Chapter 13 - Christmas with Everyone
“Hey, Amane, can we have a Christmas party at your place?”
“Nope.”
The proposal had been immediately shot down, and Chitose puffed out her cheeks to make her disappointment obvious.
Christmas Eve was fast approaching, but since Amane lived separately from his family and was a loner by nature, the holiday didn’t hold any real significance. Still, Chitose and Itsuki seemed keen on spending it with him and had come to ask him about holding a little celebration.
Chitose had gone out of her way to barge into Amane and Itsuki’s classroom at lunchtime with the idea, and now she had her cheeks puffed out because of Amane’s near-instant refusal.
“Come on, Amane,” Itsuki angled. “You’re alone anyway…ah, unless maybe there’s a girlfriend in the picture?”
“No, there isn’t.”
“Well then, it’s fine!” Chitose interjected. “Or could it be that you secretly hate us?”
“Well, if Amane hates us, then I guess we don’t need him, either,” Itsuki added.
In their own way, his friends were probably expressing their concern for him. There was also the possibility that they were hunting for a place where they could relax and flirt. Amane felt bad about refusing them, even when they made such exaggeratedly disappointed faces at him. He didn’t actually hate them.
That was not to say Amane had no concerns, however. First was the thought of how the two of them would act in a private setting. Amane could feel the embarrassment washing over him at the mere thought of Itsuki and Chitose’s shameless intimacy. Then there was the fact that he would have to explain things to Mahiru. She would have to steer clear until Amane’s friends left, and he would have to be very careful about covering up any evidence of her frequent visits.
“Fine. I get it, I get it. The twenty-fourth, right? I have a condition, though: You have to set me free before nightfall and go somewhere else together to get all your flirting done. I’ll remind you that excessive physical contact is prohibited in my apartment.” With Amane’s concession to the couple’s demands, Chitose’s face lit up with a smile.
“Guess there’s nothing we can do about that rule. I’m sure we can work something out,” she said.
“Who do you think you are to say such entitled things?” Amane quickly grabbed one of Chitose’s cheeks and pinched.
“Owwsh!” she slurred. “Itsukiii, Amane’s buwwyying me!”
“Come on, Amane, don’t be mean to Chi! I’m the only one who’s allowed to pinch her cheeks,” Itsuki said.
“Fine, fine; pinch her real good for me, then,” Amane replied.
“Leave it to me.”
“Don’t you dare!” Chitose cried.
Amane entrusted Itsuki to carry out the sentence, but as one might’ve expected, he and Chitose turned it into just another excuse to flirt. Within moments, the two of them started messing around, playfully pinching each other’s faces.
Now Chitose actually looked happy to be pinched.
Amane shrugged. “…Can I go?”
This was Amane’s classroom, but he wanted to get some distance from the lovey-dovey couple before they got any more insufferable.
“No way! We’ve got to make proper plans. We need to arrange for food and a cake!”
“I’m not making anything.”
There was no way Amane could fix a Christmas meal. Mahiru could handle it, no problem, but there was absolutely no way he could get her help this time. That’s why Amane quickly brushed off the idea, insisting that it would be impossible for him to cook. Chitose didn’t seem convinced, however, and was staring at him strangely.
“What?” Amane asked.
“I was just thinking you look awfully healthy for someone who can’t cook,” Chitose said.
“So? What’s the problem?”
“Well, you see, Chi, Amane’s got his own reasons for that,” Itsuki commented.
“Huh, well, don’t you want to know about them, too, Itsuki?”
“I’ll get him to spill later.”
“I’m not telling you a thing.”
Amane glared at Itsuki as if to tell him not to make promises he couldn’t keep, and he laughed out loud, in a forced way. Itsuki knew when to let things go, but he had a bad habit of dredging up old stuff at rather inopportune times.
“You guys are a real handful…,” Amane muttered. “Well, for dinner, can’t we get takeout or something? We’ll have to order the cake if we want one.” Attempting to move away from his own affairs that the couple seemed so eager to pry into, he made a pragmatic proposal.
There was no way he could make a cake or prepare a meal on his own, so arranging for ready-made food seemed to be the way to go.
“Ah, all right then, let’s have pizza! I’ll book a cake from my usual place; they’re still taking orders!” Chitose declared.
“You don’t want chicken?” asked her boyfriend.
“You like pizza better, too, don’t you, Itsuki?”
“True, true. That’s my Chi; you know me best.”
“Eh-heh-heh…”
While the two lovebirds had decided on what to get without discussing it at all with Amane, he was fine with pizza. Something like that made it feel more like a party anyway. Given the way things were going, they would probably pick up some takeaway pizzas from the shop that Amane and Itsuki often visited.
The moment Amane heard the word pizza, he thought of Mahiru—and when she’d nibbled her pizza like a small animal. Amane had found it strangely charming, probably because he usually saw her eating so elegantly. Come to think of it, he’d gotten Mahiru to eat cake the other day, too. Amane’s cheeks glowed warmly as he remembered that.
I won’t do anything like that again, Amane vowed to himself.
It’d been so embarrassing to feed each other; there was no way Amane could endure a repeat of that. Mahiru and Amane weren’t some affectionate couple like Itsuki and Chitose, so the opportunity should never come up again anyway.
“…Hey, Amane, what’s up?”
“Oh, no, nothing. All right, we’ll leave the cake order up to you.”
