Chapter I | “A Small Happiness”

 

♣♣♣

 

December.

On a certain day for us third-year high school students, with winter break just around the corner.

After leaving school from our career counseling session with Sasaki-sensei, Himari and I were summoned by Enomoto-san and visited her home.

Waiting for us there was the popular model, Kureha-san.

And also my creator friend Murakami-kun, along with Himari’s model friend Kirishima-san.

Kureha-san announced that the details of my admission test had been decided, and that it would be a contest of skill… in other words, an accessory showdown against Murakami-kun.

…Up to that point, everything was fine.

 

The problem was that the pairs for this showdown were ‘me and Kirishima-san’ and ‘Himari and Murakami-kun’.

── Meaning, it turned into a situation where Himari and I would be competing against each other.

 

Himari’s lips twitched as she confirmed with Kureha-san.

“Um, Kureha-san? That’s not a joke… right?”

Kureha-san clapped her hands together with a smack. Her phenomenal bust jiggled, and she answered with her usual fluffy, airy smile.

“Himari-chan, you’re so fu~nny ♪ Even I wouldn’t tell a joke like that, y’know~?”

…A statement of extremely dubious authenticity, but at least it didn’t seem like we had misheard.

In fact, Murakami-kun and the others were looking at Kureha-san with the same shocked expressions as us. Then, Kirishima-san frantically questioned her.

“Hey, Kureha-san! Wasn’t the plan for me and Murakami-kun to fight against Himari’s pair?!”

“Eeeh~? I never said anything like that, did I~?”

“W-well, no, but that just seems more natural, or like…”

“It wouldn’t be a test if you did the same thing as always, would it~?”

She said nonchalantly while taking a bite of soy milk cream cake with an “Aaah~n ♪”.

Murakami-kun also voiced his complaint, looking slightly displeased.

“…But with an impromptu pair, it might not even be a proper test of skill, y’know.”

“Oh, co~me on. Is that something for you to say, Murakami-kun~?”

At that remark, Murakami-kun flinched with an “Ugh.”

“It’s not like you always work with the same model, right, Murakami-kun~? The only thing you guys can control beforehand is your own flowers. No matter how much you prepare, you can’t always get the model of your choice or have them be in perfect condition, can you~? I have to properly assess your ability to find the best approach for each and every situation~♪”

She dismissed Murakami-kun’s objection with a laugh, her sharp gaze still fixed on him despite her smile.

“I get that you want to help Yuu-chan out~. But if you say such clumsy things, you’ll only lower your own stock, y’know~?”

“…My apologies.”

Though he still looked a little dissatisfied, Murakami-kun accepted it.

Kureha-san certainly had a point. A strong creator is one who can do their best work in any situation.

I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

“Okay, I get the part about the pairs. So, what are the specific rules for the competition?”

“Oh, right~. First, the theme of the competition is ‘Photograph’. A creator and a model will pair up to create the best photographic work with a flower accessory as the motif~.”

“Got it. What about the schedule and such…?”

Or the specific procedure for the competition.

Do we prepare the photographic work by a designated date?

Or do we finish the flower accessory by a designated date and then do the photo shoot at the same time?

What’s the date?

Is it while we’re still in high school?

Or do we start after we graduate?

Is there time to grow the flowers from now?

 

…Or, is it right here, right now?

 

All sorts of questions were swirling around in my head.

The sound of Kureha-san clapping her hands, smack!, washed them all away.

“Yuu-chan. Calm down, okay~?”

“Huh? Ah, um… s-sorry.”

Himari and Enomoto-san were also looking at me with concern.

It seems my anxiety had shown on my face. So embarrassing…

“Don’t worry, I’m not gonna say ‘ready, set, go!’ right here and now~. First off, I’m thinking of setting the date for around the end of March~☆”

“The end of March…?”

“You guys have your graduation ceremony around the middle of February, right~? Until then, you’ll discuss the motif with your model and decide on it, grow the flowers, and also do your best on your university entrance exams. After the graduation ceremony, you’ll have one month to create the accessories, and we’ll hold the judging session in March~ ☆”

“…I-I see. Understood.”

It’s currently mid-December.

In two months, we have to ‘decide on the flowers for the competition, grow them, and finalize the accessories that will adorn the model’. Plus, my exams are right on the line, so I can’t let my guard down. Even if I win the competition, it’s meaningless if I fail my entrance exams.

And once the worry of exams is gone, I can spend the remaining month processing them into accessories.

…Timewise, it should just barely be okay.

I’d really like to have about another month’s leeway, but… no, this timeframe was probably set with the intention of creating that tension. If I’m going to work as a professional, timings like this should be a common occurrence. There isn’t always going to be enough time.

(And maybe… she’s thinking about last year’s summer vacation competition.)

The summer of my second year of high school, when I first competed against Kureha-san with Himari’s move to Tokyo on the line.

Back then, an accident happened where the sunflowers withered, and as a result, I couldn’t produce a satisfactory outcome and lost. Come to think of it, the timeframe is similar to back then.

Is this her way of asking if I can do it right this time?

This provocative gaze from Kureha-san… seeing it really reminds me of what Saku-neesan scolded me for back then.

 

“Even in a once-in-a-lifetime competition with your futures on the line, you can’t even face your accessories with sincerity.”

