Miss Heir wasn't very kind to me.

Chapter 121, Part 17: "Festivals are a Summer Poetry"

At seven o'clock in the evening, dusk swept across the sky like the wings of a redbird, and the sun had completely disappeared.

Masumi looked out the window. The city of Uji was dotted with stars and flickering dim lights. The light from the street lamps in the night was arranged in two rows, making the lush branches and leaves of the street trees sway.

It's time to head out to the festival and fireworks display.

There were footsteps in the corridor, and the sound of girls walking in wooden clogs. Masumi thought for a moment, dug out a bottle of liquid medicine for application from her bag, and put it into her handbag along with a cotton swab.

It's better to be prepared, and hopefully it won't come in handy like Chekhov's gun.

"Ah, Masumi-san."

Seeing him in the corridor, Qian Ai tucked the hair that fell on the side of her face behind her ears and smiled.

"That's great. Your yukata isn't messed up. It seems you took my advice to heart."

She was wearing a bright light yellow yukata decorated with golden osmanthus flowers, and her light hair was tied up with a sunflower hair accessory.

"I'm not a kid."

Masumi shook his head: "Are you alone?"

"Well, Mami-san is taking her time, come out with Haiyue soon."

Qian Ai shouted at the open door.

"Coming~"

Asami responded lazily.

The wooden clogs on the corridor made a crisp sound. Her yukata was white, with red lilies and peonies swaying on it.

Haiyue behind him was wearing the aqua blue hydrangea pattern yukata.

"How about it, Masumi-kun, do you feel stunningly beautiful?" Asami smiled sweetly.

During the Edo period, there was a proverb in the island nation: "Stand like a peony, sit like a peony, and walk like a lily," which praised the graceful and charming posture of women.

"If I don't speak, I still feel that way."

"What kind of talk is that?" She pursed her lips into a line in dissatisfaction, then smiled.

"I see!"

"Know what?" Masumi looked at her in surprise.

"Masumi-kun actually wanted to see the back of the neck, right?"

Mami turned sideways and pushed aside her half-tied long hair, letting the ends of her hair hang loosely on her shoulders. "I really can't do anything about you. Here, I'll let you see enough."

The snow-white back of her neck was completely exposed from the collar of her yukata, without any protection.

"Well, this is the beauty of mature women wearing yukata."

She was very proud of herself, and at the same time she tried hard to suppress an even more unbridled smile, wanting to make herself look more in line with the saying "standing like a peony". Qian Ai beside her frowned in worry.

"That's right, but I can't feel where it's going..."

Before blurting out the word, Masumi glanced calmly at the heavy weight on her chest.

Well, only that body is more mature.

Normally, girls with well-developed breasts and buttocks would put a towel under their chest to avoid wrinkles and unevenness when wearing kimonos, but the two girls obviously did not do so.

The thin bathrobe made of pure cotton has been starched. It looks soft, but the material is actually crisp, which securely holds the fullness. The half-belt narrows at the waist, making the curves look fuller and outlining the beautiful breast shape.

A barely perceptible weak sigh came to my ears.

Masumi tilted his head.

Her long honey-gold hair was tied up and fixed with a hairpin, and her snow-white profile was full of spirit.

"Does it look good? Masumi."

Noticing that Masumi was looking at her, Kurokawa Mio lifted her sleeves, revealing her vermilion belt.

The yukata she wore was a compromise between Western and Japanese flower stems. The black roses and red camellias complemented each other beautifully, like flowers in the wild, gentle and passionate.

"Very nice, yukata."

"Is it just a yukata?"

Those beautiful obsidian eyes were glued to his face. Somehow, she seemed particularly excited, and a slight blush could be seen on her face from time to time.

"She's beautiful too." Like a frog being stared at by a snake, Masumi managed to squeeze out the sentence.

After he finished speaking, Kurokawa Mio smiled and wrapped her arms around the inside of his arm like a white snake.

"Masumi looks handsome in a yukata, too."

