"Takuma-kun, you're really working hard." Just as Asakura was about to lose his voice from greeting guests at the entrance, a familiar voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Oh, it's Asagumo. Sorry, our planned school festival tour might have to be delayed a bit." Asakura immediately recognized the owner of the voice and explained as he turned to look.
However, the moment he saw her, he froze.
The morning sun slanted through the branches of the old cherry tree near the entrance of Soubu High School, casting pale blue shadows on the front garden path.
At this moment, a girl in a kimono stood gracefully there, a few strands of her brown hair lifted by the wind. Her long hair, usually draped over her shoulders, was now styled into an elaborate bun, making her inherently serene demeanor even more reminiscent of a Yamato Nadeshiko.
The hairpin tassel hanging behind the girl's ear gently swayed, and the light pink glass beads refracted the light into starbursts, falling on the porcelain-white area where her neck met her kimono sleeve.
Her fingertips, holding a fan, were tinged with pinkish-orange. The collar of her light blue yukata was adorned with hidden morning glory patterns, but her obi knot was tied loosely, whether intentionally or simply due to unfamiliarity.
The obi formed a large bow at her back, adding a touch of cuteness to her otherwise mature and gentle demeanor, revealing half of her juban printed with bamboo shadows.
Newly fallen pomegranate petals were caught between the teeth of her wooden clogs, and vermilion climbed up her ankles along her white tabi socks.
When a crosswind lifted her flowing sleeves, the wave patterns on her dark blue hem suddenly came alive, and the silver-embroidered waves surged after her sleeves, then transformed into shimmering light as they swept past the orange-red sash at her waist.
Asagumo Chihaya was already a very beautiful girl, and her current appearance, clearly meticulously prepared, could only be described as stunning.
So, even Asakura, who was long accustomed to her presence by his side, couldn't help but be amazed when he first saw her like this.
"...Why a kimono?" After a moment of silence, Asakura awkwardly asked, searching for something to say.
Asagumo Chihaya seemed quite pleased with Asakura's reaction to her current appearance. Her purple eyes were brimming with happiness. She covered half of her face with a small fan and said softly, "Because our class's theme is 'Japanese style house'."
"What's that?" Asakura asked curiously.
"It mainly sells some handmade Japanese-style small accessories, plus some compiled information on the 'Japanese style' art form. It's probably a combination of a museum and an accessory shop.
However, almost everyone in the class, acting as servers, has changed into kimonos." Asagumo Chihaya said with a smile, "After all, there are too many snack shops and cafes, so to stand out, we can only choose a more specialized path."
"As expected of Asagumo…" Asakura praised.
Even if the other party didn't admit it, based on his understanding of the girl, this surprising strategy was probably her suggestion.
Considering that she also needed to convince the rest of the class to successfully implement it, perhaps this child's influence in the class was even greater than Asakura initially thought.
"Anon-chan isn't here, so it's okay to call me 'Chihaya'." Asagumo Chihaya said, pulling out a bottle of obviously handmade juice from her sleeve: "Just as I said, you've worked hard, Takuma-kun. This is a solace."
"You're a great help. After we finished the last batch of mineral water, the Student Council people haven't come to replenish it—" Asakura didn't act coy and casually took the juice the girl handed him. "My throat is almost parched."
Just as he was about to open the bottle cap and drink heartily, he noticed the girl staring intently at the juice in his hand.
"…" This made Asakura hesitate.
Hmm, Asagumo Chihaya is a good kid, she shouldn't have added anything to the juice.
Perhaps noticing Asakura's gaze, the girl slightly bared her teeth at him.
Asagumo Chihaya: "(Smile)."
Asakura: "…"
Sh-she wouldn't, right?
Although something felt off, Asakura still chose to trust Asagumo Chihaya, opened the juice, and took a sip.
No problem, it was just normal juice flavor.
Nothing weird must have been added.
"How much longer will Takuma-kun be here?" Asagumo Chihaya asked, watching Asakura drink the juice in big gulps.
"I don't know, but I probably have to wait a while longer—" Asakura glanced at the bustling campus. The number of Student Council members was not very large, and they completely disappeared once scattered into this sea of people.
From the current situation, it would probably take a considerable amount of time to wait for a replacement from the Student Council: "Otherwise, Chihaya, why don't you go play with the others first."
"No." But the girl extended both hands, crossing her index fingers: "For me, doing that would completely negate the meaning of visiting the school festival."
"Sorry." Asakura apologized sincerely.
"You don't need to apologize to me. It's not Takuma-kun's fault, but the Student Council's." Asagumo Chihaya showed a fake smile: "I'll repay them well when I get the chance."
Asakura: "…"
Good luck, Vice President Amakusa, amen.
"Anyway, it's still a bit hot under the sun right now, Chihaya. You should go back to the school building." Asakura suggested, "After all, that outfit of yours looks quite hot…"
The kimono the girl was wearing was not a mere fake yukata, but a rather formal kimono, with even a juban underneath. The fabric didn't look very breathable either, so it was probably quite stuffy to wear.
It was already proper summer, and even if the temperature hadn't reached the hottest point of the year, wearing a summer school uniform felt perfectly normal. If she stayed under the sun all day in such a thick and stuffy yukata, it would definitely be quite an ordeal.
"It's okay. Don't let this fool you, I'm actually quite resistant to high temperatures." But Asagumo Chihaya refused without hesitation. She walked directly to Asakura's side, "Let me help out too."
Saying that, she directly intercepted a tourist who was about to ask Asakura for directions and answered their questions with a more friendly tone.
After receiving their thanks, Asagumo Chihaya put her hands on her hips and watched Asakura with a smile.
Asakura stared at her for a long time, then finally sighed helplessly: "Alright, as you wish. But our date might be ruined…"
"Takuma-kun, you're so dense." The girl said.
"What?"
"What I mean is—" the girl smiled slightly, "when did you get the illusion that we are not 'currently on a date'?"
"Huh, that counts too?" Asakura questioned.
"Dates are pretty amazing, aren't they?" The girl said happily.
''You two should just start dating already!'' --The tourists around who originally wanted to ask for directions but were inexplicably fed a mouthful of dog food.