Why don't you invite Ishihara to the fireworks? I'm sure that'd make her happy.
The fireworks... with Ishihara-san?
Watari-kun?
Oh, the fireworks?
I'm sorry. I always go see them with my friends from my hometown.
You're welcome to join us, though.
Oh, no, it's fine. I don't want to intrude.
We'll find a time when we're both free.
Sure.
If it's just the two of us,
I'd much rather it be next week or after, too.
Huh?
Sorry, just talking to myself.
And I'm sorry I had to turn down your invitation.
Maybe I'll take Suzu to see the fireworks, then.
I already made plans with my friend Renon-chan.
Not you, too...
You want to come with us?
I don't have to go.
Aw, come on. Let's all go.
Oh, I know! Why don't we ask Satsuki-chan, too?
How far can we go and still be childhood friends?
Wait, that won't work.
I'm pretty sure she said she has to work that day.
I see.
Well, I have that day off, so I'll go with you guys.
Really? Yay!
Take us to... your leader...
Looks like I'm going to the fireworks with Suzu and her friend.
Read
Ishihara Yukari
Really?! Then maybe we can meet up there for a bit?
What about your friends?
Read
I'm sure I could leave them for a little bit
Ishihara Yukari
I'll wait for you at the shrine grounds when the fireworks start at 7 PM (^_^)
Watari-kun's ****** Is about to Collapse
Onii-chan! Over here, over here!
It's nice to meet you.
I'm Kanda Renon from class 4-1.
It's nice to meet you, too.
I'm Suzu's older brother.
Thanks for coming out here today.
Same to you.
Suzu, your jinbei is so cute.
I really wanted to wear a yukata,
but it's so hard to move in them.
I just realized... Will Ishihara-san be wearing a yukata?
I kinda...
No, I'd really like to see it.
A text from Tokui?
Did something come up with Umezawa?
Umezawa-san ran away. I don't think it was because of anything I did.
Hello?
What's going on?!
We met up at the station and were walking over here making small talk
when she suddenly bolted in the direction of the shrine.
I see.
I'll try to take care of it.
Sorry about this.
It's fine. Don't worry about it.
Sorry, Suzu.
Something just came up.
Do you mind if I leave you here for a bit?
That's fine.
If anything happens, please contact me on my cell phone.
Thanks.
There she is.
Umezawa!
What the hell are you doing?
You didn't tell me someone that adult-like would show up!
Huh?
I got so nervous, I had no idea what to say.
Come on. You're not usually like this.
You've always been surrounded by guys.
That's something completely different!
I mean, sure, I'm used to flaky guys fawning all over me.
But in middle school, all I did was track,
and now my high school is an all-girls boarding school.
So I've never even had a real one-on-one interaction with a guy...
I mean, of course I'm fine talking one-on-one with a guy on your level.
What do you mean, "your level"?
That Tokui guy complimented me on my yukata right away.
Oh, yeah. You're wearing a yukata, huh?
See, that's exactly what I mean!
But whatever! I can forgive that much!
Anyway, I need you to play the role of my boyfriend now!
Give me a break.
I'm supposed to be meeting my actual girlfriend at this very shrine.
Then I'll come, too!
Wait, why?
What's going on here?
You in a fight with your boyfriend?
Why don't you come watch the fireworks with us instead?
Thank you, but no.
Nobody's talking to you.
We're talking to her.
Senpai, why don't we go talk over there?
Come on, don't be like that.
Come with us.
They're relentless!
When I give you the signal, we run.
Come on, now.
Why don't we get some yakisoba?
Takoyaki goes great with fireworks, too!
Run!
Wow.
She's fast!
Just what I'd expect from a track team's star sprinter.
What's the big idea, telling me to run?
What do I look like, a dog?!
In a situation like that, you're supposed to vanquish the enemies like a gallant hero!
If your girlfriend was the one in trouble, would you still have tried to run?
Sure. If that's what it takes to keep the people important to me safe.
I don't care if I look uncool.
I mean, if I'd confronted those guys, I could've gotten beaten up.
And if you then ended up in trouble because of that, it'd all be for nothing.
So what would you do if we tried to run but couldn't get away?
