Haruki dashed heandlong into the volume store, randomly picking out yakatas of different patterns and kept shoving them at me and Koizumi. Look I can pick out my own clothes. Why don't you go to the men's section and pick out your own and maybe help the clueless two guys who have never worn one.
Because me and Koizumi have no idea on how to put on a yukata, we asked the saleslady for help. It would've gone smoothly if only Haruki didn't butt in and tried to “help” (and by help I mean give unreasonable and useless commands). At one point, he yanked my sash so hard I ended up spinning as the sash came lose. The saleslady kicked him out of the dressing room. Don't ask me how he got into the lady's dressing room in the first place. Just don't.
Because of this little fiasco, we ended up wasting too much time on the store. While waiting for us, Nagato was leaning on the wall reading a book and Asahina-san was loitering around outside the display filled with women's fashion. Haruki, after being kicked out, was sitting on the floor with a bad mood. After a long wait, both me and Koizumi finally came out and showed our yukatas to the guys.
My yukata pattern was made up of delicate Fuso (writter's note: Same as Haruhi's in the original) while Koizumi's had run-of-the-mill geometric patterns.
Nagato took a peek and then went back to his reading. Asahina-san on the other hand was enthusiastically admiring our clothes. Haruki, still in a bad mood I guessed, looked at me for a few seconds, scowled at me then looked away. What's his problem?
The clerks glanced at the guys, perhaps guessing at "who's the boyfriend to which of the two ladies?" A pity, for it's neither.
We then went to the men's section. As usual, Haruki charged forward and picked patterns after patterns of different yukata for the three of them. Thinking back, why didn't they pick their clothes while me and Koizumi were getting changed? This guy really doesn't have any time management skills.
“Mitsuru-kun, you...”
Haruki got behind Asahina-san and pulled open his yukata revealing his bare smooth chest.
“Kya!”
“You should open your yukata up a bit. This would make you look manly! I guess all my training paid off!”
With a scream like that, how would it be more manly? And beside, what training? Making him wear a maid costume doing errands? A manly training?
“Wearing it this way, you can swoon 95% of all women.” (writter's note: cue mitsuru becoming GAR-tastic)
What's with the 5%?
"Cause a real YURI will not be swayed no matter how manly a guy is. Please remember this: out of a hundred women, five are YURI."
I don't see a point of keeping that in my mind.
“Oh really?”
Koizumi said from my back, her hands on my shoulders and her chest pressed on my back. Get away from me you minx.
Asahina-san, probably finally realizing it, kept looking at himself on the mirror. (writter's note: probably getting GAR on himself.. eeew!)
"So this is the traditional wardrobe of this country. Although a bit cold around the chest, it does look pretty... ummm... manly..."
This would be the most formal and fitting garment out of all the costumes that Haruki had forced onto Asahina-san. This was a normal outfit for the season, a symbol of summer, which nobody would leer at. This set matched him perfectly. It felt as if I were looking at some hunk in yukata. Asahina-san radiated a divine manliness. Even the clerks would agree with me. I think I heard one of them fainting in the back. I would stand up for him even if he was the mastermind behind a bank robbery, whereas if it were Haruki then I'm not too sure...
Thanks to Haruki calling us out early , there was still a ton of time left before the festival started. And that's even after wasting a lot of time in the yukata shop. As such, we ended up killing time by standing around at the park outside the station. Haruki "helped" tie Koizumi'shair. This guy could probably do anything as he kept changing Koizumi's hair into different styles. After he was contented with her hair, he then proceded to walked over to where I was. I would've ran away but before I could, Koizumi had already grabbed me. After fiddling with my hair for a very very long time, Haruki finalize my hairstyle. It was the same basic ponytail I had ever since. It wasn't until sundown that we lined up at the stadium.
The O-bon festival ground, already busy before dusk, was suddenly flocked with people coming in waves from out of nowhere. It's unbelievable how such a crowd can be gathered.
"Waa!"
Asahina-san exclaimed without reservation.
"..."
Nagato remained emotionless to the event.
The feeling crept back at me, but I hadn't seen such live events often. Why is it that I think I've seen this before... this is the O-bon dance of all things!
"Hmm?"
It hit me again; this déjà vu came to me like a headache. I kept thinking that I'd been there recently, even though I was telling myself that I had not been in there for the longest time. It's all so familiar... the platform in the center of the stadium, the outlying festival stands littered about...
But just as I was about to catch the tattered strands of the spider web dangling in the air, the feeling vanished.
I heard Haruki's voice.
"Here's the goldfish stand that you've been so excited about. Just keep scooping. You get two hundred extra points if you can get the one with black exposed eyes."
Haruki dragged Asahina-san's hand toward the goldfish tank over the stand after making up bogus rules on the spot.
"Let's join in. Let's see who scoops up more!"
I vetoed Koizumi, the game addict's proposal. Even if I were to bring the goldfish home, I had no tank to keep it in. I had more interest in the finger-licking food stands with their tempting aroma that surrounded us.
"Nagato, want to grab a bite?"
