Chapter 3
The season was the Harvest Festival.
It was an important festival day where the entire village celebrated the bounty of the fields.
I—Yuuma Satou—intended, as usual, to “stay out of the way as much as possible, eat in a corner, and go home.”
However, things in this world don’t go so easily.
“Yuuma, want to go around together?”
It was Lisa who called out to me.
“Hey, Yuuma promised to go ahead with me!”
Serena cut in.
“…I didn’t make any such promise?”
“Eh?”
Both of them glared at me simultaneously.
…No, I’m the one who should be surprised?
(Why do I always get misunderstood like this!? I just want to quietly eat my skewers and go home!)
While lamenting in my heart, I ended up having my arms grabbed by both of them and being dragged to the festival square.
The village square was lively.
Smoke from food stalls, laughter, the sound of musical instruments. Children ran around, and adults shared drinks.
As a last act of resistance, I stood quietly eating my skewers.
Just then—
“…Oh? You must be Yuuma?”
A bewitching voice reached my ears.
When I turned around, a woman clad in a vibrant blue dress was standing there.
The village chief’s daughter—Miria.
She usually stayed hidden away in the mansion, but rumors said she would make an appearance only on festival days.
“Eh, the village chief’s daughter…?” (Lisa & Serena)
“Fufu. I heard you’re the ‘hero who defeated the cow and drove away the snake.’ It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“…Hold on a sec. That’s all a misunderstanding—”
My words weren’t heard to the end.
Miria smoothly extended her hand and smiled with a noble gesture.
“I’d love to show you around the mansion. Someone brave, yet modest… you’re wonderful.”
(…Ah, this is definitely going down the wrong path.)
Lisa and Serena both blushed intensely, looking back and forth between me and Miria.
Stop it. Please, don’t create a rivalry between yourselves right there.
Just then.
A man performing fire-breathing as a festival amusement, perhaps drunk, blew too much fire, sending sparks flying towards the surrounding stalls.
“Kyaaa!”
“Fire!”
People immediately began to panic.
(Stop it, stop it, stop it! Don’t drag me into events like this!)
The moment I wished that, sparks flew and ignited Lisa’s skirt.
“Kya!”
“Lisa!”
I reflexively dashed forward, took off my jacket, and beat out the flames.
The result—I ended up embracing Lisa.
Surrounding people: “Ooooooh!”
“I-It’s not like that! It’s a misunderstanding!”
Beside me, as I yelled, Lisa whispered in a small voice, her face bright red.
“…To be embraced by Yuuma, it feels like a dream.”
“I told you it’s not like thatttt!”
Furthermore, Serena and Miria glared at me simultaneously.
“It’s unfair that only Lisa gets that!” (Serena)
“…My interest has only grown.” (Miria)
(Please stop… I just want to eat my skewers and go home…!)
Night.
I buried my head in my hands, gazing at the sky as fireworks lit it up.
“…More flags have sprouted. Is this the harem compensation effect? I want to be a side character…”
But beside me were Lisa, Serena, and Miria.
Bathed in the intense gazes from three directions, I had no choice but to quietly escape reality.
