#277

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Arriving at the specified house, I stood still, staring at the intercom.

It’s such a simple task. Even kindergarten children can do it, just pressing the button in front of you.

But the arm I was about to extend gradually returned to my body.

…Going alone to a girl’s house and pressing the intercom button is hard work for someone with Minato’s lack of interpersonal skills.

By now, the courage to press this intercom button has consumed about as many calories as I usually burn in my whole day.

Nevertheless, standing here for a long time could lead the residents of the nearby houses to report me as a suspicious person.

Somewhere, I had to gather the courage to press the button, but as I thought about it and took a deep breath, footsteps approached from behind. These footsteps passed me, and the person pressed the button on the intercom.

“Minato… what are you doing?”

“…Mental preparation.”

Yuuto, who had earlier said he’d be coming after a detour, stood in front of the Miyashita’s house, tilting his head in puzzlement as he asked.

When I gave an answer that didn’t make much sense, he muttered, ‘I see,’ seemingly satisfied.

“Yes, I’m opening it-“

The voice of Miyashita, mixed with noise, visited through the speaker on the intercom. Even without confirming who it was, she cut it off.

Hey, hey, nowadays it’s dangerous, so we should confirm if it’s really not a suspicious person.

I mean, I was a suspicious person not too long ago too.

A man standing in front of a house, looking like a shady character when you put it in text.

It’s pretty sketchy, isn’t it?

I should try to act considering how I might appear to others from now on.

As I was telling myself this, I heard the sound of the Miyashita’s front door unlocking.

And when the door opened, there was Miyashita in casual clothes.

Not in his school uniform, so it’s casual attire, but…

“Why… are you wearing a Santa costume?”

“Yeah, yeah, I was a bit confused too.”

Miyashita appeared wearing a Santa costume, with bright red fabric adorned with white accents in various places, which caused Yuuto and me to burst into a suppressed laughter.

Miyashita, also somewhat embarrassed, blushed and gestured for us to come in quickly.

She probably didn’t want his neighbours to see him in his Santa cosplay. Indeed, if the neighbourhood kids saw him, they might give him the nickname ‘Santa Onee-san’.

On the other hand, it might be embarrassing to be known as someone who went all out during Christmas.

Encouraged by her gesture, we stepped inside Miyashita’s house.

Except for visiting Kirasaka’s villa with Shizuku during summer break, this was the first time I had been inside a female student’s home. I couldn’t help but wonder how far my gaze should wander; it revealed my lack of my friend circle.

Following Miyashita, Yuuto also took off his shoes and followed her. Although I realized he was lagging behind at the entrance, I caught up one step behind them as we walked down the corridor leading to the living room.

Miyashita stopped in front of a room, where the two girls inside would likely be.

“Is it okay now?”

“W-Wait a moment, please!”

The voice of Shizuku came from inside, and she seemed to be in a hurry, but we couldn’t tell what she was doing.

As Yuuto and I exchanged glances, Miyashita wore a sly grin and spoke.

“Your princesses are getting ready inside.”

“That’s kind of a cheesy line, isn’t it?”

Miyashita’s sinister grin only added to the effect, making the line even more cringe-worthy. Miyashita took a step back from the door and extended his hand, as if she was saying,

“Please, go ahead.”

I took a step forward and opened the sliding door. The room was adorned with decorations that sparkled in the soft glow of LED lights, with small Santa figurines, hanging gift box ornaments, and a Christmas tree in the corner.

However, my view was quickly obscured by something.

“Merry Christmas!”

“…”

After Shizuku’s voice, there was a brief moment of silence, followed by a loud popping sound that filled the room. By the time I realized the source of the sound was a party popper, my vision was filled with confetti.

Miyashita, who was still in the hallway, clapped her hands, and Yuuto, initially surprised, quickly transitioned to a joyful smile.

Adapting quickly, I brushed the confetti off me. I raised my gaze and found Kirasaka silently looking at me.

She still held a party popper in her hand.

“How do I use this?”

“…The string is sticking out, just pull it.”

I explained as she looked at the object with curiosity.

Then, she grasped the string and pulled it with force. The room filled with the explosion once more, and this time, a wave of confetti came flying directly into my face.

“I think I lost my eardrums.”

“Don’t worry they’re surpringly sturdy.”

…Bye-bye?

With a sarcastic comment, everyone, except me, burst into laughter. Caught up in the moment, I let out an involuntary sigh. Shizuku took my hand.

“Come on, let’s join them!”

“Yeah…”

I followed Shizuku, with Kirasaka trailing behind me. As Miyashita and Yuuto discussed the recent spectacle, everyone gathered around the living room table. It was the start of a Christmas party with special meaning, marking the end of the year.

Christmas wouldn’t be complete without chicken. In our family, we usually order Christmas chicken, but this year, Shizuku and Kirasaka prepared a homemade Christmas chicken. Most people who can cook seem to think that simply drizzling olive oil from a high place will do the trick. However, Shizuku and Kirasaka were far from that category. I was so impressed with their culinary skills that I even had minor complaints about the chicken.

