Chapter 22: [Encounter and Farewell]
On the second day.
The four of us, Angu-ogu, Ah-nee, Mai, and I were at a summer festival.
Because it''s been a long time, and everyone is wearing a yukata.
<So beautiful and cute! "Kimono" is nice! And the "food stalls" are great! So many interesting things!!!>
Angu-ogu is happily looking around the stalls. Ah-nee is ordering items for her.
I was nipping with "Ma~i!"
"You know how bad Ah-nee sleeps, don''t you?"
"Wha… what are you talking about? Does, Doesn''t, Doesn''t know, Mai doesn''t know anything!"
"Jiiii~~"
"Ugh …… ahhhh~. Iroha-chan, don''t you want some takoyaki~?"
Aaaan, she offers me one of her takoyaki.
I bite into the toothpick. It''s so hot, I chew it while writhing in agony. Mmm, it''s good.
"Oh well. I''ll forgive you."
"Ho-……."
"Hey, Mai?"
There was something that had been bothering me for a long time, but I couldn''t bring myself to ask.
I looked away to hide my guilt.
In the corner of my eye, I saw Ah-nee and Angu-ogu, "Woah!" <Gee!>, and making a fuss.
Ah-nee bought a candy apple and offered it to Angu-ogu, but Angu-ogu was too rmed to ept it, saying, "Another ‘crunchy plum''!" Ah-nee bursts outughing when she sees that.
Their merrymaking gave me courage, and I spoke up.
"Mai, don''t you think about bing a VTuber yourself? You know what we do, right?"
"Yes, I know! I don''t think mom and dad knew much about VTubers, but Mai watched Ah-nee when she first started streaming. That''s why I look up to you so much."
"Then why?"
"Impossible! Impossible! It''s different for Mai to stream~! Mai isn''t suited for that kind of streaming. I''m not good at talking in front of people like that. onee-chan already invited Mai. But Mai turned it down～."
"Oh? Was that so?"
"Yeah. Mai likes to go to school every day and study hard. Ehehe~ I thought it was cowardly of me not to try like this, but onee-chan told me."
Mai looked up and followed her gaze to Ah-nee''s back.
It was a look as if she was looking at something dazzling.
"[There is no such thing as which life is better than the other]. [Mai can go on with her life if she wants to]. So I''m fine the way I am. I''m fine the way, I am."
Mai smiled shyly, "Well, I haven''t decided what I want to do in the future yet."
To be honest, I underestimated Mai. No, I underestimated children.
They are already thinking about a lot of things in their little bodies.
<Iroha! It''s about time! Let''s go!>
"Come on, Mai, let''s go!"
I was pulled along by Angu-ogu, and Mai by her sister.
We were taken to a slightly elevated ce.
<3, 2, 1……>
There are colorful flowers painted on the dark canvas.
The sound and shock shook me to my core.
<"Tamaya!">
Angu-ogu shouted. I felt like shouting too, so I joined in and shouted.
I usually write in my diary during the summer vacation, but today I felt like writing it down right away.
＊ ＊ ＊
<I''ve enjoyed these three days! Thanks to both of you. Thank you!!!>
We hade to the airport to see Angu-ogu off.
There was no time left before thest flight to the US.
<Ogu, are you leaving?>
<Oh, no, don''t cry. It''s not like it''s goodbye for life.>
<No, I''m not crying.>
I said and wiped my eyes.
The past three days had flown by. And yet, I hade to take it for granted that I was with Ogu.
<That''s right, here. I didn''t get around to giving it to you after all.>
<Oh, your autograph. Thank you.>
For a while, we both fell silent.
Everything that needed to be done has been done. We both feel that this is the time to say goodbye.
Angu-ogu spoke in a mumbled voice.
<This trip was so short that I could do a little sightseeing. But next time I n to take a week''s vacation and came back to Japan. I''m going to go all over Japan and eat all the local delicacies!>
Angu-ogu looked out the window.
Her voice was faintly trembling.
<Ogu?>
<I''ve experienced summer in Japan, so I think I''ll do spring next time. Then I''ll see the cherry blossoms. And the next time, I''lle back in the fall to see the autumn leaves. This is not goodbye, I wille back to Japan many times in the future. So–.>
Angu-ogu turned her eyes toward me.
Her eyelids were filled with tears.
<So, pleasee to America, Iroha, for sure!>
<……!>
Me in America?
I had never thought about it. No, I''ve only been to the US once in my life. The result was disastrous, though.
<Okay. I''ll be there.>
I hear an announcement.
It''s time to go.
<……I''ll be there, then.>
<……Yes.>
Angu-ogu turns her back and starts to walk away.
Her back is getting smaller and smaller.
Is this goodbye? Really?
I felt like there was still something I needed to tell him. But I didn''t know how to verbalize my feelings. So, at least, I shouted.
<Ogu!>
Ogu looked back at me.
She looked back at me as if he had been waiting for me to say something like that. I felt like I got the message.
<Iroha!>
She threw down her bag and ran toward me.
She hugged me as if she was going to hit me. I hugged her tightly.
<Iroha, I''ll see you again! I''ll see you again!>
Saying this, Angu-ogu moved her face closer to mine.
I turned around reflexively. <Eh>. At the moment…
<Ngh!>, "GuugH"
"Aa", "Gyaaaaah~?!"
Angu-ogu''s eyes widened in astonishment. I would have the same look on my face.
Ah-nee''s mouth dropped open, and Mai screamed.
<"Woahhhhhh ～～～～!">
Angu-ogu and I jumped back.
I wiped my mouth with the hem of my dress as if it were a mirror reflection.
<Whawhawha! What are you doing, Ogu?>
<No, no! I just got excited and tried to give you a cheek kiss!>
<I knew it was a kiss! You zombie in heat!>
<No! A cheek kiss is just a cheek-to-cheek kiss! Not lips! You shouldn''t have turned around, Iroha! Iroha is the dirty one! >
<What? That''s not what I–!>
<That''s Iroha''s…!>
"Ma, Ma, Mai, Mai''s Iroha-chan aaaaahhhhhhhh!"
"Ha-ha-ha-ha!"
Where was the emotional atmosphere from earlier?
In the end, our parting was quite a noisy one.
But I was no longer lonely. We would see each other again. I''m sure.
……Ah, by the way, I told the news that Angu-ogu kissed me during the stream.
She immediately appeared in the chats and desperately tried to exin herself, but it was toote. In no time, it was clipped, and hit a record-high number of views.