Volume 4 - CH 4

We’ve reached December 24th. The event will start at 5 pm, with me and Onikichi heading there a bit early.

“You look pretty good in that suit, Nanacchi. Was worth getting some training done, I tell ya! Here we muscle!”

“You’ve got a natural rockin’ bod with great style, so this sure feels condescending.”

Onikichi’s suit looked like he was born to wear it, which makes sense for the future host club king. The party had an expected dress code, so I borrowed a suit from my old man. It’s been roughly half a year since I last wore one, though.

“Are the girls already waiting for us?”

“Yeah, the girls are getting their hair styled by the students.”

“Here we! Looking forward to that!”

“Still, sure is cold today, huh? We’ve stepped right into winter.” I stuffed my hands into the coat I wore above my suit, breathing out white air.

“Weather forecast says we’ll get snow tonight!”

“A white Christmas? Not bad.”

I mean, does it count if it snows on the 24th? I don’t know the exact details, but I should look it up later.

“I just hope the chief enjoys herself.” I looked up at the dimly-lit sky, muttering to myself.

I saw no signs of snow falling yet.

“So you still like Touka, huh?”

“Well, yeah. I do. I think it’s time for me to stop being so embarrassed about it. I do like the chief.”

“I see…Well, I know you’ve got a lot on your plate, but I’ll always be in your corner, Nanacchi!”

“R-Right, thanks.”

Why’s he acting like I just dropped a bomb on him? Either way, I want the chief to cheer up. So that she can smile again. We reached the event hall, when a man with green hair greeted us.

“Hello there, could I see your tickets please?”

“Ah, sorry. We came here through Kamijou-sensei’s invitation.”

“Ah, from Ayaka-chan, huh? I heard about that. The girls should already be inside.”

“Thank you very much.”

“I gotta say, having such beauties as friends makes you like an anime protagonist. I’m super jealous.” The man whispered into my ear.

With the chief, Biwako-senpai, and Nao, I can get where he’s coming from. If not for my childhood friend filter, Nao would definitely qualify as one, for sure. And no doubt, they’re all a sight to behold. But, my evaluation changes because I know what’s on her inside. And with these thoughts in my mind, the two of us headed deeper inside the hall. The inside was decorated like a Christmas avenue. Lights flickered up, showing that a lot of attention went into this event.

“Ah, Nananosuke! Over here!”

As I was taken in by the Christmas tree, I heard a familiar voice calling out my name, so I turned towards it. I spotted a blonde beauty waving her hand at me as she sat at a round table. She wore a red dress with her hairstyle different from usual. Her voice and tone made it clear who I was dealing with, but…

“Huh?” I whispered to Onikichi.

“Hm…That different hairstyle alone really makes it hard to tell that we’re dealing with Biwachosu. Beauticians really are no joke.”

Since her usual twintails left that much of an impact, the difference in her current hair was so large, that it made me doubt my eyes. The other hand she kept open was reaching for the snacks on the table. Seeing her stuff her cheeks completely ruined the impact of the dress. We carried our legs over to the table, when I spotted another person sitting behind Biwako-senpai. She wore a strong blue dress.

“Hello there.”

“Tsk, you deceived me.” The chief said and tried to run away, only to be stopped by Biwako-senpai who grabbed her arm.

“No, no, no running.”

“I didn’t hear about this! You never mentioned the boys would be coming! You liar!”

“Really? Welp, who cares.”

If Biwako-senpai told her that I’d be coming over, there’s no way that the chief would’ve come. Thankfully, Biwako-senpai and I discussed that beforehand. Also, can I just mention that the chief in a dress looks way too cute! Gaaah! She’s way too sexy to be a high school student! As a matter of fact, all the boys around us were sneaking glances at her. I’m worried if any of the guys here would attempt to hit on her. That being said, I’m older than any of the guys here! I won’t let them do what they want! Shimono Security is back to work!

Then again, the person I’m supposed to be protecting is desperately trying to avoid me…Ah, how painful. I called out to Biwako-senpai, who was still holding the chief from running away.

