Haibara’s Teenage New Game+ - Volume 7 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Everyday Life Restored

Reita’s suspension had ended, so he returned to school the next day. In his place, Hasegawa got suspended, but she was back after a day. Apparently, she had confessed everything she did to a teacher. Huh, she turned herself in. She must actually feel bad.

Hasegawa got off lightly with a one-day suspension because Miori spoke up for her. Honestly, Miori is way too big a softy, as per usual. I think Hasegawa could’ve used a few more days of punishment. I don’t really like her, after all...

Because of the kerfuffle, there was quite an uproar surrounding us for about a week after Reita and Hasegawa came back, but things had more or less settled down now. Though there were still unsettling rumors flying around, we had always been an influential group. After we worked hard to gradually dispel the misunderstandings, there weren’t any students who would publicly bad-mouth us. I didn’t know how everyone truly felt on the inside, though.

At the very least, our classmates had been relieved to see Reita back. He was a popular guy, after all. It was also thanks to Miori posting the truth on Minsta. People were dubious at first, but once Reita came back, he endeavored to regain everyone’s trust. He was certainly skilled at doing that.

On the other hand, in the class next door, Miori and Hasegawa had become friends for some reason, and started hanging out. Because of that, the separate girl cliques of their class were consolidating into one group.

I have no idea what happened, but... Eh, it’s a very Miori move. I think she’s slowly reverting back to her normal self.

“So, do you think you can go back to the soccer team?” I asked.

It was lunch break. Reita and I were on our way back to the classroom from the cafeteria.

“I’ll manage. I can’t thank everyone enough for forgiving me.” Reita’s tone oozed happiness.

He really does love soccer. “Good for you. What about the fees, did that work out too?”

“For now, yes... That night, I talked to my dad, and he started working again. I’m not really sure why, but when I told him I was also going through emotional shock due to being rejected by my girlfriend, he muttered something nonsensical along the lines of ‘I can’t lose to my own son.’ He’s full of motivation these days. He’s beyond my comprehension.” Reita smiled wryly. “But I don’t want to depend solely on my dad. I decided I should at least earn my own pocket money. So I started a part-time job... I only work two shifts every week at most, though. Soccer is my first and foremost priority, after all.”

He has a lot on his plate, but it looks like things are going well for the time being. “Where are you working?”

“I looked around, but there weren’t a lot of places that could accommodate my schedule. I ended up going with a karaoke place that Koya referred me to. You know, the one we went to in the spring.”

“Oh, that place,” I said. “Wait, does Hasegawa’s brother work there too?”

“Yeah. I heard the customers are often scared of him.”

Well of course they would be... Is that place okay? Won’t they lose customers?

Reita gleaned my questions from my face and added, “He can instantly shut up rowdy guests, so he’s handy to have around.”

“I see...” So you can use him that way, huh. He’s like a bouncer. “Are you going to keep hanging out with those guys?”

“I think so, in moderation. We’ve reconnected, and they’re not bad people. Sure, a lot of them are short-tempered, but I’m confident I can keep them in check. I’ll be sure not to cause any trouble for the soccer team.” He shot me a confident smile, one that suited him very well.

“Oh, Natsuki-kun! Reita-kun!” Hikari waved when she saw us enter the classroom. The usual crew had gathered around the seats near the window, chatting.

“What are you guys talking about?” I asked.

“We’re talking about how it’s almost winter break!” Uta answered, full of cheer.

Oh yeah, we’re almost halfway through December. Winter break starts on the twenty-third.

“Which means finals are right around the corner too,” Tatsuya said calmly.

“Ugh, Tatsu, why do you have to be such a wet blanket?!” Uta cried, flailing her whole body.

I was glad to see Uta back to her usual energetic self. It had only been a few days ago when she’d been eerily quiet, like an entirely different person.

“I have to; I’m worried about your grades,” he said.

“Don’t get all high and mighty just because your grades have gone up a little!”

Man, it feels like we’ve got our everyday life back. How long has it been since we chatted in such a bright mood? The others must feel the same way, because they seem just as excited as me. It’s fun.

“Sorry, but you and I aren’t in the same realm anymore. Do you understand? Wakaru?” Tatsuya taunted Uta in both English and Japanese.

“Grah!” she screamed.

Bantering aside, Tatsuya was right. He was actually near the top of our grade. In comparison, Uta was hovering around the bottom of the barrel, barely above literal last place.

“He’s right, though. Finals are next week. You better study hard,” Nanase said despondently, her eyes on the wall calendar posted in the back of the classroom.

“Reita, are you going to be okay? You’ve been scrambling around, what with everything that’s been going on,” I said.

“Don’t worry; I’ve been reviewing the lessons and prep material. Even if I didn’t, I could still score eighty points,” he replied.

Oh, right. He’s fundamentally a prodigy.

“Natsuki... Well, we’re not especially worried about you. You’re the top student of the grade, after all.”

“Not sure about that. I’ve been slacking on my studies lately.” Frankly, all I’ve been doing is exercising, working at Café Mares, and practicing the guitar. I mean, studying isn’t particularly fun...and I have the general gist of things. “Hey, I can still rank within the top ten, probably.”

“Oh? You aren’t confident you can get the top score? In that case, perhaps I’ll help myself to first place this time. Humph,” Nanase said, goading me.

“But it’s not like you get any perks for staying in first place,” I said.

“Where’s your competitive spirit? Show some drive.” She poked me in the chest.

Nanase’s rank is the closest to mine. She’s usually floating between second and ninth place.

“Hey! I’ve been reviewing lately too!” Uta said sulkily.

Now that she mentions it, Uta hasn’t been kicking up a fuss about forgetting to do her homework recently. “Reeeally?”

“I’m positive I won’t fail any subjects! After all, I can’t play basketball if I fail!”

It looks like everyone has grown up in one way or another. At the beginning of spring, Uta used to say, “I don’t know what I don’t know,” but now she’s actually studying... Ah, this old man is feeling touched.

“By the way, Hikari, why did you clam up?” Nanase asked in a frightfully cold voice.

A certain someone’s shoulders began to tremble noticeably. I was, of course, referring to Hoshimiya Hikari-san, who was shrinking next to me.

“Um, I’m... I’m confident in Japanese!” Hikari answered, trying to cover up her panic.

“It would be an issue if an aspiring writer didn’t have confidence in her Japanese. What about the other subjects?” Nanase asked pointedly.

“W-World history and Japanese history will be okay... As for the rest...I don’t have...the slightest...”

“Hikari... Are you aware that your grades are falling?”

“Urgh...”

Nanase is Hikari’s mom through and through. This is business as usual, what a classic scene. Though, Hikari’s grades have clearly been dropping...ever since she started dating me. Ah, well, uh... Yeah, it happens.

