Sayuri and the other two changed into their yukata and slipped on their geta. Only then, just before the sun went down, did they leave the inn with Tsushima Kagami and head into the city area.
Because of the Tanabata Festival taking place over these few days, the streets and alleys were lined with bamboo poles adorned with layers upon layers of wind streamers and long, narrow paper strips filled with written wishes. Many of the colorful banners even had folded paper cranes hanging from them, swaying in the wind above the crowds.
Since the group was wearing geta, their feet became incredibly tired after walking for only a short while.
In the end, they only visited a temple fair held in a larger commercial district. Surrounded by the lively crowd, the sound of taiko drums, and the festive music and dancing, they played until the sky had turned completely dark before returning to the inn.
Just as they arrived back at the inn, Sayuri and the others noticed that a potted bamboo plant had been moved to the entrance. Many guests inside were currently tying paper strips with their written wishes onto the bamboo branches.
Sayuri suddenly remembered that the three of them had been so focused on playing and eating earlier that they had forgotten to write down their own wishes.
Consequently, all three looked toward Tsushima Kagami.
"Kagami-kun, shall we write something too?"
"Sure," Tsushima Kagami smiled.
He accompanied the three of them to the lobby. A sign at the entrance indicated that free paper strips were provided, so each of the three took one and went to the side to write.
After all four had finished writing, they returned to the potted bamboo at the entrance. Following the example of the previous guests, they tied the strings of their paper strips onto the bamboo branches.
At that moment, Tsushima Kagami leaned over to Sayuri, who was beside him, and asked, "What did you write?"
Sayuri hurriedly and flusteredly pushed Tsushima Kagami away.
"Hey, you can't look!"
"Won't it not work if it's seen or said out loud?"
"Is that so?"
Tsushima Kagami then looked toward Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko nearby. "Senpais, what did you write?"
The two also turned back to look at Tsushima Kagami and smiled.
"Didn't Sayuri just say it?"
"We won't say it out loud."
"Sigh, then I guess I'll tell everyone the wish I made."
The three of them looked at Tsushima Kagami. "Aren't you afraid it won't come true?"
"Of course not."
"Then what is it?"
"I wished for world peace!"
Tsushima Kagami smilingly displayed his paper strip to Sayuri, Kosaka Akane, Machida Sonoko, and the other tourists looking their way. Everyone smiled in amusement.
"Really, don't you have a single wish for yourself?" Kosaka Akane remarked.
"A wish for myself?" Tsushima Kagami mused. "Then let me be able to sleep a sleep as absolutely amazing and comfortable as last night's, every single day!"
After speaking, Tsushima Kagami solemnly pressed his palms together in prayer.
Sayuri and the other two exchanged glances, then lowered their heads as their faces flushed bright red again.
"Alright, alright, making a wish like that is useless."
"Let's go back."
With that, Sayuri and the others led Tsushima Kagami back into the inn.
Meanwhile, on the bamboo branches of the potted plant, the wish paper the three had tied earlier swayed in the air. Written clearly upon it were the words: "Hope the four of us can come here together again next year."
That night, after Sayuri and the others played in Tsushima Kagami's room for a while longer, they finally grew sleepy again. They left the room and returned to their own quarters to rest.
Just as Tsushima Kagami was also preparing to rest, his phone suddenly rang. He took out his phone and answered the call.
"Hello."
"Kobayashi-san? Is there something happening this late?"
"Ah, okay, thank you very much."
"Okay, goodbye."
After Tsushima Kagami hung up the phone, he felt an excitement in his heart that was hard to suppress.
It was because the bunko edition of The Setting Sun, released in the middle of last month, had achieved an astonishing sales record of one million copies in just half a month.
Tsushima Kagami had already heard from Editor-in-Chief Kobayashi at the end of the month that it would definitely break one million.
The main reason Editor-in-Chief Kobayashi called this time was to inform him that the royalties, originally scheduled to be settled at the end of this month, had been decided to be settled early, in the middle of the month.
The pricing at the time was 750 yen. This meant that once the royalties arrived, he would receive 82.5 million yen before tax. Adding the income from the Literary Girl tankobon earlier, wouldn't his pre-tax income directly break one hundred million?
Tsushima Kagami remembered seeing online discussions about how much money one needed to save to "lie flat" in Japan. After calculation, the conclusion was that the minimum standard was one hundred million yen.
Although his current figure was pre-tax, there would be a continuous stream of royalties following. Tsushima Kagami thought that the day he could lie flat was not far off.
When that time came, he would live like those manga artists and authors who went on indefinite hiatus after earning enough—living a life where readers cried and begged for updates, promising to do anything. Just thinking about it was delightful.
Just then, the phone Tsushima Kagami was still holding rang again. He answered it once more.
"Hello."
"Ah, Watanabe-san."
"What? Am I being disturbed on my trip?"
"Ah, do you need me to find Miss Sonoko for you?"
"No? Then what is it?"
"What, The Housewife Next Door has been decided for a tankobon release?"
"Thank you for letting me know."
"You still have to work overtime? Then please take care of your health."
When Tsushima Kagami hung up Editor Watanabe's phone call, he smiled. Wasn't this just more money and more Pure Love Points coming in?
Thinking that he would soon be able to live the "lie flat" life of a hundred-millionaire, Tsushima Kagami was just about to lie down and have a sweet dream when his phone rang for the third time.
Tsushima Kagami looked and saw it was Yukinoshita Shizuku's number. He sat up again and answered the call.
"Hello, Shizuku."
"You're not asleep yet?"
"When am I coming back tomorrow?"
"It should be in the afternoon."
"You have to go to the company with Mother tomorrow?"
"Then just endure it a bit longer. I'll have you transferred out when I get back."
"Mm, goodnight to you too."
Tsushima Kagami held the phone he had hung up again and sat for a while longer, afraid someone else might call. Finally confirming there were no more calls, Tsushima Kagami turned off the light and lay down.
The next day, all four slept in and got up very late. After having lunch together at noon, they finally organized their belongings, took the bus that had brought them there to the station, and then took the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
Today's weather had become noticeably gloomier compared to yesterday.
The gray sky pressed the cloud layer very low, accompanied by strong winds battering the train windows, occasionally bringing a few raindrops. The morning weather forecast had said a typhoon was making landfall in the Kanto region from Tokyo Bay.
After finally arriving in Tokyo, Tsushima Kagami bade farewell to Sayuri and the others, then directly transferred to another line to return to Chiba Station.
As soon as he got off the train, Tsushima Kagami heard the station broadcast warning about the typhoon's landfall. When he walked out of the station exit, thinking to make a sprint for the bus stop before the heavy rain started, his figure suddenly froze.
He turned his head to look at Yukinoshita Shizuku, who was standing to the side holding an umbrella. Her pure white dress and long hair were swaying in the typhoon winds pouring into the station entrance.
"Why did you come?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku used her pinky finger to gently hook away a strand of hair blown to her lips by the wind, and smiled faintly.
"I remembered you didn't bring an umbrella."
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