“Oh yeah, is Nao not here yet?”

“Naopon and co got her makeup and hair done by another group, so not yet. But she should be here any second.”

“I see.”

“Nanacchi, there’s a counter over there, let’s get some drinks.” Onikichi pointed at a bar counter set up inside the hall.

“Yeah, good idea.”

We two started walking when something made me feel restless. Naopon…and co? That’s what Biwako-senpai just said, right?

“Heeey, sorry for the wait!”

Talking about the devil, Nao appeared with her usual energetic attitude, wearing a yellow dress. Seeing her like that would’ve been a surprise, but I already used up all my points with Biwako-senpai before. Thank god for the childhood friend filter. But more importantly, the other surprise had me hold my head. A girl wearing a white dress appeared next to Nao.

“Phew, I rarely get to wear these things, so it took me a bit longer. I’m sorry.” The girl arrived at our table, and then looked at Onikichi and me. Ah! Shimono-senpai and Tadokoro-senpai, good evening!”

“O…Oguri-chan…”

“It’s been a bit, hasn’t it?” Oguri-chan gently smiled.

Why is she here…I mean, I know the answer to that. It’s because Biwako-senpai invited her. Isn’t that right? I glanced over at her with that gaze. She winked at me…She winked at me?! She’s making things more complicated…RATTLE RATTLE RATTLE, I heard the sound of something shaking violently. Looking over, that sound came from Biwako-senpai’s table, or rather by the person hiding behind the table, shaking in fear as she looked at Oguri-chan. Seeing that, Oguri-chan slowly opened her mouth.

“Oh, you were here. I didn’t expect to see you, Chie…Excuse me, Kamijou-senpai.” Oguri-chan’s expression changed completely, as she now smirked at the chief.

Also, was she just about to call her Chief Kamijou? Please, don’t make things more complicated than they already are…But of course, my wish would not be granted, as Oguri-chan only paid attention to the chief.

“Kamijou-senpai, you look beautiful. As expected of a beauty known in the entire region. There’s no way the men present at this party will leave you alone, right?”

“Urk…” The chief clung to Nao, curling her back.

“What’s wrong, Chief?”

Oguri-chan approached her further.

“Why not use this chance to get yourself…a boyfriend?”

“Gaaah! No! I don’t want a boyfriend!”

“Hehe, is that so? Then it can’t be helped. Well, I’m sure you’ll grow up to become a respectable businesswoman who can stand on both her feet. Isn’t that right, Shimono-senpai?” She said and clung to my arm.

“Gyaaaaaah?!” The chief’s eyes turned white.

“Here we, here we! You two are so lovey-dovey!”

Read the mood, blondie! Things are way too heated right now! Also, why is Oguri-chan acting so proactively when it comes to the chief? And why is she just clinging to me like that?

“Oguri-chan, let go of me, okay? I wanna grab a drink with Onikichi.”

“Sounds good, Nanacchi! Sorry, Ogucchi, I’ll be borrowing him.”

I managed to pull off the displeased Oguri-chan and walked away.

“Why’d you run away, Nanacchi?”

“Why wouldn’t I run away from there?”

We arrived at the counter, ordering tea and ginger ale. Accepting this, I took a sip and sighed.

“Both the chief and Oguri-chan have been acting weird since the cultural festival. I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“You must have it rough, Nanacchi.”

…Something’s off about Onikichi as well. Like he wants to talk about something but can’t because of me.

“Onikichi, are you hiding something from me?”

“That’s…well, I don’t think it’s nice of you to hide something from us! We already know that you and Ogucchi are dating.”

“Huh?!”

“Sorry for keeping quiet!”

“Hold on, Oguri-chan and I are supposed to be dating?!”

“You wanted to tell us when you were ready, right? I totally get it, here we!”

“No no no, hold on. Also, us? Who else thinks that we’re dating?”

“Nao, Biwachosu, and…Touka.”

“The chief does, too?!”

