Ti passed quietly, and before we knew it, sumr vacation was drawing to a close.
While we were busy enjoying ourselves every day, we didn't realize that vacation was slipping away, day by day.
When we finally ca to our senses, we found that there was only one day left of sumr vacation, and we still had a mountain of howork to do.
As the saying goes, with a pen, a lamp, one night, a miracle...
Frantically catching up on howork on the day before school starts is the correct way for a student to end their sumr vacation.
Hachiman definitely wouldn't find himself in such a situation. For him now, sumr howork and the like could be easily handled with a little bit of ti.
But today was not just the last day of sumr vacation; it was also a special day, the Sumr Festival.
The Sumr Festival is a traditional festival in Japan, typically held from mid-July to late August each year. The timing of the Sumr Festival varies in different regions, with so lasting for several days and others being shorter.
This year, the Sumr Festival in Chiba was scheduled for the last day of August, which was today.
During the Sumr Festival, people dress in yukata or kimono and participate in the festive celebrations.
The local governnt also organizes a temple fair during this festival, with a variety of activities and shops.
For example, there are food stalls selling fried noodles, takoyaki, taiyaki, cotton candy, candy apples, and other snacks.
Moreover, there are many ga booths, such as goldfish scooping, ring tossing, shooting galleries, and lottery draws, commonly seen in ani.
Of course, there are also various specialty goods for sale, such as wind chis, folding fans, masks, and various amulets from shrines.
But the most important part of this temple fair is undoubtedly the fireworks display in the evening.
...
A few days ago, the girls had discussed going to the Sumr Festival together, and of course, they wouldn't forget to invite Hachiman.
As ti passed, it was already afternoon.
As the sun gradually set, the streets began to co alive.
Hachiman and Komachi had also changed into their yukata and were ready to go out to et the girls.
Just as the siblings stepped out of their house, they saw Gabriel and others coming out of the opposite apartnt building.
Because they were going to the Sumr Festival, the four of them were also wearing yukata.
Seeing them, Komachi waved happily.
"Good evening, Gab-nee, Vigne-nee, Raphiel-nee, and Satania-nee!"
Seeing Hachiman and his sister, the four also greeted them.
"Umm."
"Good evening, Hachiman, Komachi."
"Good evening, Hachiman-kun, Komachi-chan."
"Haha, good evening to both of you."
...
Upon hearing the various greetings, Komachi smiled.
"Sisters, let's go to the festival together."
"Sure."
Gabriel and the others nodded without hesitation. Originally, they had planned to et at the festival, so since they t now, they might as well go together.
The group grew in size even before they left. Hachiman and the others headed to the agreed-upon eting point, the station.
Arriving at the station, they found that most of the girls were already there.
Yukino, Yui, Yumiko, Ebina, Saeko, Utaha, Shizuka, Kotonoha, and Kotonoha's little sister were all present.
A group of girls stood together, forming a picturesque scene with their vibrant yukatas.
Spotting Hachiman's arrival, Yui couldn't resist running over to him, softly complaining, "Hikki, you're so slow."
Beside her, Yumiko nodded in agreent, saying, "Yeah, we waited for you for so long."
"Sorry, sorry, changing clothes took a bit of ti," Hachiman apologized with a smile, glancing at the gathered girls before suggesting, "Since everyone's here, let's go."
"Oh!!!"
Excited by Hachiman's suggestion, the girls cheered together and boarded the tram to the festival venue.
Due to the Sumr Festival, the tram was crowded with people wearing yukatas, including couples and families with children.
Before long, the tram arrived at its destination, and everyone disembarked.
As night fell, the streets teed with young won in yukatas, chatting and laughing.
However, what truly drew attention was Hachiman and the group of unique girls surrounding him, making it impossible for him to blend in.
Observing the girls flocking around Hachiman, many single n who ca alone couldn't help but feel jealous.
"Darn it, is this what being popular looks like? I couldn't even find a date today, and he's here with so many girls by himself."
"Yeah, it's unfair. How can there be such a big gap between people?"
"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm holding a torch and gasoline?"
"Jealousy makes want to split atoms."
...
Ignoring the resentnt from the surrounding n, Hachiman pretended not to notice anything. After all, being popular ant having to deal with others' envy.
Disregarding the onlookers' thoughts, Hachiman smiled at the girls and suggested, "Alright, let's go and et up with Erina and the others."
"Yeah," the girls agreed with nods.
And so, the group embarked once more, their spirits high.
When it ca to the Sumr Festival, the main attraction was undoubtedly the grand finale fireworks display, where thousands of fireworks illuminated the sky simultaneously, creating a breathtaking and magnificent scene.
However, due to the festival's popularity, it was often challenging to secure a good viewing spot.
But that was only a concern for ordinary attendees. Wealthier individuals would often pre-book premium viewing areas for a better vantage point.
Erina was no exception; she and Alice had already reserved a spot in the exclusive paid viewing area.
Led by Hachiman, the group arrived at the most exclusive viewing area, where Erina and Alice had been waiting for so ti.
Upon seeing Hachiman approaching, Erina's face initially lit up with joy, but soon turned to reproach.
"Jeez, you're so slow, aren't you?"
Erina was also clad in a yukata for the occasion. Her golden yukata, adorned with purple flower petals, exuded an air of aristocratic elegance that even the oversized garnt couldn't conceal her delicate figure.
Smiling at the yukata-clad girl, Hachiman chuckled, "Haha, sorry about that. We have quite a large group, so we're a bit slower."
"Hmph, alright, I'll let it slide this ti," Erina huffed, then acknowledged the others beside Hachiman.
"Saeko-nee, you're here."
Saeko and the others also greeted the girls.
In contrast to Erina's reproach, Alice was more forthright. Spotting Hachiman, she rushed over with a smile.
"Good evening, Hachiman-kun! How does my yukata look? It's my first ti wearing one."
As if to showcase it, she twirled around in front of Hachiman.
Having previously lived in Northern Europe, it was indeed Alice's inaugural experience at the Sumr Festival, making wearing a yukata a completely novel experience for her.
The white yukata complented Alice's snow-white skin, giving her a dazzling appearance.
"It suits you well, Alice," Hachiman praised.
Hearing Hachiman's complint, Alice giggled foolishly.
In her heart, his praise made all the effort she had put into wearing the yukata seem insignificant.
Another thing that made Alice happy was when her aunt, Mana Nakiri, whom Hachiman helped, and then her grandfather called her to his office and asked her to interact more with Hachiman in the future.
This news thrilled her beyond asure. With her grandfather's words, it ant that she would have the opportunity to openly be with Hachiman in the future, without the need for secrecy.
How could Alice not be happy about that?
...
Typically, the fireworks display would start around nine o'clock in the evening.
Before that, it was the much-awaited "eat, drink, and play" segnt.
There were all sorts of food stalls, toy shops, and ga booths to choose from.
Looking at the large group of girls around him, Hachiman smiled, "Since there's still so ti before the fireworks display, let's not just wait around here. Let's go explore."
"Today, whatever you girls want to buy or eat, I'll cover it all."
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