Roshidere V4 C10

Feelings Of Love

TL: NaCl

If you want to be notified when a new chapter has been released, feel free to join our Discord.

Note: Our FanTLs for V3 to V5 were done a year prior to V6 and onwards, and are of lower quality. We recommend buying the official translation and reading those volumes there when it comes out.

At around 7pm, the seven Student Council members visited the shrine, which was about a 20-minute walk from the villa.

After climbing a long flight of stone stairs and passing under the torii gate, there was a cobblestone street with the main shrine far behind. A number of food stalls lined both sides of the cobblestone street, creating an atmosphere of ‘hustle and bustle’ that was extraordinary.

“Ohhh~ …It’s a lot more lively than I expected!?”

Masachika, who thought that this was just a “small local festival”, was surprised by the number of food stalls and visitors. Then, Touya, who was wearing a yukata, said with a slightly proud laugh.

“Didn’t expect that, did you? By the way, the scale of the fireworks show will also be quite large, you know? And later, a Mikoshi will also appear. It will depart from the front of the main shrine building and parade around the shrine grounds.”

(TN: A torri gate is a traditional gate found at the entrance or in the complexes of a Shinto shrine, Shinto being one of the two main religions in Japan. A Mikoshi is a palanquin/carriage which travels between a main shrine to a temporary shrine or festival. It is said to carry a deity within it, in Shinto religion. This tradition is also seen in other Asian religions such as Buddhism.)

“Seriously….”

The girls in the group were half impressed and half surprised by what Touya said. 

The girls were all dressed in beautiful and dazzling yukatas and Masachika, who saw the scene, felt thankful for bringing his own yukata.

So that’s the advantage of asking Jii-chan to send me this yukata… I’d be in an awkward situation if I were the only person wearing ordinary clothes at a festival of this scale.

Masachika was relieved that he was almost the only person who didn’t bring a yukata. Even so, how beautiful and lovely were the girls in their group? Chisaki and Yuki with their dark hair and their pure Japanese features, then there was Ayano who needless to say looked good in her yukata, not to mention Alisa and Maria were also very beautiful, and looked like foreign tourists who were trying to experience wearing a kimono. 

Girls with big breasts like these two had the disadvantage of looking fat when wearing an obi belt… but that was also covered by the kimono. Ayano’s skills shone when she was in charge of helping them put on their yukata.

(TN: An obi is a decorative belt wrapped around the body when wearing a kimono or yukata.)

But for Maria, she gave off the impression that “there is a limit to the mass that can be covered by such technology……”

“Well, it’s good to take a look around for a while first, right?”

“That’s right~”

They then decided to look at the stalls lined up, starting from the very front, but…… probably due to the effect of gathering many beautiful and shiny girls, after just a few minutes of walking, they were immediately approached by a group of men they didn’t recognize.

“Hey~hey~ guys, are you all tourists?” 

“Uwaahh amazing, there are really cute girls!”

A group of six men, who at first glance looked like college students, approached them. They were all dressed normally and had nothing with them, clearly they were aiming for something other than the festival. 

As they approached, Touya and Masachika moved quickly to step forward, but with two against six, it was impossible to protect all the girls in their group. The group of men, spreading out to the left and right with an air that seemed to be accustomed to doing so, blocked the escape route by forming a semicircle and turned their eyes towards the girls.

“What do you want? If you want to flirt, we don’t have time to do it, so can you flirt with someone else instead?”

“Umu, we’re really here to enjoy the festival. So could you please move out of our way and stay out of our way?”

Masachika clearly said his refusal, and Touya with his arms crossed, intimidated them with his large body, but their opponent just smiled and did not back down at all.

“Ah come on, don’t say that. We’re locals~ so we can show you around, you know~?”

“You’re really pretty, huh~ what do you think your name is?”

“Hey, hey, is that your real hair~? Ah, do you understand Japanese?”

While dealing with the man in front of him, another man talked to the girls in a familiar manner, and Masachika felt an indescribable sense of disgust. After communicating with Touya through his gaze, Masachika then quickly moved to the side and stood in front of quickly moved to the side and stood in front of Yuki and Alisa, glaring at the men.

“Um, can you really stop? Please don’t surround the girls and force them because that will make them scared. If you’re still too insistent, I’ll call the police, you know?”

“No, no, no, you’re too lame, duh.”

“We’re not forcing it~. Hey, tell me your name. What’s your name?”

A man who seemed to have completely ignored and called out to Alisa and Maria on top of Masachika with a teasing expression. Two Russian words flew from behind Masachika who was holding back his irritation.

“Обезья на，воз вращай сяназадвлес!” (Go back to your mountain, you monkey!)

“Фуу，про тивно!” (Ewww~, how disgusting~!)

“!!?”

The harsh Russian heard behind him almost made Masachika gush in surprise, but he knew that now was not the time for that.

“Uhaa, what kind of language is that? How ridiculous~.”

But then, the man laughed and was about to grab Alisa. At that instant, Masachika felt his consciousness change in an instant. The thought of trying to stay calm disappeared from his head, he then grabbed the man’s wrist and stopped him, Masachika continued to glare at him while grasping his hand firmly.

“Don’t you dare touch her.”

His voice sounded as cold as polar ice. At the same time, Masachika’s entire body exuded an overwhelming murderous air, causing the Student Council members, who knew who he was normally, to gasp. 

The man Masachika was glaring at stopped laughing and stepped back. However, as soon as he sharpened his gaze as if ashamed of himself, he threatened Masachika with a slightly frightened voice.

“…Haa? What the hell are you doing? Hurry up and let go of my hand.”

