~~ • ~~
Upon reaching the front of the stall, our pace naturally slowed.
Rows of yukatas were neatly displayed under the glow of paper lanterns. There were various sizes, ranging from children’s to adults. The colors were just as diverse—red, blue, purple, white—adorned with beautiful sumr flower patterns.
"Woah... there are so many yukatas..." Mika murmured, her eyes sparkling.
"Yeah..." Yuna agreed softly.
Yuna, Mika, and Hana stood there, gazing at the lineup of yukatas in awe. Their eyes darted from one garnt to another, as if they didn’t know where to look first.
"Hey, Mika," Misaki called out to her younger sister. "I didn’t bring much money today, so try to hold back, okay?"
"Aw... Siiis..."
Mika imdiately pouted.
Her small shoulders slumped in disappointnt.
At the sa ti, Yuna’s gaze, which had been fixed on the yukatas, slowly dropped. She didn’t say a word, simply looking down in silence.
Hana, anwhile, remained standing quietly, admiring the display without saying much.
Hm...
I looked at the three of them.
Then at Yuna again.
Ah...
Forget about the money.
Just this once.
Just this one ti.
"Yuna. Mika. Hana."
"Yes, Papa?"
Yuna turned her head imdiately.
A faint glimr of hope appeared in her eyes, though she tried her best to hide it.
Mika and Hana also turned to look.
I stepped forward to the front of the stall.
"Excuse ."
The stall owner turned around.
"Yes?"
"I’d like to rent yukatas for the three of them."
"Right away."
The stall owner offered a warm smile.
I turned back to face them.
"Which ones do you want? Go ahead and pick."
"Really?!"
Mika’s eyes instantly lit up.
"Thank you, Uncle!"
"B-But, Papa..."
Yuna looked hesitant.
I reached out and gently patted her head.
"It’s okay."
Yuna looked up at .
"I know you want one. So go ahead and pick."
A few seconds later, Yuna gave a small nod.
"Mm..."
Even so, her expression was a mix of happiness and guilt.
That was when Misaki approached.
She leaned in slightly toward .
"Itsuki..."
Her voice was soft, barely more than a whisper.
"Hmm?"
"What are you doing?"
She glanced toward the girls.
"I can’t just keep spoiling Mika like this."
The faint sound of her breath brushed against my ear.
I offered a small smile.
"It’s fine."
"..."
"They’re still kids."
Misaki remained silent, listening.
"They might forget a lot of things once they grow up. But I don’t want one of their childhood mories to be the ti they had to hold back when they really wanted sothing."
Misaki’s gaze shifted slightly.
I continued.
"I don’t want to see Yuna suppressing her feelings like she just did."
I glanced over at Yuna, who was currently browsing the yukatas.
"Compared to that, money isn’t a big deal."
Misaki let out a soft sigh.
"But, Itsuki... wouldn’t money like this be better spent on everyday necessities?"
"Don’t worry."
I looked at her.
"Those are definitely necessities."
"And in my opinion, this is a necessity too. Just a different kind."
Misaki fell silent for a mont.
Then, a faint smile graced her lips.
"Alright then."
But a second later, she added, "But who is going to pay for all this? I really didn’t bring much money today."
I smiled.
"I am."
"Oh..."
Misaki couldn’t say another word.
She rely gave a slight shake of her head as she turned her attention back to the kids.
anwhile, Yuna and Mika were already standing in front of the stall owner.
Mika didn’t even need much ti.
Her hand imdiately pointed to one of the yukatas hanging near the top.
"I want that one!"
A bright red yukata patterned with white sumr flowers.
"Ooh, an excellent choice."
The stall owner took it down from its hanger.
"You’re going to look absolutely lovely in this."
They also grabbed a pair of geta—traditional wooden sandals—and handed them to Mika.
"Yay!"
Mika happily hugged the yukata to her chest.
Then, she jogged back over to Misaki.
"Sis! Help put it on!"
"Yes, yes... alright."
Misaki took the yukata and crouched down in front of her younger sister. With practiced movents, she began helping Mika into the garnt.
anwhile, Hana simply stood near the display racks. She browsed through a few yukatas for a mont before stepping back.
On the other hand, Yuna was still inspecting the row of hanging yukatas.