Amane had drifted back into some embarrassing memories for a moment, and Chitose had started staring at him with a concerned expression, puzzled. Panicking, Amane chased the flustering thoughts from his head and did his best to be casual.
“All right! Let’s get our pizza order in, too!” he said, a bit more worked up than usual.
With Chitose’s excitable voice still ringing in his ears, Amane returned home and decided to ask Mahiru about her Christmas plans.
“Christmas plans? I don’t really have any,” Mahiru replied quickly from her place on the sofa. Amane had posed the question after finishing the dishes and joining her in the living room. He’d been confident Mahiru would be going to a girls’ party, but apparently, she didn’t have anything lined up. Maybe Amane’s surprise showed, because Mahiru made an annoyed face at him.
“Basically, all the girls I know and most of my female classmates have boyfriends to go out with. And I always turn down all the boys who invite me out, so my schedule is totally open,” she explained.
“Breaking all the hearts, huh?”
Whenever she was out in public, Mahiru kept her guard up, and any hopeful suitors were sure to end up drowning in their own tears when faced with the angel’s impregnable defenses.
Still, Amane had to respect anyone who had the guts to ask Mahiru out. No one would be able to do such a thing without a huge amount of self-confidence, and Amane admired those optimistic types.
“…I wonder why boys want to spend Christmas with me so badly anyway?” Mahiru wondered aloud.
“They’re probably hoping to get to know you better,” Amane explained.
“What for?”
“I mean, because they want to date you?”
“And why would they want to date me?”
“…Probably to do all the sorts of…things that dating people do.”
“How obscene.”
Amane offered a silent prayer for all the guys who’d just been ruthlessly discarded. “Well, I don’t think every one of them is like that, so don’t be too distrustful. I’m sure you understand that you’re the sort of girl who draws all their eyes.”
“You’re right. It’s unlikely that all of them are harboring lewd thoughts. After all, you aren’t like that, are you, Amane?”
“Have I ever treated you that way?” Amane had certainly thought Mahiru looked cute, or that he wanted to rub her head, but he’d never gone so far as to fantasize about being intimate with her. If such things ever did cross his mind, Amane was sure that Mahiru would likely notice and pull away from him.
It was only because Mahiru saw Amane as a harmless puppy that he could sit there next to her. Baring so much as a single fang could be enough to send her running away. The needs of Amane’s stomach ranked higher in his mind than other appetites, so he had no intention of jeopardizing his relationship with Mahiru.
“I suppose you’re right. You never seemed to have any interest in me from the beginning, Amane.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“That’s why I trust you.”
“Well, thanks for that.”
As a guy, Amane wasn’t sure how he felt about Mahiru’s reasons for trusting him, but for the time being, he decided he was okay with being the “safe guy.”
“…So, Amane, did you have something in mind when you asked me about my Christmas plans?” Mahiru inquired.
“Hmm? Oh, on the afternoon of the twenty-fourth, Itsuki and Chitose are coming over, so I thought I would let you know that, uh, our usual dinner might have to start late.”
Having returned to the original topic of conversation, Amane carefully explained the situation while Mahiru nodded along.
“I understand. Please call me once your Christmas party is over, and I’ll make dinner then. I’ll try to take care of the prep work ahead of time,” Mahiru said.
“Sure; sorry about all that.”
“It’s fine. Have fun.”
“…You won’t be lonely?”
“I’m used to spending Christmas alone.”
Mahiru’s casual attitude about spending the holiday alone struck Amane as rather depressing. Perhaps thoughts of Christmas had reminded Mahiru of her parents, because a small, self-deprecating laugh slipped out.
“…Ah, um, this is really presumptuous of me to say, but…even if I can’t do Christmas Eve, how about we spend Christmas Day together?” Amane felt extremely awkward making this sort of suggestion. He didn’t have any particular ulterior motive, but two people getting together on the holiday usually did carry a certain implication.
There’s no special meaning to this, Amane told himself. It was just that he hated when Mahiru looked so lonely; that was all.
Surprised, Mahiru blinked quickly at the suggestion. “Together? Doing what?” she asked.
“Huh? Ah, well, I didn’t really have anything in mind. Sorry.” Now that it was obvious he didn’t have a plan, Amane figured he should drop the issue. There was also the consideration that going out together meant there was a risk of being spotted by someone from school. That would be a huge problem for Amane and Mahiru both.
The best option would be spending time at home, but there was probably nothing in Amane’s apartment that would interest Mahiru. It would likely boil down to just sitting next to each other, doing nothing, which would probably be incredibly awkward.
If that’s all Amane could offer, he suspected it was probably better to just spend the day apart. As he prepared to withdraw his proposal, he noticed that Mahiru was staring at him quietly.
“…Okay. I’d like to try that,” It was unexpected, but Mahiru actually seemed interested.
Her slim finger was pointing at the television. To be more precise, she was pointing at the game console housed inside the TV stand.
Recently, Mahiru had been visiting in the evenings, so Amane hadn’t booted up the system much, but it seemed like Mahiru was curious about it.
“I’ve never used one of those things…,” she confessed in a small voice.
Amane didn’t have any concrete reason to refuse Mahiru if she wanted to try playing games, but the thought of a guy and girl who weren’t dating or anything spending Christmas day together playing video games was somewhat surreal. Even if he wasn’t hoping for anything romantic, it was only natural that the idea gave rise to a confusing mix of emotions.
“Oh, well, that’d be fine, but…is that okay? To spend the day gaming?” Amane asked.
