The third day of Golden Week.
The weather was beautiful today. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, and the temperature was neither too hot nor too cold, making it a perfect day for the whole family to go out together.
Standing on the balcony, Sato could see private cars occasionally passing along the street, carrying families out to enjoy the spring scenery.
Some late-blooming cherry blossoms were still in full bloom, making it a good time to admire the flowers. It was just that the several cherry trees at Aoyama Apartments had already almost completely shed their blossoms.
"So warm!"
Suddenly, Fujimiya Konomi appeared beside him.
Sato turned his head and looked over. The girl stood quietly beside him with her eyes closed. The warm spring sunlight illuminated her beautiful face, while her fair skin reflected tiny points of crystalline light, as delicate as a piece of fine jade.
"Konomi."
"Hm?"
The girl looked at him in confusion.
"Nothing. I just suddenly thought you were very beautiful."
Sato looked calmly at Fujimiya Konomi as he spoke. Afterward, he turned his head back toward the trees in the courtyard, where a few scattered cherry blossoms still remained.
A blush spread across Fujimiya Konomi's face. Even she felt a little embarrassed by such a straightforward compliment.
"Such a smooth talker!"
"Haha!"
Sato smiled, then asked, "Are you really not coming with me?"
"I'm not going. I still have a lot of homework to finish, and besides... what would I even go for? To make myself uncomfortable?"
Fujimiya Konomi rolled her eyes at him. Suddenly, she grabbed Sato by the collar and gently pulled him closer.
The girl's eyes, which had originally been filled with a warm smile, narrowed slightly as she looked into Sato's eyes. Her voice remained as kind and gentle as ever.
"But don't you dare flirt with other girls just because I'm not going. If I find out, the kitchen might be missing a cleaver!"
"Maybe I shouldn't have told you that story."
Sato spoke somewhat helplessly after hearing what Fujimiya Konomi said.
"Hehe! If I hadn't known that story, I was originally planning to knock you unconscious, drag you back to the countryside, and bury you there. As long as you were buried, you wouldn't be able to flirt with other girls anymore."
"Shiver! Konomi, you're actually that ruthless?!"
Sato couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath. Who would have thought that this girl who looked so gentle could actually be this formidable?
"Of course. I'm very strong, you know, and I have a lot of strength too!"
Fujimiya Konomi held out her arm and flexed it, indicating that she possessed solid muscles, then raised an eyebrow provocatively at him.
Sato couldn't help laughing as he poked the girl's arm.
It was soft and supple.
"Where are the muscles?"
"What do you know? This is inner strength! My inner strength is incredibly powerful!"
Fujimiya Konomi declared with complete conviction. If Sato hadn't known her true capabilities so clearly, he might actually have believed her after seeing the expression on her face.
"If it's inner strength, why are you making this pose?"
Konomi was immediately at a loss for words. She glared at him, then invoked the unreasonable privilege of being a girl.
"None of your business!"
Sato couldn't help shaking his head with a laugh.
"Fine, I'm not arguing with you anymore. It's getting late, so I'll head out first."
"Mm. When will you be back? I'll make dinner."
Konomi returned to her gentle and virtuous appearance. At this moment, she finally looked like the lively, cheerful neighborhood girl Sato remembered, with just a tiny hint of a mischievous side.
"Noon... I'm not sure about noon, but there's a good chance I won't be back until the afternoon. As for dinner, don't bother. I'll take you out to eat. There's a pretty good little place nearby, so I'll take you there to try it."
"Mm!"
"Then I'm off."
"Be careful on the way."
...
The spring sunshine was bright, and April was filled with flowers.
After the drizzle from the previous few days, the temperature had become much more pleasant. Unfortunately, this season wasn't beloved by all the people of Nippon.
That was because many people in Nippon suffered terribly from hay fever.
People in Nippon did not naturally have any resistance to pollen allergies. This hadn't been a problem in the past, but during the previous century, when certain commercially valuable tree species were imported from overseas, some varieties that produced enormous amounts of pollen also entered Nippon.
And so the disaster began.
For Sato, the faint fragrance in the April air was the scent of spring. For many others, however, it was the scent of disaster.
On the way, he saw many people frowning as they wore masks. Some couldn't help coughing several times before beginning to mutter under their breath. They were probably saying some very beautiful words.
...
Kanda Myojin Shrine.
When Sato arrived at the foot of the shrine, two figures were already standing there. They were keeping some distance from each other while secretly sizing one another up.
One was Mio, a long-haired girl with an excellent figure, while the other was Kosaka Honoka, an energetic girl with her hair tied into a side ponytail.
When Sato approached, both girls' eyes lit up. Once he reached them, they almost simultaneously called out to him.
"Sato!"
"Nohara-san!"
"Huh?!" x2
Mio and Kosaka Honoka looked at each other in surprise, both astonished to discover that the person the other had been waiting for was actually the same person they themselves had been waiting for.
Seeing this, Sato couldn't help laughing as well.
The surprise on their faces was genuinely amusing. They both looked exceptionally adorably bewildered.
"Kosaka-san, this is the friend I told you about, Mio. She's also a very... excellent songwriter."
Sato's expression became somewhat peculiar at the end as he held back his laughter.
Mio glared at Sato in embarrassment and annoyance. This guy... he had to be doing this on purpose, right?!
Kosaka Honoka's eyes lit up instead. She looked excitedly at Mio.
"So you're Akiyama-san? It's nice to meet you! I'm Kosaka Honoka! I've seen your videos. Both the lyrics and the music are really great!"
"Th... Thank you!"
Mio was somewhat shy, but she still maintained her composure. Even so, she was secretly a little happy.
So there really were people who appreciated her work!
After Sato arrived, it was as though the floodgates of communication between the two girls had opened. They began enthusiastically discussing all sorts of topics.
As time passed, the others gradually arrived as well.
Everyone exchanged greetings.
At the foot of Kanda Myojin Shrine, a beautiful scene had taken shape.