My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

Page 129

"OK, OK. No matter what Yui says, I want to see it, so I have to go!"

Since they had already troubled me to put on my yukata, I felt embarrassed to refuse outright, so my cousin Yuanxiang pushed me all the way out the door.

There was a car waiting for us outside.

Since the festival was being held in the city center near the station, Uncle Fengqiu offered to drive us there. It seemed like he was also going to meet up with his mother.

Mizuto and Takema were waiting for us in front of the car.

The two of them turned around and looked at us as we walked out the door.

My cousin Yuanxiang pushed me in front of the two of them, peeked out from behind my shoulder, and grinned at Shuidou with a big smile.

"How is it? How is it? Isn't it beautiful?"

Shuidou looked me over with his usual sleepy eyes.

It was as if they were criticizing my yukata outfit—

—Wearing that mouse-colored yukata.

"……According to……"

"Um?"

Ignoring my bewildered cousin Yuanxiang, I staggered toward Mizuta, who was wearing a yukata.

"Take a picture...please let me take a picture!"

He looks so cool in a yukata!

What is this? What's wrong with this guy?! Was he born to wear kimonos?! His slender frame and sloping shoulders, every line of his body, makes the simple, plain-colored yukata look even more beautiful! I have to record this... I have to save it on my phone...!

Mizuto squinted and took a step back from me.

"...No, I just feel like I have a bad feeling about it."

"How could that be! What's bad about it! It's absolutely incomparably handsome, okay! Even if I were talking about yourself, if you belittle your own yukata attire again, I won't be polite!"

"I'm talking about you! How else can I describe you but as utterly disgusting!"

What a bastard! Whatever, I'll film it myself!

I took my phone out of my drawstring bag and felt my cousin Yuanxiang smiling bitterly behind my back.

"Yume, you have no right to talk to me like that..."

"Okay, let's go park the car first."

"You guys need to be careful!"

After we got out of the car, it carried Mom and Uncle Fengqiu into the parking lot where there were very few spaces left.

I looked around at the situation again.

"The population density is completely different..."

"Yeah, it's quite a shock. You can see this kind of crowd just a few tens of minutes' drive from that remote village."

I always thought the area in front of the station had a pretty urban feel.

You can see rows of commercial buildings, and there are quite a few pedestrians on the street. But it's not to this extent.

The sidewalk was packed with people, people, people.

The crowds moving in the same direction were so dense that there wasn't even a gap to squeeze through.

Where did all these people come from?

"The festival here is quite famous in this area. Many people take the train here. Of course, it's not as lively as the festivals in Kyoto."

"I remember there were fireworks? Is the festival really that grand?"

"It looks quite interesting, doesn't it? Plus, the shrines that hold temple fairs offer blessings, right?"

"Fortune?"

Cousin Yuanxiang let out a meaningful "ee-hee" laugh.

"That's how we're meant to be!♪"

"…………It has nothing to do with me."

"Huh? 'Connections' aren't limited to romantic relationships. Are you imagining yourself with someone and what kind of relationship you'd say is none of your business? Talk to your cousin, tell her!"

"...Ugh..."

It's getting more and more annoying...

"Hehe! Anyway, that's how it is; it's become one of the few dating spots around here. Since there's no requirement to worship, let's just stroll around the temple fair as usual, shall we?"

After saying that, Yuanxiang extended her hand to Zhuzhen, saying, "Come here, Zhuzhen." Zhuzhen obediently took her hand.

"Wouldn't it be troublesome if we got separated?"

My cousin Yuanxiang smiled slightly and glanced at me and Shuidou. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

Mizuto sighed softly and said:

"We're not young enough to get separated. If we do get separated, we'll find our way back ourselves—"

Before Shuidou could finish speaking, I had already grabbed his left hand.

Shuidou looked at his hand that was being held, then at my face, and said:

"...What do you mean by that?"

"If your little brother gets lost, it's your older sister's fault. Right, Cousin Yuanxiang?"

"Absolutely right!"

My cousin Yuanxiang and I locked eyes and chuckled to ourselves.

The stage of arguing over such trivial matters is long over, Mizuto-kun?

Mizuto awkwardly turned his gaze elsewhere and said:

"...Okay, okay. Just hold hands and walk, alright?"

"You're such a good girl, you're the most obedient one."

"Shut up..."

I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as I walked alongside Mizuto.

I feel much lighter after having a good cry in front of the water bucket yesterday.