“Is there anything wrong with that?” Mahiru replied with her own question.
“I guess not, but…”
“Well, then let’s go with that.”
“S-sure.”
Great, I guess that’s what we’re doing…
Since it was what Mahiru wanted, Amane resolved himself to do everything he could to make sure it happened. He wanted to at least give her this modest bit of enjoyment. Mahiru was always taking care of him, and she hardly ever asked for anything, so he would let her play anything she wanted, as long as he had it in his collection. It wasn’t like he had any plans on Christmas Day anyway, so this was a small price indeed for Mahiru’s fantastic cooking.
“All right, we can have a laid-back day that doesn’t have anything to do with Christmas or whatever,” Amane declared.
“Then it’s decided,” Mahiru answered.
Amane found it difficult to look directly at Mahiru’s smiling face, so instead he nodded and turned away while doing his best to look casual.
“Merry Christmas!”
Christmas Eve arrived before too long.
School had already let out for winter break, and everyone was probably spending the day enjoying themselves. Itsuki and Chitose had shown up at Amane’s apartment, party supplies in hand, at around one in the afternoon.
On the table, the pizza and juice they had ordered for delivery were already laid out. The three had actually planned to meet up a bit earlier, but the Christmas crowds had slowed everything down and put them all behind schedule. Thankfully, it was only an hour past noon, and Amane hadn’t been waiting too long, so no one seemed all that bothered.
“Yeah, yeah, Merry Christmas,” Amane replied.
“Amane, you don’t sound very excited! Try again,” Chitose instructed.
“Merry Christmas!”
“You’re saying the words just fine, but you’re not really in the spirit, are you?”
Amane didn’t like to be compared to Chitose, who was very excitable by nature.
Realizing that she was even more worked up than usual, Itsuki did his best to placate Chitose. He flashed a flippant, yet still-warm smile at his girlfriend.
“Come on, we don’t need to worry about that. Let’s get to the eating part and the having-a-good-time part and then the falling-asleep part,” said Itsuki.
“You can’t sleep here, idiot,” Amane snapped.
“I’m just kidding, geez. Besides, if I am gonna sleep, I’m going to Chi’s place.”
“You’ll have to do that when her parents aren’t around.”
“Huh, Amaneee! What kind of perverted things are you thinking?!” Chi cried. She was grinning, but Amane didn’t respond. Instead, he made for the kitchen to grab some cups and utensils. Pouting, Chitose looked briefly disappointed at this lack of reaction but then quickly followed after him, shouting that she would help.
The kitchen was, naturally, neat and tidy, with everything in order. Mahiru had made it her territory as of late, so all the various tools and seasonings were lined up for easy access.
“Whoa, this is way cleaner than I expected,” Chitose commented.
“Thanks a lot,” Amane responded idly. He took small plates for individual portions and some cups out of a kitchen cupboard. When he tried to hand half to Chitose, he found her staring fixedly at the cupboard.
“…What is it?” Amane asked.
“Nothing!” she answered hurriedly.
Amane felt something devious behind Chitose’s sly smile, and a shiver shot down his back. The best course of action for the time being was to ignore her entirely, however, so Amane did his best to act like nothing was wrong. He had a terrible feeling Chitose was brewing up some elaborate misconception, but since she hadn’t said anything, Amane wasn’t sure what it could be.
Grimacing, Amane and Chitose returned to the living room where Itsuki was waiting. It was becoming abundantly clear that Chitose was in an even better mood than when she’d first arrived.
“Seriously, though, your apartment is super clean. It’s so big and luxurious,” Chitose muttered. The three friends had mostly finished eating. They’d been listening to Christmas music through the speakers in the living room.
There was little Amane could say in response to Chitose’s comment. He was living in a nice apartment because his parents were paying for it, and the place was only this clean because Mahiru had helped him keep it that way. After considering that, all Amane could say was “Yeah, thanks.”
“It’s definitely impressive how much better the place looks now that it’s clean…,” Itsuki remarked.
“Shut up…,” Amane shot back.
“Yep, yep, I smell a girl!” Chitose added.
“How did you make that jump?” Amane had no idea how Chitose made the connection between his clean apartment and a feminine presence.
“Hmm? Call it a woman’s intuition. The way everything’s arranged is a little off for you, personality-wise. There’s something about the way the books are lined up and how the cords are all gathered to keep them from getting tangled or torn. Plus, there are all sorts of cooking implements in the kitchen that seem like they really don’t belong to you, Amane.”
“…They’re my mom’s,” Amane lied.
“Hmm?”
Preemptively, Amane had shoved all of Mahiru’s things into the back of a cabinet, but Chitose must have caught sight of them when Amane had been getting the plates.
Amane’s tableware alone hadn’t been enough, so Mahiru had brought a few things over from her place, but Amane hadn’t expected Chitose to notice. For better or worse, she was not the kind of person who usually paid attention to such details.
“Well, it’s not like we care that much, right, Itsuki?” Amane’s reply had been suspiciously slow. Sensing a deeper meaning in that, Chitose leaned over to Itsuki, grinning.
Casually, and without a hint of hesitation, Itsuki reached over and rested his hand between Chitose’s knees as he embraced her. It was getting extremely difficult to look directly at the couple.
“Hey, why don’t you get a room, you two?!” Amane shouted.
“Oh, you jealous, Amane?” Itsuki asked.
“Psh, yeah right.”
