When the three groups collided in the middle of the festival—Nino, Ichika, and Yotsuba standing out in their beautiful yukata, looking absolutely stunning—the expressions that bloomed across everyone's faces were truly a sight to behold. Shock, disbelief, nervousness, awkwardness, embarrassment, amusement, and excitement surfaced all at once, each emotion reflected differently from person to person.
"Oh my my… it seems we've disturbed two dates at once," Ichika teased, covering her mouth lightly, though the unmistakable gleam of entertainment was written all over her face.
"N-No! This isn't a date!" Itsuki protested vehemently, her face burning red.
"Don't get the wrong idea," Fuutarou added flatly, raising a hand in a halting gesture. "We're here because my sister Raiha wanted to come."
"Uesugi's sister?!" Yotsuba exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she immediately pulled the little girl into a hug. "so cute!"
On the other hand, Ren and Miku remained silent. More accurately, Miku was still in Ren's arms, her face buried behind her hands, far too embarrassed to look at her sisters. She couldn't make any excuse—nor did she have one. Even if indirectly, she had already acknowledged this as a date in her heart.
As for Ren, he stood there feeling a little awkward, but he made no attempt to explain himself.
Why would he?
"What's this? What's this?" Ichika was the first to catch on to their silence, her eyes narrowing with interest. "You two aren't even trying to make excuses?"
At that, everyone's attention shifted to them.
"M-Miku… is this the important thing you were talking about?" Nino finally spoke, pointing straight at Ren and Miku. She had been too shocked to say anything until now.
Itsuki hadn't been with them earlier, so they hadn't been able to include her. She had left the house to deliver the tuition fees their father had sent to Fuutarou—and never came back. On top of that, she hadn't even brought her phone. As it turned out, she'd simply been spending time with Fuutarou and his little sister.
Meanwhile, when they had asked Miku, she'd said she had something to take care of and would meet them before the fireworks started.
Now they knew exactly what she had been busy with.
"Who is this guy?!" Nino demanded.
Miku was always quiet and reserved—Nino had never imagined she'd be secretly hanging out with a guy behind their backs.
Miku slowly lowered her hands, still not fully registering the fact that she was being carried in Ren's arms. "T-that's…" she dragged out her words, unable to find anything to say.
"Excuse me," Ren cut in calmly, "can we continue this later? Don't you all want to watch the fireworks?"
"And who are you?" Nino shot back.
"I'm Ren Hayama," he replied. "Miku's classmate—and for now, her friend. I believe we've met once already, back when you thought I was hitting on Miku in the hallway."
"You weren't?" Miku raised an eyebrow.
Ren laughed awkwardly at first, then let a smirk slip. "I totally was, my princess," he whispered.
The word princess made Miku suddenly register her current situation. Realization hit her all at once, and her face flushed bright red again. "P-put me down," she muttered.
"Wait a moment," Ren said calmly. He glanced around, spotted a suitable spot nearby, and walked over before gently setting her down to sit.
At the same time, realization dawned on Nino. The image of that delinquent-looking guy—blond hair, red eyes, piercing—flashed through her mind. Her gaze shifted back to Ren, carefully examining him.
His hair was black now, styled differently, and it suited him. The same red eyes, the same facial features—but they felt softer, gentler somehow. The piercings were still there, yet without any earrings, giving him an entirely different impression. It was almost as if he were a different person altogether.
Why had he changed his appearance? What had prompted it?
He looked good now—undeniably handsome. Still, if Nino were being honest with herself, she preferred his previous look. That was just her personal taste.
His only real fault, as far as she was concerned, was that he had to hit on her sister.
"Y-you… you're that pathetic-looking delinquent?" Nino blurted out.
By then, Ren had already moved a short distance away—not leaving them, just repositioning. After helping Miku sit down, he knelt in front of her and gently lifted her injured foot. Carefully, he removed her shoe, his movements slow and considerate.
"Does it still hurt?" he asked softly, holding her foot with such tenderness it was as if he were cradling something precious.
His actions only made Miku feel even more embarrassed. "I-it doesn't… c-can you please let go?" she stammered.
In response, Ren lightly poked her foot. She let out a small yelp of pain.
"Don't lie," he said sharply.
Her foot was clearly red, slightly swollen, with tiny scratches where a bit of blood was already oozing out. From the condition alone, it was obvious the pressure put on it hadn't been light at all.
Was the person who stepped on her foot an elephant or something?
"Did something happen?" Ichika peeked over from behind, her voice tinged with concern.
"Big sister, good to see you again," Ren replied calmly.
"Someone stepped on her foot."
"You've met her before?" Miku asked, surprised.
"Just once, in the hallway," he answered evenly.
"Is that why you were princess-carrying her?" Ichika asked, a hint of shock creeping into her voice.
Ren feigned ignorance. "What else did you think?"
"I thought you two were—never mind," Ichika sighed in a bit of disappointment.
"What?! You're hurt?" Nino rushed over as soon as she heard Ren speak.
