Anoseka Volume 3 Chapter 12

This is MTL. So, I cannot guarantee that the translation 100% contextually accurate or appropriate.

.

Chapter 12 "Fireworks and Gears"

.

Part 1

Unfamiliar sights, unfamiliar smells, unfamiliar sounds.

The school trip was scheduled for the day of a festival on the destination floating island.

The night is illuminated by the gentle light of lanterns.

Many food stalls are set up at the festival, serving local delicacies.

The music that could be heard was played on instruments not used in her hometown.

For Olivia, who visited the festival site, everything seemed fresh and fantastic.

"......Beautiful"

The honest impression came out of her mouth naturally.

As she walked around in her school uniform, local children ran past her in yukata and masks.

Many were smiling and laughter could be heard everywhere.

Many students from the school are also participating, and some of them are wearing yukata.

Most of them were in groups of a few people and were enjoying the school trip.

Walking alone in such a festival, Olivia's eyes were naturally looking for someone.

It was Leon.

She had to properly thank the boy who helped her at the casino.

――She wanted to use that as an excuse to talk to Leon.

(What kind of person is he? He helped me, so I don't think he's a bad person.)

Ever since that day, Leon is the only thing she can think about.

It was the first time she had ever felt this way.

Even back home, she was inexperienced when it came to romance.

Listening to people talking about who was dating who, was not exciting; she was more interested in reading a book.

For the first time, Olivia felt such a feeling that she could not control.

But no matter how hard she searched, she could not find him.

(Maybe he is not coming to the festival?)

It's the second day there.

Tomorrow they will return on a luxury cruise ship.

(There's still time, so it'll be fine, right?)

There's still time before they have to go back to school.

She told herself that she would be able to make time to talk to him before then.

Then, the fox-masked man enters Olivia's field of vision.

His figure, carrying a large box on his back, stood out from the crowd.

When called upon, the fox-masked man put down the box and handed a white bag to a customer.

As she approaches out of curiosity, the customer who bought the white bag moves away.

A fox-masked man looks at Olivia.

"Are you interested in amulets?"

"So you were selling amulets"

When the fox-masked man opened the lid of the box, there were various amulets pasted on the back of the lid.

It seems that one of them is inside a white bag.

"You can only buy one per person. You will have to wait until you buy it to find out what is inside."

The price was within Olivia's reach.

"Then please give me one."

"Yes, and you can choose any bag you like."

Olivia took out a white bag from the box and checked the contents.

It was a wooden ornament tied with a red braid.

"Is this —— a gear?"

The small wooden gear had a hole in the center.

A red braid is threaded through it.

Olivia checks the back of the box, but finds no gears in the amulet.

The fox-masked man spoke in a serious voice.

"Gears are rare."

"Etto, what's this?"

To Olivia, who only thinks of gears as parts of a machine, the fox-masked man explains the meaning.

"The gears represent a person's fate. By meshing with the gears of others, your own life also begins to turn."

"Fate?"

"Maybe it's a sign that your life is about to come full circle and mesh with someone else."

Olivia's face reddened at the mention of someone.

The image of Leon's face came to mind.

The fox-masked man is smiling happily.

"It seems like you have someone in mind."

"No, ano——yes."

She tried to deny it, but eventually admitted it.

"That's good. I hope you and the person you are thinking of will mesh with the gears of fate. ——Well, that gear of fate can easily come off."

"Eh?"

"Sometimes a gear that should mesh with another gear that has nothing to do with the original one starts to turn. Human destiny is a fragile thing. If you find a gear that should mesh, don't let it go."

The fox-masked man who had advised her leaves, carrying the box on his back.

Olivia clutched the gear amulet in her right hand.

.

Part 2

We came to watch the fireworks at the place Luxion had guided us to.

In that unpopular place, there was a single bench covered with a red cloth.

Around the bench, four lanterns placed on the ground illuminated the ground beneath our feet.

