What Minato Forgot

Lunch break was over and long homerooms were in session. Standing at the teacher's table, Kazuma was conducting–

"Now that summer vacation is over and the festival is only a month away, let's decide what we're going to do. If we don't decide soon, we won't be able to prepare."

Minato and his high school were going to hold a cultural festival at the end of September.

He had been asked before to come up with some ideas during the summer vacation, but he had forgotten all about it.

Perhaps this was what Kazuma advised against on the day of the summer festival. This would certainly be Minato's fault.

Frankly speaking, he was not interested in the cultural festival's events, so while he watched many of his classmates raise their hands and come up with ideas, as if he wasn't even there, he thought about something else.

A month might not be enough time to get close to Airi.

Of course he wanted to enjoy the cultural festival with Airi. However, one month was far too short of a time to shorten the distance between them.

And she would probably be invited by a lot of other people. Minato, who was just the closest friend to Airi outside, could do nothing to stop that.

Hence, he would need to discuss the matter with her going forward.

There's just too much going on ahead of us with our plans falling apart one day after the summer vacation…

The long homeroom passed as he pondered alone about the gloomy days ahead.

"Hey Airi, I need to talk to you about something."

He immediately asked Airi for advice after he returned home, and she too must have been aware of Minato's concerns, because a wry smile was returned to him.

"It's about the cultural festival, right? Talk about bad timing…"

"Let's put aside the events, and let's see what we can do with our free time. There aren't many options, though."

"Some things that come to mind are us suddenly getting closer and going around the festival together. Or I could just decline everyone's invitation and be alone. After that, there's also the option of joining Shiori-san and the others, but that's just asking for a little too much…"

Airi lowered her eyebrows apologetically.

Actually, Minato had the same idea. But both of the first two would be a burden on her.

The first would be a significant topic of conversation for Minato and the others. For now, they were only friends on the outside, but it was only natural that they would become close friends in just about a month from now.

As for the second, he wanted Airi to enjoy the cultural festival regardless of what the outcome would be. Therefore, this option was absolutely impossible.

It would be more than demonic to ask your loved ones to finish the cultural festival in seclusion.

And as for Kazuma and the others, he didn't want to cause that much trouble for those two and didn't want to disturb them.

This inevitably narrows it down to the first option.

"I feel the same way about Kazuma and the others. Then it comes down to the other two, and my personal opinion is to go with the one that brings us closer together, is that okay?"

"…Are you sure? It's not just a matter of getting a little closer, you know?"

Airi's eyes widened in surprise when she heard Minato's opinion.

Perhaps for her, it was an option that Minato was unlikely to choose.

However, they were no longer in a situation where they could whine and complain.

"Let me apologize first about that. We've talked about it for a long time, but in the end we have to resort to forceful measures. I'm really sorry."

He said he would do his best during the summer festival, but he was too pathetic to even come up with a way to do so and would be using the cultural festival as an excuse.

As he bowed his head deeply, he could hear a calm voice above his head, completely devoid of any negative emotions.

"No, it's not Minato-san's fault, is it?"

"And one more thing, I'm going to put Airi through a lot of trouble. I'm sorry."

"I don't mind. I'm prepared for that, and we have another month to prepare. During that time, we can close our distance to some extent."

"…Are you really fine with this?"

He had heard that she was prepared to be talked about, but he was honestly surprised that she was thinking very positively about this.

When he asked the question dumbfoundedly, Airi smiled like a blooming flower.

"What are you talking about, please rely on me more."

"…Thanks."

When Minato laughed, cheered up by her bright smile, Airi's face clouded over on the contrary.

"I'm rather worried about Minato-san, he's going to receive considerable ill will. Are you sure you want to do this?"

This was something Minato was also concerned about.

Since they were going to close the distance in just one month, it was only natural that there would be quite a bit of ill feeling directed towards them.

But he had no intention of saying he didn't want to do that. It was more about what he didn't want to accept.

"It's fine, I said I'd do my best. …Besides, I don't want to see Airi being hit on by a bunch of boys."

Of course, he didn't expect Airi to go along with other men, but that didn't mean he wanted to watch her talk to a bunch of boys from afar.

It was a pathetic, self-righteous, and ugly feeling, but he was trying to get closer to Airi, and if he were to shy away from the cultural festival, he would not be able to do anything in the future.

He didn't want to express these feelings too much, and when he turned away and said it, she chuckled and laughed lightly.

" Fufu . Then, as I said before, let's suffer and do our best together. Let's aim for the festival."

"Minato-san, thank you for your hard work."

After finishing the evening meal and bath, Airi patted him on the head, saying, "I want to thank you for what you did for me during the day."

It was not a gesture out of trying to comfort him, and he thought about denying it since he would be receiving plenty of such stares from now on, but the thin, supple fingers stroking Minato were so comfortable that he let himself like it.

He understood that she was really trying to spoil him, and although he was a little afraid that he might drown, he was overwhelmingly more at ease.

"The way they stared was really something else. I'm sure it will continue to be like that, are you sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry. I'll be tired, but this is what I need to do. I'll do my best."

"If so, I will heal you when you are tired. How about a lap pillow?"

The ice blue eyes looking at Minato narrowed, and she smiled at him, tilting her head slightly.

He would like her to do it, but at this rate she would have to do it every day.

If this were to happen, Minato would surely be completely melted by Airi, so while trying not to let his happiness show on his face, he opened his mouth to say,

"That's not something you should do lightly."

"I'm not doing it lightly. If I can heal Minato-san, I will do it anytime and as much as he wants, okay?"

"…Maybe next time."

"Okay, next time then."

Airi smiled softly at the blatant misdirection.

In the future, Minato wondered how many times he would be tempted by her too-alluring seductions whenever he got tired.

Thinking of that vision, he gave her a wry smile mixed with the expectation of being healed and the fear of never being able to part from her.