Romantic Killer But I Made It Gay

Part 84

After getting Emi's food, we wave goodbye to Makoto and start back to where I left Kazuki. He doesn't ask any questions, just hands me my food with a glance at Emi as we start back to our meet up spot.

As we're walking a bright light explodes above me and we slow to look up as the firework show begins. Colorful flashes of red, green, purple and white dance around the night sky, lighting up the festival better than any lamp.

"Woah..." I breathe. I forgot how beautiful fireworks can be, since I was always cooped up in my room playing video games when festivals were happening outside. I would turn up the volume to try and block out the crackles and pops as the fireworks exploded.

But now, seeing it fully, it makes me regret hiding out there. I should've gone when Emi begged me to join her. I should've gone by my own fruition; these fireworks could've lit me up inside too. I feel like nothing can ruin this moment.

"Kazuki! Emi! Haru!"

I sigh, the noise of the fireworks drowning it out. Almost nothing. But if Kiki's here, that means the others are too, so I turn to smile at Junta and, for some reason, Hijiri. When they reach us, Kiki pickpockets me for my phone and raises it up, flipping the camera to face all of us.

"Let's take a selfie! We can show everyone how good we look in our Yukatas!"

"No thanks," I mutter, camera shy as always. I don't want to even look at myself after running away like that.

"I'm with Haru," Kazuki agrees, but when we turn to Junta his eyes are sparkling as if  reflecting the fireworks.

Before Kazuki or I can say anything else, Kiki snaps the photo and tosses my phone back to me. I turn to a Hijiri questioningly and he shrugs.

"Fancy seeing you here, Mori."

"You do realize this is a festival for commoners, right?" I want to feel annoyed but for some reason, with the explosions echoing in my ears, it's tough to feel anything but excitement.

"Actually, fireworks used to be entertainment for nobles," he informs me smugly.

"Oh, I see." I turn back to the fireworks, deciding to ignore him from here on out.

"Haru! Let's take a picture too!" Emi calls and I begrudgingly comply as she holds up her camera, inching closer to me but not touching my shoulder, and snaps a photo with the fireworks dancing behind us.

"Aren't we backlit?" I wonder and she glances at the photo, yelping,

"Oh no! We are! Well, I guess we're always going to be backlit if the fireworks are behind us."

"That is how cameras work," I agree, although I honestly have no idea how cameras work. I'm just glad to not be in another photo, especially not one she could use to blackmail me.

"Go have fun," she orders, waving a hand at the rest of the group but not looking up from her phone. "I'll figure this out."

"Sure." I head toward Junta and Kazuki, but when I'm almost there Kiki sticks out a foot to trip me, making me stumble into Kazuki, who grabs me shoulders to steady me. Junta, at the same time, grabs my hand, trying to pull me back to my feet, but Kazuki doesn't let go. And so I find myself the rope between two strong guys; not necessarily a bad position, unless I were trying to be anything but the rope.

"Um..." I try and both boys realize what they're doing, quickly letting go. Unfortunately that means I have nothing to hold onto as I tumble onto the ground.

"Haru!" Junta cries, extending a hand worriedly. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

"You're always falling, it seems." Kazuki extends his own hand and I look between the two. It's only a small moment, but I feel like this symbolizes something—it's always this moment in dating games where the heroin alludes to who she likes more, and I feel like they both know that. Fine then.

I shake my head and push myself off the ground, ignoring the rocks digging into my palms. "I wouldn't fall so much if someone wasn't always tripping me."

As usual, they don't seem to hear me, and I can tell from Kiki's smirk she had everything to do with it.

Well, at least I'm okay. I guess she wouldn't do anything to really hurt me, except for—SPILLING MY YAKITORI!

I stare in horror at the open box, the aromatic chicken spilled out onto the dirt. There's no saving it now, unless I want the special, limited edition soil flavor.

"Oh, that's too bad," Kazuki sighs, following my gaze.

"Let's pick it up." Junta starts scooping chicken back into the box and I glare at Kiki until she relents and starts helping him.

"You can have some of mine," Kazuki offers as we start helping as well. I pause to stare at him.

"Really?"

"I can always make more," he assures me sensibly. "I'll look it up when we get home."

"Thank you." I feel my face break into a grin. Even though Kiki's plans are annoying, I almost feel grateful to it. Without its metaling I would've never met Kazuki, and who knows when I would've seen Junta again? Oh, and I guess I would've never met Hijiri, but I don't really care about that.

I almost feel grateful, except for the fact it spilled my Yakitori. That's unforgivable.

But still...I hope we can come again next year.