“Um, e-excuse me…”

You looked up from your phone and turned to the source of the timid squeak. There was a hesitancy in her voice, as if she feared some form of wrongdoing on her part. It’s a faded memory, and you can’t see her face. But you remember her long, blonde hair that flowed like a tranquil river. The glasses that she wore. The precipitation on her neck. The crumpled paper in her hand. The suitcase she held.

And you laughed.

***

The clock strikes five, marking the intangible transition from late afternoon to early evening. The sweltering heat of the mid-summer sun continues to persist despite its coming dip into the horizon. It hovers in the sky behind you, searing your skin and refusing to yield even a single degree of temperature to comfort. You continue to place one foot after the other. Your lungs are thick with wet, humid air as you pant in an involuntary attempt at keeping cool. If spending two hours at the boxing club wasn’t enough to tire you out, the simple act of walking in this weather has sealed your fate. Sweat clings to your back like a coat of paint, drenching the white sports jersey you wear for club activities. Scientists say it’s for keeping humans cool, but you often compare sweat to that of wisdom teeth – useless in the modern age. All it does is make you feel greasy and uncomfortable.

“Thirty-six degrees,” the redhead on your left groans, lifting you from your heat-induced trance as he tucks his phone into his pocket.

“For fuck’s sake…” the larger, better built high schooler on your right mutters. His tanned skin is doing its best to resist sunburn, but he keeps his bag pressed up against the back of his neck for added protection. “I need to go to Hokkaido or something every time July rolls around.” He grins a tired smile and nudges you with an elbow. “Heh, you aren’t looking too hot, Anon. Or I guess in this case I should say you look really hot.” He pauses and lifts a hand to his chin. “Huh, that didn’t come out right.”

“I’m fine, Oga,” you sigh, waving him away with a lazy swing of your arm. “Club practice just took me out of it, and now the heat’s really pissing me off.”

“Some ice cream would be nice right about now.”

“I just need a drink.”

“You’re right though, Oga,” Roberu voices from the other side and you turn to face him. He studies your face with exaggerated twists in his expression. “Anon is pretty hot.”

Oga laughs. “Right?” he says, nodding. “It’s a shame he can’t use that face of his to score a girlfriend.”

“Indeed, his pick-up game is severely lacking.”

“Fuck off you retards,” you mumble tiredly. “As if you’re any better. You’ve never had a girlfriend before Oga, and you’re one of the tallest guys at school. I thought you were my senior when we first met, but you’re in the year below me.” You swing around to Roberu, annoyance rising. “And you, don’t give me that shit. I see you talking to girls all the time, yet you can’t seem to score a single one.”

Roberu shakes his head as he puts on an air of conceit. “Ahh, how naive, Anon. I’m saving myself for Ueshama.”

“...The voice actress?”

“The one and only.”

You turn to Oga. “Are you seeing this? Why not give him shit instead of me?” you scowl, jerking a thumb at your other friend. They both laugh and you shake your head. A slow, familiar smirk touches your lips. Despite the teasing, the trek home always goes faster with these two around. “A girlfriend, huh…?” you mumble, and your hand automatically finds the green bracelet on your left wrist. The bumps of the embroidered letters brush against your thumb as you run it over the fabric. It was a hot day, much like this one when you had met her.

Roberu notices your distant look, and drops his gaze to the bracelet. He sighs. “Bro, you gotta move on from whatever middle school crush ya had,” he says, the tone of his voice settling. “No need to close off other women ‘cause you’re still hung up on some girl that gave you that thing.”

“I told you, it’s not like that,” you say, shaking your head. “I’m not closing anyone off. Nobody else has caught my attention, that’s all.”

“You’ve never even told us about her, man,” Oga chimes in. “What made her so special?”

“I don’t even know,” you smile. “I only knew her for a day, too, and haven’t met her since. It’s weird, I know.”

“Can’t believe that’s the only girl you’ve ever crushed on.” Roberu grins and punches you on the shoulder. “Some girl from you never even learnt the name of. You’re just as bad as me.”

You tiredly chuckle at him. “Maybe I am. You and Ueda Reina sounds more realistic.”