“Wanting to be with someone you know is stunting each other’s growth isn’t being soulmates, it’s co-dependency—just ego.’

 

…Yeah, that’s right.

My future is incomparably clearer now than it was back then.

If I can’t seize this chance, I’d better not even think about being able to climb higher as a creator.

“Murakami-kun, you have your high school classes and other work, but you’ll be okay, right~?”

“Yes. I can handle it.”

Murakami-kun was his usual self.

That sense of composure even at the eleventh hour… I can tell that this is the difference in the track record we’ve built up as creators.

“Hey, Onee-chan.”

Enomoto-san, who had been quietly watching how things unfolded until then, called out from behind the showcase.

“If Yuu-kun wins, you’ll support his accessory activities, right?”

“That’s right~☆”

While clicking the tongs she used for the cakes in the showcase, she sent a suspicious glance toward Kureha-san.

“Then, what if Yuu-kun loses?”

At that question, Kureha-san smiled sweetly.

“Of course, there’ll be no support for Yuu-chan, y’know~?”

“Yeah. I get that, but…”

Enomoto-san’s gaze shifted from Kureha-san to Himari.

“A little while ago, you said you’d have Yuu-kun and Hii-chan compete. This isn’t just a competition between Yuu-kun and Murakami-kun, it’s also a competition with Hii-chan, right?”

“…”

Kureha-san remained silent, prompting her to continue.

“I was just wondering if there’s any kind of reward for when Hii-chan wins.”

At those words, Himari tilted her head.

Kureha-san did indeed say ‘a competition between me and Himari’. If that’s the case, what Enomoto-san said is plausible, but…

But Kureha-san gave an evasive answer.

“Ufufu. This is an admission test for Yuu-chan, after all~.”

In other words, there’s no reward for Himari, I guess.

As if she had expected that answer, Enomoto-san asked her next question without a moment’s delay.

“Then, is there any kind of penalty if Hii-chan loses?”

For a moment,

For just a split second, Kureha-san’s smile twitched…

“Himari-chan will just continue as she has been, y’know~?”

“Hmm…”

Hearing that answer, Enomoto-san clicked the tongs again.

“Yuu-kun, that’s great for you. Congratulations.”

“Eh?”

At her words, I tilted my head.

We were just talking about the competition for my admission test. That being the case, her words sounded as if my victory was already decided.

“What do you mean?”

When I asked, Enomoto-san shrugged her shoulders and said nonchalantly.

“I mean, it’s over if Hii-chan just throws the match, right?”

“…”

I thought about the meaning of her words.

This competition is a ‘Photograph’ where a creator and a model form a pair.

Of course, since it’s a team effort, the hard work of both is essential.

And the pairs Kureha-san designated were formed in a way that put me and Himari in opposition.

However, as a loophole in this competition format ── Himari and I are best friends. On top of that, there is absolutely no risk for Himari if she loses.

“Ah.”

That’s right.

In this competition, there’s ‘no reason for Himari to have to win’.

An admission test with such a massive flaw.

For a set of rules that Kureha-san supposedly spent a long time thinking up, it’s way too lenient.

No, or maybe she doesn’t intend to weed me out that strongly…?

But it seemed that I wasn’t the only one who felt that sense of incongruity. Even that Kureha-san devotee, Kirishima-san, was giving her a perplexed look.

Kureha-san, at the center of it all, smiled sweetly and clapped her hands with a smack. Her pride-and-joy bust jiggled greatly again.

“Ah. It’s almost time for the train home~. Yume-chan, Murakami-kun, let’s go~♪”

With that, she quickly stood up from her seat.

“Ah, wait a sec, Kureha-sa~n!”

“Eh? I haven’t even finished my cake yet, though…”

The two of them hurriedly chased after her, leaving us behind.

The same old free-spiritedness as always. Enomoto-san, perhaps having given up, sighed and started clearing away Kureha-san’s and the others’ coffee cups.

“Yuu-kun. For now, what are you going to do about the flowers and stuff?”

“Ah, right. …I understand the details of the competition, but I haven’t been told the specific theme or anything yet. But if I’m going to prepare the flowers, I have to get started right away…”

I should pick out a large variety so I can handle any theme.

“But you have to study, too.”

“You’re right. …I might have to rely on Shiroyama-san and Mera-san a little more.”

I have to make time for exam studies now, so I’ve asked those two to take care of the “you” flowers. Saku-neesan is paying them a bonus on top of their convenience store wages, but… Mera-san is probably going to demand another wage increase.

Just then, another customer came into the shop.

Himari and I decided to leave at that moment.

“Well then, Rion. I’ll be in touch.”

“Okay. Good luck.”

We left the shop and stepped out into the cold sky once again.

The piercingly cold air caressed my body over my coat.

“Alright, shall we go to your place, Himari?”

“Yup~. A hot pot is waiting for us~♪”

Apparently, the Inuzuka family ordered some seafood for tonight, and Hibari-san invited me over as well.

It’s evening in December. The twilight is gradually approaching in the sky. If we take our time, it’ll get dark in a flash.

Himari took out two paper cartons of Yoghurppe from her pocket and handed one to me. Then she stuck a straw into her own and slurped up the lactic acid bacteria.

