CH 27

“Merry Christmas!” She wished,

Kaede was smiling as she looked at the small Christmas tree decorated in the house.

Even if it was small, it was better than nothing, so Kaede decorated it.

“It’s Christmas!”

“Y-yeah, I know.”

She was excited yesterday, but she was even more excited today.

“Are you that excited?”

“Ah, it’s not like that, but I have very vivid memories of my time in England…. and I think about them all the time.”

When Kaede was in England, she and her mother used to go out for Christmas.

The big Christmas tree and the beautiful illumination left a great impression on her.

Kaede’s eyes looked so bright when she was talking about such things.

“Is there anything like that for you, Hayasaka-kun?”

“What?”

“Christmas memories.”

“Christmas …huh”

When I was in middle school, I had a Christmas date with my ex-girlfriend.

At that time, everything was fun and everything seemed new.

Even the big tree in the shopping mall, which I usually passed on my way home, didn’t seem so big, but with her, it seemed so big.

And at that time, I thought to myself. This is what happiness is.

That’s what I thought… if this would last forever. But it didn’t. It was despair.

Everything was painful for me at that time.

“I don’t have very good memories… No, maybe I did.”

It’s true that I was very happy and joyful at that time. I didn’t want to lie about what I felt.

“Is that,….so”

“Sorry, saying something like that.”

“No, no! I asked you”

The atmosphere had been cheerful earlier, but it had turned dark all at once.

I felt sorry that I had done something wrong.

Then, next to me, Kaede was tapping her thigh.

“What are you doing?”

“Whenever you are having a hard time, you can always count on me!”

Tap tap, She was tapping her thighs. Is she saying that she is going to give me a lap knee pillow?

But such a thing could not be done now. If I get spoiled by Kaede any further, it would be irreversible.

“I’m glad you feel that way, but don’t worry.”

“I-I see”

She was still a little embarrassed, her cheeks were slightly reddish.

“Umm! Let’s make today a wonderful day.”

“Hmm? Yeah”

Kaede giggled when I replied in a curt manner.

“That wouldn’t make for a nice day?”

“Shut up.”

When I said that, she puffed out her cheeks. Looking at her, I thought that She really is cute.

“I mean, Christmas Eve was so intense, let’s take it easy this Christmas.”

“… illumination, I want to go see it.”

“Illuminations?”

“I’m sorry for being so selfish, but I want to see the illumination with you, Hayasaka-kun.”

So that’s why she was excited, but I didn’t know why she wanted to go with me.

“Well, that’s all right, but I can’t go in there like this, so let me go and change.”

“Yes, I’ll wait quietly then.”

Kaede was like a dog waiting patiently for its owner.

She was having so much fun that I could see her tail wagging side to side.

(She really is like a dog. ….)

(T/N:- Merry Christmas folks)