CH 42

—Hyuu~…..

**BOOM!!**

In the faint blue sky, as the sun had set, colorful fireworks brilliantly lit up the sky. The sound of the explosion echoed through the night sky, and the cheers of people increased every passing second.

“Wow…”

“Amazing…”

Startled by the intensity, both of us were mesmerized by the sight and uttered those words together.

The night sky shone brightly and the flickering lights of the fireworks illuminated Suzune’s face, who was sitting next to me.

As I gazed at her profile, which was happy yet somewhat fleeting, I suddenly thought that she was bewitchingly beautiful

She was always cute and pretty, and I was briefly captivated by her appearance in the Yukata in the morning, but this was a different kind of beauty. It was like something from my past, something I’d left behind in my youth, was coming back to me. Or maybe it was more like I was experiencing something I’d only ever read about in manga.

It was like a love story.

After all, I’d never even gone to a fireworks festival with a girlfriend before. Now that I was actually experiencing it myself, my heart was all aflutter.

“Hm?”

“What is it?”

Lost in thought, I turned to face her, and she looked back at me with a glint in her eye.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

“Nothing? Even though there are such beautiful fireworks going off?”

“…Uh, yeah.”

Even in this situation, she had a mischievous smile on her face.

“Hehe… I can see the fireworks through your eyes.”

“Oh really? Your stalking skills are helping you now?”

“That’s a bit harsh, don’t you think? Besides, I don’t have any intention of stalking you.”

“Heh. But you do have a bit of a possessive side to you, right?”

“Of course I do. It would be sacrilege to let someone as wonderful as you go to someone else. And really, there’s no one else out there who can match me, right?”

“You’re quite confident.”

“It’s not confidence. It’s just that, since the day you saved me, everything has been decided. Being united for the rest of our life was written in our fate, Senpai”

“The day I saved you… huh.”

“Yes. Everything changed for me on that day, at that moment.”

“Well, then… I guess I have to take responsibility for that.”

“Yes, please do.”

Then, Suzune placed her left hand on top of my right hand, which was lying on the ground.

“Ah…”

“Do you not like it?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Hehe~… well, then, please let me keep it like this.”

“Un…”

Following the turn of events. I quietly flipped my hand over, took a deep breath, and interlocked our fingers

I was reminded of the responsibility that had been entrusted to me.

Until just the other day, I had thought the same thing. I shouldn’t treat this lightly. Just because I helped her doesn’t mean I can put my hands on her. I shouldn’t let myself get caught up in it. As her senpai and the one who had helped her that day, I had decided to keep a close eye on her.

But then she told me that she loved me, to a dangerous degree when I came to the realization of her true feelings.

Of course, at first I didn’t understand her feelings and didn’t respond to her either. But as I talked with Mura and Kinoshita-senpai, I realized that I was just a coward.

“She’s just like that. She’s pretty pure, and I think she thinks about your well being more than she does about herself. Like, she doesn’t show her true feelings or she turns things inside out… I think she’s more sensitive than most people, so she thinks about various situations a lot.”

I remembered Shina-san’s words.

That’s right. She had been thinking about me all this time. That’s why she didn’t look at other guys and gave her utmost affection to me, even though she was embarrassed every day when she tried seducing me.

I was the one who had turned a blind eye to it and ignored it.

Honestly, thinking back on it now, I’m ashamed to have been her senpai.

As her senpai, I should have led Suzune, who was spinning her wheels like this.

That’s why I brought her here today.

A place with no one else around. A secret place that only I know.

Though anyone can come here as this place is not off-limits, but no one does. No one knows about this secret location.

Well, Kinoshita-senpai knows, but apparently she went down to watch with her family today and gave me permission to use it.

Anyway, I brought her to this place that’s almost like a secret code because I want Suzune to understand.

Sometimes, I want to lead her too.

No, sometimes I want to be the aggressor too.

Actually, it’s not like that.

I just want to devour her whole body.

One can either call it lust or desire.

“Hey.”

“What is it?”

When I turned around, her face was still beautiful no matter how many times I looked at it.

—Fusshhh! **BANG!!**

Once again, the multicolored fireworks exploded behind me.

Amidst the loud noise, I—

“I can’t take it anymore!”

“Eh?”

A small yet cute scream escaped her mouth.

“Um, excuse me Senpai…”

“Suzune.”

I pushed Suzune down to the ground and hugged her tightly.

Her large b*****s pressed against my chest, and I felt a soft warmth that calmed me to my core.

It was more pleasant than exciting.

When I called her name affectionately, Suzune trembled and shivered.

“Haha, usually you’re so calm, but now you are acting so timid?”

“B-because… se-senpai…”

“It’s kind of funny. It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve hugged you.”

“T-that’s… different from this…”

Her voice was shaking along with her body.

I felt a weak helplessness that I never felt from her before. I had never seen her in such a state.

“I couldn’t resist. You looked so beautiful and the Yukata and fireworks just increased your charm even more.”

“Uh… is that so?”

“Yeah, it’s too much for me.”

“…”

“Alright! I will finally put an end to your suffering. I like you, Suzune. Would you like to go out with me?”

“Eh?!”

I know that the confession was too sudden.

In between the fireworks, I spoke with all my heart, and then there was a deafening sound which forced me to close my eyes. When I opened my eyes again and saw her face, it had turned bright red.

“You are so cute, just as I thought.”

“T-that’s not fair… S-senpai.”

“Which one of us always does things to get the other excited? “

“Well, that’s, um, not the same thing… And besides, you always seem so calm and collected, Senpai. You never pay attention to me no matter what I do…”

“I’m sorry about that. But I wasn’t really that collected, you know? Because of that, I really want to devour you, Suzune… It’s your fault for seducing me.”

“Ugh…”

There was a moment of silence, and she averted her gaze embarrassedly…

“Well, if it’s just a little bit, then it’s okay.”

“Your face is all red.”

“W-what do you expect? It’s embarrassing when you say things like that.”

“Don’t you feel happy about it?”

“O-of course I’m happy…”

“Hehe. Well, not now though. We’ll do it when we get home.”

“…Okay.”

And so, I answered and leaned on my back sitting beside Suzune. We gazed up at the sky, which had turned completely dark, watching the fireworks fragments falling.

“When we get home… I’m looking forward to it, Suzune.”

“Yes… Ka-Zu-Ma Senpai~…”