The After-Festival Celebration (3)
“Oh, nice, an after-party? Let’s go! You’re inviting Nitta-san and the others too, right?”
For the first time in my life, I was invited to an after-party—and by a cute girl, no less. Overwhelmed with joy, I answered with a beaming smile, but…
“Huh? Mei and the others? Uh, ah, yeah. That’s right, we should invite everyone.”
“…?”
Wait, was that a weird reaction from Hasumin just now?
Her voice seemed a little lower than usual.
…Does that mean she didn’t actually mean it?
Should I have refused instead?
Crap.
If that’s the case, maybe I should say I have plans and back out now.
I mean, I’m an outsider. And a guy, at that.
Up until recently, I was just some introverted nobody that Hasumin and her friends didn’t even know by name.
Me hanging out with their tight-knit group of four girls—outside of emergencies like filling in as a substitute guitarist—would normally be unthinkable.
And yet, here I was, so caught up in the excitement of the festival and the after-party that I hadn't even considered that.
“So, when should we go? Shuhei-kun, what’s your schedule like?”
But Hasumin quickly returned to her usual self.
Before I could even say a word, she flashed a smile and asked about my availability.
(…So it was just my imagination? Well, asking now would be awkward, so I’ll let it go. I’ll just take this chance to join Hasumin and the others.)
“I’m free after school, so I’m good anytime. Just let me know when.”
“Alright, we’ll figure it out on our end.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“Oh, by the way, our group has a strict no-lateness, no-last-minute-cancellations policy. Make sure you keep your promises.”
“Got it. I’ll engrave it into my soul.”
As we talked about the festival and all the preparations that had gone into it, Hasumin and I stood side by side, watching the flickering flames of the campfire.
“Whoa!?”
Suddenly, a passing student accidentally bumped into Hasumin’s shoulder from behind, making her lose her balance.
Thanks to the hyper-reflexes I had honed during my time as a hero, I instinctively reached out with my right hand and caught her, pulling her toward me just as she was about to fall forward.
“You okay?”
With my arm still wrapped around her, I gently asked.
“Ah… Y-Yeah… I’m okay…”
For some reason, Hasumin shrank into herself and mumbled in a tiny voice, her head tilted downward.
“That’s good. I doubt they meant any harm, but it’s getting pretty crowded around here.”
“Y-Yeah… Um, uh…”
Hasumin tensed up even more, her body stiffening.
“What’s wrong, Hasumin? You seem unusually nervous.”
“Um… well… your hand… it’s… on my waist…”
At her words, I suddenly realized—I had been holding her waist this entire time.
“Oh, my bad. It was instinctive. I’ll let go right away.”
“Huh? No… um… I-I don’t… mind…”
As she said that, she softly placed her left hand on my waist.
“Hasumin?”
“Ehehe… I-I really don’t mind…?”
“O-Oh…”
Without another word, we stood there in silence.
Our hands remained on each other’s waists, our bodies pressed close together.
Not only that, but Hasumin slowly leaned her weight against me.
Then, she gently rested her head on my shoulder.
From my right side, where our bodies were touching, I could feel the warmth and softness of Hasumin seeping into me.
Along with that, a faint, sweet fragrance reached my nose.
(What’s going on? Hasumin’s being really bold today. Maybe, like me, she’s getting caught up in the after-festival atmosphere?)
And so, for a while, we simply stayed like that, quietly watching the blazing campfire.
By the time the flames had dwindled and the surroundings were cloaked in darkness, we finally—wordlessly—pulled away from each other.
As her warmth left me, an inexplicable sense of emptiness washed over me.
“…S-Should we head home?”
“…Yeah. Most people have left already.”
Without saying much more, we started walking back.
The silence between us was nothing like our usual dynamic. But to me, that quiet moment felt strangely beautiful.
And just like that—
The most fun, fulfilling cultural festival of my first year of high school came to an end, without losing a single bit of its brilliance.