"It's almost time, let's go watch the fireworks display."

She grabbed Masumi with such force that it seemed as if she was going to tear the sleeves of his yukata off, and pulled him forward.

"Wait a minute, where is Jindai?"

This sentence made Kurokawa Mio frown.

"……I'm here."

Suddenly, a voice came from behind. The dark blue gradient fabric yukata with lilac patterns on it was straight, and Rin was already there.

Her long hair was tied into a ponytail and she was dressed very neatly. The dark yukata complemented her skin tone very well, and the hem revealed her straight and slender calves.

She seemed unaccustomed to wearing wooden clogs, and the lines on her instep were tense. It was also rare to see Kamiyo wearing high heels or sandals with heels.

The red rope is deeply embedded between the white and tender toes, which makes the bare feet look inexplicably charming.

"Oh."

Masumi nodded. Now that everyone was present, he said, "In that case, let's go to the fireworks festival."

◇

It is too far to walk to the fireworks festival from the hotel, and too close to take a taxi, so taking the tram is the most suitable.

The tram shed its bright green shell during the day and headed into the night.

The carriage was quite crowded, filled with girls with their hair tied up and dressed in various yukatas, as well as boys and children wearing traditional costumes such as yukata and jinbei.

It is rare to see such a scene at ordinary times, but from time to time you can see couples holding hands in love.

Masumi looked at the "Nadeko knot" tied behind the girl's back without any special meaning. This asymmetrical bow looked playful and cute, especially suitable for young women. She thought that the girl must have put a lot of effort into today.

But wouldn’t it be hot holding hands tightly in this kind of weather?

The six people only had to travel one stop, so they stood directly by the door after getting on the bus.

"It's about time you let me go, Kurokawa."

Kurokawa Mio held her right arm. Masumi tried to pull her arm away as if nothing had happened, but Kurokawa immediately held her tighter.

"No, there are so many people on the bus, what if they get separated?"

Kurokawa seemed particularly stubborn tonight.

Or maybe she has always been like this, but after being together for a long time, Masumi has become somewhat accustomed to her stubbornness.

So at this moment, Kurokawa took another step forward.

It was difficult to move in the crowded carriage. Masumi sighed helplessly and had to tolerate her behavior for the time being. Moreover, Kurokawa was holding her very tightly. If she tried to struggle free, there was always a sense of danger that "her entire arm would be pulled off."

"stare--"

Qian Ai's puffed cheeks reminded her of a hamster, and she was glaring fiercely at the two people's intertwined arms with an angry look.

Bang, bang, bang--

The carriage shook, the tram suddenly slowed down, and slid onto the platform as the broadcast sounded.

Normally, such shaking would definitely not be enough to shake anyone.

But at this moment, if there is just one person in the carriage who is not used to wearing clogs and loses his balance due to the sudden braking of the tram, and falls to the side, the entire crowd will be like a pond with a stone thrown into it, and ripples will spread out.

Seeing this, Kurokawa Mio hugged his right arm tighter.

There were several screams and the chaotic sound of wooden clogs, and Masumi subconsciously caught the falling figure on the left.

The familiar smell of shampoo wafts to my nose, the sweet aroma of orange.

Masumi looked at the owner of the long black hair. Kamishiro has always used the same shampoo and even brought it with her when traveling. Because of this, her hair looked smooth and delicate due to careful care.

"Thank you."

Rinne said softly with an expressionless face, and then her gently swaying bangs covered her eyes.

"It's okay, be careful, there's a ring over there."

The beautiful girl in a yukata in front of him stood straight. She had not been holding on to the rings just now, but had been relying on herself to stand firm. However, it was too late to remind her now.

The car door opened and Linyin stepped out first.

The frail figure got off the tram, crossed the yellow line, and was submerged in the surging crowd in front of the station.

In order not to get lost, several people got off the car right after him.

"Wow, that's a lot of people." Qian Ai was stunned and gasped, "Are there really 200,000 people?"

