Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

Seeing this, Tachibana Rin, who was standing next to her, also held a round fan and waved it vigorously. The two girls, one on each side, blew Tazaki Toru's bangs back, and then they both burst out laughing.

They probably don't need a reason to do these things.

Arriving at the nearby night market, the air was filled with pleasant aromas. After finishing their practice, they deliberately saved their dinner for this moment.

Before long, Tazaki Toru saw that their hands were full of various foods, and then, finding the fans and handbags in the way, they all tossed them to Tazaki Toru for safekeeping.

Girls really can't escape those dazzling array of trinkets.

At this moment, Tazaki Toru's arms were covered with water balloons and goldfish, and he also had a cat demon mask pinned to his head.

All of these are the results of Tachibana Rin and Aoki Hina's battle.

After Tachibana Rin had eaten and drunk her fill, she rolled up her yukata sleeves and couldn't move past the shooting game booth.

"Rin-chan, it's time to go, or we won't be able to find a good spot later."

"You guys go first, I'll fire a few more shots. I don't believe it, boss! Ten more shots!" Tachibana Rin said without turning her head.

Aoki Hina sighed in exasperation upon hearing this.

"Tazaki-kun, let's go first. The fireworks will start in a little while, so let's get there early to get a good spot."

As they continued walking through the night market, the crowd grew increasingly dense, and they nearly got separated from each other.

Upon arriving at the designated fireworks viewing area, they found it already packed with people, forcing the two to stand on the outermost edge.

Suddenly, a commotion of "gurgling" came from nearby, catching Hina Aoki's attention.

The source of the sound seemed to be Tazaki Toru's stomach.

Looking closer at his face, he was so serious that Aoki Hina almost thought the sound was coming from her own stomach.

After being stared at by Aoki Hina for a while, Tazaki Toru helplessly raised his two arms, which looked like vines covered with gourds. Aoki Hina immediately burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry, it's my fault, I completely forgot about Tazaki-kun's belly."

So, on the night of the summer festival, a girl in a yukata stood before me, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

The curve of her little finger sticking up is very pretty. She holds a bamboo skewer, picks up a round takoyaki, brings it to her mouth and blows gently, and the bonito flakes and steam fly together.

"Here, takoyaki, ah~~"

Seeing this, Tazaki Toru quickly said, "I'll do it myself."

"You don't have a third hand, do you?"

A cunning glint flashed deep in the girl's eyes, finally causing Toru Tazaki to open his mouth.

How does it taste?

"If I say it's delicious, will Miss Aoki feed me a second one?"

"of course."

"Then I will remain silent."

"why?"

"Because I don't want to lie."

After a slight pause, Hina Aoki couldn't help but smile.

"Tazaki-kun, this is the place that I find truly interesting."

The summer evening breeze carried a hint of sultry heat and restlessness.

The girl tiptoed and took the cat demon mask off Tazaki Toru's head, then put it on her own face.

90. Fireworks, masks, girls.

"Rin-chan is so slow, I'll call her."

"Tazaki-kun, give me the handbag, the white one, thank you."

The girl wearing the cat demon mask took out her phone, and soon after, the phone rang from another pink handbag.

“…This idiot,” Hina Aoki couldn’t help but mutter.

"You rest here, I'll go back to find her."

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

Tazaki Toru removed all the accessories from his body and walked back the way he came.

Watching Tazaki Toru leave, the girl lowered her head slightly, secretly pulled out her small feet from inside her wooden clogs, and looked at the back of her feet.

The pale insteps were rubbed raw by the linen, leaving faint red marks. If you calm down and feel it, you can feel a slightly burning, stinging sensation.

"Tasaki-kun is always so perceptive in places like this. Could he have been spying all along?"

Beneath the mask, the girl murmured to herself.

……

……

On the way back, Tazaki Toru looked around, observing the crowds coming and going.

Fortunately, people had all gone to the viewing spots, so there weren't many people at the night stalls. Plus, Tachibana Rin was exceptionally pretty, so she was hard to miss. That's the advantage of having a beautiful girl.

Soon, Tazaki Toru spotted that familiar figure in front of a stall.

