A/N: This chapter was... admittedly much later than usual. I got lazy and school caught up to me... and then there's the Cuphead fandom which took me by the storm (still got some space for this fanfic, ofc lol, I ain't abandoning it that easily). I'll admit, I'm not too proud of my writing skills for this particular chapter, especially in how I delivered the ideas... but I tried. Again, all mistakes are mine, so please enjoy what I've managed to scrounge up from so much procrastinating ;w;
Also, updates are going to come a little late since school is really taking up a lot of my time, so I'm sorry for the wait!
/plusiwonderhow'smrgiraffe'sdoingwithhisexamscauseimgonnadiefromthemnextweek
Creedpah
- Well, I think I'll be able to avoid that from happening by using a VPN. Hopefully it'll work! :)
- The reasons for her grandfather's way of thinking may or may not be revealed in this story. If not, I'll probably make a small omake in a new fic about it. So sorry for the late update... T_T
CureCaligraphy
- Glad to see you're enjoying the story lol
Guest2
- Ahh, I'm happy that the tension between them could be felt at least! Imagine being with someone who clearly despises your identity and supposedly thinks of you of nothing but a mere heir for his company... tough life, eh?
- Hmmm, well Naoto's dungeon be a little while to go. Then again, there's a small revelation for a certain blonde head at the end of this chapter...
"We are now announcing the arrival of Asuka Narukami, the chairman of Miyabi Jo Apparels…"
The first thing that greeted the trio was the sounds of applause that resonated through the corridor leading up to the hall where the event was being held. Dozens of guests and VIPs were in the event hall, clapping as the trio walked down the ruby red carpet leading up to the table where Yu's grandfather would sit with the more important VIPs. While the old man went to sit at that table, his secretary standing nearby, Yu went to where the podium was so he could do his role as the emcee for the night.
He's actually nervous, but this is practically nothing compared to the battles he had in the TV world.
Standing up to the podium, he noticed that everyone in the hall was now watching him curiously. Forcing a calm and friendly smile onto his lips, he first tapped the microphone to test if it was on before he spoke into it. "A good evening to the chairman of Miyabi Jo Apparels, Asuka Narukami, honoured VIPs, and fellow guests. First and foremost, I would like to thank everyone in this hall for allocating time in their busy schedule to attend this event. As Shou Narukami is currently busy in another country due to work-related tasks, I have been granted the honour of being in his place for the opening of tonight's event."
He could see the confusion on nearly everyone's faces.
"…I am Yu Narukami, son of Shou Narukami, grandson to Asuka Narukami, and second heir to the company after my father."
Intrigued gasps and murmurs echoed throughout the hall.
"It is nice to meet you all here."
Yu attempted to ignore the curious gazes he got from nearly every guest in the hall. It was nerve-wracking enough to speak in front of dozens of people – there's also the looming fear that if a reporter was recording him right now, he might appear on TV… but the killer was caught already, so there should be nothing to worry about. He has also been told by his grandfather's secretary that there were no reporters allowed to start recording, not at least until the main part of the event began. Still, there was a camera focused on him which showed its live feed on a screen nearby so guests that sat a little further back could still see him.
Well, he still had a job to do. He first said his own small speech, speaking of how proud he was to be a part of tonight's events and hoped that the company would continue to prosper in the future.
…It was all a lie.
"Now, I invite the honoured chairman of Miyabi Jo Apparels, Asuka Narukami, to come up to the stand and say a few words as well as officiate tonight's events."
First part done.
The silver-haired boy went backstage as his grandfather got up from his seat at the table closest to the stage, receiving a small applause from the guests while the old man did so. He was not interested to listen what that old man had to say for tonight's event – he was only here to be his father's substitute, and that's it. While his grandfather spoke, he rehearsed his lines again and again just to make sure he didn't forget them, until he heard clapping from the guests which meant that the old man has finished his speech.
Time for the second part.
Returning to the podium with the same smile on his face, he recalled that after his grandfather gave his speech, dinner would be served in the usual three courses while the first few outfits for the fashion line would be revealed. Certain of what to say, he continued where he left off. "Thank you for the speech, Mr. Narukami. With tonight's events underway, dinner will be served in three courses as stated in the menu on each table, and while you enjoy the dishes served, the first few outfits of the new autumn fashion line shall be revealed. I will let the emcee take it from here - thank you and have a good night."
At his words, snazzy music started playing while male and female models walked out from backstage to the front, showing off their respective attires for each guest to observe and for every reporter to take pictures of. He let the emcee of the event take his place while he went to the table his grandfather sat at since his seat was there as the grandson.
He could already see the many questions in the guests' minds the moment he sat down.
This will be a long night.
Thankfully, the event went well that evening. He tried to keep a level-headed attitude with the guests, but some women did show… some kind of interest in him.