The three of you laugh and continue your voyage through the streets of Asakusa, ripples of shimmering, hot air taunting you from every direction. Your footsteps blend against the drone of motor vehicles on distant highways, nearly indistinguishable from the far shrills of the remaining cicadas that have yet to pack up for the night. Roberu holds a bottle of water to his forehead, for what little good it will do.

“Come on, let’s stop at the convenience store,” you say, jerking your head towards the intersection of two streets, void of any cars yet littered with a small crowd of people. “I’m going to steal some of their cool air.”

“Shout everyone ice cream?” Oga asks.

You consider it. “One in twenty.”

“You’re too stingy.”

“Fifteen.”

“I’ll take it.”

“Three, two, one. Six.”

“.......................... Six.”

The moment the word leaves Oga’s mouth you groan, tilting your head up at the sky. “How the hell does that happen?”

Oga grins as he and Roberu high-five over your head. The three of you arrive at the Lawson store, a handful of students from your school loitering outside the entrance. Most of them sit in the shade, snacking on their recently bought sweets or simply fanning themselves. Your friends stop at the entrance.

“Don’t take too long,” Roberu says, grinning.

You sigh and step forward, the double sliding doors parting to your presence as you enter the shop. The moment your foot slips past the threshold a blanket of cool air is thrown against you, nearly knocking you back. A shiver of relief wriggles beneath your skin and down your shoulders, as if an ice pack has been pressed against every inch of your flesh. You fail to stop the quiet moan from escaping your lips in response. You run an arm across your forehead (feeling a bit disgusted at how much sweat has accumulated) and head further in, towards the ice cream section. There’s more students inside, scanning the shelves of refrigerated drinks or simply taking refuge from the heat.

You take your time browsing the selection of cold treats, bearing in mind that neither of your two friends had specified the kind of ice cream they wanted. A devious grin curls over your lips as you pick out two flavours that don’t seem to be selling very well. You get yourself a melon soda and proceed to the counter, where a foreign cashier greets you with broken Japanese. On your way to the exit, you spot an attractive girl among the sea of identical sailor uniforms. A moment passes, and you recognise her from your class. Your heart rattles in surprise and you freeze, a swarm of elated butterflies swarming within you.

She skims over the snacks aisle and tucks a strand of damp, sticky blonde hair behind her ear as a bead of sweat trails down her temple. Despite the blazing inferno beyond the walls, her uniform remains buttoned all the way up in a rather vain attempt to protect her dignity. The moisture collected by the fabric of her shirt causes it to take on a sheen of pale, and most importantly, translucent grey, revealing the faint outline of her bra that covers her modest chest. She’s quite thin, but there’s no mistaking the toned muscles of an athlete in her legs and forearms. There’s a sword bag over her shoulder, its strap pressing down on the area between her breasts.

“God…damn she looks good,” you whisper beneath your breath. Exerting no small amount of willpower, you drag your eyes off the spectacle of everything below her neck and move your feet. A lot of ideas spring to mind on what to say to her, but the moment you get close they all come crashing down, along with any and all social skills you may have acquired in your 17 years of living.

“Hi,” you say.

A short squeak is formed in Kazama Iroha’s throat and she looks up from the chocolate Pocky she was inspecting. Her eyes widen after the split-second it takes for her to recognise you.

“Anon!” she beams, a bright smile crossing her face. “H-Hi! Um! How was boxing?”

Your mind scrambles to find a response. “Fine, tiring,” you reply, shrugging. “It was fun, but Inugami-senpai still scares me.”

“Eh!?” she giggles. “Scary? Korone’s so sweet though!”

“You tell that to my jaw…” you mutter, which prompts another giggle. “What about you? Kendo club go ok?”

She nods. “Yeah, but attendance was a bit low. Everyone’s busy studying for exams.”

“Shit, that’s right. Maybe I should as well instead of spending my time punching people.”

Iroha laughs. You love it when she does. She sounds like a squeaky old tap but it’s contagious and you can’t help but start thinking of more ways to bring it out of her.

“You’ll be fine, Anon,” she says.

You grin and take a step towards her. “Anyway, enough about exams,” you say, “since the holidays are…” You take another step and she flinches, shuffling away as she tucks her arms by her sides. You snap frozen, claws of dread raking down down your back. Oh fuck. Do you stink? Does she actually find you creepy? “Oh, sorry,” you begin.