His expressionless eyes focused on me for the longest time, and gradually shifted their focus. The mask stand was in his direct line of vision. It's hard to understand what the guy likes.
"Never mind, let's just take a look around."
The loudspeaker played the easy-listening type of festival music like it was chanting. Lured by the music, I led Nagato to the mask stand as I felt the slightly overbearing "glow" of Koizumi.
"Although it's a great haul I don't need this many, just taking one is ok. Mikuru-chan didn't get any so this is his."
A plastic bag dangling by a string was held in Asahina-san's hand. Within the bag was an orange standard-fare goldfish, swimming about in a carefree fashion. Every move of Asahina-san, like grabbing on the plastic rope, was absolutely adorable. When I saw his other hand clutching a caramel apple stick, I decided to get one for my little'ol brother. Making him go crazy happy once in a while can't hurt.
Haruki, on the other hand, kept playing around with a water ball with his left hand, and talked to us while his right was holding on a plate full of Takoyaki.
"One each only."
Showing this kind of generosity to us... in this fashion. Just as I was enjoying the Takoyaki dipped in sauce -
"Eh? Yuuki, how'd you get the mask?"
"It was purchased."
Nagato muttered as he stared at the toothpick with the Takoyaki on it. On a side of her head was the mask of silver Ultraman from the Kingdom of Light. What generation is beyond me, but I figure the wavelength must overlap somewhat for this alien, since this of all masks is what made him bring out his frog-mouth style coffer from his sleeve.
With everything Nagato's done for me, I felt that I should at least buy such a trinket for him, but Nagato refused and paid out of his own pocket. Hmm... What is his source of income?
The four corners of the platform were surrounded by women and children dancing to the tune of Tanko-bushi. It looked as if they were members of the women and children society, as the typical laymen coming here for the show won't really do it and, of course, we wouldn't as well.
Asahina-san's eyes were transfixed upon the group of dancers. He looked as if he were witnessing aborigines welcoming him into an unknown part of the new world.
“Wa…aah”
He exclaimed softly. Is the tradition of o-bon dance lost in the future?
Under the leadership of Haruki, our motley crew toured the festival together. He made us his peons, saying, “Let’s eat that,” then, “Let’s try this.” Haruki was enjoying himself, a bit too much I think, and so it seemed was Asahina-san, which made me happy. I couldn't tell if Nagato was having a good time, and I don’t give a damn about Koizumi’s experiences.
Koizumi, from time to time, would fall into this peculiar silence and display her smile without warning… No doubt that her emotions were anything but stable as of late. Perhaps this is the fate that all members of the SOS Brigade must face.
When it comes to summer vacation, it's gotta be a grand holiday.
I would’ve gotten my ticket’s worth just seeing the manly yukata-clad trio.
That's why, the moment Haruhi suggested:
"Let's go shoot up some fireworks, fireworks! It's rare for us to come out in yukata like this so we might as well get all of this done today!"
This motion received unanimous approval from the SOS Brigade. We purchased those crude fireworks that you give to kids, and headed to the riverbank under a night sky so murky that you could only make out the moon and Mars. We followed Haruki, who grabbed himself a cheap lighter and a Polaroid camera en-route. Haruki seemed to be in higher spirits than usual. For some reason, the phrase "you are what you wear" flashed through my mind.
One would pay no heed to Haruki's terrible broad stepping postures. Evidently, being headstrong is Haruki's strength.
An hour later, I had taken countless photos. There was Asahina-san holding the angel stick with his marble eyes wide open, Haruki crouching about with both his hands holding the dragon cannon, and Nagato transfixed upon the swerving snake. The SOS Brigade's summer activity came to an end with this finale.
Koizumi picked up some shrapnel that had fallen into the stream and put it in a convenience store plastic bag. Haruki gave her a look and put a finger to his lips-
“Then tomorrow will be bug-catching.”
He was determined to exhaust every last item on that itinerary of events.
“Haruki, I'm not against it, but did you finish your summer assignments?”
I really had no right to say this, since I hadn't even picked up my pen yet. Haruki suddenly looked dumbfounded.
“What the hell are you talking about? I only need three days tops to get those done, piece of cake. I had them done by July, actually. Get rid of the tedious stuff so you can really enjoy yourself, that’s the way to really enjoy summer!”
When Haruki gets serious, that little mound of work is nothing. Why did God give him such a brilliant brain? This shows that God isn't fair.
Haruki handed his order out to us with a relentless glare:
“Hear this? Tomorrow, everyone’s gotta bring along a bug catching net and a cage. Oh yeah, let’s see who’s gonna catch the most. Whoever wins gets to be the leader for a day.”
I didn’t care for that title. Wait. Is it ok as long as it’s bugs?
“Hmm… cicadas only! That’s right. This is the SOS Brigade Cicada Hunt Competition. As for rules… No type restriction, one is one and wins by the numbers.”
Haruki, who only needed his own approval, started to fool around with the Brigade fan as if it were a net. Net and cages… I should still have a set in the storage room somewhere in my home.
With that, when I finally returned home, I realized that I'd forgotten to get myself an apple stick.