A winter-limited strawberry flavor.

Man, this stuff has a rich flavor and is delicious. I like it too.

“Man, Kureha-san is full of surprises, isn’t she~?”

“Yeah, she is. She’s not as scary as before, but she still manages to surprise me.”

“Yuu, can you really handle i~t?”

“W-well, yeah, she’s someone who’s giving a chance to a guy like me, so I’ll do my best to keep up…”

Himari laughed and nudged my side.

As we talked, the sky grew even darker. After a little while, the streetlights on the side of the road started to turn on.

We walked on unsteadily, under the light of streetlights and convenience stores. It was a dark, endless road. I thought it was just like us, stepping out into an immeasurable future.

“Hey. Himari…”

At the words that slipped out of my mouth, Himari turned around.

“Yuu is gonna be okay.”

She told me with a smile, as if to soothe my anxiety.

“Enocchi said it too, right? She said nothing happens even if I lose, so Kureha-san must be planning on letting you win, right?”

“You think things are that convenient? We’re talking about Kureha-san, y’know?”

“Geez~. Yuu, are you too suspicious~? That lady, for all her quirks, is actually really ki~nd, y’know~.”

“For all her quirks…”

Well, I guess she is a kind person, though.

But you know as well as I do that she loves scheming even more than that…

“Besides, are you okay with that, Himari?”

At my words, Himari tilted her head.

“Whaddya mean?”

“Well, I mean, you and Rion casually say you can just lose, but you don’t know what Kureha-san will think of you, do you?”

“Pahaha. It’s fine. Kureha-san didn’t say anything earlier, did she?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

I want to hear what you think, though.

 

During summer vacation, the time Himari messed up her magazine job.

I’ve never seen her unleash her emotions so seriously at any other time.

 

…Huh?

Was it like that during Christmas of our second year too?

Before that, there was the sunflower field during the summer vacation of our second year, and oh right, during the transfer student uproar in the spring of our second year, too… there were quite a few times. Maybe my memory is bugging out from exam fatigue.

As I was groaning to myself, Himari laughed.

“It’s fine. Even if Kureha-san abandons me, it’s not like I can’t make it as a model, y’know~.”

“No, but to so easily… throw away a chance you finally got…”

I couldn’t finish my sentence, and my words trailed off.

…Well, I guess that’s up to Himari, too.

No matter what I say, if she’s not motivated herself, there’s nothing to be done. …And besides, it doesn’t make sense for me to stop her when she’s saying she’ll lose for my sake.

“…If that’s what you think, Himari, then it’s fine, I guess.”

Then, Himari stopped walking.

She spun around in front of me and said, looking up at me with an upturned gaze.

“Yuu. Even if I’m no good as a model…”

She started to say something so ominous.

I braced myself with a jolt… but then, as if to say it was just a bad joke, a sly grin spread across her face.

“Let’s stay together forever and eve~r!”

“…”

That smile sent a sharp pang through my chest…

“Yeah. You’re right.”

I replied, turning my eyes away from the pain in my chest, and we continued walking together under the cold sky.

 

♣♣♣

 

Winter break began, and the year turned over.

The first shrine visit of the New Year, on New Year’s Day.

We were at a shrine famous even in our hometown, dedicated to the god Ebisu.

The four of us ── me, Himari, Enomoto-san, and Makishima. We were gazing at the food stalls lining the road in front of the shrine, overwhelmed by the lively atmosphere.

Himari, in a super-casual style of a thin down jacket and jeans, let out her first energetic shout of the new year.

“Alright! Let’s have a race to see who can conquer all the stalls first!”

“Whew. That’s hardly a plan a third-year high school girl would come up with!”

And besides, I can only think of one winner in that contest, best friend!

…Aah! Enomoto-san is rolling up the sleeves of her furisode and getting into a fighting stance! It’s a joke, okay! We’re not having a big eating contest that only middle school groups are allowed to have!

Then, Makishima said with a smug laugh.

“First, we should pay our respects. This is why women who don’t appreciate elegance are so troublesome.”

“Oh? A fake connoisseur of culture lecturing about elegance? Is this some new kind of katahara-assment?”

“Nahaha. I feel nothing when you show off your vocabulary that lacks even a shred of sense. You should polish yourself a little more before you do something you can’t take back.”

“Nfufu~. For someone actin’ all cool, you’re pretty quick to counteratta~ck. Are you that bummed you missed your chance to see Kureha-san at the end of the year~?”

“I’m offended that you see me as a man of such a low caliber. No matter how much you train as a model, it seems you can’t cover for your innate lack of imagination, can you?”

Hey! No fighting before we pay our respects!

And besides, the lady at the food stall over there is laughing at you, so it’s seriously embarrassing, so stop it!

“R-Rion. Let’s get in line to pay our respects for now.”

“Yeah. You’re right.”

We stepped into the shrine grounds.

Last year, I came to pay my respects with Enomoto-san as soon as the date changed, but this year we have more people, so we’re here at this time. There’s a much longer line in the shrine grounds than last year. Since it’s before noon this time, the temptation from the food stalls is incredible.

While waiting in line to pay our respects, Enomoto-san was lost in a dazed fantasy, her hands on her cheeks.

