Chapter Four: Stars
About an hour after finishing the discussion with the administrative staff.
Nagi returned to the community center, bringing Eva along.
“Kurusu-kun. I’ve decided to create a stage for Eva.”
Without preamble, Nagi dove straight into the matter the moment we met.
I gave a wry smile at her bluntness, but I could clearly sense the intensity radiating from her.
She was unmistakably different from the Nagi of this morning.
“You come back and immediately say something outrageous. Sorry, but the second semester is packed with the sports festival and the cultural festival. September’s holidays are the busiest time. There’s no way I’d have time to help with a live performance.”
I expressed my reluctance to her sudden request.
The second semester is obviously the busiest time for the student council.
Even without that, now is the time to focus all our efforts on the summer festival.
“I know. That’s why I want to make Eva’s stage part of the summer festival.”
Nagi’s response made me furrow my brow.
“You’re going to adjust things now, when we’re this far along? Let me be clear: the plaza where Eva planned to set up her stage already has a yagura built. There’s no way we can move it now, and we’re not letting her take it over either.”
If we did that, it would become Eva’s live performance, with her as the star.
She’s the loser here. There’s a limit to how much we can compromise for her stage.
“I understand. That’s why I want to use the pool. It’s not being used for the festival, and it should be relatively easy to adjust, right?”
Despite my critical gaze, Nagi didn’t flinch and offered a counterproposal.
“Relatively easy? How are you going to secure the personnel for that? Running two events at once would require double the staff.”
A music stage isn’t too complicated to set up if you keep it simple.
But it’s not something the current, aging neighborhood association can handle easily.
“For personnel, we have the volunteers Mutsu-senpai gathered. We can rely on them.”
She’d thought that far ahead, huh.
If she’s got everything lined up to that extent, it’s possible in theory.
“I see. If you’re only thinking about Eva, that’s a good plan. But what’s the benefit for us? Our priority is making the summer festival a success. This just adds risk without any gain.”
In terms of building achievements for the student council, there’s no benefit to collaborating with Eva to make the festival more exciting.
The festival as it is would already be a solid achievement.
Adding an event of this scale at the last minute only increases the risk of trouble.
I like Eva, and if we had the time, I’d want to help her out, but this is a critical time for Nagi too. I don’t want to take on unnecessary risks.
“That’s…”
Nagi, who had been speaking so confidently, lowered her gaze.
…Well, she thought it through pretty well, but this is probably the end of it.
Or so I thought.
“…Yukata.”
Nagi mumbled, then looked up.
“The yukata. We made so many, but we haven’t sold nearly enough, right? You said it’s fine if we take a loss, but selling them would be better. If we sell them as fan goods at Eva’s live, I think they’ll sell out. That’s a benefit for us too.”
“Hm?”
It’s a bit of a desperate move, but she hit a sore spot.
The sewing club made a ton of yukata, and they haven’t been selling well. If this could be a chance to sell them, it’s worth considering.
“…Alright, if that’s the case, there’s something in it for us. Fine, I’ll agree to adding Eva’s live performance.”
“Really!? Thank you, Kurusu-kun!”
“Thank you so much! Mea-senpai, we did it!”
As I gave my approval, the two of them hugged each other in joy, instantly creating a warm, fuzzy atmosphere. I could watch this forever.
I stopped working to bask in the moment, but a knock on the door interrupted, as if scolding me for slacking off. Terrible timing.
“Come in!”
“Excuse me… Why the sour face?”
The person who entered was Asakura-san, the senior part-timer who helped us during the pool cleanup.
I learned earlier that her name is Takanotsume Asakura.
She tilted her head upon seeing my expression.
“Uh… Why are you here?” Nagi asked, looking surprised by the unexpected visitor.
“Hm? My dad—well, the pool’s owner, I mean. I’m his errand runner.”
Yes, Asakura-san is the daughter of the pool’s owner, which is why she works there.
She was coordinating the cleaning crew back then, but today she’s here as her father’s representative.
“You’re the ones who called me, aren’t you? Something about wanting to use our pool for a live performance during the summer festival?”
She looked at Nagi with a puzzled expression.
Suddenly, both Nagi and Eva turned their gazes toward me.
“K-Kurusu-kun? What’s going on…?”
“No mystery here. I just knew what you’d come up with, Nagi-chan.”
