Ch.385IF Side Story: Seems I’ve Arrived a Bit Early (82)

To be honest, I’m feeling a bit anxious at this point.

I’m not even the main character of a novel, yet whenever something good is about to happen, an accident occurs.

You see, despite appearances, I’m someone who aspires to a peaceful life. That’s also why I try to get along with the protagonist’s group.

I’m hoping that once we get past the biggest hurdle—that is, somehow surviving the most massive crisis that appeared in that light novel—I might be able to live a normal life.

Though of course, that won’t be easy.

…And getting close to Shii wasn’t just for that reason either.

Shii is kind and diligent. Plus, she’s cute. How should I put it? She often gives off the impression of a small animal.

Looking at it that way, I can understand why Harumi found me so adorable, given our considerable height difference.

With someone like that beside me, how could I choose not to be friends with her? Since I’m also a girl her age, and we’ve met like this anyway, I’m just trying to enjoy our time together as much as possible.

“By the way, Shii, is Souta really okay with this?”

I asked, just to make sure.

“Yes, my brother is going to hang out with his friends!”

That’s a relief. At least Shii hasn’t lied to me about her brother’s whereabouts.

…In the original story, she would sometimes tell little lies to make people miss each other. But even then, whether it was the pull of destiny—no, in this case, should I call it the pull of the “plot”?—the heroine and protagonist would somehow meet and experience various events together.

Souta is friends with me, but he hasn’t really met Yuka. And Yuka might feel uncomfortable if too many new people suddenly appear in her life.

The reason Shii chose to follow me instead of her brother is probably because if she tagged along with him, it would make Souta, his friends, and Shii herself uncomfortable.

Well, even considering all that, I feel a bit proud. That Shii could choose me over Souta.

“Besides, I spent yesterday with my brother!”

That’s true, I suppose.

“Yuka.”

“…What?”

Yuka responded to my call.

Yuka was wearing ordinary clothes. I don’t mind. It’s not like there’s much benefit to her in showing us how she looks in a yukata anyway.

This is our first festival together, after all.

I, however, was wearing a yukata. Kagami was the kind of mother who wanted me to never be outdone by others wherever I went.

It was a predominantly black yukata, but not excessively dark. It had rather elaborate flower patterns that didn’t clash with the festival atmosphere.

Yuka was momentarily speechless when she saw my outfit.

“Let’s go.”

When I said this with a smile, Yuka nodded.

Thankfully, her expression was much softer than when she first heard about going to the festival.

“It feels a bit strange, though.”

“Strange?”

I was secretly surprised that Yuka spoke first, but I tried not to show it as I asked.

“Well, we also hold festivals at home.”

“At home?”

Shii asked, seemingly a bit surprised, though I had already expected this.

“Yes. Our home is a shrine, after all.”

Right. Well, Yuka is an exorcist. In the original story, she appeared wearing shrine maiden clothes too.

The place we’re at now isn’t that kind of shrine, but around this time of year, festivals are held all over Japan. There are huge festivals that attract people from all over the country and even from abroad, and there are also small, modest festivals where local villagers gather, but all have their own charm.

In reality, if you just consider what you do and see at festivals, they don’t vary much. The snacks they sell are mostly the same everywhere, and the games are what you’d typically expect at a festival.

But there’s joy in experiencing these unchanging things in different places. I’ll probably still be walking through festival streets in the distant future, reminiscing about the past and enjoying myself.

Though I don’t yet know who will be walking beside me then.

“Wow…”

Shii’s eyes sparkled.

No matter how prickly Yuka might be with people, she couldn’t maintain that attitude when faced with Shii’s sparkling eyes.

Actually, she looked more like she was trying not to laugh. Anyone would react that way when a pretty, sweet-looking girl who’s a bit shorter than you looks up at you with a bright smile.

“Want to come visit sometime?”

“Would that be okay? Then I’ll go with you, senpai.”

“…Not with Souta?”

I asked, a bit taken aback by the sudden mention of my name, and Shii’s expression clouded over momentarily.