“Grilled corn… grilled squid… yakisoba… french fries… hashimaki… meat-wrapped rice balls… cotton candy… candy apples… chocolate bananas… ehehe…”

“Rion? Rion-sa~n?”

“The stall conquest challenge… I will absolutely win…”

“That’s a joke, okay? You don’t actually have to do it, okay?”

Well, I’m sure Enomoto-san could probably conquer them all, though.

The problem is our stomachs that have to keep up with her.

As we waited leisurely like that, our turn finally came. We put in our offerings, put our hands together, and prayed for thanks for the past year and for good health in the new one.

…For the sake of everyone who’s helping me, I’ll definitely get results.

That’s my only goal for this year.

When I glanced next to me, Himari was also quietly putting her hands together. To be honest, I have no idea what she’s wishing for. It’s probably a wish to do her best as a model. …Or maybe she’s negotiating the amount of New Year’s money she’ll get from now on. I kinda feel like it’s the latter.

After paying our respects, we took a breather.

Having finished one of our objectives for the day, we decided to move on to the next.

“Alright, well then…”

“Yuu-kun. Is yakisoba okay to start with!?”

“I said the eat-till-you-drop tour is cancelled!”

Enomoto-san, whose eyes had been sparkling, puffed out her cheeks with a “pooh”.

She’s cute, but I seriously wish she’d cut it out. Lately, I’ve been prioritizing studying, so the amount I eat has decreased and my stomach can’t take it…

Himari raised her hand energetically.

“Alright. Let’s draw fortunes~!”

“Eeh…”

“Huh? Yuu, you’re not into it?”

“Well, I mean, come on, right?”

Normally it would be fine, but this year is a really important one.

Even if it’s just for good luck, it’s a bit risky, isn’t it… As I was thinking that, Makishima laughed in a way that made a small fool of me.

“Nahaha. You’re as timid as ever. Fortunes are, at the end of the day, just for fun. The result has no great meaning.”

“Hey, temple boy. Don’t say that so openly…”

“Shinto and Buddhism are similar but different. Curry and stew are different dishes, are they not?”

“Seriously, stop comparing the relationship between gods and buddhas to stewed dishes…”

There’s a limit to being sacrilegious…

“Fine. I’ll do it.”

In the end, we decided to draw fortunes.

Come to think of it, last year I drew a fortune here with Enomoto-san, too. What was the result back then? I don’t remember well, but I do remember feeling like it was kinda meh.

Just like last year, there were several types of fortunes lined up.

There were a wide variety, from character-themed ones for kids, to ones all-in on financial luck, and ones specializing in love luck. Among them, just like last year, I chose the most basic one.

I put in the money and took a slip from the wooden box.

(Well, it can’t be worse than last year, right?)

I thought as I opened it.

 

── Great Curse.

 

“Uwaaaah! Whyyyyyyy!?”

“Nahaha. You, as always, are a man who delivers when it counts.”

“You’re the one who told me to do it, weren’t you!? You didn’t rig this, did you!?”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d keep your accusations to a minimum. As versatile as I am, I can’t possibly control the gods.”

Makishima shrugged his shoulders and deliberately showed me his own fortune slip.

“Great Blessing!? You gotta be kidding me!”

“Well, this is what you call the strong luck of a chosen man. You should stop being so jealous.”

You’re pretty much the one who made me draw it, though!

I was dejected… well, it’s not like I’m taking it seriously. I’ve heard that they don’t really put “Great Curse” fortunes in these things, so I was just a little like, “Oh, really~?” That’s all. No, seriously, I’m not taking it seriously at all.

Making such excuses to myself, I turned my gaze to Himari.

“H-Himari, what about you?”

“…”

Himari showed me her own fortune slip with a sly, triumphant grin.

“I’ve never drawn anything but ‘Great Blessing’ on a fortune before, y’know (smug face).”

“Ugh, so annoying! Stop showing off your subtly good skills!”

What the heck is with that!?

Both of them getting ‘Great Blessing’ here, isn’t this rigged after all!?

As I was hanging my head, Himari deliberately bumped her shoulder against mine and said with an upturned gaze.

“Nfufu~. Yuu, they say fortune comes to a laughing gate, right? If you’re so jealous, even your meager luck will r-u-n a-w-a-y ♡”

“So da~mn annoying!? Seriously, that taunting skill of yours doesn’t match the fortune’s result at all!”

This is weird.

I, who live such a pure and innocent life, get a ‘Great Curse’, and these guys get ‘Great Blessing’… I feel some kind of great will at play. No, I’m not jealous. This is purely a fair and objective opinion!

…And so, I turned my eyes to the last person.

“R-Rion, what about…?”

“Yuu-kun…”

Enomoto-san looked down, looking a little… yes, just a little sad.

At that atmosphere, I felt a sense of relief. That’s right. No matter what, there’s no way that out of the four of us, only I would get a bad result. I mean, that would seriously make you think someone’s manipulating things behind the scenes.

But, life is always cruel.

Enomoto-san pulled her fortune slip open with both hands to show me.

 

It was ‘Great Blessing’.

 

“Sorry ♡”

“Damn youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!”

Seriously, what the heck is going on!?

And the probability is seriously weird! Of all people, why is it that only I, who still have exams left, get such a harsh result!? It has to be some kind of mistake!