“Er, no! That’s not it!” she says, slightly shaking her head. “I just… I-It’s hot and I came from practice, so I might be a bit s…sweaty,” she finishes, chuckling nervously as her eyes flit across everywhere but your own.

“Sweaty? Anyone would be in this heat, you really think I mind the smell? If anything, it’d be weirder to not sweat.”

She scratches her cheek as it blushes pink, a wobbly smile forming on her lips. “It’s different for girls, Anon…”

“It is…?” You shrug and decide not to press the matter. Iroha’s undoubtedly the expert on women between the two of you. “If you say so. But keep in mind that I wouldn’t mind smelling your sweat.”

“That’s enough about my sweat, weirdo!” she cries, hugging herself as you laugh.

“Sorry, I’ll stop,” you chuckle. You glance at the box of Toppo sticks in her hand. “You going to buy that?”

“Hm? Oh, this?” she asks, holding it up with both hands. “I already did, I was just looking at the Pocky as well.”

“Why not buy both?”

“I wanted to, but I was worried I’d get…" She trails off and hides the lower half of her face with the box. “fat,” she finishes quietly.

Your legs grow weak and you nearly fall to your knees, unable to cope with how adorable she is. “That’s… really cute,” you say without thinking.

“It’s not!” she cries, her cheeks taking on a rosy pink. “It’s normal for girls to worry about these things!”

“I wouldn’t. You’re the kendo club’s captain while being a member of the track team. I didn’t even think that was possible.”

She follows you but stays at arm’s length, carefully watching your footsteps. “I don’t think I’m special or anything… Kazama just likes to stay in shape.”

You stop and turn back to her, lingering on the edge of the store’s boundary. “You just like to? Really? You’re probably the most athletic girl in our grade, that kind of drive’s gotta come from somewhere.”

“That’s not all of it. I-I guess I’m trying to…” Iroha purses her lips, and you notice her eyes lingering over the bracelet over your left wrist. Or is that your imagination? “Impress someone.”

“Huh? Oh,” you say, taken aback. “I… see.”

With nothing else to say you turn back and walk out as a shadow creeps over your thoughts. Within seconds your mind is flooded with a single question, screaming at you from all sides.

Who?

Stepping back into the humid, warm air is like being doused in oil and you hear Iroha quietly groan. You look around for your friends and find them across the street, chatting with two familiar faces. One of them spots you walk out with Iroha in tow, and the pink canine ears atop her head stand to attention.

“Anon, Iroha! Over here!” Haiku Koyori says, waving to the two of you despite the fact that she’s less than four metres away.

You approach the group and greet the two girls with a dip of your head. “Hello Koyori, Hoshimachi-senpai. What a pleasant coincidence.”

“Hah? Did you just call me by my last name Anon?” Hoshimachi Suisei snarls up at you from her seated position against a vending machine. You arrive before her and she raises a can of iced coffee, unfolding her index finger to point at you. “Didn’t I tell you to drop the ‘senpai’ bullshit and call me ‘Suisei’?” she says, her voice bordering on a growl. “You’re pissing me off with the formalities,”

Your breath catches in surprise. “Wha… Er, sorry Hosh- Suisei,” you say, regarding her with a degree of caution. “I forgot.”

She abruptly giggles, and her face suddenly lights up as she twirls a finger in her blue hair. “Just kidding~! Hi Anon!” she beams, her voice flipping up through several pitches.

You blink at her and she playfully sticks out her tongue. You let out a breath, halfway between a laugh and a sigh of relief. Suisei is tough to get a handle on, having only been acquainted with you for a few weeks. On one hand, she’s notorious for skipping class and ignoring teachers. On the other, Suisei is well liked by the student cohort and sometimes performs songs at school events, showing off her impressive talent for singing. Iroha had adored her for the longest time (she still does, to a degree), and when she finally worked up the courage to become friends with the Suisei it was inevitable that you too would become acquainted with the third year through your mutual friend.

“Iroha~!” Koyori, Iroha’s other friend, leaps at her.

“K-Koyori?” Iroha stammers as the pink-haired second year wraps her arms around her waist.

“What did you get?” Koyori asks, her fluffy pink tail swiping at the air in quick back-and-forth strokes.

