Accidentally become a father

Chapter 131: The End of the Festival

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[ reference song: click here ]

Up on the stage, the crew moved swiftly, like shadows rehearsing a well-worn routine.

The massive LED screens on the left and right flared to life, casting their reflections across the buildings framing the intersection. Spotlights rotated slowly, slicing through the dark night sky.

Meanwhile, the chatter of the crowd grew steadily louder.

I could feel the asphalt trembling beneath my feet from the sheer weight of the gathered masses.

The MC reappeared at the center of the stage.

"Alright, everyone!"

"Next up..."

The MC opened a small cue card in his hand.

And smiled.

"Let’s all listen to..."

"A song by NARI, titled..."

The stage lights instantly cut out.

Pitch black.

Only the roar of the crowd remained.

Then—

*Doom!

The heavy beat of a massive taiko drum shook the air.

*Doom!

*Doom!

*Doom!

Red lights bled upward from the floor of the stage.

Slowly.

Like freshly stoked embers.

At the center of the stage stood a giant paper screen.

And behind it—

the silhouette of a person.

The length of their hair was clearly visible.

Motionless.

Waiting.

The notes of a shamisen began to play.

Sharp, yet beautiful plucks.

Followed by a bamboo flute gently weaving its way in.

Then, a modern synthesizer swelled from the background, forging a surreal harmony between the past and the present.

The red lights shifted to orange.

As if the entire stage had caught fire.

The singer’s silhouette moved.

And finally, their vocals rang out.

Soft.

Yet carrying a profound power.

The very first note sent the crowd into a frenzy.

"Woaaahhh!"

Dancers emerged from both sides of the stage.

Dressed in yukata of red, black, and gold.

Their long sleeves swirled with the motion of their bodies.

The fabric dancing alongside the night breeze.

Then—

*Fwoosh!

A burst of flame suddenly erupted from the right side of the stage.

Followed by a second.

Then a third.

The crowd roared even louder.

"UOOOOHHH!"

The flames flared in perfect sync with the music.

With every strike of the taiko.

With every thud of the bass.

With every high note from the lead singer.

The advertising billboards on the surrounding buildings ignited in response.

Visuals of colossal flames engulfed the entire intersection.

As if the whole city were singing along with the stage.

The festival’s previously warm atmosphere had just fully come alive.

"Papa..."

I turned my head.

Yuna was standing on her tiptoes.

Straining her eyes to see the front.

"Papa, I can’t see."

Beside her, Hana was struggling just as much.

"Big sis..."

Mika tugged at Misaki’s sleeve.

"I wanna see too."

I immediately crouched down.

"Hana, Yuna."

Both of them looked at me.

"Sit on my shoulders."

Their eyes went wide.

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Yuna and Hana exchanged a glance.

Then, without hesitation, they climbed onto my shoulders from either side.

I stood back up.

Instantly hoisting them far above the heads of the crowd. ƒrēewebnovel.com

"Waaah!"

Yuna’s voice rang out immediately.

"I can see!"

Even Hana, who was usually so composed, looked awestruck.

"It’s so beautiful..."

Behind me.

Misaki let out a soft sigh.

Then, she crouched down.

"Alright, Mika."

"Hehe."

Mika instantly hopped onto her older sister’s back.

Misaki stood up, carrying her piggyback.

"Big sis..."

"Yeah?"

"Can we go higher?"

"You’re heavy, Mika."

"Hahaha!"

Their laughter mingled with the sound of the music.

Meanwhile, up on the stage.

The song was hurtling toward its climax.

The taiko drums were struck faster.

The shamisen was played with growing aggression.

The synthesizer filled the empty spaces with a grandiose sound.

The flames at the edges of the stage shot higher.

One meter.

Two meters.

Three meters.

The heat could be felt all the way to where we stood.

The lead vocals soared.

The dancers spun in unison.

Their yukata sleeves forming rings of red and gold beneath the stage lights.

Then—

The music abruptly slowed.

The lights dimmed.

The lead singer hit the final note.

Long.

Clear.

Floating through the night air.

Every instrument ceased.

Silence.

One second.

Two seconds.

Then, the giant paper screen at the center of the stage slowly fell.

The figure of the lead singer was finally revealed in full.

And at that exact moment—

*BOOOOM!

The first firework detonated in the sky.

Everyone looked up.

*BOOM!

*BOOM!

*BOOM!

Dozens of fireworks launched from the balconies of the buildings surrounding the intersection.

Red.

Gold.

Blue.

Purple.

Green.

The night sky was instantly transformed into an ocean of light.

The colorful reflections washed over the faces of the crowd.

Including Yuna.

Mika.

Hana.

And Misaki.

They all stared upwards, unblinking.

Mesmerized.

As the cheers of thousands filled the entire festival grounds.

That summer night had finally, truly begun.

_

The festival carried on.

One performance gave way to the next.

Laughter drifted through the crowd. A continuous stream of music filled the night air. The festival lights still burned bright, while the aroma of food from the stalls mingled with a summer breeze that was slowly beginning to cool.

Time slipped by unnoticed.

When the final act concluded and the MC delivered the closing remarks, a long round of applause echoed across the festival grounds.

The crowd slowly began to disperse.

Some headed for the parking lots.

Others lingered to grab a late-night snack before heading home.

The stage lights dimmed, one by one.

The festive energy gradually melted into the familiar atmosphere of the journey home.

Quiet.

And peaceful.

I glanced to my side.

Yuna was rubbing her eyes.

