Over the next forty minutes, Yusuke’s Bowser consistently won every Mario Kart race. That wasn’t usually the case. In pretty much every game we played, our scores were about even. But that day, the game was the furthest thing from my mind. Nazuna would arrive soon… What was I going to do?
“Oh, look. It’s almost five.”
Yusuke seemed to realize how much time had passed, too. He checked the clock while taking another swig from his plastic bottle of cola. It was still light outside, but the calls of the morning cicadas had petered out in favor of the dusk cicadas’.
“Yeah, looks like it.”
I answered with a carefree tone, but the fact that so much time had passed and I still didn’t have a plan weighed heavy on my mind.
How am I gonna deal with Yusuke? Wait… So does this mean I’m planning to actually go to the fireworks display with Nazuna?
Just then, Yusuke piped up. “Hey, wanna skip going to the shrine altogether?” He slapped at a mosquito on his arm.
“Huh?” I responded. I was confused for a moment, but then I remembered that was how Yusuke always acted. It was pretty common for him to change plans at the drop of a hat, depending on how he was feeling.
He went on without a trace of concern about the promise he’d made to our friends. “You know, does it really even matter whether fireworks are round or flat? Let’s just go to the beach and enjoy the show.”
“Uh, yeah…”
“Seriously, though. Of course fireworks are flat.” Yusuke suddenly made the declaration as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
I couldn’t help my surprise. “Huh? Really?”
“Yeah! Whoa, whoa, you don’t really think…?”
“No! I mean, I dunno…,” I faltered.
Yusuke reached out and grabbed a fan that was sitting on my bed. There was a photo of a perfectly round firework printed on its surface.
“Think about it. They explode out in a circle, right? But if you look at it from the side, like this, of course it’s gonna look flat!”
Yusuke held the image of the firework in front of my face, then rotated the fan ninety degrees to the side. As to be expected, the firework on the fan looked flat when it was turned sideways.
“Right?!”
“Yeah, I guess…”
That last, confident proclamation from Yusuke almost had me convinced. Except…
Kazuhiro had pointed out that the powder inside the firework exploded and… How did he describe it? Like radiation? No, that wasn’t quite right… Anyway, didn’t the explosion spread outward in all directions in a big, round pattern?
“See? So there’s no reason to go all the way out to the lighthouse. Let’s just forget about it. And hey, close the window. This place is swarming with mosquitoes.”
“Okay.”
As I stood, I mulled over this new turn of events.
Wait… If we aren’t going to the shrine anymore, then there’s no reason for Yusuke to be here.
If I made him leave my house now, then I wouldn’t have to worry when Nazuna showed up in a few minutes… As for the date with her, that could wait. I’d figure that part out after she arrived.
“You know what? You’re right. And hey, I just remembered I’ve got some stuff I need to take care of today any—”
When I put my hand on the window, I saw the figure of a girl wearing a yukata in the distance. She was pulling a suitcase along behind her… Nazuna! Oh man! She’s here already!
My mind racing, I slid the window shut… What was I going to do? She wasn’t far. It wouldn’t take more than a minute, maybe even forty-five seconds, before she was in front of the house…
Think! Think, dang it!
“Huh? ‘Stuff to take care of’? What do you have going on?”
Yusuke downed the last of the cola.
“Um… Yeah! I was just thinking, I’m gonna go buy some drinks. We’re gonna play some more Mario Kart, right?”
“Nah, I don’t need anything else. I’m not thirsty anymore.”
“No, no, no. I mean, that one was already flat, wasn’t it? I felt kinda bad giving it to you. I’m gonna go buy a fresh one, so wait here.”
“Really? Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it.”
Even I felt like my argument hadn’t made any sense, but Yusuke had agreed, and now was my chance. I grabbed some change out of one of my drawers and stuffed it into the pocket of my shorts.
When I tried to leave the room, Yusuke spoke up again. “Whoa, you’re going out dressed like that?”
“Huh?”
I followed his finger and took a good look at myself. He was right. I still hadn’t put on a shirt since I’d arrived home.
“Um…”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Ah-ha-ha-ha…” I gave him a sheepish grin as I reached toward my bed and snatched the Uniqlo T-shirt I used as a pajama top. I awkwardly hustled down the stairs in a flurry of loud thumps.
Nazuna would probably go to the storefront first. She’d see the sign saying it was closed and then circle around back… And that meant she was probably nearing the door just then!
Praying that I’d made it in time, I threw open the back door. I saw a right hand reaching out toward the doorbell and instinctively grabbed it by the wrist.
“!!”
Nazuna’s eyes were wide with surprise. She looked from my face then down to where my hand gripped her wrist. She opened her mouth to speak, but I held a finger to my lips.
“Shhhh…” I continued to hold her as the tiny, hoarse warning escaped my lungs.
Apparently growing more and more uncertain of the situation, Nazuna tilted her head to the side. Her braids swayed back and forth like pendulums.
It was the first time I’d ever seen her in a yukata and the first time I’d ever touched her. I was shocked by how thin her wrist felt in my hand. But the important thing at that moment was to make sure Yusuke stayed unaware of the situation.