I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

"..." After watching Shimizu Eiichi until he could no longer see him, Aoto turned around expressionlessly and looked at Otsuki Minoru and his group behind him.

At this moment, apart from Ootsuki Minoru who only received a slap on the cheek, the rest of the group, whose faces were swollen like pigs, were helping each other to slowly stand up from the ground.

Sensing Qing Deng's gaze, they looked up and met his eyes.

The moment their eyes met Qingdeng's, a myriad of expressions appeared on their faces.

I feel so lucky to have survived this ordeal...

The devastation of an unexpected disaster...

My gratitude to Qingdeng...

I can hardly believe that I was saved by "Dada Deng"...

……

In conclusion, they were undoubtedly saved by Qing Deng.

If it weren't for Qing Deng's timely intervention, they might still be being beaten by Shimizu Gosaku.

At the same time, it was obvious to everyone that the reason they received such courteous treatment from Shimizu Eiichi was mostly due to Aoto's influence.

Otherwise, why would the ruthless leader of the "Shimizu Clan" show them such a friendly attitude?

“Mr. Tachibana…” Tsuneji, who was being supported by Ootsuki Minoru, was the first to bow his head and thank Aoto in a humble tone that contained a hint of apology, “I really… don’t know how to thank you enough…”

Changci's friends quickly followed suit, bowing respectfully to Qingdeng, just like Changci had done, and expressing their gratitude.

“Tachibana…” Ootsuki Minoru bit her lower lip lightly, her gaze darting away, “...thank you so much for what you did just now…”

Ootsuki never imagined that he would one day have to thank this young man he had previously looked down upon...

"You're welcome," Qing Deng said casually.

He only helped Ootsuki Minoru and the others because he wanted to repay Miyagawa Shunzo's kindness and also because he couldn't stand such behavior of bullying men and women in public.

Therefore, he didn't care much about the thanks from Ootsuki Minoru and the others.

"..." Ootsuki Minoru opened her mouth, about to say something more—

"Qingdeng!"

A beautiful figure in red ran quickly out from the crowd and headed straight for Qingdeng.

The lines on Qing Deng's face softened instantly.

Conversely, at the same time, the lines on Ootsuki Minoru's face tightened.

Who is this?!

Ootsuki Minoru stared in utter shock at Kinoshita Mai, who had suddenly appeared and was now standing next to Aoto.

—Is she... Tachibana's friend?

If you were to ask 10 passersby to compare the appearances of Minoru Otsuki and Mai Kinoshita, all 10 of them would probably say without hesitation: of course, Mai Kinoshita is prettier.

In terms of looks alone, Ootsuki Minoru's face can only be described as pretty, more beautiful than the average woman.

If we were to rate her using numerical values... with 100 points being the maximum, then Ootsuki Minoru's looks would probably fluctuate between 70 and 80 points.

That's a pretty high number.

However, Kinoshita Mai's looks are rated 90+...

Moreover, Kinoshita Mai is still wearing makeup. The makeup that Kiryu meticulously designed for her has raised her appearance by several points, bringing her close to a perfect score of 100.

Changci and the others were stunned by the appearance of this suddenly appearing little beauty.

Kinoshita Mai's beauty... but that wasn't the most shocking thing for Ootsuki Minoru.

What impressed Ootsuki Minoru the most was Kinoshita Mai's makeup... to be more precise, the cosmetics on her face.

Otsuki Minoru possesses a keen eye for judging the value of items, honed through extensive exposure to various luxury goods.

She could tell at a glance that all the cosmetics on Kinoshita Mai's face—lip gloss, powder, eyeshadow, and eyebrow pencil—were the finest of the finest!

Especially Kinoshita Mai's lip gloss, Ootsuki Minoru had never seen such a beautiful and natural "sasairo red" color.

How much does this beautiful "Sasairo Red" cost?

When did such a beautiful woman appear beside Ju?

"Can you still walk?"

At this moment, Aoto's voice startled Ootsuki Minoru out of her daze.

"If you can still walk, hurry to the clinic. Your injuries look quite serious."

"Well then, I'll take my leave now."

After speaking, Qing Deng turned around deftly, as if to leave.

"Ah, wait a minute!" Changci hurriedly called out to Qingdeng, "Mr. Ju, you saved us tonight. Such a great favor cannot go unapologized. Please allow us..."

“No need,” Qing Deng said calmly without turning his head. “I am not here to help you in order to receive your gratitude.”

Let's consider our meeting tonight as a chance encounter.