Perhaps it could be said that I've let go of unnecessary burdens... I feel that when I'm with Mizuto, I've become less conflicted than before.

If you remove the "ex" label, this guy is just a funny person with communication difficulties.

While keeping an eye out for my cousin Yuanxiang and Zhuzhen who were leading the way, I quietly asked the person next to me, Mizuto:

"Why did you come today? You hate crowds the most."

"Nobody would like that... My cousin Yuanxiang forces me to come along every year, and I've given up resisting now."

"oh……"

I was going to tease him, saying, "Isn't it because you want to see me in a yukata?" But I swallowed my words.

Yukata and summer festivals. The last memory associated with these two things is bittersweet.

The summer vacation of my third year of junior high school.

Because we had a fight before that, which strained our relationship, we didn't plan any activities during our rare holiday.

Even so, I... still held onto a sliver of hope, put on a yukata, and went to a festival.

That day was exactly one year ago, the festival where I had my first date with this man.

Maybe he'll come over—and find me. I clung to this wishful thinking.

The result is crystal clear.

I was alone until the very end of the festival.

This man must have been completely unaware—that was my last memory of yukatas and summer festivals.

The loneliness, unease, and sad premonition of the end that day—even if the lingering feelings can be digested, the pain itself may never be healed in a lifetime.

We followed the crowd to a place that resembled a shrine approach, where we saw a row of brightly lit night stalls.

Takoyaki, marshmallows, whole pickled cucumber, chocolate banana, assorted omelet, whole pickled cucumber, yakisoba, karaage chicken, cucumber, cucumber, cucumber—

"Why are there so many stores selling mini cucumbers?"

"I don't know why there are so many~ It's like this every year."

Cousin Yuanxiang laughed heartily as she spoke.

For some reason, I saw many vendors displaying several small cucumbers skewered on bamboo sticks in flat-bottomed bamboo baskets for sale. There were just as many as vendors selling takoyaki or yakisoba. Are they selling that well?

"Is there anything you two want to eat? Your aunt gave me money, so feel free to spend it!"

"Night market stalls are always ridiculously expensive...it makes me feel like I'd rather go to a convenience store."

"Don't worry! This is still the countryside, it's not that easy to find a convenience store here! Hehehe!"

So you admit it's expensive, that's correct...

Okay, actually, it's just like coffee in a cafe; it also includes a venue and atmosphere fee. Takoyaki bought at a night market stall and takoyaki from a food street probably can't be lumped together.

"If you don't know what to buy, how about I go to the stall run by an acquaintance of mine? Hopefully he'll be selling things this year too."

"Huh? Someone I know?... Cousin Yuanxiang, you only come here once a year, right? And you don't live around here, do you?"

"Look carefully, that's the real Sunshine faction."

"Don't talk like I'm a fake, okay?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

"That's why I told you to stop talking!"

"It's useless to cover up scandals."

I'm going to use this tactic to get through high school, so what!

Led by my cousin Yuanxiang, we soon arrived at a vendor's stall.

"Hi! I'm setting up a stall again this year!"

"Oh~ Yuanxiang, you're still such a beautiful girl!"

"Hehehe~ No problem, no problem."

...He was a strange Indian.

He was an Indian man whose Japanese was so bad that you wondered if it was intentional.

No, it could just be that he has dark skin, and doesn't necessarily mean he's Indian... It's just that he was stirring a pot of curry while talking to his cousin Yuanxiang...

"The tandoori curry chicken here is delicious! Would you two like some?"

When Cousin Yuanxiang said this, Zhuzhen stretched out her little hand and gave the change to the mysterious Indian man.

"Oh, Takema-kun! Thank you! My curry tastes even better than the one I had in India!"

How could there be an Indian who embodies such stereotypical Japanese people...? Although that's what I thought, Takema didn't seem particularly timid and accepted the tandoori chicken soaked in curry. It seems he's already used to it.

"Since this opportunity exists... I'd like a share."

"OK! Uncle, two servings, please!"

"Almost done!"

Although she bought one for Mizuto without his permission, he didn't say anything, so it's probably fine.

Not long after, we all received our Tandoori curry chicken.

I carefully avoided getting the yukata on me, took a bite, and the texture of the roasted chicken and the flavor of the spices spread in my mouth.

"...Ah, so delicious..."

"I told you—the food was delicious! It's just that your words and actions were strange!"

"It won't be weird at all!"