"Miss Tachibana."

"Tasaki, you've come at the right time! Quickly, give me my wallet."

Tazaki Toru walked over slowly, and Tachibana Rin took the pink handbag from him and paid for two bunches of candied apples.

Seeing that Tazaki Toru was staring at the candied apples in her hand, Ms. Tachibana immediately said, "Hina and I each have one, but I'm not deliberately trying to tease you or not buy you any. It's just that both of these candied apples will end up in your stomach."

Tazaki Toru looked puzzled, not understanding what this meant.

Seeing Tazaki Toru's bewildered expression, Tachibana Rin couldn't help but show a smug look.

"Let me tell you, girls don't buy candied apples to eat."

"That is?"

"This thing is not only hard, but also round and not plump, making it impossible to eat."

"Look at those photos of candied apples posted online, in which one of them are the apples with a notch? Aren't they all round and plump?"

"Think about it, what girl would open her gaping maw in public just to take a bite of an apple coated in syrup?"

"I just can't do it."

"Then why did you still buy it?"

"Take photos! I finally bought a nice yukata, so I need to match it with something that fits the mood, right? Look, it may not be good in any other way, but its biggest advantage is that it looks great in photos!"

It turns out there are so many little-known facts about being a girl that he didn't know. I've learned something new.

She moved the two strings of candied apples to her cheeks and struck a beautiful pose.

Tazaki Toru pointed to Tachibana's profile.

"It got in my hair."

"It's okay, you're the one eating anyway."

"........."

Leading Tachibana Rin toward the viewing point, she even urged Tazaki Toru along the way, saying he walked like an old man.

The wooden clogs kept making a "clattering" sound in place. Touma Tazaki was worried that her feet would hurt so much that she wouldn't be able to get out of bed tomorrow. Just what she wanted, she skipped the band practice.

Arriving at the spot they had left earlier, Tazaki Toru couldn't find any trace of Aoki Hina. He looked around for a long time but still couldn't spot Miss Aoki.

Tazaki Toru was like a down-on-his-luck detective who couldn't get any serious cases and could only make a living by looking for cats. After searching for one cat after another, he sighed and said, "Miss Tachibana, don't wander around here. I'll go find her."

"Hurry up, the fireworks are about to start."

The first wave of fireworks was about to begin, and the crowd was surging toward them. Tazaki Toru was walking against the flow of people, making it particularly difficult for him.

Finally, somewhere in the crowd, they found the beautiful figure wearing a yukata and a cat demon mask.

She stood there helplessly, the surging crowd like a high-pressure water gun washing a car, as if it would wash her away at any moment.

"Miss Aoki!"

She seemed not to hear the shouts and never turned around.

"Excuse me, could you please let me pass? I'm sorry..."

Tazaki Toru weaved through the crowd, reaching out between people to precisely find her slender, slightly cold hand before she was swallowed up by the throng, and grasped it tightly.

She instinctively let out a cute sound of surprise and suddenly turned her head to look at Tazaki Toru.

The girl nearly stumbled when bumped by the crowd; the mask strap snapped with a barely audible sound as it fell straight down.

It fell to the ground with a "thud".

Whoosh—thump!

In the distance, fireworks soared into the sky, and a cacophony of exclamations erupted from the crowd.

The deep blue night sky above the city, with its velvety texture, was initially punctuated by a single, dazzling burst of light, followed by countless hot, chaotic fragments of color swirling in the darkness, rising and falling.

Mouths gaped open in awe, and exclamations of praise escaped hastily, only to be crushed in the sound waves of the next loud bang.

Above the night sky, a spark trailed a faint flame as it fell, its colorful light spilling onto the girl's face.

Everyone around was looking up at the night sky.

Only Toru Tazaki.

He was looking down at the girl he had pulled in front of him, her hand clenched tightly.

That unfamiliar, cute face was filled with a look of panic, which made even Tazaki Toru himself look bewildered.

The girl behind the mask is not Hina Aoki.

"Tazaki! Tazaki! I found Hina!"

A familiar voice came from not far away. The voice, which was usually sharp, was still clear and distinct amidst the explosions of fireworks.