"Mmm... a fireworks festival, huh?"
Kitagawa Ryo lifted his gaze, his voice calm and amiable as he spoke into the receiver to Shiina Hiyori on the other end.
"It's basically just a day where people look for an excuse to set off fireworks."
"Why are you suddenly asking me about this, Hiyori?"
"Oh, because I mentioned I'd return to London after the fireworks festival, right."
Ryo stood up and picked up a flyer from the table—one of many that had been handed out across the streets these past few days. The date on it was for tomorrow. It had already been two days since Karuizawa Kei came to stay at the hotel. Nothing significant had happened during that time, and it all felt like it had flown by.
"A fireworks festival... I guess you could call it a type of celebration."
For some reason, Ryo wasn't ready to tell Hiyori yet that he might not return to London as planned. He just continued explaining the term:
"Especially for sociable events like this, it might be a bit difficult for someone like you, huh?"
On the other end of the phone, Shiina Hiyori let out a soft hum, prompting Ryo to ask with a knowing tone:
"Have you ever worn a yukata, Hiyori?"
He received a hesitant, unclear reply. With a smile, Ryo said:
"...Is that so? Well, the next time you're back in Tokyo, you definitely have to try it."
"Alright, talk to you later."
After ending the call, Ryo turned his attention back to the black-haired girl sitting across from him, flashing a cheerful smile and waving.
"Good morning, Suzune."
"Good morning."
Horikita Suzune nodded naturally. If not for Manabu's request, Ryo figured he'd never want to get involved with a problematic girl like her. Although, his childhood friend Karuizawa Kei was probably even more problematic.
As Ryo sighed inexplicably, Suzune shot him a sharp look.
"You seem to be thinking something rather rude."
"Yes, yes. I was wondering how I could bring Suzune into the Kitagawa family. Doesn't 'Kitagawa Suzune' sound kinda nice?"
"That kind of joke only makes you seem frivolous."
"Well, I doubt I leave any good impression on you anyway."
Ryo raised an eyebrow. With someone like Suzune, whether the impression was good or bad, making a lasting one was the most important thing. Only then would she be willing to engage in even the most basic level of communication.
"So, why did you call me out today? You've messed up my schedule again."
Suzune knew that Ryo wouldn't contact her without a reason. Even though the two of them had formed an alliance, so far it was only a shallow surface-level relationship. Suzune was a girl who was excessively composed. Perhaps a few nights ago, something had genuinely stirred her heart—but as soon as the sun rose, it was as if none of it had ever happened. She had returned to her usual state.
Still following her rigorously detailed routine, getting up at six, washing up, going for a run, studying new material, reading new books—
That night of indulgent gaming now seemed like water without a source.
"Do you hate unexpected changes, Suzune?"
"Because unexpected changes usually bring instability."
"But truly capable people often need the ability to face and handle those changes."
"More capable people eliminate all variables before they arise."
Ryo glanced at the ever-contrarian Suzune and finally understood what it meant to be "bad at the game but addicted." He stood up abruptly and lunged toward her, aiming a fist at her pretty face without hesitation.
Suzune hadn't anticipated Ryo's sudden outburst. She instinctively raised her arms to block herself, but Ryo quickly retracted his fist and seized her wrist. With a tug, he pulled her down onto the sofa.
"See? Suzune couldn't predict that move just now."
With his right leg pinning down her struggling legs, Ryo gave a slightly mischievous smile.
"I remember Manabu told me you've practiced some self-defense. But looking at you now, it doesn't seem very effective."
Manabu was a fifth-dan in karate and a fourth-dan in aikido. Ryo himself had trained in martial arts, and Suzune was physically gifted for her age. She had followed in her brother's footsteps to learn self-defense, but when Ryo suddenly attacked, she couldn't react at all—which disappointed him.
"When someone's pinned, their first instinct is to try to use their back and hips to push themselves upright."
As he spoke, Ryo drove his elbow into Suzune's waist—right at the core point of tension. A strange mix of numbness and pain surged through her nerves to her brain, making her let out a few muffled groans.
"See? You never expected I'd know martial arts or suddenly attack you. These are all unexpected variables."
Judging that he'd made his point, Ryo released her and stepped back. He looked at the flushed, breathless girl and said:
"You've still got a long way to go, Suzune."
"Tch."
Clicking her tongue in frustration, Suzune rubbed her sore shoulder and glared at the boy who had nonchalantly manhandled her.
"You didn't call me over just for that, did you?"
"Of course not."
Ryo shook his head and sat back down. Suzune could still feel the lingering numbness in her waist, but she decided not to push herself and sat down as well.
"Have you ever been to a fireworks festival, Suzune?"
He handed her the flyer while sending a message to someone else.
"No."
She wouldn't go to some noisy, crowded fair. Festivals only highlighted how alone a person truly was. Better to just stay home.
"...I see."
Ryo rubbed his temples.
"Looks like I'll have to buy you a yukata before tomorrow."
"What exactly are you trying to do?"
