Volume 1 - Prologue

I will never forget that day.

I had a girlfriend that I had been dating for almost a year.

Her name is Rena Aisaka.

We went to different universities, but we are the same age and talk well together. And she is too cute looking for me.

He had a mild-mannered personality and was often envied by those around him.

College student relationships are a step more mature than those of middle and high school students.

Naturally, we had an adult relationship.

In a way, it may be natural for people to be envious.

I myself was so proud to be dating such a well-made girlfriend that I was so enthusiastic that I even planned an ill-fitting surprise.

"I wonder if this is what a one-year anniversary is supposed to feel like."

In his hand is the expensive champagne he purchased for their one-year anniversary date.

It was unthinkable for me before that we would plan to drink champagne together, which was built on the anniversary of when we started dating, and which I would say is for couples to do.

I've also made reservations for an Italian course tomorrow, which she loves, and I'm sure she'll love it.

As we get closer to the house, I have a sense of anticipation for how Rena will react, and a slight sense of anxiety that it would be unbearable if all the preparation I have done so far does not pay off.

But all that awaited him in front of his house was the unexplainable situation of his girlfriend consorting with another man.

"Let's split up."

I had no idea that our one-year relationship would end this way.

This was a month before I met Santa Claus.

With the arrival of the beautiful Santa Claus, my daily life changes drastically.

◇◆

"Santa doesn't come when you're a good boy. ......"

The smoke from the cigarettes I started smoking this year flickers in the cold air.

I, Yuta Hasegawa, let out my frustration in a park near the station.

"I wouldn't be a bad boy or girl if Santa paid me for it."

My friend Ayaka Mino, who is waiting for me to finish my cigarette next to her, smiles and says something back to me. I could roughly guess what she was trying to say by her expression.

"And what is the reward?"

"Boyfriend!"

"I know you will."

Ayaka's mouth dropped as she curtly responded to the expected answer.

"What? Of course not. It's usually like that this time of year."

She asks, "What do you want?" as she watches me suck down my third cigarette. Ayaka seemed to know my answer and her mouth was already tearing up.

"Gold."

"Pfft, I knew it!"

Ayaka blurts out the answer she has been waiting for.

"Shut up."

Now it was my turn to shrug my mouth. Ayaka laughed more and more funny when she saw that.

"You're still hung up on your ex-girlfriend, aren't you?"

"That's crazy."

"Haha, no. I can't stop laughing."

"No, it's not!"

When I got pissed off and raised my voice, Ayaka finally stopped laughing.

"Sorry, Sorry , I'm sorry."

"Bad character."

"Don't sulk."

I let out an involuntary sigh as Ayaka clapped me on the shoulder, still holding back a laugh and twitching her mouth.

Ayaka and I have known each other for quite a long time, from our sophomore year of high school to our current sophomore year of college. Since they are in the same department, they spend a lot of time together.

Ayaka, who has what the world calls a beautiful face, is very popular.

However, as they got to know each other better, they thought he had a difficult personality, and for whatever reason, he was unable to find a boyfriend.

I don't dislike his personality of laughing at people's misfortune. In fact, when he laughed at me when I broke up with my ex-girlfriend, it lightened my heart.

I broke up with my ex-girlfriend a month ago as a result of her cheating on me, and most of my friends get upset when they hear about it and try to comfort me somehow.

I hated to see her like that, and I was grateful to Ayaka for laughing about it.

And although some people say she has a difficult personality, Ayaka is quite a kind person. In fact, she is even willing to have a cigarette with me right now, even though she is not a smoker.

"So, how are things going with your ex-girlfriend? Do you keep in touch with her?"

"I don't think so. I'm not that mentally strong."

"I'm going to go. Are you coming soon? A party."

Ayaka smiles with a twinkle in her eye. Ayaka, who is involved with many people in various circles and has a broad face, sometimes acts as the organizer of a party and invites me to attend.

"Ew."

"I'll be your Santa!"

"Oh, you're getting paid? I'm going."

"You're so sad! What's so sad that I have to pay you!"

"I'll see you later."

Push the cigarette into the ashtray and leave the smoking area.

"Oh, are you going?"

"Sorry, I have to work today."

"I see. See you soon. Give me a line when you're ready."

"Oh!"

After a short greeting, we headed home.

I didn't like the party very much.

The part-time job was a lie that I had quickly come up with, but I had no choice since I was likely to receive endless invitations if I stayed with Ayaka as it was.

The lingering aroma of cigarettes soaked into my clothes was very much in my nose today.