There is also a nodate umbrella nearby, but it emits a pale light, so this must be a substitute for lighting as well.

"Oooh!! It has a nice atmosphere!"

I brought Marie to a spot where we could watch the fireworks.

"But it's strange, isn't it? I can't believe the locals don't know about this spot"

She looked around and was concerned that no one was around.

The answer is simple.

[It's private property.]

Marie was impatient with Luxion's answer.

"Isn't that trespassing!?"

[No problem. We have permission.]

"Eh?"

Marie looked at me surprised, so I told her how I got permission.

"I asked them to let me use it on the day of the festival. I paid them and they were happy to lend it to me."

"You have to settle everything with money."

Marie seemed a little unhappy with the way I was doing things.

Considering Marie's previous life, it is no wonder she was reluctant.

However, I don't want other people to be around today.

[It's almost time. Thirty seconds left until launch......]

Luxion said the fireworks were about to start and started the countdown.

Marie sits down on the bench and I sit down next to her.

I started talking to Marie about trivial things.

"I'm thankful for the laid-back setting of that otome game, because I can take part in a Japanese-style festival in another world."

I never thought I would be able to taste familiar foods in another world.

I regretted it so much that I wished I had known about it earlier.

Marie was more than a little disappointed.

"I'm frustrated I didn't conquer the food stalls. I wanted to eat more."

What a glutton.

But that's exactly what Marie is.

"We could go back to the festival after the fireworks are over."

"That's true. But I wanted to buy some things before the fireworks started. I wanted to eat while watching the fireworks."

Food more than fireworks, huh.

[Launch is about to begin]

As Luxion said it, a whooshing sound was heard.

Then Boom! There was an explosive sound, and fireworks spread in the night sky.

Marie stood up and raised her hands.

"Tamaya~!"

After Marie shouted, the fireworks were shot off one after another.

I can't help but feel nostalgic for the feeling of the explosion reverberating through my body.

"Even the fireworks are similar... aren't they?"

It is difficult to say that they are exactly the same, as there are some bizarre fireworks that are launched from time to time.

[Because some of the fireworks used are magic, they seem to be reacting differently to the fireworks you know, Master. Do you dislike them?]

"As long as it's beautiful, I don't care."

[I wish you had said that it was unrefined to rely on magic there.]

Luxion has a competitive spirit towards the magic used by the new humans.

For this reason, he does not like fireworks with magic technology.

"I don't really care about science or magic when it comes to this beautiful scenery"

[I knew you would say that, Master. Is it the result that matters?]

It doesn't matter if the fireworks use magic or not, as long as they are beautiful.

What matters is how it looks.

"I guess so. That's what I think when I look at this view."

[The process is not important. ——That's very Master-like indeed.]

The fireworks where magic was used were also beautiful.

Even though it's a single firework, it explodes many times.

There are fireworks that paint picturesque flowers in the night sky, which makes me feel strange.

——Are these fireworks? Or are they something else that uses magic?

As I pondered this question in my mind, Marie sat down and placed her hand on mine, which I had placed on the bench.

"Thanks for everything."

"Hmm?"

When I turned my head, Marie was looking up at the fireworks.

The colorful light of the fireworks was shining on her face.

"So——well, a lot of things."

Marie, who looked embarrassed, looked down once and then turned to me.

Marie looks a little different from her usual atmosphere, and her blue eyes seem to sparkle.

"You saved me from the Offley family, didn't you? And you solved the problem at my parents' house, didn't you? If it had been just me, I don't know what I would be doing now?"

She imagined that if I hadn't been there, she would have been in a lot of trouble.

Her expression clouded slightly, but she quickly smiled.

"Even with all this, I'm still grateful to you, Leon."

"——Yes."

Marie puffed out her cheeks in response to my curt reply.

She looked angry, but her tone was gentle.

"You don't believe me, right! Even though I put up with the embarrassment and said it properly!"

"Were you carried away by the atmosphere?"

