All Beautiful Girls Want to Stick with Me

That summer was hotter than usual. What made it worse was that even in such stifling heat, Shizuka Hiratsuka had to stay in her bedroom with a broken air conditioner to study for her upcoming entrance exams.

Having the air conditioner break down in summer was already unfortunate enough. Staying cooped up in her room doing workbook exercises, believing that if she solved enough problems, she might stumble upon a few that would actually appear on the exam.

Sweat gradually formed. She scratched at the mosquito bite on her leg. Even with the electric fan on, it did little to help. The constant whirring of the fan blades only added to her already hot and irritable mood.

Checking the answer key in the back of the workbook, she realized she’d gotten three questions wrong. They were questions she knew how to solve, but she’d made small, hard-to-notice errors in the steps and lost three points because of it…

If she lost those three points in the actual exam, she’d be even further from getting into her dream university.

Every time the phrase ”entrance exam” popped into her mind, the pressure surged like a tidal wave, making Shizuka feel as though her shoulders couldn’t bear the weight anymore. She could barely even sit at her desk and continue working on the barely-started workbook in front of her.

”The angle between two lines… when the slopes of the lines… Ugh, I give up! These problems are driving me nuts. I finally understand one part, then make a mistake somewhere else. I wish I could create a world where geometry and functions don’t exist!!!”

Just a moment ago, she’d been calmly checking her answers and correcting her mistakes. But when her gel pen suddenly ran out of ink, Shizuka’s carefully composed mood snapped. She couldn’t take it anymore!

This was too hard. She just wasn’t cut out for science subjects. Even if she stayed home during summer break instead of going out, even if she bought a math workbook instead of manga at the bookstore, even if she endured the sweltering heat of her broken AC room to study…

What was the result after an entire day?

Pathetically little.

At this moment, Shizuka even considered dropping out of school.

”After I graduate from college, I swear I’ll never become a teacher! Being a student and studying from textbooks is already this painful. If I became a teacher and had to look at textbooks every day, I’d go insane!”

She flung her gel pen aside and leaned her head back on her chair, frustration written all over her face. Even though entrance exams were still a year away, she was already thinking about what job she’d pursue after college—and she immediately ruled out teaching.

Though, back in elementary school, her go-to essay line had been: ”When I grow up, I want to become a high school teacher!”

Now it was already the end of August. The sun was setting slightly earlier each day. But what Shizuka cared more about was that the summer break was almost over. Her already gloomy mood, dampened by those silly mistakes on problems she should’ve gotten right, darkened even further.

No matter what kind of vacation it is, as long as it’s a break, the days pass like water in a swimming pool. One moment it looks full, and before you realize it, it’s all evaporated.

Every student, no matter their age, has probably thought at least once: ”The end of vacation must be a lie, right?”

Thinking of the fast-approaching end of summer break, Shizuka made a decision. She closed her workbook and set it aside. Then she downed a lukewarm bottle of Pepsi in one gulp, changed her clothes, stuffed her wallet and keys into her pockets, put on her sandals, and stepped out.

She didn’t even know where she wanted to go. She just needed to get some air. After all, staying home wouldn’t magically fix the broken air conditioner.

Compared to her broken AC room, maybe it’d actually feel cooler outside.

Originally, Shizuka had planned to just walk around a bit and grab a bowl of ramen before heading home. But as she approached the ramen shop, she spotted an advertisement poster on the wall.

”Summer Fireworks Festival, this year it’s being held in Chiba City… Right, it’s late August—perfect time for watermelon and fireworks. Mom said she’d bring back some watermelon today. Wonder if she’ll actually follow through.” Shizuka muttered, glancing between the ramen shop entrance and the fireworks festival poster for Chiba City.

After a moment of hesitation…

Shizuka made her decision, turned around, and headed for the station to buy a train ticket to Chiba City.

From Tokyo to Chiba City, the train ride wasn’t long—just needed to keep an eye on the time and not miss the last train.

When she arrived at the festival site in Chiba City, it felt even hotter—mainly because of the massive crowd.

While many places were hosting fireworks festivals this year, Chiba City’s drew the biggest crowd—likely due to its urban setting. Those who enjoyed the hustle and bustle came here, while those preferring a quieter experience went to the one in Harumari.

With 50 minutes still to go before the fireworks show started, Shizuka didn’t just sit on a bench to wait. Instead, she went to play whack-a-mole.

Swinging the inflatable hammer as hard as she could without causing damage, Shizuka found her previously irritated mood slightly improved.

Then she spent 500 yen on cork bullets to shoot at stuffed toys with a prop gun. She used up all the bullets but didn’t knock down a single toy.