"That looks painful," Yotsuba added, peering closer.
"Should we take you to see a doctor?" Itsuki followed, all of her sisters crowding around with clear concern on their faces.
Even Fuutarou and Raiha stepped closer, though they didn't say anything. Still, the faint worry visible in their expressions was unmistakable.
Ren raised a hand and spoke calmly. "Let me handle this. Does anyone have water?"
They exchanged glances and shook their heads.
"I have a little left," Fuutarou said, stepping forward with a small bottle that was still more than half full.
"Thanks," Ren muttered, quickly taking it from him. He still held a few grudges against the guy, but right now, his attention was solely on the task at hand.
He opened the bottle and carefully poured the remaining water over the injury.
The cold water splashing over the injury made Miku flinch slightly. Ren gently brushed away the remaining dirt with his thumb, his movements careful and precise. Once it was clean, he took out a handkerchief and lightly dabbed her foot dry. Finally, he pulled a few band aids from his pocket.
"Do you usually walk around carrying bandages?" Ichika asked, genuinely curious.
"Not always," Ren replied as he carefully applied them to Miku's foot. "in crowded places like this, it's easy to get hurt. Since I'm the one who invited her here, I should at least be prepared for something like this."
Miku was taken aback. She watched Ren quietly, taking in every detail—his consideration, his care, the gentleness in his movements. She couldn't say she wasn't impressed, even if she never admit it out loud.
"So considerate…" Itsuki murmured in genuine awe.
Nino said nothing, simply observing the scene with her arms crossed beneath her chest, her gaze sharp and still Unapproving.
"Miku's boyfriend is really caring," Yotsuba commented innocently—and far too loudly.
At Yotsuba's remark, Ren's hands froze for a moment.
Boyfriend…
The word sent an oddly warm feeling through his chest.
Miku, on the other hand, was flustered beyond belief. "y-you, you wrong! We aren't dating… yet" she shot back, her tone sharp at first.
But the last part—softened into an almost unconscious whisper—that she tried to downplay, unfortunately for her, everyone heard it.
"Miku, you…" Itsuki trailed off, her voice stretched with surprise—yet there was a hint of happiness for her sister mixed in.
"No way. Are you serious?" Nino exclaimed, staring in disbelief.
"I'm Yotsuba! Please take good care of Miku," Yotsuba said cheerfully, introducing herself with a bright smile.
"How unexpected," Ichika commented, still slightly shocked as she covered her mouth, failing to hide the teasing smile beneath. "Who would've thought Miku would be the first one among us to get a boyfriend?"
"You guys, stop it! I already said we aren't dating yet!" Miku protested, completely flustered as she stood up in embarrassment.
In doing so, she forgot about her injured foot. Though it wasn't serious, the sudden movement threw her off balance, and she stumbled sideway toward Fuutarou. He panicked, instinctively preparing to catch her—
—but he didn't need to.
Ren stepped in at once, reaching from behind and pulling her securely into his arms before she could fall.
"Be careful," he whispered close to her ear from behind.
Miku's face instantly flushed red. She flinched, quickly covering her ear as she pulled away from him. "T-thank you," she muttered, her gaze dropping shyly to the ground.
Just then, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air as the first firework of the night shot into the sky. It burst overhead in a bloom of brilliant colors—quickly followed by many more.
"Let's go. This isn't a good place to watch from," Nino said, urging everyone to move.
"Raiha, come with us!" Yotsuba called cheerfully, taking the little girl by the hand and tugging her along. Raiha happily followed without resistance.
"Why are you coming with us?" Nino complained, shooting Fuutarou a sharp glare.
"I can't just leave my sister alone with you," he replied calmly.
"Then stay below," she ordered, clearly not welcoming his presence.
Ren remained where he was as the others began to move ahead. He noticed Miku turning back to look at him. In response, he simply smiled and gave a small wave.
Miku hesitated, clearly wanting to ask if he would come with them. But the hesitation on her face said enough. Ren understood immediately and spoke before she could.
"Don't worry about me. Our agreed time is over," he said with the same gentle smile. "I really had fun. Thank you for spending time with me. Now go with them—they're your family. There's nothing more important than that. I'm just an outsider, and I don't want to intrude on a moment that belongs to you five."
Miku felt a faint sense of dissatisfaction stir in her chest. It was true that Ren was an outsider—but he was also the only one she could truly call her friend. That was why it hurt a little to hear him refer to himself that way.
Still, it was also true that this moment was meant for her and her sisters—her family. Being just a friend wasn't reason enough to bring him along.
And so, all she could do was bite her lip lightly and quietly bid him farewell.
Nino had somehow caught what Ren said. His image in her mind improved—just a little.
'At least this guy is sensible enough,' she thought.
Her gaze then slid toward Fuutarou.
'Unlike this guy, who keeps intruding into our lives.'
A clear trace of hostility flickered in her eyes. She didn't like his presence among them—at all.