Summer Vacation Arc: 60 Sparklers and Wishes

Summer Vacation Arc
60 Sparklers and Wishes

The sun began to set and the number of people on the beach gradually lessened. The seaside hut also closed.
The couple was thrilled because today’s sales were the highest recorded to date.

“Thank you so much.”

While the couple bowed their heads over and over again, everyone said, “It was fun so it’s fine,” and smiled. The couple said they would pay them for their work, but the executives turned them down.

“This can’t really be called compensation, but…”

The couple gave them a large fireworks set in place of money. They won it the other day at a raffle, but at this age, they felt awkward playing with fireworks alone, so the executives gladly accepted it.

“Please come again!”

The executives left the store with the couple seeing them off.
While seeing them off, the wife suddenly let out a loud “Ah!” as though she had remembered something.

“Meru-chan, come here for a moment!”

The wife caught her hand and Meru tilted her said quizzically. However, without giving her any time to resist, the wife dragged her back into the hut.

“Ta-daaa!”

After a short time, Meru reappeared with the wife, and the executives were dumbfounded seeing her. Fuuga and Shoutarou especially turned bright red.

Meru was in a swimsuit.
It was a light blue polka dotted bikini with a skirt. The tasteful use of lace gave it a clean and fresh feeling.

It was something the wife had bought a long time ago intending to wear it, but never had the chance, so it sat unused in the bottom of her drawer.
Seeing Meru wasn’t wearing a swimsuit, she thought it was perfect timing and gave it to her. The size fit precisely and it was altogether a perfect piece.

“Ma’am, it’s embarrassing, so I’m going to change after all.”

Meru’s figure wasn’t that great, but it wasn’t bad, either. It was a figure that suited her Miss Average name. Her bust wasn’t small, but average, and there was no fat around her stomach. If pushed to say, her legs were on the thin side.

Looking at her, she was incredibly cute.

You could also gather that from the executives’ faces.

“Don’t change! Meru-chan!”
“Change! Kusuhara!”

The instant Meru said she was going to change, two opposing opinions burst out at the same time.

Fuuga and Shoutarou, she wasn’t sure whose opinion she should listen to. At any rate, the two of them were too red in the face, and Meru was more worried about that.

“I think she’s good like that.”
“Me too. We’re at the beach, and that is originally the more appropriate outfit.”

Yuuri and Laila said and complimented, “It suits you,” looking her over from head to toe.
If it had been Laila’s female appearance saying that, she would have honestly been happy, but with the current Laila, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Yuuri said it every time too, but it was the same for him.

While wondering what to do, Meru looked at Hayate who had a pensive look on his face. This morning, Hayate was against her wearing a swimsuit.
Looking at Hayate, Laila smiled wryly.

“Hayate. The number of people has already gone down, so isn’t it alright? Even if Ruu-chan wears a swimsuit.”

When Laila said that, Hayate exhaled and said, “That’s true,” with a troubled expression.

“But I want her to wear a hoodie. There are still other guys on the beach.”

Hayate said, taking Meru’s hoodie from the wife’s hands and pulling it over her head.

“Is that how it is?”

Yuuri quietly gave voice to his understanding as he nodded. Laila also said, “You’re prudent,” with a smile.
Not understanding at all, Fuuga and Shoutarou had many question marks floating above their heads.

Meru let the water run over her feet as she stretched with a hum.
The sun had set, and the sky had dimmed.

Behind her, the others were getting ready for fireworks.

“Ruu-chan, does it feel good?”

Laila stood next to Meru. He was also already wearing a T-shirt.

“Yeah. The water is nice and cold.”

When Meru smiled, Laila also smiled. His short, beautiful hair swayed in the sea breeze, and he took a deep breath.

“When I’m not wearing a wig, it’s a lot less trouble since I don’t have to pay any special mind to it.”

Laila said, and Meru thought for a bit before opening her mouth.

“You won’t grow your hair out?”

Since he wore women’s clothing, it would be faster to grow his hair out and not wear wigs. He could also style his hair.

Laila smiled bitterly at Meru’s question.

“I don’t want to lose sight of myself, right?”

Meru couldn’t see his expression clearly in the dim lighting, but she had the feeling that it was twisted with sorrow.

“Laila-cha–”
“Ah! Anyway, it seems like the preparations are done. Let’s go, Ruu-chan.”

Saying so, Laila held out his hand to Meru and gave her his usual smile. If it was any different, it would be that she felt it was cool rather than cute.

Meru shook off that momentary feeling of worry and took hold of his hand with a smile.

“Wait, Laila! You’re secretly making a move again!?”