Yu parted from his grandfather after the event without much of a conversation and went back home only to go through the process of removing the makeup on his face and washing his hair of the gel, letting it return to its original shape and appearance - it was getting weirder to not have his front bangs sometimes falling into his sight. He then slept for the rest of the night after changing out of his suit, tired after the whole ordeal. For the next day, while he was allowed to go back already, he felt like getting something before returning home to Inaba.
Considering that a few days later would be the summer festival, he was in the mood to get something for it since it'll be his first time joining one… which was why he was now looking over some of the company's selections with his grandfather's secretary. There was a floor that showcased the collections of clothes that the company has released in the past and is either still producing or not, which was a good place to start.
"What do people usually wear to a summer festival…?" Yu asked as he glanced at some kimonos, feeling a little melancholic that he can't ever wear one while he's still a male in the public's eye. Mr. Tadashi didn't take too long to answer. "Well, everyone usually wears yukata. Though, men's yukata is plainer than women's, and men may also wear jinbei to such festivals. Though, for you… there might be a yukata that'll suit you. Follow me." The man walked ahead to lead the silver-haired boy towards the collection of men's yukata.
Least to say, there was a lot.
"H-how am I going to choose from all this?" Yu could start with a preferred colour scheme… but where would he go from there?
The secretary merely chuckled. "No worries. Just sit back and let me do this picking." He signalled towards an attendant to bring a seat here, letting the silver-haired teenager sit while he busied himself with finding the right yukata for Yu to wear. Within fifteen minutes, he picked three out of what seemed like more than a dozen yukatas… he approached the teenager again, letting Yu see his choices. "Do any of these seem to interest you?" he asked, showing all three.
Examining the three chosen yukatas, one stuck out in particular. It was a yukata with a light black colour but if one watched closely, there were shapes in the form of an abstract, blocky pattern on the eri and tomoeri that shone in a whitish tone under the light, almost as if the cloth was actually made out of silk when it's not. Yu had made his choice when he noticed those details. "I think I'll pick that one." He pointed towards the yukata he chose. Mr. Tadashi nodded, smiling. "Good choice. Anything you'll need?"
"…Maybe a haori?"
"Those should be over there, then."
"Show me."
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
After picking the pieces for his yukata, Yu now had a proper outfit for the summer festival for this week's Saturday. The haori he picked was of a darker shade of black, though it bore a white sakura flowers pattern on its shoulders, some filled with colour and the others only bearing the outline. As for the obi, it was mostly white with black intricate details to give some contrast to his yukata. Now that he had that done, he felt like getting some more things for his friends back in Inaba.
He just ended up going on a small shopping spree in Tokyo. His grandfather's secretary went to finish some of his work first while the teenager did so.
"A phone case for Yosuke, a watch for Chie, this thing for Yukiko..." Yu was going over the things he got - he even managed to find a replica of the weird glasses Teddie made and guessed that Yukiko might love to have a pair. "Hair clips for Nanako, a new tie for Dojima, a one-piece dress for Rise, and… what would Teddie like…?" He thought about it for a moment. The bear might like having a bracelet with a little bear charm… gah, he'll just go buy it from an accessory store. "Now, the only one left is…" His voice trailed off as he realised who he had left to get a gift for. But what could he get for him?
A sewing kit would probably do well. Maybe a doll too…?
…Screw it, he'll just buy them!
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
They met up back in front of the company headquarters so they could start the journey back to Inaba.
"…What do you have there?" Yu questioned first, spotting Mr. Tadashi holding a paper bag with something long and woody sticking out of it. The secretary seemed a little hesitant to answer. "Well… I had to finish putting fashion props back into storage, and I happened to find a few things that maybe you could take…" He held the paper bag out for the silver-haired teenager to take and inspect.
Taking it into his hand, Yu peered into the bag and saw what was inside as well as what the long thing was. His eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You…"
Inside it was a kanzashi, a kind of Japanese hair ornament that was pristine white in colour with a flower over a snowflake design... but it's been designed for easier wear in these modern times. The long, wooden stick was actually an oil-paper umbrella, fully black with a white fern design that spiralled around the canopy until it reached the middle of the umbrella.
The problem is, these items are usually associated with women.
Not men.
"I… I can't use these." Yu was going to give the bag back, but the black-haired man shook his head.
"Please, keep them. I believe that you'll have a better use for them than to just leave them in storage." Mr. Tadashi gave the boy an encouraging smile, which eventually made Yu give in to his request.
"...Fine."
"Thank you, Yu. Now, shall we?"
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
The journey back to Inaba was a long one, the pale blue skies turning to pools of red and violet… until they turned to black, with twinkling stars bathing in the pure darkness.
Yu had called the house phone when it got dark to tell that he was going to arrive that night, so he asked that they don't lock up too early. Nanako had answered him at that time, and she was excited to hear that he'll be coming home soon. It might've been about nine or ten at night when the car pulled over by the house in the neighbourhood, with him bidding goodbye to his grandfather's secretary before entering the residence. Sliding open the doors, he announced his arrival with a feeling of ease. "I'm home..."