"Who knows, but there must be tens of thousands of people," Asami replied.

The night sky is like an indigo dark curtain, covering the earth, and the shining lights on the ground are like stars embedded in it.

Coming out of the station, crowds of people stretched all the way to both sides of the Uji River, and various open-air stalls were set up along the way, filled with the breath of summer.

Fireworks and festivals are the essence of summer on the island nation.

Although it has been a long time since I last visited a summer festival, the excitement, bustle, peace of mind and nostalgia remain the same.

Murasaki Shikibu's magnificent dynasty scroll is unfolding in Uji City at this moment.

It was still early for the fireworks display, and the group strolled leisurely through the festival. Perhaps influenced by the lively atmosphere, Chiai and Mami strolled briskly along the cobblestones, like puppies released into the wilderness, their wooden clogs making a crisp, click-clack sound.

“Candy apples come in so many colors!”

“The fried noodles look delicious.”

"There are so many snacks. Which stall should we start with?"

Although the snacks sold in front of the stalls are easy to eat at ordinary times, they seem particularly tempting under the spotlights of the festival for some reason.

The clear and translucent color of the apple candies and the shiny sauce and oil on the fried noodles infinitely stimulate the appetite of tourists.

"What does Xiao Haiyue want to eat?"

"... chocolate covered bananas, and marshmallows."

"There are many flavors of shaved ice. Ah, this Uji Kintoki flavor, you can't get it in Kobe."

The snow-white shaved ice is topped with green matcha sauce and red beans.

"Masumi-san, try the shaved ice."

"Thank you, but I can't eat it now."

"I did it on purpose."

Qian Ai snorted meaningfully, staring at his and Kurokawa's arms entangled together, frowning in dissatisfaction.

"Mio, how long are you going to hold me like this? I can't even free my hands to eat."

"It's okay, I'll replace Masumi's right hand, like this-"

"——Come on, Masumi, try it, ah~"

Kurokawa Mio blew on the steaming frankfurter to cool it down, then handed it to his mouth.

Seeing that the grease was about to drip down and stain the collar of the yukata, Masumi quickly opened his mouth and took a bite.

"How about it?"

"It's delicious, but... it's hot!"

Although the surface was slightly cooled, the heat stored inside the sausage spread in the mouth, burning Masumi so much that he kept opening and closing his mouth to exhale like a goldfish at a festival.

"Are you okay? Masumi-san."

Qianai scooped up a spoonful of shaved ice with a spoon and brought it to Masumi's mouth. The latter reflexively held the shaved ice in his mouth.

The matcha shaved ice tastes bitter with a hint of sweetness when you take a sip. The cool touch flows through your mouth, quickly cooling it down.

"Masumi looks so cute."

An adorable smile appeared on Kurokawa Mio's face, and she took a bite of the sausage that Masumi had just bitten.

"Ah~ That's enough." Qian Ai said frantically, "How can two people eat a grilled sausage together? Isn't this an indirect kiss!?"

"Really? This is a very common thing for adults." Kurokawa Mio put on a nonchalant expression, with the corners of her lips slightly raised, full of provocation.

"If Qian Ai wants to eat, you can eat with me. I don't mind at all."

The teasing tone made Qian Ai's cheeks turn as red as a cooked octopus.

Masumi sighed: "There's no need for three people to share one sausage. It's so tight, and Chiai can't even finish it..."

“Who said I can’t eat it!”

"Well, then you can give it a try."

Kurokawa Mio generously tilted the fried egg frankfurters in Chiai's direction.

"Just eat!"

The latter opened his lips, took a big bite, then opened his eyes wide and chewed without blinking. Suddenly, his whole body stiffened and then trembled frequently.

"Chiai..." Masumi looked at her with a worried look.

Before he could say it, this frankfurter sausage was filled with devil pepper sauce, which was just right for Masumi who loved spicy food, but it was hard to say what he knew about his childhood sweetheart.

