Utaha had helped several tourists during their trip, which left her in an unusually good mood.
When she proudly declared, "It turns out my Chinese skills are this good now," Haru, ever the supportive companion, chimed in with encouragement. Even Yukino, for once, refrained from mocking her.
Yukino had also been paying attention to the interaction between Utaha and the tourists, and even she had to admit that the other girl's Chinese was impressively fluent. Plus, it had been a nice, helpful gesture on Utaha's part, so she refrained from her usual sarcasm.
But, despite not mocking her, Yukino was still angry about what Utaha had done while she was napping earlier. She had taken advantage of her sleep to get up to no good.
Once they entered the venue, they found the area already packed with people attending the fireworks festival. In the distance, a makeshift stage had been set up, and a group of lively, youthful girls were performing a dance and song routine.
The four of them curiously watched for a while, and Haru speculated that they were probably some kind of idols since he didn't recognize any of them.
"Are these the underground idols you sometimes see online?" Utaha asked, a hint of interest in her voice.
Haru shook his head. "They're probably a bit better than that. At least they get paid gigs."
"That makes sense," Utaha agreed, then pulled out her phone to snap a few pictures.
Megumi, meanwhile, was busy taking photos of the surrounding crowd.
Yukino, holding her camera, snapped a few shots of the buildings and then handed it over to Haru.
"Am I your personal photographer now?" He quipped.
Yukino gave a satisfied nod. "I'm glad you didn't continue being an idiot."
"Wow, you really think so little of me, don't you?" he grumbled, but he obediently followed her instructions, capturing the scenes she wanted.
"That's probably the group of tourists from earlier," Yukino remarked as she selected another shot of her preferred buildings and scenery. She had noticed the tourists from before, now arguing with a large bald man. The tension in the air was palpable.
He aimed the camera at the group, adjusting the lens. "Yep, that's them."
As soon as he spoke, he walked toward the scene.
"What's he going to do?" Utaha, having just finished taking some photos, turned around and noticed him walking off.
Yukino gave a faint smile. "He's probably going to right some wrongs."
Megumi immediately understood. She knew his alter ego, Hooded Hero, well enough to recognize what he was up to.
It was only Utaha who remained clueless.
Not because Haru had tried to hide it, but simply because Utaha had never shown much interest. Even when the news of the Hooded Hero had reached its peak, she hadn't bothered to pay attention.
"We should go too," Yukino said quietly, already starting to leave.
Utaha and Kato followed her.
When they reached his side, the female tourists who had been trying to communicate with the bald, burly man were still struggling, gesturing with their hands as they spoke. However, the bald man's expression was one of hostility.
"You're all looking to die, huh? I've already told you, you're not welcome here," he growled.
The tourists, their faces flushed, were trying to argue back when Haru appeared, holding his camera. "Is this your house?"
The bald man froze, clearly not expecting anyone to intervene.
When he saw the stunning beauty of Yukino and Utaha, his surprise deepened. His sharp eyes quickly assessed that the group was probably made up of students based on their looks and attire.
With his tone even more hostile, he sneered, "It's none of your business."
Haru acted as if he hadn't heard him and smiled. "You still haven't answered my question. If this is your house, do you expect all the tourists here for the fireworks to leave?"
"I told you, it's none of your business!" The bald man avoided answering the question.
Yukino couldn't help but sneer. "So quick to get nervous. Haru, hurry up and wrap this up. Talking to someone like him is just a waste of time."
Utaha crossed her arms and lightly commented, "I thought he'd either try to make excuses or threaten us with some grand display of strength, but turns out I overestimated him."
Haru chuckled. "This is the giant who talks big but can't back it up. A Yordle in action."
The bald man's face turned red from their taunts.
And yet, he didn't dare to act out.
Haru's group was clearly underage, and with so many police officers present at the fireworks event, he wasn't stupid enough to cause trouble in front of them.
In the end, he shot them a furious glare, his face dark with anger, and stormed off.
The tourists quickly expressed their gratitude and explained the situation. It was simple: while walking, they had accidentally bumped into the bald man. They apologized, but he kept escalating things, getting more and more unreasonable.
Haru waved it off with a smile. "We just couldn't stand him. Don't worry about it. Every place has people like him. Don't let someone like that ruin your mood."
He then switched to Chinese: "There's a saying online, isn't there? It's better to create death for others than to suffer from your own mental struggles."
The ponytailed woman's eyes lit up. "You can speak Chinese?"
She began to look at Haru with a more intense gaze.
Yukino and Utaha both frowned.
Fortunately, Haru noticed their discomfort and immediately said with a smile, "Sister, I'm underage."
The woman's smile froze, and she awkwardly coughed. "Oh, I was just saying, you look so fresh-faced…"
Her companions laughed from the side.
As the group of tourists walked off, Utaha suddenly spoke up. "I feel like, if something like this happens again, you shouldn't be the spokesperson."
Her words were practically saying, I'm a bit jealous.
Yukino snickered. "First time I've seen you so petty, senpai."
Utaha's expression remained unchanged. "Didn't you care just now?"
"I did."
Yukino was unusually calm.
"Then why mock me?"
"Though I cared, I know what Haru would do, so I found what you said earlier quite amusing."
It was clear that Yukino's annoyance with Utaha had grown, likely because of the earlier incident when Utaha had snuck away during Yukino's nap.
"The fireworks show is about to start. We should hurry and grab a good spot."
