After Sajuna finished changing and doing her makeup, Sajuna's Mom had already tidied herself up, though her eyes were still red.
Akira stood next to Sajuna's Mom like a child being scolded. Only after Sajuna came out did Sajuna's Mom push him in front of Sajuna.
"Sajuna, let's go."
Akira reached out and stroked her hair.
"Aki-Kun, you messed up my hair!"
Sajuna chided, but there was no anger on her face. It seemed she was just saying it, knowing that her boyfriend loved to touch her hair the most.
Sajuna couldn't quite understand Aki-Kun's hobby at the moment, but thinking about how she liked to nestle in Aki-Kun's embrace, she felt their reasons were similar.
Perhaps it was simply because of love.
Holding her boyfriend's hand, Sajuna said goodbye to her mom, and then noticed her mom's red eyes.
"Mom, what's wrong with your eyes?"
Sajuna asked, confused, tiptoeing to get a closer look.
"Nothing, a fly got into my eye just now, and that's how it became like this."
Sajuna's Mom explained.
Sajuna blinked. A tiny fly could make both eyes red?
She subconsciously looked at her boyfriend, after all, Akira was also present just now. "Aki-Kun didn't bully Mom, did he?"
"How would I dare..."
Akira replied helplessly, "I don't even have enough time to butter her up..."
"I told you it's nothing, Sajuna, go out on your date with Aki-Kun quickly, Mom is fine..."
Sajuna's Mom pushed Sajuna to the door, then asked Sajuna, "Did you prepare everything for your date?"
"What is there to prepare?"
Sajuna muttered softly, then was shooed out of the house by her mom.
"Why is Mom acting so strange today?"
Sajuna hugged Akira's arm, wondering curiously.
"Maybe she figured something out. After all, Auntie also has things that bother her..."
"That's true, but Mom has always been so optimistic! Mom used to..."
Sajuna suddenly started talking about her mom's past, and Akira listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
The two of them walked around a few times as planned, then Sajuna suddenly seemed to remember something and asked Akira.
"Aki-Kun, I heard Mom say..."
"Hmm?"
Akira lowered his head to look at Sajuna.
"There's a fireworks display these two days, and Mom wants Sajuna to invite Aki-Kun to go together..."
Akira nodded, not agreeing directly, but smiling as he countered,
"Then does Sajuna want to go to the fireworks display with me?"
"Of course I want to go with Aki-Kun, that's why I'm telling Aki-Kun."
Sajuna puffed out her cheeks and said angrily, "He can't even understand something like that, Aki-Kun is really playing dumb."
"Is that so?"
Akira nodded, looked at the trees by the roadside, at the sunlight streaming down from above, felt the gentle breeze blowing past, and then, under Sajuna's expectant gaze, he spoke.
"Although I really want to make some 'I didn't hear you' joke with Sajuna, I feel it's not good to always do that."
"So I want to go to the fireworks display with Sajuna. Not only this time, but every time in the future, whenever Sajuna wants to go, I want to go to the fireworks display with Sajuna."
"Sajuna, will you go with me?"
Sajuna's slightly nervous face broke into a radiant smile, and she lightly punched Akira's chest.
"You bad Aki-Kun!"
"Of course I will, I always will."
-------------------------------------
On the day of the fireworks display, Sajuna, still in her room, was woken up by her mom who had gotten up early to prepare.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
Sajuna rubbed her eyes, got out of bed in her pajamas, walked to the door, opened it, and groggily asked her mom.
"Didn't you say you were going to the fireworks display with Akira-kun today?"
"Why are you still sleeping in?"
"I'm not sleeping in..."
Sajuna answered subconsciously, then thought of the time. "What time is it now?"
"It's already seven-thirty."
"It's still very early, though. Aki-Kun and I agreed on the afternoon, and the fireworks will bloom at night."
"But Sajuna will definitely need time to choose a yukata, and getting ready will also take time. Besides, going early can also secure a good spot, right?"
Sajuna's Mom had things to do, "These are all experiences Mom and Dad gained from going to the fireworks display together. Mom and Dad had a lot of trouble the first time we watched a fireworks display and made quite a fool of ourselves."
"Although it feels sweet to recall now, Sajuna definitely wouldn't want to make a fool of herself in front of Akira-kun, would she?"
Of course not...
Sajuna nodded, agreeing in her heart.
"Mom, wait for me for a bit..."
Sajuna closed her door. When she came out again, she was no longer disheveled from just waking up, and Sajuna's Mom pushed her into the washroom.
"Hurry and wash up. Mom can't wait to dress Sajuna up as the cutest girl in the world..."
Sajuna could only follow her mom's instructions, step by step.
"These are all the yukatas Mom prepared for Sajuna. Which one do you like?"
Sajuna's Mom took out several yukatas for Sajuna to see. Sajuna couldn't decide right away, so she tried them all on, finally choosing the one that looked most beautiful to her mom.
After putting on the prepared yukata, Sajuna sat down, while Sajuna's Mom stood behind her, helping her style her hair.
"I feel like Akira-kun really knows a little bit about everything. It won't be long before Mom won't need to help Sajuna tie her hair anymore."
"No, Sajuna will always need Mom's help."
Sajuna's Mom finished styling Sajuna's hair, inserted a hairpin that matched the yukata, and walked in front of Sajuna to examine her.
"Sajuna has grown up too, she's become so beautiful."
"Mom, that's so embarrassing to hear."
"But Sajuna really is beautiful! Akira-kun will definitely be smitten! Mom guarantees it to Sajuna."
Sajuna couldn't help but lower her head and smile, and she also began to look forward to seeing Akira, hoping Aki-Kun would be stunned by her beauty.
"What do you want for Sajuna's lips? Lipstick or lip gloss?"
"Lip gloss, I think."
Sajuna replied, after all, lip gloss looked better, and Aki-Kun used to love to 'eat' her lipstick. Lip gloss also wouldn't require frequent touch-ups.
Her cheeks involuntarily flushed, and Sajuna lightly patted her cheeks to slowly calm down.
Sajuna's Mom looked at the beautiful young girl in front of her, feeling only that light shimmered in her daughter's pink eyes, and her whole being was filled with anticipation and happiness.
"Are you looking forward to the fireworks display tonight?"
Sajuna's Mom held Sajuna's hand and asked.
Seeing Sajuna nod, her mom continued, "Although you're going to the fireworks display early, there will be a lot of people coming and going, and the fireworks won't start until ten at night."
"Even if you go early, you'll still end up sightseeing and playing at the fireworks display. Then, when you're squeezed on the beach watching the fireworks bloom in the sky, even though the happiness of being together can dilute the noise, it's still bound to be a bit awkward."
"So Mom rented a room for you two at a hotel near the fireworks display. If you want to watch the fireworks quietly, I think it's a good choice."
Her mom chattered on, but only the words 'hotel' remained in Sajuna's mind.
Although she felt that she and the things associated with that word were a bit distant, her thoughts slowly began to waver again.
"Mom..."
Sajuna lowered her head, her mood complex.
Sajuna's Mom stroked Sajuna's hair, comforting her.
"Mom isn't rushing Sajuna. Just go out at your own pace."
"I'm sorry if I made Sajuna have bad associations."
No, you didn't, Sajuna muttered in her heart.