Chapter 18

"Wow! You two look so good together, Wato-senpai!"

"Yeah, I think you look super cute, Kazu-kun!"

The two popular idols said this with big smiles, but I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror on the vanity. No matter how many times I saw myself in drag, I couldn't get used to it. I understood that some people liked this kind of thing, but it was too much for me.

"Wow! It's Kazuto-onee-chan! Yay!"

Nona, with a 100% genuine smile, burst into Rinka's room where we were. She clung to my right leg happily and smiled, saying, "You're so cute!" It was cute, but I wanted her to stop right now.

"Alright, Kazu-kun! The fireworks festival is about to start! Are you ready?"

"......I'm pretty nervous. Are you sure no one will notice?"

"Don't worry. No one will notice. You look like a girl from any angle. ...If there's any discrepancy, it might be your slightly taller height. However, Wato-senpai, who is a net game addict and doesn't exercise much, is slim and has little muscle, so you look like a tall, slender girl."

"Yep! Plus, the yukata hides your build... It's fine!"

I forced a smile at their thumbs up. ...It's not fine at all. It's embarrassing enough to see myself in makeup in the mirror, and now I'm wearing a yukata. I even had a wig that reached my shoulders... I looked like a girl no matter how I looked at it. This would probably become a black history I'd never forget.

"Oh, Wato-kun... You look so cute. Should I call you Wato-chan?"

Hearing a cheerful voice, I turned around to see Rinka standing at the entrance of the room in a yukata. She looked me up and down and smiled softly, which was uncharacteristic of her cool persona. My heart skipped a beat. Rinka in a yukata...! She looked very cute.

"Hmm, Kazu-kun? Are you admiring Rinka? Hehe."

"......!"

I couldn't respond to Kurozaka-san's mischievous smile. She was right...!

"Kurozaka-senpai and I have other business, but I hope your date goes well."

Kurozaka-san and Seikawa came here just to dress me up. They left the house after giving us a quick word. Rinka, Kashiwagi-san, and Nona were going to the fireworks festival with us. Kashiwagi-san would join us in the room soon.

"Alright, let's get going. I've prepared the car."

"Got it. Should I call you Wato-kun... or Wato-chan in this case? Since we're pretending to be a married couple... is that okay?"

"It's fine! Just call me Wato-kun...!"

"Hmm, interesting. Wato-Boy, you look good in a yukata... Oops, sorry. I meant Boy."

"Kashiwagi-san, please stop teasing me. I'm really embarrassed."

"Wato-kun, I'm being serious. Unlike my sister, I mean it."

"That's even more troubling...!"

"Yay! Kazuto-onee-chan, pick me up!"

"......"

I can't deal with these three Mitzuki sisters...!

☆

By dressing up as a girl, I can walk with the idol without any problems... It's crazy, but I accepted the logic and even confirmed its effectiveness the other day. So, I should be able to go to the fireworks festival with Rinka without any issues...

However, I couldn't shake off the creeping unease that invaded my heart. I felt like I was missing something more fundamental, though I couldn't specify what it was...

The place to view the fireworks was by the river. We parked the car in a nearby parking lot and started walking towards the river. Thanks to the time before the fireworks started, there weren't many people on the road. Occasionally, someone would glance at Rinka, but no one reacted dramatically. The only problem was me. Maybe I was overthinking it, but I noticed people looking at me because I was walking next to Rinka.

"Are you okay, Wato-kun? You've been acting strange."

"......S-Sorry. I'm sweating...!"

"Stay still."

Rinka took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from my forehead. The tension of being in drag and the pressure of potentially ruining Rinka's idol career made my heart race. I could feel my heartbeat echoing inside me.

"You won't be noticed if you act normal. People don't pay as much attention to others as you think."

"Someone as cute as you, Rinka, will get noticed... Naturally, the person next to you, me, will too."

"It's fine. The current Wato-kun is a perfect girl. If you're still nervous... ..."

My right hand was enveloped in a soft warmth. Rinka, with a slight blush, was holding my hand. My heart raced for a different reason, and my head went blank.

"Sure, in a net game, but in real life, walking hand in hand with Wato-kun like this... Thank you for dressing up as a girl, Wato-kun."

Seeing Rinka's embarrassed smile, I thought it was worth the effort of dressing up. As we walked, I noticed Kashiwagi-san and Nona walking ahead. We soon arrived at the riverbank, where several groups of spectators had laid out picnic sheets, eagerly awaiting the fireworks.

"Wow, there are more people than I thought. But it doesn't seem like we'll have trouble finding a spot. Where should we go?"

"Let's see... How about over there?"