The unique atmosphere of the festival probably caused Marie to express her feelings to me that she would not normally be able to express.

I laughed out loud, and Marie turned her face away.

"You really don't understand a woman's heart. I've done many things wrong, and I'm very remorseful about it."

"Sorry."

Marie seemed a little impatient as I apologized and got up from my seat.

Did I say too much? Marie looked worried, and I moved in front of her, kneeling down and grabbing her left hand.

Before I knew it, Luxion had disappeared and it was just me and Marie here.

"——Eh?"

While Marie is surprised, I open my mouth.

"There's no way I'd regret having saved you. ——You're the best woman for me, since you've stuck with me, even though I'm such a failure"

A smile naturally appeared on my face.

While looking into Marie's eyes, I put a ring on the ring finger of her left hand.

"Marie——"

At that moment, a particularly large firework was launched.

I think Marie heard my confession.

Marie's face was red all the way to her ears, and her eyes were moist.

Her body was trembling slightly.

When she saw the ring I was putting on her, Marie's eyes began to tear up.

Marie wiped her tears away with the sleeve of her yukata and stuck out her right hand to me.

She holds up her index finger.

"One more time! Say it again!"

I was stunned by the unexpected request for another confession.

I stand up and protest.

"Why! I said it despite being incredibly embarrassed! What do you think of my once in a lifetime confession!?"

I'm nervous, my throat is dry, and my heart is racing.

My face must be red.

After all, my whole body was hot.

Marie wipes away her tears and begs me.

"I couldn't hear you clearly over the noise of the fireworks! And I didn't answer you properly!"

"No, but."

"Please!"

The serious look in Marie's eyes as she begged me made me give in.

Come to think of it——If my little sister had begged me like this in my previous life, I would have usually given in.

"Make this the last one, okay. I feel like my face is on fire."

Changing my mood, I lightly slapped both of my cheeks and looked at Marie.

"Marie, what I feel about you——"

As fireworks continued to explode one after the other, I confessed again.

Marie's expression changed from anxious to happy as she listened, tears streaming down her face as she clasped her left hand in her right.

Marie's tear-stained face broke into a smile.

After getting approval, I was hit by a sudden feeling of fatigue and let out a sigh of relief.

"——Yes."

I felt a sense of relief that my confession was finally over, along with the joy of being accepted.

Marie, who was watching me like that, was smiling.

"I feel sorry for you, so I'll forgive you."

"Thank you for that."

As I sat down on the bench, the fireworks were reaching their climax.

Many fireworks were shooting up into the night sky.

.

Part 3

The fireworks are over.

The festival continues, but the guests have finished watching the fireworks and are leaving.

As the loneliness increased, Olivia found the person she was looking for.

"Ah!"

She was so happy to find that person in a yukata that she started to run.

But she soon stopped.

"——Eh?"

Her body stopped moving.

Next to that person —— Leon was a cute little girl.

She had seen the girl in a light pink yukata a few times at the school.

She immediately recognized her as a student just like herself.

That female student with Leon was holding hands.

Happily —— and then her gaze went to the ring finger of the female student's left hand.

The silver ring was embedded with a small blue gemstone.

Olivia understood what that meant.

Without realizing it, she drops the amulet she was holding.

The wooden gear cracked slightly from the impact.

Olivia looked down and bent down to pick up the amulet.

"I see. ——Right. ——If he's such a nice person, it's not surprising that he has someone. Besides, it would be a nuisance if I approached him."

The knight who saved her is dating the daughter of a nobleman.

It was a natural relationship, and not one that she, a commoner, would dream of having.

That's what she told herself.

"That's strange. I can't stop crying."

No matter how much she wiped them away, the tears just kept flowing.

Olivia, having picked up the amulet, rushed out of the place, as if to flee the scene.

She remembers what the fox-masked man said.

Once you find the one you are meant to mesh with, don't let go.

(I couldn't even get my hands on it before I let it go)

This was how Olivia's first love ended.