Rather than any sort of envy, Amane just wanted them out of his sight. He wished they would stop, but this sort of behavior was business as usual for the couple. Scolding them for it was a waste of energy at this point.
Looking very satisfied with herself as she clung to Itsuki, Chitose leaned against his chest and looked up at Itsuki’s face. “…I bet everyone’s flirting at their own parties right about now.”
“Hey, don’t forget you’ve got a guy right here crying bitter tears of loneliness,” said Amane.
There’s no way everyone is acting like these two.
There had to be some people who were spending the holiday with family—and others who were spending it with friends. Surely there were even some spending the holiday completely alone. Amane felt like Chitose ought to choose her words more carefully. Not everyone was lucky enough to spend Christmas with other people.
“Do boys really want sweethearts that badly?” Chitose asked.
“I don’t think they do,” Amane answered flatly. “I certainly don’t.”
“Yeah, but…,” Itsuki interjected, “you’re an outlier.”
“Shut up.”
“Well, everyone gets restless right before Christmas, you know,” Chitose continued. “Especially single guys. The other day, I asked the angel about her Christmas plans and found out she’d ruthlessly rejected just about every boy in school. She left ’em all brokenhearted because she supposedly already made plans with someone else.”
“Huh,” Itsuki said.
Amane had a feeling that someone was him. The idea that he was little more than a diplomatic excuse to turn down other dates wasn’t a pleasant one, but he knew that it pained Mahiru to have to refuse anyone. If having plans with Amane helped ease Mahiru’s conscience, then he supposed he couldn’t object. After all, she wasn’t giving his name out, so there shouldn’t be any trouble.
“All those poor boys looked so crushed. It was rude, but I laughed,” Chitose recalled.
“You shouldn’t laugh!” Itsuki scolded playfully.
“I mean, using a holiday as an excuse to try to score a date with a girl you barely know is total crap, isn’t it? They’re already off to a late start ’cause they haven’t built any kind of relationship, so they try to take a convenient little shortcut to get to where they really want to be. Plus, I bet those guys are the kind who’d say they were taking her to a party with a lot of people but then create some excuse to be alone with her. It’s a scary thing, for a girl.”
Chitose went on to add that the angel was certainly not the type to go along with those kinds of games anyway, then stuck out her tongue and clung to Itsuki even more, as if she’d touched on an unpleasant memory. Trendy and beautiful, Chitose had a different look than Mahiru. It wouldn’t have been surprising to learn that she’d had some bad experiences with guys in the past. Amane felt a little sorry for her. Popular girls certainly had it rough.
“It must be hard on Shiina, dealing with all those propositions,” Amane said suddenly.
“…You’re really not interested in the angel, are you, Amane?” Itsuki asked.
“Not really,” Amane replied flatly.
“You already have that angelic next-door neighbor of yours, huh?” Chitose needled.
“Don’t think I won’t kick you out of my apartment…”
“No, don’t! I’m sooo scaaared!” Chitose whined, clinging to Itsuki as she playfully glared at Amane. “So you’re not denying that your neighbor has been taking care of you, right?”
Amane’s words stuck in his throat, and Chitose grinned with smug satisfaction, though her expression quickly changed when she saw his face.
“Don’t glare at me like that! Sorry, geez…” Chitose apologized in a tone that held very little remorse. When Amane narrowed his eyes at her a second time, she gave a cutesy shriek and clung to Itsuki again. Then she happened to look through the window behind her boyfriend.
Something outside was surprising enough for her to stare, so Amane also followed her gaze and looked at the window, wondering what was going on. Little white flecks were wafting down from the blue sky.
“…Ah, Itsuki, look! Snow!” Chitose cried.
“Whoa, a white Christmas!”
Snow wasn’t that unusual at the end of December, but it was rare to see any on such a clear day, and it seemed to delight the lovebirds.
It was still daytime, and the temperature was only going to drop as the sun began to set. Christmas Eve was likely to be blanketed in snow this year. Couples all over town were likely rejoicing, and the couple in Amane’s apartment had already stepped out onto his balcony for a better view.
“I’m sure you’re going to be making out over there for a while, so I’ll fix you some warm drinks,” Amane shouted as he watched Itsuki and Chitose head outside. As Amane was standing up, a hysterical shriek suddenly caught his ear.
“Huh?! Wh-why are you here?”
“Huh, what?”
“Ah.”
The last voice in the bunch was one Amane had only become accustomed to hearing relatively recently. It rang clear and sweet.
Amane felt his stomach sink.
Aware that Itsuki and Chitose were huddling together on his veranda, Amane dashed out in a panic and saw that Mahiru had also come out onto her own balcony to look at the snow. In doing so, she had been spotted by Amane’s friends the moment she’d leaned over the railing.
Amane looked at Mahiru, who was now sitting beside him, and sighed.
Faced with the terrible disaster of everyone encountering each other on the balconies, Amane had been left with no other option but to invite Mahiru into his apartment.
No matter what Amane tried now, his two friends would definitely be suspicious. At this point, telling them the whole truth was probably the only way to avoid unnecessary speculations and misunderstandings. Things were bound to get worse if he couldn’t keep Itsuki and Chitose quiet about this, too.
“…Um, I really am sorry,” Mahiru said gently.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.”
It was a white Christmas and also the first snow of the year. Of course Mahiru had gone to her veranda to take a look. No one could’ve blamed her.
If Amane had heard the sound of her opening her glass door, he might have been able to do something, but there’d been music playing in the apartment, so he hadn’t noticed. Mahiru had likely been trying to stay quiet anyway.