As I was lamenting by myself, Himari gently patted my shoulder.

“It’s fine. What’s important is what’s inside, y’know~.”

“I-I don’t care! I definitely don’t care!”

So stop being nice to me!?

By the way, about that content. Let’s see, what does it say? … ‘Person you are waiting for will not come’, ‘You will lose many things’, ‘Things will not go as you wish’.

Is this a despair triple combo?

And besides, this isn’t a result a student with exams should draw, is it? What was the person who made this fortune thinking, putting this combination together? Well, I don’t know how fortunes are made in the first place, though.

Once they were satisfied with teasing me, the three of them quickly tied their fortunes to a tree branch and walked off towards the shrine exit. So mean…

As we walked along the food stall road in front of the shrine again, Himari said.

“Enocchi. Wanna eat something?”

“I want to eat the hashimaki over there. And also the beef skewers and…”

“Sounds good~. Ah, but don’t overdo it, ’cause tonight’s a crab hot pot party at my place, okay?”

“…!?”

At the sudden surprise, Enomoto-san’s expression changed.

She hung her head with a thud, as if it were the end of the world.

“U-uugh! I didn’t eat anything this morning ’cause I was planning to eat at the stalls…”

“Um, Rion? There’s still time until tonight, so a little bit should be fine, right?”

“B-but I can eat stall food again, but crab is…”

“No, I get it! But you’ll get hungry anyway, so it’s fine!”

This is bad.

If we throw Enomoto-san into the crab hot pot party in her battle-ready state, the Inuzuka household will probably not get off scot-free. For the sake of my best friend’s family finances, I have to weaken her forces here, even just a little! Why do I have to worry about typhoon countermeasures before a New Year’s party…

I proposed with a gentle smile.

“Look, I’ll eat a little too.”

“Yuu-kun…”

And Enomoto-san showed me a smile like a blooming flower.

“Then, let’s go in order from the stalls over there ♪”

“…Right.”

I wonder if I’ll be alive for tonight’s party…

For some reason, I had a feeling that the evening’s crab had just slipped through my fingers…

 

♣♣♣

 

After enjoying the food stall road for a bit.

Checking the time, we decided to head to our next destination.

“Alright then… ugh.”

That was close. I almost let out a burp.

My stomach was already 80% full from keeping Enomoto-san company. Sorry, evening crab. There was something I had to protect…

“…Pulling myself together, shall we go pay our respects to Araki-sensei?”

Araki-sensei’s home is located behind a shopping arcade not far from here.

We did our first shrine visit during the day this year, so I thought we might as well get our greetings out of the way. I’ve contacted her in advance, so it should be fine to head over as is.

At that point, Makishima announced his departure.

“I’m heading out here.”

“Eh? Really?”

“What’s the point of me meeting your flower master? They’d just have to be polite if a stranger was there, right?”

He certainly has a point.

Araki-sensei is frank with everyone, but we are going to a woman’s home after all. She probably wouldn’t mind at all, but it’s a kind gesture, so I’ll accept it.

“Besides, I have a date from now on. I don’t have time to deal with you guys.”

“This guy…”

As always, he never stops playing around with women.

And besides, if this guy doesn’t seriously settle his affairs, won’t he get stabbed before he even starts university, even if he managed to get in? …I feel like a huge boomerang just hit me, but it’s probably just my imagination.

Makishima waved his hand and headed in the opposite direction from us.

“Well then, see you at school.”

“Yeah. See ya.”

After parting with Makishima, we headed towards the shopping arcade.

The usually deserted shopping arcade is also bustling with a New Year’s mode. It’s quite fun to see the houses of businesses decorated with shimenawa and kadomatsu, it gives a sense of the extraordinary.

We entered from the usual back alley and arrived at Araki-sensei’s house.

Araki Flower Arrangement Classroom.

It’s an ikebana classroom I’ve been indebted to since I was in elementary school, and lately I’ve been ordering flowers from her as well. It’s a place that’s always full of the smiles of elementary school students, but as expected, it’s quiet today.

As we stepped onto the grounds of the charming single-family house, Himari asked.

“Did you even contact her in the first place? Isn’t it kinda suspicious whether Araki-sensei is even awake?”

“I just told her I’d come to say hi around noon today. …Nah, it’s this time of day, so she’s got to be awake.”

“But it’s New Year’s Day, y’know? I can’t imagine that woman waking up before noon.”

“Hey, hey. No matter what, she’s a proper working adult, so…”

I rang the doorbell.

From inside the house, I heard a retro ‘ding-dong’ sound… and even after three minutes, there was no sign of anyone coming out.

“…Huh?”

“Not a single sound.”

“No, no, it’s already twelve o’clock, so…”

“The possibility that it’s still only twelve o’clock.”

I checked my phone.

There I found a message I had overlooked. The time of the message was 2 AM… in other words, right after the New Year began. I didn’t notice it because I was rushing to get ready this morning.

The sender of that message was Araki-sensei.

And the content was…

“The door’s unlocked, so just come in and wake me up.”

Hey now, a woman of a certain age…

Leaving your door unlocked all night? Are you serious? That’s beyond careless, it’s almost refreshingly reckless.

Himari said, nodding in admiration.