A tense atmosphere passed between the two, and quickly spread to the surrounding area. The six men changed their cheerful demeanor and began to feel uncomfortable. 

Seeing this, Touya quietly made up his mind, Yuki quietly clenched her fists, and Ayano held the three mechanical pencils that came out of her sleeves between her fingers…. As the atmosphere was getting more and more tense, suddenly the two men on the far left instantly fainted silently.

They all turned their heads in unison, and at that moment, the two men in front of Masachika took a blow to the back of their necks and fell down. It turned out to be the work of the Vice-President, and in an instant she knocked out four of the men without making a sound. 

“Uh, what—?”

“No… hah?”

The two remaining men retreated with their eyes wide open, their faces seemingly unable to comprehend the situation. Chisaki then approached them from the front, and struck them right in the jaw with lightning speed, sending their consciousness flying in the same way as the four others. 

Within seconds, the six men fell helplessly on the ground, and there were murmurs from the people around them, who had been staying away. However, Chisaki grabbed the men by the collars without a care in the world. She then dangled two men in each hand and gazed at Touya.

“Ah, sorry Touya. Can I leave those two guys to you?”

“…Ah. Well, ok I understand.”

Hearing his lover’s request, Touya nodded with a somewhat complicated expression on his face. After confirming that Touya had grabbed both men by the collar, Chisaki then said in a casual tone.

“Sorry, how about you guys go first? I’ll fold and stack these guys up, then put them in a corner so as not to get in the way.”

“Verbs that shouldn’t be used on the human body. Fold and stack… eh?”

“Hmm? Want to take a look?”

“No, thank you.”

Masachika immediately replied with a completely flat face, and Chisaki just raised her eyebrows as she said “Is that so?”, then headed to the forest outside of the festival area. A group of six unconscious people disappeared into the depths of the forest of the shrine area. For some reason, the underbrush in the darkness looked like a gateway into the abyss, and Masachika gently averted his eyes.

“Fyuh…”

Then, once he exhaled and cooled his head, Masachika turned to the remaining four people and bowed deeply.

“Sorry, I put everyone in danger by acting too rashly.”

Alisa blinked in confusion as the atmosphere that had been so gripping just moments before disappeared, and was replaced by Masachika’s apology for his emotional outburst. However, she quickly rushed to place her hand on Masachika’s shoulder and followed up with a stammering response.

“Ehh, you don’t need to apologize at all… I’m really glad you tried to protect me like that. So would you please lift your head?”

After that, the other three people also opened their mouths one after another.

“Don’t think about it too much, okay? It seems like they wouldn’t have retreated if Sarashina-senpai hadn’t stopped them either.”

“You looked very brave. I’m trembling with admiration.”

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, okay~? That was really cool of you! Come on, let’s enjoy the festival, shall we?”

Following Alisa, Maria gently patted his shoulder, and Masachika raised his head. In front of him, Alisa looked a little worried and Maria smiled comfortingly. Maria then took Masachika and Alisa’s hands.

“You two, they sell cotton candy over there, you know~?”

“Ah no, I don’t really like cotton candy…”

“Really? Then let’s go, Alya-chan~”

Masachika, who reflexively refused immediately, could only watch Alisa and Maria head towards the cotton candy stall. Immediately after that, he regretted that he had ignored his Senpai’s concerns. 

However, there was no way he could change his mood that quickly. 

Even with the forgiveness of the four, he was sure that he had made the situation worse with his momentary anger and then made his Senpai clean up the mess. Inevitably, Masachika reflected on his own carelessness. Perhaps sensing his brother’s inner thoughts, Yuki approached him and spoke to him in a whisper.

“Well, don’t be so glum, that was pretty cool, you know?”

“If that’s the case, thank you…”

“Therefore, don’t think about it too much, okay? It’s normal to be angry for a girl, you know? I’m sure that Alya-san too was definitely feeling doki-doki~”

“No, what the hell are you talking about…”

He sighed tiredly, but his mood was slightly improved after having an otaku-style conversation with his younger sister. Then, Masachika remembered what he wanted to say, and turned to look at his younger sister.

“Oh yeah. What happened to your ceasefire agreement?”

When he asked through his eyes, “What’s with that provocation after the King’s Game,” Yuki looked back at him as if she was looking at an idiot.

“Haa? A ceasefire agreement is something that is signed to surprise a sloppy opponent isn’t it?”

“Damn, I can’t deny it.”

“Besides, it’s just a small favor to give you two a chance to get closer.”

“You interfere too much…”

“What are you saying~ Didn’t the relationship between you two become closer during this summer vacation? Hmm~?”

“It’s not really something like that…”

When his younger sister elbowed and teased him, Masachika denied it and recalled back. His memories with Alisa during this summer vacation… As he recalled them, all Masachika could remember was only Alisa’s angry face and his body freezing. 

“Hmm?”

I feel like my spirit was kicked out of my body… Eh? Seriously, did my intimacy points not go up at all? Instead, it went down?

No matter how much he thought about it, all Masachika could think about was the memory of the prank he had committed. Rather than getting closer, Masachika was worried that she would hate him.

Uh, seriously… during this summer vacation… was I too cheeky…?

Sensing a crisis, Masachika was sobbing in his heart as he watched the Kujou sisters walk back to his place with cotton candy in their hands. 

“I… want to go first to restore Alya’s mood.”

Perhaps sensing something in Masachika’s crisis-filled face, Yuki’s gaze turned gentle out of concern for her brother.

“…Oh, go ahead~. Then, I’ll go buy a chocolate banana to teach Ayano how to give service—”

“Stop that, you idiot.”

