[Warning 15+]
Part Five
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 200
Shrine Festival, Food Crawl
―Even If, I Can't Treat You with That Same Energy Anymore
Chapter 200
Shrine Festival, Food Crawl
First things first, they decided to fill their stomachs.
Everyone strolled through the Festival buzz, huntin' down whatever they felt like eatin'.
Festival music blared from speakers placed all over town.
Appetizin' aromas drifted from the dense line of food stalls packed on both sides of the main street.
Cheerful laughter echoed from every corner.
This was a special side of the town reserved only for today.
Everyone passin' by was decked out in yukata, almost like a passport into another world, Hayato thought as he watched the two makin' a scene right in front of him.
"Whoa, the baby castella sponge cakes are delicious too! Kazuki-san, are you sure you don't want even a single bite?"
"A-Ahaha. I already had taiyaki, a crepe, and baked butter potato earlier... ...I mean, Himeko-chan, where are you puttin' all that food...?"
"Oh, I've still got plenty of room~! Oh, omu-soba! And grilled corn too!"
"Ghk!?"
Kazuki trembled in fear, completely overwhelmed by Himeko's appetite now that her restraint limiter was completely off.
Munching on his takoyaki, Hayato furrowed his brows, wonderin' if he should step in and say something to his little sis who was actin' totally shameless.
Then Saki called out to Hayato.
"Big Bro, is somethin' wrong?"
"Nah, I just feel like I should probably cover for Kazuki or somethin'."
"Ahaha, Hime-chan is really hyper today, isn't she?"
"Well, I kind of get how Himeko feels, though. Even this takoyaki tastes super cheap, but somehow it tastes insanely good."
"Oh, I know right! It's gotta be because of the vibe here. Plus, when you see stuff you've never tried before, you just can't help but grab some."
"Speakin' of which, is that doner kebab you're eatin'? The Turkish dish?"
"Yep! Seein' that massive chunk of meat spinnin' around in front of the shop had such a huge impact, before I knew it, I bought one!"
"Come to think of it, I've never had one either."
"Wanna take a bite then? Apparently it's from a famous shop that opened recently, so Festival or not, it's seriously delicious."
"Oh, don't mind if I do."
"...Oh."
Hayato took a big bite of the kebab offered to him.
The beef, coated in a rich sweet-and-savory sauce, was complemented by the cabbage and sliced onions, blendin' together into a mouthwaterin' mess inside his mouth wrapped in flatbread.
Oh, so it had a totally different deliciousness compared to a burger. It'd probably go great with white rice too.
"...Mm, yeah, this is legit good. I should probably grab one of these next time too... ...wait, Saki-san?"
While Hayato was smackin' his lips enjoyin' the kebab, Saki's cheeks suddenly flushed red and her eyes started dartin' around for some reason.
As Hayato wondered what was up, Saki gently turned her eyes away and awkwardly spilled the reason.
"Um, well... ...that kinda makes it an indirect kiss, doesn't it...?"
"Ghk!?"
Just realizin' it that very second, Hayato's heart did a sudden leap.
It was offered to Hayato in such a natural flow that the thought hadn't even crossed his mind.
"U-Um, it's just like that! Swappin' side dishes or sharin' a drink is somethin' close buddies do all the time, so, um, this is totally normal!"
"O-Oh, right! I-I mean, you and I are really close, Big Bro, so somethin' like this is totally normal, right!"
"Yup yup, totally normal!"
"Hehe, ehehe."
Saki gave a soft, bashful smile to hide her embarrassment.
Interactin' with each other like this—which was what Saki had wanted—had rapidly brought them closer together recently.
Even so, figurin' out how to react in moments like this and gauge the distance with a girl was pretty tough.
Especially since Hayato had a bit of pride as the older one, wantin' to show his little sis' bestie a dependable big bro figure.
While Hayato was feelin' a bit troubled inside, someone tapped him gently on the shoulder.
"Hm? Haruki?"
Turnin' around, there was Haruki with a choco-banana in one hand.
Haruki's mouth was shaped like an 'ω', makin' a face that practically screamed she'd just come up with a prank. Hayato had a bad feeling about this.
"Here, this is a choco-banana."
"...Yeah, a choco-banana."
"It kind of looks shiny black and curved upward, doesn't it?"
"...Because it's a choco-banana."
"I really think stickin' to the classic tropes is important, y'know?"
"Oh, hey!"
The moment Haruki said that and seductively ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, the air around her shifted.
With a bewitchin' look in her eyes, Haruki struck a suggestive pose as if invitin' Hayato in, lettin' out a mysterious chuckle.
Saki gasped. Hayato's eyes narrowed into a deadpan glare.
"Phew~... ...mmm... ...nnh."
After blowin' a hot breath onto the choco-banana with a sultry expression, Haruki licked up the curved part, leavin' a glistenin' coat of saliva. Then she planted a tiny kiss right on it.
Passersby around them were completely glued to the sight of Haruki, starin' with foolish, dopey faces. Hayato's expression turned stern.
"Nom... ...mmm, nnh... ...slurp."
Haruki couldn't care less and enthusiastically stuffed the choco-banana all the way down her throat in one go, wincin' slightly with a tiny gag before suckin' on it.
Saki turned so red her head looked ready to burst with steam, blurtin' "Awawa," the boys nearby leaned forward, and Hayato, scowlin' with deep wrinkles between his brows—whacked Haruki right on the crown of her head with a sharp chop.
"Hey! Don't play with food!"
"Ghk~!? Nnh, cough, cough!"
The force of the chop to her head made Haruki bite right through the choco-banana, chokin' as she swallowed it down. The nearby boys shrank back, wincin' in sympathetic pain.
"...Good grief."
Hayato let out an exasperated sigh, but Haruki just giggled mischievously.
Then Saki, comin' back to her senses, stepped right up to Haruki.
"H-H-H-Haruki-san! It's still daylight out, and we're outside! Doin' naughty stuff like that is totally wrong!"
"Mya!? Saki-chan!? Wait, you actually get what that meant!?"
"~~! Haruki-sa~n!"
Haruki gettin' lectured by Saki.
Hayato shruggin' his shoulders with an exhausted sigh.
The usual vibe they'd gotten used to lately was completely back.
Still, it was true that Haruki's stunt earlier had made Hayato's heart skip a beat.
And seein' the boys around them lookin' at Haruki with dirty eyes really rubbed Hayato the wrong way.
To brush off the fuzzy feelin's swirlin' inside his chest, Hayato scratched his head aggressively and looked away.
Lookin' ahead, Hayato caught sight of both Iori and Ema holdin' hands while silently splashin' around with water balloons, makin' Hayato stare for a second with a soft smile.
Noticin' Hayato watchin' them, Iori flushed bright red as if tellin' Hayato to mind his own business, quickly turnin' his head away.
Author's Notes:
Volume 1 of the Manga adaptation is out now, hope you guys check it out!
Meow~.