“You don’t need to worry too much.”
Santa used the utmost respect towards me.
I’m sorry for putting it this way, but when he opened his mouth, he really looked like a yakuza. No, he must truly be a yakuza, right? If he takes off that red outfit, I bet there’s a dragon or a carp tattoo on his back or something.
“I’ve raised a daughter too. When she was little, I used to dress like Santa every Christmas.”
“…Is that so…?”
Well, I wouldn’t imagine a daughter would be that scared. After all, it’s her dad.
“…But that daughter has now grown up… and now as a high school student, she goes out to play with her friends and doesn’t come to hang out during Christmas… These days, it does feel a bit lonely.”
If that daughter is staying out all night, isn’t there a way for her to hang out with his wife?
“My wife just nags me…”
“…”
Uncle, it seems like you’re sharing a bit too much about your family matters.
And that high school daughter, isn’t she really just hanging out with her boyfriend instead of her friends? I can’t really say for sure, as I have no evidence.
Even if I had real proof, I wouldn’t be able to say it. That uncle seems like he would earnestly flaunt his daughter’s boyfriend.
Though he’s dressed as Santa.
“…Anyway, I’ve already prepared the presents.”
Yamashita said.
“We can exchange our gifts among ourselves, but Koko should be receiving a present from ‘Santa,’ right?”
How thoughtful of him!
In fact, I was planning to secretly place a present by Koko’s pillow and lie that Santa had come.
In that process, Yamashita prepared Santa just in case Koko happened to wake up.
And even included presents.
For reference, of course, I prepared some gifts as well.
That wasn’t an easy task. Koko always tried to stick by my side as much as possible.
I only managed to find time after exams ended, and I started working part-time. After finishing work with Shii, I stopped by the department store and bought a huge cat plushie with the money I saved up.
Oh, and I also got a smaller cat keychain as a bonus. So, I had two gifts to give to Koko. One was the plushie that would be placed by her pillow at midnight under Santa’s name, and the keychain was something I planned to give her when we exchanged gifts.
Of course, I bought something similar for my friends. Thanks to that, the expenses were a bit more than I expected, but I felt proud.
Yuka, who had contacted us in advance and timed her arrival, helped me hide everything. For now, I stashed the gifts at Yuka’s house and I hadn’t said a word to Koko about them.
I guess Yuka’s grandfather stopped by while we were out to deliver the gifts early. I’m really grateful to Yuka’s family.
No, it was to the point where everyone seemed to owe them something.
“…Thank you.”
And most importantly, I was truly grateful to Yamashita for creating this opportunity.
As I slightly lowered my head in thanks, Yamashita became visibly flustered.
He shifted his gaze around as if unsure how to respond to my gratitude.
“It’s fine, it’s okay.”
He just gave a short reply like that.
*
These yakuza guys seemed to have never participated in this kind of party before, but it turned out they prepared more than just an ’empty room.’
In fact, that one empty room was enough for us. What would a bunch of high school girls do at a party anyway? Just laugh, chatter, eat, drink, and maybe sing a song.
But perhaps because of the feeling of obligation that comes with the term ‘Christmas party,’ the yakuza guys even set up a projector and played a movie on the wall.
It was one of those Christmas movies that often air on TV around this time. The content of the movie was exactly what I knew it to be — a comedy about a little kid left home alone who guards his house from burglars.
Even though we all knew the story by heart, we watched the movie while laughing.
Among us, Koko was the only one watching it for the first time.
With her eyes sparkling and mouth agape, Koko was glued to the movie playing on the wall, appearing even more like a little kid than usual.
“…”
I stared at Koko’s face for quite a long time.
I wasn’t even sure what I should be thinking. Should I worry, feel relieved, or maybe feel guilty?
Probably all of it, I guess.
“Wow?”
But no matter how absorbed Koko was in the movie, she noticed my gaze.
Turning her head to meet my eyes, Koko let out that sound, and I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Koko also smiled back at me.
The face she was making right now looked exactly like mine when I smiled widely.
Is that smile because of me?
Does she think it’s fun because I’m here?
