"Do your best, Rice! This is exactly when you have to strike hard. You absolutely can't let this chance slip away!"
The pink figure spoke while helping Rice Shower choose a yukata. "It should be a colour and pattern that can still be seen clearly at night. Something that brings out how cute Rice is."
"How about this one, Urara-chan?" Rice asked, pointing at one of them.
"No, that one's too dark. Rice suits this kind."
As she spoke, Haru Urara took out a blue-purple yukata decorated with wave-like patterns. The lower part had two small slits, so when walking, her legs would faintly show through the movement of the fabric.
"Rice has to make full use of her strongest weapon. Use your natural advantage to make Trainer completely unable to look away!"
As for Rice's advantage, it was naturally her adorable face, along with her pale, delicate legs and feet. Urara believed no one could possibly withstand Rice's attack.
"Urara-chan..." Rice nervously looked left and right. After confirming no one nearby was paying attention, she leaned close to Urara's ear and whispered a few words.
"What!"
"Shh!"
The shout attracted the attention of a nearby shop assistant, so Urara immediately covered her mouth.
"Really?"
"Mm. Although it was only one kiss."
"H-How did you kiss...?"
Rice quietly explained what happened at the time. After hearing it, Urara's face immediately turned red, all the way to the top of her head, almost steaming.
"Urara-chan!?"
"I... I'm a romance master. Something like this is already c-commonplace to me. Well done, Rice. You've already fully proved your charm. All that's left is to deliver the final decisive blow to Trainer's heart!"
"Rice is ready! Um... excuse me, Rice would like to buy this yukata."
"Certainly, little miss. This is an adult-style design. Are you sure?"
"Rice is already an adult!"
While Rice talked with the shop assistant, Urara's mind kept echoing with Rice's words. The feeling of sharing such a close kiss, simply imagining it made Urara's head tingle. Without realizing it, Rice had already grown to this point. As Rice's friend, and as the guide on her path of love, Urara had to help her with all her strength.
Thinking this, Urara clenched her fist. Then, after glancing at the yukata that showed the legs as one walked, her head suddenly overheated, and she crouched down unsteadily again.
No good. She could not think too deeply about this. She would wash her face later to calm down.
While Rice was buying her yukata, the others were also preparing for the summer festival.
Special Week stood in front of a mirror, adjusting her clothes, then asked Seiun Sky beside her, "How is it, Sky-chan? Does it give off the feeling that someone would want to hold my hand?"
"I don't know about the hand-holding feeling, but it does feel very Spe-chan."
"What does that mean?"
Very simple and honest. That was probably how to say it, Seiun Sky thought silently.
"This is the first summer festival Shirayuki invited me to. I absolutely, absolutely have to leave behind an unforgettable memory!" Special Week clenched her fist. Shirayuki inviting her to the summer festival meant one thing. It showed just how important a place she held in Shirayuki's heart. As expected, Shirayuki truly valued her. When they went around the festival, she would eat takoyaki with Shirayuki.
"Shirayuki invited me too," Seiun Sky said slowly, causing Special Week to freeze on the spot.
"Hah?"
"Oh my, so you were invited too? I thought I was the only one." Grass Wonder walked in from the doorway.
"Grass! You too?"
"Meek also received an invitation from Onee-chan." Happy Meek, who was lying on the floor reading manga, raised her hand.
Everyone had been invited...
Was her precious memory going to be diluted?
"Spe-chan seems to be thinking of something unrealistic. Did you really think that for such an important festival, Shirayuki would invite you but not invite me? Aren't you underestimating the friendship between Shirayuki and me a little too much?" Grass Wonder smiled gently. "You probably haven't seen it, have you? The way Shirayuki acts when she lets herself relax. She's truly adorable. That expression, as if she's melting against your chest, is almost like a small child."
What!?
Sh-Shirayuki relaxing like that? Grass Wonder, don't make things up! How could Shirayuki possibly do something like that?
Special Week's mind became a mess. Grass Wonder's provocation made her so angry that she could not speak.
"Grass is right. Shirayuki has a habit of holding things when she's asleep. Sometimes she rubs her face against them like a cat," Seiun Sky added casually.
Immediately, the air around Grass Wonder changed. She drifted over to Seiun Sky like a phantom and asked, "You seem to know quite a lot, Sky-chan. Could it be that you've seen it before?"
"Sky-chan saw it in a dream. Sky-chan was only sleeping." Saying that, Seiun Sky hugged the blanket tightly and curled up beside them.
Grass Wonder felt as though she had punched cotton.
You really are something, Seiun Sky. Usually, she seemed quiet and unbothered, but now and then she would casually throw out astonishing lines. Worse, this girl never gave anyone a chance to continue the conversation. If someone asked, she would simply act vague. Even if they asked how she knew, she would brush it off.
And she had the nerve to call Shirayuki a cat? Grass thought Sky was the cat here, silently sneaking around and doing who knew what.
After watching Seiun Sky completely shut herself off from the world and enter dreamland, Grass Wonder withdrew her gaze.
Although it was a little disappointing that Yuki-chan had not invited only her, at least Yuki-chan had invited everyone. If she had invited only Spe-chan, Sky-chan, or someone else, then the originally enjoyable summer festival would have turned into a serious lesson. Grass would have had to properly educate Yuki-chan, that disobedient child, and ask why she would ignore such an important friend like her to go find someone else. Had Yuki-chan started changing her affections? Grass would not have easily let Yuki-chan go until she reflected properly.
Fortunately, that had not happened. Yuki-chan simply wanted to go out with everyone. There was no special meaning behind it.
"Hehe... hehe hehe..."
Seeing Grass Wonder suddenly start laughing, Special Week felt a chill in her heart.
Even though Grass always looked gentle, this girl was actually terrifying. Special Week had already seen through her disguise. She would never hand her best friend over to Grass.
On the floor, Seiun Sky turned over and opened one eye, looking at Grass Wonder and Special Week, each lost in their own thoughts.
Why make it so complicated? If you really want to do something, just wait until Shirayuki falls asleep. Shirayuki always sleeps deeply anyway, and she almost never wakes up.
Sky-chan would not join in this commotion. If she had that much free time, it was better to think about where to nap with Shirayuki next time.
With a yawn, Seiun Sky closed her eyes and let out even breaths.
Time quietly arrived at the day of the summer festival.