Translator: Ranzan

  Editor: ryunakama

  Akiha on the left, Aoba on the right.

  With a flower on each arm, he entered the haunted house.

  Still he had some fear entering the haunted house.

  His speed of walking naturally became slower.

  「What? Are you scared?」


  Akiha asked. There was a tinge of malice in it.

  「Yeah, I am.」


  Taiyou clearly admitted, and his voice shook.

  Usually at this point he would act tough, but that toughness was now very far away.

  It was necessary to understand his position in for its ways and means.

  Even so, it was still a bad position.

  He understood why he was doing this, but the fear overwhelmed it.

  CLUNK, a sound.

  Something came out from the well in front of him – a (doll) of a woman in white robes sprung out from the middle!

  「UGYWWAAAAHHH!」


  Screams, not from the girls, but from Taiyou.

  「Hah hah hah hah hah」


  Akiha laughed happily.

  「Just look Taiyou, it’s a doll.」


  「I know that already, there’s no ghosts and this is just a haunted house…」


  Suddenly logical words came from nowhere, but his voice was still shaking.

  「Whatever, let’s just go.」


  「Noooo. We have to take our time and enjoy it. Right, Aoba?」


  「…yeah.」


  She took a breath, and answered.

  She thought of something for an instant, and then agreed with Akiha. From his appearance, she felt a little bad for Taiyou, but because it was all so fun, she reacted that way.

  「Natsuno-kun, take your time.」


  「Agh.」


  「If you want to go ahead, let go of us and go on.」


  「…」


  Akiha laughed again malevolently and Aoba as well, enjoying the sweetness of it all with a little regret at his fear – like salt on a watermelon.

  Letting go of him would be easy to do. It would be easy with his power.

  He had two choices he could make, he could keep his arm around these flowers…no, at this point it was more like a crucifixion and be dragged through the haunted house…or he could let them go and do it alone.

  Those were the choices.

  「…」


  For an instant he short circuited.

  He let the two go for an instant.

  Aoba was shocked, and Akiha sneered at him.

  He didn’t have time to think about their assorted expressions as he simply squatted and grabbed both girls around the waist.

  「Kyaaa!」


  「Wha? What are you doing?!」


  He didn’t have time for words or explanations. He simply sprinted with both of them in tow.

  「Whoaaaaahhhhh!」


  It was a war cry…maybe with a bit of fear mixed in, but he ran along the haunted house route in a mad dash to the exit.

  「N…Natsuno-kun!」


  「…hah!」


  Instead of having the slightly worried look that Aoba did, Akiha laughed out loud over Taiyou’s shoulder.

  He had no time to think of her reaction, he simply scrambled out of the haunted house with both girls in his arms.

  「Huff…huff…」


  Under the autumn sky, Taiyou slumped over and caught his breath.

  He looked totally exhausted physically, but it was mentally.

  He had dashed several hundred feet with the two girls in his arms and not really felt the physical exertion in doing so.

  It was the haunted house and the mischief of these two girls that had exhausted him.

  「Here, Natsuno-kun.」


  Aoba held out a paper cup.

  A red cup with a white logo, an international one that you see everywhere.

  Inside was obviously a certain brown drink with carbonation.

  She had been considerate and bought it for him.

  He took it from her and downed it at once.

  「Gulp, gulp…ahh… Thank Aoba…that helped.」


  「Sorry about that. We were having too much fun with you.」


  「No, it’s okay. I’m sorry to be the wet blanket for your fun.」


  「But…」


  「It’s okay.」


  「You’re right.」


  Akiha suddenly interrupted.

  Her face was between a smirk and shock as she looked at him and continued.

  「Are you a little too scared? It’s all fake.」


  「Can’t help it. Scary is scary.」


  「It’s not very manly, can you protect Aoba like that?」


  「Hey, Akiha…」


  「I can.」


  He interrupted Aoba’s reaction at Akiha saying too much, and Taiyou answered.

  He answered while looking straight at her. He wasn’t acting, but being truthful, as he looked at Akiha.

  「I do what I say I will, even though that sounds like a cliche. Even though it wasn’t cool to see me like that.」


  「…」


  He wasn’t pleading.

  He understood what he was saying, as he would do what’s necessary, even though it didn’t sound very cool.

  She was about half right, but the important part she missed.

  To be honest, Taiyou thought 「I’ll do whatever is necessary when I want to.」


  Without a goal there’s no reason to do it, is what he meant.

  「Akiha.」


  As they glared at each other, Aoba broke in.

  She used a rarely heard, sharp voice.

  「Could you two stop? We’re at an amusement park.」


  「Yeah, you’re right.」


  Akiha quickly backed down.

  Then the three began looking around the attractions again.

  From then there were no real problems, just a purely fun trip.

  It wasn’t as good as the first rollercoaster, but Taiyou took a step back and let Aoba and Akiha have fun together.

  Akiha noticed this and when she met eyes with him again and again made sure her eyes said 「I know.」


  Taiyou wondered what those knowing eyes meant, and since he didn’t really know what she wanted to say, he quickly gave up trying to interpret it.

  The reason why is because they were having fun.

  He had noticed this and the fun had made him understand.

  They girls were having a blast and he had fun taking a step back and watching them.

  「Kotone and them are like that too. Yeah, it’s fun watching Kohaku and Youran too. Youran and Leticia…I wonder how that would look.」


  Taiyou said without thinking.

  Kotone and the others from one birth.

  Kohaku and Youran.

  Youran and Leticia.

  All had special relations and it was fun watching them go at it.

  Well, not all…for example, Kohaku and Leticia didn’t have that good of a relationship.

  With that in mind, the two girls in front of him seemed to pull on his heartstrings.

  「Aoba, would you like some ice cream?」


  「Ice cream? Oh, that place over there?」


  「Yeah, doesn’t that look interesting? It looks like a lightsaber.」


  「Light? I don’t know, but it’s impressive, the ice cream part is five times longer than the cone.」


  「I wonder if it’s the same as the picture. Hey, could I have a vanilla?」


  The two were bantering back and forth as they went up to the store. One of them bought a vanilla, the other chocolate.

  They came out just like the picture, and as they held the cones the soft serve ice cream itself almost looked like a weapon.

  They talked about it, those two, while eating.

  Taiyou simple watched.

  After eating the ice cream, the three walked together.

  「A Ferris wheel?」


  Taiyou said, and stopped.

  「Yeah, getting on?」


  「Sure.」


  「A ferris wheel. Are you scared of heights?」


  「No, in fact I would walk the fence on the roof like I said.」


  「You’re right.」


  They followed the attendants directions and waited for the ferris wheel car.

  There was a family ahead of them, and they put just the children on the car.

  The attendants warned them, but the parents said, 「We told them just to not try and stand up.」


  As they were debating over this the ferris wheel continued to rotate, so the children were seated and the attendants backed down.

  「Thank you for waiting.」


  It was Taiyou’s turn, and the attendant opened the car’s door, and asked Taiyou to step in.

  「Let Aoba step in first.」


  Let the girls in first, Taiyou thought, and then was pushed from behind.

  He was thrust forwards. He tried to stop from falling, and right next to him, he saw Akiha fall into the car next to him.

  「Here, now get in.」


  Aoba said, and pushed both of them in. Taiyou and Akiha were pushed in the car, and Aoba stood outside.

  「Aoba?」


  Akiha and Taiyou were surprised.

  The door was shut and the car rose in the air.

  Aoba was on the ground and waved to Taiyou and Akiha.

  It was all a surprise, Taiyou having no idea what was going on and all he could do is watch Aoba fade away in the distance.