This girl, who comes from South America, the homeland of chili peppers, has a very low resistance to chili peppers.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

Because she took a big bite, Qian Ai chewed the sausage with a dead look on her face.

"Mother……"

She made a mournful sound in Peruvian, and since the pronunciation of "mother" is the same in all languages ​​around the world, Masumi and Kurokawa Mio, who are from the island country, could also understand it.

"unacceptable!"

After saying this, she unconsciously handed the Uji Kintoki shaved ice in her hand to Masumi, then quickened her pace and walked towards the stall not far away, saying with fire in her mouth: "Shaved ice! I want to buy shaved ice!"

Wasn't that shaved ice in your hand just now?

I'm totally dizzy from the spicy food...

Masumi stared at the bright yellow figure walking away, sighed quietly in his heart, and looked at Kurokawa again.

Kurokawa Mio was seen with a smug look on her face as she watched Chiai leave with a winner's look on her face.

After noticing Masumi's gaze, her lips curved into a happy arc and she smiled charmingly.

"Okay, Chiai, go away. Now it's just Masumi and I, just the two of us."

The harshness hidden behind her smile made Masumi shudder unconsciously and feel a chill down his spine.

His right arm was entangled by Kurokawa, and his left hand was holding a large bowl of shaved ice, so he was completely unable to free his hands.

Suddenly someone patted his left shoulder.

Familiar force.

Masumi turned his head, and a fair and delicate face appeared before his eyes, with a smile on her face.

Hanging horizontally on the side of Mami's head was a red and blue Kamen Rider mask. Masumi wasn't quite sure what the mask was called, as the last Kamen Rider he had seen was OOO, which was a movie from more than ten years ago.

"The law of victory has been determined!"

Asami struck the Kamen Rider's signature pose and shook the ramune in her hand vigorously.

"Ramen pop, this is the best match for the summer festival."

She handed over the soda.

"How can you drink the soda when it's shaking like that?" Masumi said helplessly, "Besides, I don't have the hands to catch it right now."

"Looks like you're having a lot of fun, Masumi-kun."

I don't know where she came to this conclusion.

Mami carefully opened the marble soda, waited for the bubbles to dissipate, took a big gulp, and then said in a good mood:

“There will be more exciting things to come.”

"what?"

"This is it!"

She showed her phone screen, and on the note app, the following words were written:

○ "Must-dos for festivals"

Fried noodles
Shaved ice
·Marshmallow

·Takoyaki

Frankfurters
Butter potatoes
Ramune soda
Kamen Rider mask
Fishing for treasure

·Goldfish Scoop

Air gun target shooting
Enjoy the fireworks display
·other
The snacks are all crossed out, which seems to be the finished content.

"You actually ate so much." Masumi looked dumbfounded, then looked at her lower abdomen, trying to find a clue from it.

"Where are you looking at!? Masumi-kun."

Asami didn't care at all about Masumi looking at her breasts, but she was particularly concerned about the gaze directed at her belly, so she immediately covered her lower abdomen.

"Let me make it clear in advance that I didn't eat all of this. Xiao Haiyue ate a lot of it." She explained with a blushing face.

"Marshmallows...delicious..."

Haiyue sipped her marble soda through a straw and walked over slowly. Next to her, Rin was silently eating half a bowl of fried noodles left by the jellyfish girl.

Masumi glanced at his phone: 7:30 in the evening, half an hour before the fireworks display started.

"Half an hour? That seems like plenty of time. Let's call Chi'ai and go goldfish fishing or the target shooting game stall."

Asami said with a smile.

Among the people present, only Rinyin didn't say a word from beginning to end.
-
The meaning of some yukata flower handles:

Golden Osmanthus: "First Love"

Sunflower: "yearning", "passion"

Peonies & Lilies: "Beautiful"

Hydrangea: "I want to be with my lover and family forever"

Tsubaki: "Eternal Love", "You Ignored My Love"

Black Rose: "You are totally mine", "Eternal love"

Lilac: "Memories," "The Beginning of Love"

(End of this chapter)