Chitose was staring at Amane and Mahiru as they reflected on their carelessness, and her eyes sparkled as she leaned in close. “So Amane’s next-door neighbor was the angel all along?!”
“Um, please don’t call me that…” True to form, Mahiru hated being called an angel to her face and politely objected to the nickname, but Chitose was grinning from ear to ear, and it wasn’t clear whether she was listening.
Itsuki, meanwhile, scratched his cheek and looked back and forth between Amane and Mahiru, eyebrows raised. “Wow. So…just to recap, Shiina lives next door, and she’s been making you meals this whole time. Is that about right?”
“…Yeah,” Amane admitted.
“W-well…um, I had a favor to repay, and I could tell by looking at him that Fujimiya was not eating well, and that bothered me, so…”
The two tried their best to explain how they first met and why they’d continued seeing each other. Itsuki acted like he understood but still wore an expression like he didn’t quite comprehend it.
Amane thought that if he were in Itsuki’s position, he probably wouldn’t be able to grasp the whole story, either. Who would believe that an incredible girl like Mahiru would so casually decide to start caring for an unremarkable slob like Amane?
“Hmm, so I think I understand the situation, but what’s really strange about all this is the idea that you don’t have any ulterior motives toward Amane, Shiina. Like, you’re basically acting as if you’re his part-time wife,” said Itsuki.
“Guh!” Amane sputtered in surprise.
Wife?
Amane wouldn’t have chosen such a word, but he had to admit that their current interactions did somewhat resemble that sort of relationship. Mahiru made him dinner every night and had even treated him to lunch on a recent weekend. On top of that, she sometimes helped him with cleaning. On the surface, it wasn’t too far off from stereotypical married life. The important distinction was that neither Amane nor Mahiru harbored any romantic feelings for the other.
Mahiru’s eyes had also widened slightly at Itsuki’s assessment, but she very quickly recovered from the shock, and Amane could see her slipping into her cordial public persona. “I can assure you that I have no such intentions whatsoever.”
Amane realized that she was handling Itsuki and Chitose the same way she handled everyone else at school. Suddenly, he felt extremely embarrassed.
“It’s perfectly innocent,” Amane added. “Shiina is just helping me out, okay?”
“If you say so, Amane. It’s just… What a strange pairing. It’s really a bit hard to swallow that such an incredible girl is cooking for you… Hey, that stuffed animal you bought, was that also for her?”
“…Maybe,” Amane conceded.
“Whaaa—?!” Chitose broke into a shout.
“Oh, be quiet.”
“I haven’t said anything yet, though?”
“Your face is loud enough.”
“Rude!”
Chitose’s smirk was irritating. She looked incredibly pleased with herself for having “solved” this mystery. Up to this point, the conversation had proceeded without much teasing, and Amane was grateful for that. He certainly didn’t need any unnecessary prodding right now, and Mahiru likely wouldn’t be thrilled by the idea, either. Amane had been hoping that Chitose would keep her mouth shut.
“Come on now; calm down, both of you.” Itsuki put a stop to things before they really got out of hand. He’d picked up on the change in Amane’s demeanor and was not the type to poke fun at his friend like Chitose would. Itsuki was the kind of guy who was sensitive to how people felt. Of course, Amane wished he’d stopped before prying in the first place, but that ship had sailed.
After scolding Amane and Chitose, Itsuki turned back to Mahiru, who was sitting stiffly on the sidelines, and bowed his head. “…Um, Shiina, thank you for taking care of our Amane.”
“Since when did I become your kid?”
“I should be thanking you, for being such dear friends to Fujimiya,” Mahiru answered gracefully.
“C’mon, not you, too! You’re making me sound like a worthless jerk.”
“You kinda are, though,” Itsuki remarked.
“Hey, screw you.”
He’d heard Itsuki say things like that to him before, but Amane was hardly in the mood right now. Mahiru could have joined in the banter, but she wisely kept silent and smiled, content to watch the exchange between the two boys. She wasn’t being quite as expressive as she was when she was alone with Amane, but that smile lifted the veil on her usual act just a little bit. Perhaps noticing, Itsuki looked befuddled.
Amane made a crack about Itsuki checking her out despite his being taken, and Chitose started pouting and laid into Amane even harder. It was kind of funny, but Mahiru had her head tilted in bemusement, so Amane downplayed his enjoyment and assumed a more relaxed pose.
“…All right, look. We don’t have a mushy-sweet relationship like you guys do, but I still need you both to understand that this could get really hairy if word got out,” said Amane.
“Got it; say nothing to nobody.” Evidently picking up on his friend’s attempts to point out the potential danger, Itsuki quickly nodded in understanding, much to Amane’s surprise.
“You too, Chitose,” Amane added.
“I’m not that much of a chatterbox, you know. Besides, no one would believe that such a cute girl is making dinner and stuff for you of all people.”
“Well, excuse me for being so undeserving…,” Amane muttered.
“Geez, I didn’t mean it like that!”
Amane was well aware that what Chitose was saying was true. It was difficult to accept that the star of the school was taking care of an ordinary schlub like him. If anyone did believe the story, they’d probably curse Amane’s very name for being so undeserving of Mahiru’s angelic attention. Amane was particularly imaginative when it came to visualizing that last part, which was why he really didn’t want the truth about their relationship getting out. He could do without all the trouble.
