Lyric

Your light yukata swayed in the breeze

As the evening air danced through the trees

We weaved through the crowd, step by step

But you seemed quieter than you’d usually get

Your side profile glowed in a different light

I turned to my takoyaki to dodge the sight

The heat in my chest made the bonito flakes spin

And I gave in to the sauce, drawn deep within

Summer festival, if I reached my hand

It might brush yours—so close to land

But now I say, “Let’s eat before it gets cold”

A plate of yakisoba I pretend to hold

While fireworks echoed somewhere far away

Shaved ice—strawberry for you, melon for me

We shared one bite, then turned to see

Squid skewers, fries lined up ahead

New topics forming with every stand we tread

Summer festival, I called your name

But the crowd’s loud hum muffled it just the same

No more fireworks lighting the sky

Still I make excuses, still I lie

And once again, I look away

I stood aside at the goldfish stall

Too clumsy to catch a thing at all

You laughed as chocolate stained your lip

From the banana you’d just begun to dip

You watched me fail at the ring toss game

The prize I wanted never came

We both just laughed, a mirrored face

That same chocolate smile left its trace

Summer festival, we walked in line

Under lanterns that softly shined

Grilled corn’s smoky, golden flare

And the candy apple’s bursting glare

Made memories we’d only taste this time

Walking home with fireworks behind

Cotton candy scent still in my mind

I said, “Let’s come again next year,” so light

But you looked up and watched the sky that night