“You were testing me?”
Nagi looked frustrated as I spoke with a smug grin.
“Of course. If you’d made such a reckless proposal at a time like this without thinking it through, I couldn’t have approved it. But it seems I was overthinking it.”
I gave Nagi a light smile and stood up.
“I’ll handle the summer festival. You focus on preparing the live, Nagi.”
“…Got it. Leave it to me.”
Nagi nodded, as if internalizing the weight of the responsibility she’d taken on.
“Then, Asakura-san, Nagi-chan here will be in charge of the live, so please discuss the details with her.”
“Got it.”
Things suddenly got busy, so I quickly stood and left the lounge.
Now I’ve got to take over the tasks Nagi was handling. Better ask Mutsu-senpai for some help.
“Kurusu-kun!”
As I walked down the hallway, thinking about the tasks ahead, a voice called out from behind.
Turning around, I saw Nagi jogging toward me.
“Um, I just wanted to say… thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Being thanked by Nagi-chan is both embarrassing and heartwarming. I wish she’d praise me more often.
“…Hey, Kurusu-kun. Did you know this would happen from the start?”
Her unexpected question caught me off guard.
“Why do you think that?”
Surprised, I asked back, and after a brief pause to gather her thoughts, Nagi answered slowly.
“It’s just… everything fell into place too perfectly for me. Like the pieces to convince you were already there. Especially the yukata.”
As she spoke, her tone grew more certain.
“We ordered so many yukata that even I noticed it was excessive, and as expected, they haven’t sold well… It’s almost like you set up a weakness for me to exploit from the start.”
Nagi nodded, her expression filled with conviction.
“In my experience, when things align like this, it’s usually because you’ve been pulling strings behind the scenes. So maybe you knew this would happen all along?”
I was genuinely impressed by her words.
“Wow, Nagi-chan, you’ve really broadened your perspective. I didn’t expect you to see that far.”
“So it’s true?”
“I came up with the specific plan once I saw the full picture of Eva’s live. But I knew the general flow from the moment Eva challenged us.”
Nagi tilted her head curiously as I admitted it so readily.
“How did you know it would turn out like this?”
Her question made me blink in surprise.
“…Geez. I thought you were being sharp today, but you’re still missing something at the end.”
I gave a wry smile, and Nagi pouted, her lips pursed.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Even if we won the competition—there’s no way you’d abandon Eva, right? That much was obvious from the start.”
When I said it teasingly, she looked away, a little embarrassed.
“…I see. I feel like I’ve been played.”
She sounded a bit frustrated.
“Not exactly. I just made sure things were ready no matter which path you chose.”
Even if Nagi had chosen to focus on the summer festival as usual, I would’ve supported her.
I just had a hunch it wouldn’t go that way.
“I’ll cooperate with you, Nagi, and I’ll support you, but I’m not trying to force you down my path.”
I’d come up with strategies, prepare the means, and gather whatever was needed.
But—the choice to move forward was Nagi’s.
Because if it wasn’t, she’d still be a burned-out shell.
A new path can only be found by your own will.
“…Yeah, you’re right. That’s how it should be. Because you did it this way, I could choose to take Eva’s hand on my own.”
Nagi stared at her hand, clenching it tightly as if confirming her resolve.
Then she looked up, meeting my eyes with a bright smile.
“Sorry for holding you up. You entrusted this to me… No, I chose this work myself. I’ve got to see it through this time.”
Her expression held a new strength, a radiance that was uniquely hers now, not the empty shell of the past.
She’d found it.
“…Yeah. I’m counting on you.”
“Got it. Leave it to me.”
We exchanged smiles and words, and I turned to walk away, feeling a newfound reliability in her.
The preparation period flew by.
There were a few small hiccups, but overall, things went smoothly, and overcoming those issues fostered a sense of unity among the team.
And just like that, the fourth Saturday of August arrived.
The day of the summer festival.
“We made it to the day of the event. But this is where the real work begins. Let’s stay sharp.”
At the plaza just before the event began, I straightened my back, looking out at the crowd of guests who had gathered.
My job was to ensure they could enjoy the festival without any trouble.
“Um… Kurusu-kun?”
“What’s up, Nagi? If you’re worried about anything, just let me know.”
“No, it’s not that. You’re saying great things, but… holding takoyaki kind of undercuts your seriousness.”