“Huh? Just some pocky…”

“Ahahaha! Iroha, you’re so cute~!”

“W-what are you talking about?” Iroha whines as Koyori buries her face into the athlete’s blonde ponytail. You watch Koyori as she molests Iroha’s neck with her face, and almost begin wishing you were born with a vagina so you could do the same.

Koyori is a beastwoman, evident by the animalistic traits attached to her head and lower back – a pair of ears and a tail respectively. Unlike Suisei, you met Koyori at the same time as Iroha, sometime during your first year. It was at the aquarium, if you recall. Apparently she had been bullied during middle school because of the way she looked, and Iroha had stood up for her. Things got heated and she ended up wiping the floor with them. You smiled when you had first learnt of this. That sounded exactly like something she would do. Beastmen and women aren’t entirely uncommon nowadays, but they’re still not something a lot of people are used to. You’ve always thought that the name seems a lot like a contributing factor.

“We ran into them while we were waiting for you,” Oga says.

“We’ll take that ice cream now, sucker,” Roberu grins, approaching you with his arm outstretched.

“Of course man, hope you enjoy,” you say innocently, taking the two miniature paper containers from the plastic bag of your purchases. You give one to him and the other to Oga. They both squint at the label.

“Häagen-Dazs - Be WILD collection,” Roberu reads aloud. “Lobster and… ghost pepper blend?”

You laugh as the expressions of your two friends droop like melted chocolate. “Your fault for not specifying,” you shrug. “I got you guys ice cream.”

“Eh, that’s true. It can’t be that bad,” Oga says, his expression instantly lifting as he begins taking the lid off.

You turn to the three girls as Suisei stands up, slipping her can of coffee into the bin. “You guys heading home as well?” you ask.

“Yeah, let’s go,” she replies. “I can’t stand this heat.”

“Ditto.”

With the headcount of your group doubled, you set off once more into the haze of summer air. At last it has begun to cool, if only marginally. A few conversations spring up between the six of you, everyone already familiar with each other. Koyori and Iroha were only friends with you at first, but it was only a matter of time before they met Oga and Roberu. Suisei was a recent addition, brought in by Iroha. The shared route home meant you and your friends from both sides became fast acquaintances.

“Hmm… well at least it was free,” Roberu murmurs, finishing off the last of his ice cream.

From beside you, Iroha hands a Toppo stick to Suisei as you take a swig of soda. She seems to have become less conscious of her sweat, though you can’t smell anything to begin with. Suisei munches away at the snack using only her mouth, keeping both hands occupied with something on her phone.

“Do you guys have any plans for the holidays?” you ask, staring straight ahead.

“Isn’t it a bit early to be making plans?” Koyori says. “We still have to pass our exams.”

“Uaaargh!” Roberu clutches at the sides of his head. “I was tryin’ not to think about them! Why’d ya bring ‘em up?”

“Hm?” Koyori tilts her head at him. “Are they that big of a deal? Exams feel like another day at school to me.”

“Not everyone can be top of the class like you, Hakui…” he sighs.

“I have track practice, and the local area’s kendo competition,” Iroha says. She turns her head to look up at you. “Do you have to attend the boxing club, Anon?”

You nod. “A competition’s coming up for me as well – the Kanto region championships.” You see everyone turn to you.

“Huh? For real?” Oga says, a toothy grin forming. “Shit, I didn’t know you’d made it that far! Nationals are just around the corner!”

“I’ll have to win, first. Not to mention pass my exams,” you groan.

Koyori rubs one of her ears. “I still don’t know what the big deal is,” she says.

There’s a drawn out pause as your friends mull over possible plans for the holidays, everyone’s collective clamour of footsteps filling the air.

“I dunno…” Roberu starts. “I might just pick up more shifts at the bar, but that’s about it.”

“Gotta fund those gacha pulls somehow, huh?” Oga chuckles.

Roberu grins as he snaps his fingers. “Heh, there’s a summer festival event coming up in one of them. I gotta grab the limited time yukata alts for the featured characters.”

“What do girls like about you again…?” you mutter.

“Ah, speaking of,” Oga says, turning to face the group, “what about the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival? We should all go together since it’s right after exams.”