Her eyes stopped on one that hadn’t been displayed yet. It was still neatly folded on a shelf. The colors were simple—a blend of black and white with a subtle, understated pattern.
"U-Um... I want that one."
Yuna pointed at the folded yukata.
"Hm? This one?"
The stall owner picked it up and unfolded it slightly.
"Yes, that one."
"Ooh... an unusual choice."
The stall owner smiled.
"But I think it will suit you perfectly."
They handed the yukata and a pair of geta to Yuna.
"Thank you..."
Yuna accepted them carefully.
Then, she imdiately walked over to .
"Papa, help put it on."
She held the yukata out to .
"?"
I stared at the garnt for a few seconds.
"I don’t know how to put that on."
"Eh?"
"Try asking Misaki for help."
"Really?"
Yuna looked a little confused.
"Alright then."
She promptly turned around and walked over to Misaki.
I looked over at Hana, who was still standing by herself.
"Hana, aren’t you going to pick one?"
Hana turned to .
"I’m already wearing this one."
She held up the edge of her sleeve.
"And... I actually like this one best."
Her answer was soft as usual, accompanied by a small, polite smile.
"I see."
I nodded.
"That’s fine, then."
I walked up to the paynt counter.
Then, I suddenly rembered sothing.
Oh, right.
Misaki.
I glanced back over my shoulder.
"Misaki."
"Yes?"
Her voice called out from a short distance away.
"If you want one, you can get a yukata too."
"Eh?"
Misaki froze instantly.
A flustered look crossed her face.
"Eeeeeh... there’s no need."
"Why not?"
"There’s just no need."
"But if you want to—"
"No."
Her answer ca much faster this ti.
"Besides, it’s already hot out. Wearing a yukata would just make it worse."
"Really?"
"Really."
"Are you sure?"
"I’m sure."
"Alright then."
I finally gave in.
Misaki let out a sigh of relief.
I turned back to the stall owner.
"Here’s for the two yukatas."
I handed over the money.
"Thank you very much."
The stall owner counted the bills and handed my change.
"Please leave your ID card as a deposit. You can pick it up when you return the yukatas."
I pulled out my ID and handed it over.
"Thank you for your understanding."
"Sure."
With that settled, I walked back toward the others.
Not far away, Mika had already finished getting dressed.
The red, floral-patterned yukata really suited her.
She stood in front of Hana, spinning around in circles.
"Look, Hana!"
Spin.
"What do you think?"
Another spin.
"It looks good on , right?"
Hana smiled and gave a small round of applause.
"Yes."
Her smile widened.
"It suits you very well, Mika."
"Really?!"
"Really."
Mika imdiately let out a joyous laugh.
Without realizing it, a small smile tugged at my lips as I watched them.
_
I slipped a hand into my pocket.
I pulled my phone out just enough to expose the cara lens.
Then, I pressed the volu button.
*Click.*
*Click.*
*Click.*
A few photos were taken in secret.
After that, the phone went right back into my pocket.
Not long after, Yuna finished getting dressed as well.
*Clack.*
*Clack.*
*Clack.*
The sound of wooden geta approached.
Yuna walked over to .
The black-and-white yukata she had chosen looked far better on her than I had imagined.
"How do I look, Papa?"
She ca to a stop right in front of .
I observed her for a mont.
"Yeah, not bad."
"Just ’not bad’?"
"Not bad."
Yuna imdiately pouted.
I held back a laugh.
"But why did you pick those colors?"
Hearing the question, Yuna’s expression shifted into one of satisfaction.
As if she had been waiting for to ask.
"I like this one."
She looked down at her yukata.
"Besides..."
"Hmm?"
"You don’t like loud colors, Papa."
I blinked.
"So I picked this one."
"Hm..."
I didn’t answer right away.
"Alright."
Over to the side, Mika was trying to run in her geta.
*Clack-clack-clack-clack!*
Her footsteps were quick and erratic.
"Hahaha!"
She laughed out loud.
"Look at , Yuna! Hana!"
"I can run in these wooden sandals!"
Her yukata fluttered slightly as she ran in circles.
Her face was brimming with joy, as if she had just discovered an incredible new ability.
~~ • ~~
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