The After-Festival Celebration (2)
“Huh… looks like it’s just the two of us now.”
“Yeah… seems that way.”
“That was definitely on purpose. No doubt about it. This was their plan from the start, wasn’t it?”
“Can’t say it doesn’t feel that way.”
“Honestly, everyone’s way too nosy. It’s not like w-we’re in that kind of relationship or anything.”
“Well… yeah. You’re right.”
(Was that just now a preemptive warning?)
It almost felt like she was subtly telling me, “Don’t let the campfire atmosphere get to your head and do something reckless, like confessing.”
Well, I couldn’t blame her. In Hasumin’s eyes, I was just some random classmate she couldn’t even remember the name of after summer break.
It had only been a month since then.
There was no way we’d suddenly be talking about feelings for each other.
At best, I’d maybe just reached the level of “one of her friends.”
To be honest, my experience with romance was so nonexistent that I wasn’t even sure.
I wasn’t even certain if I liked Hasumin that way.
I thought she was bright, hardworking, and genuinely a great person—but jumping straight to the idea of dating felt like an entirely different conversation.
(I may have saved the otherworld Orphermaus, as a hero… but before that, I was just some introverted nobody. When it comes to romance, I’m a total amateur.)
And once I got to that world, all I did was fight through the brutal Demon King War as a hero.
If anything, those life-or-death battles only made me even more clueless about relationships.
(Combat, at least, is simple. No matter how complicated things get, as long as I take down my opponent and I’m the last one standing, I win. That’s the rule.)
But love… love was nothing like a battlefield.
In the first place, romance isn’t even about winning or losing.
What really matters is forming a deep, mutual connection with the person you care about.
And in that regard, I was completely lacking in experience.
That said, when the time comes, I won’t hesitate to confess.
I’m not afraid of rejection.
But my biggest flaw is that I have no idea when the right time actually is.
Given that, I figured it’d be best to approach this whole thing with caution.
Right now, I was basically trying to fight a colossal beast—without a weapon, without skills, and completely naked.
There was no “fight” to even begin with.
(Maybe I should ask Nitta-san for advice? We got a little closer after the live show, so she might have some insight.)
As I stared into the flickering flames, lost in thought,
“Thanks for today. Mei takes things to heart, you know? If we hadn’t been able to perform, she would’ve been devastated. So having you step in as our backup guitarist really saved us.”
Hasumin murmured softly, her gaze still fixed on the bonfire.
“I’m just glad I could help.”
“Help? Shuhei-kun, you were so good it was actually intimidating. You can seriously do anything, huh? I was honestly blown away.”
“Well… I guess.”
Getting praised by a girl as cute as Hasumin definitely wasn’t a bad feeling.
But deep down, I felt a little guilty—because the truth was, most of my so-called talent came from the immense blessings I’d received from the goddess Athena.
“Seriously, though. Thank you. You were a huge help, and… you looked really cool up there.”
“Same goes for you. Your singing was incredible. Even from backstage, I could feel it.”
“Oh, come on, that’s definitely an exaggeration! I swear, Shuhei-kun, you just casually drop these lines like it’s nothing! You little flirt! You player! Take this! And this!”
Turning to face me, Hasumin playfully poked my cheek over and over with her finger.
“I’m being serious, though. Your voice has this raw, burning passion—like your soul is in it. I’d love to hear you sing again sometime.”
That wasn’t flattery, nor was it empty praise. It was exactly how I’d felt when I listened to her.
“W-Well then… if you’d like, um… maybe…”
“Hm? What is it?”
“Would you… wanna go to karaoke with me sometime?”
Maybe it was just the glow of the campfire lighting up her face, but—
As she mumbled that in a tiny voice, Hasumin’s cheeks were flushed bright red.