Nagi gave me a complicated look, staring at the pack of takoyaki in my hand.
I’d bought it earlier while “patrolling” the stalls that were already open.
“…Heh, I know what you’re getting at, Nagi-chan. Here, say ‘ahh.’”
I held out a takoyaki skewer to her, and her face turned red.
“I-I didn’t complain because I wanted to eat it!”
“Don’t worry. I don’t think, not even a little, that you’re greedy or anything. Nope, I totally get it. So go ahead, don’t be shy.”
“You don’t get it, do you!? You’re acting all understanding, but you’re totally missing the point!”
Tch, she refused it. What a shame.
“So you’re a yakisoba fan, huh, Nagi-chan… My mistake.”
“It’s not about the menu, and I’m not mad either! Ugh, just focus! It’s about to start!”
Where Nagi pointed stood the yagura set up in the plaza.
Atop it was Eva, adorned in a red yukata.
“Hey there! Good evening! I’m your MC and organizer, Evangeline Fushima! Thanks for coming out tonight, everyone!”
Eva’s voice echoed, and the crowd in the plaza erupted with excitement.
Her announcement was likely resonating through the speakers across the town right now.
“We’ve all worked hard to prepare for today, so I hope you’ll enjoy it to the fullest! I’ll be performing on stage later too, so please cheer me on!”
There wasn’t a trace of gloom on Eva’s cheerful face as she spoke, conveying that she was greeting this day with a bright heart.
That alone made all our efforts worthwhile.
“And now! It’s time to kick things off! Let the summer festival begin!”
With the official declaration, explosive applause and cheers filled the air.
At the same time, the melodies of festival music and Bon Odori began to play.
Watching the scene unfold, a wave of deep emotion welled up within me.
After overcoming countless obstacles, the summer festival had finally begun. How could I not feel something?
…No good. As an organizer, I can’t afford to get swept up in the moment.
“Alright, shall we start our rounds?”
Nagi and I attached armbands labeled “Organizer” to the sleeves of our uniforms.
Our job was to patrol the venue, keeping an eye out for any issues and reporting them to headquarters.
“That said, Nagi, you don’t have to force yourself to do rounds, you know? You’ve got the live performance to prepare for.”
Today was not only the summer festival but also the day of the promised triumphant live.
She must have a ton to do right before the main event.
“I know, but… pre-performance time is delicate. Eva has her own routine, and me being there might distract her.”
“Huh, is that how it works?”
“Yeah. I plan to stop by and say hi, but I think it’s better not to hover too much.”
There’s weight to the words of someone with experience.
If Nagi’s made that call, it’s not my place to argue.
Well, thanks to that, I get to go on a date with her, so I’m not complaining.
“…You’re thinking something weird, aren’t you?”
Nagi stared at me with narrowed eyes, sharp as ever in the oddest moments.
“No, no! I’m only thinking about making this festival a success, I swear!”
“Hmm, fine then. But we’d better do our rounds properly for that.”
Even as she said that, Nagi’s gaze was drawn to the tantalizing aromas wafting from the food stalls rather than the crowd.
“…Looking at all this, I’m getting kinda hungry.”
“I told you to eat earlier… We don’t have time to stand in line, you know.”
“I-I know! I can hold back a little… Huh?”
Nagi, who had been frantically explaining herself, tilted her head upon spotting someone near the stalls.
Curious, I followed her gaze and saw familiar faces.
“Hey! It’s Reo-kun and Nagi-chan! On duty?”
Waving at us was Miyahara, dressed in a yukata.
“Oh, it really is.”
“Good work.”
Looking closer, it wasn’t just the sewing club’s president and vice-president but other club members too.
It seemed the whole club had come to enjoy the festival together.
“Hey, hey! All of you together? Having fun?”
“Oh, absolutely. It’s been a while since we had a festival… And seeing so many people wearing the yukata we made feels great,” the president said, smiling contentedly as she scanned the crowd.
She herself was wearing a hydrangea-patterned yukata, which suited her perfectly.
“As expected, my strategy was spot-on. The more yukata, the better. Everyone looks amazing in them.”
Nodding proudly, I praised both my scheming and the yukata-clad girls before me.
“Hehe, thanks. It was tough, but I’m glad we took it on,” said Muromi-senpai, clearly in a good mood.
