Chapter 4
It's only natural, but even after the regular exams are over, the school itself still hasn't taken a day off.
At Amane's school, there were normal classes until the twenty-fourth, and their daily lives went on forever. In fact, classes were packed so tightly that they were worthy of the word "shibashiri," and slowly, warm-up exercises for entrance exams had begun.
It may have been something I had been prepared for, but it was still hard for the class to increase in density. But I guess it was fortunate that there was a part of me that felt more comfortable waiting for a big break.
"Ahhh, I don't get it I really have no idea why you're going to school until Christmas Eve.”
It was December 24th, Christmas Eve.
Class had entered as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The students looked distraught despite it being Christmas Eve, but there was no way the teachers following the curriculum would go along with the booing of the students.
Even so, classes ended in the morning, perhaps out of consideration for the school, and Chitóse, who had been told for a long time that she would be on vacation during homeroom and preparing for exams, was tired rather than feeling liberated.
While the surrounding students were also excited about the winter break that was about to come, I could also see them feeling a little depressed, thinking about what to do next.
"Well, we don't have classes this year. It can't be helped."
“Why don't we just take the day off..? I'm tired."
"We have to cram a lot of stuff into our classes. Our school's pretty fest"
"Take your time!”
"Impossible, impossible.”
“I should have given up the moment I entered this school. Look, homeroom's over, so I can go home, so don't complain.”
There are a lot of students going home early since they've already been disbanded. Incidentally, Ayaka cheerfully heads to the class where Souji is.
Amane and the others had gathered with the four of them once before going to Amane’s house, or rather, Amane intended to go home, so he stayed in the classroom for a bit “It's winter break. Be long...”
“Unfortunately, school starts on the sixth, so it’s the twelfth."
"Summer break, Cambark!”
"Hehe. It looks like summer school will be closed for the next summer break, though."
As Mahiru finished him off with a smile, Chitóse let out a half-trembling yelp, saying, "Don’t bring Mahirun back to reality, either." Mahilu smiled, too.
“I'm sorry. That's why I have to enjoy the present, okay? It's Christmas Eve, after all."
Going out of her way to imagine the hardships ahead of her now would be an act that would put a damper on her fun, so Mahiru didn’t say anything more than that, either. Instead, she took Chitose's hand, which had suddenly come to a sudden realization, and stood her up as she sat in her chair.
Chitóse, who had been depressed until a few seconds ago, suddenly seemed motivated, perhaps realizing that it was now a fun Christmas Eve. She trotted over to the locker behind her and pulled out a change of clothes and a coat
I thought I caught a glimpse of a large number of textbooks in the locker, but I decided it was just my imagination.
"Okay, let’s go get the chicken we've reserved. Uhyo-hyo, today's the Fried Chicken Festival!" “It may be booked, but it looks crowded."
“Oh, a four-person Christmas date?”
As Chitóse hurriedly put on her coat and raised her fist, or more accurately, a voice called out to all of Amane and the others.
Two of my classmates, apparently still in the classroom, were looking at me.
“Yep, yep. We're planning on having a double date at home for Christmas."
“I didn't expect Chitose-chan and the others to go on a house date too. I thought they'd go out on a date on the way home.”
“I don't know how they see us. Well, even if we go out, well probably get separated by the crowd. Besides, I don't want them to see us like that too much, right?”
“Shut up.”
“You two are so close."
She sounded less like she was teasing him and more like she understood him solemnly, and she sounded both amused and exasperated.
Her classmates treated her like a four-person set, so as far as Amane was concerned, should she smile or be troubled? At least Mahiru didn’t look like she hated it, so there was nothing to correct her from Amane, but she had mixed feelings about it “What about you?"
“Ahh, Akazawa-kun, you're asking stuff like that even though we don't have boyfriends? That's mean.”
“I'm sorry!"
“Ahaha, I'm kidding, I was kidding. We're going to the cafe we booked. To eat the Christmas menu. We have plans."
“Then I'm glad you didn't bite.”
“Ufufu, we have to ride here. Well then, Lisa, let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
The mood makers Itsuki and Chitóse are close with the whole class, so I'm inwardly impressed that they're so different from the people around them, who exchange light banter like it's only natural.
Thankfully, Amane was also being accepted by his classmates, so they could have a decent exchange, but he was probably in character because they couldn’t exchange banter like this first Feeling Ituki's cou power once again, we lightly nodded to the two of them, thinking it was about time for us to go, and said, “Konishi and Hibiya, take care, too. See you at the end of winter break, then.” They were both frozen for some reason.
I pulled Mahiru by the hand, feeling indescribable that she’d still suspected me of not remembering her name even at this time of year, and she gripped Amane’s hand back after lowering her eyebrows just a little for a moment
“Oh, it's starting to look like Christmas! There's even a tree!”