“Araki-sensei’s character is really consistent, huh~. I should learn from her!”

“In what way are you respecting her? That’s not an attribute a popular model needs…”

It’s not a character, she’s just a lazy girl. Wait a minute? Just as there’s the saying ‘dumplings over flowers’, there’s some truth to the idea that approachability is more important than being a lofty flower these days… but then again, what kind of popular model sleeps past noon? You can’t just abandon your skin care.

…Anyway, I have permission. I cautiously put my hand on the front door. It opened easily. I really wish it had been some kind of mistake…

“Excuse me~…”

Just the fact that the owner of the house is sleeping makes the space I’m always intruding on feel somewhat eerie.

We took off our shoes without making a sound and tiptoed down the hallway. Wait, should I walk normally to wake her up? I don’t know anymore. In the first place, it’s useless to challenge an extraordinary opponent with common sense.

“Himari, what should we do?”

“Hmm. We’ll go check her private room. Yuu, you wait in the living room.”

I’ll gladly take Himari up on her nice idea.

There’s no way I can enter a single woman’s private room. Honestly, it feels like that kind of consideration is unnecessary, but she is an unmarried woman, after all. It’s already too late, since she said to just let ourselves in.

(…Hmm?)

As I was about to enter the living room after parting with Himari and the others, I heard snoring from beyond the fusuma.

…Well, that’s fine. If Araki-sensei is someone who snores, there’s no problem. She’s usually cool, or mysterious, or just elusive, but this actually makes her feel more approachable. Like, she was a human and not a yokai.

The problem is, the snoring clearly sounds like it’s from a man.

(Eh? What’s going on…?)

I’m starting to feel like I shouldn’t look behind the fusuma.

I mean, it’s a single woman living alone, right? A man’s snoring in there… this is definitely something I shouldn’t see. But she should know we’re coming today. And before that, who could it be? I seriously have no idea.

(This is, you see, I have to confirm whether Araki-sensei is there or not…)

It’s definitely not out of a peeping tom spirit. Really.

Or, there’s also the possibility that a burglar broke in on New Year’s Day. It’s a dangerous world we live in. In other words, this is for Araki-sensei’s sake, and definitely not a feeling of “I wonder who it is, I’m so excited!”. The sound of the Ekiden relay on TV has been leaking out for a while now, but it’s true.

I opened the fusuma without making a sound and peeked inside.

 

Araki-sensei and my math teacher, Sasaki-sensei, were both fast asleep in the kotatsu.

 

…It’s totally that.

The kind of thing where you fall asleep while watching the New Year’s Eve Kouhaku. There are beer cans and tangerine peels scattered on top of the kotatsu. It’s so unsexy it’s gone past that and is completely domestic, what is this even.

“Just start dating already!?!?”

At my true feelings, which overflowed like a dam filled with water, Sasaki-sensei’s eyes shot open.

In his haste to sit up, he banged his knee on the kotatsu and let out a pained grunt. A beer can also fell over and rolled away.

“H-hey, Araki! It’s already morn… huh? Morning? And, who was that just now── Aah!?!?”

Sasaki-sensei, who was looking around sleepily, screamed with his eyes wide enough to pop out when he saw me.

He scrambled out of the kotatsu and for some reason, sat down in seiza and started making excuses.

“No, Nyan-tarou! This is!”

“Sasaki-sensei…”

“D-don’t look at me like that! We weren’t doing anything shameful!”

“I’d be more shocked if there wasn’t anything going on in this situation, though…”

You asked Araki-sensei out several times, right? In this situation… she’s completely unguarded. She seriously thinks of you as nothing more than her younger brother from back home.

“Sasaki-sensei. Have you been like this for the whole year…?”

“I-I told you, didn’t I!? I have no choice but to propose!”

No, a proposal in this situation is impossible…

I can’t believe things have turned out so disappointingly. Just because I was absorbed in my exam studies, Sasaki-sensei’s happy future has been lost…

As we were having this exchange, Araki-sensei finally woke up too. Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she said with a look of annoyance.

“Sasaki-kun, what are you shouting about…?”

“Why is Nyan-tarou here!?”

“Eh? Ah. He said he was coming to give New Year’s greetings on his way back from the first shrine visit today.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner!?”

“Huh? Was there a problem?”

“Well, there’s such a thing as a teacher’s dignity…!?”

I, still a child, can’t tell which one of them is being more sensible…

As I was feeling a little sad, Himari and the others, who had heard the commotion, came over. Seeing the disastrous scene in the living room, Himari’s face twitched.

“Eh? What’s with this bloodbath?”

“A bloodbath… I wonder…?”

If so, who is fighting, and who will find happiness…

And at the sight of Himari and Enomoto-san popping their heads in, Sasaki-sensei’s face turned pale. It’s probably not a scene he’d want his female students to see.

“Gyaah! Inuzuka and Enomoto too!?”

“Sasaki-sensei~, Araki-sensei~! Happy New Yea~r!”

And Himari, grinning from ear to ear, started teasing Sasaki-sensei.

“Sasaki-sensei~, you’re really gettin’ after it first thing in the New Year ♪”

“Don’t make fun of me! It’s not what you think!”

“Nfufu~. You don’t have to be so embarrassed! We’re already third-years in high school, so we’re not gonna meddle in adult affairs~.”