Suzune felt a strange, indescribable sense of anticipation rising in her heart, but she still spoke harshly:
"I already planned to finish reading Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' tomorrow night."
"Just a quick photo shoot—take a couple of photos to fool our families."
Ryo said breezily, then added kindly:
"It'll only take five minutes. You'll still have plenty of time to read."
"...Fine."
Suzune looked like she had more to say but was interrupted as Ryo made a silencing gesture. He picked up a call.
"Kei, it's me."
"Yeah, no problem. Just like always, just the two of us."
"The shop with the candied apples? Of course I remember. You couldn't finish yours and gave the rest to me."
"Alright, alright. But even if you say all that, it doesn't change the fact that I beat you 7 to 0 at goldfish scooping."
Watching Ryo speak so affectionately, Suzune irritably averted her gaze.
-------------------------------------
"Found a heart-shaped mold in the cupboard."
On the morning of the fireworks festival, Kitagawa Ryo brought out breakfast from the kitchen. Among the usual dishes, the thick, heart-shaped egg placed right in the center immediately caught Karuizawa Kei's attention. Seeing her reaction, Ryo offered a calm explanation.
"It looks almost too cute to eat."
Kei poked the egg with her chopsticks. Ever since that night, she hadn't done anything out of line again. She now behaved just like a normal girl her age—innocent and sweet, waiting like a child for Ryo's breakfast. There was no sign of the stubborn girl who had kissed him with blood on her lips.
Ryo had already adjusted his mindset, but he didn't expect Kei to also pretend as if nothing had happened. It made him a little suspicious—was she planning something big?
"Ryo, come eat with me~"
For instance, like now—Kei smiled sweetly as she coaxed him to join her.
"Ah, sure."
At the very least, this version of Kei seemed much healthier than before. Ryo comforted himself with that thought as he sat across from her and picked up his chopsticks.
"Do you have any plans moving forward? If you want to transfer schools, I can help."
As he cut into his own heart-shaped egg, Ryo asked the question casually.
Kei tilted her head playfully, then nodded with a thoughtful, childlike expression.
"Transferring doesn't matter to me. As long as I can finish high school peacefully, that's fine."
"What about university? Have you thought about Tokyo Metropolitan Advanced Nurturing High School? I heard it's one of the best in Tokyo. Every year, big corporations and the government pour tons of resources into it. If it's about the entrance spot, I can figure something out. I might even go there myself."
Kei's sapphire-blue eyes lit up at that. She didn't care much about school rankings, and she barely knew anything about that academy. What truly caught her attention was the line: "I might go there myself."
"They say that school has a 100% college placement rate. Graduating from there means you can get into places like Tokyo University or study abroad. The school provides the resources and letters of recommendation. Even if you want to go straight into the workforce, they help arrange jobs."
Ryo kept explaining, though even he had been skeptical of such glowing endorsements when he first heard them.
"You should start thinking about your future plans..."
But Kei could no longer hear what he was saying. She was dazed, chewing absentmindedly. Her mind was lost in the atmosphere:
Talking about the future together with Ryo...
Just imagining that made her heart tremble. But as she tuned back in to Ryo talking about schools, majors, careers, and development paths, she began to feel like he was moving further away. His face was still right there in front of her, yet it was as if a passing train had suddenly blocked her view. The next moment, his familiar figure would vanish—riding that train toward some distant future.
"Kei?"
Ryo called her gently, pulling her back. He clicked his tongue.
"Alright, I know you don't like hearing this stuff. I'll stop. Let's talk about something fun."
"The fireworks festival is tonight, after all."
"Even after being away for half a year, you still can't forget this town's fireworks festival, huh?"
Kei let out a soft laugh, banishing her stray thoughts. She had made her decision. There was no more room for regret.
"Well, I barely made any friends over there. I just read and studied most of the time. I'm not fond of British holidays."
Ryo answered casually, his thoughts drifting. He really hadn't made many friends in the UK. Only Horikita Manabu and Shiina Hiyori, who were also from Tokyo, got along with him.
"You've met Suzune, right?"
"Hm? Horikita Suzune?"
It was rare for Ryo to bring up another girl in conversation. Kei felt a strange pang in her chest. Her mind instantly jumped to the word "fiancée." She noticed how Ryo referred to the girl—using her first name.
In the past, she would have felt suffocated by this, frustrated yet unwilling to complain or question him. But now, she simply nodded naturally, saying nothing more.
"Yeah, we're just taking a few pictures together to deal with the engagement stuff. It'll only be five minutes."
"Are you wearing your usual gray yukata?"
"Yeah. I'm used to that color."
Kei smoothly steered the conversation back into her control. Listening to Ryo's calm voice helped her regain her sense of stability.
After breakfast, Kei helped Ryo clean up. When their fingers brushed, she felt his warmth—alive and real.
In the past, she had reached out so many times in the dark. But there had been no one there. Only loneliness and silence replied to her—licking her fingertips like fire, trying to consume her whole.
Until Ryo. Only Ryo. It could only ever be Ryo.