It was Mahiru who was enthusiastic about havinga Christmas party at home.
I exchanged glances with Mahiru and laughed as I watched Chitóse, who had run to the living room to be the first to cheer in the familiar wind, and entered the living area belatedly.
The living room was decorate d mainly in red, green, and gold, giving it a Christmas atmosphere.
The tree that stood out more than anything else was probably a cute-sized one, about a little shorter than Mahiru’s. The well-balanced ornamentation of the tree gave the impression of Christmas to anyone watching.
“Chitose-san and the others put on their best decorations the other day, so this time I'U be the one to decorate.”
“You wouldn't expect a tree to appear if you suddenly sent something to me, would you?"
A few days ago, Shihoko had contacted him, and he’d instructed her to take the package because she’d be sending it to him. He’d delivered it in the blink of an eye, ignoring Amane’s confusion at the sudden call.
Two packages arrived.
One was a large box and its contents had been disassembled. It was a tree that Mahiru had used for a long time back home. The moment she saw it, she let out a cute, reserved cheer, which was still fresh in her memory.
And the other one hadn’t been opened yet in front of Mahiru, intending to show her what was inside later
"..I-I think it's because I said I've never decorated it at home. I'm sorry”
“Why are you apologizing Mahiru? I wasn't complaining about the tree itself, I was just freaked out by the sudden message you sent me. If that's the case, you should have told me first."
The moment I saw the tree, my parents figured out that Mahiru had never done anything like that before, so I figured they must have sent it. I was grateful for their concern.
Mahiru was really cute when she decorated the tree with 30 percent more excitement than usual. By the way, that was recorded in the video, and she sent it to Shihoko and the others as compensation.
Since Mahiru’s motivation was maxed out, the tree was also decorated with a beautiful arrangement, perhaps because of its momentum, and it entertained Amane and the others’ eyes.
“Whoa, whoa, you're too soft on her.”
“Do I need to be sweet to you guys?"
"Maybe you should at least be nice enough to say something sweet"
“No, I don't.”
“Ikkun, Ikkun. If anything you're the naive one, Amane. I'U only say things that hurt people who aren't interested in Amane more. It's because of love.”
“Chitóse.”
"Mahiruuun, I'll help you prepare. Should I prepare a cup?”
The moment I turned to look, I’d retreated under Mahiru, who’d been briskly preparing the cuttlefish in the kitchen, so I couldn't get angry, so all I could do was give her a sharp look.
Naturally, Chitóse was feigning ignorance, and Mahiru was smiling as she gave Chittose instructions, so her helplessly feint irritation quickly withered away.
While lightly stepping on Ituki’s guffewing feet through his slippers as he watched her, Amane put away his usual study materials on the low table and exhaled softly
“Nowthen, Merry Christmas!"
Thanks to Mahiru and Chitóse being surprisingly skilled, preparations for the party went smoothly.
Even though it was a party, there was no way something a high school student could prepare would be that big of a deal. It was just a bunch of fried chicken, fries, salads, and so on from a famous fast-food restaurant that came to mind when it came to Christmas, with juice poured into glasses.
By the way, I was worried about roasting a whole turkey, but Mahiruta, who’s never eaten fried chicken at a famous chain restaurant before, asked me to make fried chicken.
Each raised a glass filled with their favorite drinks, and a clear sound rang out as they piled on top of each other. Even the hard sounds, which would normally be considered good, sounded pleasant today.
“To be honest, there’s nothing to do for Christmas.”
Chitóse murmured casually as she swallowed the fries she’d been eating.
Amane felt the same way about this, and the strong feeling was that something wasn’t going to happen because it was Christmas.
When I was a kid, I was looking forward to presents, and my parents took me to all sorts of places every year, so I was aware that Christmas was a fan event, but as I grew up, it was only going to be the same day as usual.
Of course, there were still a lot of special days and memories left, so just remembering them was enough to satisfy me, but the idea of doing something because it was Christmas calmed down as I got older.
"Adults probably still have it after going to a restaurant and enjoying the lights at night, but we'll be detained if we walk around until night"
“In the first place, wouldn’t Chitóse be crying to her dad and the others?"
"She’s a cute little girl, after all.”
“Well then, if we're going to do something on Christmas in high school, well have to go to a movie theater or karaoke, but I don't want to go there because it's crowded. We're always relaxing at the periphery, so this is what it feels like."
"Think of that as strange."
I'm so used to it that I almost forget about it, but there's a lot of it.
I won’t say I don’t want to, and I don't mind coming here separately, but I want her to realize that something is off about the feet that this house has become a hangout for the members.
I was aware that it was a convenient place to gather, so I didn’t intend to say it too strongly, but I wanted her to reflect on that, since she would occasionally charge in without an appointment.
"After all, if you go to Amane's house, Mahirun will automatically follow you, and it'll taste good twice.”