After all, everyone knows the prop guns at these stalls can’t be trusted for accuracy.

Though she really wanted that big penguin plushie, she didn’t have much cash on her. She decided to be frugal and moved on to browse other stalls to kill time before the fireworks.

Thunk.

There was nothing visible in front of her, but Shizuka clearly felt her left foot bump into something soft.

Not a pebble… but something small and squishy.

Wait… did I just accidentally kick a little penguin?

Shizuka thought, then looked down—and saw not a small animal, but a little white-haired girl in a pink and white children’s yukata decorated with pink flowers. Her small white feet wore wooden clogs. The moment their pink eyes met, Shizuka felt all her agitation dissolve. All she felt now was the gentle breeze of an August summer night.

”I’m sorry, did you get hurt?”

Shizuka reached out and helped the little white-haired girl up. Accidentally knocking down such a cute little thing filled her with guilt. If she could rewind time a few seconds, she’d go back and punch herself for it.

She couldn’t help but wonder—why was something this adorable allowed to exist in the world?

And that white hair—anyone would do a double take.

Was she a foreigner? But her face looked distinctly Japanese… Shizuka wondered.

The little girl wobbled slightly as she stood up, probably not used to wearing wooden clogs. This was clearly her first time wearing a yukata. Though her parents likely suggested she wear normal shoes, she had insisted on going full traditional.

Perhaps realizing how weak she seemed, the white-haired girl looked at Shizuka for a moment, her pink eyes welling up with tears.

Shizuka panicked. Her protective instincts flared, but she had no clue how to comfort kids and ended up fumbling awkwardly.

”U-uh, don’t cry! Where are your mom and dad?”

”I-I don’t know… hic hic... I got separated from Daddy, Mommy, and my little sister!” the white-haired girl sobbed as tears rolled down her cheeks, looking so pitiful it made Shizuka want to hold her forever and never let go.

So she got separated from her family… Shizuka felt a bit relieved. She had thought it was her fault for making the little girl cry. She could swear on her conscience—it really was an accident!

The little white-haired girl was so short, she looked like she was just about to start first grade. If Shizuka Hiratsuka hadn’t looked down, she wouldn’t have seen her at all.

”You got separated from your family? Don’t cry, don’t cry. Onee-san will stay with you and wait for your mom and dad, okay? Is your little sister with them too?”

”Yes. There were so many people earlier, and I was just looking at the pretty big sister selling takoyaki… then Daddy, Mommy, and my sister disappeared,” the white-haired girl said, tearfully and pitifully.

The big sister selling takoyaki?

Shizuka recalled passing a takoyaki stand earlier—indeed, there had been a beautiful girl with a ponytail making takoyaki, which had attracted quite a crowd. Whether they were there for the food or the girl herself was another matter.

Still, this little white-haired girl in front of her looked so pure and innocent, like a little angel sent down from heaven. She had probably just wanted to eat some takoyaki and gotten separated from her family in the process.

”I see. In crowded places, you have to stay close to your mom and dad, okay? Got it?”

Shizuka bent down halfway, patiently giving advice like a kindergarten teacher. She tried to keep eye level with the girl; otherwise, both constantly looking up or down would be tiring.

”Mm…”

The white-haired girl’s big, innocent eyes still brimmed with tears as she nodded obediently, her lips pouting slightly—so cute that Shizuka felt her heart melt.

How could anything in this world be this adorable?!

If she could be this little white-haired cutie’s teacher, Shizuka would become one without hesitation.

Now that she had come across a child separated from her family, Shizuka had no choice but to stay put. She couldn’t just stroll around aimlessly like before.

”Little one, did you get separated from your family here?”

”Yes,” the girl nodded.

”Okay, then Onee-san will wait here with you, alright?”

”Really? Thank you, Onee-san!”

”It’s nothing, it’s nothing~ Are you hungry? Want some takoyaki?” Shizuka pointed to the nearby takoyaki stand.

To her surprise, the white-haired girl shook her head and said, ”I don’t want takoyaki.”

”You don’t have to be shy with me,” Shizuka thought she was just being polite.

”Umm… I don’t really want takoyaki. I want to play a game.”

The girl pointed to a balloon-popping stall nearby—the same one where Shizuka had just wasted 500 yen on cork bullets and failed to win a single prize.

Shizuka twitched her lips. So no matter what, she’d be spending more money at that stall today, huh?

Seeing that it wasn’t far from where they stood, Shizuka agreed to the girl’s request. She had the fleeting thought of picking her up out of selfish desire, but reason won out in the end—she simply reached out and held the girl’s tiny hand instead.