“Sumi… Oh! Totally!” Suisei says, her eyes lighting up as they reflect the old daylight. “That sounds awesome!

“Ohhh, that’s not a bad idea~,” Koyori says, touching a forefinger against her chin.

Roberu gapes at Oga, his eyes wide. He makes something akin to a choking noise in his throat, but nothing comes out. You raise an eyebrow at him. He coughs.

“OGA! You’re a genius! This is why we’re friends!” he yells.

“Hm? What are you…” Some sort of realisation dawns on Oga’s tanned face and he begins to nod. “Yeah… I think I am.”

Roberu turns to the three girls. “You guys gonna wear yukatas?” he asks, excitement bubbling into his voice.

“Nahh, probably not,” Suisei smirks, lazily waving her hand before her face. “Getting it out is a pain, and so is wearing it. I look cuter in a skirt anyway.”

“I left mine at my parent’s place…” Iroha says, scratching her cheek.

“Not this year~!” Koyori says.

“NOOOO!” Roberu suddenly runs out in front of them and folds himself in half to bow. “Please wear your yukatas to the festival! I’d love to see them!” he cries. They stop walking and look at each other.

“Hah? I said no, it’s a pain in the ass,” Suisei says, placing a hand on her hip.

“Please!” he begs, getting onto his knees to prostrate himself. “Preferably a red one like Mimiko wears in Idolmas–.”

“Dude,” you say to stop him, “is it really that big of a deal for them to wear y–”

“HAHAHA. COME HERE ANON!” Oga’s enormous, muscular arm grabs you in a chokehold and you’re dragged away as Roberu continues to beg.

“Fuck! Oga, the hell’s your problem!?” you gasp, grabbing at his forearm that remains locked beneath your chin.

“Listen to me, Anon,” Oga says, his eyes wide as he turns his head to you. “Think about it for a second. Cute girls in yukatas.”

“Look man that sounds great, I agree, but I don’t–”

“Kazama Iroha, in a yukata.” Your neurons are activated and you go quiet, like an animal that was suddenly sedated. Your mind begins forming the required mental image, and you gasp. He seizes the chance to continue. “This is a once in a year kind of opportunity. If we’re talking summer, it’s gotta be yukatas. Don’t you want to see something like that? What colour will hers be? How will she do her hair? If we’re able to get Hoshimachi-senpai on board, Kazama’s probably gonna wear one too.”

“I… do want to see her in one,” you admit. “Her cuteness levels would be off the charts.”

“Then you understand the task at hand.”

You slowly begin to nod. “Yeah… okay. Iroha… yukata. Iroha in a yukata.” You raise your hand to give him a fist bump, a steely resolve emerging into your chest as your gaze sharpens. “I understand. Let’s do this.”

You and Oga spin back around and return to Roberu, who is still curled up in prostration before the three girls. Iroha is begging him to stand back up, frantically looking around to see if anyone is watching.

“Please! I’ll do anything!” Roberu cries. “I need to recreate the promised land!”

“Anything?” Suisei smirks, looking at her nails.

“Anything!”

“Alright, then get each of us ten million yen-”

“UNDERSTOOD!” Roberu roars, exploding to his feet. Koyori screams. He spins around to face you and Oga. “Oga! Start looking into the maximum loan a high school student is allowed to take out!”

“Heh, I’ve already contacted three different banks,” Oga says, holding his phone between two fingers as he uses it to cover his face.

“Okay, now Anon!” Roberu points at you. “Start making a logo! We gotta–!”

“Set up multiple crypto scams to steal from vulnerable people, I know.” You run a hand through your hair. “I started brainstorming thirty seconds ago.”

The three girls look at you and your friends with varying degrees of disgust as discussions on how to perform a bank heist begin to take place.

“Iroha… you can borrow my one,” Koyori says quietly.

***

Your eyes sift through the exam ranking board, searching for your position among the student body. Voices filter in through your ears as your peers sigh in relief or groan with despair. A lot of people claim that “they’re dead”. You eventually lock onto a recognised set of characters and read the corresponding number. Forty-third. You shrug, deeming that out of two hundred students, you didn’t do too badly.