“If anything, you're the main character, Mahiru."
“Did they find out?”
"Hehe, I'm happy to be with you, Chitose-san.”
"Mahirun..!”
“Heh, don't look at me like you won."
He wasn't someone who didn’t have enough composure to be jealous of friends of the same sex, but that aside, when he showed off his smug face like this, I couldn't help but get annoyed, so I ended up making a slightly sour face.
At Amane’s reaction, Chitose’s expression shifted even more triumphantly, to the point where Mahiru seriously considered pulling her away from her clinging to him.
“Don't worry, Amane-kun is in a different category, okay?”
“I know"
"You're jealous."
"I'm definitely not jealous,"
"Haha, I’m jealous."
"Mahiru, go.”
"Eigh."
Mahiru understood Amane’s intentions at times like this, so she tossed the still-extra fries into Chitose’s mouth, which looked like it might twitter something unnecessary
It was a much more polite way to charge in than when Itsaki had silenced Chitóse, but Chitoze seemed to care more about what Mahiru had fed her, so she obediently fed her as if she’d been aiming for it
"Geez," Itsuki said with a bitter smile as Chitóse puffed up her cheeks at the straight-cut fries, "Shina-saris affected by Amane, too, isn’t she?” But she didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping so she just gazed at them cheerfully.
"Still, we’ve gotten so close that it’s hard to believe it was last yean”
"Last year, Mahiru and Chitóse didn't even know each other."
Mahiru was still acting like an angel when she was a first-year, and she was in a state where she’d never spoken to Chitóse or Ituki before.
I only knew her face, so I had nothing to do with her.
It’s hard to tell what's going to happen in life, since it'll be like this in a year.
"It was around this time that I learned about the relationship between Shina-san and the others."
"At the time, I thought my heart would stop."
If other people found out, Amane's peaceful school life would collapse, so no matter how close friends he was, he kept it a secret that it wouldn't be good to be found out. However, he ran into them on the veranda in an accident.
Honestly, my stomach hurt when I did it, but thanks to Itsuki and Chitose’s goodwill, it never leaked, and as a result, we were able to deepen our relationship.
"Man, I can't believe that Angel-sama and Amane aren't here. Mahirun basically kept the opposite sex away from her, so that's all the more reason."
"..P-Please forget about it.”
"Well, that's how it turned out. Now she's a splendid Shuu-loving girl."
“Chitose-san!"
“Heheheheh.”
She glared at Chitóse with a feint red face, perhaps out of embarrassment, but with her lack of intensity, she probably didn’t even feel like she was being blown by the wind.
The only reason she doesn't get angry is because she has no intention of denying Chitose's statement itself, and she's only dissatisfied because she was teased.
As the one being liked, I felt a strange itch in my mouth from happiness and embarrassment, but if I was found out, not only Chitóse, but even Ituki would participate in the teasing so I desperately tightened my lips, which were about to lo osen up.
“Chou and the others have changed, but we haven't changed."
"You're right. Nothing's changed."
"Really? I feel like you're more comfortable than you used to be."
"What, are you trying to say you're carefree?"
“Why are you acting so evil? It's just that you guys are acting more natural than before." “..Did it look like we were at the ready?”
“It's not so much that you're at the ready, you've been flirting with each other half-consciously and half-unconsciously. You're trying to keep the others from getting too close. You want to keep them in check?”
They say they're an idiot couple, but it doesn't seem like they were all flirting without realizing it
I felt like I was deliberately making it look like we were a happy couple without any worries. Of course, I wasn't lying In terms o f a happy, happy couple, but the feet that we didn't have any worries was different
It was precisely because he’d told her what was going on inside that she’d been able to sense that they weren’t making peace without thinking about it
That aside, it's true that they're usually flirting so there's no doubt they'd be a pair of idiots, but the two of them are less tense and calmer than last year. Whether that's a good thing ora bad thing depends on how they see it.
“Whoa, this is what it looks like.”
“Why are you insulting me?!”
“I'm not insulting you, I'm complimenting you.”
“You're lying...”
“That's still a compliment, isn't it?”
“You should learn the word 'praise'."
"I'll give you the exact same one.”
"What did you say?”
As long as they weren’t teasing him, Amane thought he was basically speaking his honest opinion, and when he wasn’t actually making fun of them, he should have properly conveyed it to them head-on, but he had no idea where or how he could interpret it that way.
“If you're aware of it, you'll get a little prickly with Akazawa-san. I'm jealous."
“Why!?”
“No, it's just that you're special. Akazawa-san is the only one who acts that way.”
“Shuu, you're..."
"Mahiru, there are things you can and shouldn't say.”
“Oh, was that a bad thing?"
Mahiru tilted her head to the side with a smile that anyone would judge beautiful, and Amane drewthe first letter with his lips, unable to say anything else.