“Haibara-kun. Do something about this nympho. It’s your obligation,” Nanase said.

“I-I’m not a horndog! I had a deadline for my novel... I’m just a little uncertain, that’s all. Yeah! I’ll start studying today. It’ll work out! For sure!” Hikari said as though she were trying to persuade herself, and nodded several times.

“I’ve been thinking this more frequently these days, but Hikari didn’t use to be this derpy, right?” I asked.

“You’re the one who made her that way,” Nanase replied immediately.

No need to lay the blame on me so hard!

“Huh?! You’ve been thinking that?!” Hikari cried out in shock.

Crap, it just slipped out... I thought. Reita held his stomach as he cracked up. This guy... I just don’t get what tickles his funny bone sometimes. He claims stuff like, “I’m a prodigy, so my sensibilities might be different from regular people’s.” I’m gonna send him flying!

My inner thoughts aside, Nanase continued to lecture Hikari with a serious expression. “If your grades drop too much, your dad might lose his temper.”

“Urgh... I know...”

Yeah, that’s probably true. In the first place, didn’t Hikari promise her dad that she would raise her grades in exchange for him allowing her to pursue her dream of becoming an author? Forget about keeping the promise—she’s running in the complete opposite direction right now.

“Want to have a study session, Hikari?” I asked. Writing novels wasn’t the only task that was eating up her time; I was also one of the distracting factors, so as Nanase said, I should take responsibility. I couldn’t let myself stand in the way of Hikari’s dream, after all.

“Yes, please.” Understanding her situation, she hung her head apologetically.

And so, with five days left until finals, Hikari and I began studying together.

***

Hikari and I met up after school.

“By the way, you’ll make the deadline for the novel contest, right?” I asked.

“Yeah. I submitted it a few days ago, so now it’s time to buckle down for our finals.” Hikari seemed motivated after reflecting on Nanase’s lecture.

“Where should we go?” At first I thought the library would work, but I need to teach her the material. We should pick a place where it’s okay to be a little noisy.

“Hmm... How about the café?” Her suggestion was the café we had visited over the summer. It was a shop on a backstreet of Takasaki with a pleasant atmosphere that was popular among those in the know.

“Welcome.”

“Hello, sir!” Hikari greeted the café owner, a seemingly middle-aged man, and then headed to a table near the window at her own discretion. She was a longtime customer who didn’t need to be guided to her seat, after all.

“This is where I always write my novels. I think I concentrate best here,” she explained.

The coffee here is to die for, so I like this place. It’s on par with Café Mares. “All right, what should we start with?”

“Don’t you have your own studying to do? How about you review your own stuff, and if I run into a part I don’t understand, I’ll ask you for help. Does that work?”

“Sure thing.” I don’t mind doing more, but Hikari must feel bad being on the receiving end. She’s only requesting the bare minimum assistance. Oh well, I can take it easier that way, so I’m down.

Hikari pulled out her notebook as soon as we ordered our coffee.

“Can I ask you something?” I began.

“Yeees?”

“What do you think is the actual reason your grades dropped?”

“Urgh...” She turned away sheepishly. “Our second semester midterms...overlapped with the deadline for a novel contest I wanted to enter...”

In our first semester, Hikari had ranked 49th during our midterms, and 67th on our finals. Our grade had about 240 kids, so she was in the top half of our year. However, her rank had plummeted to 151st place for our second semester’s midterms. She had only been slightly above Uta.

“But I still made sure to set time aside for my studies...”

“Then why?” I pressed.

Betraying her deep shame, Hikari’s cheeks flared scarlet. “It was right after we started going out... The next thing I knew, you were all I could think about. I’d look at our past RINE chats, toss my phone onto my bed...pick it up again... I’d go through that routine repeatedly, and I couldn’t focus on studying at all.”

That was about what I’d expected, but hearing it firsthand dealt a far more destructive blow. My cheeks felt hot. I didn’t need to look in the mirror to know that my face had turned bright red.

“R-Really...?” I mumbled.

“R-Really...” she parroted.

We sank into awkward silence. Hey! We didn’t come here to flirt! Our goal today is to study! Stop acting like a pair of stupid lovebirds!

Hikari took a deep breath, calmed her flushing cheeks, and said with a serious expression, “I know. I really do. I can’t tell papa that I’m going to keep pursuing my dream when my grades are dropping instead of rising. But I’m greedy, so...I want to give my dream, studying, and romance my all. I don’t want to give up on anything. That’s why I need to solve this issue, or else...”

“Did Sei-san say anything after he saw your midterm results?”

“No. He hasn’t mentioned it yet. But I’m sure he’ll say something if my grades stay low. And even if he doesn’t...I don’t want to be someone who goes back on her promises. That’s why I’ve got to give this my all,” Hikari asserted once more, as though to convince herself.

She must have it tough. Not only is she trying to keep up her writing and studies, she’s also juggling her love life with me. When I lay it all out like that, I feel bad for burdening her too much. “Hey, um, sorry...”

“Oh, I’m sorry! Natsuki-kun, it’s not your fault! It’s mine for having my head in the clouds. I’m the only person who’d say all this in earnest, huh? Ha ha ha...” she said apologetically as she fanned her face.

To be honest, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t happy. I mean, Hikari was thinking about me that much. “I’m the same... There are times when you’re all I can think about and I can’t focus on studying.”

“R-Really? You do it too?”

“Yeah. But I still manage to keep my grades top of the class. So let’s search for a way to overcome this challenge together.”

My girlfriend says she’s going to do her best to face this problem. If that’s what she wants, as her boyfriend, it’s my duty to support her.

***

That being said, a concrete plan wouldn’t come to us in the matter of moments, so we started by busying our hands. Despite my concern for Hikari, I proceeded with my own studies. She seemed to be in the zone at first, but after an hour had passed, she was visibly losing focus. Suddenly, she looked up, and her eyes locked with mine.

“Did you run into something you don’t understand?” I asked.

“I’m okay for now, but I lost focus...” Hikari raised her arms high and stretched. It highlighted a part of her body that I felt like I shouldn’t ogle too much, and I instinctively averted my gaze. “What do you do when that happens?”

“Hmm. I take a short break. I’ll listen to music, check RINE... Oh, but if I grab a manga off my bookshelf, I can’t stop reading, so I advise against that. I end up finishing the whole series, and then it’s morning all of a sudden.”

“Oh, I get that. Though, it’s novels in my case; next thing I know, I’ve finished the whole book!”

I can imagine. I was amazed by how focused she was. Hikari tends to get absorbed in whatever she does. I’m sure she becomes even more engrossed when it’s something she’s actually interested in.

Hikari spaced out at my face as such thoughts ran through my head.

“Wh-What is it?” I asked.

“Mm, recharging?”

“Recharging? Recharging what?”

“Natsuki-kun minerals.” Embarrassed by what came out of her own mouth, she covered her face.