He missed this place.
"Big bro!" Nanako exclaimed cheerfully as she ran over to him. Yu knelt down to her level so she could hug him. "Hey... missed me?" he asked jokingly while hugging her back, having set his bags down before he got down to her height.
The little girl nodded, smiling happily. "Uh-huh. But you're back!"
"Yep, and I got a little gift for you." The silver-haired boy reached into one of the bags to take out the few hair clips he got for his cousin. Most of the hair clips he got for her had adorable little jewellery to them, such as a flower or a cartoon bear attached to the clips. "It's not much, but it's what I could find at the time."
"Ooh… thanks, big bro!" With a blush to her cheeks, Nanako giggled as she took the clips. "I'll make sure to wear them!"
Yu nodded and smiled at her. "Okay then. I'm going to go up early – it's been a long day for me."
"Good night, big bro."
"Good night to you too, Nanako."
Yu spent the next day resting inside the house, still feeling sluggish from the long journey yesterday and even more so after sleeping in his futon. It'll take a while for him to get used to it again… nonetheless, when he wasn't resting, he was arranging his clothes and the gifts he got for his friends. That night, he noticed that his uncle had returned home from work and was reading a newspaper. Recalling that he got a new tie for Dojima, he quickly went back upstairs to grab it before going downstairs.
"Hey, uncle?" The silver-haired teenager held the tie behind his back as he called for the detective's attention. Dojima looked at him, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, Yu. Nanako told me that you got back home yesterday. Is everything alright back in the city?"
A nod was Yu's response.
"That's good. How about your… grandfather?"
"…The usual."
"Ah."
Seeing how things were slowly growing awkward, Yu promptly changed the subject. "Anyway, I got something for you while I was there, uncle." He then revealed the tie, which was red in colour though a little shinier than the one his uncle was wearing at the moment. It also had a crossed snaffle pattern, the shapes small enough to make it seem formal. "I didn't know what colour you liked, and you seemed to wear the same tie anyway…" he trailed off, sheepishly staring at his feet while still holding the tie in his hands.
Dojima blinked once, seeing the tie in his nephew's hands. "You got this for me?"
"Yeah. I got some hair clips for Nanako and some other gifts for my friends, so why not get one for you too?"
The detective then carefully took the tie. "Is it from the company?"
"Yes... one of the rare ones. They had another in stock."
"Hm. I'll keep it well then." Dojima paused for a moment, then a small smile crossed his lips. "…Thanks."
Smiling back, Yu then went to do his own things for the night. Tomorrow, he planned to go and see how Yosuke and Chie were doing at Junes…
As he told himself the night before, Yu went out to Junes that day while bringing the gifts for his friends in a bag.
Upon arriving at the food court, he was met with a crowded sight as a lot of people were at the place even in this late morning. He could see Chie and Yosuke trying their best to deal with the crowd, but Teddie – he just spotted the bear in his suit at the back – almost looked like he could pass out. Other than those three, he saw the four workers from his grandfather's company working as well without a word of complaint. At least they're doing their job.
"Hey guys." Yu approached his friends who noticed him in surprise. The trio's faces brightened up upon seeing the silver-haired boy standing there, having not seen him for about four days.
"Partner!" Yosuke grinned at his best friend. "You're back!"
"Yeah, I'm back. Got some stuff for you guys since I wasn't around to help during the last few days." Yu held up the bag with a sheepish smile. "But I think we can hold that off first. I'll help out too."
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
The four of them sat at their usual table later that afternoon once the crowd had thinned out, with Yu and Yosuke already changed out of their work clothes while Teddie was now out of his suit. The four workers also went away after getting their pay, having worked from Monday until today as promised.
"It's not much, but I tried to get what I think you guys would like," Yu told them as he got the first gift out of the bag. "I got a phone case for you, Yosuke." It was a sleek new phone case, which he gave to Yosuke who was amazed at getting such a gift.
"Dude, really? Thanks, Yu." The brunet took out his phone and tried the case on it, finding it a perfect fit. "It's awesome!" He was grinning while he checked out his phone that looked brand new in the case his best friend just got him.
"Glad you like it then." Yu smiled at that before looking at Chie. "I wasn't able to find much, and I didn't want the gift to be too little… so I just got you a sports watch. I hope you don't mind, Chie." The next gift was a sports watch, mostly light green in colour with yellow highlights like Chie's jacket. The brunette blushed a little at the gift, smiling. Her feelings towards him were still noticeable. "Aw, you didn't have to, Yu-kun..." She took the watch and put it on her left wrist. "It's quite nice… thank you."
Teddie seemed excited as it was now his turn to get a gift. "Did you get anything for me, Sensei?" he asked with a bright smile.
Yu nodded, chuckling while he took out the final gift. "Of course. It's not much, but… I think you'd like this," he replied, revealing a small chain bracelet with a few pink and blue star charms attached to it. Alongside them was a cute bear charm that was reminiscent of a certain famous bear character, bearing a mix of pink and blue pastel colours with glitter.
