Returning to the inn was fine, but I ended up taking quite a bit of time. No one said it out loud, but they probably thought I was stuck in the bathroom for a long one. …It’s a little embarrassing.

After the barbecue, everyone did fireworks together. I think this might have been my first time doing fireworks with such a big group. Since we had the beach volleyball prize money, we bought a slightly pricier set, but fireworks these days are really impressive.

There were smokeless fireworks, small Niagara-style fireworks, long-lasting fireworks, and even ones that smelled like fruit—so many interesting types.

If you're doing fireworks with a big group, these kinds of fun ones are great. Of course, traditional fireworks are enjoyable too. We ended our fireworks night with the classic sparklers. Flashy fireworks are nice, but there’s something beautiful about the tiny sparks of a sparkler fading away.

“Man, the beach and fireworks were the best!”

“Yeah! This was a great summer memory!”

Yeah, this was probably the most fun summer memory I’ve ever had.

“Fufu, I had a great time too. But I made a mistake—I forgot to buy ice cream.”

That’s right, when we bought the barbecue ingredients and fireworks, we forgot about the ice cream. At the time, I thought it wasn’t a big deal, but now that she mentioned it, I kind of want some.

“Oh, ice cream sounds good!”

“Yeah, now I want some too. I think there was a convenience store about five minutes away. I’ll go buy some for everyone.”

“Then I’ll go too.”

Kawabata-san volunteered, but by now it was completely dark. This area already seemed to have a lot of delinquents, so I couldn’t just let a girl walk alone at night.

“Then I’ll go with Aniki…”

“We don’t need three people to buy ice cream. Let’s leave it to Kawabata-san and Tachihara, and the rest of us can start cleaning up the barbecue and fireworks.”

“Understood…”

“Just buy enough for everyone, okay?”

Looks like Abe and Watanabe were being considerate. …Wait, I volunteered to go to the convenience store without thinking, but that means it’s just me and Kawabata-san. Now I’m feeling a little nervous.

“Thank you very much~”

We finished shopping at the convenience store without any issues. Thankfully, nothing weird happened this time.

We didn’t talk about anything particularly special, but being alone with a girl still made me nervous.

“…By the way, do you remember when we first became classmates, we carried textbooks together?”

“…Ah, yeah, now that you mention it.”

That’s a lie. I wasn’t just vaguely recalling it—I remembered it perfectly.

For other people, it might have been just another mundane school moment, but for me, it was a rare interaction with a girl. There’s no way I could forget it. And the fact that Kawabata-san remembered it too surprised me. Just that alone made me happy.

“Our teacher happened to be there and suddenly asked us to help carry textbooks, right?”

That was the only good thing that awful teacher ever did for me. Normally, carrying textbooks is just a chore, but if I get to do it with a cute girl like Kawabata-san, I’ll gladly accept.

Even back then, when I was still fat, Kawabata-san didn’t show any sign of disgust and helped me carry them. That’s why I remember it so well.

Most girls back then wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. Some would sigh right in front of me, and others would blatantly avoid touching anything I had touched. People who are overweight tend to be more sensitive to those kinds of reactions, so we notice them even if we don’t want to.

“Yeah, and even back then, you were kind, just like you are now. You kept checking if I was okay and offering to carry more for me. I still remember that.”

“Well, that’s just something any guy would do.”

“Fufu. And when Fukamoto-kun was being bullied, you were the only one brave enough to stand up for him. That was really kind and courageous of you. …I’ve always respected you for that. I wanted to be kind and brave like you too.”

“………………”

After inheriting the Grand Mage’s power and losing weight instantly thanks to my skills, a lot of people started calling me cool or strong. But Kawabata-san acknowledged the me before that—saying I was kind and courageous.

“You know, I actually…”

Thump, thump.

My heart pounded at an insane rate. Something like this had happened before, but this time, I was sure!

“Um… I…”

Thump, thump, thump.

This is bad, my heart won’t be able to take it…

—PAAAAAAAAAN!

“Kyaa!?”

“Whoa!?”

Even though we weren’t walking near the road, a car suddenly blasted its horn as it passed by. It was a flashy-looking car, so some local delinquents probably honked at us just to mess with us.

“………………”

Silence filled the air after the car disappeared.

“U-Uh, oh! We’re almost at the inn! We should hurry back before the ice cream melts!”

“Y-Yeah… you’re right.”

…Looks like she wasn’t going to continue that conversation. And given the atmosphere, there was no way I could bring it up again either. We just quietly returned to the inn and enjoyed the ice cream with everyone.

Damn it, I really hate this town!