Her smile was that of someone who truly cared about me from the bottom of her heart.
Shirayuki ... I ... A guy like me ... can’t become a butei. I can’t even be a normal high school student. I’m a mediocre good-for-nothing. I’m the kind of guy who after being late, laughed as I played around with you like a remote controlled toy, and in the end, couldn’t even show you a single firework. Yet you don't utter a word of complaint. Far from getting angry, you forgive me with the most genuine smile. Why are you so kind? If this is how things are going to be ... I’m the one who won’t be able to stop myself from taking action.
“Shirayuki.”
“Yes?”
I said her name somewhat as if I were calling for her, and Shirayuki merrily came up to me.
“Are you cold? It’s cold, isn’t it? You are cold, aren’t you? Alright then, put this on and wait here for a second.” I took off my jacket at placed it around Shirayuki’s shoulders without letting her protest.
“Kin-chan? You’re not cold, Kin-chan?”
“I plan on getting warmed up so it’s not a problem. I’m gonna make a quick dash. I’ll be right back.”
Shirayuki wasn’t sure what was going on, but I ran off to the station before she could say anything. In truth, it wasn’t a good idea for a bodyguard to leave the person he’s guarding all alone in such a wide-open area, but there weren’t any enemies around. It would be fine.
As I thought, this was a safe place. Running back to where I left Shirayuki, I found her sitting on a bench a short distance from the beach. She was still wearing my jacket and waiting patiently.
“Shirayuki. Sorry for the wait,” I called out to her, but there was no reply. She was clinging onto the sleeves of my jacket, so I tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention.
“Hey.”
Shirayuki turned around in surprise. There was a tinge of fear in her onyx-like black eyes.
... What gives?
“What’s wrong? Were you scared on your own?
“N-No. It’s nothing. I’m okay. I had this ... so I was fine.” Shirayuki held up the sleeve of my jacket as if she were trying to gloss over the issue. “This jacket has your scent ... so it was like you were with me.”
I smiled bitterly.
“It’s my jacket, so it should. It doesn't reek of gunpowder?
“No. It had a nice smell.”
“Weird one, aren’t you. Anyways, here,” I said, presenting Shirayuki with the toy fireworks I barely managed to buy before the kiosk closed.
“...?”
“We’re gonna enjoy some fireworks. They’ll only be about one-thousandth of the usual size though.”
Pop. Pop.
Crouching on the beach, the two of us watched the flying sparks given off by miniature fireworks. Given that I was dealing with Shirayuki, I thought this Japanese style of enjoying toy fireworks would be a good idea, but ...
This is a bit too bland, I guess. I can’t say I really feel the excitement.
Still, Shiruyuki looked genuinely happy as she stared at the fire that resembled miniature thunderbolts. Shrouded in the semidarkness, I could see the blinking light of the fire being reflected in her slightly drooping, gentle eyes with their long eyelashes. Looking at her like this, I couldn’t help but be reminded of what a beautiful girl she is.
“Kin-chan.”
“Hm? What is it?”
“The fireworks are pretty, aren’t they?”
“... Yeah.”
Pop. Pop.
“Kin-chan, do you ... like fire?”
Fire? That’s a pretty vague question.
“This sort of thing is alright. Really huge flames are scary though. That’s how human instincts work.”
“Y ... yeah, that’s true. Ah ...”
The tiny ball of fire fell off the firework that Shirayuki was holding. She looked up at me with a wry smile, and when our eyes met, my finger twitched, which was probably why the fireball fell off of mine as well. Nearby, I could hear the waves lapping against the artificial beach.
“... Looks like it's over,” said Shirayuki.
“There was one more, wasn’t there? You can hold it,” I said, pulling out the one-hundred yen lighter that I purchased at the store I bought the fireworks. Shirayuki embraced the bag with the remaining firework to her chest and shook her head from side to side.
“That’s okay. I want to keep this one.”
“What for?”
“This is something you got for me. I want to take it home. It would be a pity to burn it up.”
“What are you gonna do with that thing? Fireworks are meant to be lit on fire.”
“But ...”
“You’re supposed to keep these sort of things eternally stored in your memories.” I came up with something that I thought might sound convincing, and Shirayuki nodded after a brief pause. She then carefully took out the last firework, and I flicked up a small flame to light it.
Pop. Pop.
The light from the toy firework illuminated her skin in way that made it seems as if it were flickering on and off. ... Hey ... come on now ...
I just saw it from the opening of her yukata. Shirayuki. I don’t know why, but she was wearing black again. If I recall, it was one of the undergarments grouped into the “battle” section of that drawer. N ... Now that I think about it, Muto had mentioned something a long time ago about Japanese style clothing being the easiest type of clothing in the world to take off a person. Ah ... stop that, Kinji. Don’t start getting any unnecessary ideas. What are you gonna do if it causes you to go into hysteria mode? Think of something else and calm down. Start counting prime numbers in your head. Two, three, five ... “Kin-chan ... thank you. Really. I think I’m going to be too happy to even fall asleep tonight,” said Shirayuki, fixated on the firework in her hand.
I lifted my head.
That’s right. Conversation. I was forgetting one of the simplest methods. Why am I sitting here counting prime numbers? I can get my mind off her black lacy bra by concentrating on a conversation.
“You won’t be able to sleep? Come on. You’re exaggerating. All we did was ride a train and walk around a park on a night that’s as black ... uh ...” That poor choice of words caused me to trail off before I could even finish my first statement, and Shirayuki tilted her head in puzzlement.
“Black?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Dark. It’s pretty dark. And then we just lit a few fireworks. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“... But you know ... it was really special to me. It was like a miracle.”
Pop. Pop.
The sparks from the firework had already started to die down.
“You’ve always been a person who delivers me miracles. Even on that day of the entrance examinations, you saved me from those awful people ...”
“That was ... you know ... just me getting into a fight.”
“And when we were kids—and tonight as well—you took me out into the world around me. That’s why I ... wanted to repay the favor here at Butei High.”
“I haven’t done you any favors. And that being the case, there’s no need for you to repay anything,” I said it without giving it that much thought, but Shirayuki showed me that beaming smile of hers again.
“You really are Kin-chan, aren’t you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The light fell from the last firework. We watched as it fizzled on the sand before disappearing completely. Shirayuki blinked her eyes once for a long period of time, as if to record the image in her heart. She then stood up, moving in such a refined manner that just seeing it was enough to make one release a sigh. I stood up at the same time and was again aware of the sound of waves breaking on the artificial beach.