“I’m telling you, you’re wrong!?”

As they were making a racket, Araki-sensei stretched both her arms up.

Just as I was thinking she’s as laid-back as ever, she suddenly looked at Sasaki-sensei with a serious gaze.

“Sasaki-kun. Actually, there’s something I wanted to tell you.”

At those words, Sasaki-sensei stiffened with a jolt.

At this timing, something she wanted to tell Sasaki-sensei. There can’t be that many things. In fact, after all this teasing, there’s no way it’s about something else.

Could it be, she’s going to answer Sasaki-sensei’s confession here?

The moment that tension enveloped us──.

“Get the ozoni ready, please~.”

“Am I your housekeeper!?”

Even as he retorted like that, he dutifully headed to the kitchen.

Sasaki-sensei, you can make ozoni? The fact that you can cook is so unexpected… Just as I was about to feel a sense of ‘gap moe’, a predictable shout came from the kitchen, “Araki! How do you make ozoni!?”.

Araki-sensei let out a big yawn and crawled out of the kotatsu reluctantly, saying “Good grief…”.

“Natsume-kun and the others, what did you do for lunch?”

“Ah, we just ate a little at the food stalls, but…”

“You might as well eat with us. How many mochi do you want?”

“Eh? Is that okay?”

“Well, ozoni isn’t something you make in small portions, you know.”

Since it felt wrong to just receive, we decided to help out too.

Enomoto-san, a good cook, supported Araki-sensei.

Himari and I are bad at cooking, so we prepared the bowls and other things. Sasaki-sensei stood in the corner and was sometimes asked to taste-test by Araki-sensei.

“Araki-sensei, you can cook.”

“Just the stuff my grandma taught me.”

A lazy girl occasionally showing her domestic side… so this is true gap-moe, I was deeply impressed.

Then Himari laughed as she brought over the disposable chopsticks.

“You usually only eat noo~dles, right~?”

“Well, I’m not gonna make something elaborate just for myself.”

Araki-sensei said while tasting the dashi with a ladle.

“Cooking is something you do for someone else, you know.”

At her uncharacteristically gentle words, our hearts warmed a little.

The preparation for this ozoni.

That’s not all. Inside the fridge, there are New Year’s-like ingredients lined up, such as red and white kamaboko and thick rolled omelets. Considering Araki-sensei’s beliefs up until now, she doesn’t seem like the type to prepare such things just because it’s New Year’s.

If that’s the case, then this is for the person who was scheduled to come here today.

And before us, the one who probably had a promise to spend New Year’s together was ──.

 

Just as Sasaki-sensei, looking surprised, was about to let his expression brighten.

 

“Well, if Natsume-kun and the others hadn’t come, it probably would have been cup noodles.”

“Araki-sensei…!”

Can’t you see Sasaki-sensei’s face has turned to one of despair!? You probably can’t see it, can you!? Or maybe you’re taking that attitude even while seeing it!?

…But she’s really on a roll today.

Her style of lifting Sasaki-sensei up and then dropping him has been in top form from the start. What is it? Is this the trendy way for modern men and women to play hard to get? Even in a backwater town like this, the trends in love are at the cutting edge.

Somehow, with the air still heavy with sorrow, the ozoni preparation was finished.

Gathered around the kotatsu in the living room, we put our hands together for the New Year’s-like meal.

Himari took a delicious bite of the thick rolled omelet from the paper box.

“Mmm~. ‘Kishigami’s’ thick rolled omelet is delicio~us.”

“This paper box, it’s different from the one they usually sell at the supermarket, isn’t it?”

“This paper box version of the thick rolled omelet is a special one they only put out for New Year’s, y’know~. It’s got a richer flavor than the usual one and it’s delicio~us.”

“Oh, is that so. It does taste sweeter than the usual one, now that you mention it.”

It’s super expensive, so my family would never buy it.

Well, in the first place, our convenience store is open from New Year’s Day, and we don’t really eat osechi together as a family.

I also had some of the ozoni Araki-sensei made.

…Wow, this is good. It has a somehow comforting taste. It’s not that I thought she couldn’t cook, but considering her usual words and actions, it’s unexpected.

“Araki-sensei. This is delicious.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Araki-sensei smiled while stretching a piece of mochi.

“By the way, did you watch Kouhaku for New Year’s Eve after all?”

“I was watching the Sada Masashi one.”

“What a refined choice…”

The show they do at the Budokan, huh.

My mom was probably watching it too, but… this conversation is just a warm-up. The real thing starts now.

While feigning a very natural conversational flow, I tried to sound out Araki-sensei.

“But I was surprised to see Sasaki-sensei here too. You two are…”

I glanced at Sasaki-sensei.

“Do you have dinner together pretty often?”

I asked, choosing my words carefully.

If I stimulate her weirdly here, it could be a disaster. I might end up creating the first black history of the New Year. I must avoid that at all costs.

And so, what was Araki-sensei’s reaction!?

“Hmm. Well, I guess so. We might be eating together a lot lately.”

“…!”

She doesn’t hate it!

This definitely doesn’t seem like she hates it!

My intuition, which has known Araki-sensei since elementary school, is telling me. She’s being nonchalant, but this relaxed, natural way of answering… it’s Araki-sensei’s true feelings!