This made the light blond gasp in awe. "It's beautiful, Sensei…! Is this really mine…?"
Yu nodded again, smiling at him. "Yes, it is. Hold out your left wrist – I'll put it on for you."
So Teddie did as the silver-haired boy told him, and Yu opened the clasp of the bracelet so he could put it on Teddie's wrist before closing the clasp. "There." He let the light blond examine the bracelet, noticing the faint reddish hue on Teddie's cheeks.
"I love it, Sensei!" Teddie told him, giggling giddily.
…Is this bear actually having feelings towards him…?
Maybe he shouldn't dwell on that thought.
"I'm relieved that you like it." It wasn't every day one would give a gift to someone that literally came from another world, after all. Nevertheless, this joy of being with friends… Yu missed it dearly. It was a good change from the tense and awkward atmosphere back in that mansion. "How were things when I was away?" he asked, a little curious after seeing a huge crowd here that morning.
Yosuke sighed while crossing his arms. "There was some kind of hero show going on at Junes… it got a lot of people coming here, and that's why I asked for some help. Those workers you got were pretty good at their job, actually."
"That's great, then."
"…Oh yeah, tomorrow's the Summer Festival, right? Meet us at the shrine tomorrow night, okay?"
"Ah, sure."
They all deserved a rest after working that much.
Saturday was a clear day, which was good for being the first day of the summer festival.
Yu recalled that he had to meet the others at the shrine tonight, and since it'll take him a small while to put on his yukata… he began to dress himself early, putting on the traditional attire the way his grandparents had shown him to do. He adorned the haori on him after he correctly wore the yukata and obi, fastening it with a haori-himo that was white in colour. The only thing he had left was… well, what his grandfather's secretary gave to him. The kanzashi and the oil-paper umbrella.
He took both items out of the bag, setting them on the work table. They were both beautiful items, perfect for a typical Japanese lady, but…
…Should he even try them on?
He's probably just better off leaving them here.
Eventually, he was brought out of his thoughts by the knocking sound coming from his door. Nanako's muffled voice came from the other end, asking if he wanted to eat a small snack with her for the late afternoon. He hesitated to answer her, realising that if he accepted, he'll have to come out wearing these traditional garments that he should've been wearing for tonight only. Too bad he took too long to think about it because his cousin soon opened the door when he didn't answer her after a while.
"Big bro? Oh!" The little girl's eyes fell on the sight of Yu dressed fully in a yukata with a haori over it, making him look refined and unlike the teenager she's been living with for a few months now. It awed her to see him like this. "Is this for the festival?"
"Y…yes." Yu grew somewhat flustered at the sudden intrusion and being found like this. "Is it too much?"
Nanako smiled and shook her head. "No, you look pretty, big bro!" She giggled as she approached her cousin, marvelling at the beauty of the traditional garments the silver-haired teenager wore. She then noticed the kanzashi on the table, picking it up curiously. "What's this…?"
"Ah, that? It's a kanzashi – a traditional hair ornament. I… um, got it from a friend when I was back in the city."
"Ooh… it's beautiful!" Nanako then had an idea. "Why don't you try it on, big bro?"
"Huh?" Yu blinked once, wondering for a moment if he heard her right. "You want me to try that on…?" But that's…
"Mhm! Please, big bro?" Nanako gave him a pleading look with puppy eyes – she really wanted to see him wear this little kanzashi on. Those puppy eyes… Yu couldn't resist them, even if he tried. Sighing quietly, he then sat down slowly to his cousin's level, careful to not accidentally damage the clothes he was wearing. "Alright… do you know how to put it on?" he asked as the little girl got closer to him.
Nanako examined the hair ornament for a few seconds. "It's like a hair clip… do I put it on like one?"
"Yes, that's it."
With that, Nanako carefully attached the kanzashi to Yu's hair, a little above his left ear. "Hmm… something's missing…" She observed her cousin's appearance, then decided to smoothen the teenager's front hair so they didn't appear too messy. She smiled brightly as she took a step back to admire the sight, nodding to herself once she was sure that everything now seemed right. "Done!" She giggled, letting Yu stand up so he could grab a mirror.
When Yu did look at himself in a small hand mirror from a drawer, he was stunned to see his complexion change drastically with the kanzashi and the way his front bangs were now a little neater. There was a reason why he always ruffled his front bangs – so people couldn't get the full image of his face. If he were seen like this, one might really doubt his identity… he nervously smiled and lowered the hand mirror at that thought. "Thanks, Nanako. I think I'll take this off, though…"
"Aww… can't you wear it for tonight? Pretty please, big bro?"
"W-well…" To go out to the festival looking like this where his friends will see him as such… was that a risk he was willing to take? He then glanced at the oil-paper umbrella sitting on his table, still in good quality despite being in a store for so long. Maybe if he used that to cover his face… for a time, it could work. Heck, he could use Nanako's request as an excuse for why he's wearing such a feminine accessory. "…Okay, I will."