Ummm... Could you not say stuff if you’re going to feel shy about it? I’m taking damage over here too, you know? Again, we came here to study! This isn’t a date!

“S-Sorry... I zoned out for a sec.”

If you said that because you zoned out, doesn’t that mean you meant it? Oh, forget it. Let’s not think about it too deeply. It’s too much for me to handle!

“O-Okay! Break’s over!” Hikari said in a flustered tone and then gripped her mechanical pencil once more.

She was currently reviewing math, her worst subject. Japanese, naturally, was her forte; she was relatively decent at the history subjects, and she wasn’t bad at English either. However, STEM subjects like math and physics were her Achilles’ heel.

When we became second-years, we would be able to choose between the humanities or sciences track. Hikari would likely take humanities, but she still needed to have a solid foundation in the basics. College entrance exams tested mathematics even if you were trying to get into a humanities department.

I’d gone to a STEM university after high school, so I wasn’t very familiar with testing into a humanities program, but it would still be beneficial to have a strong grasp on as many subjects as possible. Besides, the current goal was to raise her grades.

“Hrrrgh...” Hikari growled, her face grim as she cradled her head.

“Need help?”

“I-I’m so close to understanding this!” Ultimately, she threw in the towel and flipped her textbook around to show me what she was stuck on. “Um, it’s this part...” She paused abruptly. “Actually... Could I sit over there? It’ll be easier if we’re next to each other.”

I thought for a moment. Easier if we’re next to each other? Yeah, she’s right. I came here to tutor her, so I should make the environment as receptive to learning as possible. No objections here.

Right, the logic checks out perfectly. By no means am I doing this because I’m happier to have Hikari sit next to me. There’s absolutely no issue!

I slid over and patted the spot beside me. “Come here.”

Am I...gross or what? Think about it: “come here” is something only hot guys can get away with saying. I’m sorry for getting on my high horse. I instantly fell into depression.

Hikari sat next to me with a little “Hup.”

Our arms brushed against each other. The place where we’d touched felt awfully tingly. Hold on... Isn’t she too close? Sure, we’re next to each other, but I feel like we could use a teeny bit more personal space... Oh, it’s because she’s asking me for help.

Compared to me, who was panicking on the inside, Hikari jabbed her pencil at the question she was struggling with. “Problem two. I looked at the solution, but I still don’t understand how they got this answer.”

“Ah, they didn’t show a calculation between these steps. So, here you...”

Getting tripped up by a textbook that omits steps or formulas is a common occurrence. I broke down the problem for Hikari from the beginning. The authors of these books should seriously stop cutting corners just because they have a limited number of pages!

“...and that’s how you get this. Does that make sense?” I looked at Hikari after I’d finished my explanation.

For some reason, she was staring at me instead of her notebook. “Oh...”

Our faces were so close that our noses almost touched. Our eyes locked. I couldn’t help being drawn in by her face—she was so beautiful it almost seemed like she was actually a sculpture.

“S-Sorry! Um, thanks!” she said, hastily averting her eyes.

That was an adorable gesture...but did she pay attention to what I said? “Hikari?” I shot her a listless gaze.

“S-Sorry... I couldn’t help staring at your face...” She slapped her cheeks, trying to pump herself up.

“If you can’t concentrate when I’m around, we should call off any future study sessions.” Though her cuteness made my face want to melt into a silly smile, I made an effort to keep my tone frigid.

She paused in thought for a few seconds and then shook her head. “I think I focus better when you’re here.”

Are you serious? I wanted to say, but I let her continue.

“Because I feel more secure when you’re next to me.”

Taken from another angle, that means she feels insecure when I’m not with her. Looking back on my actions, I can think of a lot of reasons she’d feel that way. If she can’t concentrate on studying because of that unease...does that mean it’s my fault? “Sorry.”

“I... I told you! It’s not your fault!” She shook her head vigorously, but I still felt the need to reflect on myself.

I’m her boyfriend—I need to act in a way that’ll make her feel secure. “Hey, Hikari?”

“Y-Yes? What’s wrong?”

“Hold out your hand for a sec.”

Hikari seemed puzzled, but she obeyed and lifted her hand. I wrapped my hands around hers. Taken aback, she froze.

“N-N-N-Natsuki-kun?”

“It’ll be all right.” I looked her in the eyes and enunciated each word clearly and carefully so that they would reach her. “I’ll be by your side forever. So please don’t worry.”

Considering the time, place, and occasion, I couldn’t hug her. So instead, I trusted that holding her hand would convey my feelings to her. Hikari blinked a few times and then giggled.

“Could you not laugh?” I’ll have you know I was being super serious!

“S-Sorry...but it’s because I’m happy.” She squeezed me back as though she were confirming the feel of my hand. “Yeah... I believe you. And, um... I’m sorry for being an annoying girlfriend.”

“What are you saying? It’s cuter if you’re a little annoying,” I responded wholeheartedly.

Hikari’s eyes narrowed with reproach. “So you agree that I’m being annoying.”

“Weeell... You might be acting a tiny bit annoying.” Normally I would never say this to her even if I had thought it, but I deliberately told her how I felt.

She laughed, gently let go of my hands, and grasped her pencil once more. “You know, I think I can really work hard now.”

True to her fired-up words, Hikari displayed an astounding level of concentration. It lasted not only that day, but the next day, the day after that, and all the following days. As I had thought, once her switch was flipped, she could keep it up for ages.

In the end, the flirting we did under the pretext of studying was limited to the first day. Though studying was all we did for the remaining days, I was on cloud nine simply spending time with Hikari.

She maintained that level of concentration, and we plunged into our finals. The difficulty was so-so; my answers were nearly perfect. All the studying I did with Hikari had inadvertently raised my own academic proficiency.

“How did it go?” I asked her after our tests.

A satisfied smile spread across her face. “I think I did pretty well! It’s all thanks to you!”

The rest of our group gathered around our desks one after another. I was relieved to see that none of them looked down in the dumps.

“Evidently, you successfully fulfilled your role.” Nanase smiled at me.

“Hope so, but we won’t know for sure until the results are out,” I replied.

“Hikari wouldn’t make that expression if she weren’t exceptionally confident.”

Really now? Figures Nanase would know her better than me. “How do you guys think you did?”

The first to reply was Uta, who wore a smug expression that brimmed with confidence. “Perfectly! I definitely didn’t fail!”

“Uta, you’re the only one who would use the word perfect to mean that,” Reita ruthlessly pointed out with a shrug. “It was about the same as usual for me. What about you, Tatsuya?”

“Who knows. I can’t say anything until the scores are out.”

“Ah! Tatsu only gets vague like this when he definitely crushed something!”

“Shut up. Natsuki, what about you?”

He blatantly threw the ball to me... “Eh, probably got first place.”

