Starting from the prefectural Tsugarka, the procession will be assembled in front of Tsuzen Park, and the road will be temporarily blocked for today's grand event. The roadside is full of people, and even when it gets dark, you can still feel the enthusiasm of the onlookers.

The Tsugaraka Festival has begun, and summer is coming!

The rise in temperatures brought about by the rare successive sunny days of the rainy season seems to be a testament to this. The young students in yukata are all in the eye, and the atmosphere of youth is even stronger.

The Tsugara Festival, a poem about the early summer in Tsuma, and the lantern parade at this time are so impressive that many people only know about the lantern parade, but they don't know that the Tsutaka Festival actually lasts for three days......

Thinking wildly, diverting his attention, but the fatigue of dragging the lantern for half a day still unconsciously invaded his thoughts.

Naruse straightened his arm and stretched.

"Are you tired?" He asked Naoko beside him.

"Hmmm......"

Naoko answered, and leaned back on his arm, undisguised his tiredness.

The sky had completely darkened, and although the lanterns behind them were bright, they couldn't shine on their faces, so they were able to slack off and no longer have to keep straining like before.

"My legs are about to break." Morimi turned his head and said, his eyes touched Naoko's, "You're really embarrassed to let your girlfriend come and suffer with you." ”

Naoko smiled, "I'm here myself...... And even if I didn't exchange with the student council president, I still had to follow the team. ”

"That being said, it's better to mingle in the crowd behind."

"That's ...... too."

Naruse just looked at the two dark yellow lanterns on the left and right in front of him, and didn't think about who the "girlfriend" Morimi was referring to just now.

"I can't even beat the drums." Naoko turned her head, and the drumming behind the lantern was sparse, and only the weakness of the drummer could be heard.

"Even if two drummers take turns playing each drum, two hours is a bit too long." "Actually, I mentioned before that the cruising time was shortened, and an hour is enough time to cruise around the route." However, Yoshioka said that this year is the 150th anniversary, and it is not appropriate to shorten the duration of the parade at this point, so it can be considered next year. ”

"She'll run away next year." Morimi said.

Naruse looked at the sky, and it was already half past seven, and the stars were visible in the night sky.

"Next year, let's talk about it next year."

After an hour and a half, they were still on their way back to school, although they still hadn't walked the road under their feet.

The line was very long, and in the position of Class C in the middle second year, Starfish hung his arms and held a simple megaphone in his hand, and he couldn't speak.

Her throat was hoarse and dry, and she just wanted to drink saliva now.

"Ahem......"

Clearing her throat, she swallowed with some difficulty, and raised the megaphone in her hand again.

It's been a long time since a slogan has been shouted.

Although everyone stopped shouting......

Taking a deep breath, she was about to speak when a hand next to her reached out and pressed her arm.

“……”

Turning her head to look, the girl next to her shook her head.

"Don't shout, everyone can't shout. When you listen to Class B and Class A in front, it has long been silent...... Ahem, my throat is so uncomfortable. ”

Starfish also put down the megaphone, and then took out a throat lozenge from the small bag on his body, "Do you want to eat it?" ”

"What is this...... Throat lozenges? I prefer to drink water...... Forget it, give it to me. ”

"I still have a lot more." Starfish patted the small bag around his waist.

"What are you doing with so many throat lozenges, it's useless."

"That's what people reminded me ......"

"Who? Boyfriend? ”

“…… Well. ”

"Eh-it turns out that Maki has a boyfriend.,Which class?"

Starfish's face burned, and he hid it in the night, "Class A." ”

"What's it called?"

"I can't say ...... this"

"Okay. In fact, you are so beautiful, and you don't like to study, so it's strange that you don't have a boyfriend. ”

“……”

The starfish looked at the sky, not knowing what kind of mood she should use to face her words, which I don't know whether to praise or depreciate.

"But he's probably not very smart, or he doesn't have that kind of experience."

"Huh?"

"Otherwise, I'll let you bring water."

"Hmm...... He didn't know I had this bag with him. Starfish tried to make up for him.

"Huh? Didn't you kiss and hug 'see you later~' before the cruise? ”

“……”

She didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Starfish held up the megaphone in his hand, "One, two, three, four!" ”

“……”

Although there was some surprise, the members of the atmosphere group next to him also responded with their voices raised.

"One hundred and fifty years!"

"Poems of early summer!"

"Tsugaraka Festival!"