Suddenly, I felt a tug at my sleeve.
Turning around, I met Nagi’s eyes.
“…Hey, shouldn’t we get back to our rounds?”
“Oh, right, yeah.”
“Geez, you said we don’t have time to stand in line, yet you stop to gawk at girls the moment you see them.”
Nagi seemed oddly grumpy. What’s gotten into her?
As I stood there puzzled, Miyahara, with a knowing look, clapped a hand on my shoulder.
“No good, Reo-kun. Nagi-chan’s in her uniform for rounds, and you praising girls in yukata made her jealous.”
“W-What, Tsumugi!?”
Nagi’s voice cracked as she stared at Miyahara.
“Oh? I see,” I said, raising my voice.
Nagi flinched, her shoulders jumping, and turned to me hesitantly.
“No, no, my bad, Nagi-chan. That was thoughtless of me.”
“It’s not like that! Tsumugi’s just making things up!”
I grinned and nodded at Nagi’s flustered excuses.
“Don’t worry. I think Nagi-chan in her uniform is cute every single day.”
“I-I’m not saying I wanted you to compliment my uniform!”
“Hm, so you wanted to wear a yukata? Then don’t hold back. Miyahara!”
With a snap of my fingers, the ever-enthusiastic Miyahara slipped behind Nagi and secured her.
“Alrighty! There’s a yukata rental over there, so let’s get you changed!”
“N-No, I’ve got rounds to do!”
“Oh, come on. You need to check for trouble at the rental booth too, right?”
“W-Well, maybe, but… Tsumugi, stop pulling me!”
Miyahara dragged a protesting Nagi toward the shop offering yukata rentals.
I watched their backs with excitement. This was going to be fun.
“Honestly, you two never change,” Muromi-senpai said, giving me an exasperated look.
“I’ll take that as a compliment. By the way, since we’re here, want to walk around together?”
“No thanks. I don’t want to get kicked by a horse. Besides, there’s a stage I want to see soon, so I’m heading out. Tell Tsumugi I went ahead.”
“Ugh, that’s a shame. The more flowers, the better.”
I feigned disappointment, but Muromi-senpai shot me a teasing glance.
“Hehe, you’re secretly happier to have her to yourself, but you’re not honest about it, are you? See you at school.”
Waving lightly, Muromi-senpai and the sewing club members departed.
…Tch, she got the last word.
“Sorry for the wait!”
As I grappled with mixed feelings, Miyahara’s voice called out from behind.
“Wow, that was quick… Whoa.”
Turning around, I saw Nagi fidgeting shyly next to Miyahara.
She wore a refined white yukata adorned with blue hydrangea patterns.
It complemented her black hair so well that I wanted to snap a photo right then and there.
“D-Don’t stare so much.”
My intense gaze must have hit a nerve, as Nagi squirmed uncomfortably.
“Oh, sorry. It looks amazing. Even better than I imagined.”
I praised her sincerely, and Nagi’s eyebrows twitched for a moment before she turned away, trying to look composed.
“…Thanks.”
She was trying to play it cool, but the hint of a shy smile was adorable.
“Nice, nice. Quite a sight… Wait, where’s the president and the others?” Miyahara said, nodding like a proud friend before noticing the absence of the others and looking around.
“They said they’re heading to a stage since it’s starting soon.”
“What! Leaving me behind is harsh. I’ve gotta catch up and make them treat me to something! Alright, you two, have fun on your date!”
“It’s not a date!”
Nagi protested as Miyahara dashed off with surprising agility for someone in geta sandals, her figure quickly vanishing into the crowd.
“Geez, Tsumugi…” Nagi muttered, glaring in the direction her friend had gone.
“Come on, let’s not waste time. Let’s get to our date.”
“I said it’s not a date!”
Even as she said that, Nagi fell into step beside me.
Perhaps because her loafers had been swapped for geta, her pace was slightly slower than before.
Matching her speed, I noticed her looking apologetic.
“Ugh… I’m walking kinda slow, huh? M-Maybe I should’ve changed back into my shoes.”
“Nah, it’s fine. This works better for me anyway.”
Nagi looked puzzled at my words.
“Huh? Why?”
“More time alone with you, obviously.”
Her face turned bright red in an instant.
“…Idiot. How do you say stuff like that without getting embarrassed?”
“Not as bad as you used to be.”