“…I’m just joking, really~. Hmmm… Oh, I’ll go to the katanuki store that’s there and make the stall keeper cry~.” 

(TN: Candy carving game.)

“…Don’t overdo it, okay.”

“Oh, this. I’ll leave the camera to you. Alright Ayano, let’s go~.”

“Yes, Yuki-sama.”

After receiving the digital camera and watching the two of them head towards the katanuki stall with great enthusiasm, Alisa and Maria returned. When turning towards them, Masachika unconsciously widened his eyes in amazement.

“Woah……”

“What?”

“No, I just thought that it was a nice sight, even though you guys were just holding cotton candy.”

“Uh, really~?”

“…What the heck, I mean…”

Maria put her hand on her cheek with a smile, and Alisa raised her eyebrows as if confused about how to respond. However, the compliment was no mere lip-service, but rather his honest feelings.

Yukata and cotton candy. That combination of two items could already produce a beautiful picture by themselves, so much so that he couldn’t resist setting up the camera and flicking the button.

“Ah, wait a minute… if you want to take a picture, let me know first.”

“I don’t want to miss a photo opportunity… If you don’t like it, I’ll delete it.”

“I’m not saying… that I don’t like it, but… the matter of facial expressions and the like…”

“Don’t worry, any expression you make will make a good photo.”

“Ah, I see…”

Alisa took a bite of cotton candy as she turned her face away, as if she was finally struggling with how to respond to Masachika’s praise. Maria watched the scene with a smile, but when Alisa glared at her, she changed the subject while lowering her eyebrows.

“By the way, where did Yuki-chan and Ayano-chan go~?”

“They went to the katanuki stall over there.”

“Katanuki?”

“Ummm, how do I explain it, huh? You’re given a brittle candy board made of hardened powder, and you have to use a needle or a toothpick to cut out the picture on the candy board. …If you succeed in cutting the picture without cracking or breaking it, you get a prize.”

“Heeeh~ sounds interesting, huh~?”

“That game is not recommended for beginners, you know…? If Senpai gets too enthusiastic, you’ll find the time will go by quickly.”

“Really? In that case, maybe I should postpone it until after I finish looking around~?”

“That’s right. How about we go somewhere we want to go first, and then visit it again if we still have time later?”

After telling that to Maria, Masachika suddenly realized that Alisa was looking at a kiosk that provided a goldfish fishing game. By the way, the cotton candy that should have been in her hand had already become just a stick. It was strange to say the least.

“Alya, do you want to try the goldfish fishing game?”

“Yes, I’m a little interested in that.”

“Oh, then let’s do that. How about Masha-san herself?”

While silently thinking, “This is a golden opportunity to show my cool side!” and turning to Maria, she then replied while holding the cotton candy.

“Since I still have this, I’ll just watch~.”

“In that case, can you take this?”

“No problem~. Ah, I can take your camera for you too if you want.”

“Oh yes. thank you very much.”

Alisa handed over the used cotton candy stick and Masachika handed over the camera to Maria, the two of them then headed for the goldfish fishing stall. Then, after paying 200 yen to the stall keeper and receiving three thin paper nets and a small bowl, the two of them then squatted in front of the vinyl pond. And at this point… Masachika guessed, “Ah, this girl is an amateur.”

First of all, if you’re holding the bowl of water in your hand, you’re bound to lose. It will only increase scooping distance and accelerate the deterioration of the paper net. Also, looking into the pool was not a good idea. If a shadow formed on the surface of the water, the fish would swim away. If you forcibly try to catch the escaping carp, naturally…

“Ah…”

Her paper net was quickly torn and Alisa raised her nose slightly. While Alisa sharpened her sight and prepared to catch again with the second paper net, Masachika guided the bowl all the way to the edge of the vinyl pond and let it float on the surface of the water. Then, using the bowl’s shadow to direct the goldfish towards him, Masachika tilted the paper net to scrape the surface of the water.

“Ups…”

Without losing momentum, he threw the goldfish into the bowl in a circular motion. Maria cheered as Masachika caught two or three goldfish one after another.

“Uwaahh, Kuze-kun did great~.”

Masachika was so pleased with the pure praise that he demonstrated the skills he had acquired to the fullest. Originally, he had intended to give Alisa advice after demonstrating some of his skills, but… unexpectedly, Maria’s cheers were so pleasant that Masachika ended up catching three fish at once. 

In the end, when Masachika finally finished all three of his paper nets, the bowl was full of goldfish. In terms of number, there were approximately 30 goldfish that he had caught.

“Wow, you’re really good, huh~”

“Fufu…”

Masachika smiled in satisfaction at Maria’s applause and as soon as he turned to his side… his expression hardened at the sight of Alisa who was staring sadly at her empty bowl.

Well, why should I even feel satisfied with this victory!? After all, it’s not a match!

Masachika realized that he had forgotten his goal of putting Alisa in a good mood and was instead too engrossed with himself catching goldfish. Where was his plan to teach her how to catch gently and show off his good side?

“Umm~~, Alya… do you want me to teach you how to catch it?”

“…No need. Thank you very much.”

Masachika offered his suggestion even though it was too late, but Alisa rejected the suggestion and stood up as she handed over the net and the bowl to the stall keeper. Masachika also regretted his actions, refused to accept the fish and quickly followed her. 

“Oh, there’s a yo-yo fishing stall over there, you know? This time, how about we try that?”