“Someone’s been caught daydreaming! Hayaah!” You feel a light bump against your calf, but offer no reaction. A moment passes as you read your ranking one more time, then slowly turn to face your attacker. Koyori stands there, the foot she used to kick you still suspended in the air. She grins, her sharp canines poking out from under her top lip. “Hi Anon~.”

“Hey Koyori,” you reply.

“How did you do?” she asks, one of her animal ears flicking at something as she joins you on the shoulder.

“Forty-third. I’m happy with it.”

“Wao~! Out of two hundred second years? Well done!”

You let out a dry laugh and shift your attention to the number two ranking. “I can never take you seriously when making comparisons to that.”

She follows your gaze and giggles. “Koyori’s the brains of the group! Getting good scores is a requirement!”

“Being the second highest scorer in the whole grade is more than just ‘good’. You’re amazing.”

“Wha? Oh! Yay! Anon praised me!” she beams, her tail lifting into the air to produce a slight side-to-side movement.

You smile and motion to the building’s exit with your head. “You heading home?”

“Yu~p!” she says, taking your flank as the two of you make for the doors. “You don’t need to go to the boxing club?”

“Club activities aren’t on, since it’s the second last day of school. A bit of a shame, I was hoping to visit the kendo club.”

“Eh? Oh!” Koyori startles as the two of you head outside. “Do you… have something to tell Iroha?” The rays of the afternoon sun are muted against the barrier of clouds, its light smudged and spread across a patch in the sky. The result is a muddy, more bearable heat that in turn prevents any sweat from evaporating off your skin. The front of the school is teeming with students like you, celebrating the end of the semester.

“Not really,” you say, “I just like seeing her practice.”

Koyori’s ears – which were calm and softly bobbing along with each step she took – suddenly shoot straight up. “Wait… really?”

“N-not in a creepy way,” you quickly affirm. “Sometimes I’d finish boxing early and go see if she wanted to walk home together. I would usually come in right before her practice ended and watch her last match. It was amazing each time, she’s crazy good. It’s not just kendo too, she flattened the opposing team at the sports festival and always keeps up with her training. We’re both into sports so… I found her dedication to fitness impressive, and… I really respect her for it.”

“Wao…” She looks up at you, a streak of pink shading her cheeks. “Iroha’s a lucky girl…” she says, blinking slowly, “I wish I had a boy who would talk about me like that.”

“Er, no, it’s…” You trail off and blush, registering a full ten seconds too late how weird all that must have sounded. “I just think she’s cool, that’s all.”

Koyori grins, that sharp pair of canines revealing themselves beneath once more as the two of you pass through the school gate. “Reaally~? That’s all it is?”

“Well…”

“Koyori, A-Anon!” A familiar voice sends a jolt of surprise up your spine and you spin around to face the gate. Iroha gives you a quiet wave from her hip as she approaches.

“Ahhh! Iroha!” Koyori moves to hug her, a great big smile on her face. “Caught you!” she giggles, hugging her. You watch the pink coyote molest Iroha’s jaw with her cheek, and once more wish you were born a Koyori instead of an Anon. “Are you ready to go?” Koyori asks, pulling away.

Iroha pumps her fists. “Yes! Let us depart!” she exclaims.

“Sounds like you guys have some plans. Where are you off to?” you ask.

“Heehee~.” Koyori giggles as she takes Iroha’s hand. “Iroha wants to look extra cute when we see the fireworks, so we’re going shopping for her yukata!”

“Koyori offered to let me borrow one,” Iroha says, weakly smiling as she’s pulled along by Koyori, “but I thought I’d may as well get my own.”

“I feel kind of bad,” you say. “For the record, we can’t actually pay you ten million yen.”

They both laugh. “It’s ok,” Iroha says. “You were…” She trails off and slows down. Koyori notices, and stops to look at her. Iroha fiddles with the strap of her school bag, rolling a strand of hair between her thumb and forefinger as she looks at you sideways. “...really looking forward to seeing us dressed up, w-weren’t you?”

“Huh? Um…” You feel your heart skip a beat, then come back twice as fast. She was so cute just now. “Y-yeah. I was.”

“Waah~! Iroha’s trying to look cute just for you Anon!” Koyori teases, her tail beginning to wag.

