After ensuring that we’ve locked all of the doorways and the home windows, Umi and I headed to a plaza close to the station the place we deliberate to collect.

The time was presently 5 pm. There have been nonetheless just a few hours till the competition began, 7 pm, however we didn’t need to cope with the crowds throughout rush hour, that was why we got here somewhat earlier. For a similar cause, we deliberate to return house somewhat later.

Alongside the best way, we caught up with Riku-san’s group and we went to the station collectively. On the station, Nozomu and Nitta-san had been already ready for us.

“Proper on time, Maki, Asanagi.”

“Heya, the Maehara couple lastly got here~”

Nozomu was in his informal outfit; a shirt and a pair of denims, in the meantime Nitta-san was carrying a light-weight inexperienced yukata, as deliberate, giving out a ‘cool’ impression.

Like ordinary, I ignored their teasing.

“Thanks for ready, you two. It appears Amami-san goes to be late, in any case…”

“Yeah, about that… I’ve referred to as Yuuchin earlier than coming right here and he or she stated that she’d be late, so we are able to simply go on forward. On the brilliant aspect, Rocky shall be alright, in order that’s value one thing.”

In truth, earlier than we bought right here, I acquired a textual content from Amami-san that stated, ‘Because it’s the weekend, the vet is crammed with folks! Sorry, I’ll be late!’ Since that was the case, we determined to hop on the prepare with out her.

Though it was the primary time that Nozomu and Nitta-san met Riku-san’s group, due to the 2’s glorious social abilities, they bought alongside shortly. Effectively, apart from Reiji-kun, attributable to how shy he was. He saved hiding behind both Shizuku-san or me, although he nonetheless answered all of their questions correctly.

…These two had been so completely different in comparison with me, huh?

The prepare was crowded, in all probability as a result of competition. It was to the purpose that there have been barely any open seats round. In addition to Umi and Nitta-san, there have been different folks carrying yukatas too. I might additionally hear folks speaking in regards to the competition right here and there.

“There are extra folks coming… Shizuku, there’s an empty seat over there, so sit down with Reiji-kun. I’ll stand in entrance of you.”

“Thanks, Rikkun. Reiji, come right here.”

“…I don’t thoughts standing.”noVe-1B-In

“I do know, however extra folks will come, it can get extra crowded and the house will get extra cramped. You don’t need to bother the massive brothers and large sisters, proper?”

“Reiji-kun, are you able to do it for m-my— n-no, for U-Uncle’s sake…?”

“Pfft! U-Uncle… Bahaha!”

“S-Shut up, Umi!”

Riku-san’s surprising phrases made Umi burst out in laughter.

He was nonetheless in his late twenties, so in my eyes, I might nonetheless take into account him as an ‘older brother,’ however I assume for Reiji-kun, he was an ‘uncle,’ huh?

Due to Umi, I let loose a snicker unintentionally despite the fact that I attempted my hardest to carry it again.

“Maki, you too…?”

“S-Sorry, I-I can’t… I-I perceive your emotions, however I nonetheless can’t…”

“By the best way, how previous is your brother once more, Umi? Twenty seven? Twenty eight? He’s just about an previous man then. I imply, fairly than calling him ‘a person in his late twenties,’ he’s principally just a few steps away from being in his thirties, no?”

“Nitta, you… Effectively, in any case, we’ll be like him in ten years and ten years move fairly shortly, you recognize? I swear it appears like yesterday that I used to be nonetheless in grade faculty.”

“Hm, I don’t learn about that. I gave start to Reiji-kun proper after I graduated from the college, so, I don’t assume you’ll want to attend for ten years to grow to be a ‘grown up.’”

When Shizuku-san, somebody who was the identical age as Riku-san, and had already skilled being pregnant, childbirth and divorce, stated these phrases, it sounded extraordinarily persuasive.

We had been principally nonetheless in our seventeen and subsequent yr we might be legally thought-about as adults. A few of us may begin working as quickly as they graduate from highschool, in order that they might be thought-about ‘grown up’ by then.

I turned my gaze towards Shizuku-san and Reiji-kun.

In about 5 or 6 years, we’d attain the age when Shizuku-san gave start to Reiji-kun… That meant, there was a chance that Umi and I’d have a baby not lengthy after that…

“Hm? What’s incorrect, Maki-kun? You may’t stare at me like that, you recognize? Your girlfriend is correct beside you~”

“No, I’m not— Ow!”

“What’s incorrect, Massive Brother?”

“Huh? N-Nothing…”

I felt a pointy ache on my aspect, however I couldn’t precisely scream out as a result of we had been nonetheless on a prepare.

After I glanced in that route, I noticed Umi giving me a dying glare.

“…Maki?”

“I-It’s a misunderstanding! I is likely to be looking at her, however I used to be enthusiastic about you, you recognize? Like, I used to be considering, quickly you’ll grow to be as mature as her, one thing like that!”

“M-Me…?”

Umi then shifted her gaze from me to Reiji-kun.

After a brief pause, her cheeks turned vivid crimson.

Not lengthy after, she pinched my aspect once more.

“Ow!”

“You dummy! It’s a public place!”

“S-Sorry! My thoughts saved wandering someplace on a quiet prepare like this. It’s a behavior, okay?”

Since we had been comparable at our cores, we ended up enthusiastic about the identical factor regardless of reacting to it in a different way.

In any case, that future we had been imagining was nonetheless a great distance off, however I knew that we might attain it at some point. And I’d do my greatest in order that Umi wouldn’t find yourself like Shizuku-san.

“I’m not saying that enthusiastic about that sort of factor is dangerous. It’s simply, do it after we’re alone!”

“I do know… Sorry…”

“So long as you perceive. Additionally, cease giving us that stare, everybody!”

Seeing Shizuku-san’s grin and Nozomu’s, Nitta-san’s and Riku-san’s disgusted look, Umi averted her gaze in embarrassment. In the meantime, Reiji-kun was looking at us with a clean look.

“Oh my, it looks like these two will grow to be ‘grown ups’ sooner than the remainder of you~ By the best way, you possibly can go to ‘Shimizu’ to your marriage ceremony reception, so don’t hesitate to contact us, okay~?”

“…As an worker, no remark.”

““Are you able to two pipe down your flirting? We’re nonetheless on the prepare.””

“I don’t perceive, however all the pieces shall be okay, Massive Brother.”

“Ah, thanks for all the time being by my aspect, Reiji-kun.”

“?”

I patted Reiji-kun’s head, who gave me a puzzled look in response. The fairly rowdy ambiance didn’t cease the prepare from steadily approaching a station close to the venue the place the fireworks competition could be held.