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...
The man cautiously asked a question, and Badr finally got a clear look at his appearance.
..A bearded middle-aged man?
Facing the bearded man in front of him, Badr's expression slightly tensed.
Did he mistake me for someone harassing Ichika?
Is this man protecting Ichika?
It seems like he has some unusual relationship with her.
Just as he was about to say something, Ichika Nakano suddenly slapped the shoulder of the middle-aged man:
"Ah! Someone seems to be breaking into your car window!!"
"What!?"
The bearded man immediately turned around, and seeing this, Ichika grabbed Badr's hand and ran towards the distance.
"…Hey, Ichika?"
Badr could only follow her, feeling a bit puzzled.
"Haha, don't ask, just run, or we'll be caught."
Ichika looked back and said with a smile.
Seeing her smile, Badr's expression subtly changed, noticing that her smile seemed a bit forced.
Without asking much, he followed Ichika into a narrow alley.
In the distance, the bearded man checked the car, scratched his head, and walked back, only to find that Ichika and Badr were already nowhere to be seen, his expression instantly freezing.
With a confused look on his face, he circled around several times, only to see the crowd surging around…
In the alley, Ichika pressed Badr against the wall.
Smack!
She stretched out her hand and leaned it against the wall beside Badr.
Is this… the legendary kabedon?
Badr felt a bit speechless. What is this?
He had no idea what was going on.
Maintaining a calm expression, Badr quietly looked at Ichika in front of him, who was also staring straight at him.
After a while, Ichika finally showed a faint smile.
"Hey, can you keep what just happened a secret for me?"
Her gaze slightly lowered, with a hint of melancholy as she said, "I can't go see the fireworks with them."
Badr lowered his head, keeping his gaze aligned with Ichika's.
"You should know that they all want the five of you to be together."
"Of course I know." Ichika smiled a bit helplessly.
She also wanted that, didn't she?
"It's just that I suddenly got some work, so I can't go see the fireworks."
"Work?" Badr quickly caught on: "So that man just now is your colleague?"
"Haha, that's right."
"It seems like they don't know either."
Ichika looked a bit embarrassed, "Ha, haha… well, I planned to tell them after making a name for myself first…"
"Are you sure it's okay if the five of you don't watch the fireworks together? This is a memory you share with your mother, and you've been together every year, right?"
Badr's calm words made Ichika Nakano slightly pause.
"How do you know that…?"
"Miku told me."
"That girl even told you that, huh."
Ichika smiled helplessly: "After all, we're quintuplets, everyone looks exactly the same, so it doesn't matter if I'm not there, right?"
Badr shrugged, calmly saying: "Do you have the guts to say that to their faces?"
Ichika: "…"
She was at a loss for words, finding it both amusing and exasperating.
"Speaking of which, what does this have to do with you, Badr? Why do you care about us…?"
"Who knows, maybe it's because I don't want to miss the chance to showcase my charming, steady personality."
Badr said casually with a calm expression.
Ichika: "…"
How can you say something so shameless…
Just then, Ichika noticed a familiar figure appearing outside the alley, it was the bearded man from earlier. Her expression instantly changed.
"Ah! How did he find us?"
She hurriedly took two steps forward, seeing the bearded man approaching the alley, her face slightly tense.
"Oh no, oh no, I tricked him into running away earlier, now I'm going to get scolded…"
Suddenly, she thought of something, quickly wrapping her arms around Badr's waist and turning slightly to hide behind him. From the outside, it looked like a pair of lovers embracing each other.
Badr felt a bit speechless, and softly said:
"This wasn't part of the deal; it's going to cost extra."
"…What are you even talking about?" Ichika couldn't help but laugh, "Help me out here, or I'm really going to get scolded…"
Badr had no choice but to wrap his arms around Ichika. His broad shoulders conveniently shielded Ichika's figure. With many people wearing yukatas at the fireworks festival, they didn't have to worry about being recognized by their attire.
Ichika pressed her whole body against Badr's chest, and Badr could clearly feel her well-developed figure under the yukata.
"If someone sees us, won't they think we're a couple?" Ichika asked, a bit shy.
"There's no doubt about it; they'll definitely think we're a couple."
Badr replied flatly, glancing towards the entrance of the alley where the bearded man had actually sat down.
"Haha… We're just friends, but it feels like we're sneaking around doing something bad…" Ichika chuckled awkwardly, her face blushing from the situation.
Listening to the sound of fireworks exploding outside the alley, the two of them stayed silent for about ten seconds.
"Actually, you're not worried about being scolded, are you?"
Badr suddenly said softly.
"Eh?"
"You're just struggling with whether or not to leave. You really want to be with everyone and watch the fireworks together, don't you?"
The young man's soft words reached her ears, and Ichika's expression slightly faltered.
She smiled bitterly:
"You can even see through that…"
"What do you think?" Badr said calmly, "I'm a devil, after all."
"Haha… You're really something, Badr." Ichika couldn't help but sigh.
"It's just that you're easier to read. I think you also don't want to give up this job, right?"
She fell silent, and after a few seconds, she softly said:
"I like this job. That man is a photographer, and we discuss how to take better photos and create better works together. This has been the happiest time of my life."
"…I see."
For Ichika, watching the fireworks with her sisters was important because it was a memory they shared with their mother, but she also loved this job…
So now, Ichika was torn.
She wanted to work, but was hesitant about how to explain it to her sisters.
Badr could see her dilemma.
"People often say, don't waste your life on things you'll definitely regret;
But in life, there are always some choices that are hard to make."
Badr continued calmly, "However, there aren't many things in this world that can be perfect. In the end, you'll always have to give up something.
But I think the fortunate thing is, no matter what choice you make, I believe that as quintuplets, you'll all understand each other, right?"
…
Perhaps moved by Badr's words, Ichika couldn't help but fall into thought.
"Always have to give up something…"
Muttering Badr's words, Ichika already had an answer in her heart.
She leaned on Badr's shoulder and sighed softly: "I understand now. Can I ask you to tell them? I'm really not sure how to say it…"
"Sure, I'll tell them when we get back."
"I'm so worried… I wonder if they'll be angry…"
Ichika forced a nervous smile. Although Badr had comforted her, saying that everyone would understand each other, who knows what might happen when she actually tells them?
If one of them gets too emotional, it could ruin the mood for everyone watching the fireworks.
"Now that you've made your decision, don't overthink it."
Badr said, taking Ichika's hand and heading towards the bearded man.
Seeing Badr and Ichika walking out of the alley, the bearded man was stunned.
"Ichika! Where did you go? Come on, the audition is about to start!"
Ichika's expression became slightly awkward, and Badr caught a key word.
"Audition?"
He looked at Ichika; didn't she say her job was photography?
Uh…
Badr suddenly realized that calling an audition a photography job wasn't entirely wrong.
Wow, so she's pursuing an acting career too.
For a moment, Badr couldn't help but chuckle.
Why are there so many actors around me?
Sakurajima Mai is a superstar, of course, and her sister Toyohama Nodoka is a somewhat popular idol. Now, Ichika Nakano is also stepping into the entertainment industry…
"Sorry, I had something to discuss with Ichika earlier." Badr took the initiative to take the blame for their earlier escape.
"You? What's your relationship with Ichika? Do you know how important this audition is to her?"
...
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