…
A bit selfish of a thought, but I hoped so.
*
Even though the sun had set, it wasn’t completely night yet.
After dinner, we exchanged presents.
There was a slight misunderstanding here; it seemed the kids had gathered all the gifts together and were going to pick them at random.
I had prepared a present for each of my friends.
Though Shii was there with me when it was time to choose — um, I think I finally understand why Shii looked at me with that “Ah-ha” expression back then.
… You have to experience this kind of party to know.
The Christmas parties I knew were the ones where friends without girlfriends gathered to drink and have fun.
Of course, there was never any gift exchange or anything like that.
“Woo…?”
It seemed Koko was a bit flustered in this situation as well.
That’s right.
For Koko, the ‘Christmas present’ was a gift from Santa Claus for kids who had been well-behaved throughout the year. The thought of exchanging gifts among friends never crossed her mind.
“It’s okay.”
To comfort her a bit, Yuka said, “I prepared a gift for Koko.”
“Woo…?”
It seemed Koko was unsure about whether this was really okay even after hearing Yuka’s words—
“Okay, then, everyone ready? Let’s begin the gift exchange!”
—Before those doubts could fully surface, Fukuda shouted this while holding a Christmas stick like a microphone in one hand.
I wonder when he prepared that, but it seemed he had taken one from the decorations on the tree.
“Alright, then, I’ll put these notes in this box.”
Fukuda wrote down numbers with a joyful expression and placed the crumpled notes into a box that had a hole big enough for his fist on one side.
I wonder when he prepared that.
… Well, seeing Yamashita’s proud look, it’s probably something the yakuza had prepared.
That doesn’t seem embarrassing for Yamashita. Well, he didn’t need to feel that way anyway.
“Then, let’s begin with Koto Ne-chan who generously prepared gifts for everyone!”
Fukuda said that while facing the box towards me.
Having no choice but to decline when everyone around was looking at me, I silently reached into the box.
And I grabbed one of the notes that had been ripped irregularly.
After unfolding the twice-folded note—
“Yuka.”
As I read the name written on the note while looking at Yuka, she beamed brightly at me.
Now that I think about it, she was also clenching her fist.
… Well, given the situation, if I had to choose the person closest to Yuka here, it would be me. I have connections with others, but not to the same extent.
“Alright then, let’s open the gift!”
At Fukuda’s words, Yuka stood up, took the present in front of her and came up to me.
She carefully placed it on the floor.
It was a neatly wrapped gift. A typical Christmas present box that would pop up first if you searched ‘Christmas gift’ online.
When I opened the box—
What came out was a homemade scarf.
Along with it were a pair of furry gloves and a furry hat.
There were even duplicates of those items.
… Clearly, they were for me and Koko. While their colors were blue and red, perfectly opposite, their design was entirely identical.
“That’s… because you looked a bit chilly when you go out.”
Yuka said shyly.
“Thank you.”
I replied with a smile and wrapped the scarf around my neck.
I didn’t put on the hat and gloves. They seemed inconvenient to wear indoors. I’ll save them for when I go outside later.
I wrapped the scarf around Koko, who was sitting next to me.
I took the red one, and Koko got the blue one. This way, it would be easy to distinguish between them.
Maybe I’ll tease Yuka about it later.
“Okay, Yuka-chan, it’s your turn to pick next.”
Fukuda, still adapting to calling Yuka that since she was a newcomer, commented while watching her.
Yuka slightly reddened her face, but she put her hand into the box.
And on the note she drew—
“Koko!… Um, is that alright?”
“Woo?”
That’s right. Koko hadn’t prepared a present, and Yuka had prepared one for her instead.
So if she accepted a gift like this, it would mean Yuka was essentially giving herself a present.
“It’s fine.”
But Yuka replied firmly and handed the gift over to Koko.
“Here.”
“Woo…?”
Koko seemed puzzled by the oddity of Yuka giving her something she should have reciprocated.
“It’s alright.”
Though Koko hesitated a bit, she didn’t refuse Yuka’s offer.
And when she opened the box—
“Wow!”