He then took Alisa to the nearest yo-yo fishing stall to make up for his mistake. The game seemed to be time-based and cost 100 yen for 30 seconds. Colorful water balloons floated in a hollow oval water pool shaped like a stadium track. Seeing this, Maria raised her hand high.

“Ah, I want to try it~”

“…Then, me too.”

“Then, how about the three of us do it together?”

The three of them squatted side by side and held a fishing line with a small four-eyed hook at the end. Then, as the stall keeper counted down, they all aimed for the rubber band of the water balloon at once. ….

“Ah-yahh.”

“Ah, guhh~”

Alisa and Maria struggled desperately with the light and unreliable fishing line. The hook did not catch as expected, and even when it was hooked with an elastic band, the hook immediately came loose and could not be pulled out.

Twenty seconds had passed, and the two of them still hadn’t managed to get the yo-yo balloon. Meanwhile… Masachika was looking for an opportunity, while also being aware of the two people on either side of him.

They both seem to be struggling… Well, it’s time to show my skills. Now, I’ll skillfully catch three water balloons for the three of us and make up for Alya failing to catch a goldfish earlier!

Full of motivation, Masachika stared at the surface of the water. With four seconds left, the long-awaited opportunity finally presented itself.

—Now!

Masachika quickly hooked the rubber band sticking out in the opposite direction of the current, and pulled the fishing line diagonally upwards. Then, the moment the line tightened and the hook had fastened, the two surrounding rubber bands were hooked together. 

“Yosh!”

“Eh, three!?”

“Wow, that’s amazing~!”

Masachika caught three water balloons at once, just as he had intended, and smiled with satisfaction. Then, the timer that signaled the end of the 30 second time period rang… but at the same time, the hook that couldn’t bear the load slipped from the rope and fell to the surface of the water.

“Eh—!?”

The sound of the object falling to the surface of the water was followed by a splash of water that splashed onto Masachika’s feet and then onto the two people on either side of him. 

“Ah, s-sorry!”

Feeling guilty for wetting their pretty yukatas, Masachika hurriedly took out a handkerchief, but he hesitated to give it to them since he had already used it to wipe his own hands. Meanwhile, they wiped away the splashes with their own handkerchiefs.

“I’m sorry…”

“Just this much is fine. After all, it wasn’t intentional.”

“I’m not too wet either, don’t worry about it, okay~? On the contrary, Kuze-kun should also wipe it off as quickly as possible.”

“Ah, yes, s-sorry.”

Masachika panicked a little when Maria was about to wipe the water splash marks on her yukata. In the end, they each got a yoyo from the water balloons from Masachika’s catch as planned…… As for Masachika himself, he felt guilty for wetting both of their yukatas.

N-No, it’s not over yet! There’s still a chance to make amends from here!

Masachika reconsidered that and was determined to show his good side, but… even after that, all his efforts were in vain.

In the target shooting stall, Masachika managed to shoot down the doll Maria wanted, but the impact of the fall damaged the doll’s face, creating an awkward atmosphere. When he tried to buy them yakisoba as an apology for getting their yukata wet, the yakisoba stall keeper, who thought that the three of them were in a suspicious relationship, made a series of remarks in a very vulgar manner.

In a game of ring toss, Masachika won the first prize, but a little boy waiting in line behind him started crying because of that. For Masachika himself, he didn’t really want the prize, so he rewarded the child with the game console and managed to get him to stop crying… Once he did that, the fun atmosphere of the festival, that he had already destroyed before, had no chance of being recovered

“…I don’t know why, but I’m really sorry.”

After seeing the parents take the boy’s hand and leave while bowing their heads, Masachika apologized to both of them.

“Why are you apologizing? Didn’t you do a good deed~?”

“No, I don’t know why… all this time, I’ve been ruining the fun atmosphere of the festival…”

Masachika laughed at himself, and Alisa then replied with a slightly confused laugh.

“It’s not Masachika-kun’s fault really… Here, eat something sweet and come back cheerful, okay?”

Then, looking away slightly, Alisa thrust the chocolate banana in her hand towards Masachika.

“Wha—Th-Thank you…?”

For a moment, the thought of “indirect k-kiss” or “Maria-sama is looking…” crossed his mind, but Masachika half-reflexively took a bite of the chocolate banana placed in front of him. But… in order to avoid an indirect kiss, he tried to bite the center, but it turned out to be a bad idea.

“Ah!”

The chocolate banana slipped from where Masachika had bitten into it, and the top fell off.

Alisa quickly stretched out her hand to catch it, but the severed part of the banana bounced off her hand and fell to the ground. 

“Ahh……”

“Ahh, sorry!”

“Araa~ so you failed, huh~”

While Masachika was stunned at his own mistake, Maria squatted down and picked up the fallen banana.

“Etto, what if we wash our hands while taking out the trash?”

“…That’s right. Oh yeah, Masachika-kun, you just wait here.”

“Ah, I’ll come too…”

“Just wait here.”

Masachika offered to accompany them, thinking that he couldn’t leave the two girls alone…… but Alisa forcefully told him to wait. So, Masachika guessed that they had gone to the ladies’ room for another reason.

“Ah, then… be careful on the road.”

At the same time as he guessed that, he regretted that he had made such an insensitive comment. Then, as he watched them leave with an indescribable feeling, Yuki and Ayano came from the opposite direction.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting, Masachika-sama.”

“Oh… did you guys finish playing katanuki?”

“Yes. By the time I managed to carve Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath, the stall-keeper’s uncle was on the verge of tears, so I ended the game.”

(TN: Nyarlathotep and Shub-Niggurath are both fictional entities created by American horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, in his fictional universe the Cthulhu Mythos.)