No, wait. I need to be absolutely sure here. It would be a disaster if I misunderstood and floored the accelerator, crashing through the guardrail.

“W-well, I mean, being with Sasaki-sensei is calming, after all. He’s good at taking care of people, and everyone at school adores him.”

I can feel Sasaki-sensei’s joyful gaze.

Leave it to me. I’ll praise you with all my might. This very moment is when I repay my debt of three years of high school!

“…”

At my words, Araki-sensei thought for a moment.

And then…

“That’s true. It’s certainly calming to be with Sasaki-kun.”

“…!”

This is ──.

As we leaned forward, Araki-sensei continued.

“Sasaki-kun brings me expensive soba and stuff, so I’m happy. If I tell him what I want to eat, he goes out of his way to get it for me, so I’m really grateful.”

“…”

We, who had been leaning forward, silently corrected our posture.

This is… that, isn’t it.

 

…Feeding, isn’t it.

 

The moment the TV switched to the afternoon news, I casually led Sasaki-sensei out into the hallway.

To Sasaki-sensei, who was waiting for a report with sparkling eyes, I conveyed the results of my research on Araki-sensei from just a moment ago.

“I-I think it’s going well. Please keep up the good work…”

“Why are you looking away while you say that!?”

She might not see him as a man, but in a way, it might be a good strategy for Araki-sensei…

When we returned to the living room, Araki-sensei said while drinking otoso.

“Oh, right. I have New Year’s money for you.”

““…!?””

At those words, we braced ourselves.

Today is a parade of un-Araki-sensei-like statements. I mean, isn’t this seriously the first time? Since I started coming here, I have no memory of such an event.

“It’s your last year of high school, after all. Here you go.”

“Ah, thank you very much!”

We received the pochi bags in turn.

Wow, I’m so happy. I mean, there’s no way a kid wouldn’t be happy to receive this on New Year’s. And from Araki-sensei, no less. It’s going to rain tomorrow…

“Hm?”

Himari and the others seemed to have noticed the same sense of incongruity as I did.

What is this? It’s awfully thick… or rather, the texture is rough. Is there some kind of lump in here? There’s no way a high-society ending where it’s packed with gold dust is waiting for us, right?

I opened the seal and poured it out onto my palm.

 

…It was a large amount of flower seeds.

 

It was the same for Himari and Enomoto-san.

“Um, Araki-sensei?”

“What is it?”

“No, I mean… the New Year’s money?”

At our perplexed gazes, Araki-sensei said with a serious face.

“I made a mistake on the order form at the end of the year. I thought you’d be happier with that, Natsume-kun…”

“That’s called getting rid of excess stock…”

Well, I am happy, though…

But, how should I put it. I have a childish part of me that’s appropriate for my age, you know. I’m not very happy about this surprise…

“Ah, thank you very much. I’ll take good care of them…”

Then Araki-sensei chuckled.

Ah, she was teasing me, wasn’t she? What a terrible mentor…

“Well, the real thing will be given to you by Sasaki-kun, so it’s fine.”

“Hah!?”

It was Sasaki-sensei who let out a bewildered voice.

“Why me!?”

“It’s fine. Just give them some New Year’s money.”

“I’m a teacher! I can’t give money to specific students!”

“Ehh~. But honestly, don’t you feel more like a neighborhood uncle by now?”

“At least make me an older brother!?”

Himari’s eyes sparkled.

Without a moment’s delay, she struck a cute pose and held out both her hands.

“Kouichi-oniichan! Happy New Yea~r!”

“Don’t just jump on the bandwagon!?”

This high level of adaptability… why couldn’t she use it in Tokyo during the summer vacation? Well, it’d be like stirring up a hornet’s nest, so I’ll definitely not say it.

Araki-sensei said with a laugh.

“But you have some prepared for the elementary school kids who come to your house, right?”

“W-well. That’s true…”

He took out a pochi bag with a popular character on it from his pocket. …I see. This is an orthodox pochi bag with a certain thickness.

“Aah~! Sasaki-sensei, that’s favoritism~!”

“Don’t compete with elementary schoolers when you’re a high schooler!”

While watching Himari and Araki-sensei making a fuss, Araki-sensei was laughing happily.

“Fufu. Goodness, Sasaki-kun never changes.”

“…”

I watched the scene, feeling a little surprised.

A little while later, we decided to take our leave from Araki-sensei’s house. From here, we’ll go via my family’s convenience store to Himari’s house.

By the way, Sasaki-sensei is apparently going home after the elementary school students come to give their greetings in the evening.

As I was swayed by the taxi Himari had called, I was recalling the scene from earlier.

“Somehow, I feel like Sasaki-sensei might have a chance…”

“Ah, I thought so too.”

Araki-sensei doesn’t seem like the type who wants to be in a relationship, so conversely, that level of warmth might be more lasting. Well, I guess it depends on Sasaki-sensei’s patience.

Enomoto-san snorted and said.

“At their wedding, Yuu-kun has to give a speech.”

“Stop jinxing it…”

With those words, the air suddenly became filled with a sense of doom.

I’m sorry, Sasaki-sensei.

Being your love cupid might have been too much for me after all…