There were tons of snacks inside.
Yuka smiled and took out a chocolate bar from the top.
“This is enough for me. After all, Christmas gifts are all about the heart, right?”
“Thank you!”
As Koko squealed with sparkling eyes, Yuka’s face blushed slightly.
But rather than embarrassment, pride seemed to take precedence as Yuka puffed out her chest towards Koko.
It had a feel of an older sister proudly standing before her younger sibling, and I had to bite my lips to stop from laughing.
*
The gift exchange went on without a hitch.
I, Koko, and Yuka had exchanged gifts among each other by chance, but the other kids were completely random.
For example, the fancy shampoo that Yamashita prepared ended up going to Kaoru.
“Am I really supposed to use something like this…?”
Kaoru looked confused as she turned the shampoo bottle around.
Well, considering she’s the most plain-looking person here.
“When you meet a guy someday, maybe try it out. You might fall for the scent.”
Izumi laughed as she said this, causing Kaoru’s face to turn slightly red.
Meanwhile, Yamashita looked at the two of them as if they were strange.
That’s right. Neither of them gave off the impression of being very pretentious. Plus, to Yamashita, that shampoo probably seemed like just a fancy daily use item.
Even if girls don’t seem to care about appearances, they all seem very interested in such things. Could it be this world based on light novels has that effect, or is it just that I haven’t encountered enough girls to find out?
The present Kaoru brought went to Shii.
“Is it really alright for me to accept something like this?”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just give it a shot.”
… It was a flamboyantly patterned jersey that looked like something a delinquent riding a motorcycle might wear, so seeing Shii in it, she looked somewhat oddly charming.
No, it wasn’t that she didn’t look good in it.
What should I say. It kind of had the vibe of a girlfriend from that kind of crowd. Or should I say it looked like borrowed wear? Somehow, Shii’s innocence seemed to stand out even more strangely, making it amusing.
The size was a tad large, but I doubt it mattered.
The strange mystery novel with the author’s full name exceeding 12 syllables that Izumi brought went to Yamashita, while the pretty hairpin Shii brought went to Mako. The expensive-looking fountain pen Mako had was given to Izumi.
“Wow!”
Izumi’s eyes sparkled.
“You’ve taken an interest in fountain pens?”
When Kaoru opened her eyes wide in astonishment and asked her,
“Ah, not really, but, um, it’s just, you know. People who read books often want to write someday. And those who write have a romance with writing instruments, you know!”
“No, so you’re saying you’re not using it right now?”
Kaoru tried to make a snarky comment, but Izumi easily brushed it aside and glanced at Mako.
“Thank you, junior!”
As Izumi expressed her gratitude somewhat intensely, Mako scratched her cheeks shyly.
Then—
“…Ah…”
Her gaze shifted towards Fukuda.
“Ah, I’m fine.”
Fukuda said with a smile while holding up a keychain.
“I received this, right?”
It was a black cat keychain resembling Kuro.
It wasn’t three-dimensional but rather a flat depiction of a chibi cat character. It looked like a cat-shaped badge.
There were various shapes. They came in different colors too. I hadn’t thought about it till now, but there are actually quite a few cat fur colors and patterns.
… But.
“I’ve received all of that…”
That’s right. Since I had bought presents for everyone, that means that technically, I didn’t have a gift after all. Everyone had received two items while Fukuda only got a keychain.
“It’s fine. This is pretty.”
But Fukuda smiled brightly, blocking out our concerns.
“Thank you, Koto Ne.”
“…”
Fukuda spoke without attaching the ‘-chan’ honorific, and that somehow flushed my cheeks slightly.
“…Yeah.”
That was about all I could manage to say.
*
And then we played for a while longer.
The mansion was so spacious that it was possible to find lots of things to entertain ourselves with if we looked around.
I still didn’t quite understand why the yakuza uncles had a life board game, though.
Moreover, it didn’t seem like they bought it fresh just for us. The worn-out box indicated that it had likely been played multiple times.
Thank goodness it didn’t smell like cigarettes.
In fact, it was a very basic dice game. The game simply humorously depicted the life journey of a person.