“That may not be the case this time.” Nanase smiled boldly.

She looks pretty confident. “I can’t wait to see the results, then.”

After that short back-and-forth, we dispersed for the day. Though school ended in the morning since it was a testing day, the sporty trio jumped right back into their club activities. Nanase also disappeared to her piano lessons, leaving Hikari and me behind.

The literature club didn’t meet that often from the get-go, after all. They wouldn’t restart their activities until tomorrow. I didn’t have work scheduled today, and band practice with Serika and the others resumed tomorrow. In short, both of us were completely free today.

“Well... See you later,” Hikari said, staring at me with twinkling eyes.

Don’t you think you’re being too obvious that you want me to invite you out? “Wanna grab lunch?”

“Yeah!”

The two of us began walking out. Freed from finals, Hikari skipped while humming a little tune.

“You’re in a good mood,” I remarked.

“Of course I am! I’ve been liberated from studying!”

“If you plan on keeping your promise to Sei-san, you better continue studying consistently.”

Her cheeks puffed up into a pout. “Ugh, I know! But I can take it easy just for today,” she complained.

That’s fair, but when someone as attractive as Hikari is overtly elated like this, she stands out a lot. This is specifically an issue because I feel a lot of dark gazes being directed at me. We better leave the school fast, or else...

***

Hikari and I left the school and headed to the station. After deliberating over where we should eat lunch, we decided to go to the McD’s in front of the station. Just because finals had ended, that didn’t mean we had the funds to splurge. We’re still high schoolers, after all. Chatting at McD’s suits us just fine.

I ordered a Big Mac meal while Hikari had a bacon and lettuce burger meal, and then we secured a table for two. It was the middle of the day on a weekday, so the restaurant was relatively empty and comfortable to hang out in.

“This is tasty!” Hikari ate her hamburger with such a huge smile that it put a grin on my face too.

McD’s burgers are consistently delicious. When I was in college, there was a period of time when my weekday meal rotation was McD’s, Matsuya, ramen, Hidakaya, and McD’s again. Start with McD’s and finish with McD’s. Although, one thing led to another, and I got into cooking and stopped eating fast food in the end.

“We’re done with tests, and winter break is right around the corner!”

“Yeah,” I replied. Today was December twentieth. Winter break would begin in three days, on the twenty-third.

“Which means... It’s almost Christmas, huh.”

Hikari’s casual comment made my mind go completely blank. Why? Because I had totally forgotten about that holiday.

“I’d like to spend it with you, Natsuki-kun...” She made such an adorable remark while she sent glances my way, her cheeks rosy.

I, on the other hand, was shocked that I had completely forgotten such an important youth event. Between the Miori case, Reita mess, and my study sessions with Hikari, there’s been one thing after another taking up all of my brain space. I didn’t think about what was coming up on the calendar...

A Christmas date with your girlfriend is said to contain a super high concentration of vitamin youth (according to me); it’s at the top of the top! There’s no point in my Rainbow-Colored Youth Plan if I forget about this event!

“Natsuki-kun...?” Hikari questioned apprehensively.

I rushed to react. “Y-Yeah! I don’t have any plans either! Let’s spend it together!”

She showed me a relieved smile. Hikari seems excited too, so I better make a plan pronto.

“Natsuki-kun, is there anything you want to do?”

“Sorry... I haven’t thought about it yet,” I admitted downheartedly.

“That’s nothing to apologize for,” she said in a comforting tone.

What do people even do on a Christmas date? It’s a special day, so I’d like for it to stand apart from our normal dates... But what does that entail? I already bend over backwards when I plan our regular dates, so even if this one is supposed to be special, I’m honestly not sure what to do. I want to make Hikari happy, but I sorely lack experience.

“I’ll brainstorm too, okay?” she said.

Our talk about Christmas ended there. We spent the rest of our time chatting about unrelated things, and then left McD’s.

“Want to do a little shopping?” I suggested, but Hikari seemed sleepy, so we split ways. She’s been studying nonstop day after day; of course she’d be exhausted. There’s no helping it.

Now the issue at hand is the plan for our Christmas date. Hikari’s going to think about it too, but relying on her would make me pathetic as a man. Although I still have four days left, that also means I only have four days left. Think about it: I still need to make reservations—I’ve got a feeling that I’m already screwed. Christmas is the one day in December that’s guaranteed to book up fast. Well, lamenting over it isn’t going to do anything. I’ll just have to put my thinking cap on now. In times like this, I used to ask Miori for help, but...

“No, I need to think on my own.”

There are some things that never change; there are some things that do change. Among those, there are some things that must change. And surely this is one of those things.

***

The day before winter break, December twenty-second.

We all got our test results back, and the rankings were posted in the hallway. Obviously, the first to come into my sight was the top rank.

1st—Haibara Natsuki

2nd—Nanase Yuino

I had won by only a two-point difference. That was closer than I thought. I probably would’ve lost if I hadn’t spent all that time studying with Hikari.

Nanase uncharacteristically put her frustrations on full display. “Tch... Kill me.”

“Sounds like something a princess knight would say,” I retorted without thinking.

She tilted her head in confusion. “What does that mean?”

I never would’ve imagined there’d be a person who’d say that line outside of a book... I scanned down the poster. Only the top fifty students were publicized. My friends had landed the following ranks.

12th—Motomiya Miori

15th—Nagiura Tatsuya

19th—Shiratori Reita

26th—Hoshimiya Hikari

35th—Hondo Serika

44th—Shinohara Mei

Holy smokes, Tatsuya’s rank is crazy high! And compared to our last exams, Hikari overtook more than a hundred people! She said she did pretty well, but I didn’t think she’d break into the top thirty. I have a feeling she didn’t stop after our study sessions; she must’ve hit the books hard at home too.

“Welp, that seems about right,” Reita murmured, calm to the bitter end.

“Ah! That’s me! I’m up there!” Hikari exclaimed with open delight.

The contrast between both of their attitudes was huge.

“Fifteenth place, huh...” Tatsuya scratched his head, his expression indecipherable.

Looks like he’s got his sights set high.

They weren’t present, but Miori’s, Serika’s, and Mei’s names were listed as well. Miori’s grades have always been excellent, but Serika and Mei are up there too. I’m glad there’s a low risk of our band practice being suspended because of supplementary lessons. I dunno about Yamano, though.

“Everyone’s gotten smarter...” I murmured.

Uta, the lone member of our group who wasn’t in the top fifty, seemed conflicted.

“111th place!”

We finally found out how Uta had performed later when our homeroom teacher returned her test papers and announced our remaining classmates’ ranks. She’d placed lower than the rest of us, but she was above average. Of course, she wasn’t in danger of failing either.

“Uta, you’ve grown too,” I remarked.

“Not at all compared to Tatsu and Hikarin, though,” she replied.