“Well, um, my brother doesn’t know Yuuki-san yet…”

…

No, more likely she just doesn’t want Souta and Yuka to meet. Not that Shii dislikes Yuka. She’s probably worried that Yuka might fall for Souta.

In Shii’s eyes, Souta was the ideal “big brother.”

It’s actually something others might scoff at if they heard it. Souta is handsome, and that’s his setting in the novel too.

He claims to be ordinary, but the story describes how he constantly receives mild jealousy and resentment from his friends, and he’s actually quite popular with girls.

Above all, his illustrations showed him as quite the pretty boy.

Right now, he’s just out of elementary school, so he still looks childish, but by high school, it would be strange if he wasn’t receiving confessions.

Didn’t he actually have a bunch of girls who liked him? It was a harem story, after all. Lucky guy.

And the fact that this Yuka was part of that harem makes Shii’s concern quite amusing in many ways.

“You’ll get to know each other eventually, right? You might even end up at the same high school.”

“Really?”

At my words, wariness immediately appeared in Shii’s eyes. Yuka, who was sensitive to such things, seemed a bit taken aback by that expression.

“No, I live quite far from here.”

Yet you still end up at the same high school, I thought. I’m not sure if Japan’s school district system is that broad, or if it’s because it’s a private school.

Or maybe it’s just because it’s a light novel.

Seeing Shii visibly relax, Yuka gave me an incredulous look. Her eyes seemed to ask, “What’s with her?”

I just giggled, then led the two of them into the bustling festival streets.

Delicious smells wafted to my nose on the humid summer breeze. We decided to look around first before eating, and as we walked—or rather, as I walked—I stopped when I spotted a certain game.

“Oh, goldfish scooping? Do you like it?”

Yuka asked casually, but for me, it was a nostalgic game I couldn’t easily pass by.

I had diligently raised the goldfish Harumi caught for me for several years. Even in that small house, the goldfish occupied a surprisingly large space and lived leisurely.

I would often gaze endlessly at it as it swam unhurriedly, swishing its fins as if it had all the time in the world.

After that, I caught one myself and gave it to Mako as a gift.

“Want me to catch one for you?”

When Yuka asked, I blinked in surprise.

Not just me, but Shii standing beside me also blinked at Yuka, which made Yuka smile slightly at our reaction.

That smile was beautiful. A smile with no hidden intentions, still retaining a somewhat childlike quality.

…Despite all the talk about hunting yokai and exorcism, Yuka is still just a child. Just a kid who’s only just become a middle school student.

In such a fun playground like this, how could she not smile?

Before Yuka realized she was smiling and erased it, I quickly looked toward Shii.

“What about you, Shii?”

“Huh?”

“Would you be able to keep a goldfish at home?”

While it existed as a game, it didn’t feel right to just throw away the goldfish you caught. But keeping them in a tank without knowing how to care for them properly would be pitiful too.

Kagami had taught me how to properly care for goldfish.

Mako had a father at home, but Souta and Shii were just children. So I thought it was best to ask properly if they could take care of one.

“Have you kept one before, senpai?”

“I have, when I was younger. Due to circumstances… someone else is taking care of it now.”

I don’t actually know if that’s true. I just couldn’t bring myself to say I abandoned it and ran away.

“Are you thinking of keeping one, senpai?”

“…”

Would I have to run away again? Would something happen that would make me flee far away without telling Shii and Souta?

If so, my decision to raise something might be too frivolous—

“Here.”

But before I could finish my thought, Yuka was holding out a plastic bag with a goldfish in it to Shii.

…Huh?

“When did you…?”

“Well, this much is a piece of cake for me.”

Yuka said with a childlike grin.

“…I didn’t even see you do it.”

As I grumbled,

“Want me to catch another one?”

Yuka asked.

She looked so excited that I decided not to refuse.

Yes. This time, for sure. I’ll raise it until the end.

Yuka caught another goldfish. Her skill was far superior to mine. Perhaps even comparable to Harumi’s childhood abilities.

Seeing Shii and me admiring her, Yuka ended up catching yet another one, so the three of us ended up walking side by side, each holding a goldfish.