"Yay! Thanks, big bro!"
…What has he gotten himself into?
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
As evening fell, Nanako had left earlier since Yukiko, Chie and Rise came to pick her up to do… something. Yu didn't know what about but even so, he went to the festival alone with the oil-paper umbrella over his head to cover some of his face. Sure, he actually got a few stares from some folks for bringing an umbrella to an event that was occurring at night, though no one really said anything about it and let it be. The moon only showed half of its beauty today, but its radiance was surprisingly bright tonight.
By the time he arrived at the shrine grounds, he noticed that most of the boys in his group of friends were there chatting about something. Swallowing some saliva nervously, he kept his umbrella over his head as he stood near them, hearing what they were conversing about first.
"Funny, I remember this festival being a lot more crowded… is it because of the murders?" Yosuke commented, raising an eyebrow at the strangely quiet streets. Kanji shrugged at that, looking at the sight of the many stalls set up next to the path. "Yeah, there ain't that many people here this year. Well, I guess you can't blame people for being scared… haven't seen the reporters around, either. They sure are good at stirring shit up and then disappearing. Well, it ain't so bad to have thin crowds…"
"Say, where's Yu? He's supposed to have arrived a few minutes ago."
Yu tensed up, remembering that he did send a text message to them that he'll be arriving soon. They haven't realised that he was just nearby, dressed in something they wouldn't expect him to wear… though the umbrella might be a bit too much. Since it covered his eyes, he was unaware that Teddie was slowly approaching him with a curious look on his face.
Teddie had noticed him while looking around, seeing him as someone strange with an umbrella over their head which was a little odd to see since no one else at this festival was using one. He could only see Yu's face from the nose down, which made him wonder if this person was a lady from how feminine their face looked. "Excuse me, miss? May I ask, why do you hide your pretty face under this…?" he asked gently, yet it almost made the 'lady' jump in shock either way.
"What? Oh, uh…"
…That voice sounded familiar.
Blinking once, Teddie decided to peek under the umbrella so he could see the person's face hidden underneath it… and it was none other than Yu himself. "S…Sensei?" His eyes widened in surprise to see that the silver-haired boy was actually the 'lady' he thought this person was.
Upon being found out, Yu's face flushed slightly as he quickly tried to explain himself, the truth and lies in his story mixing together in his panic. "I-it's a gift from a friend. Nanako wanted me to try these out, and, um…"
The light blond only stared for a good moment before his face broke into a huge smile. "You look absolutely beautiful, Sensei!"
That exclamation got Kanji and Yosuke to look behind themselves, only to witness Teddie fawning over someone who they immediately recognised as the guy who they've been waiting for a few minutes now. The brunet was mostly astonished to see his best friend dressed in a yukata of all things, while the younger boy next to him seemed to freeze at the sight. Kanji's face reddened darkly the moment it hit him that Yu was wearing a yukata that was very fitting for his appearance and figure.
It's too fitting.
This is bad.
"Really…?" Yu was slightly embarrassed at the attention he got now. "…Thanks."
"Well, that's one nice yukata," Yosuke said while crossing his arms, an intrigued smile on his face. "But what's with the hair ornament…?" he then asked, pointing at the snow white kanzashi in the silver-haired boy's hair. Yu lifted a hand to touch it, smiling sheepishly. "Nanako made me wear it. A friend of mine gave it to me since he had no other use for it."
"Ah, alright. Gotta keep her wishes, huh?"
"Yes… since we're all here, why don't we get something first?"
"Sure, we still got time before those girls arrive." Yosuke looked at Kanji who's been silent all this while. "Kanji, what're you up for?"
"Whuh?" The blond then snapped out of his stupor, the flush on his face hidden by the dim lighting of the lanterns around them. It took him a few seconds to form some semblance of a sentence for Yosuke's question. "S-some ikayaki would be great!" he hurriedly answered, grinning nervously.
Teddie perked up at that, looking excited. "Ooh, I wanna get some too! Kanji, what's ikayaki?"
Yu just chuckled at Teddie's evident excitement. "Let's go get some, then."
~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
After they all got some snacks from the food stalls set up at the shrine, everyone noticed that the girls weren't here yet.
"Man, they're late… why were they meeting up at Yukiko's house in the first place?" Yosuke muttered, looking around. He got a text message that early evening from Rise, telling that they'll be coming a little later as they were meeting up at Yukiko's place first. The purpose of that meeting, he had no idea what.
Kanji could only shrug, trying not to stare at Yu as he did. "They'll show up sooner or—" He was cut off by Teddie's gasp.
"Whoa, isn't that them?" Teddie's eyes widened at the sight that approached them – it turned out that the girls went there to get dressed in yukatas too, including Nanako. Kanji abruptly turned around, unable to face the girls that all looked beautiful and cute in those outfits, especially after witnessing Yu dressed as such as well. However, Yosuke and Teddie just seemed thrilled at what they saw. Chie smiled apologetically at the four boys, dressed in a white yukata with a green and yellow floral design. "Sorry we took so long."