The air of our entire classroom was restless because winter break would begin tomorrow.

“It’s almost Christmas, huh?” The comment spilled out of her mouth by accident. An expression shouting, “Crap,” flashed across her face for a split second before she replaced it with a smile. “Meh, we’ve got practice anyway! I can’t believe they don’t give us a break on Christmas!”

I smiled back so her efforts wouldn’t go to waste. “That’s rough. Do your best—I’m rooting for you.” I knew Uta was pouring all her zeal into basketball right now, so I meant every word from the bottom of my heart.

“Thanks,” she responded hesitantly. “What are you going to do? Having a date with Hikarin?”

I had no intention of lying to her and replied with honesty. “Yeah, that’s the plan.”

She slapped my back with a loud smack. “Then you better do your best too! Don’t disappoint her!”

“I know already. I thought of a plan while discussing it with Hikari.”

I won’t claim it’s perfect, but I’m pretty confident... I rejected all sorts of feelings and swore to make Hikari happy. So even if I’m inexperienced, I’ll put in every effort. I’ll fulfill my duties as her boyfriend with everything I’ve got.

All so she’ll be glad she fell in love with me.

***

The twenty-third.

I had band practice on the first day of winter break. Serika kept frowning slightly because Mei and I were fidgeting nonstop. I’m sorry!

“Mei, what are you doing for Christmas?” I asked.

“I considered all sorts of options, but isn’t it too crowded during Christmas? My girlfriend and I don’t like walking in crowds, so we decided to have a pleasant, relaxing day at my home,” he replied.

“Ah, that sounds nice.”

“Right?! I ordered pizza and cake for us in advance!”

It’s a house date with a special holiday vibe to it. This way, they can canoodle all they like without worrying about other people watching them, which is nice.

“Oooh, Shinohara-senpai... How far are you planning to go?” Yamano cut in, smirking mischievously.

“H-How far? I’ll have you know that I’m not planning anything in particular!”

“Reeeally? You don’t plan on doing anything? Are you suuure about that? What if your girlfriend musters up the courage and comes on to you? She might think you’re a lousy guy if you don’t respond, you know?”

“W-Well, I...” Mei’s face went bright red, and he turned to stone, likely from imagining that situation playing out.

“Just kidding! That was a joke. Everyone moves at their own pace.” Yamano pulled the reins in, realizing she’d gone too far with her teasing. Instead, she turned her attention to me. “Senpai, what about you? Going out tomorrow? Or the day after?”

“We’re going out tomorrow. Hikari’s spending the day after with her family.” So in more precise terms, we’re actually having a Christmas Eve date.

“What’s your plan?” she asked.

“We came up with a bunch of ideas, but we settled on checking out the Christmas lights.”

During the winter season, the Gunma Flower Park set up a light display. There were other places that hosted their own too, but the Flower Park had the biggest one within the prefecture. Above all, it wasn’t too far from where we lived. It was located at the foot of a mountain so it would be difficult to get to, but the trip would be worth it. My parents had taken me there when I was a child, and even though that was a distant memory now, I still remembered the lights being breathtakingly beautiful.

“Hoo? Sounds nice! That’ll be Minstaworthy!”

“I believe Hikari likes that sort of stuff,” I said.

“But isn’t that kinda far away? Plus it’ll be freezing!”

“Can’t do a thing about the cold. It’ll be chilly no matter where we go. We’ll have to stay indoors if it’s too unbearable.”

“Well, that’s part of why we chose to have an at-home date,” Mei added.

“It’s Christmas—it’s the perfect time for a longer trip,” I said defensively. Hikari had a positive reaction when I suggested the Christmas lights. I don’t think she was faking it. I already reserved a place for dinner, and I have a present ready too. I’ve completed all the preliminary tasks that I could do in advance. All that’s left is to carry out the plan tomorrow.

“Enjoy yourselves,” Serika said.

“Roger that. What about you, Serika, any plans?” I asked.

“I’m going to practice with Saya. Same as usual.”

Yamano smacked her ride cymbal. “While you two are obsessing over romance, we’ll be improving!”

“Sorry. I’ll be here on the twenty-fifth to make up for it,” I said.

“You better! I won’t let you off if you oversleep after having a passionate night!”

I karate chopped Yamano in the head to silence her before she could make any more inane statements. “You think relationships progress that easily?” I muttered. We haven’t even kissed yet! Hikari has a curfew too, so there’s no chance we spend a passionate night together. None at all, got it? Unfortunately. Oh no, I’m not disappointed about that in the slightest bit, okay? No, I’m not putting up a tough front.

“Anywho, this is a topic change, but everything was solved, right?” Yamano asked. She didn’t specify, but I knew she was talking about what had happened with Miori and Reita. “From an outsider’s POV, the situation’s so complicated that I can’t tell left from right, but all of a sudden it feels like it’s back to good. And apparently Miori-senpai and Hasegawa-senpai are friends now.”

“I don’t know why they’re friends now either, but everything was indeed settled,” I replied. I believe Reita’s still carrying something on his shoulders that’s unresolved, if I were to give the full picture, but that’s info other people don’t need to know.

“I’ve always thought the two of them could have chemistry. Both of them are very outspoken,” Serika said in reference to Miori and Hasegawa.

“Give it to me straight, Serika. What do you think about those two?” I asked.

“It’s better they get along than be at each other’s throats.”

Well of course it is. Serika must especially be sick of sitting in a tense class atmosphere.

“So Hondo-san can have a reasonable opinion too,” Mei remarked with pure honesty.

“Don’t you think you’re being rude?!” I quipped.

Serika wordlessly pressed her fists against Mei’s temples and began grinding them against him.

“Ow, ow! Uncle!” he cried.

“You reap what you sow. Serika-senpai is surprisingly sensitive, you know?” Yamano said.

That’s definitely not true, I thought, but I decided to keep my mouth shut. That looks painful.

Serika clapped her hands. “Okay, no playing around. Let’s resume practice.”

She left Mei—who was clutching his temples in pain—in her wake. Talk about brutal.

***

And so came December twenty-fourth, Christmas Eve. I hadn’t slept much the night before. I was acting like a kid worked up for a school field trip, but I couldn’t help myself. I was a mix of excited and anxious. In a word, I was nervous.

I don’t get nervous for our normal dates anymore, but special days like this are different. I can’t mess up. Urgh, my stomach hurts...

I had picked out my clothes yesterday so I wouldn’t be indecisive the day of. Since we would be looking at the holiday lights outside, I had prioritized warmth above all and took the hit to being fashionable.

I wore a HeatTech shirt under a down jacket and topped it off with a scarf. I was a little too toasty right now, but it had to be done. I double-checked my belongings: smartphone, wallet, key case, portable battery, hand warmers, and Hikari’s present. All right, everything’s here. Better head out now.