If there really was no way to run,
and someone important to me was in danger...
then I would protect them with my life.
No matter what I had to do.
Even if... that person was me?
Would you...
protect me?
The fireworks have started.
Did you say something?
N-Nothing at all!
Please forget all about it!
Oh, crap! I promised Ishihara-san!
Is that your girlfriend's name?
Yeah, why?
Please let me meet her!
What do I do now?
If she's willing to go out with him, she can't be very...
Watari-kun.
Sorry. I ended up being a little late.
Ishihara-san!
Don't be. It's no problem at all.
You must be Watari-kun's...
Let me introduce you properly. This is the kouhai I mentioned earlier.
Watari-senpai.
I'm gonna go back to where my teammates are.
Huh?
What about your fake boyfriend?
I'll come up with something!
Are you okay going back by yourself?
Don't treat me like a kid!
Bye!
Umezawa!
I hate this.
I hate this!
Is it because my unpopular senpai got a girlfriend?
And his girlfriend is so much prettier than I ever could have imagined?
Or is it because he seems so much happier than me,
when I thought we were in the same boat?
Am I envious of him? Is that it?
Captain...
Umezawa, what's wrong?
No.
It's not that I'm envious of Watari-senpai.
That's a lie.
It's because I have feelings for...
Why?
Sorry.
For making you leave partway through the fireworks.
Is Suzu-chan really going to be okay?
Yeah.
She's with her friend and her friend's parents.
They said they'd give her a ride back to our house.
Are you okay, though? What about your friends?
It's fine. I texted them earlier.
She just wanted to leave all of a sudden.
I don't think this is the prelude to a date, though. It's too late in the day.
I think she really just wanted to go home.
I just wanted to go home.
But I also wanted us to have a little time together before then.
It's raining...
Looks like we made the right choice leaving early.
I'll go buy an umbrella from the convenience store.
You don't have to do that.
If we walk a little faster, it should be fine.
But...
Are you okay?
I forgot I was wearing a yukata.
I'm sorry!
If it's okay with you, you can hold my hand while you walk.
Please.
It's really starting to come down.
The wind's picked up, too.
It really has...
A cloudburst?!
There's no shelter nearby, and it's too far to go back to the station...
Ishihara-san, my house is the closest, so let's go there for now.
Okay.
Satsuki?
What are you doing here at this hour?
The rain started coming down hard on my way home from work.
So I came to put a tarp over the vegetables.
I brought in Suzu-chin's planters, too.
That's all.
I did what I came to do, so I'll leave now.
Huh?
Satsuki!
m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100
I'm sleeping. Don't wake me before morning FOR ANYTHING!!!! \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h-Tamayo
m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100
I'm sleeping. Don't wake me before morning FOR ANYTHING!!!! \h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h\h-Tamayo
Given the weather and the late hour...
Do the two of you want to spend the night?
This is an emergency, so I'll just talk to Tamayo-san about it later.
Suzu should be home soon.
Why don't the two of you go ahead and take a bath?
I'll put out a change of clothes.
And sorry. I only have men's clothes to lend you.
Sorry to have caused all this trouble.
It's totally fine.
I'm spending the night at Watari-kun's house... and Tachibana-san is here, too.
Sorry about this.
Wh-Why are you apologizing?
walk walk
Just seemed like I should.
walk walk
Please stop staring at them.
Stare...
Tachibana-san!
Do you often come to Watari-kun's house?
Yeah. I help Suzu-chin with her vegetable garden.
That's also why I came tonight.
I don't come here for any other reason, so you don't need to worry.
I'm not worried!
Liar.
I'm sorry.
To tell the truth, I actually worry a whole lot.
I don't really understand why you'd feel that way, Miss F-Cup.
But Nao-kun does seem happy now that he gets to go out with you.
I can tell just by looking at him.
That's why I don't mind.
He and I will never be more than childhood friends.
That's what he wants, too.
That doesn't seem right.
I mean, you have your own feelings.
Are you really all right with that?
Yes, I am.
If that's what he wants, I'm fine with it.
That's what I've decided.
Tachibana-san!
Yeah?
Feelings like that... They usually...