“I can’t even imagine the design at all but they sound really hard.”

While responding weakly, Masachika let out a long sigh. Yuki raised one eyebrow when she saw the expression of his brother who looked glum.

“What’s wrong, my Onii-chan-sama? Did something happen?”

“Yuki… I probably did poorly today…”

“O-Oh, what exactly happened?”

Yuki’s cheeks twitched and Ayano blinked repeatedly at the sight of Masachika’s face, which looked more depressed than before. However, before Masachika could explain the situation, Touya and Chisaki came towards them, and Masachika just sighed once more, then turned his attention away.

“Sorry for keeping you guys waiting~”

“Oh, that’s okay. Umm, I’m sorry. Because of me, things got like this….”

“Eh? Ohh, don’t think about it too much, okay? Instead… it gave me time to be alone with Touya?”

“Ara~ara~, you two are very close, huh.”

“Hmm… Well, because we’re lovers, you know?”

“Ara~ ara~ fufufu”

The two Senpai smiled a little shyly, but also looked happy. Masachika shrugged his shoulders with a wry smile at the sight of the happy couple who looked as if the two of them were far from violent.

Then, the five of them stood up as they chatted for a while, and soon after, Alisa and Maria returned from the restroom. Then, just as the seven of them were discussing where else to go, they heard the beating of drums coming from the main shrine. 

“Oh, the Mikoshi has appeared. Does that mean it’s time for the fireworks display?”

Just as Touya had said, three Mikoshi of various sizes were seen coming towards them from the main shrine in the center of the stone street, and people stepped aside on both sides to make way. Masachika sighed inwardly as he moved to the edge of the cobblestone street as well.

It’s time for the firework display, which means the festival is coming to an end… I really messed up a lot this time…

Masachika was feeling down because he thought he could make amends to Alisa, but instead he added to his own mistakes himself. Then, he felt something tug at his yukata’s elbow, and when he turned around, he saw that Alisa was looking at him with a frown.

“Oi, don’t put on that depressed face again. Didn’t I tell you that the other day? That…”

“…?”

Alisa made her words ambiguous because she was a little worried about the existence of the five people on the other side of Masachika. But the words “that” were too abstract for Masachika to understand what she meant.

“That… When we last went out together… in front of your house.”

“In front of my house…?”

The impatient Alisa gave him a hint, but he still couldn’t remember anything in his mind. 

When we went out together…? In front of my house, meaning in the hallway of the apartment? Did something happen?

As Masachika traced his memories while casting his eyes everywhere, Alisa said irritably, “Mouuu, geez!” and poked Masachika’s cheek with her index finger.

“Gosh, you really can’t understand a girl’s heart…”

“Eh, huh? Pardon?”

Masachika blinked his eyes repeatedly as his cheek was poked. Alisa, who had been staring at his face for a while, suddenly smiled a little and looked at Masachika’s face happily.

“Even so… Masachika-kun can also get depressed because of failures like that, huh?”

“What the hell does that mean? Of course I can.”

When Masachika raised his eyebrows lightly as if to imply, “It’s only natural, right?” Alisa pursed her lips as she looked at him.

“…After all, you always look relaxed and can handle everything with ease. I don’t think you should feel gloomy when things don’t go well.”

“…If it looks like that….it’s because I intentionally look laid back that way. In reality, I usually feel depressed.”

After saying that, he immediately regretted saying something unnecessary.

What an idiot. What’s the point of showing my uncool side?

Masachika insulted himself inwardly, but Alisa simply responded, “Hmmm~?” and stepped closer to Masachika and lightly touched his arm as if to lean on it. She then gently held Masachika’s hand while facing forward.

“A-Alya?”

Masachika blushed at such a sudden handhold, but Alisa quietly opened her mouth without turning around.

“…From now on, please show me such a figure without the need to hide it.”

“Eh?”

“I also… want to support you, you know, because we are partners.”

Alisa’s lips pouted and she looked rather displeased. However, it was obvious that it was all a cover to hide her embarrassment. Whether she realized it or not, Alisa still continued to vent her grievances.

“It’s not in my nature to be constantly helped by you… so once in a while, let me help you too.”

“What kind of order is that?”

Contrary to the tone of their conversation, Masachika suddenly laughed at the order for its overly humorous content. A moment then, Alisa sharpened her gaze, and clawed at Masachika’s hand that was held in hers.

“So noisy, don’t laugh.”

“Oww, sorry, sorry.”

Although he was apologizing, the expression on his face still showed a smile. Alisa’s clumsy but straightforward words warmed Masachika’s heart, which was depressed.

“Thank you. Just your concern is enough to make me feel good.”

He looked straight into Alisa’s eyes and told her gently. Those were Masachika’s sincere intentions. In fact, Alisa’s words and Alisa’s feelings saved Masachika’s heart from the brink of self-hatred. However, Alisa didn’t seem to think that way.

“Why… Even though I’ve said all those words… You still say that?”

“E-Eh?”

Masachika was puzzled by Alisa who frowned at him with a really gloomy atmosphere. Then, sensing that his previous words had been interpreted as restraint, he hurriedly apologized.

“No, that’s not what I meant—”

“That’s enough. I feel fed up.”

When she said that in a small voice, Alisa suddenly let go of his hand and turned around.

“O-Oii…?”

“Don’t follow me.”

And after saying that, she walked away quickly. Masachika’s outstretched hand lost its place and wandered in empty air.

“Umm…”

Should I chase after her or not? 

While he was feeling confused, this time his sleeve was pulled from behind. Turning around, Masachika saw Yuki, and behind him, he could see the Mikoshi being paraded closer and closer.

