The night sky above us turned into a canvas of darkness, with only the soft glow of the lanterns and the distant lights of the festival offering any semblance of light. But that changed when the first fireworks erupted, bursting into brilliant colors that painted the sky in hues of red, gold, and blue. The crowd around us gasped, eyes wide with awe as the explosions bloomed overhead, filling the night with a kaleidoscope of brilliance.
Aoi bounced on her feet beside me, her hands clasped in front of her chest as she gazed up, eyes wide with excitement. "Onii-Chan, look! It's so pretty!" she squealed, her voice nearly drowned out by the roar of the crowd and the sound of fireworks cracking in the sky.