“Can you not pull out a critical counter like that!?”
We were, as ever, a bit of a mess.
The festival rounds went smoothly.
No, “smoothly” doesn’t even begin to cover it.
There were barely any issues to speak of.
I’d braced myself for rowdy fans breaking things, littering, or clashing with locals, but it was all for nothing.
The festival was unfolding with remarkable peace and wholesomeness.
“What’s with this insane level of civility…?”
I was almost bewildered by how wholesome the festival was.
Nagi, on the other hand, seemed half-expecting it.
“Well, I figured there wouldn’t be any big trouble, but this is something else.”
“Hm? Sounds like you knew this would happen.”
Her tone caught my attention, and when I pressed, Nagi nodded slightly.
“Yeah, well… Eva’s got that kind of personality, so her fans tend to be pretty chill.”
“Oh, makes sense.”
True, Eva’s always surrounded by a warm, fuzzy vibe. High civility checks out.
Still, something didn’t quite add up.
“…Even so, this feels like more than just a natural outcome. It’s like… trained behavior.”
Watching fans equipped with gloves and trash bags, picking up litter around the venue with more efficiency than the staff, I tilted my head. These weren’t amateur moves.
Could Eva really have trained her fans to this level in such a short time?
“W-Well, that’s…”
For some reason, Nagi’s eyes darted away, and her words became halting.
“Nagi? You know something, don’t you?”
When I pressed further, she seemed to give up on deflecting and spoke reluctantly.
“So, apparently, Eva mentioned in her announcement that this live was about her promise with Mea, and Mea’s fans showed up.”
That explained it.
“I see… The denizens of the dark realm, huh?”
“Ugh, don’t call them that.”
My choice of words seemed to strike a tender spot, as Nagi clutched the chest of her yukata.
The dark realm has a few laws we came up with, all reflecting Mea’s aesthetic.
For example, one such law goes like this:
“Those who live in the dark realm are born with nothing and vanish leaving nothing behind. Fade into the darkness as if you were never there.”
In modern terms, it’s like saying, “Don’t leave the venue trashed when you leave an event—it’s lame and too human.”
The fans—no, the denizens of the dark realm—were meticulous about these details to uphold Mea’s worldview.
It seems that spirit still lingers.
“Man, that takes me back. We made those laws when we started joining cosplay events, right?”
As I reminisced fondly, Nagi gave me a pointed look.
“Yeah. We started picking up trash ourselves because a plastic bottle in a photo would ruin Mea’s aesthetic, but it got annoying, so you suggested making it the fans’ job with that excuse.”
“Oh, I was a loyal servant to Mea even back then, huh? You should praise me.”
The real reason for those laws was to avoid damaging Mea’s image, especially since the sight of her in a gothic lolita outfit, armed with gloves and a trash bag, picking up litter before a shoot was… less than ideal.
“Loyalty, huh? You were more obsessed with Mea’s aesthetic than even I was. In a way, you were the bigger chuunibyou.”
Nagi, perhaps caught up in the festival’s high spirits, teased me playfully—rare for a topic about Mea.
“Hey, if we’re taking photos, the aesthetic matters, right?”
Lacking my own artistic flair, I wanted to preserve Mea’s vision.
“Is that all? If you think about it, you came up with a ton of chuuni settings too.”
Nagi, thrilled to have the upper hand for once, was unusually talkative about Mea.
But I wasn’t going to let her have all the fun.
“Of course. I loved Mea, you know? I took it seriously.”
A strategic jab of affection to throw her off.
“…Hmph. Yeah, you loved Mea, didn’t you? Unlike the me now.”
Oops, I stepped on a landmine. Not the usual black-history kind, but a maiden’s-heart landmine.
“Of course, I love the current Nagi-chan too.”
“No need to force it!”
My hasty follow-up was too late.
Nagi puffed out her cheeks and turned away.
Crap, I’d normally catch that landmine, but I must’ve been more rattled than I thought.
“Ugh, I’m hungry. Those candied apples at that stall look good.”
“Here, President, let me treat you.”
I jumped at her obvious bribe attempt.
We joined the line at a nearby stall.
With barely any trouble, our “patrol” was becoming a formality, turning into an actual date.
Well, Sugiura-san did say, “If you have the chance, enjoy yourselves,” so this was fine.
