Act 5: OMATSURI
Ibuki Ibusuki’s mornings aren’t particularly early…
or rather, they’re quite ordinary.
He wakes up at seven, which is standard for middle and high school students or working adults.
However, for a college student, it’s a relatively disciplined wake-up time.
Especially today, being a holiday, it’s rare for a student to still wake up precisely at seven.
The reason for such a regulated lifestyle is—
“Come on, wake up, Ibuki.”
A gentle voice reaches his ears, and the body hidden under the covers is gently shaken.
“Mmm…”
“Geez.”
As he tries to block the sunlight streaming through the window by placing his arm over his eyes, a smooth hand grasps it and gently peels it away.
Reluctantly opening his eyes slightly, he sees beyond his connected hand.
“Good morning, Ibuki.”
Sitting beside the bed, resting her elbow on the edge and smiling, was his childhood friend.
! Image
“Mm… morning, Kushina…”
Ibuki smiles drowsily with half-open eyes.
Seeing this, Kushina smoothly releases her hand and stands up.
“Well then, I’ll go dissolve the miso. Go wash your face.”
“Okay…”
Listening to the creaking floorboards fading away,
“Guess I’ll get up…”
Ibuki slowly sits up.
A breeze blows in through the slightly opened window.
“Ah, nice breeze.”
The sky is clear.
—Today is the final day of the centennial festival, the day Ibuki is going out with Hinata.
The brass instruments of the parade resound brilliantly.
Banners are hung here and there, adorning the rows of buildings.
Stalls and street vendors are crammed tightly along the streets, bustling with activity during this prime business opportunity.
The city is livelier than ever before, with smiling people enjoying the festive streetscape left and right.
A scene that could aptly be described as the pinnacle of spring envelops the city of Sakuramura.
“And amidst all this, poor me, chased by duties.”
In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the head maid—or rather, the deputy branch chief—Isana Shindo sighs.
Her voice is tinged with a hint of melancholy.
—[Prim-Libra] 10th Branch, 35th floor, grand conference room.
This room, which offers a panoramic view of Sakuramura, Japan’s subcenter, is rarely used.
However, it’s currently packed with staff members providing rear support.
“Well, well, I’ll manage. After all, I’m a maid who can read the atmosphere. In the midst of this festival, without a single day off—”
“Deputy Chief! Stop moping and get to work!”
“Read the room, will you?”
Just when she had finished processing a mountain of documents.
A subordinate carrying a large stack of additional reports approaches the temporary deputy chief’s desk.
“If I had time to read the atmosphere, I’d be working.”
“Tch, you wage slaves. Fine, fine. This annoying festival is on its fifth day, at the height of the festivities. If we can just get through this—”
“Deputy Chief!”
“Alright, let’s do this, you bastard!”
Isana processes the documents while cursing under her breath.
Her speed is extraordinary, clearly demonstrating why no one else could handle the extremely busy position of deputy chief.
“Damn it, the branch chief isn’t even here at a time like this… Well, if that person were, it’d just mean more work for sure.”
As she grumbles, a shadow falls over her.
She sighs, not bothering to hide her annoyance at what she assumes is another interruption.
“Geez, what is it now? I’m already swamped with the documents you just brought—”
“—Deputy Chief.”
Hearing a voice that sends chills down her spine, different from what she expected, Isana stops in her tracks.
She stiffly looks up to see a girl emanating an aura colder than she’s ever encountered before.
—It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m a maid who can read the atmosphere.
“Ah, haha. What brings you here alone on your day off—Utsurugi-chan?”
At that moment, the subordinate standing behind the girl—Rui Utsurugi—made a face that said, “How can this person be so oblivious to the atmosphere?”
However, Isana realizes her blunder before even noticing that.
“[Day off]? [Alone]? Right. It’s a day off. We’re supposed to be off duty together as partners, but! Hina is! Hina is gone. Hehe, hehehehehehehe.”
“…I am a maid who cannot read the atmosphere.”
“Deputy Chief.”
“Yes.”
Addressed in a suddenly sane voice, Isana’s back straightens.
Scary.
“Do you know where Hina went?”
“W-well, I can’t keep track of off-duty personnel…”
“I see…”
When Isana timidly denies knowing, the girl becomes dejected.
Seeing her state, which reminds her of herself just moments ago, Isana thinks she might be a bit pitiful and considers offering some harmless advice.
“Well, maybe she went to the festival? It is the centennial celebration, after all.”
“Huh? To the festival? Hina? Alone?”
“No, I’m sorry, maybe I’m mistaken, probably not.”
The deputy chief immediately capitulated under the pressure directed at her.
