Tokyo: Am I the only male tenant?

"Be careful, there are too many people."

"Yeah, thank you, Sousuke."

Chiaki Hoshino thanked Ginjo embarrassedly, and after regaining her balance, she returned to the crowd.

"Sister Tomoko, we are back."

After finally getting through the crowd, a few people finally returned to their wives with food and drinks.

"Thank you for your hard work. Did you buy so many things, Chie?"

Tomoko Matsumoto quickly stood up and took the bags full of goods from them.

"Haha, I think it would be more fun to watch the fireworks while eating snacks."

Chie Hoshino smiled happily as she looked at the delicious food covering the picnic mat.

"I think you are just looking for a good excuse for being greedy."

Ginjo found a seat and sat down, complaining to her.

"Hey, whatever you say, I'm so happy today, so I won't bother with you."

Contrary to her usual behavior, Chie Hoshino did not argue with Ginjō, and for some reason there was a hint of cunning in her eyes when she looked at Ginjō, as if she was planning something evil.

"Mom, look at the goldfish I just caught."

Matsumoto Sachiko sat down next to his wife and excitedly raised the transparent water bag in her hand.

"Eh? Did you catch so many? That's amazing, Sachiko. You loved catching goldfish when you were a kid. You would spend a long time at the goldfish catching booth during every festival."

Looking at her daughter who has grown into a beautiful young lady, Tomoko Matsumoto couldn't help but recall her childhood.

"You should sit down too, Chiaki."

"Well, then I'm not welcome."

Hoshino Chiaki said this politely with her head down, then she took off her wooden clogs and sat down, holding up the hem of her pink yukata.

Her sitting posture is reserved and elegant, and her movements before sitting down are as natural as flowing water. Her every move can easily fascinate people.

People often point at fireworks and compare them to flowers blooming in the night sky, but before Ginjo saw the fireworks, a beautiful flower was already blooming before his eyes.

"Oops, why is my hairpin missing?"

Just when everyone found a seat and was waiting for the fireworks display to begin, Chie Hoshino suddenly shouted anxiously.

She spent a lot of time today putting her hair up and braiding it into a flower crown-like shape.

Now without the hairpin, the whole wreath looks shaky.

"Were you so busy buying food that you accidentally dropped it?"

Chiaki Hoshino asked her sister.

"I don't remember it either. No, I have to go back and look for it. I went to several stores before I chose that hairpin."

Chie Hoshino stood up suddenly, looking very unwilling.

"Eh? It's a mess everywhere, can you find it?"

Matsumoto Sachiko also stood up following her.

"How will you know if you don't try? Maybe I'll get lucky."

"Is there still enough time? The fireworks display will start in less than half an hour?"

"Now that everyone is gathered here, there might be fewer people on the road. I will pay attention to the time. If I can't find it, I will come back immediately."

Chie Hoshino said this as she put on her clogs.

"Wait, Chie, can you go by yourself?"

Matsumoto Tomoko called her from behind, somewhat worriedly.

"Really? I'd better go with you. I lose to you. You always cause trouble for me."

"Sister Tomoko, you guys can just stay here. You can rest assured that I'm with Chie."

Ginjo Sousuke shook his head and walked behind her.

"Well, this is the best way. I'll leave it to Sosuke-kun then."

Tomoko Matsumoto and the other two girls looked at Ginjo with great trust. Their deep trust in Ginjo seemed unable to be described in words.

"I'm sorry, hero, I have to trouble you every time."

Chie Hoshino did not reject the suggestion. She smiled and made a playful tongue-out expression to him.

The backs of the two people quickly disappeared from the sight of the ladies, but after walking back for a distance, Chie Hoshino seemed to turn in another direction.

"Hmm? I don't think we took this road when we came here?"

Ginjo Sousuke, who was following behind her, soon discovered something was wrong.

"There's a shortcut here. I found it when I came here to survey the terrain. It will be quicker to get back to the stall."

Chie Hoshino did not stop and continued to move forward along the path that did not seem to have any people...

Chapter 418: Bad Girls Must Be Punished

The night fell quietly upon the festival venue like a deep ocean.

The summer night breeze brings a hint of coolness, gently brushing across your cheeks and taking away the heat of the day.

The colorful lanterns hung high up look like sparkling gems inlaid in the night.

The air is filled with the aroma of barbecue, the sweetness of candy and the faint scent of flowers, and the fantasy of summer is infinitely magnified at this moment.

