Countless fireworks blossomed in the night sky. The annual Fireworks Display starts at 8 o'clock, which is also when the crowd is largest.
Eriri and Kasumigaoka Utaha met at Asakusa Temple at noon, and when the Fireworks Display started at 8 o'clock, they watched the fireworks launched from boats and blooming in the sky by the river with others.
When the Fireworks Display ended, Eriri sighed from the bottom of her heart, "Watching fireworks with friends during the Summer Festival is the best!"
On a day like this, having to wear a mask and deal with those insincere people is truly disgusting.
Unfortunately, Eriri doesn't have many friends, and at this moment, only Kasumigaoka Utaha is by her side.
"Shall we go to Chiyoda or the Skytree next?"
Eriri, whose spirits were increasingly high, asked Kasumigaoka Utaha beside her.
Kasumigaoka Utaha turned her head and looked at Eriri curiously, asking somewhat strangely, "Since when did our relationship become this good?"
Going to a temple fair together at the Summer Festival and then watching fireworks, it's just like being very close friends.
And in fact, many times they were at odds with each other.
In Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes, Eriri seemed to have suddenly changed her personality.
Or rather, she wasn't as hostile towards her as before.
"Uh... we're still considered partners, right?"
Eriri said somewhat awkwardly.
She was indeed a bit carried away today. This should be the most relaxed day since the start of school.
After the doujinshi event a few days ago, Eriri's slight hostility towards Kasumigaoka Utaha because of Aki Tomoya had actually disappeared.
After all, there was no need for it anymore.
It's better to obey her true feelings and be a like-minded partner with Kasumigaoka Utaha.
"You're starting to become someone I don't recognize."
Kasumigaoka Utaha did not hide her inner surprise in her tone.
Eriri's change wasn't something Kasumigaoka Utaha felt was bad; she just couldn't adapt to it at first.
The same went for this invitation; Kasumigaoka Utaha initially misunderstood.
But after discovering that Eriri's motive wasn't what she had thought, she gradually became surprised.
This change in her actually made Kasumigaoka Utaha feel much more relaxed.
In the depths of her heart, Kasumigaoka Utaha greatly admired Eriri's drawing talent, just as Eriri loved her works.
Otherwise, after gaining inspiration for a new work, Kasumigaoka Utaha wouldn't have immediately thought of Eriri.
"Even if you say that, I..."
Eriri looked at Kasumigaoka Utaha with a wry smile, suddenly remembering the awkward incident that happened at Asakusa Temple at noon.
At that time, Kasumigaoka Utaha asked if she didn't like Aki Tomoya.
Eriri didn't answer at that time, choosing to change the subject instead.
Kasumigaoka Utaha also felt that she had misunderstood Eriri, so she didn't bring it up again.
"Kasumigaoka, you asked me at Asakusa Temple at noon, right?"
Eriri's sudden mention of the incident at Asakusa Temple at noon surprised Kasumigaoka Utaha again.
Although she had somewhat realized that this should be related to Eriri's change, Kasumigaoka Utaha would definitely not dare to ask again if Eriri didn't plan to say anything.
However, Eriri bringing it up herself now was something Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't expected.
"On the twelfth, I was heartbroken, together with that guy Aki Tomoya."
After Eriri said this, Kasumigaoka Utaha found it hard to understand why she could still smile now.
If you were to talk about heartbreak, she had experienced it earlier than Eriri.
And it was not long after school started.
And then Eriri was finally sunk?
Kasumigaoka Utaha's expression was somewhat moved. Although she had reminded the other party long ago, she still went up and sent him off.
But the real situation was somewhat different from what Kasumigaoka Utaha had imagined.
"We apologized to each other. Thinking about my past self, I was like an idiot. Who was I taking revenge on after all?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha had heard the word "revenge" from Eriri last year.
After learning each other's identities and understanding the relationship between Eriri and Aki Tomoya, she also knew that Eriri outwardly pretended to be a pampered young lady who couldn't possibly know an otaku like Aki Tomoya, but secretly was the popular artist Kashiwagi Eri.
Drawing doujinshi, she called it revenge, revenge against those who held prejudices.
Because of the shadow from elementary school, Eriri also spent her time struggling.
"Caring about a group of people who have almost no connection to me in the future, the result is just escaping, letting opportunities pass by again and again. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Eriri said with a self-mocking tone.
In the past, she was indeed secretly doing what she liked, and along the way, she barely maintained a weak relationship with Aki Tomoya, but the gap only grew wider, letting opportunities fly away from her eyes again and again.
"When I entered high school, everyone didn't know about our past. Aki Tomoya said that even if I had pretended to sympathize and said a word or two to him at that time, it would have still given him a glimmer of fantasy and hope. As expected, I'm not suitable to be a young lady, am I? It's simpler to just be a shut-in now and be friends with each other. And he even encouraged me, telling me that since I have the opportunity, don't waste it anymore and quickly do what I want to do."
As Eriri spoke, the expression on her face gradually relaxed.
They apologized to each other and admitted their mistakes, but in the end, because of the privilege of being childhood friends, she received care from Aki Tomoya.
"I don't want everything around me to be destroyed again like in elementary school, so I really want to work with Kasumi Shiko."
In front of Kasumigaoka Utaha, Eriri showed such a sincere side for the first time.
The latter's pupils contracted slightly, and then she sighed, "Is this what they call differential treatment?"
After Kasumigaoka Utaha finished speaking, she sighed heavily, her eyes unreservedly filled with jealousy towards Eriri.
Differential treatment, truly differential treatment.
"In that guy's heart, a Senior he's only known for a year is indeed not as good as a childhood friend he's known for over ten years!"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eyes were filled with resentment, as if she was recalling Aki Tomoya's appearance on the rooftop that day.
Under this resentment, Eriri subconsciously shrank back. To this day, she still didn't know what happened between Aki Tomoya and Kasumigaoka Utaha that day.
"What happens between you two is none of my business. We are partners now, right?"
Eriri didn't know what was going on between them anyway, and she didn't want to get involved now, much less be caught in the crossfire.
"Before you act like it doesn't matter, at least rein in that smug look in your eyes, blonde twin-tails, childhood friend type!"
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