Never mind. It's nothing.
What? Suzu-chan isn't coming home tonight?
Renon
Suzu's safe!
We'll look after her for tonight.
She said she's staying at her friend's house since the weather's so bad.
Her friend's parents also contacted me earlier.
I see.
Then it looks like it's just the three of us tonight.
I mean, Tamayo-san's upstairs, too.
So, are you going to sleep in here with us?
Are you crazy?!
I'm going to sleep in my own room, next door.
You're okay not making out with Miss F-Cup all night?
Tachibana-san!
Oh, sorry.
Guess you haven't reached that base yet.
Reached what base?!
Of course she had to bring that up.
I've been trying not to think about it!
Ishihara-san is sleeping in the next room. Wearing my clothes.
Stop it!
No matter what,
I need to be the pure, proper gentleman that Ishihara-san wants me to be!
I should go to bed before I get into some weird mood.
m 0 0 l 100 0 100 100 0 100
\h\h* Renon *\h\h
Suzu here! The rain's really coming down, huh? Could you take the planters in from the garden for me? Onii-chan, will you be okay all by yourself? I miss you a teensy, tiny bit, too.
Suzu here!
The rain's really coming down, huh?
Could you take the planters in from the garden for me?
Watari-kun.
Too bad. It's just me.
Bet you thought it was Miss F-Cup, huh?
You...
What the hell are you doing out here?
Bathroom trip. Now it's back to bed.
I forgot to say it before,
but thanks for doing all this for Suzu.
You came all the way here in this weather.
It's no big deal.
If anything, I'm sorry for getting in your way.
Goodnight.
Watari-kun, are you still awake?
Is he really asleep?
Maybe now I can do it.
What am I even doing?
I know this is wrong.
What's my excuse going to be if he wakes up?
But... But...
Don't!
Don't, Suzu.
That grass isn't edible.
Stop it!
It wouldn't be right to do it while he's sleeping.
I'm sorry.
Goodnight, Watari-kun.
Hey.
Satsuki.
You up to no good again?
Huh? Wait, why...
I... I couldn't sleep.
I'm sorry for barging into your room.
No, that's no problem at all.
Watari-kun, you said "Satsuki" just now.
Huh?
You thought I was Tachibana-san.
No, I didn't!
It's just that she's come into my room before.
But only because she broke in!
I want you to see me more.
Not Tachibana-san.
Huh?
Before she becomes aware of her own feelings.
It's fine.
Huh?
Go ahead and do it.
When she says "do it,"
she's talking about kissing, right?
But we haven't even been going out for that long.
S-Still, I've been served this opportunity on a silver platter!
Are you sure?
Well, then...
Ishihara-san?
Why aren't you wearing any pants?
It's so hot in here.
I-I see.
She's being a lot bolder than she usually is.
Go ahead.
Okay.
We're going to do it in this risque position?
Um...
I-I'm sorry!
I guess you changed your mind.
No, that's not it.
But this is all so sudden, I haven't had the chance to prepare.
I-I also haven't had the chance to mentally prepare.
So, for today... is it okay if we can't go all the way?
Huh?
It just ended today, so this isn't a good day.
We can't go the entire way, but...
Wait a minute.
We're not talking about kissing here?!
She's talking about... what comes next, then?
So today... we can just go part of the way.
Part of the way? What's part of the way?!
Is this something you can stop once you start?
I don't think anyone would ever retreat in this situation!
U-Um, so this is my first time doing anything like this.
Going out with guys always seemed so much scarier.
But with you, it's all right.
I know it will be all right.
You're the only one who's different from all the other boys.
Watari-kun?
Ishihara-san.
This isn't something you want to rush into.
This is fine.
We've managed to slowly get closer and closer
to the point where we're going out, even if it's only a trial.
To make sure it doesn't break,
I need to treat what we have with care.
But still...
I feel like I just missed the opportunity of a lifetime.
I've probably ruined Watari-kun's image of me.
He must think I'm such a shameless girl now.
I'm mortified. How can I face him after this?
Nao-kun, you...
idiot.
I-Ishihara-san...
Translation Jun Nozaki Editing & Typesetting Geoff Mazzolini