"It took us some time to get dressed," Yukiko added, dressed in a blue yukata with a more intricate floral design of lotuses and chrysanthemums. As for Rise, she was dressed in a red yukata with butterfly patterns. "You have to wrap towels inside, so they're not as breezy as everyone says."
Nanako smiled cheerfully. "It's kinda hard to walk…"
"You look cute in it," Yu told her, smiling softly at the little girl - that pink yukata with a checkered pattern fit her perfectly. She was even wearing one of the hair clips he got for her. At his comment, Nanako giggled happily as her cheeks were dusted pink.
Even Teddie felt the same way as the silver-haired boy. "Nana-chan, you look so cute! I'm head over heels for you!" he complimented her.
The little girl giggled again. "Thank you."
"Ooh, Senpai! You're wearing a yukata too!" Rise noted that Yu was dressed in a yukata as well. She didn't miss the little kanzashi on the silver-haired teenager's head. "Though, why are you wearing a hair ornament…?" she asked.
Yu shifted a little, glancing at Nanako. "Nanako wanted me to wear it, and… well, you know the rest." He smiled despite the slight embarrassment at being found wearing a kanzashi. The idol slowly nodded in understanding, getting an idea of what he meant while she giggled too. "Okay! By the way, how do we look, Senpai? Does the sight make your heart skip a beat?"
Now Yu was a little hesitant to answer. They all looked good in the yukatas, but if he really had to pick… Yukiko seemed to fit it better. "…It suits Yukiko the best," he eventually answered.
Yukiko's cheeks grew a rosy hue at his answer, smiling as she did. "Oh, n-not at all. You're probably just used to seeing me in one…"
As they chatted, Yosuke noticed that Kanji has been looking away from the girls and keeping quiet. "Kanji? What're you looking away for? Don't tell me you're ashamed to look! What are you, a monk…?"
Kanji tensed up. "Th-That ain't it!"
"Ahaha! You're so cute, Kanji." Rise just laughed at his reaction, causing the blond to huff quietly.
At that moment, everyone saw a familiar face approaching them, so they turned around to face said person – it was Yu's uncle. "Hey… thanks for looking after her." He was wearing the new tie his nephew gave him, which didn't go unnoticed by the silver-haired boy.
"Oh… you're wearing the new tie I gave you." Yu slightly smiled at that.
Dojima scratched the back of his head at the teenager's words. "Couldn't let it go unused, at least." His attention then went to Nanako who got closer to him with a bright smile.
"They bought me cotton candy!"
The detective smiled back. "Did they now? Alright then, you wanna go over and do the target prac— I mean, game with me?"
"Uh-huh! Let's go!"
Dojima looked up at the group of teenagers. "I'll take care of Nanako from here. It's only a few times a year that this town gets charged up like this. You kids should go and have fun." He went ahead as Nanako waved goodbye first at the group before following her father. Everyone waved back in response, smiling gently at the little girl.
After that moment, Teddie seemed to be thinking of an idea. "Hmmm, a summer festival… hrrrmmm…" His hum of thought made the others look at him in confusion, but he continued on nonetheless. "A couple walking together at a festival… unused to wearing it, the girl's yukata comes loose… summer has begun."
Chie could only raise an eyebrow at that. "What kinda tagline is that…?"
The light blond grinned. "We gotta go two-by-two! Raaaawr!"
Everyone except Teddie glanced at each other, then looked at him again.
"Two-by-two…?" Yukiko was a little puzzled on what he meant by that.
"See, I've been thinking. It's the summer, you're wearing yukata, and we're at a festival. It's just wrong for guys and girls to walk around in a huge group like this. We should couple up while we're here! It's the natural way of things!"
Kanji couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Wh-What the hell are you babblin' about!?"
Before anyone else could put in another word, Rise spoke up with a cheery grin. "I'm with Teddie!" Seeing everyone excluding Teddie being shocked by her agreement, she began to explain. "C'mon, Senpai… why wear yukata in the first place? So we have memories we can remember fondly, right? So we should pair off right away!" Her cheerfulness in suggesting that made Yukiko and Chie look at each other with troubled expressions.
"Rise… what a terrifying girl!" Chie whispered in shock before speaking out loud. "You got a point, though… good memories…"
"I-I'm fine too," Yukiko added with a slight stutter. "Oh, what I mean is, um… count me in."
The duo looked back at the boys. "Alright… y-you guys decide how we'll split up."
Now the group of boys stared at them, bewildered at being told that they'll be the ones to choose between the girls. "Huh? Seriously? It's up to us?" Yosuke nervously questioned, his voice cracking. "A-Alright…" So, he and the other boys took a few steps back to talk in a small circle. "Three guys and three girls… what should we do…?"
