Last year, we'd left quite the commotion when the news about us appearing at Kasamatsu Tracen got picked up by the local news. The whole thing got even more widespread when they found that we'd brought March back with us to Central, and the storm that followed hounded our team for quite some time.
We weren't doing anything similar this time around. We mostly kept to ourselves during the two weeks we had here in Kasamatsu.
March spent some much needed time with Shibasaki. I didn't pry into how they were doing, but from the few times I managed to catch them walking down the streets with their hands held together, I assumed that things had gone quite well. I'd have another talk with her once we were back in Tracen Central just to be sure, but I felt quite hopeful.
Kitahara spent most of his time with White Narubi. Both of them had been calling one another for months now, and now that they had two weeks together, it seemed Kitahara was intent on being with her as much as he could before he needed to leave again. Honestly, I wanted to see if I could convince her to join us when we went back.
Belno busied herself with helping her parents' business. After filming some advertisements, Belno took up White Narubi's position and worked as a store clerk, though she made sure to wear a good disguise to make sure no one knew she was even back in Kasamatsu.
And all the while, Oguri and I just relaxed. Sometimes we'd be at my home, either lounging on the couch or sleeping in my room. Sometimes we'd go on a jog around Kasamatsu, making little stops at places that caught our attention. And sometimes we'd spend hours at my parents' izakaya, with me watching Oguri as she ate through the entire menu.
It was nice. The tranquility was more than welcome, especially after the hustle and bustle we experienced during the summer camp. And so the days passed by, and it didn't take long before our day of departure began quickly approaching.
But our little vacation wasn't about to end like that.
Because, after all the publicity we'd brought to our hometown, Kasamatsu finally had the confidence to hold our own local summer festival. This was the first time something like this had ever happened in Kasamatsu, and as such,
"So many stalls…!" Oguri whispered, eyes glittering as she pointed at the many food stalls that'd been set up throughout the town. "Star, look, look!"
"I know, I know~" I said, smiling wryly as I held her hand to physically hold her back. If I let her go for even a second, I didn't doubt that she'd begin zipping from one food stall to the next, grabbing every food she could. "Calm down. We have the whole evening to explore, y'know?"
Oguri nodded, though she was barely holding back her excitement, judging from the way her tail was wagging.
As a reward, I gave her a headpat with my other free hand.
I smiled slightly as I glanced around. The nights in Kasamatsu were normally quite dark; there weren't that many streetlights outside, and the few lights mostly came from any restaurants or izakaya that were still open.
But today was different. The whole town was wrapped in the soft, orange glow of countless lantern lights, hung from the doors and walls of the many rural buildings that lined the roads of our hometown. The people around us were dressed in decorated yukatas and kimonos, their geta clacking against the ground as they walked.
We were the odd ones out, still dressed in our casual wear. Not because we didn't want to, but because I knew that Oguri would probably tear her kimono if she ever tried wearing one, and I didn't want her to be left out.
Well, that aside,
"Alright, let's go." I finally said to her. And I only had a second to brace before Oguri yanked me away, immediately rushing towards the nearest food stall to buy out their entire stock. The man looked shocked at her order, but he promptly began working when he saw me pull out tens of thousands of Yen as payment.
A few minutes later, we walked away from the food stall, with Oguri having eaten all the yakitori sticks the stall had stocked up for the night.
Or at least that was how it seemed.
As we walked away, I discreetly glanced back at the man and nodded. He nodded back, and he quietly brought out another box filled with more ingredients, having been warned that a certain Grey Monster would be on the prowl tonight.
And it wasn't just him. Every food stall Oguri 'cleaned out' would then secretly pull out more stock to sell, having hidden them from sight so that Oguri wouldn't be overly suspicious.
Apparently, it was my parents' work. Having fed Oguri for nearly two weeks now, they understood that Oguri's appetite was practically endless. So, fearing that no one else would be able to eat, they instructed every food stall to prepare a 'secret' batch they'd bring out after Oguri visited their store.
We spent the next hour just moving from one food stall to the next. Oguri devoured everything without discrimination, though she made sure to always feed me some, especially whenever I went too long without eating anything. And since I didn't have the heart to tell her that I was full, I made sure to take small nibbles here and there to make sure I didn't end up with Slow Metabolism by the time tomorrow came around.
But I had a good time. The food wasn't anything special by any means, but it was good to see all these people I was somewhat acquainted with. It was a little embarrassing that I could barely remember their names, but none of them seemed to mind.
After we completed our food tour around Kasamatsu, we found ourselves a secluded bench at the western corner of the town, just far enough to be away from the main streets but not so far that we'd miss the incoming show.
And as we sat there, with our hands intertwined, I found my mind wandering again.
It's still crazy to think that I'd be gone from Japan in just 6 more months. There were only 3 more races left before I'd be on my way to America: the [Autumn Tenno Sho], the [Japan Cup], and hopefully the [Arima Kinen].
Of course, that was assuming everything went well. I was actively trying to not injure myself this time around, but I knew that things didn't always go to plan. There was a non-zero chance that something would happen and I'd miss the [Arima Kinen]. I'd try my best to ensure that didn't happen, but I was no god.
Regardless, I only had 3 races before my time in Japan came to an end, but that didn't mean those were the only things I had to look forward to. Inari One's [Sapporo Kinen], the [Mile Championship], even this year's [Champions' Cup] and [Tokyo Daishoten]; there were still many things to witness before we left.
Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I turned to see Oguri gently shaking me, her blue eyes staring into mine. "Yeah?"
"Come." She whispered softly. I stared at her in confusion, and Oguri stared back for a few moments before she took the initiative herself. She inched closer to me, enough that our waists were touching, and she wrapped her arms around my shoulder. She nodded as she leaned her head close. "Warm good."
"Y-Yeah." I stuttered out, my tail unconsciously wrapping around her waist as I leaned into her as well. Her warmth was a pleasant blanket against the night's chill, and I gently closed my eyes as I breathed her scent. Her hair smelled of faint lavender—a clear leftover from the shampoo she borrowed.
Then, suddenly,
Bright lights exploded across the skies, and I opened my eyes to see that the firework show had finally begun. Dozens of fireworks were launched to the skies, before they bloomed into countless threads of light, fading away into sparks.
I watched the show proceed in silence, eyes wide as I watched all the pretty colors flashing against the night sky. The fireworks themselves weren't anything special, but the fact that it was happening right over my hometown made it feel more special somehow.
And then–
I felt a gentle hand on my chin, and before I knew what was happening, Oguri had pulled me into a deep kiss. My cheeks went bright red as my ears perked up, before my body relaxed as I felt that now-familiar warmth coursing through my whole body.
I slowly wrapped my hands around her back, and she pulled me closer as well. Both our bodies pressed together, and my head exploded with warmth just like the fireworks exploding in the sky.
And so, as we kissed under the light of dozens of fireworks, our summer camp finally came to an end.