Time passed, and in a flash, it was twilight.
Dusk descended.
The dim, yellow sunlight spilled over the land of Inazuma.
The entire Narukami Island was dyed in a layer of hazy gold.
"Wu..."
Naganohara Yoimiya sat behind the fireworks shop and stretched her waist. She then set down the fireworks she had just finished making and cast her gaze toward the two books lying quietly to the side: Your Lie in April and The Eternal.
After finishing lunch, she had taken Kamisato Ayaka to buy Dango Milk.
She had originally intended to bring Kamisato Ayaka back to the tea house to continue reading, but the Kamisato family suddenly had matters to attend to, so Ayaka left.
After returning to the shop, Yoimiya began to read. However, half an hour ago, a new order arrived, so she started making fireworks and only now found some free time.
"Pop, the fireworks are done! I'm going to read now!"
Naganohara Yoimiya shouted loudly.
Soon, a very loud response came from inside the house.
"What did you say?"
"I said, I'm going to read!"
"What?"
"Never mind!"
"Oh, okay."
Just as Naganohara Yoimiya was about to pick up Your Lie in April from the side to continue reading, a boy and a girl walked over.
"Sister Yoimiya, I want to buy fireworks. Can you sell me one Mora's worth of fireworks?"
The girl, holding the boy's hand, took out one Mora and spoke.
The boy hid behind the girl, his spirits somewhat low, with tears glistening in the corners of his eyes.
"I can, but you have to set them off right here. Otherwise, it's easy to get hurt."
Naganohara Yoimiya smiled, took out a large handful of sparklers, and handed them to the girl.
"Eh? One Mora can buy this many fireworks?"
The little girl asked in confusion.
"Hehe, you two are very lucky. You are this shop's one-hundredth customers of the day, so there's a 'buy one, get thirty free' promotion."
Naganohara Yoimiya glanced at the gloomy little boy, then at the little girl, smiled, and said, "Go on and play."
"Thank you, Sister Yoimiya."
The girl nodded in thanks.
After speaking, she pulled the boy along to the open space not far away.
Watching the girl skillfully teach the boy how to set off fireworks, Naganohara Yoimiya couldn't help but smile. The two of them looked exactly like Tsubaki and Arima Kousei from Your Lie in April.
The little girl lit the fuse of the sparkler in the boy's hand, and the sparkler began to burn with a rustling sound.
Naganohara Yoimiya smiled, picked up the book, and flipped to the place she was at before. She had only read a few paragraphs when she heard the laughter of the two children.
She looked up. The sparkler in the boy's hand was releasing beautiful light, illuminating the boy's face. The gloom on his face had been swept away completely, replaced by a brilliant smile.
Seeing this scene, Naganohara Yoimiya smiled. She lit the lantern beside her and then continued reading.
But very quickly, her brows furrowed.
She read the part where Miyazono Kaori's illness worsened, and her days were numbered.
Her heart felt as if it had skipped a beat, and she continued reading.
Her emotions were completely drawn in by the story in the book.
Miyazono Kaori's conversation with Arima Kousei in the snow.
Arima Kousei stepping onto the stage alone, sitting before the piano to perform.
The music ends, the people disperse...
Miyazono Kaori vanished just like fireworks.
"A spring without you is coming..."
As the words on the final page fell, Naganohara Yoimiya remained frozen in place, dazed.
"Sister Yoimiya, are you okay?"
The little girl poked Naganohara Yoimiya's hand, and only then did Naganohara Yoimiya come back to her senses.
"What's wrong? Are you out of fireworks?"
Naganohara Yoimiya smiled and spoke.
With this smile, tears slid out from her eyes.
"Sister Yoimiya, you're crying. Are you feeling unwell?"
The little girl asked worriedly.
"No, no, the wind is just too strong; I got sand in my eyes."
Naganohara Yoimiya wiped her tears, shook her head, and said, "Are you still playing? I have more here."
"No, no. Thank you, Sister Yoimiya. We have to go home for dinner."
The little girl held the little boy's hand and said.
"Alright then. Be careful on the way home."
Naganohara Yoimiya realized then that the sky had turned completely dark. She smiled and waved her hand.
After the two children left, Yoimiya closed the book in her hand. She picked up a sparkler and lit it. The brilliant fireworks burned intensely in the air. She watched the fireworks bloom in their most beautiful moment, then gradually return to nothingness.
Just as the fireworks made that little boy bloom with a smile, Miyazono Kaori's appearance helped Arima Kousei walk out of the shadows.
And just as Arima Kousei would remember Miyazono Kaori forever, presumably, that little boy would also remember, many years later, the scene of a little girl taking him to an open lot to set off fireworks when he was sad and upset.
Fireworks are not eternal, but the beautiful emotions hidden behind the fireworks will remain in the hearts of those who watch them forever.
Fireworks are ephemeral; human connections are everlasting.
Even thinking this way, Naganohara Yoimiya only felt a stifling panic in her heart.
She remained silent for a long while before letting out a long breath and patting her own cheeks.
"Although the ending is very sad, it's really written so well. It's much better looking than that novel I read before where the female lead lost her memory. It really lives up to being a book that the Eldest Miss Kamisato likes. I really want to meet that peerless beauty Sister Beidou talked about who wrote this book. I wonder what she actually looks like. If it weren't for Pop's bad ears and needing my help with the business, I would have followed Sister Beidou to Liyue."
Naganohara Yoimiya sighed, thought for a moment, and said, "I wonder if she has any interest in coming to Inazuma to play? And does she like fireworks?"
She raised her head, looking toward the horizon filled with starry skies, and said:
"Speaking of which, Sister Beidou doesn't seem to have left Inazuma yet, right? How about I go find her tomorrow and ask? Maybe next time Sister Beidou comes to Inazuma, she'll bring Fang Qiu along."
"Wu... Wait, I seem to be looking in the wrong direction. Liyue is on the other side."
Naganohara Yoimiya stuck out her tongue and muttered to herself.
"Yoimiya, time to eat."
"Got it, coming."
"Yoimiya, can you hear me?"
"Coming, coming!"
Naganohara Yoimiya replied loudly while getting up from the stool.
Speaking of which, she wondered how Miss Kamisato was getting on with her reading. Did she finish it?
How did she feel after finishing it?
She suddenly thought of Kamisato Ayaka's pale face this afternoon; presumably, she had already seen Miyazono Kaori's turn for the worse back then.
She glanced at The Eternal placed next to Your Lie in April and fell into deep thought.
"The Eternal... It sounds like a story about eternity. If that Raiden Shogun saw this book, maybe she would also develop a little interest? I wonder what kind of story it will be. Since it concerns eternity, it shouldn't be this heart-wrenching, right?"
Naganohara Yoimiya smiled. She gathered up the two books and walked toward the house.
"Yoimiya, if you don't come, the food will get cold."
"Coming, coming! Pop, keep your voice down."
"What did you say?"
"Nothing! I didn't say anything."
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