Teddie looked confused at the brunet's words. "Three guys? Aren't you missing one?"
"What? Me, him, and Kanji makes three."
"Whaaa!? You did that on purpose!"
Kanji glanced at the girls as the two bickered, his face turning red again at the sight. Though, it only grew when his eyes landed on Yu after that, making him hastily look away. "Uhhh… should I really do this?"
"Oh yeah… you can barely look at 'em…" Yosuke crossed his arms with a thoughtful look.
"N-No way! I can look at 'em! It'll be a chinch, just you watch!"
"Nah… you should bail, Kanji. It'd be best for everyone that way."
"Wha—!? You don't believe me!?"
Yu sighed quietly, deciding that he'll be the one to sit out the little outing. "It's alright. I'll be the one sitting out of this – I'm still feeling a bit sick from the journey back here." His choice shocked Yosuke and Kanji, the former a lot more considering that the silver-haired boy was better dressed for the occasion.
"Dude, seriously? You don't want to spend some time with one of them?" he asked with widened eyes.
Yu nodded, an uneasy smile on his lips. "While it's a shame, but yes. I'll let you, Kanji and Teddie choose."
He can't tell them that he's refusing just because he'll feel awkward with any of the three.
What more, there's a sour taste in his mouth again.
Yosuke looked like he was about to ask his best friend to rethink his decision when Teddie soon spoke up, a decisive tone in his voice. "Well, I've made my decision…"
Kanji stared at him in irritation. "Hey, wait 'til we're done for that!" He was ignored by the light blond who announced his decision anyway.
"I want Chie-chan and Yuki-chan and Rise-chan for my partner."
…Even Yu was dumbfounded by that announcement.
Yosuke grew annoyed, crossing his arms. "That's not a decision! Dude, you're the one who said we gotta pair off in the first place!" he told Teddie with a frown. Kanji felt just about the same. "I ain't joking here, Ted! If you try and butt in on this—" He was cut off by Teddie who had a serious expression on his face.
"That's right, Kanji! This is serious business! And you're a true man! A true man wouldn't be prancing around with other girls at a place like this!"
The blond was silent for a moment. "O-Okay…?"
Yosuke held in the urge to groan, seeing that Kanji was slowly falling for Teddie's act. "How much more can you butter him up…?"
Nonetheless, the light blond continued on. "Kanji! This is a test to see if you can uphold your status as a true man!" His serious face broke into a smile. "Phew… now no one will be left out." Somehow, his words did have an effect on Kanji who was thinking about what he just said.
"Y-Yeah… you're right!" Kanji then smiled at him. "Thanks, Teddie! You said it. Okay, count me out."
That made Yosuke stare at the younger boy in disbelief. "Dude, come on! Don't fall for that!"
Going past the three boys, Teddie approached the girls with that same smile on his face. "It's decided! I'm going with all of you!" His words elicited a confused response from the girls and shock from Yosuke. Chie tilted her head, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? What's going on?"
"Oh, well, there were too many guys, so someone would have been left out… I just couldn't let that happen." Teddie just had to add some flare to it, using his charms.
…Wow. Way to be a terrible person.
The brunet gritted his teeth, about to lose it. "WHAT!? You little-!"
Of course, the girls bought it.
"Haha, I see." Chie seemed to understand where Teddie was coming from. So did Yukiko who nodded at his words. "You're so kind, Teddie…"
Rise wasn't too thrilled. "We let them decide and this is what we get? Awww, what a letdown… oh well… let's go, then." Still, she went ahead with Chie, Yukiko and Teddie to check out the stalls together, leaving the trio of boys alone.
Yosuke's face just summarised the hilarity and strangeness of the whole situation which he eventually let fall. He sighed, glancing at Yu with a grimace. "…We fail, huh? An epic fail…" he muttered. The silver-haired boy could only smile sheepishly in response. "It could've been better."
They could hear the others' voices from ahead of them… they sounded like they were having a lot of fun.
"Hey! Teddie!? Why're you buying another idol's photo!? Mine's in there too!" That was Rise's voice.
Yosuke now felt like he could really punch a guy right now. "Aaaaargh, what's with this!?" He was further aggravated as he could hear Chie and Yukiko's voices – it could've been him having fun with at least one of the girls! But nooo... it had to just be Teddie who stole the spotlight. Yu just chuckled with a shake of his head, now knowing that they should probably not let Teddie join any parties again. "Come on, we'll just do things on our own then," he told the two others with him, smiling sheepishly.
"What can we even do? Teddie's got them all!" The brunet replied, looking downcast.
"I don't know about you, but I'll check out some of the stalls here. I've never gone to a summer festival before, so… excuse me." Yu went past his best friend and his crush, going to see some of the few stalls that were of games, food and accessories. He couldn't hear the chatter between the two boys after he left as the music playing drowned their voices out, though after a few moments he was surprised to see Kanji approach and stand next to him. "Hey, Senpai," The younger boy greeted.
