Fireworks Festival.
For Takakai, such events existed only in the hazy memories of his childhood.
Firecrackers that shot into the sky, "two-kick" bangers, "Scud" rockets—and the simplest, most classic of all, snap-pops and friction-fired crackers—had indeed been a staple of his younger years.
Ah, but they had also accompanied his bratty phase.
No doubt many adults had suffered headaches because of him. Looking back now, he felt a twinge of guilt for those who had tolerated his antics.
But that was all at least a decade ago. Even if he recalled it, the sensations had long faded.
Right now, what mattered more was right before his eyes.
Takakai's gaze locked onto the path ahead.
Shinomiya Kaguya. Shijo Maki. Fujiwara Chika. Yotsuya Miko. Hayasaka Ai.
Five girls, each distinct in style but all radiating youthful energy, approached him in vibrantly colored yukata.
"Takakai-kun, have you been waiting long?"
"What are you grinning about all by yourself, Kai-kun?"
"Kai, Kai, how do I look? Hmm? Hmm?"
"I came with everyone, Senpai."
"...Good evening, Takakai-san."
Amidst greetings ranging from cheerful to shy—and under the bewildered stares of passersby—Takakai found himself enveloped by the group, as if they had formed some kind of special task force.
Seeing the girls in their festival attire, Takakai wanted to say something.
He racked his brain, digging through his vocabulary as a web novelist—only to realize he had never properly written romance and had no idea how to compliment girls.
So, wordlessly, he simply stretched out his arms and pulled them all into a loose group hug, herding them forward together.
The surrounding onlookers' expressions grew even more animated. Several men stared in naked envy, their faces twisting with disbelief—prompting immediate friction with their dates.
"You could stand to be a little more discreet, you know."
Maki turned her head to chide him.
"Doesn't matter. They won't remember anyway."
Takakai remained utterly unbothered, his strides growing even more spirited.
"Well, what can you do? This is just how Kai -kun is."
Chika, naturally, leaned into his embrace while fiddling with a black jade bracelet on her wrist.
This was an obsession object dubbed [Ring of Neglect].
A low-tier Twilight-class artifact, its effects were negligible against the supernatural or fellow players—but it excelled at one thing:
Making ordinary people forget.
Anyone within its radius would swiftly dismiss the wearer's presence, leaving no lasting impression.
Compared to the usual method of manually activating an obsession object for this effect, the bracelet's passive convenience was a godsend.
[The Market] had provided it as a bonus when fulfilling Takakai's request for a special artifact to let Chika participate in the [School Horror Tales] dungeon despite her level. A gift to further cement goodwill.
Chika, ever the user of the [Luring Necklace], had immediately claimed it—reportedly pulling several pranks over the past two days.
Her delight, in turn, delighted Takakai—though he couldn't help but marvel at [The Market's] finesse.
By violating their rules and joining the Red Moon rescue op, Takakai had created a debt that was technically balanced—though in reality, a Crimson Moon dungeon and a Dusk-class artifact weren't even comparable.
Yet they had played the humble card perfectly—procuring what he needed, tossing in extras—making it impossible for him to truly resent them.
But then again, they're only doing this because of what I am.
"Kai, wanna try goldfish scooping?"
Before his thoughts could spiral further, Chika ducked under his arm and popped up behind him, grinning.
"Goldfish scooping? Sure. Can't come to a festival and not play around."
Refocusing, Takakai smiled at her eager expression and gestured for the group to follow.
The park was packed, alive with noise and movement.
Stalls lined the paths, offering familiar festival games—ring toss, water balloon scooping, shooting galleries—alongside snacks like takoyaki, taiyaki, cotton candy, and yakisoba.
Chika bought something from every food stall, sampling most before regretfully handing her leftovers to Takakai, sighing, "It's so unfair players don't gain weight."
Maki remained quiet, walking beside Takakai, occasionally chiming in when Kaguya desperately grasped for conversation topics—or simply watching Kaguya flail with amusement.
Hayasaka tried valiantly to steer discussions smoother, but Kaguya was a lost cause. Eventually, Hayasaka gave up, her blood pressure spared.