Chitose laughed at Amane’s sudden humility. Then her gaze shifted to Mahiru, as if her eye had been drawn to something. Chitose let out a heavy sigh as she stared longingly at the other girl. Mahiru quickly turned uncomfortable, like she wasn’t sure what to do.
“Um, what is it?” she asked.
“…It just struck me all over again. Shiina, you’re ridiculously cute, aren’t you?”
“Huh? Thank you very much…?”
Having praised Mahiru right to her face, Chitose continued to stare, scrutinizing every last bit of her.
“This is my first time seeing you so close-up, but sure enough, you really are as beautiful as an angel, aren’t you? Your face has a nice shape, and your skin is lovely and creamy. Plus, your eyelashes are long, your hair is smooth, and you’re slim but still curvy!”
“Uh, um…?” Mahiru managed, flustered.
Amane sighed deeply. He couldn’t deal with Chitose when she got like this. While the girl definitely had her merits, there sure were some things he couldn’t stand about her. He couldn’t put up with her high-energy personality or the fact that she was always butting into other people’s business.
Amane had a particular appreciation for how difficult she could be because he had someone similar in his family. It was all the ways in which Chitose reminded him of his mother that really drove him crazy. Undeniably, Chitose resembled Amane’s mother in taste and disposition; she was obsessed with cute things.
“Wow, seriously, looking closely, you’re an incredible beauty—and so cute! Hey, hey, can I touch your hair? I mean, do you have a secret to getting your hair so smooth and shiny? What shampoo and conditioner do you use?” Chitose pressed.
“Wait, ah, um…so sudden…,” Mahiru stammered.
“Your skin’s so soft, too. What kind of regimen do you follow to keep it like this?”
Chitose, who seemed caught between a desire to share beauty secrets and a want to poke and prod at the beautiful girl, stretched out a hand toward Mahiru as she bombarded her with questions.
Amane felt sorry for Mahiru, who, despite her discomfort, was powerless against the onslaught. Cursing under his breath, Amane lightly bonked Chitose on the head. It was a just a tap, since the goal was simply to get Chitose to cool her heels, but she’d apparently been caught by surprise as she cried “Oww!” and drew her hand back away from Mahiru. As for Mahiru, she seemed relieved by Amane’s intercession. He’d forgotten about it because she was conducting herself with her usual angelic poise, but Mahiru was extremely wary around people she wasn’t used to. Chitose was a girl, so Mahiru wasn’t as wary as she had been with Amane, but her fear of strangers was still quite clear.
“I can’t believe you did that!” Chitose whined.
“She’s shy, and you’ve only just met her, so stop trying to touch her,” Amane chided.
“I can touch her once we get to know each other?”
“You’ll need to ask Shiina about that. Be respectful.”
Mahiru had obviously been getting ready to make a run for it. It was a good thing he’d stepped in. Even Chitose seemed to understand why she should stop when she saw how clearly shaken Mahiru was.
“I’m sorry; I got too excited and almost did something without asking,” Chitose apologized.
“Ah, mm-hmm…” Mahiru still seemed upset by the close call, and she looked at Amane as if she didn’t know what to do, her eyes pleading for help.
“Uh, Shiina, Chitose can be sorta a handful, but she’s not a bad person…I think,” Amane explained.
“Is that supposed to be a compliment?” the excitable girl snapped.
“Look at the way you were acting. Can you really argue?”
“Nope!”
Chitose, having just openly disavowed her own actions, stared at Mahiru for a moment, then once again extended a hand toward her, wearing a very serious expression.
“In that case, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!” This time, however, she presented Mahiru with an open hand.
“Huh? Y-yeah, nice to meet you…” Mahiru hesitantly accepted the handshake.
Once Chitose took a liking to someone, Amane knew she was determined to be their friend, whether they wanted it or not. Something told Amane that Mahiru would be swayed by Chitose’s persistence. Really, as long as she didn’t do anything too weird in her pursuit of Mahiru’s friendship, Amane didn’t mind. An ordinary, low-key relationship was best.
“First impressions are so important for becoming good friends, you know! You probably already know who I am, and I’m sure you’ve heard my name from Amane, but I’m Chitose Shirakawa. I’m Itsuki’s girlfriend. I guess you could call him…Amane’s best friend?”
“Oh my, I’m blushing! A best friend, wow,” Itsuki ribbed.
“Don’t act so flattered, Itsuki; it’s weird,” Amane shot back.
“There you go again… Hey, Amane, they’ve got a name for people like you, y’know…sweet and sour!”
“I’ll seriously kick you out.”
“Forcing us outside in the snow? Oh, how cruel!”
“Don’t try to wheedle your way out of this one.”
Itsuki cackled with laughter, and Amane looked even more annoyed. Mahiru’s eyes went wide as she watched their exchange.
“Oh, we always act like this,” Itsuki informed her as he smiled cheerfully. “So anyway, I’m Itsuki Akazawa. I’m best friends with that knucklehead over there. If Amane ever does anything stupid or weird, you can come talk to me any time.”
“Is that any way to talk about your best friend?” Amane said.
“…Well, Fujimiya doesn’t seem to have any interest in me,” Mahiru said. “He may not have any basic life skills, but he’s an otherwise ordinary guy, so I’m not expecting any trouble.”
“Thanks, I guess…but you could have left out the part about me being incompetent.” Amane could have gone without that specific remark, but he was happy to hear that Mahiru did indeed see him as a person she could trust.