“Masachika-kun, the camera.”

“Uh, ahh, here…”

Masachika then handed the digital camera to Yuki. She then faced the Mikoshi and took a photo.

“President, Sarashina-senpai, would you like to take a photo together?”

“Uh, sure?”

“Ohh, thank you very much, Suou.”

Then she started taking pictures one after another, including the other group members. While Masachika was watching that, Alisa soon returned.

“Oh, welcome back?”

Relieved to see her back……. Masachika could only tilt his head slightly when he saw what was in Alisa’s hand. It was a white folding container. After peeking a little through the slit, it turned out that what Alisa was carrying were takoyaki.

“…Were you dying to eat them?”

“No way.”

She replied with a glare, Alisa then continued with a slightly sadistic smile.

“How about we have a match?”

“Huh? A match?”

“Yes.”

Then, the Mikoshi got closer to them, and the attention of the other Student Council members was drawn to the parade. However, Masachika and Alisa just looked at each other without caring about the hustle and bustle around them.

“Don’t you feel upset for running away without carrying out the orders Yuki-san gave?”

“Ehh!? Uh, ah… no, but, huh?”

Alisa’s unexpected words made Masachika remember Yuki’s order… which was to “kiss each other” and it made him uneasy. 

While feeling uneasy, he lowered his voice after glancing at Yuki who was behind him.

“That… is definitely not allowed, right?”

“I don’t mind. I just hate it more when people think that I’m a coward who runs away.”

“Ehh~?”

Alisa looked straight at him with a determined gaze, and Masachika subconsciously looked away. Still, in an attempt to persuade her, he pointed around with his eyes and looked back at Alisa.

“But… you want to do it here?”

As Masachika asked as if to confirm, Alisa smiled, grinning at him.

“That’s why I proposed this match… If you win, I’ll entertain you after we return to the villa. That’s right, hmm… I’ll gently caress your head on my lap and kiss your forehead.”

“E-Ehh… seriously?”

Unintentionally imagining the scene, Masachika asked back in a serious tone. 

Alisa, who was always a strong tsundere, gently comforting him through a lap pillow on her thigh. In addition, she would even kiss his forehead. 

Although Masachika was no longer feeling gloomy, her offer was still too tempting. Alisa provocatively lifted her chin at Masachika who was intrigued by her offer.

“But of course, you also have to take the risk, okay? My lap pillow isn’t that cheap.”

“…Oh, then what if you win?”

“That’s right… oh, how about taking me away from here?”

“Hah?”

Alisa only smirked as Masachika blinked his eyes repeatedly.

“How about you take my hand in the middle of this crowd, lead me to a quiet place, and kiss me there? Yes… with passion and fervor, hmm?”

Masachika’s cheeks twitched when he heard these words.

“…What a very embarrassing scene. Isn’t it just like the climax scene of a drama?”

“Fufufu~, I’m sure everyone will be surprised, right~? But I’m serious, you know? Because I will do something embarrassing if I lose. At least, I have to ask you to do the deed.”

“…So, how do we compete?”

In response to Masachika’s question, Alisa laughed and happily picked up the package of takoyaki.

“The rules are easy. The person who eats the wrong filling of this Russian roulette takoyaki is the loser.”

“Russian? Just for Alya? Why is something like that on the festival menu? Uh, what’s the filling if you get it wrong?”

“Takoyaki with a lot of wasabi.”

“That’s the filling that comedians often eat… Uh, but that, can’t you just eat it and pretend that you’re acting normal?”

After saying that, he then thought again, “No, if it’s just the two of us, what’s the point of holding back? If I don’t eat it, then the other party will.” But Alisa just shrugged her shoulders as if she knew what Masachika was thinking.

“In that case, we’ll guess which takoyaki was wrong after we’ve eaten them all. If either of us couldn’t guess correctly, we’ll call it a draw and have a second match.”

“It’s not like you can lie and say your guess was wrong, even if it was guessed correctly…”

“Then do it in a manly manner.”

“Ah, okay, okay, fine.”

“Then, I’ll let you choose between going first or second. Which one do you prefer?”

“…In that case, second.”

After thinking for a moment, Masachika chose the second turn. Then, Alisa stabbed the takoyaki in front of her and threw it into her mouth without hesitation.

“Alright, now it’s your turn.”

“…Okay.”

And then Alisa offered him the takoyaki container with a provocative smile. Seeing her expression like that….. Masachika was convinced.

This person must have done something…

First of all, this rule was very favorable for Masachika who loved spicy food. However, Alisa’s demeanor somehow seemed very confident. Moreover, she didn’t seem to be afraid of losing when she ate the takoyaki. From all the clues, we can conclude… In other words, she is cheating. Because she was so sure of her own victory, she could act pretentious like that.

Oh, I see… ‘You’ll pay for not appreciating my attention’ is what she meant.

Apparently, Masachika’s previous words, “Just your attention alone is enough to make me feel good,” apparently unintentionally offended her. Sensing the true purpose of this game, Masachika gave up.

Well, anyone would feel annoyed when they’ve gone to the trouble to help, only to be rejected … No, it was a misunderstanding, though.

However, even though it was a misunderstanding, it was true that he rejected Alisa’s kind offer. You could say that Masachika humiliated a girl who had the courage to do that. If that was the case, he needed to pretend to be fooled by Alisa’s trick as atonement for his actions. He would lose gracefully, act with vigor, and would earn Alisa’s scornful laughter. If it made Alisa feel better, he would gladly do it.