As for Kaguya herself?
She was struggling.
On one hand, this was her first real festival—a childhood dream come true, filling her with giddy excitement.
On the other, her mission to secure Takakai's affection demanded focus.
This internal war was something only Hayasaka, having lived with her for years, could fully comprehend.
Yotsuya Miko:"..."
The sole ordinary girl in the group—unfamiliar with the others, with no overlapping social circles—was drowning in pressure, utterly lost.
The wealthy girls chatted about topics she couldn't follow.
Even Takakai's contributions went over her head, touching on games or player factions she knew nothing about.
I'm like an outsider who crashed the party.
The thought weighed on her—
—until Takakai's hand landed on her head, dispelling it.
"Overthinking again? Just enjoy yourself. That's what matters."
His tone was light, but the warmth it sparked in Miko's chest melted her unease.
What's happening to me?
Becoming a player…
Growing closer to Senpai…
Being part of this harem-like dynamic without feeling repulsed…
Maybe I stopped being normal the moment I saw those monsters.
Miko was dangerously close to giving up on self-analysis.
Meanwhile, Hayasaka—who had been glaring at Takakai's hand on Miko's head—soon found herself being head-patted, her reaction even more dramatic as she nearly collapsed into him.
Then Chika noticed and demanded her turn, dragging a flustered Kaguya into the mix and short-circuiting the poor girl's brain.
Of course, Maki—the only one not asking—couldn't be left out. Despite her red-faced protests, Takakai "Yoshi yoshi yoshi"-ed his way through ruffling her hair.
And nearly got bitten for it.
Amid the bustling crowd, the group laughed and bickered, indistinguishable from any other festival-goers.
This is exhausting.
Takakai sighed internally.
Group dates are more trouble than they're worth.
Spend too long talking to Maki, and Chika would absolutely interrupt.
Focus on Chika, and Kaguya would find an excuse to butt in.
Neglect Miko, and she'd start retreating into her shell.
Hayasaka, too, would wordlessly radiate abandoned puppy energy if ignored.
And Kaguya? Her biggest hurdle was keeping up—even one-on-one conversations with Takakai often left her floundering.
Why?
No clue.
Night deepened.
The crowd began settling, staking out spots for the festival's finale.
BOOM—
The first firework tore through the sky, its echo rolling into the distance.
BOOM— BOOM BOOM—
Colors erupted overhead, painting the darkness in fleeting brilliance.
Kaguya watched, breath catching.
Maki and Chika, veterans of many fireworks displays, were unfazed.
Miko edged closer to Takakai—only to be scowled at by Hayasaka.
Takakai pulled out his phone.
CLICK—
The shutter sound froze the moment: the girls, himself, all framed against the glowing sky.
"So beautiful…"
Kaguya's whisper went unheard.
Raised under her family's stifling, near-pathological isolation, she had never experienced fireworks like this—never seen them this close.
Finally living that childhood wish left her breathless.
BOOM BOOM— BOOM BOOM BOOM—
The explosions came faster, brighter—then slowed, dwindling, the once-vibrant palette thinning to sparse bursts.
The crowd began dispersing. The end had come.
Kaguya and Hayasaka left first, sharing the same residence.
Next was Chika, bound by a strict curfew—despite having the [Luring Necklace].
"Why even follow rules you can hypnotize your way out of?"
"Maybe because she can, she chooses not to abuse it?"
Miko departed soon after. Though she had no curfew, her mother would worry if she stayed out too late.
That left Maki—just as Takakai had expected.
And judging by her expression, she hadn't stayed back just for company.
"The player roster's been finalized. Since I showed up with you last time, they seem to think I'm your secretary or something. Take a look—anything new for you?"
She handed him her phone, displaying the operation's participant list:
[Crimson Covenant Participants]
Hayashi Kenta
Nanahara Ren
[Slackers Participants]
Kumamai
Jianbing Guozhi
[The Market]
Aoyama Nanami
Gotou Hitori
Six names—all faces Takakai recognized from the prior meeting.
Guess it's time to get acquainted with the team.