“…Everyone looks like they’re having fun,” Nagi murmured, glancing around as we waited in line, perhaps feeling restless.
I followed her gaze and saw smiling faces passing by.
“Yeah.”
The sight filled me with an inexplicable sense of pride, and I nodded.
“Seeing this makes it feel like all our hard work was worth it, doesn’t it?”
Nagi must’ve felt the same, standing a little taller than usual.
“For real… Dressing up in a smock with kindergartners, wearing a flashy swimsuit—”
“You don’t need to bring up those struggles!”
As we chatted lightheartedly, the line moved forward, and our turn came.
“Welcome… Oh? President and Kurusu-kun?”
The stall worker’s voice caught our attention as we eyed the candied apples.
Looking up, we saw a familiar face.
“Huh, Mutsu-senpai? What are you doing here?”
Yes, our vice-president, Mutsu Ibuki-senpai, was inexplicably standing at the stall in a yukata.
“What does it look like? I’m running the stall. Candied apples are 500 yen each.”
“Oh, two please… Wait, no, hold on?”
I instinctively pulled out a thousand-yen bill but caught myself.
“Hehe, I know. I finished my tasks and had some free time, so I’m helping out at a short-staffed stall,” Mutsu-senpai said, preparing the apples.
“That’s… surprising,” Nagi said, eyes wide.
But my shock was on another level.
Mutsu-senpai was handling the volunteers and helping me out, so her workload should’ve been insane… How does she have free time?
“I could’ve stayed at headquarters, but you two worked hard to make this event happen. It’d be a waste not to enjoy it, right?”
She winked playfully, clearly in high spirits.
“…Yeah, you’ve been a huge help, senpai.”
Seriously, from covering my contingencies to merging the festival and live, she saw through everything with minimal hints and made sure things ran smoothly.
Without her, the sudden event changes would’ve confused the volunteers and caused issues.
The more I think about it, the more I wonder how I beat her in the election.
“No big deal, I had fun too. I’d have sulked if I got left out at the end,” she said, handing us the candied apples and glancing at her watch.
“Fushima-san’s live is starting soon. I’ll handle things out here, so you two forget work and enjoy the show.”
“For real? Thanks a ton.”
“Thank you!”
As we took the apples and thanked her, Mutsu-senpai smiled warmly.
“Don’t mention it. The second semester will get crazy with student council work, so think of this as President’s last breather for the year.”
“The first semester wasn’t crazy!?”
Nagi let out a horrified scream at Mutsu-senpai’s declaration.
“Hehe, of course not. Look forward to it.”
Mutsu-senpai delivered her death sentence with a mischievous grin.
Nagi froze for a few seconds before forcing a bright smile.
“Well, I’ll leave the hard work to future me! For now, I’m gonna enjoy myself! Come on, Kurusu-kun, let’s go see Eva’s stage! Thanks, senpai, we’re off!”
“She’s escaping reality already,” I muttered.
Nagi was practically bouncing to avoid thinking about the pain ahead.
Even I have some samurai’s mercy. I’ll focus on letting her have fun for now.
“Alright… See you in the second semester, Mutsu-senpai.”
“Yep, later.”
I followed Nagi’s lively steps, parting ways with Mutsu-senpai.
“I’m so excited to see how much better Eva’s gotten!”
“No need to rush. The stage isn’t going anywhere, and neither is the second semester.”
“I wish the second semester would go away!”
Nagi’s anguished cry echoed through the festival crowd.
As we continued, the crowd thickened as we neared the live venue.
“Are all these people here for Eva? She’s really popular.”
“We promoted it a lot, so this is normal,” Nagi said matter-of-factly, though I didn’t miss the slight smile tugging at her lips. Such a tsundere.
We wove through the crowd, but Nagi’s pace gradually slowed.
“W-Wait a sec. It’s hard to walk in geta through a crowd… Whoa!”
“You okay?”
I grabbed Nagi’s hand and pulled her close as she nearly lost her balance dodging someone.
“T-Thanks…”
Nagi let out a sigh of relief, her hand pressed to her chest.
But realizing we were still holding hands, she blushed and looked down.
Noticing her reaction, I started to loosen my grip, but Nagi, in contrast, tightened hers.
“U-Um, this is, like…”
Perhaps it was a reflex, as she stammered, trying to explain herself.
It was so adorable that I naturally squeezed her hand back.