However, Rui’s state remained far from normal.
“Come to think of it, when Hina rejected my invitation, her gaze was 0.7 degrees more outward than usual. I thought it might be a coincidence, but only today? If there was something she felt guilty about… But Hina isn’t the type to go to festivals alone… No, that’s right, if not alone, then with someone? The two of them—no way, no way, no way, no way, no way.”
“Eek…”
Isana was quite frightened.
“Thank you—Isana-san.”
“Ah, yeah…”
While Isana was mentally escaping reality, thinking, “She called me by name for the first time,” the girl left, leaving behind a beautifully enigmatic smile.
Well, whoever it is,
“It’s over for Hinata-chan’s companion.”
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“—Achoo!”
“? What’s wrong, Onii-san?”
“N-no, just felt a chill…”
Even though it’s spring now, I look around.
As I’ve mentioned before, the city of Sakuramura has several main streets extending from the central station.
There are five of these main streets in total, and it’s said they were designed to resemble a giant cherry blossom.
For the past week, countless stalls have lined these five streets, truly like cherry blossom petals opening up.
The foot traffic is beyond description, showing a bustle that rivals even the Olympics.
We make our way through this crowd.
“I was worried since we came without much of a plan, but it’s so lively that there’s no chance of getting bored.”
“That’s true…”
“Oh, and I forgot to mention earlier.”
“?”
Hinata-chan tilts her head. Cute.
“That brooch is cute.”
“Oh, this?”
She reaches for her chest,
where her blouse is adorned with a deep pink brooch.
—It’s an accessory item I’m familiar with too.
“This is cute, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It suits you well.”
“Ehehe, thank you.”
Hinata-chan smiles bashfully, averting her gaze.
Her eyes stop at a certain point.
Looking in that direction, I see an ice cream shop.
“Hinata-chan, want to get some ice cream? It’s getting hot.”
“────!”
Hinata-chan flinches and looks up at me with just her eyes.
“…Onii-san, didn’t you say you felt a chill earlier?”
“The spring weather has made me all warm and cozy~”
“Hmm, well then. Since Onii-san seems to want some, let’s have ice cream.”
Despite her tone, her index fingers, intertwined in front of her stomach, are tapping busily.
It’s the same gesture Hinata-chan has always used to hide her embarrassment.
“In that case, let’s go.”
Deciding it would be tactless to point it out, I silently lead Hinata-chan.
“—Mmm! It’s delicious!”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
It seems to have exceeded her expectations, which is great.
I ordered a single scoop, while Hinata-chan got a double scoop ice cream cone, and we eat as we walk.
The little glutton angel quickly devours the top scoop of vanilla and glances at my chocolate ice cream, which is about half gone, before moving on to attack the strawberry scoop below.
Feeling like a grandfather watching his grandchild, thinking “She never changes… how cute…” I offer Hinata-chan some of my chocolate.
“Want some? It’s okay.”
“—Eh!?”
Hinata-chan acts exaggeratedly surprised.
“You don’t need to be so surprised. I’d always share this much with you.”
“Eeh!? No, um, but…”
“Hm?”
“Uuu~… I-is it really okay?”
Perhaps out of embarrassment, Hinata-chan’s face turns bright red, and she even looks like she might cry as she gazes up at me.
“──, If you don’t eat it quickly, I’ll start coughing up blood right here and now. Please, I’m begging you, eat it, Hinata-chan!”
“With ice cream!? Geez, that’s impossible. You’re really just too kind…”
While saying something, Hinata-chan snatches the chocolate ice cream from my hand.
I’ve been released from death…
As I sigh in relief with a straight face, the angel of death timidly extends her tongue for some reason.
And the moment the tip of her red tongue reaches the ice cream.
She glances at me quietly,
“~~~!!!”
The instant our eyes meet, her face turns so red it’s as if it’s about to catch fire.
Covering her mouth with one hand, she hurriedly turns her back to me.
“I… I’ve been caught…”
Was the chocolate ice cream that delicious?
Before I could say she could have more,
“I-I’ll give it back…!”
She holds out the ice cream.
“Oh? How did it taste?”
“T-Taste!?!? H-How could I possibly know that!!!”
“Well, you can eat more if you want.”
“More!? N-No way! I’m already full!”
“No, that’s definitely a lie…”
I don’t think someone who’s full would be munching on strawberry ice cream like that.
Thinking that Hinata-chan is acting strange today, I quickly finish the rest of the chocolate ice cream.
Not long after, just as Hinata-chan was about to finish hers as well.
Suddenly, a young girl bursts out from the crowd.
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