Driven by Class C in the second year, other classes that had been silent also shouted.

The sound of flutes and drums also cheered up.

"Tsugaraka Festival!"

Hikaru Takikawa shouted at the top of his voice, and looked left and right again, "Why are you shouting again?" ”

"Because it's almost time for school." The man next to him said.

"There's still more than twenty minutes."

"Hmm...... Anyway, we just shout, and we will do what others do. ”

"I like what you say."

"Huh?"

Hearing the sudden cheering drum music and shouts behind him, Naruse was also slightly surprised, and turned his head to look.

From this angle, of course, you can only see the lanterns behind you.

"Why are you in good spirits again?"

"Who knows...... Good thing we don't have to shout. ”

Morimi was weak, "There are only three people, and it would be too embarrassing to shout that kind of slogan." ”

"I think it's okay." Naoko said.

“……”

Morimi pouted towards the side of the road, knowing in her heart that she was only saying this because her boyfriend had come up with the slogan.

After walking forward for a while, I finally reached the intersection of the turnaround.

The police car that opened the way turned a corner, and the two lanterns behind it were held crookedly and swaying, like the fruit of an autumn branch, looking like it would fall at any time.

Naruse dragged the car around the corner and breathed a sigh of relief.

After turning this intersection, it is not far to Tsudaka.

Continuing to walk forward, passing by a crowded place, Mr. Principal and his party, who had stopped here, merged into the team again, and Morimi muttered again.

"If we let an old man like the principal follow us for two hours, I guess we won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow." Naruse said, looking ahead.

Morimi looked at him, "If you mention shortening the trip to one hour next year, Mr. Headmaster will definitely agree." ”

"Next year is none of my business."

"I can also come to the executive committee next year to help Chunhai." Naoko said.

"yes, then I'll think about ...... again"

A few minutes later, walking to the Shinteramachi Bridge, the Hakaino Cafe appeared in the field of vision of the trio.

"By the way, how did your parents get here?" Naruse asked Morimi.

"Of course I drove myself."

"They're the people."

"I should sit in a shop on the side of the road...... Morimi is not sure, "I'll ask when I go back to school later." ”

"Then let's go back with the starfish." Naruse said again, and the object of his speech became Naoko.

"Okay."

Morimi glanced at the two of them, "You can also take my car." ”

"It depends." Naruse was perfunctory, he hadn't been to her bookstore in a while, and he was a little worried about what Morimi would ask.

A few minutes later, the police car stopped on the side of the road outside the gate of Tsu High School, and two students holding lanterns continued to walk inside, while a member of the executive committee, who had been waiting here, came to replace Naruse.

The short relaxation is over, and it's time to put the finishing touches on the lantern parade.

Seeing that he had run away, Morimi also dropped the lantern and got out of the frame.

“……”

Naoko was stunned for a moment, looked at the executive committee member who took over her boyfriend next to her, and suddenly smiled: "It's hard work." ”

"Eh......"

She also ran.

Fortunately, one person can completely drag the float, and Naruse didn't say anything about Naoko and Morimi's abandonment, but just asked the person who took over to drag the lantern to the designated place.

"Yes, Chairman."

"Good work."

The student council president, who was dragging the second lantern, was also replaced, and walked up to Naruse to stop.

"I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"yes."

The Lantern Parade is the event that everyone pays attention to, and as for the activities in the next two days at the Budokan and on the Tsu High School campus, the importance cannot be compared to the importance at all.

Now that the lantern parade has ended perfectly, the boulder hanging in the hearts of the two can finally be put down.

Glancing at Naoko, who was standing on the other side, Naruse asked, "How could Yoshioka-senpai exchange with Naoko?" ”

Yoshioka Fumiko was stunned and said:

"Because Minister Hana wanted to stay with Naruse-san, and I didn't like to be in the limelight, I agreed."

Don't like to be in the limelight......

Seeing that he didn't quite understand, she smiled again.

"All I need is a resume for organizing this 150th anniversary tsutaka festival, and whether or not I am at the front of the line during the parade will not change that."

“…… The president is really straightforward. ”

"I thought Naruse-san would have seen it a long time ago."

Naruse glanced at the tall figure next to Naoko, and the person who first saw it was on the phone, as if he was contacting his parents.

"Okay, we can't relax yet, Naruse-san, let's draw a perfect end to today's parade together."

"Okay."

(End of chapter)