"The tsundere's lap is also shapeless when it comes to Mahirun."
"Who are you calling a tsundere?"
"Then let's call it lovey-dovey.”
“Who? Who?”
■You.”
"It's Amane."
"It's Amane-kun."
Since the three of them spoke in unison, Amane was forced to understand firsthand that not a single ally of Amane was here, and this time, Amane fell silent.
"Please don't sulk, okay?”
Mahiru, who seemed to have interpreted it as infidelity after seeing Amane’s demeanor when she realized it was pointless to argue, whispered in a soft, sweet voice that soothed her, but Amane had no intention ofwinning her over "..Remember that later."
“For us? For Shina-san?”
"Both!"
“Oh my.”
“Now, now”
He probably knewthat he was going to take an incredible attitude toward them because they were grinning at him there, but since neither of them would change it, he hoped that Amane would soon understand that they would be dealing with saltas well.
"..Winter break starts tomorrow. Are you two the same as always?"
Once we finished eating it wasn’t like we had any particular plans, so the four of us ended up with too much free time to watch the classic Christmas movie together, but since we’d all seen this movie before, we weren’t really focused on it, so we ended up chatting like this.
“It's not like there's going to be any events, so well just have to study at home and work over and over again.”
On the screen was a scene ofa child watchingthe house alone on Christmas using his wisdom to comically fend off thieves, and he heard the scream ofa man caught in a trap.
As I gazed at it, I absentmindedly thought about Ituki's question.
It was the winter break the students had longed for, but honestly, just because it was winter break didn’t mean anything would change.
It's true that havingto stop coming to school is a big change, but at the end ofthe day, studying doesn't change, and as fer as Amane's concerned, his part-time job is longer than usual.
“I'm not much different from you, Shuu-kun. I study more since I don't have a part-time job, though."
“Wow, you two are so serious. I'll explode if I'm immersed in studying like that"
“It's time to take a break. Studying for half a day is tiring for me too, and my head gets stuck in traffic, so I'm putting in some things that have nothing to do with studying. Like housework, exercise, hobbies. I've reset my head over something else."
"Mahirun's so serious, there's such a big difference that I'm about to cry.”
“I like studying after all. It's one of my hobbies."
“So you don't understand."
Mahiru, who seemed to like learning things she didn’t know and being able to do things she couldn’t, had reached out to various places to acquire knowledge and skills, and studying seemed to be the best way to do that
Apparently, in the past, she’d had the compulsion of saying she had to be a good girl, but now she seemed to be just learning to satisfy her own future and curiosity, so it probably wasn't too hard for Mahiru.
Even Amane likes to incorporate knowledge, but it's not that bad, so I'm impressed by his insatiable ambition, but from Chitose's perspective, it seems abnormal.
“By the way, won't you be going home during winter break?”
"I'm preparing for exams, and I met my mom during the parent-teacher conference, so I've decided not to. It's not that I don't want to go home, but it wouldn't be good to put together an impossible schedule. The biggest one is..”
“What's the big one?”
“..If I take Mahiru home, the relatives will probably introduce me to her."
Shihoko was in the style of burying the outer moat as fer as she could go, even though there was nothing left to bury, so it was easy to imagine her going to show off to her relatives while implicitly showing off that Mahiru was her future daughter.
The Fujimiya femiiy always gathered together, rather than sharing events, when each was free to do as they pleased. Because ofthat kind of relationship, even during the New Year’s holiday, it wasn’t as if relatives would gather every time, but if they brought Mahiru home, they would surely. It was obvious Shihoko would be happy to introduce them.
Of course, the burden on Mahiru was too great, so I wanted to avoid that, and the introductions would probably be fine someday. So I decided not to go home.
Amane shrugged at Itsuki’s bitter "Ahh” smile, which seemed to have guessed what was going to happen to Amane’s reluctantness.
“What about Ituki?”
"Ah, me? Well, I'm going to be greeted by my relatives as usual, and they'll say all sorts of things to me."
"Are you planning on being told this and that?”
“You're the one who's going to inherit the femiiy, so I don't think you need to pressure me. Seriously. My family has no shortage of annoying relatives."
"What a pain." Chitose's eyes wavered for a moment at Itsuki, whose true feelings were leaking out quite a bit, but she quickly changed into her usual bright smile.
"My house is, well, the same as always. I’ll be lazing around watching singing shows every year during the New Year's holiday.”
“..Don't forget your homework. I've got plenty."
“Why are you reminding me of something I want to forget?!”
I couldn't go too deep into it, so I purposely didn’t touch on it, but I made one comment as usual, and since Chitóse voiced her disapproval in a shrill voice, Amane smiled quietly, relieved, and brushed it off so that the color from earlier wouldn’t come to Chitoze again.
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