“Oh! Onii-chan, going on a date?”

“Yeah. Tell mom I don’t need dinner.”

“Good luck! You better treat Hoshimiya-senpai well!”

With my younger sister cheering me on, I left the house.

It’s cold. My breath was white. The sole part of my face that was exposed to the air was freezing. The high for today was supposed to be six degrees Celsius. It was bone-chilling weather, but the forecast had predicted a clear day.

We’d agreed to meet at 1 p.m., after we’d both eaten lunch at home. I received a message from Hikari that said, “I’m on my way!”

“I just left too,” I replied.

The train swayed back and forth for thirty minutes, and then I was out through the ticket gates. She was already waiting for me; I didn’t even need to search for her. Hoshimiya Hikari was the most eye-catching, beautiful girl at the station.

“Natsuki-kun!” Her face lit up when she spotted me, and then she ran over.

Littered around were some people stealing glances at her. They’d been searching for the right time to approach her, but scattered when they realized she was waiting on a guy. I’m glad I came a bit earlier.

“Hikari, you’re here early. You’ve still got thirty minutes.”

“I was so excited that I finished my lunch with papa in five minutes!”

Man, I feel bad for Sei-san... Plus, if he knows that she left him for a date, I’m scared he’s gonna hold a grudge against me over that.

“You don’t need to worry about papa, you know?”

“Let’s get going, then,” I said after a small pause. The two of us set off. “You said there were several places you wanted to go, right?”

“Yeah! Let me think. It was...” Hikari named a few clothing stores. It was the same list of places she’d mentioned prior, so we would be able to walk the route that I had already planned. “There sure are a lot of people, huh.”

“Yeah, it’s Christmas Eve, after all.”

Left, right—no matter which direction I looked, there were couples everywhere. It was the sort of sight that would’ve made me reflexively scowl in the past, but when I thought about how I was one of the pairs in that scene now, it gave me mixed feelings.

“Want to...hold hands?” Hikari asked timidly. I nodded and took hers. “Natsuki-kun, your hand’s cold.”

“They say people with cold hands have warm hearts.”

“Where’d you hear that superstition from?” She giggled.

I squeezed her hand, ascertaining its feel. The heat emanating through her skin warmed me. I’m sorry my hands are so cold...

The plan is to spend the afternoon browsing shopping malls near the station. We should depart for the light display around 4 p.m. It’ll take about an hour to get there, so we’ll arrive at the park around five. It should be pitch-black outside by then. That would be perfect, since lights aren’t much to look at when it’s still bright out. If I remember correctly, their business hours are from sunset to 9 p.m.

“Oh, this is cute!” Hikari exclaimed.

“Why don’t you try it on? Whoa, there’s a line out the fitting room.”

“Well, it is Christmas Eve. It’s unavoidable.”

At any rate, it’s packed here. Simply walking around is a struggle. Figures, window shopping on Christmas Eve is impossible.

Hikari seemed to pick up on my thoughts, because she leaned against me and smiled. “Let’s learn about things like this step-by-step together.”

I felt a little better. “Yeah, that’s true. We’re both romance newbies, after all,” I murmured.

She nodded. “If anything, I’m the one who suggested we shop until nighttime, so you shouldn’t be beating yourself up. Besides, even if we go off script, isn’t it fine as long as we’re having fun?”

“Okay, then want to go to a café? I’m a little tired.”

“Me too, I’m bushed. Let’s check out the other stores some other time.” She grinned wryly.

I’ve built up my stamina, and I’m tired—Hikari must be even more exhausted. Navigating a crowd is way more draining than I anticipated... I was so caught up in thinking about the plan I devised that I didn’t pay attention to her condition.

“Natsuki-kun, you know I enjoy just being with you, right?”

Conversely, Hikari was paying close attention to me. She was concerned for me, and gave my hand a small squeeze; I could tell she meant those words wholeheartedly.

“Don’t overthink just because it’s Christmas Eve. You won’t be able to have fun like that, right? I don’t need a special holiday—I’m plenty happy spending time with you as usual.”

“Hikari...”

“Who am I kidding? Am I reading too deep?”

“No, I appreciate it, really.” Sometimes Hikari is so good at reading people that it’s scary. Her observation skills and deductive abilities are top-notch. Is that the power of an aspiring author?

The café was, unsurprisingly, jam-packed, but luckily our wait to be seated wasn’t long. I sat across from Hikari and ordered a coffee. She splurged a little and got a parfait.

“I have to refill the energy I lost!” she exclaimed, beaming widely.

“By the way, did you tell Sei-san about your test results?” I asked.

“Yep. He didn’t praise me, though. He just said it was passable.” She smiled bitterly this time, a spoonful of parfait in her mouth.

That sounds just like him.

“Natsuki-kun, what about you? You’re always ranked number one; does your dad ever praise you?”

“Nah, my dad works in another city, so he rarely comes home.”

“Oh, I see. What about your mom?”

“She used to lay on the praise, but lately her reactions have been weak.”

“What? But it’s impressive that you’ve maintained top rank!”

“Apparently it’ll go to my head if she praises me too much, so she keeps it in moderation.”

“Hmm... I think I get what she means.”

“You do?!”

“For someone who usually has low self-esteem, you get weirdly smug when praised.”

Don’t you think you’re being too harsh there? “Urgh... I never thought my girlfriend could be so mean...” I said sullenly.

“S-Sorry, sorry!” she apologized frantically. “Some things are best left unsaid, huh.”

“That’s not much of a follow-up,” I said, pouting.

Hikari held out a spoonful of her parfait to my face. “Here, I’ll give you some of my parfait. Cheer up!”

Only a five-year-old would cheer up from eating a bit of dessert... “I won’t fall for that... You darn self-proclaimed school idol with maxed out self-esteem...”

“Stop bringing up that joke... It’s super embarrassing.”

Though her face had flushed red, she didn’t withdraw her hand, so I took a bite. Mm. It’s sweet but not too sweet, delicious. Wait, wasn’t that an indirect kiss? Hikari didn’t seem to mind, and continued eating her parfait with relish. It’s possible she cares on the inside, but she’s pretending like she doesn’t... Aha, her ears are a little pink. Let’s not point that out. She wants to act indifferent, after all.

Hikari’s eyes veered towards the window, and she suddenly said, “Oh. Isn’t that Kanata-chan over there?”

I followed her gaze to see Fujiwara and Hino walking together outside. Fujiwara clung tightly to him, her arms wrapped around his. Whoa, that’s some PDA...

“I knew they were going out, but... W-Wow.” A faint blush dusted Hikari’s cheeks as she watched them with great curiosity. “So that’s what Kanata-chan is like when she’s alone with Hino-kun...”

“Unexpected, isn’t it? She’s normally the levelheaded one that unifies our class.” Sometimes she even lectures Hino for being careless in front of everyone.

