MrCKoolade

The chatter of cicadas mingled with the sounds of grilling stands, children wandering about, and young couples admiring the scenery. Basking in the pleasant breeze, the summer festival goers trailed from stand to stand as the night droned on. Tadano looked on from a nearby bench, sitting comfortably as the crowd passed him by with little notice—his air of normalcy bordered on the supernatural at times, had it not been for two people who weaved themselves out from the mass toward him. And to think, just a year ago, I’d have never had the courage to even be here, the tall, raven-haired female thought to herself, daring not to look anyone in the eye as she followed in the wake of her shorter companion. How did it come to this? Has Tadano-kun’s influence given me some emotional strength I never knew I needed? Ahead of her, Najimi strode toward Tadano with a waddle in their step and a wave of their hand. “There you are!” Or, maybe, none of us thought any of this through, and we’re all