Fuuga saw Meru and Laila holding hands and complained in the same way he had that morning. Laila perfunctorily dealt with him and headed to get the fireworks.

“If you keep nagging, the biggest ones will run out.”

When Laila pulled out one of the biggest fireworks from the set, Fuuga rushed to take one as well.

“Me too, I’ll take one first.”
“Ahh! Even you, Yuuri-kun!”
“Haah. Look, there’re still others here, Fuuga.”

Hayate handed over the same type of firework that Laila and Yuuri were holding with exasperation.
Fuuga was thrilled and immediately began to play with the fireworks with Laila and Yuuri.

“Which one do you want, Meru?”

Hayate gently asked Meru who was watching the others blankly.
Meru snapped back and quickly turned to face Hayate.

“Um, one that’s not too showy.”

When Meru answered him, Hayate said, “That’s very like you,” and smiled, offering her a sparkler.

“I’ll take one of those as well.”

Shoutarou, who had come to Meru’s side unnoticed, took a sparkler from Hayate.

When Hayate finished passing out the fireworks to everyone, he joined the others in enjoying them.

“It’s surprising that you’d go for the sparklers, Katsuragi-kun.”
“Why?”
“I mean, they say that sparklers can grant your wishes. It’s romantic, right? If it’s you, it seems you’d say something like, ‘It’s nonsensical that playing with fire could grant your wishes. It’s a foolish superstition.'”

Shoutarou couldn’t help agreeing with that.

“I do think that superstition is foolish. But sparklers are more beautiful than other fireworks.”
“Are they beautiful?”

Meru looked at her sparkler which she had yet to light and muttered. It’s true that sparklers were pretty, but they were rather plain. Comparing them with the fireworks that the others were playing with, they were missing a bit of excitement.

“You don’t know when they’ll finish, and that transience has its own charm.”
“Charm…”

Meru grinned at that very Shoutarou-like turn of phrase.

Shoutarou lit his and Meru’s, and they crouched on the beach, staring at their sparklers together.

“Do you…have something you want granted?”

Shoutarou asked quietly, looking at Meru who was holding her firework gently so that it didn’t go out.
Meru said, “Hmm,” and seemed to think for a while before she smiled faintly.

“There are a lot, but…”

Meru said and looked away from the fireworks, this time gazing at Hayate and the others who were making a racket on the beach.

“For example, things like hoping that everyone can be together like this from now on.”
“What do you mean?”

Shoutarou asked, seeming puzzled as he looked at Meru.

“I mean that I want to be with everyone.”
“You’re here with us now, though.”
“That’s true, but…”

She couldn’t really explain it well. Meru smiled wryly and swallowed her next words.
Looking at her like that, Shoutarou gave a small sigh.

“Even supposing that there were some circumstances that made it so that you were unable to be by our side, Kamishiro would use any means possible to take you back.”
“…Eh?”
“You said it this afternoon, did you not? That I have five allies. It’s the same for you.”

Shoutarou’s firework’s light fell with a plop, and he snorted with a little displeasure.

“You should stay by our side. At least on the student council, there is no one who would reject your wish.”

Meru’s firework didn’t drop, but instead simply fizzled out.

“If you were me, you’d probably have said it like that, right?”

Shoutarou spoke with some complacency.
Meru smiled happily seeing him like that.

“Meru-chan! Shoutarou-kun! If you’ve finished with the sparklers, come over here! It’s beautiful!”

Fuuga loudly called them over while holding fireworks in both hands.
Meru and Shoutarou took fireworks from the set while saying, “Alright, alright,” and headed toward the other four.

“Shou-chan. The fire’s going to go out, so hurry up and light yours.”
“Kusuhara-san. You can light yours from mine.”

Meru used Yuuri’s firework to light her own. As she did, the tip let out a fizzling sound and produced a beautiful light.

“Uwah…how pretty.”

Shoutarou had said that the sparklers were more beautiful, but Meru felt that these normal fireworks were prettier in the end.

“Are you satisfied?”

Hayate asked, lighting his firework from Meru’s.

“Almost too satisfied.”

When Meru said that with a smile, Hayate smiled with true happiness.

The six of them formed a circle. In the center, numerous beautiful lights flitted around.

The executives’ laughter resounded out, seeming to glow amidst the darkness like the moon.

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<TLN>

Fireworks~ We just had our final farewell to summer with yakiniku and fireworks, but my friend bought about a set per person, and it took us forever to finish them all haha! Also, we’re close to the goal for a bonus chapter for this month! See you next week~

25 chapters left in the summer vacation arc!

Ko-fi link here.
September bonus chapters funded: 0/3 ($27/$30 to the first one!)