“Did you know about this side of her?”

“I’ve seen them like this before.” If I remember correctly, that was during the Tanabata festival. Meaning I was with Uta at the time. That was already half a year ago, huh. It feels a little nostalgic.

“You look like you’re thinking about another girl.” Hikari studied me closely, not bothering to hide the displeasure in her expression.

How did you know? Are you psychic? It wouldn’t be good to keep quiet, so I explained myself honestly. “It’s not like that. When I saw them before, I was at the Tanabata festival with Uta.”

“Ohhh, that time. I tried not to think about it too hard, but I actually felt really conflicted...”

“Conflicted? Why?”

“The boy I was into was going to the Tanabata festival with my friend, just the two of them... I was a ball of nerves. Although, I didn’t want to admit I felt that way about you at the time.” As she recalled the past, Hikari took a sip of her coffee with a faraway look in her eyes. “Natsuki-kun. Back then, you actually liked Uta-chan more than me, didn’t you?”

She went straight for the throat! I almost spat out my coffee. “That...might be true. I hadn’t made a decision at the time.”

Thinking back now, I might have liked Hikari back then. But from her perspective, I agreed to go to the Tanabata festival alone with Uta, so she must’ve been quite shaken. Hikari would’ve known that people would think Uta and I were a couple.

“But once summer had passed and it became autumn, I got the feeling that you liked me more. That’s why you chose me.” Hikari spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, as though she were merely stating the truth.

She’s not wrong. I did choose her—Hoshimiya Hikari—after all.

“But Natsuki-kun... I only recently noticed. There’s another immense presence inside your heart.”

The air shifted. The formerly sweet romantic atmosphere chilled over. Hikari was like a great detective who would appear in a mystery novel. And I felt like a criminal whose crimes were being exposed.

“Those affections are greater than what you feel for me... Natsuki-kun, you love Miori-chan.”

Each word came out with such conviction that I couldn’t respond. I had resolved to stick to this lie, but I also wanted to be honest and faithful to Hikari. Silence was the only choice I could make.

“I know. You can’t admit it.” She gave me a forlorn smile. I hadn’t wanted to make her feel that way. The moment I put that expression on her face, I had lost the right to be her boyfriend. “Sorry... I didn’t plan to bring this up today.”

I had been vaguely aware of this. Hikari excelled at understanding people’s inner workings, and I had been causing her anxiety. Not to be vain, but I was the person Hikari observed the closest. In that case, it would’ve been stranger if she hadn’t picked up on my true feelings. However, she had pretended not to see it. I had prayed she wouldn’t notice.

“It’s just, Natsuki-kun, I wanted you to know something.”

“What?”

“I wanted you to know how much I love the person named Haibara Natsuki.”

I blinked at her—I didn’t understand the intent behind her words.

She smiled. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter if there are other girls you like. After all, I’m your girlfriend right now. I don’t intend to relinquish this spot...because I’m at my happiest here.”

That was a powerful statement. She must have been thinking about it ever since she’d realized what lay deep within my heart. And that was the answer Hikari had provided.

“So you don’t need to say anything now. I just wanted to make my stance clear.” She reached her hand across the table and tapped my chest with her fist. “Just you wait. It’s only a matter of time before I make sure I’m the only one in your heart.”

I’m no match for her...and I also feel pathetic for not being able to control my feelings. No matter how hard I try to steer them with logic, my feelings won’t lie. That’s why I need to do the lying, but that’ll only lead to my lie being exposed. By Reita and by Hikari too. But no matter what, I must not let Miori find out.

“We should get going. It’s starting to get dark outside,” Hikari said.

We did as she suggested and left the café. I paid the bill. She insisted we split it, but I convinced her to let me act cool for today. I’m already uncool, though...

Now that it was evening, there were even more people. We weaved through the congested station and boarded a train. As though her somber aura from moments ago was a figment of my imagination, Hikari chatted about silly things. I couldn’t discern what emotions lay hidden beneath her smile.

Everyone is so sharp, and yet I’m always the dull one. This may be my second round of life, but it doesn’t change my nature.

We got off at Ogo Station and took a bus to Gunma Flower Park. Practically all the people on the bus were couples. However, it still wasn’t overcrowded.

Given how hard it is to get to this place, there aren’t a lot of people who’d travel by bus. I would take a car if I could. I used to have a driver’s license, after all. Though, I’m unlicensed now, so I’m not allowed to drive...

“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a bus.” Hikari seemed to be enjoying herself the whole time. It was as though she was finding real pleasure in such a cumbersome date.

After five minutes of vibrating on the bus, we exited at our destination. The sky was completely dark by then. Some scattered streetlamps lit up our surroundings. It was even colder now that it was nighttime. The parking lot was teeming with cars. As I’d expected, many people had come here by car. Every now and then, someone would exclaim, “It’s cold!”

We bought our tickets and entered the park hand in hand.

“Wow...”

Countless brilliant, sparkling lights filled our vision.

“Let’s go! Hurry!” Hikari said—louder than she’d meant to—and tugged my hand.

“Aren’t you cold?” I asked.

“I am, but I can handle it if it means I get to see such a gorgeous sight.”

“I have hand warmers.”

“Then don’t mind if I do!” She snatched up a hand warmer and broke the seal.

I tore my eyes away from my excited girlfriend and scanned the park. There was a decent number of people, but it didn’t feel crowded since the park was spacious. There were mostly couples walking around, but I spotted a family every once in a while.

“It’s so pretty!” Hikari exclaimed.

Our route had been decided in advance. We walked among the lights, our fingers intertwined.

“Yeah... It really is pretty.”

There was trendy music playing in the background, and the colors of the lights changed to match its rhythm. The old me lurking in the back of my mind whispered, “They’re just light bulbs,” but I could refute him now. Because Hikari was with me, the view appeared more radiant.

And that’s why it’s beautiful.

“Hey, Natsuki-kun.” Hikari pulled on my hand, a stunning smile spread across her face. We were walking on a path beneath illuminated arches. “I’m reeeally happy right now!”

“Yeah, me too.”

We smiled at each other.

Moments later, Hikari stopped at the highest point in the park. “Let’s take a picture!”

We’ll be able to capture a sweeping view of the lights from here.

“Actually... I brought a selfie stick!” She fished it out of her bag. She then attached her phone to the selfie stick and drew close to me. “Come on, smile!”

I heard the click of her camera. We’d taken a charming photo of the two of us smiling, with colorful, iridescent lights as our background. She showed me her phone.

Hikari’s really good at taking photos, huh. “Oooh, you took a nice one.”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful. Mm-hmm... It’s a nice photo.” She nodded to herself as she gazed at her phone.