Itsuki drew close and whispered in Amane’s ear, “You’ve gotten awfully close to Shiina for somebody who says he’s not interested.”
Amane would be lying if he said he wasn’t interested at all, but he really wasn’t actively trying to steer their relationship in that direction. He was certain that Mahiru just wanted a close friend, not a romantic partner. The two of them were happy spending their time together as they had been.
Glancing at Mahiru, Amane saw that she’d gotten all flustered again. Chitose had begun another round of interrogation, having decided her conversation with Amane was over.
However, Mahiru didn’t seem to hate the attention, and Amane hoped that maybe when she got more comfortable, she might relax a little.
As bewildered as she was, Mahiru responded to the barrage of questions with a small smile. It came as no small relief for Amane that the two girls were getting acquainted without any issue.
“I’m really sorry.”
After night had fallen, and Itsuki and Chitose had gone home, Amane apologized to Mahiru, who looked more than a little worn-out.
It was obvious that Mahiru had been left exhausted and confused after dealing with two strangers who’d just discovered their secret. This conversation felt like an exact repeat of the one they’d had after Shihoko’s surprise visit.
“No, my own carelessness was what caused it, after all,” Mahiru refuted.
“They sure did make a fuss.”
“They’re…lively people.”
“You can be honest; they’re both loudmouths.”
“They were a little assertive, but they’re interesting.”
“‘A little’ is being very generous… Well, as long as you didn’t mind, I guess it’s all good.”
Amane was convinced that his friends’ behavior had crossed the line for Mahiru, but the mild-mannered girl was taking it all in stride. He was glad that she hadn’t found them too troublesome, but he wasn’t sure whether it was a good thing that she and Chitose were apparently becoming friends.
Chitose is a totally different type of girl from Mahiru. Very…energetic? Which is nice, I suppose. He trusted Chitose not to do anything malicious, but he would need to keep an eye on her to be certain she gave Mahiru enough space.
“I don’t have any people like that in my life, so it was kind of fun.”
“Right, I imagine you don’t really have anyone like Chitose in your circle… If she gets too persistent, you can just slap her, okay?”
“I w-would never resort to violence, so I’ll do my best to keep her in check with my words.”
Chitose had an excess of energy and often let her enthusiasm get the better of her. Amane was sure that eventually his advice would be warranted. As he fixed in his mind an oath to caution Chitose directly the next time he saw her, Amane turned toward the window and watched the snow fluttering down.
If it weren’t for this weather, we never would’ve been discovered, he thought. Snowflakes were supposed to carry good tidings for lovers everywhere, however, so Amane didn’t think it right to curse them for his troubles.
Mahiru also seemed to enjoy watching the snow because, once she realized what Amane was looking at, she stared out the window in the exact same way.
It was winter, so the sun had set early. The sky was dark, and the snow was pale, and he could just barely see the flakes falling in the light coming from the surrounding apartment buildings.
“A white Christmas, huh?” Mahiru said.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Amane answered. “Though, that sappy stuff doesn’t have much to do with us.”
“It’s still very pretty. Isn’t that enough?”
Spending a romantic white Christmas together didn’t mean anything to them, since they weren’t a couple, but…Mahiru seemed to be enjoying the sight anyway, so the snow couldn’t be all bad.
The dancing snowflakes lightly dusted the surroundings, leaving the dark world coated in a powdery whiteness. At the rate it was falling, the chance of the snow really piling up didn’t seem very high.
“If it’s too heavy, though, public transit will shut down, so I hope it’s only a light snow,” Mahiru commented.
“That’s very pragmatic of you,” Amane remarked.
“People can’t survive on romance alone,” Mahiru answered.
“You’re exactly right.”
Albeit in an unusual way, the snow had brought them closer together, after all.
They both smiled slightly, and Mahiru stood up.
“All right then, I’ll bring dinner over.”
“Huh, bring it over?”
“I made beef stew at my place earlier. I thought for sure that if I roasted a whole turkey, the two of us wouldn’t be able to finish it…”
“It would never have even occurred to me to roast a turkey.”
“You’re just bad at cooking, Amane. For lunch tomorrow, I was thinking we could make omelet rices with beef stew on top.”
“That sounds so delicious…” Amane’s mind had already leaped straight past tonight’s dinner and had started looking forward to tomorrow’s lunch. “I like my eggs cooked hard.”
“What a coincidence; I’ve always preferred them that way, too. Okay, I’m bringing the stew pot over.”
Mahiru sauntered out of Amane’s apartment and headed back to her own place for a moment. Vacantly, Amane watched her as she left, reflecting on the turbulent day.
He really hadn’t expected to be discovered. His friends might have suspected that something was up, and Amane had anticipated them growing curious, but he never would’ve expected that Mahiru would simply step right onto center stage.
Part of him wished that their relationship could’ve stayed their secret for just a little while longer.
What am I thinking? Amane wondered. It was better this way. He no longer had to hide everything from Itsuki and Chitose, which made his life much easier. So then why did he feel a bit wistful? Where was this strange feeling coming from? Though everything had turned out okay, some part of Amane was still agitated, and he needed to relax.
“Did something happen?” Mahiru had returned, holding the stew pot, and she tilted her head questioningly as she stared at Amane with a confused look.
“…It’s nothing.” Amane straightened out his expression, but Mahiru still seemed puzzled for a good while by the expression she had spotted on his face.
“…Phew, that was good.”