Kashiwagi-san and Rinka were discussing the location. I observed the people around us and gradually noticed a growing sense of unease. More people were paying attention to Rinka, and some were even taking out their phones to look at her. This was bad. And then it happened.

"Hey, aren't you Mitzuki Rinka? You're at the fireworks festival? Your yukata is cute."

"Y-Yes... Thank you."

Rinka, being approached by a civilian, responded with a natural smile, as she would to a fan. Seeing this, others nearby thought, "It's okay to talk to her!" and started approaching Rinka. I was also caught up in the crowd. Kashiwagi-san and Nona managed to escape the crowd.

"What? Is there a celebrity here? What's going on?"

"Mitzuki Rinka? From Star☆Mines? No way!?"

The commotion spread. Perhaps they were looking for something to do while waiting for the fireworks. They swarmed Rinka like mob monsters.

"Hey, are you an idol too?"

"Eh?"

"Rinka's friend? You're cute too!"

I was suddenly approached. This was another event I didn't enjoy, being mistaken for an idol. As I watched Rinka sign autographs, I was also asked for one. I can't write autographs...

I reflexively took the marker offered to me and looked down at the white bag in front of me. The woman who owned it looked at me with sparkling, hopeful eyes. ...Oh no.

"Can I have your autograph?"

"......"

I was fed up. I tried to write stylishly, scribbling "Kazuko" in a messy way. It probably couldn't be read as "Kazuko," but it looked somewhat like a signature. The woman bowed and said, "Thank you!" before retreating into the crowd. Once I signed, Rinka was also bombarded with requests for fan service. This was not good. We wouldn't be able to enjoy the fireworks festival.

"Rinka! Let's go!"

"Eh---"

I grabbed Rinka's left hand and tried to escape the crowd. Surprisingly, we were able to get through and escape. However, we couldn't stay here.

"Let's run!"

"Being taken away by the one you love... It's a touching scene."

"Are you kidding!? Let's get out of here quickly!"

I started running, pulling Rinka away from the riverbank. Her cheeks were slightly red, and she looked embarrassed, but we ran to get away from the crowd.

☆

After running to avoid the crowd, we arrived at a small park surrounded by a grove of trees. No one else was there. This place seemed calm. Still panting, I led Rinka to a bench in the corner.

"Phew, phew... This is bad! So many people gathered!"

"That's strange... I've never been approached so much before."

Rinka tilted her head in wonder, as if she didn't fully realize her popularity as an idol.

"Maybe it's because my work has increased recently. More people are starting to recognize me."

"......I think you've been known by many people for a while."

"That's among people who follow idols. Recently, I've been recognized by the general public... It's very gratifying."

Rinka exhaled contentedly, but this time, we were in a tough situation. We were far from the riverbank, and our goal of enjoying the fireworks festival had failed.

"Strangely, just walking around with the drag-dressed Wato-kun was exciting and fun. And the escape earlier was thrilling and out of the ordinary... I'm very satisfied."

"Rinka......"

Her words seemed genuine. Rinka looked at me with gratitude in her eyes. That made me feel regretful. I wanted to make her happier...

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Kashiwagi-san. She was checking if we were safe and where we had gone. After confirming we were okay, she sighed in relief. We agreed to watch the fireworks separately. With the phone's location tracking, we wouldn't get lost.

"Stare..."

"......Huh? Rinka?"

Rinka was glaring at me with narrow, unhappy eyes.

"What's wrong?"

"You're on the phone with another girl while we're alone."

"No, no! It's Kashiwagi-san!"

"Still, it's another girl."

"She's your sister! It's not right to call her a girl!"

"......I understand the situation, but I want you to focus on me now."

"Rinka---"

Rinka's request, made with a downcast and lonely look, touched me. It was a small whim from a cool idol.

At that moment, an explosion echoed. It sounded muffled due to the distance. I looked up to see a round firework bloom in the sky, rising over the grove of trees.

"Even from here... we can see. It's beautiful..."

Rinka gazed intently at the fireworks being launched one after another. I couldn't decide whether to look at the fireworks or her beautiful profile, but I decided to look at Rinka. I probably wanted to see Rinka enjoying the fireworks more than the fireworks themselves.

"This small, unnoticed park might be a great hidden spot."

"Yeah, maybe..."

"It feels like a dream. Until now, I could only watch fireworks with Wato-kun in the net game. But now... we're watching them in real life... Yes, I'm really happy. Thank you, Wato-kun."

I lost my words at Rinka's smile. I responded in my heart. I wanted to thank her.

But... in the end, the meaning of me dressing up as a girl was lost! I didn't say it out loud. I just wanted to watch the fireworks with Rinka.

That's how I felt.