“It’s crowded and dangerous, so should we keep holding hands?”
“…Yeah.”
Nagi nodded quietly.
And so, we walked on in silence.
An awkward, ticklish, yet not unpleasant silence.
In the end, we reached the pool’s entrance without saying a word.
We handed our staff tickets to the attendant and entered, taking in the scene.
The pool was closed off to prevent accidents, and the shops were decorated festively.
At the widest part of the poolside, a special stage had been set up, quietly awaiting its star.
“Wow, it’s really well done.”
Since I’d left the live preparations to Nagi, this was my first time seeing the venue, and it was more impressive than I’d expected.
“I studied a lot back in my active days, so this much is nothing,” Nagi said, a hint of pride in her voice at my praise.
“Alright, shall we go see Eva before the show?”
“Yeah.”
We made our way through the increasingly crowded poolside toward a building marked “Staff Only.”
It was a backstage facility housing waiting areas and storage for the crew.
After showing our staff tickets to the security guard for passage, we reached a room being used as Eva’s dressing room.
A light knock was answered with a “Come in.”
“Excuse us!”
We opened the door and stepped inside.
Eva, dressed in her red yukata, sat calmly, brushing her hair.
“Hey, you two! You came all the way to say hi?”
Her face lit up the moment she saw us.
“Yo, how’s it going?”
“Perfect, of course! I’m so excited I can hardly wait for the show to start!”
Eva answered cheerfully, showing no signs of nerves.
“Good to hear. I’m looking forward to it.”
Relieved, I kept it short and stepped back.
It’d be tactless for me to linger here.
“Eva,” Nagi said, stepping forward to address her junior.
“Finally, huh?”
“Yeah. It feels like it took forever and no time at all… It’s a strange feeling.”
There was an intimate air between them as they spoke calmly, one that no outsider could breach.
“I’m so glad I met you, Mea-senpai. You held my hand when we first met, gave me a goal when I was lost, and made this stage for me. I’m grateful for everything—everything. Thanks to you, I made it this far.”
Eva’s bright expression brought a fleeting look of tears to Nagi’s face.
But she held them back.
“…You made it this far because you worked hard, Eva. Even though I broke our promise along the way.”
“Even so, you’re here now, holding my hand again. It’s not the stage we envisioned back then, but I think we can make it just as amazing!”
With that, Eva took Nagi’s hand and squeezed it tightly.
“That’s why I’m so glad I met you, Mea-senpai.”
At those words, Nagi could no longer hold back, a single tear rolling down her cheek as she gave her brightest smile.
“…Yeah. I’m glad I met you too, Eva.”
After saying goodbye to Eva, we waited at the venue for about ten minutes.
Finally, the showtime arrived.
“Thank you all for coming today! I’m gonna sing my heart out, so let’s get hyped!”
Eva’s mic performance kicked off on the special stage by the poolside.
Her radiant presence shone brightest even on the dazzling stage, her smile bursting with energy.
“Here’s the first song!”
A pop melody flowed, harmonizing with her voice.
A fun, exciting performance that made you forget it was nighttime, brimming with such brightness.
Was it because I was seeing it live? Compared to the times I’d seen Eva perform before, this had an unmatched charm.
“…Yeah, she’s gotten good. Despite all the chaos during prep, it’s like she broke through and leveled up.”
Nagi squinted, savoring her junior’s performance.
“She was so nervous she wanted to run away before her debut stage, but look at her now. If I were still active, I’d definitely see her as a rival.”
A quiet murmur, her highest praise.
Her words sparked a thought.
“Feeling like going back?”
When I asked, Nagi looked at me, slightly surprised.
“Seeing Eva grow like this right in front of you—doesn’t it make you want to be an idol again?”
When I clarified, Nagi gave a soft chuckle.
“Nope, not at all. I’ve already done my part. Watching from below the stage is fun now.”
“Got it. That’s a relief.”
My heartfelt words made her blink in confusion.
“Relief? Why?”
“I’d be lonely if we had to part ways again, you know?”
Nagi blushed and looked away at my honest reply.
“…Geez. Don’t say weird stuff, idiot.”
And so, we continued watching Eva’s stage together.
The aftermath of a festival always feels a bit lonely.
But for organizers, the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment outweighs that, and above all, the relief of everything ending safely takes over.
