“Tired, Mina?”

“Exhausted… The winner’s interview was longer than the actual event…”

A somewhat exhausted Mina returned, having been released from her duties by the school festival committee.

She was still wearing the kimono and hakama she wore on stage.

“What a whirlwind of events.”

“I didn’t expect to win when I decided to enter the beauty contest on a whim.”

Mina walked beside me, smiling sheepishly.

“But you were amazing, Mina.”

“Really!? Yuu-kun?”

“Yeah. You looked great in the yukata last time, but this Taisho-era romantic hakama and furisode suit you so well.”

“Do you think so? At my elementary school graduation, many girls wore hakama and kimono, but I thought it wouldn’t suit my face or hair color, so I wore a regular dress.”

Mina said this while twirling around, showing off her furisode and hakama.

“Don’t you need to change out of that kimono?”

“It was provided by the sponsor of the beauty contest, and they asked me to wear it home.”

If Mina walked around the festival in that outfit, it would be great advertising for the kimono.

Smart thinking.

Indeed, Mina had been catching everyone’s attention since earlier.

It’s rare to see someone in a kimono at the school festival.

Usually, it’s just people from martial arts clubs in their uniforms, which aren’t nearly as glamorous.

“By the way, when did you learn to recite poetry, Mina?”

“When I was a child. My mom told me that since we look foreign, we should know more about Japanese traditional arts than pure Japanese people.”

“I see…”

Her response made me feel a bit down.

During the world war, when anti-foreign sentiments were high in Japan, Mina and her mother, Millia, who had naturalized but still looked completely foreign, had a tough time.

Millia must have been desperate to protect her daughter…

“But it was tough earlier. They asked me to show a special skill right before the contest, but I didn’t have any props or prepared music, so I decided to recite poetry since it could be done a cappella.”

“Thanks to your mother’s education, huh?”

“Yeah. I should thank her when I get home. I got to wear such a lovely kimono and hakama.”

“You look wonderful. I’m so happy to walk around the festival with such a beautiful girl in traditional Japanese clothes.”

“Why are you complimenting me so much today, Yuu-kun? You weren’t like this when we were in Okinawa in swimsuits.”

“Well, I think you’ve grown a lot…”

“You’re seeing me like a parent would!? I know kimono and hakama are worn for graduation ceremonies, but…”

“Oh, I get it. This must be how a father feels about his daughter.”

“Daughter? I’m older than you, Yuu-kun!”

Mina puffed her cheeks in mock anger, thinking I was teasing her.

“But with your looks and singing talent, you might get scouted by someone who watched the contest.”

The stage had captivated many people.

With her looks and singing talent, it’s a real possibility.

“Well, major university beauty contests offer prizes like 500,000 yen, overseas trips, a year of free spa treatments, and job offers.”

I searched ‘university beauty contest’ on my smartphone, and glamorous photos appeared.

“Wow, so fancy. Participating in the military school beauty contest makes me realize how big these events are.”

Mina peered at my smartphone, swiping through various beauty contest photos.

Seeing her in a kimono using a smartphone was a bit amusing.

“Maybe it’s because it’s a military school, they can’t make it too public.”

“Ah…”

Mina’s finger stopped swiping on my smartphone.

It was a photo of a beauty contest participant in a pure white wedding dress.

“So beautiful…”

Mina muttered, entranced by the photo.

“Haha, it’s like there are brides all over the stage.”

It’s an unusual sight, but it is glamorous.

This might be because wedding companies sponsor these contests.

Even though weddings have decreased due to the war, the desire to wear a wedding dress remains strong.

“What do you think about marriage, Yuu-kun?”

“Well, if I feel like it, I’ll get married.”

My response seemed frivolous, but as a high school student, marriage felt too distant to be real.

“I see… But there’s pressure for soul weapon users to have children early.”

“I’ll use my major general authority to crush that pressure.”

Even though a major general can’t interfere with national policies, I said it firmly.

Our lives are ours to live.

No one should force such important decisions on us.

“Well, I wouldn’t mind if it’s the right person…”

Mina glanced at me, checking my reaction.

“Is that so?”

If it’s a decision made freely by the individuals involved, then it’s fine.

When I talked to Kotomi before, she seemed to have some desire for marriage too.

“I also dream of being a young wife.”

“I see. Girls do have those dreams.”

“Don’t get me wrong! I’m not in a hurry to marry just anyone!”

“Haha, I understand.”

“Do you really?”

Mina looked up at me, pouting.

Today, she wore short boots instead of her usual school loafers, making her a bit taller.

So, her face was closer than usual.

“Ah…”

Mina seemed to realize this too, blushing and hiding her face with her furisode.

Her different demeanor made my heart skip a beat.

“A wedding… might be nice.”

“Really!?”

I unintentionally spoke my thoughts out loud.

Mina, who had been acting demurely, clung to me, excited.

“I’d love to see you in a white kimono.”

“I’ll wear it! Absolutely!”

Mina, your face is so close… Why are you so desperate?

You mentioned wanting a wedding dress earlier, but you’re okay with a traditional wedding now?

As I wondered, someone called out to us.

“There she is! Excuse me, Miss Tiger Roar, the beauty contest winner. Can we take a picture?”

Several people with cameras approached Mina.

“Yes, of course.”

As the beauty contest winner, Mina was expected to walk around the festival promoting the event.

Taking photos was part of that.

“Me too!”

“Please look this way!”

“Can you pose with your furisode spread out?”

“Now, give a cold, disdainful look!”

“Oh, great!”

Before we knew it, a crowd had gathered around Mina, taking photos.

Surprisingly, many of her fans were girls.

As more people joined, the crowd quickly became unmanageable.