”Onee-san’s hand is so warm…” the little white-haired girl commented the moment she felt Shizuka’s hand.

”Huh? Really? Maybe it’s just because today’s so hot,” Shizuka chuckled.

”Nope, it’s really warm. Mommy says that people with warm hands are often kind-hearted. I think Onee-san is a very kind person!”

The girl beamed, her innocent smile as radiant as a glass of intoxicating wine. Shizuka almost lost herself in it.

Her emotions swirled inside her, eventually settling into a soft smile at the corners of her mouth. This was the first time someone had called her gentle—and from such a young girl at that. She wasn’t even sure how to describe the feeling.

It was strange… but also very heartwarming.

This was the first time she had ever been called ”gentle,” and it made her genuinely happy.

”Little one, you can’t judge whether someone is kind or not just by meeting them once. To really know someone’s true nature, you often have to spend a long time with them,” Shizuka said as she gently stroked her soft, snow-white hair, speaking like a teacher giving a life lesson.

Shizuka found herself acting very oddly today. She wasn’t that old herself, yet in front of this much younger girl, she kept acting like a passionate, caring teacher—repeating bits of wisdom she’d picked up over the years.

Most of these sayings were things she’d heard from her own mother. Shizuka only half-understood them herself.

Back at the balloon-shooting stall, she bought another 500 yen worth of cork bullets.

As she loaded a bullet into the toy rifle, she smiled and asked, ”Which prize do you want, little one? Onee-san here is a pretty good shot.”

The white-haired girl actually believed her.

She pointed to a small pendant on the prize board and said, ”I want that one!”

”The pendant, huh?” Shizuka glanced at the balloon associated with the pendant featuring a small bird and tree design—it was the orange one, positioned more on the outer edge. Slightly easier to hit than the center balloons.

”Okay, leave it to me!”

Shizuka raised the toy rifle with full confidence and took aim at the orange balloon.

Pop!

With the sharp sound of a cork bullet firing, Shizuka finally hit a balloon!

Since arriving at the festival, this was her second try at balloon shooting, and she finally succeeded—on her last bullet.

Even though it was one of the outer balloons, just seeing a balloon burst from her shot filled her with excitement. She was so overjoyed, she lifted the white-haired girl into her arms!

”Yes! I finally hit it!” Shizuka practically collapsed after setting the toy rifle down. She had been so tense while aiming that once she relaxed, her legs nearly gave out.

She’d boasted confidently in front of the girl, saying it would be easy, but it took every single one of those 500 yen corks to finally score a hit on the last shot.

”Onee-san, you’re amazing!”

The prize for hitting the orange balloon was a pendant with a bird and tree design.

”Do you want to wear it?” Shizuka asked, sitting on a bench.

”Yes! It looks really cute!”

Seeing the girl’s joyful smile made all of Shizuka’s effort feel worth it.

The pendant looked delicate, but similar ones could probably be found at a convenience store. It came in a plastic wrapper—just tear it open and you could take it out.

”Let me just string this little cord through and—eh?”

Just as she picked up the cord, the pendant split in two like it had cracked. The part with the tree pattern nearly fell off! Thankfully, Shizuka was quick enough to catch it before it hit the ground.

”Is this broken?” she muttered in confusion as she examined the pendant. She soon realized the two halves were designed to fit together. Align them properly and press gently—they’d rejoin.

And she discovered something else: what she thought was one cord turned out to be two.

”So it can be split into two pendants,” Shizuka murmured, intrigued. After fitting the two halves back together, she threaded one cord through and gently placed the pendant around the girl’s neck.

”This is a pendant that can be split in two or worn whole. Make sure to keep the other cord safe. When you meet someone you want to share it with, take off one half, thread the second cord, and give it to them,” Shizuka said with a smile.

”Okay! I will!”

”Do you have someone you want to give the other half to?” Shizuka asked.

”Not yet,” the white-haired girl replied.

”I see…”

Fireworks were about to begin. After buying the girl a candy apple, Shizuka stayed with her in the same spot, waiting both for her family to show up and for the first firework to shoot into the sky.

”Onee-san, Onee-san,” the little white-haired girl suddenly called out.

”Hm? What is it?”

Shizuka bent down and saw the girl grinning, holding out the candy apple she had already taken a bite from.

”I want to share it with you!”

When she saw the glistening sheen on the candy surface—glossy in a way no sugar coating should be—Shizuka had to admit, she swallowed a little.

”You eat it,” she said.