"Kanji…?" The silver-haired boy blinked a few times in confusion. "What about Yosuke?"
"Ah, the guy's alright. He said that he'll be checking other stuff out on his own."
"Really?"
"Yeah, so…"
A silence slowly grew between them.
The old man handling the stall they were standing at noticed how awkward the two were and decided to clear his throat to get their attention. "Ahem! If you two are done chit-chatting, might I suggest a game of wanage? A prize could be won for the pretty lady next to you, young man!" he told the duo. Yu and Kanji's faces turned a bright red as they tried to deny what the old man just said, waving their hands in embarrassment. "I-I'm not a lady!" "We're not together!"
With a waving motion, the old man chuckled. "Whatever you two say. Come on, 300 yen for five rings or 500 for ten. Well?"
The two teenagers glanced at each other, unsure of what to say or do at this point. In the end, the younger one of the two spoke up, deciding to try out the game. "…Sure, I'd take up the challenge. Ten rings." He took out some money from his pocket, giving it to the old man who grinned gleefully.
"Splendid! Here you go." Giving the blond the ten rings, he stepped back to let Kanji do his throws. "Any prize you manage to get a ring on will be yours. Have fun!"
Yu was genuinely surprised that Kanji was going to try this. The prizes were all quite small, and the rings were just about wide enough to slip through the biggest one among all the prizes. Only one with good patience and accuracy could possibly get a prize. "Are you sure you can get one?"
Looking back at his senpai, Kanji grinned as he shrugged. "I ain't backing out of a challenge." Plus, the prizes were all really cute – it would be great to get one for himself… and maybe another for the silver-haired boy.
"Mm, good luck then," Yu bid him while he smiled, admiring the younger boy's attempt to try a ring toss game. He watched as Kanji tried his best at tossing the rings at the prizes, but in the end, he wasn't able to get any. The old man soon came back into view with a small smile. "Would you like to try again, young man?"
"…How about I try this time?" Yu suggested, walking up to the stall while taking out some coins from a pouch attached to his obi. "We can even share the rings. Does that sound good?"
Kanji thought about it for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "Sure, let's do this!"
Thus, the silver-haired teenager gave the old man some money for ten rings, giving five to Kanji while keeping the rest for himself. The end result was that they were left with their last rings, the previous ones having failed to caught onto any prize.
"Seems like I'm not that good at this." Yu sheepishly smiled at the sight of the table full of rings, at which none of them were on a prize. "I'm down to my last one…" he murmured as he held up his last ring.
Kanji did the same, looking at his ring with a wry smile. "Me too, Senpai."
"Let's see how this one goes, then."
Choosing to leave it up to fate, they tossed their rings.
By chance, both landed on two different prizes.
The old man clapped in applause, picking up the two prizes and giving them to the stunned teenagers. "There you go… one for you, and one for you. Enjoy!" He gave the two a cheery smile, letting Yu and Kanji walk away slowly with the small prizes in their arms.
It was Yu who eventually broke the silence between them, speaking up quietly. "Did we just land ourselves a prize on our last rings?" he asked, finally taking a look at his prize.
Kanji was reacting to the situation just like him, a bit shocked at it all. "I guess…?"
Both of their prizes were cute figurines of famous cartoon characters… a pretty good memento as a memory for tonight.
Maybe they could get some more.
"…Wanna try out the other games, Senpai?"
"...Why not?"
=~*~*~*~*~*~…~*~*~*~*~*~
Chatter filled the dimly illuminated streets of the shopping district, a pair of two figures slowly walking down towards a certain textiles store with prizes in their arms.
"I have to admit – all of those games were quite fun," Yu said as he smiled, his hands full with a few prizes they managed to win from the game stalls at the festival. Kanji laughed a little, grinning widely with his arms full of prizes too. "The summer festivals are always a blast here, Senpai!"
"It's a shame that I couldn't see how it always was before the murders happened… it must've been really crowded during those days."
"Hell yeah they were. It ain't so bad if the crowds are thin, anyway. We got some stuff to make up for it!"
"That's right."
They were now standing in front of the store Kanji's mother ran, about to part for the night.
"Well, see ya later, Yu-senpai," Kanji bid goodbye to his senior who smiled gently at him.
"Goodnight, Kanji." Yu then quietly excused himself to leave, beginning to walk back home with the oil-paper umbrella still over his head. The blond stared at him as he left, a gentle silvery glow draped on his form from the moonlight of the waxen half-moon in the night sky.
For some reason, the time they spent together tonight was one of the best outings Kanji has ever had.
It was… thrilling.
The yukata and the kanzashi was a perfect fit on Yu, too.
It'd be a dream to have another moment with the silver-haired boy like this.
…Oh…
Oh.
A heavy realisation instantly dawned on him, and it made him feel like he could collapse right then and there. This isn't just some casual feelings of friendship now.
He's… actually in love. With Yu Narukami.
A boy.
Oh, fuck.