Haru, who had been one of the "offenders" in the nap incident, had no choice but to step in and mediate.
He certainly didn't want the two girls to continue bickering.
Given Yukino's fierce nature, if Utaha had really gotten on her nerves, she might have ended up kneeling in front of everyone in the middle of this lively event.
Just imagining that scene was enough to make anyone shudder.
With him stepping in, the two beautiful girls finally stopped arguing.
However, Yukino shot him a deep look, which seemed to say: I expect an explanation later.
He could only sigh inwardly. He had made a mistake and knew he'd have to own up to it later.
Utaha's face wasn't much better.
She realized then that the reason Yukino had been so hard on her today must be because of what happened during the nap.
And once she thought about it, more embarrassing images from earlier came rushing back.
The curtains had been drawn tight, the door locked. She had been left in just a skirt, which had ended up around her waist.
In the end, she was pressed against the wall, hands on it for support.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt her legs going numb again.
Haru, with his strong physique, had found a good spot and led the three girls to stand there. Before long, the surrounding noise gradually quieted down.
The announcer for the fireworks festival had started speaking.
Then, brilliant bursts of fireworks filled the sky. The dazzling colors intermingled, painting the night sky in the most radiant hues, like an artist's brush strokes, sketching magnificent scenes across the dark canvas above.
"Haru!" Yukino called out, her voice a little louder than usual, concerned he couldn't hear her.
He raised his camera in understanding and began recording the entire spectacle.
Yukino then relaxed and continued to enjoy the display.
After all, she was a girl, and things like fireworks—beautiful and romantic—did stir a certain longing within her.
That was why she had prepared the camera ahead of time and handed it to him.
The fireworks display lasted a long time, so not everyone felt like staying and watching the whole thing.
After the initial excitement and novelty wore off, many of the visitors began to wander off and do other things.
"Should we get something to eat?" A suggestion from Megumi.
"I remember there were plenty of food stalls on the way here," said Utaha, sounding interested. She turned to Haru and Yukino. "Do you want anything?"
Both of them shook their heads.
"Then I'll go with Megumi to grab something."
Utaha pulled Megumi with her as they walked off.
Haru watched them go before teasing Yukino. "Your relationship with Utaha is so strange. Just this afternoon, you two were practically at each other's throats."
"Why, are you dissatisfied?" Yukino's sharp gaze locked on him, and she threw in a jab.
He immediately apologized. "I did something bad earlier this afternoon. I'm guilty."
"Who asked you that?"
Yukino blushed, her face softening. She had originally planned to interrogate him once they were back, but this wasn't the right place. After all, they were in a public setting, and she didn't want to discuss his "crimes" here.
"I can tell you're angry, and I really did do something bad, so I have to admit it," He said earnestly.
Yukino rubbed her forehead, looking slightly pained. "Looks like my guess was right. You two really took advantage of me while I was napping…"
She trailed off, but her blush said it all.
Just as he opened his mouth, Yukino quickly continued. "No wonder she was acting a little off when we were in the bath earlier. I didn't realize she had… other intentions."
"Other intentions? What are you talking about?" Haru raised an eyebrow. "That's a weird way to put it."
"Would you prefer I use sharper words?" Yukino shot back.
"No, no, this one works fine," he hastily agreed.
He could tell Yukino had already formed her opinion about Utaha. In her mind, Utaha had become the "sneak runner," someone who would definitely do embarrassing things if she ever started sneaking around.
In fact, he hadn't been wrong.
At this moment, Yukino was thinking exactly that.
She even wondered: with Utaha's boldness, maybe she had unlocked some... unusual positions.
Thinking about it made her even more irritated.
After all, the only person affected by that movie earlier wasn't just Utaha.
She and Megumi had chosen to take a bath to cool off, as well as change out of their wet clothes. But Utaha had used the opportunity to race ahead and achieve what Yukino felt was a "shortcut" to victory.
Haru saw that Yukino's expression had shifted to something between anger and embarrassment, and cautiously asked, "What are you thinking?"
Yukino sighed lightly. "I just remembered something you said to me before. A Chinese saying."
"What saying?"
"'The older, the wiser.'"
"...Don't think I don't understand that you're calling Utaha older than you," Haru said with a laugh.
"Ah, so you're clever after all."
Yukino sarcastically teased him.
Turning her head, she noticed a lot of couples around them, hugging or even kissing, taking advantage of the romantic atmosphere created by the fireworks display.
On such a night, no one seemed to find it strange. Nobody was really paying attention.
Yukino's face flushed with embarrassment.
Suddenly, she had an idea.
If Utaha could sneak around, then surely she could do the same and it would be perfectly fine.
By the time he noticed that Yukino had been silent for a while, he turned to find her looking at him, her lips pressed together in a soft, inviting way.
Her gaze was a little shy, but it was full of anticipation.
He understood immediately and pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.
Her eyes seemed to shimmer with a slight tremor, and she whispered, "Just hold me, nothing else."
He couldn't help but smile.
If she truly felt that way, then there was no need to say it at all.
But now that she had said it, it meant she wasn't entirely opposed.
Without another word, he kissed her soft lips.
She quickly shut her shy eyes and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Another couple joined the crowd, embracing and kissing under the fireworks, without drawing any attention from the people around them.
Except for Utaha and Megumi, who were nearby carrying snacks.
"Damn it! I just leave for a moment, and she's already making a move!"