"Are you sure you're going this way?"

Ginjo Sosuke looked around and gradually saw that they were the only two people left on the path.

"Yeah, I've been here several times before, so I remember the way."

"By the way, there's an uphill slope a little further ahead. After you climb over it, you'll be directly at the stall. It's much faster than the normal route."

Chie Hoshino pulled up Ginjō's sleeve and continued walking towards the dim front.

"Do we still need to climb the slope? But wouldn't it be inconvenient for you to walk in your yukata and wooden sandals?"

Ginjo Sousuke asked in a somewhat strange tone.

"Speaking of which, even if we go back the same way we came, we still have to climb the stairs, and the distance over there is longer, so it's easier this way. Let's go faster, we don't have much time."

As the two men moved away from the hustle and bustle of the festival, the lights gradually dimmed, and they could only rely on the moonlight to guide them through the dark path.

"Isn't there even a street light here? Be careful, Chie, don't fall down."

"Hey, you're being overprotective, aren't you, Sousuke?"

"Don't worry, I won't stumble like Chiaki. Or, if I stumble, will Sousuke hold me like he did with Chiaki?"

There was a hint of fantasy in Chie Hoshino's expression as she joked, and her words seemed to imply that she was very much looking forward to this situation happening.

"I'm kidding. Sousuke would definitely hug me instinctively, right? You're not the kind of man who would ignore the unexpected. Otherwise, you wouldn't have saved me when I was attacked."

Although there was no one around, Ginjo felt that Chie Hoshino was getting closer and closer to him, and her shoulder was almost touching his upper arm.

At this distance, he could easily hold Chie Hoshino in his arms as long as he stretched out his hand.

For humans, darkness seems to naturally bring deep-rooted fear, so on this path, there are only two people walking side by side, which is a bit like a routine test of courage in summer.

Although Ginjo didn't directly hold Chie Hoshino's hand, he could vaguely feel her trembling slightly.

"This trembling is not because of fear of ghosts? Really, really?"

Perhaps she noticed Ginjō's gaze on her, and Chie Hoshino said stubbornly.

"Why do you have to pretend to be so strong? Being afraid of ghosts is not a big deal. In fact, if you honestly say that you are afraid of ghosts, maybe you will be more adorable, right?"

Ginjo couldn't help but smile as he watched her anxiously explain.

"Hmm? Is that so? Why do you say being afraid of ghosts makes you cute? Sousuke, explain it to me."

Chie Hoshino raised her little head and looked at Ginjō.

"Isn't this easy to understand? A girl like you who rushes around recklessly usually gives people the impression that you're not afraid of ghosts or anything like that. A courage test? Come on!"

"But if you are actually afraid of these things, it will create an unexpected contrast, and this sense of contrast will make people feel very cute."

Ginjo Sosuke casually explained to her some of boys' preferences, but Chie Hoshino just stood there with her mouth open, looking stunned.

"Is that so? Does Sousuke have a weakness for cute contrasts? Why didn't you tell me about this earlier..."

Chie Hoshino said this with a slight smile, and it seemed that she had a better understanding of Ginjō.

But the topic was interrupted, and the two fell silent again and continued walking up the slope.

"How long until we arrive?"

"It will be very soon. I remember there is a small pavilion in front. That is the top."

"The road is getting harder and harder to walk on. You'd better be careful."

"Really? Stop treating me like a kid, Sousuke! I'm fine. I won't trip over nothing—ah!?"

This is often the result of bragging. It was because she didn't look carefully at the road ahead that she tripped over the potholes in her clogs.

However, just as Chie Hoshino had expected, Ginjo instinctively grabbed her hand and held her in his arms.

"Okay...Okay...I'll be careful..."

Chie Hoshino's face turned red as if steam was coming out of it, and she muttered softly, but it didn't seem like she was shy, but because she had just made a boast and immediately made a fool of herself.

She was now completely pressed against Ginjo's chest, the fresh fragrance stimulating his nostrils, and the beautiful back of her neck, which was usually covered by her long hair, also exuded a charming color at this time.

"I have reminded you many times."

Ginjo Sosuke's gentle voice is made even more defenseless in this posture.

"I...I really didn't mean it..."

Chie Hoshino learned and put it into practice immediately, and soon wanted to show the kind of contrast cuteness that Ginjo mentioned.

"So how long are you going to lie in my arms? We still have to go back to watch the fireworks, right?"