Apparently the Gal who Bullies me Likes me

Chapter 15 (Part 2)

Summer Festival ~Fireworks~

We sit on a bench a little further from the street where the food stalls are and eat our takoyaki together.

Tachibana was breaking the takoyaki with a toothpick and blowing them to cool them down.

It was kind of cute.

"Is it hot?"

"Yeah"

When he puts it in her mouth and eats it she was huffing and puffing.

"It's really delicious!"

She said that with a squinted eyes.

"You have sauce on your mouth."

"Wipe it?"

I wiped Tachibana's mouth with a tissue.

Tachibana also has a childish side, doesn't she?

The two of us are eating takoyaki together while looking at the crowd in the distance.

We can hear the sounds of insects, which until now we could not hear because of the noise from the crowd.

I am glad that Tachibana seemed to be having fun.

I'm really glad I invited her.

"Oh! It's Kato!"

When I look where the voice was coming from I saw a group of five men.

One of them then spoke to me.

"Do you remember me? It's me, your classmate from junior high!"

When I saw his face I remember him, he was a close friend of mine back in junior high school.

"Please, can you wait here for a minute?"

"Yeah"

I left Tachibana sitting on the bench and I headed towards my friend.

"Oh! Long time no see!"

My friend from junior high then sees Tachibana sitting on the bench waiting for me.

He whispered to me so that Tachibana can't hear him.

"Hey, who's that? You're girlfriend?"

"...Yeah"

Of course that was a lie, but it would be really nice if it is true.

But I'm really happy that we are seen as a couple.

"Eh! Seriously! She's so beautiful!"

After that we talked for a quite a bit.

"Well then, let's meet each other again."

The group of five men then leaves and I return to Tachibana.

"I'm really, really sorry, I've kept you waiting."

"Nah, that's okay, are they your friends?"

"Yeah back in junior high."

"Eh~ so you had friends."

"Don't joke around, of course I had friends."

"Then, did you have a girlfriend when you were in junior high?"

"No I didn't have one."

"Hmmm."

I wonder what about her, did she have a boyfriend back in junior high, I wanted to ask that but I didn't have the courage to do so.

As we sat on the bench, a group of children ran past us holding a cotton candy cane.

"They are so cute."

Tachibana mutters.

"Ah! Wait is the goldfish still alive?"

Tachibana then checks on goldfish inside the bag filled with water.

The goldfish was swimming gracefully in the bag.

"It still looks fine."

She looked so happy as she is looking at the goldfish that I had scooped.

I'm happy seeing Tachibana like that.

Then I remember about the fireworks show.

"It's almost time for the fireworks show."

Right now it's 19:45 and the fireworks show will start at 20:00.

"Where are we going to watch the fireworks?

"Hmmm, I know a good spot follow me."

I took Tachibana along the path of the food stalls to the place where we would watch the fireworks.

The street of food stalls was getting more and more crowded, probably because the time for the fireworks show to start was approaching.

Tachibana then grabbed the sleeve of my yukata so that we wouldn't get separated in the crowd.

I'm also walking near her so that we don't get separated.

After a while we came to a quiet place a little off path on the street where the food stalls were located.

"Up here?"

"That's right."

The top of the spot I know is quite elevated and it's quiet there. I believe even the locals probably don't know about that spot, as that spot is a really good spot to get a beautiful view of the fireworks shows. I have always seen the fireworks show on the top of this place when I was still child. And probably no one is still there.

Because of it's height there are a series of staircase that are leading to that place.

"Here, grab my hand."

I took Tachibana's hand at the top of the stairs and pulled her along.

When we reached the middle of the stairs, Tachibana then said.

"I'm already tired, so give me a piggyback ride."

She squat down on the spot and extended her hands towards me.

"Okay"

I squat down and turned my back to Tachibana.

I then carry Tachibana on my back.

She's really light so I think I can manage to carry her until the top.

Tachibana then puts her hands around my neck.

I can smell her sweet perfume in the air as her face is really close to mine.

"Hey the fireworks is starting soon, right?"

I hear a voice whispering in my ear.

"...I guess so."

I carry Tachibana on my back all the way up the stairs and after a while we finally arrived at the top of the hill.

It seems that no one is around.

We then sat down together on a bench on the hill.

The bench was close to where the fireworks were to be launched, and there were no tall buildings around us, so we could see the fireworks really clearly.

We could see the food stall that we had passed earlier at the bottom.

Tachibana and I were waiting for the show to start.

"I think it's about time."

Right now the time is past 20:00.

Tachibana then said.

"...Hey, why did you invite me to go with you?"

"It's because... it will be a summer memory... as we are... friends."

I couldn't say that I wanted us to go beyond our current relationship.

Suddenly the fireworks went off with a "whoosh" sound.

The sound of the fireworks is followed by the sound of a bang, and a beautiful fireworks display is shot into the night sky.

More and more fireworks were shot up close to us and then disappeared into the sky.

Fireworks of various colors and shapes, such as red, orange, and green, were shot up and lighting the sky.

"Wow! It's so beautiful."

Tachibana's figure was illuminated by the fireworks.

I was more interested in looking at her than the fireworks.

As Tachibana was more beautiful than the fireworks.

I wish this time could last forever.

"It's so pretty."

I said that both for the fireworks and Tachibana.

"You're right."

My hand on the bench touches Tachibana's hand.

Tachibana noticed this and we looked at each other.

I feel as if I am going to be absorbed by her big eyes.

I think that her heart is pounding really hard that I can hear it clearly in my ears.

I want to get closer to her.

That's what I thought.

Our face then grew closer to each other.

Tachibana closed her eyes.

It seems Tachibana is feeling the same way as I did.

I didn't care about being bullied anymore.

I just loved Tachibana who is in front of me.

As we put our lips together a big firework display went off.

That firework lit up the night sky and it disappeared into the darkness.

But I didn't hear the sound of it.

Our lips parted.

The fireworks were still going off with a bang, bang, bang.

Tachibana, who was a little shy, laughed mischievously and said.

"It seems that we can't be friends anymore."