“I wonder, did I get the fireworks right?”
I suddenly became curious and took out my smartphone.
I took a few shots of the fireworks while they were going off, thinking I would record them.
I tried to take a good shot, but it was dark and the camera might have been a little shaky.
When I opened the screen, sure enough, the streaks of light were blurred and formed a strange pattern.
It looks like modern art.
If you weren’t told, you might not recognise it as fireworks.
“Too bad, I might have screwed it up a bit: ……”
When I showed the screen to Ran, she peeked in and gave a small laugh “fufu”
“This is not a “slight” failure. That’s what happens when an amateur tries to capture a difficult subject like fireworks at night with a smartphone camera, of course.”
Ugh.
“If you want beautiful photos, the management will post them on the PR site later, so why don’t you look at them?”
“No, but look. The photo of the fireworks we saw is the only one of its kind in the world.”
“……. That’s a good point.”
It was a bitter defence, but apparently she was convinced.
“Then send me that picture too.”
“Oh, it’s a bit blurry, is that okay?”
“It’s fine, I’ll use it as my profile on social media.”
That’s not a good idea.
It seems that everyone who sees it will turn their heads.
As we were chatting nonsense like that, we soon approached the residential area where our house is located.
…… is already the end of the day?
I felt a little sad.
I had gone to the trouble of previewing and carefully planning the event, but once it started, it all happened so fast.
The hustle and bustle and the sound of the fireworks are far away, and the night air in the quiet residential area is gentle on my skin.
The howling of the dogs, the sound of the television leaking faintly out of the window of some house, the scenery of everyday life slowly returning.
“We’re here, aren’t we?”
“Yes.”
For a brief moment, Ran looks regretful in front of her own house.
But she soon returned to her normal self,
“Today wasn’t so bad.”
she said shortly.
“I see, I had fun too.”
When I replied honestly, Ran sniffed, ‘Of course’
“Let’s go out again.”
“Yeah, efficiency-wise, that’s what we’ll do. …….”
After that, she was about to say something, but in the end, without saying anything, she turned her back on me and went back to her house.
I look away from the back of her.
“…… goodnight.”
I muttered quietly to the back of her yukata, but she probably didn’t hear me.
No, it doesn’t matter if you can’t hear me. It’s enough for now.
On the street, empty except for me, the events of the day are going through my mind.
The reverberations of the fireworks still linger in the back of my ears, and Ran’s yukata, her gesture, her gaze, her little smile, her soft voice, shine vividly in my memory.
“All right, ……”
On the night road alone, I let out a small breath.
It was a strange tension, as if I wanted to dance out of my mind, so after taking a deep breath and calming down, I went into my house.