Liar's Lips Fall Apart in Love - Volume 1 Chapter 2.3

The Summer When Something Changes 3

There is a chain convenience store where I work part-time near Shijo Shinmachi, the center of the Gion Festival.

Normally, I’m stationed at a store a bit further away, but today I was called in for backup.

“You can enjoy the atmosphere of the Gion Matsuri; it’ll be fun. Do your best, Sagara-kun!”

That’s what the manager said as she sent me off, but honestly, I’m not enjoying it at all.

The Yoiyama of Gion Matsuri was three times more crowded than I had imagined.

Between the floats and food stalls, a sea of people writhed and squirmed. It was so packed that walking properly seemed impossible.

Just looking at it was suffocating. Amidst the sounds of the Gion Bayashi, the voice of a girl rings out, “How about some chimaki?”

Normally bustling with cars, Karasuma Street has now become a pedestrian paradise.

Drenched in sweat, I stood in front of a stall right outside the convenience store. Fried chicken and bottled drinks were set at prices significantly higher than usual.

It’s a cheeky strategy to take full advantage of the Gion Matsuri.

It’s so hot. Less than an hour has gone by, and I’m already yearning for the cool, air-conditioned inside of the store.

I even endure the heat in my own room without turning on the AC, and yet, here I am suffering the heat at my part-time job too.

“Excuse me. I’d like to buy this.”

At that moment, a woman wearing a red yukata approached to buy a drink.

I took the thousand-yen bill, handed over the change and the bottled drink. Mustered the bare minimum of friendliness, I bowed my head and said, “Thank you very much.”

The woman smiled and returned to the person who seemed to be her friend. As I watched her nape peeking out from her yukata collar, I thought it wasn’t too bad.

I told Nanase otherwise, but the truth is, I quite like yukatas.

They have this indescribable sexiness despite the minimal exposure. Women in yukatas appear thirty percent more beautiful, I believe.

I have no intention of diving into the crowd, nor do I plan to spend money on ridiculously overpriced night stalls, and I was getting a bit tired of the ever-present Gion Bayashi, but that doesn’t mean I dislike the Gion Matsuri itself. Being able to see many women in yukatas is quite a pleasure.

It’s now half-past nine. I wonder if Nanase is walking around somewhere in her yukata at this moment.

──I’m looking forward to Gion Matsuri. Houjo-kun and Kinami-kun are coming too.

That’s what Nanase said when we met at university yesterday.

By the way, it seemed like Kinami took a liking to her. I bet he’s overjoyed seeing Nanase in a yukata. A feeling of irritation mixed with envy wells up inside me.

Just then, my smartphone in my pocket vibrated. Sneaking a peek at the display, I saw a LINE message notification. It’s from Houjo.

[“Good work.”]

[“I’ll share a photo of Nanase in her yukata with you!”]

Then came a notification: [“A photo has been sent.”].

What is he thinking? Sending me that photo, does he expect me to be happy? If so, that’s a huge misunderstanding.

But as if driven by something, I opened the LINE app. It’s not that I’m interested, but now that it’s been sent, I have to check it.

I opened the chat room with Houjo, and below the message, there should have been a photo of Nanase in her yukata──but there wasn’t.

No matter how long I waited, it just kept loading.

…Come on, my smartphone, work harder!

Apparently, due to the dense crowd, the signal was very poor. The budget carrier I’ve contracted with is known for slower data speeds, and my phone model is a few generations old. Damn, maybe it’s time for an upgrade…

Feeling let down, I slumped my shoulders. That’s when someone patted me on the back.

“Sagara-kun, good work.”

“Ah, good work to you too.”

It was my senior at work, Kazuha Itogawa.

She’s a third-year student in the Faculty of Economics at the same university as me. A beautiful woman with an active vibe and short bob cut, she’s kind and takes good care of others.

Normally, she works at the same store as me, but it seems she was also called in for reinforcement today.

“You can take a one-hour break, okay? Make sure you hydrate since it’s hot.”

Today’s shift is a long eight-hour haul, with a one-hour break in between. Relieved that I could finally escape the heat, I let out a sigh of relief.

“By the way, Sagara-kun, you’re not from Kyoto, right? Don’t you want to enjoy the Gion Matsuri?”

“…No, I’m good.”

Just looking at this crowd is enough to make me feel full. I was about to head back inside to the store’s backyard to rest when a woman in a yukata caught my eye.

I couldn’t see her face, but I thought she looked beautiful. More than anything, she had good posture. Her yukata was dark blue with white morning glory patterns, and her red obi was neatly tied around her waist. Her chestnut hair was tied up, with some strands loosely waved. The nape of her neck peeking out from her collar was delicate and shockingly white.

As I absentmindedly stared, the woman slowly turned towards me.

Our eyes met, and she lifted her red lips into a smile.

Standing there was an exceptionally beautiful woman, not betraying any expectations.

“Ah, Sagara-kun!”

Startled by my name being called, I came to my senses. She was waving at me with a beaming smile.

“I was surprised. What are you doing in a place like this?”

The yukata beauty was none other than Nanase. Clack-clacking her geta, she hurried over to me. Tilting her head slightly, the floral ornament in her hair swayed.

“…Ah… I’m working.”

I managed to reply at last. Noticing my voice was hoarse, I swallowed. My throat had become parched without me realizing it.

“…What about you? What are you doing here alone?”

I couldn’t see Sudo or Houjo around her. Nanase smiled with her eyebrows lowered.

“That’s the thing, I got separated. I just got in touch with them, so I’m about to meet up. I think they said they’re near the Naginataboko float.”

“Oh, I see…”

“What’s this? She’s super pretty. Is she, by any chance, your girlfriend, Sagara-kun?”

At that moment, Itogawa-san teased me, nudging me with her elbow.

I hastily denied, “No, she’s not.”

“We’re in the same seminar at university.”

Nanase responded with a smile, not seeming to take any offense. Itogawa-san’s interpretation of our relationship was ambiguous, with a teasing grin on her face.

“Sagara-kun. You’re about to take a break, so why don’t you go enjoy the festival with her for a bit?”

“Really? If you don’t mind, let’s go together for a little while!”

Nanase said cheerfully, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

That’s out of the question. Walking around with Nanase in her yukata would definitely lead to misunderstandings if someone saw us.

I was about to refuse when Itogawa-san chimed in.

“Besides, it’s dangerous for such a cute girl to walk alone; she might get picked up by some random guy. Don’t take Gion Matsuri lightly.”

“…Uh.”

That might indeed be a possibility. In fact, there was a pair of men not too far away, sneakily glancing at Nanase.

…It seems I won’t be able to rest in a cool place just yet.

“…My break is just an hour. I’ll go with you to where Sudo and the others are and then come back.”

Nanase’s face lit up, and she nodded with a “Yeah!” I steeled myself and dove into the crowd with her.