Nearby, Mika was yawning openly, not even bothering to hide it. freewebnøvel.com

Hana, meanwhile, remained standing politely, though her eyelids looked heavy.

"Yuna."

"Mm..."

She looked up.

"Let’s go home."

Yuna gave a slow nod.

"Yeah..."

Her voice was thick with sleep.

Misaki, standing next to Mika, smiled faintly.

"Looks like Mika and Hana are getting sleepy, too."

Mika immediately protested.

"I’m not sleepy."

The claim was immediately followed by a long yawn.

Misaki gave her a deadpan look.

"Clearly."

"Hehe."

Mika giggled.

I looked over at Hana, then spoke to Mika.

"Make sure you walk Hana all the way home."

Mika nodded enthusiastically.

"Leave it to me."

She pointed a proud thumb at herself.

"I’ll definitely make sure she gets back safely."

"If anything, you’re the one who needs walking home," Misaki retorted.

"Eh? Why?"

Mika looked offended.

Beside them, Hana covered her mouth with a soft giggle.

Behind us.

Bardy was sorting out some documents with a few staff members.

I walked over.

"Bard-san."

"Hm?"

"Are you heading back too?"

Bardy glanced to his side.

Yuria was standing next to him.

The blonde girl was trying her hardest to look wide awake, but her eyelids had been drooping for a while now.

"Yeah."

Bardy chuckled.

"Yuria is usually asleep by this hour."

"I’m not sleepy," Yuria shot back instantly.

She forced her eyes wide open.

"Haha."

Bardy ruffled his daughter’s hair.

"You silly girl."

Yuria immediately smoothed her hair back down.

But a few seconds later, she let out another yawn.

She tried to be stealthy about it.

Thinking no one had noticed.

Unfortunately, everyone saw it.

"I’m not sleepy."

"Sure, sure," Bardy replied dryly.

I smiled faintly.

"Alright, then. We’ll be heading out."

Bardy nodded.

But just as I was about to turn around, he called out again.

"Hey, Itsuki."

I looked back.

"Yeah?"

"I brought the car."

He pointed at a vehicle parked not too far away.

"I can give you a lift, if you want."

I glanced at Misaki.

"What do you think?"

Misaki looked a bit surprised at suddenly being included in the decision.

"Umm..."

She shook her head gently.

"There’s no need."

"Our house is just nearby anyway."

Bardy raised an eyebrow.

"Come on. It’s late."

"We’re really fine."

Misaki smiled politely.

"But thank you for the offer."

"Alright, then."

I nodded.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

As we started to walk away, I threw a quick glance over my shoulder.

Yuria was still standing beside her father.

For some reason.

Her gaze was fixed in our direction.

More specifically...

She was staring right at me.

The moment our eyes almost met, she immediately snapped her head away.

Too late.

I had already caught her.

Weird.

But I was too tired to dwell on it.

I kept walking.

Up ahead.

Mika and Hana were chatting.

Yuna was walking right beside me.

Her steps began to slow.

Slower.

And slower.

Then, suddenly.

Her hand grabbed the hem of my shirt.

I looked down.

Her eyes were half-closed.

"What’s wrong?"

"Sleepy..."

I let out a soft sigh.

Then, I reached out my arms.

"Come here."

Yuna immediately raised both her hands.

I lifted her up.

And hoisted her onto my shoulders.

"Yay..."

She sounded thrilled.

Even though just seconds ago, she was practically falling asleep on her feet.

She rested her chin on top of my head.

Soft.

Warm.

I could hear her quiet breaths.

Watching us, Misaki smiled.

"You two are so close."

"Hm? You think so?"

"Yes."

"That’s good, then."

Up ahead.

Mika suddenly whipped around.

"Sis!"

"What?"

"I want a piggyback ride too."

"No."

"Eh, why not?"

"You’re too big."

"That’s discrimination."

"Huh... I didn’t know you knew words like that."

Hana let out a soft giggle at the exchange.

The walk home was peaceful.

The festival lights faded further into the distance.

Eventually, we arrived at the yukata rental shop.

After returning Yuna and Mika’s yukata, we resumed our walk.

At the intersection.

My place was in the opposite direction.

"Good night," Hana said with a slight bow.

"Well then, see you later," Misaki said.

"Yeah," I replied.

Mika waved her hand.

"Yunaaa!"

Yuna, already half-asleep, raised her hand without opening her eyes.

"Bye-bye..."

Mika laughed.

Then turned and walked away.

I finally made the rest of the journey home.

A few minutes later.

We arrived.

I unlocked the apartment door.

Stepped inside.

And laid Yuna down on the futon.

The moment her back touched the mattress.

She fell completely asleep.

I stood there looking at her for a moment.

Then, I let out a long sigh.

Today had been utterly exhausting.

But it wasn’t over yet.

I pulled a cigarette from my pocket.

Lit it.

And headed back toward the door.

Just as I was about to step out.

A tiny voice called from behind me.

"Papa...?"

I looked back.

Yuna’s eyes were cracked open.

"Where are you going?"

"To tear down the stage."

"Why can’t you do it tomorrow...?"

"Because they need the street tomorrow."

I slipped on my shoes.

"Go back to sleep."

"But..."

"I’ll be right back as soon as it’s done."

Yuna fell silent for a few seconds.

Then, she gave a slow nod.

She pulled the blanket back up.

A moment later, her breathing steadied.

Fast asleep once more.

I flicked off the main room light.

Stepped outside.

And locked the apartment door.

*Click.

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