Unsurprisingly, Mahiru’s cooking had been delicious. With it being Christmas, she had made even more elaborate dishes than usual. She had turned the rest of her carefully simmered beef stew into a pot pie, which she and Amane had shared.
Splitting the pie open and eating the crispy, textured crust together with the rich sauce of the beef stew could only be described as a moment of sublime bliss.
Mahiru had apparently prepared the pie dough especially for this. Truly impressed by her culinary prowess, Amane loosed a contented sigh while polishing off his second pastry of the day, another product of Mahiru’s skilled hands.
While making the dough for the pot pie, Mahiru had apparently taken the opportunity to prepare another type of sweet dough at the same time. She’d used it to make handmade mille-feuille for dessert. This girl was already working at a professional level.
“I’m glad you like it… You sure ate plenty,” Mahiru observed.
“Mm. Because it was delicious,” Amane replied.
“Thank you for saying so.”
Amane had grown accustomed to seeing the faint, relieved smile that emerged on Mahiru’s face whenever he complimented her food. He had made it his daily mission to see that expression, as it was so much softer than her usual reserved countenance. Though an embarrassing thought, Amane liked to think of it as a special kind of smile reserved just for him.
“…So tomorrow we’re having omelets over rice, huh…? I’m really looking forward to it.”
“You really do like eggs, don’t you? You tore into those rolled dashi omelets with incredible enthusiasm.”
“They were delicious; I couldn’t help it.”
Even though eggs were one of his favorite foods, Amane couldn’t stand them if they were badly cooked. The fact that he’d wolfed them down was just more proof of Mahiru’s excellent preparation.
Though Amane recognized that it was awfully selfish to be keeping her cooking all to himself, he was not inclined to share with anybody else. The plan was to keep enjoying it for as long as possible.
“…Amane, you look super happy when you’re eating, you know?” Mahiru said.
“Of course, because your cooking is so good,” he replied.
“I’m flattered, but…really, it’s nothing that special.”
“No, it definitely is… You need to get a better sense of your own worth…”
This was the homemade food of an angel; there were more than a few boys who’d do anything to have some.
“But to me, this is just the stuff I make every day.”
“I’m a lucky guy.”
“…Why’s that?”
“Because the stuff you make every day is so delicious.”
Amane was a boy ruled by his stomach, and being able to enjoy delicious, freshly made meals so regularly was, for him, the ultimate happiness.
“How did you get so good at cooking anyway?” Amane asked.
“Someone important to me once said ‘Make sure you grab anyone who makes you happy by the stomach,’ and I took those words to heart,” Mahiru answered.
“Sorry you ended up grabbing me instead.”
“I’m thinking of it as a rehearsal.” Mahiru’s candor caught Amane by surprise. A small smile spread across her lips.
“…But seriously, whoever taught you must have been amazing.”
“That’s right; they were an incredible cook. I’m still no match for them. Their cooking tasted like pure happiness.” Mahiru took on a faraway look with a gentle smile. The expression felt reassuring to Amane.
From the way Mahiru described it, the person in question had obviously loved her very much, and Amane could tell that Mahiru had idolized them as well. She must have been really lucky to have someone like that in her life.
“I bet it was really good,” Amane said, nodding. “But you know…to me, your cooking is what tastes like happiness.”
Leaving his mother aside for the moment, Amane’s father was a decent cook, but Mahiru’s dishes suited Amane’s tastes better. Mahiru’s cooking was comforting yet exciting, with a relaxing flavor that he didn’t think he could get tired of, even if he had it three times a day for the rest of his life. No matter how much he ate, he just wanted more and more.
Though, of course, he could never say that. It’d put too much of a burden on Mahiru.
Suddenly, the girl stiffened. She looked like she’d been attacked in an unguarded moment. She stared at Amane with an innocent and somewhat vacant expression.
“…Mahiru?” Amane asked.
“Ah…it’s nothing.” Snapping back to her senses, Mahiru quickly shook her head, then stared down at the floor. Hugging her favorite cushion tight, she let out a soft sigh. Something about her had completely changed in the last few seconds. It was strangely endearing.
“What’s up?” Amane asked.
“…It’s just—to think that someone like me could make something taste like happiness…”
“I don’t know why you’re putting yourself down, but your food is so good that I want to eat it every day.”
“Th-thank you.” Mahiru looked up at Amane with a bit of a bashful look and a small grin. The sight of it filled Amane with the urge to hide his face.
This kind of expression was rare for Mahiru, but it inevitably set Amane’s heart rattling in his chest, even though he’d constantly told himself that he wasn’t interested in her like that. Seeing Mahiru’s smiling visage stripped of its usual stony mask made him suddenly feel hot, and Amane worried that she would notice and get embarrassed herself.
“Say, um, Mahiru?”
“Yes?”
“Tomorrow we’ll be meeting up around lunchtime, right?”
Unable to stand the atmosphere any longer, Amane forced a change of subject. Mahiru didn’t seem to take much notice, however, and she idly considered what Amane had asked.
“Yes, that’s the plan, isn’t it? We’ll make lunch, then play games like we promised… That was it, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Unless…you don’t want to?”
“No, I was just confirming. Really, even though we spent Christmas Eve together, are you sure it’s okay to spend your next day with me, too?”
“If I hated the idea, I wouldn’t have suggested it… I’m looking forward to it.” Another small smile appeared on the gentle curve of Mahiru’s lips.
“Y-yeah,” Amane muttered. It was all he could do to turn away and hide his growing embarrassment.
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