Hmm~, I actually don’t like the taste of wasabi… But well, I guess I should be careful not to spit it out…

With that in mind, Masachika decided to take a takoyaki, and soon after another…

Huh? Did I miss the mark?

As he put the third takoyaki into his mouth, Masachika felt a little uncomfortable and surprised.

“In that case, this is my last one.”

After saying this, Alisa still showed no signs of hesitation and brought a fourth takoyaki to her mouth while smiling provocatively. Her face showed no signs that she was eating something spicy at all.

Was this a coincidence? Even from her behavior so far, Alya was sure that she would win… I just happened to be the one who didn’t get the wasabi takoyaki until the end…?

“Look, this is the last one, you know?”

“Y-Yes…”

While thinking so, the takoyaki container was thrusted towards him and Masachika stuck a toothpick in the last takoyaki. However, he still did not stop thinking during that time.

It felt like something was wrong… But… the takoyaki that she had cheated on must have been… Ah.

Then Masachika realized something. There was only one answer that explained all this uneasiness. Quite the opposite. There was no such thing as cheating. Instead…

What if from the beginning… there was no such thing as the existence of a wasabi-filled takoyaki?

If that was the case, all his preconceptions were wrong. Yes, it was not a winning strategy. Instead, this match…

…If there was no wasabi takoyaki from the beginning, then of course I wouldn’t have eaten it. Then according to the rules, I had to guess which takoyaki Alya was wrong about… Whether or not it’s right would be based solely on Alya’s self-judgment. In other words…

Yes, in other words… for Alisa, this was a match where she had to lose. At the moment of realization, Masachika was both dumbfounded and touched… He was struck by an indescribable emotion and smiled a little.

What a clumsy way to cheer him up. She had intended to comfort Masachika under the pretext of punitive punishment for losing the match. What a kind-hearted partner. But….

If you hadn’t done that and set that up, you wouldn’t have been able to comfort me, huh? ……And it’s all my fault for making you think that.

He understood everything and brought the last takoyaki to his mouth. Masachika then chewed on it, but… as expected, he didn’t taste any spice at all. At that moment, Alisa smiled spontaneously and…

【I’m the one who won.】

Alisa muttered something like that. Masachika was sure that his guess was right when he heard those Russian words….

Well, since I already realized it… how could I just let her intentionally lose, right?

Mentally talking to himself, Masachika then opened his eyes wide and pressed his mouth quickly.

“Ough, so spicy!?”

“?! E-Ehhh?”

“! Oh, uh… haaah~, looks like I lost, huh?”

He swallowed the takoyaki that was in his mouth, then looked up as his gaze met Alisa’s, who was flashing confusion at him. Seeing her expression, which seemed to be a mixture of confusion and chaos, Masachika grinned… then took the takoyaki container from her hand, and wrapped his other hand around Alisa’s waist.

“Well then, how about we go now? Ojou-san?”

“Uh, Y-Yes—?”

Masachika asked mischievously from a close distance, and upon seeing Alisa’s eyes widen and nodding back, he then grabbed her hand and ran away.

“Uh—M-Masachika-kun….. !?”

Yuki’s surprised voice sounded behind him, but he ran without looking back. Leaving the five of them behind, Masachika and Alisa ran towards the torii gate.

Masachika continued to walk through the crowd while being careful not to trip Alisa. As they passed the Mikoshi and saw the torii gate, they heard a loud bang…… and huge fireworks appeared amidst the dark night sky. 

Catching it out of the corner of his eye, Masachika kept running. After passing through the torii gate and down the stone steps, they finally stopped when they came to a small parking lot covered in gravel. The parking lot itself was slightly elevated, and from the back of the parking lot they could see a view of the city by the sea and… the fireworks display blooming in the night sky.

“……”

They walked silently through the parking lot until they reached the wooden fence, where they finally let go of each other’s hands. After about ten seconds of standing side by side staring at the fireworks, Alisa suddenly said, “Hey,” in a sharp voice.

“Hmm?”

When he turned around, he saw Alisa looking at him with a glum expression. But because the reason was obvious, Masachika didn’t feel panicked or uneasy at all.

“What was with that match result?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t mess with me… I know that you didn’t lose. But… Why are you pretending to lose?”

Alisa knew very well that there was no existence of a spicy takoyaki in that container. In other words, it was all Masachika’s acting… and Alisa’s victory was a gift. 

When Alisa raised her eyebrows to ask what that meant, Masachika seemed unperturbed and tilted his head slightly.

“Then let me ask you instead.”

“……What?”

“Why were you planning to intentionally lose?”

As soon as she heard Masachika’s words, Alisa realized. She realized that all her plans and intentions had been discovered and read like a book. Masachika grinned at Alisa who had widened eyes and flushed cheeks.

“Hahaha, well, I guess it’s still ten years too soon for you to outsmart me.”

After smiling triumphantly, Masachika changed his expression and looked at Alisa with calm eyes.

“Thank you very much. For trying to cheer me up. But I’m really fine. Just your concern alone is enough to make me feel good.”

Hearing Masachika’s sincere words, Alisa opened and closed her mouth as if to say something…… But in the end, she just pouted and turned her face away to watch the fireworks display. Masachika could only smile wryly and turned to watch the fireworks display as well. 

The two of them watched the fireworks in silence for a while. Colorful lights decorated the night sky with the sound of explosions that shook the air. Feeling it with her whole body, Alisa whispered.

“…It’s beautiful, huh?”

“Yes.”

While nodding at Alisa’s words, Masachika suddenly thought.

Ah, damn it. I should have replied with, “You’re the prettier one”, right?