“K-Koyori! Stop!” Iroha cries. “Don’t say it like that!” She spins around to face you, her cheeks now burning with a hot red. “Uh…! S-see you at the festival Anon!” she cries, spinning around to grab Koyori by the hand and flee.

“Ahahaha! You’re so cute Iroha!” Koyori turns her head back to you and waves as she’s dragged away. “Bye Anon! See you on Saturday!”

You watch them go, vaguely aware of the pounding in your chest and the gaining heat in your cheeks. Iroha in a yukata. As if that in itself wasn’t cute enough already, now she’s going out of her way to buy one because you wanted to see her wear it.

“Fuck… she’s so cute…” you sigh, touching your forehead.

A pressure against your thigh pulls you away from the (completely wholesome) images of Iroha clad in traditional clothing you had conjured in your mind, and you recognise it as your phone’s vibration a second later. A notification obscures a strip over your lock screen.

Dumb Cunts

Oga: Get your ass over to the river

Dumb Cunts

Roberu: Curry up

You loudly click your tongue, as if they would hear you from the other side of the screen. “The hell do they want now…?” Stuffing your phone back into your pocket, you take one last longing look at the now distant Iroha before turning to make for your friends.

*

Koyori and Iroha walk in silence, plodding towards the store where they plan to buy their festive clothes. The coyote giggles out of nowhere, taking hold of Iroha’s attention.

“Koyori?” she probes, tilting her head.

“Heeheehee… I was just thinking,” Koyori starts, a wide grin across her face, “Anon’s a really sweet guy.”

“hUh!?” Iroha squeaks, her voice breaking up in a fittingly pubescent fashion. “Um, y-yeah. He is.”

“Be careful Iroha~,” Koyori says, smiling smugly at her friend. “If you don’t make a move soon I might just…” she pauses to lean forward, “snatch him up.”

“What? No!” Iroha cries as she spins her whole body to face. “K-Koyori!”

“Yay! Possessive Iroha is cute as well!” Koyori remarks, bouncing forward to hug her.

“Eh?” Iroha stops walking and raises her arms, leaving them uselessly hovering over Koyori. “Seriously, what is this all about?” Iroha asks.

“Nothing really,” she giggles. “Anon and I were just chatting, and the way he talked about you made me… a bit jealous.”

Iroha allows herself a moment to do a mental double take on what her friend just said. “He… talked about me?”

“Mhm!”

Iroha shrinks back and grips her forearm as she flutters her eyelids. “What… what did he say?”

Koyori smirks and places a hand on her hip, as if teaching a lesson. “Not much. All he did was gush about how cool you look when doing sports and how much he respects your training.” Koyori begins to laugh, clutching at her stomach as she does so. When her friend stays silent, she simmers down. “...Iroha?”

A feverish heat expands across Iroha’s cheeks and out to her ears as her eyes widen. She takes a step back, suddenly lightheaded, before wobbling down into a squat as she puts her hands over her burning face. “Yes… yes!” she whispers, squeezing her eyelids shut. “It was worth it. After three years… it was all worth it!”

Koyori leans down, creasing her brow in confusion. “Three years? Eh? But… we’ve only known Anon for a year…”

But Iroha shakes her head, a hidden smile permeating through her features. She notices her heart pounding faster than it would after running a marathon as her head runs through a thousand different thoughts. This is what she’s always wanted. This is what she’s been working towards this whole time.

“Ahh! Koyoriii!” Iroha cries, springing to her feet and wrapping her friend into a hug. “I’m so… happy!”

“Eh!? Ehhhh!?” The roles are reversed as Koyori hover-hands her friend, completely clueless about whatever she might be talking about.

***

The sky of grey mist has parted, giving way to the surprisingly pleasant light of a weary sun. The horizon glows with a melted amber, its colour diffusing into the chunks of clouds that remain scattered across the sky. The air is warm, but a far cry from the unbearable sauna it has been the past couple of weeks. The water splashes as a rock strikes the river’s surface, the blurry reflection of the sun breaking along the dotted line created by the stone. Five skips. Roberu bends down to search for another.