In the first round, I went through college, burdened with student loans, buying a house, and almost went bankrupt, while in the second round, I planned to start right from entering society—
Thud.
Just before we threw the dice, the door we were in front of slightly opened.
“…Miss.”
One of the yakuza uncles said quietly.
“A guest has arrived. Sasaki Sota has announced his name.”
“…”
Everyone’s gaze turned towards Shii.
Shii’s mouth slightly opened.
“What should we do?”
Yamashita, who had been chatting with Shii about the reason she had quarreled with that ‘older brother’ earlier, asked.
Yamashita was the daughter of the house — or so to speak, although I didn’t delve too deeply into that.
“I…”
Shii’s expression clouded a little.
“…Was Sasaki alone?”
When I asked the yakuza uncle, he nodded.
“Yes, just the student.”
That meant Hagiwara and Nakahara had been sent home.
What was it like in the original story?
If this were a game, this would be a branching point. The flag leading to the ending beside the heroine participating with me.
But what I was reading wasn’t a game; it was a novel.
Although my memory was faint, I think I was originally with Yuka. Though it didn’t start off with Yuka from the beginning. It began with all sorts of misunderstandings, Yuka putting her tsundere tendencies on display, and Shii dived into a love comedy situation with other heroines, leading to a final moment where Yuka and I exchanged gifts.
Yuka had now deviated from being a ‘heroine,’ so the story had changed completely.
“…Let’s go, Shii.”
I said to Shii, who looked contemplative.
“It’s cold outside.”
At my words, both Shii and Yuka’s faces turned towards me sharply.
…What?
Did I look like I was worried about Sasaki?
Well, even if I were worried, worry was indeed a correct response.
“He’s probably here to say something to you.”
“…”
Shii, looking a little gloomy, nodded her head.
*
Sasaki seemed extremely flustered when the group of girls dashed out of the mansion.
“Older brother, how did you know I was here?”
The first thing Shii said upon seeing Sasaki was that.
Being someone who wouldn’t go to a place without saying where they were going, it’s clear she wouldn’t have just skipped out without informing him. Naturally, she would only need to say she was sleeping over at a friend’s place.
…But now that I think about it, Sasaki had a point worth being concerned about.
Because Shii wasn’t the type to say such things.
Regardless of where she was or what she was doing, she always informed Sasaki of everything. So when she suddenly told him she was sleeping over at a friend’s, it could lead him to worry.
“Older brother?”
“…”
Sasaki, hearing Shii’s words, cast a fleeting glance in my direction.
That’s right.
He was so worried that he even sent me an email to confirm my location.
Now that Shii didn’t respond to him, he sought me out through email to ask for accuracy.
I was genuinely worried that he might want to come here with two heroines, but it seems that wasn’t the case.
Well, even an oblivious protagonist should have at least this level of insight.
“Um, that’s…”
Sasaki appeared to be feeling an immense pressure from the attention on him and fumbled his words.
Eventually, he swallowed his saliva and deeply bowed toward Shii.
“Older brother!?”
Shii seemed surprised that Sasaki would act like this, exclaiming.
“I’m sorry!”
Sasaki said.
“I should have thought more about our family’s feelings, but I ended up being indecisive!”
“…”
With Sasaki’s words, the surrounding area fell into an intense silence.
“Older brother…”
“I should have been more considerate. Um… first of all.”
Sasaki straightened up with a slightly awkward expression and lifted the shopping bag he’d placed down at his feet.
“Here… Merry Christmas.”
“Older brother…”
At Sasaki’s words, tears welled up in Shii’s eyes.
I glanced at the clock, and it was just past nine. It seemed both of them had probably come back after dropping each other off.
“…”
Um, but you know.
It’s a bit cold out here.
Having just come out from inside, I wasn’t properly dressed for the chilly weather, and it was really freezing.
Honestly, if we were going to have a long conversation, I would prefer if they did it inside a bit more.
However, due to the warm atmosphere surrounding the two, none of us could interrupt, and in the end, we had to stand there shivering for a few minutes.