While thinking like that, Masachika glanced at Alisa’s face. Alisa’s figure, which was illuminated by colorful fireworks and appeared in the darkness with red and green light, still looked beautiful to the point of making others gasp.

But……

Hmm ….. No, I can’t see her well. She looks much prettier in a bright place during the day.

Such thoughts that were neither too emotional nor annoying came to Masachika’s mind. But at the same time, he was confused as to whether he should continue what he had just said… Masachika then turned his gaze forward and was organizing his speech when the fireworks that had gone up exploded with a loud noise.

“Ты красивая.” (You’re the prettier one.)

The murmur was drowned out by the loud noise that shook the night sky. After peering at Alisa’s face and making sure that his Russian was inaudible, Masachika turned to face the front as if holding back his embarrassment.

Uwooooohhhhhhhhhhhhh~~!That was so embarrassing~~!!! I don’t want to do that again~!

Masachika desperately held back the tingling excitement in his heart by clenching his back teeth so that his expression was not to collapse. But suddenly… a hand was gently placed on his right shoulder.

What……?

Masachika thought his right shoulder was going to be kicked, but before he could turn around…..

“Mhm—”

Alisa’s lips pressed against his cheek. 

He could clearly feel Alisa’s lips and the tip of her nose touching his cheek. 

Masachika’s body froze from the unquestionable sensation of the kiss. His brain was completely messed up and he couldn’t even hear the sound of the fireworks.

The sound of a faint peck reached Masachika’s ears while he was still stunned, and Alisa’s body quietly moved away from him. 

When he finally moved his eyes to look to the side, Masachika saw Alisa’s face, which was still slightly shy yet wore a provocative smile.

“‘Ten years too soon for you to outsmart me’… What’s that supposed to mean~?”

Alisa said that proudly while playing with her hair. Hearing her words, Masachika remembered his comment and Yuki’s order, but the impact of Alisa’s kiss was too great to ignore.

“Y-You… What just…”

When Masachika stammered while holding his cheek with his hand, Alisa gave him a satisfied expression and raised her chin.

“So? Where do you think Masachika-kun will kiss me?”

Masachika’s eyes widened and his breath was caught in his throat when he heard Alisa’s words.

If only…

If he grabbed Alisa’s shoulder here… would Alisa respond? Such ridiculous thoughts crossed his mind, and Masachika quickly pushed them aside. 

And when he thought that he would have to retaliate on her cheek as well……. But Masachika immediately thought that it would be impossible, as Alisa’s face was too beautiful to appear in the darkness. Licking his lips against the surface of that white skin. How could such a brazen act be forgiven?

When Masachika thought so, he even hesitated to kiss the back of her hand. If that was the case, he thought it was better to choose from the top of the clothes…… but kissing other people’s belongings was akin to the actions of a pervert, on the other hand, his identity as a man needs to be questioned if he was the only one who refuses to kiss here……

“~~~~~~~!”

After a few seconds of inner conflict, Masachika decided to walk up to Alisa and extend his right hand to Alisa’s ear.

“Hmm…”

Masachika’s fingers touched her ear, and Alisa closed one eye in amusement. However, she soon changed her expression and looked straight into Masachika’s face. While returning her gaze, Masachika gently lowered his right hand to grab the ends of Alisa’s hair… and let his lips kiss them. He then immediately let go of the hair in his hand.

Nnnnnnn~~~~~~!!

Immediately afterwards, he closed his eyes and squirmed in his brain. His own behavior had pushed him beyond the limits of shame.

After all, why in the hair!? Come to think of it, about kissing hair! Isn’t that only allowed for handsome people in the first place…….!

Although he chose to kiss her hair as an attempt to escape, because he knew very well that kissing her skin directly was impossible… on second thought, he realized that it turned out to be a very crazy act, and Masachika hit his own head hard inside.

“Fu… fufu”

Then suddenly, he heard a small laugh, and Masachika opened his eyes in fear. Alisa then looked at him with a surprised expression while putting her hand over her mouth.

“Fufu~… for a moment, I thought you were going to kiss me on the lips, but instead… you kissed my hair?”

“…Shuddap. I’m sorry that I’m a coward.”

Masachika turned his head away out of embarrassment and a bit of shame. Alisa’s smile grew wider when she saw Masachika’s reaction, and she suddenly lifted the hair that Masachika had just kissed, then… pressed it on her own lips in front of Masachika, who was watching her with a sideways glance.

“W-Wha—!”

Alisa grinned at Masachika, who widened his eyes, speechless.

“You have no guts.”

And when she said that provocatively, Alisa suddenly wrapped her arms around Masachika’s arm and hugged him tightly, then turned to face the fireworks and slightly rested her head on Masachika’s shoulder.

“Geez, what a troublesome partner who can’t even understand a girl’s heart.”

She said that in a tired tone, but with a mischievous smile still gracing her face…… 

And when looking at her face…

Ah, so that’s what it looks like……

Masachika couldn’t help but realize it. He was forced to realize it.

Alya, you really are…

All this time, he had been running away from reality. But now, since it had come this far, he couldn’t avoid it anymore. Masachika… couldn’t pretend not to realize Alisa’s feelings of love for him. Even though he had realized it… Masachika only felt tightness in his chest.

…But, I…

Clenching his hands tightly, Masachika looked up at the sky. For some reason, the fireworks that once looked so beautiful, now looked heartbreaking and fleeting.

Unaware of Masachika’s inner thoughts, the fireworks display continued to bloom and scatter one after another. The momentary and beautiful light reflected the shadows of the two people leaning against each other on the ground.

<–

TOC

–>