“You looking forward to the fireworks, Anon?” Oga asks after a silence, using his thumb and forefinger to flick a stone across the river. It skips seven times, then plunges into the water. The three of you have been skipping stones by the water for the past half hour, occasionally chatting about whatever topic comes up. It’s virtually a tradition to do something like this with them now and then, like a default pastime whenever there’s nothing special to attend. A bystander might see it as a waste of time, but spending meaningless time with your friends is more meaningful than most things in your life.

“Yeah, it should be fun,” you say simply, absorbed in selecting your projectile. “I haven’t been going to as many festivals as I’d like to, and the girls will be there.” You take a smooth, flat stone from the bank and feel around for the ideal grip as you prepare to toss.

Roberu stands up to face you. “You like Iroha, right?”

You throw it. The rock fails to skip even once, striking the water like a brick and plummeting into the river’s depths. You watch the ripples on the surface widen their radii, focusing on your faceless, blurry reflection among them. Your mind takes the following silence as a chance to examine Roberu’s question, unfold it and put together your feelings. Your two friends turn to look at you as you stand frozen in place, staring down at the fleeting tremors in the water.

“Yeah. I do,” you reply quietly.

Oga claps his hands. “Ha! YES! I knew it!”

“Woohoo! He’s not gay!” Roberu laughs, skimming another stone across the river. “In that case, you may as well use this festival to ask her out.”

“Ask her out? No chance, dude,” you say, flicking another stone. “She’d shoot me down faster than I can say ‘I like you’. Iroha’s way out of my league.”

“Out of your-!? Come on man, none of that shit,” Oga sighs, giving up on stone skimming as he takes a seat on the riverbank. “She’s way closer to you than any other guys I know, and that includes Roberu and I.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean she feels the same way. The last thing I want is to confess and end up ruining the friendship we have.”

Your friends dwell on that for a second. They both know that their connection to Iroha, Koyori and Suisei is only through you. Things going south in your relationship with Iroha would sour the entire group’s dynamic.

“Even so, this might be your chance.” He points at your bracelet. “When was the last time you felt something towards a girl your age? If you let this one get away, you might actually end up gay.”

‘I’m not fucking gay I just…” you sigh and take a seat on the bed of fluffy grass, resting your left wrist over your knee to examine the bracelet you had been given three years ago, by that girl. “It’s hard to explain. I don’t know why my brain refuses to crush on a normal amount of girls.” You shake your left wrist. “This used to be the only girl I ever liked, which is why I’ve held onto it for so long. No other woman has made me feel the same. But if you were to ask me why I… have no clue.”

Roberu takes a knee beside you, leaving the three of you seated by the river as the sun begins its descent past the horizon. “Why don’t you tell us about her? That might make things clearer.”

You take a deep breath and release it a second later, staring at the accessory on your wrist. Memories begin to surface, of a sunny weekend day. It was hot, but the breeze was pleasant. A quiet street, and a girl.

“Maybe you’re right,” you say as a soft smile touches your lips. “Maybe you’re right.”

***

The summer holidays had always started off slow. Your friends preferred to stay inside for the first few days,

From here:
They need to go buy yukatas for the festival so you can’t come -> Koyori tells Iroha about your praise, she nearly collapses with happiness -> Text from bros while thinking about Iroha -> Skipping rocks, you reveal that you like Iroha -> Tell them about the bracelet and the girl you met -> Skip forward to three girls waiting at summer festival, Iroha talks about how she truly met Anon -> Don’t tell him! Iroha, are you ok with that? -> Festival, kiss, relax at shrine -> Suisei convo -> Epilogue visiting hometown

//This is what I’ve been working towards, for so many years

Years… We’ve only known Anon since last year

//Drops coins in past when you’re helping her get train tickets

//Continue to makeout through the fireworks

“We missed most of the fireworks”.

//Sniff her hair when she mentions she’s a bit sweaty

“Did you just sniff me?”
“I don’t know why you were making such a big deal. You smell fine.”

//Easily carrying all her bags, she struggles to even keep up

(This is in the past)

//Hey. You’re not getting away.

Like hell I’m gonna let that stop me.

//Iroha forgot her wallet (with tickets) on the way to an event with Koyori

//After giving her tickets, she meets with you after show is over

//Explore the aquarium with her.

Follow her to the venue and return it to her

//Travelling to Iroha’s hometown deep in the mountains

//Past Iroha mentions she can cook