“It feels like it was over in a flash,” Nagi murmured on the way home at night.
The streets, bustling just moments ago, were now eerily empty.
“We spent over a month preparing, but it feels like the shortest summer break ever.”
Nodding at her wistful reflection on the summer, I agreed.
“For real. It was so busy, it didn’t even feel like a break.”
Looking back, it was a packed summer.
Full of troubles, plans constantly derailed, patched together like a quilt, yet somehow we pulled it off.
It was exhausting, and if asked to do it again, I’d refuse outright—but yeah, it was fun.
“Kurusu-kun, thank you.”
Nagi’s sudden words caught me off guard.
“What’s that out of nowhere?”
Surprised, I glanced at her, and she looked away, embarrassed.
“I mean, looking back, I relied on you a ton this time too.”
“Finally realizing how great I am, huh?”
“Yeah, quite a bit.”
I struck a mock-arrogant pose, but to my surprise, Nagi nodded earnestly.
I couldn’t help but stare at her.
She met my gaze with a calm yet serious expression, her mature air making my heart skip a beat.
“I’ve always been grateful. Even back when I was Mea.”
“Wow, you’re being awfully honest today.”
I teased to hide my embarrassment, and Nagi pouted.
“I want to be grateful all the time, you know. It’s just that you tease me, so I can’t say it outright.”
“Ouch, no comeback for that.”
Her straightforward jab made me reflect a bit.
“…I’ve always felt guilty about abandoning my promise with Eva. I thought I’d regret it forever.”
Nagi looked down, voicing a burden she’d carried for a long time.
“—I never thought I’d get to keep it. So, thank you, Kurusu-kun.”
She looked up, giving me her brightest smile as she expressed her gratitude.
“…Yeah.”
Her smile was so dazzling I felt shy, instinctively looking up at the night sky for an escape.
Just then, a shooting star streaked across.
“Oh, a shooting star!”
Nagi followed my voice and looked up.
But the stars only twinkled, with no more streaks in sight.
“Ugh… Missed it.”
“Maybe if you keep looking, another one will come. Got a wish ready?”
I encouraged her, seeing her disappointment, but she shook her head.
“No need for wishes. Instead of waiting for a shooting star, I’ll make what I want come true myself.”
Her words carried a strength I hadn’t seen before.
“…You’ve found something you want to do.”
I asked, already sure of the answer, recalling Nagi standing frozen before the tanzaku at Tanabata.
A girl who’d done everything, burned out, staring at a childish dream written on a strip of paper.
That fragility was gone from her now.
“Yeah. I want to be someone who supports others. Like the people who supported me when I was on stage. Now I want to support someone else’s back as they stand there.”
Nagi spoke resolutely, not looking at the sky but at me.
—Suddenly, it felt like I was truly seeing her for the first time.
No hesitation like before, no innocent spark like Mea.
Eyes that understood she wasn’t special yet held an unyielding resolve, a bit more mature.
A Nagi I hadn’t known was standing here.
“While preparing for today’s live, whenever I was stuck, I thought, ‘What would Kurusu-kun do?’ That’s how I managed to pull it off. Even when you’re not around, you’re always supporting me.”
As she spoke, sorting her feelings, she nodded once and murmured.
“So… yeah. I think I want to be like you, Kurusu-kun.”
Her unadorned, genuine admiration pierced my heart.
“…Saying stuff like that out of nowhere is embarrassing, you know.”
I tried to tease like usual, but it didn’t work.
It was just too overwhelming, too embarrassing, and I couldn’t brush it off.
She doesn’t know, does she? How happy I was when she reached out to me the first time we met.
How much that encounter saved me.
Nagi says I supported her, but I was always supported by her too.
“Hehe. I’m always the one getting flustered, so I thought I’d make you blush for once.”
Nagi grinned mischievously, but her own cheeks were red from the unfamiliar effort.
I wanted to point it out, but my face felt hot too, so I stayed silent.
An embarrassed, joyful, gentle silence.
So, instead of teasing, I broke the silence with honest words.
“You’ll get there, Nagi.”
Just as she supported me back then.
She’ll find her own way to support someone else.
With that assurance, Nagi nodded happily, took a few steps forward, and spun to face me.
“Yeah. Watch me—I’ll make it happen!”
—Her smile shone brighter than any star in the sky.
Post a Comment