After that, we enjoyed looking at light displays in all sorts of shapes as we leisurely strolled around the park. I wanted my time with her to last forever. I wanted to see more magical vistas with Hikari, remaining right by her side. However, the hands of the clock always tick forward. There’s no stopping them. Returning seven years into the past was a miracle that would only happen once. At any rate, it wasn’t a feat I could perform at will.

Before long, we’d made it back to the entrance.

“That was fun.” Hikari let go of my hand, slowly and reluctantly. “So... Shall we head home?”

“Hikari.”

“Wh-What?” She was visibly shaken just by hearing me call her name. “Um, like I said earlier, I’m not about to break up with you—”

I couldn’t stand watching her be so frightened. I wanted to reassure her. I wanted to convey my feelings to her. Haibara Natsuki loves Hoshimiya Hikari. I wanted her to know that was a fact that would not change.

“Mngh?!”

So I pulled Hikari close, and covered her lips with mine. I didn’t care one bit about what other people thought. Hikari was the only person in my sights.

I didn’t know whether it had lasted a few seconds or dozens. I eventually parted my lips from hers. I looked at her face up close. She was crying. Tears spilled from her eyes and trickled down her cheeks.

“I love you.” In the end, that was the only thing I could think of to convey these overflowing feelings of mine. “I swore I’d make you happy, and I won’t break that vow. In the future, even if decades pass... As long as you’ll stay by my side, I will make you happy.”

That was the best I could say right now. Lying to her was the one thing I didn’t want to do.

“Thank you...Natsuki-kun,” Hikari said through sobs as she wiped the tears from her eyes with her hand. “I really love you too.”

Hikari flew into my arms. I caught her featherweight body and wrapped my arms around her back.

“If you were this scared, you could’ve avoided asking about it,” I said.

“Hic... Well, once I knew my conjecture was a fact, I suddenly became afraid.”

“Where’d the Hikari who made such a cool declaration go?”

“I-It’s your fault! You suddenly got all taciturn!” she yelled into my chest.

Fair. That’s my bad... I had a lot on my mind... I understand why she would feel anxious, even after making such a confident statement.

I patted her head, and then I suddenly heard clapping. The applause went on and on. At some point, other couples had congregated around us and were watching from a distance. I even heard a few excited squeals. There were some envious gazes too.

We’ve completely turned into a spectacle... I could feel my face heat up. Hikari, finally realizing our position too, hastily pulled away from me.

“S-Sorry... It’s my fault,” I said. Consideration for the time, place, and occasion totally left my mind. Hikari’s face is the same shade of red as a boiled octopus! I must look the same. I don’t regret my actions, but embarrassment is embarrassment. They say youth is all about the right amount of embarrassment, but I feel like this was too much.

“W-We’re sorry for causing a scene...”

Hikari and I bowed apologetically and escaped from the ring of people. We had garnered a lot of attention, but they would lose sight of us in this dim lighting. Although it was freezing, Hikari fanned her face. We smiled wryly at each other.

“That’s definitely a new entry in my list of embarrassing moments...” I said.

“Well, I was happy... I’ll never forget that moment.” She rammed her shoulder into me, causing me to stumble.

“Why is it that when I’m trying to act cool, I can never quite stick the landing?”

“I think you should just be yourself. You’re trying to be the butt of a joke, right?”

“No, I have never intentionally tried to be the butt of a joke before!” My eyes widened in shock.

Hikari grabbed her stomach, unable to hold back her laughter. After she’d cackled enough, she looked refreshed. “Okay, shall we go?”

“Yeah, we’ve got dinner reservations, after all.”

***

We returned to Takasaki Station and entered the restaurant where I’d made reservations. It was a place I’d been to before in my first life. I remembered the food here being delicious.

“U-Um, doesn’t this restaurant seem sort of pricey?” Hikari asked me.

“Don’t worry about it. Tonight is on me,” I replied.

“Really? As expected of the Master of Part-Time Jobs!”

“That title doesn’t really make me happy...” It’s a multicourse meal that’s a little too much for high school students, but something like this is fine every once in a while. I work, so it’s not like I’m short on cash. Besides, this place has a nice atmosphere, but it’s not that high-end. Dinner will cost a few thousand yen at most.

“When I make my debut as a writer, I’ll use my royalties to treat you to a meal, okay?”

“How many years is that going to take?”

“Hey! Mean! Natsuki-kun, you don’t believe in my abilities!”

Our appetizer salads arrived while we were chatting.

“Okay, let’s dig in,” I said.

“Yeah. It looks tasty. Bon appétit!”

Hikari seemed a bit nervous, but her table manners were impeccable. Her parents must have drilled them into her. If I really think about it, she’s going to be the daughter of a company president—surely she’s accustomed to dining at even nicer places.

“Natsuki-kun, have you been to this sort of place before?”

“Does it look like it?”

“You seem used to it.”

“I occasionally eat out with my parents.” I shrugged my shoulders. In reality, I haven’t come to this sort of restaurant enough to be used to it. It takes a lot to visit high-end places like this alone. I could do it because I’m a solo warrior, but I’d run out of money if I frequented restaurants like this.

After that, we focused on our meal. We savored the dishes that came out one after another. This restaurant was the correct choice. The food is awesome!

“Ah! That was delicious!” Hikari exclaimed with delight as she rubbed her stomach.

Is this a good time? The Miori in my mind was telling me to do it. “Hikari, here, it’s your Christmas present.” I pulled a package out of my bag and handed it to her.

“Huh? You got me something? Thank you... Can I open it?”

“Of course.”

She opened the box, revealing a necklace inside. “Wow...”

It was a silver chain with a shimmering diamond decorating its center. It had a simple design, but I figured simple would suit her better. Plus, Hikari preferred beautiful things over cute ones. That was why I was certain she would like it. At least, she should have by my predictions. I didn’t know how she would actually feel.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it!”

“Do you like it? You don’t need to force yourself if you don’t...”

“I like anything you choose for me!” she said firmly.

Relief washed over me. I hadn’t depended on Miori this time, so I had selected it using my own fashion sense. But there was nothing more unreliable than my own sense of fashion.

“Can I put it on now?” she asked.

“Yeah.” I nodded. I wanted to see Hikari wear the necklace I’d chosen for her. I’d spent such a long time in the store agonizing over what to pick. I’d even dragged a salesperson around with me to help choose, so I was quite attached to it.

“How does it look?”

“It looks great on you.”

She giggled shyly. “But...this was definitely expensive, wasn’t it?”

“I already forgot how much it cost.”

“There you go, blatantly lying... Thanks, though. I’ll cherish this.”

In truth, I had blown two months worth of wages on it. I hadn’t intended to choose an expensive gift. It just so happened that the necklace I thought would suit Hikari the best had cost five hefty ten-thousand-yen bills—that’s all.

It’s a cheap price to pay if I can see her smile.