"If fate allows, let's meet again in the future."

After saying this, Qing Deng left without lingering and led Kinoshita Mai away.

He left behind a tall, dashing figure in front of Ootsuki Minoru and the others.

Time seemed to stand still... half a minute? a minute? His hazy consciousness made Ootsuki's sense of time completely distorted.

All she knew was that when she came to her senses, Aoto and Kinoshita Mai had already disappeared from her sight.

From the moment Shimizu Eiichi and the others left until now, Aoto hasn't even glanced at her twice...

Ootsuki bit her lower lip tightly.

His gaze and expression were complex and difficult to describe.

……

……

Bridge between two countries —

"Finally, I can watch the fireworks in peace..."

Aoto remarked to Kinoshita Mai in a half-joking tone.

After rescuing Ootsuki Minoru and the others, Aoto and Kinoshita Mai were finally able to continue enjoying the lively summer festival that night.

The two headed to the Two Nations Bridge as planned to find a good spot to watch the fireworks.

They were quite lucky—even though they were already late, they were still able to find a spot on the left side of the bridge next to the railing of the Ryogoku Bridge that was big enough for the two of them to stand.

With about 5 minutes to go before the fireworks display... a tense and expectant atmosphere had already begun to fill the bridge.

"So that young woman from earlier was your childhood friend, Qing Deng..." Kinoshita Mai said softly.

Just now, Qing Deng frankly confessed to Kinoshita Mai about the young woman they had just rescued... namely, Otsuki Minoru, who was his childhood friend whom he hadn't seen for a long time since she married and moved to Nara.

"Yes, that's right," Qing Deng said casually. "To actually meet her twice tonight... that really surprised me."

"..." Kinoshita Mai tilted her head back and stared at Aoto's calm face.

Seeing Qing Deng's completely indifferent attitude towards Otsuki, Kinoshita Mai's beautiful eyes silently revealed a faint joy and relief.

Meanwhile, the Nihonbashi Bridge was already crowded with spectators looking for a good spot to watch the fireworks.

Everyone was jostling and pushing each other...

"Hey! Don't push! Don't push!"

"Why are you pushing? Can't you see there's someone here?"

"Oh no! There are no seats left! Don't push your way in!"

……

Kinoshita Mai was small and light, and in such a dense crowd, she was like a willow catkin floating in a storm.

Qing Deng had seen the "undercurrent" coming from behind hit Kinoshita Mai several times, causing her to stagger.

“…Ah Wu, come over here.”

Qing Deng raised his hand and grabbed Kinoshita Mai's left wrist, pulling him in front of him. Then he braced himself against the bridge railing with both hands, letting Kinoshita Mai hide between his arms and in his embrace.

Using her own body as a barrier, she created a safe space for Kinoshita Mai that she would never be bumped into again.

However, this inevitably led to intimate physical contact between her and Qingdeng.

With just a slight tilt of her head, Aoto could bury the tip of her nose in Kinoshita Mai's beautiful hair.

Kinoshita Mai only needs to lean back slightly to rest her head on Aoto's strong chest muscles.

"!" A vibrant red glow instantly spread across Kinoshita Mai's cheeks.

Although Kinoshita Mai was facing away from him, so Aoto couldn't see her expression, he could vaguely see wisps of "steam" emanating from the top of her head and forehead.

It's embarrassing to admit... Kinoshita Mai isn't the only shy person—the one who started this ambiguous situation is also tense up because of embarrassment.

Aoto pulled Kinoshita Mai in front of him purely because he was worried that she would be knocked over by the crowd... He didn't think about anything else.

It wasn't until he pulled Kinoshita Mai into his arms that Aoto belatedly realized how bold and intimate his actions had been.

Kinoshita Mai's pleasant body scent kept wafting into his nostrils, and from his current angle, he could also see the eye-catching sight of his yukata being stretched high by two huge things... Qing Deng couldn't help but feel aroused.

To cover his embarrassment, Qing Deng cleared his throat and asked Kinoshita Mai in a pretentious manner:

"Ah Wu, isn't the space too cramped? Should I spread my arms wider?"

"No..." Kinoshita Mai, staring intently at her delicate toes, shook her head slightly while repeatedly squeezing her small hands clasped in front of her, and said coyly, "I think it's just right..."

Before the words were finished—

Waaah—!

Fireworks rise into the sky.

Under the expectant gaze of the crowd, the first firework finally rose into the sky.

The scattered red fireworks illuminated the entire night sky.