After the meal, we cleaned up the table, and the next activity on the agenda was the classic board game of life. It involved spinning the roulette and living out a simulated life according to the numbers. However, with this group, the game turned into something entirely chaotic.

“Minato-san… we have another child now.”

“Yuuto, that’s creepy. Don’t blush and say ‘Minato-san.’ It’s disgusting.”

The shocking twist that Yuuto and I had gotten married and had two children was met with deadpan expressions from the women.

“…”

“…”

Unexpectedly, Yuuto and I got married and had two children. The girls remained single and changed jobs to become richer than us, but their expressions didn’t match.

It seemed like Shizuku and Kirasaka were directing murderous glares at Yuuto. If this was what a Christmas party was, I couldn’t help but wonder if I had misjudged the image of these gatherings being carefree and lively.

“Um… should we stop?”

Yuuto, wearing a grin, seemed to be having fun taunting them, but I couldn’t take any more of it.

It appeared that both Shizuku and Kirasaka agreed. They placed their in-game currency on the table and heaved a collective sigh. The look in their eyes wasn’t one for a game; it was one of seriousness.

Without the board game as an option, we seemed to be running out of things to do. Although the Christmas cake for dessert was ready, it was still too early to have it. We didn’t have any plans for going out, either.

Naturally, we drifted into casual conversations about various topics.

“Does everyone have plans for the New Year?”

Shizuku asked everyone, while Miyashita and Yuuto exchanged thoughtful looks.

As for me, of course I had no plans!

Or, to be precise, I had all the days free for rest and relaxation. If I were asked, I would confidently answer that every day was a planned day.

“I guess I’ll just send New Year greetings to my relatives.”

“I think mine will be similar, because the common trend on New Year is to spend the day at home.”

When Miyashita and Yuuto answered, Shizuku’s gaze turned to Kirasaka. She seemed to be curious if Kirasaka’s schedule was particularly busy.

It struck me that her father was one of Japan’s top business executives. It tickled the child in me to think that I might be stepping into a world I had only seen in manga or dramas, a gathering of the wealthy.

However, if I were in a position where I had to participate in such events, my strong inclination towards indoor activities would surge. Everyone was focused on Kirasaka, awaiting her response.

She said just what we expected.

“I’ll be receiving people who come to offer their New Year’s greetings to my father…”

As she said this, everyone in the room gasped in admiration. To be honest, I was curious about who these high-ranking individuals from well-known companies were, but I figured it was best not to pry into their private affairs.

However, Kirasaka had quite the responsibility, even if it was part of assisting her parents. She had to interact with people much older than her at this age.

Finally, Shizuku’s gaze shifted to me. She wanted to know about my plans as well. I was prepared to reveal my New Year’s Minato Special Menu before I was asked.

“Eating mochi under the kotatsu, watching the college marathon, and then going to sleep.”

“…Right.”

With a sigh that seemed to say, “I knew it,” Shizuku appeared to have expected this. Before I could ask her anything, she voiced her expectations.

“It would have been nice to go to the shrine together for the first visit of the year, Minato-kun…”

Perhaps she had held some slight hopes. Her smile seemed to carry a trace of loneliness.

At the same time, I remembered the expressions of the people I had seen on the way to Miyashita’s house. They all seemed to be having a great time, genuinely enjoying the moment. While I hated going to shrines and avoided it as much as possible, just for now, I couldn’t help thinking that it wouldn’t be nice to go there once in a while.

“Shall we go then?”

“Huh?”

“Huh, aren’t you going?”

“Huh!?”

Are you really that surprised? I guess you’d think that way, given you know the regular me so well.

Even I started wondering if it was just a momentary lapse of judgment when I saw your reaction. Suppressing the urge to retract my earlier statement, I waited for Shizuku to speak. Sitting next to me, Kirasaka suddenly stood up.

“Now that I think about it, I forgot I had free time this New Year’s.”

“But… You were talking about your New Year’s plans just earlier.”

“In that case, I’ll join in for the New Year’s shrine visit too.”

What on earth is going on here? When I saw Kirasaka announcing a sudden change of plans, Yuuto and Miyashita wore wry smiles.

I wonder why they look so detached, as if this doesn’t concern them. Well, I’ll make it clear to them later after I’ve eliminated their escape routes.

Anyway, they’re obliged to participate, so it’s not someone else’s problem.

Well, that’s how human nature is. Getting too surprised in response to it is what’s really irksome.

So, I can’t help but be a little annoyed when they are this surprised. That’s why I waited for them to calm down. While I wet my throat with my drink, Shizuku finally spoke.

“Mi-Mi-Mi-Minato-kun, do you have fever?”

“You don’t need to be so surprised…”

On the other hand, the bad thing about humans is that they become sullen when they are surprised.

So, until they calm down, I’ll just think about the Christmas cake that will be served soon.

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