Under the flickering glow of the streetlamp, Ryuichi's gaze hardened as he faced the bearded middle-aged man in front of him.
So this guy… thought he was harassing Ichika?
Was he trying to protect her?
Judging by his reaction, their relationship didn't seem ordinary.
Just as Ryuichi was about to speak, Nakano Ichika clapped the man on the shoulder and exclaimed,
"Ah! Someone's breaking into your car!"
"What!?"
The man spun around instantly. Ichika seized the chance—she grabbed Ryuichi's hand and bolted down the street.
"...Hey, Ichika?"
Ryuichi could only follow, confusion flickering across his mind.
"Hehe, don't ask—just run! Otherwise he'll catch us!"
Glancing back with a hurried smile, Ichika's expression flickered beneath the streetlight. It was bright, but a little forced.
Ryuichi said nothing more. Together, they slipped into a narrow alleyway.
Meanwhile, the bearded man, after checking his car and finding nothing wrong, scratched his head in bewilderment. By the time he looked back, both Ichika and Ryuichi had vanished into the crowd. He turned in circles helplessly, surrounded only by the flow of people beneath the fireworks sky.
Inside the alley, Ichika suddenly shoved Ryuichi against the wall.
Slap!
Her hand pressed firmly beside his face.
Wait—was this… a kabedon?
Ryuichi blinked, a little speechless. What kind of situation was this supposed to be?
He had no idea what was going on, but he kept his composure, silently meeting Ichika's gaze. The two stood locked in stillness, their eyes searching one another.
After a long pause, Ichika smiled faintly.
"Say... could you keep everything that just happened a secret?"
Her tone softened, eyes lowering as a hint of melancholy shadowed her voice. "I can't go watch the fireworks with them."
Ryuichi looked down slightly, keeping his eyes aligned with hers.
"You know they all want the five sisters to be together."
"Of course I know," Ichika answered with a rueful smile.
It wasn't as if she didn't want that too.
"It's just that work suddenly came up, so I had to skip the fireworks this year."
"Work?" Ryuichi tilted his head, catching on quickly. "That uncle earlier—he's your coworker?"
"Hehe, yeah, something like that."
"So the others don't know yet."
Ichika's expression turned sheepish. "Haha... I was planning to tell them once I made a bit of a name for myself first."
"You sure you're fine with that? The fireworks have always been your family's tradition, right? You used to watch them every year with your mother."
Ryuichi's calm words made Ichika blink in surprise.
"…How do you know about that?"
"Miku told me."
"She even told you that, huh..." Ichika gave a helpless smile. "Well, we're quintuplets—since we all look the same, it shouldn't matter if one of us isn't there, right?"
Ryuichi narrowed his eyes slightly, replying flatly, "Would you really dare say that to their faces?"
"…!"
Ichika fell silent, caught off guard by the jab, and then let out a resigned laugh.
"Still... why do you even care? What does this have to do with you, Ryuichi?"
"Who knows. Maybe I just didn't want to miss my chance to show off how cool and dependable I am."
Ryuichi said it so casually that Ichika was left staring, utterly dumbfounded.
Was this guy serious? How could anyone say something that shameless with a straight face…
Suddenly, she spotted a familiar figure approaching the alley—the same bearded man from before. Her expression changed instantly.
"Ah! He found me again!"
She hurried to the edge of the alley, peeking around the corner. The man was scanning the area with a confused look.
"Oh no, oh no... I totally tricked him earlier! If he catches me, I'm dead!"
Thinking fast, Ichika grabbed Ryuichi by the waist and pulled him close, spinning them around so she was hidden behind him. To anyone looking from outside, they looked like a couple locked in a tight, intimate embrace.
Ryuichi exhaled softly. "This kind of job wasn't in the contract, you know. That's going to cost extra."
"What are you even talking about?" Ichika muttered, her voice a mix of panic and laughter. "Please, just help me out! If he sees me, I'm finished!"
Ryuichi sighed but wrapped his arms around her anyway. His broad shoulders easily shielded her slender frame. With so many people wearing yukata tonight, there was little risk of being recognized.
Ichika completely pressed into his chest, and Ryuichi couldn't ignore the sensation of her soft curves against him—the subtle warmth seeping through the thin fabric.
"If someone saw us like this, they'd think we were a couple," Ichika murmured, cheeks flushed.
"There's no doubt about it," Ryuichi replied calmly, glancing toward the alley's entrance—where, to his disbelief, the bearded man had actually sat down, as if camping there.
"Haha... we're just friends, and yet this looks so suspicious," Ichika said awkwardly, her face burning bright red.
The muffled roar of fireworks echoed from the festival outside. For nearly ten seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then Ryuichi finally said, in a soft voice, "You're not actually worried about getting scolded, are you?"
"Eh?"
"You're struggling with whether to leave or not. Deep down, you really want to be with your sisters, watching the fireworks together."
His words brushed against her ear like a gentle breeze, and Ichika froze.
After a moment, her lips curved into a faint, bittersweet smile.
"You... can tell that too, huh?"
"What do you think?" Ryuichi replied simply. "I'm a Devil."
"Ha... you really are scary, Ryuichi."
"I just think you're easy to read," he said lightly. "You don't want to quit this job either, do you?"
Ichika fell silent, then nodded slightly after a pause.
"I like this job. That uncle—he's a photographer. We've been learning how to capture better shots, create better work. I've never felt more fulfilled than I do now."
"I see."
For Ichika, watching the fireworks with her sisters was precious—it was one of the few memories she still shared with their late mother. But her newfound passion, the job she loved, was equally important.
That's why her heart was torn between the two.
She wanted to keep working, yet didn't know how to explain it to her siblings.
Ryuichi could read her hesitation clearly.
"People always say we shouldn't waste life on things we'll regret," he said in a low voice. "But sometimes, no matter what you choose, you're bound to regret something."
He met her eyes steadily. "There's rarely a perfect answer in this world. You'll always have to give something up. But... you're quintuplets. No matter what path you choose, I believe your sisters will understand you."
The sound of fireworks filled the silences between them—warm, fleeting, and beautiful.