"We'll see you later, then."
Waving goodbye to Hiroshi and the others, Miyuki Shirogane confidently held Kaguya Shinomiya's hand as they walked away, disappearing into the crowd.
"Will the president really be okay?" Chika Fujiwara asked, folding her arms with a worried look.
"Aren't you the one who gave him all that advice? What are you worried about now?!" Ishigami Yu retorted.
"Ugh!" Chika placed her hat on her head with a huff, glaring at Yu. "Kaguya's maid even secretly followed us here, which means Kaguya's family probably knows she has a boyfriend now!"
After carefully looking around, Chika pulled Yu closer and whispered, "Think about it. Kaguya's family is wealthy, and even though I've been her friend for a long time, it's possible that she has many secrets I've yet to discover."
"Things like arranged marriages, family alliances, or maybe they know about her boyfriend and want to evaluate him. That's why the president must perform well!
"If it's an arranged marriage or some engagement, then the president must prove how deeply they love each other and destroy any chance this mysterious guy has. He must make it clear that Kaguya belongs to him!
"After that, through all sorts of dramatic twists, Kaguya would threaten her family by risking her life, leading to her and the president being together happily ever after.
"Or, under the pressure of their families, Kaguya and the president could elope to a small, secluded village and live happily ever after."
Chika's imagination ran wild, her face glowing with excitement as she envisioned the scenes. She cupped her cheeks, stars sparkling in her eyes. "What a beautiful story."
"Senpai! You've been watching too many soap operas," Ishigami commented as he waved his hand in front of her face. He squatted down, taking out his handheld console, putting on his headphones, and deciding to ignore the airheaded senior next to him.
"Hmph!" Chika puffed up her cheeks in anger. Grabbing a nearby pamphlet from a random bespectacled guy, she rolled it up and started smacking Yu on the head. "Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! I'm really worried about the president and Kaguya's relationship, you jerk!"
Smack! The rolled-up pamphlet crumbled on Yu's head. Chika grabbed him by the collar, dragging him in the direction Miyuki and Kaguya had gone.
"Ruri-chan, it's rare for you to be with Hiroshi, so enjoy your date! Leave the president and Kaguya to me!" Chika yelled, still dragging Yu. "Yu, you idiot, come with me! If Kaguya's maid is here, it definitely means Kaguya's family is watching the president, so we need to cheer them on!"
Yu struggled for a moment, then resigned himself to the situation. He found himself dragged along, butt scraping the ground. Looking up, he called out, "Fujiwara-senpai, can you please let me go?"
"No!"
"But it's embarrassing like this."
"No!"
"My pants are getting worn out, and I didn't wear underwear today because it didn't dry from last night's wash."
"Ugh!" Chika immediately let go of Yu, turning around, her cheeks puffing. "You're definitely not running off! We have to support the president and Kaguya!"
"Yeah, yeah." Yu stood, dusting off his pants, and looked at Chika, who was brimming with energy. He sighed. "Even though I think we'd be better off staying out of this..."
"But I know there's no way you'd give up, so rather than let you go alone, I'll tag along." He waved to Hiroshi and Ruri, putting away his console. He slipped his hand into his pocket and said to Chika, "Let's go, Fujiwara-senpai."
After bidding Yu farewell, Hiroshi turned to the young man standing blankly, looking down at the torn pamphlet on the ground.
"I'm sorry, my friend tore your flyer," Ruri said apologetically, bowing to the man.
"It's nothing, really," the man said, quickly waving his hand. He looked shy, adjusting his glasses. "It's my fault for not paying attention to the situation before handing it over."
Hiroshi bent down to pick up the torn flyer, piecing it together to look at the content.
*Cherry Blessing*, a romance game about a protagonist meeting the heroine under a cherry blossom tree by the roadside.
Story writer: Kashiwagi Eri.
Scriptwriter: Kasumi Utako.
Producer and Director: Tomoya Aki.
Production Team: Doujin Game Circle "Blessing Software."
"Are you promoting this game?" Hiroshi asked, a growing sense of familiarity stirring in his mind. Smiling, he introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Hiroshi, and this is my first time at the Summer Festival. I was wondering where to head next, but after this incident, maybe it's fate. Could you take us to see this game?"
"Of course, of course!" Tomoya Aki quickly nodded, his earlier nervousness fading away. Seeing Hiroshi, a handsome guy with a kind smile, and the charming, gothically dressed girl by his side, Tomoya smiled back. "I come to the Summer Festival often, so if you don't mind, I can be your guide. Oh, my name is Tomoya Aki, by the way."
He scratched his head, embarrassed. "I'm actually the person responsible for that game. Having you come to see what we've made makes me really happy. You must really like anime!"
Seeing Tomoya getting all fired up, Hiroshi gave a mysterious smile. "yes I really like anime "
"Huh?" Tomoya gave Hiroshi a confused look, then glanced at Ruri holding his hand. He seemed to understand suddenly and nodded knowingly.
"I get it." He stopped walking for a moment, then mimicked an Ultraman transformation pose, shouting dramatically, "Crossing space and time, for the sake of our holy war, even the world itself cannot stop my steps!"
"Ahem..." Hiroshi coughed awkwardly, scratching his cheek while looking at Tomoya, who was still lost in his own pose. "Yeah, uh, something like that."
"Hehe." Tomoya, clearly pleased, smiled brightly as he started leading them toward his booth.