Don't Mess With My Peaceful Life!

Chapter 14.5: Festival and Fireworks

I planted my feet onto the ground. A lot of people don't know this, but for a person to strike with a good punch, it all comes from the core and the perfect wrist movement. I loaded my right arm as I stayed completely still. By getting these two basics down, a single punch, even from a person with relatively no muscle, can be a beautiful thing. 

Hitting the machine's punching bag clean in the center, the entire machine rattled as I heard a spark  and then my score started to load. 

Nagatoro: Alright, let's see!

The numbers finally stopped to... 494. A little less than I thought.

Nagatoro: Holy crap! Senpai, that's amazing! Looks like you aren't just all talk.  

Me: It's no big deal.  

Nagatoro: Alright! Now that that's done, let's watch the fireworks together!

Me: Sure. Just give me a sec. 

Nagatoro: Ok, don't take too long!

Me: I won't. 

With Nagatoro gone, I walked up to the machine and hit it on the side. This machine was broken. Each of the scores are at the very least, 100 off. I saw this when I hit the bag which softens and absorbs the energy from the punch and shows a number based on it. 

In other words, Nagatoro's was 189 and mine would have been 594. 

I guess it makes sense to keep this sort of thing outside, used by teens competing about who is more powerful or whatever, but that's enough of this. I have some fireworks to see. This punching machine was definitely interesting. 

  ...

Me: Hold my hand. 

Nagatoro: Y-Your hand?

Me: Yeah, what other hand did I ask for you to hold on?

Nagatoro: Don't get sassy with me, senpai! B-But are you s-sure?

Me: How else am I going to lead us to the best spot for watching these fireworks?

Nagatoro nodded. 

Nagatoro: Ok!

Her little hand grabbed my rugged one as she squeezed it, blushing and not looking at me for the majority of our walk. It was roughly 5-7 minutes from here.  

We went through some shrubs as I had her duck through another bush and into a clearing, a place above where the festival is taking place and perfect to see their fireworks.

Nagatoro: Woah. How did you know it was here?

Me: Sometimes at night, I go on walks to clear my head. I found this place the first week I arrived here but I didn't think much of it aside from a peaceful and calm place where I could take naps and relax. 

Nagatoro: Does anyone else know about this place?

Me: Nope. The only two people who know what's here is you and me. 

Nagatoro: Why would you tell me your calmest place, senpai? Don't you like peace or something?

Me: I do. But peace gets boring and since you make everything around you fun, I would welcome the sudden fun. 

Nagatoro: Looks like you can't get enough of me, senpai!

Me: Who's still holding my hand? I thought we already arrived?

Nagatoro looked down as she was still squeezing my hand. Turning into a tomato, she started slapping my arm away as I almost couldn't help but laugh, although I kept it in. 

Setting up a few blankets on the ground, I sat down and lied on the ground, looking up at the sky, waiting for the fireworks. 

Me: You're welcome to take a few blankets and sit down on the other side to get a better vi-

Nagatoro lied on the ground right next to me, as the two of us looked at the sky.

Suddenly, booms erupted as flickers of different colors lit the entire sky. 

Me: Wow. Never seen a-

Nagatoro: Anything like this before. I know, senpai. Your childhood must have sucked. 

Me: I guess it did.  

Nagatoro: Now that I think about it, I already told you about my childhood but you still haven't told me about your past. You don't have to, but I'm a-a bit c-curious. 

I smiled. 

Me: My past is worthless. It serves no purpose to you or anyone else. It's also quite boring and uninteresting. 

Fireworks continued to light the sky as she looked at me. 

Nagatoro: Remember what I said? 

Me: You say a lot of things. 

A soft punch landed on my right arm. 

Nagatoro: It was about us. I said y-you could confide in me. I might be a good person to talk to!

Me: And you remember what I said, right?

Nagatoro: Yeah. You said 'I'll take you up on that offer, if it ever comes to it after all.'

Me: So you can remember things. I've underestimated your motor skills. 

Nagatoro didn't hit me this time. 

Nagatoro: You know what I'm trying to say, right senpai?

Me: I get it. It only seems fair for trust to go two ways. You confide in me and I confide in you. That's how I want things to be as well. That's why we're here in the first place. 

I looked at her. 

Me: I trust you. You're very dear to me, Nagatoro. You stalking me those months ago and meeting each other the way we did, I don't think there's every been anything as influential as that. Not even close. 

Nagatoro: D-Don't say those things right to my face! They're embarrassing as hell.

Me: I bet that's also exactly how you feel as well, right Nagatoro?

A silent pause ended with her holding my hand.

Nagatoro: Y-Yeah, you're r-right. 

Fireworks continued to go off as the two of us lied there, holding each other's hands and staring at one another, in complete silence, as we fell asleep. 

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