”No! I want to eat it together with you!” The white-haired girl, usually so soft and mild, suddenly insisted with surprising determination.

With no other choice, Shizuka blushed and took a bite of the candy apple.

It was the sweetest candy apple she had ever tasted. Even though she bought others in the future, none were as sweet as the one she shared that summer night during the fireworks festival.

”Onee-san, it’s starting! The fireworks!”

The girl looked at a nearby clock, bouncing up and down with excitement.

”Right! The fireworks are about to start!”

Realizing this, Shizuka quickly picked her up. With the crowd around them, the little girl wouldn’t be able to see a thing if she stayed on the ground.

With the soft little cutie in her arms—

The girl seemed to realize her height was an issue and pouted.

”Onee-san, how can I grow taller?”

”Hahaha, you’re still young. When the time comes, you’ll start growing. When I was your age, I was about your height too.”

The white-haired girl glanced at Shizuka and blushed.

”But I want to grow up faster…”

”If you want to grow faster, then eat well and don’t be picky. That way, you’ll grow up faster.”

”Really? But I don’t like green peppers…”

”Really. Even if you don’t like them, don’t be picky. Eating more vegetables is good for you. Of course, you can’t eat just vegetables—eat more meat and rice too.”

”I love meat and rice!”

”Haha, I do too… Whoa, the fireworks have started!”

The fireworks shot into the sky and bloomed in dazzling patterns against the summer night, their brilliant glow reflected on the faces of the spectators.

That’s the beauty of fireworks—

Even though they last only a moment, they leave memories that last a lifetime.

Shizuka couldn’t remember what those fireworks looked like.

She only remembered the feeling of holding that little girl in her arms—and the fragrance she carried.

Eventually, the girl’s family showed up.

After being thanked profusely by the girl’s parents, Shizuka said goodbye and was about to leave when—

”Onee-san!” The little white-haired girl jumped out of her mother’s arms and ran over with something in her hands.

”Huh?”

Before Shizuka could react, the girl had already latched onto her leg.

She didn’t care that her parents and sister were watching. She shouted with all her strength:

”Onee-san, I’ll eat well and grow up quickly. You have to wait for me! I’m definitely going to marry you! You can’t go back on your word—you even accepted my token of love!”

After saying such a bold declaration of love, she placed the tree-patterned pendant and the second cord into Shizuka’s hand, and with utmost seriousness, said:

”Onee-san, this is my token of love for you. You mustn’t lose it!”

Shizuka was taken aback. She hadn’t expected the girl to give her the other half of the pendant. Was it because of what she said earlier?

No, no—that wasn’t what she meant earlier. What Shizuka had wanted was for the white-haired girl to give the other half of the pendant—this commemorative one, shaped like a little tree protecting a bird—to the right person she’d meet in the future.

And yet, here it was… in Shizuka’s hand.

Her feelings were a tangled mess. But if she had to put them into one sentence—it would be this: That day, she met a little angel in her life.

Accepting the girl’s token of affection, Shizuka gave her a gentle hug—a parting embrace.

”Onee-san will always wait for you.”

...

Shizuka left the summer fireworks festival and boarded a train back to Tokyo.

The white-haired girl left with her parents. Her father carried her on his back and asked:

”Kotomi, do you know that Onee-san’s name?”

Lying on her father’s back, carefree as she munched on her candy apple, little Kotomi suddenly lifted her head. She stared blankly for a while before she finally realized:

”Ah! I forgot to ask her name!”

Her parents burst into laughter.

”Sweetie, were you so focused on eating candy that you forgot to ask?”

”You went and ’proposed’ without even knowing her name. Haha, I didn’t expect our daughter to be so bold.”

In her mother’s arms, little Aimi’s face was already twisted in jealousy as she cried out:

”Waaah—! Onee-chan is my Onee-chan! You’re not allowed to marry that woman!”

—Back under the sunshade of Class 1-F, in the very last row.

Shizuka instinctively lowered her head and took a bite of the matcha cake that Kotomi Izumi had just lifted toward her on a fork.

Just like back at that summer fireworks festival—when she had lowered her head and taken a bite of the candy apple offered by that same white-haired little girl.

Seeing that Shizuka had finally eaten the matcha cake, Kotomi Izumi beamed with joy.

”Miss Shizuka, is it tasty?”

”It’s… tasty…” Shizuka nodded firmly. She’d eaten many matcha cakes before, but this bite fed to her by Kotomi was by far the most delicious!

Though it could still use just a little bit more… ”seasoning.”

”There’s still plenty more~”

”You eat it.”

”Nope! I want to eat it together with you, Miss Shizuka!”

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