“Biwachosu told her. Nao and I tried to stop her, but it was already too late. And I think that’s the reason Touka went crazy.”

Wait, wait, wait. My head can’t keep up. Oguri-chan and I are dating? And the chief heard about that?!

“Onikichi, listen to me. Oguri-chan and I aren’t—”

Right as I tried to explain everything to Onikichi, the lights in the room suddenly dropped, our surroundings turned dark. At the same time, a Christmas song started playing.

‘Merry Christmas! Let’s have lots of fun this year!’

The lights all gathered on the stage with the man, who presumably is the host, appearing there, announcing the start of the party, which had cheers arise from everywhere. I also stopped talking with Onikichi, focusing on the stage, when I suddenly felt a soft sensation pressing against me. I directed my gaze downward right as the lights turned on again, illuminating the hall. What I first confirmed were several gazes around me, focused on my body. And then I checked what exactly this sensation was who clung to me.

“O-Oguri-chan…what are you doing?”

She pushed her small body onto me, and our limbs intertwined. Her warmth was directly conveyed to me even through the suit, which had my heart rate spike. All the gazes in the hall focussed on us, as I heard whistling from here and there, which had my head boiling.

“Shimono-senpai! I’ve been so lonely not being able to meet you!”

When did she become so bold…?!

“Oguri-chan, everyone’s watching, so let go.”

“Don’t wanna. Do you hate me, Shimono-senpai?”

“Before that, can you just…”

“Well, I love you, okay?” She pushed her face towards me, leaving me baffled. “Hey, Shimono-senpai. Look only at me, okay?”

Her small, puffy lips slowly closed in on me.

“Err, Oguri-chan.”

“Mmm.”

Her slender arms wrapped around my waist, not allowing me to escape. No, this is definitely not good…

“Ah! Found OguOgu! Hey, don’t flirt around in public! Biwa won’t forgive any bitches!”

Right as we reached the point of no return, Biwako-senpai came running toward us, and grabbed Oguri-chan by the back. Standing behind her was Nao, who pulled the chief along.

“OguOgu ate some chocolate brownies with brandy in them, so she’s probably drunk.”

How weak is she?! On the inside, she’s supposed to be twenty-five, right?! How did she get through all the after-work gatherings?! Biwako-senpai attempted to pull Oguri-chan away, but that didn’t quite work out. Yeap, um, it’s starting to hurt now. This is weighing down on my hips a bit more than I would like. Right as Biwako-senpai was about to peel her off, Oguri-chan’s lips reached me.

—Luckily, the momentum had her miss her target, as she touched the top of my nose. Immediately after, all strength vanished from her small body. She got pulled away by Biwako-senpai, only to faintly whisper into my ear.

“I’m not drunk, you know?”

One too many emotions filled my head, leaving me close to collapsing on the ground. However, there was one person who reached the limit before me. Thankfully, Nao’s boobs acted as a cushion.

“Chief, you okay?!”

She ended up with her head buried inside Nao’s chest, muttering to herself.

“Ah, so many cute angels…It truly is a holy Christmas…”

“Chieeeeef!”

It truly was the worst possible Christmas.

*

With the chief and her deadpan look, the rest of us returned to the table, but we still ended up in the center of attention, constantly approached by other random beauticians. Biwako-senpai and Nao’s excellent communication skills allowed them to get along with other mature women, and the chief was just as crowded as she is Ayaka-san’s daughter, after all. This party was technically related to a workspace, so it was crucial to form connections whenever, but with this many people, I just can’t get a personal conversation in.

To be perfectly honest, it’s not too much fun. I just want to check if what Onikichi just told me about really is the truth. How and why is there even talk of me and Oguri-chan dating? But, it would at least explain a lot of things that bothered me as of late. It was painfully obvious that they had been hiding something from me, and it would explain why Biwako-senpai gave me a wink when Oguri-chan first appeared. And, it’d give me a proper reason as to why the chief went crazy. The only thing I’m still unsure about is how all of that started. Well, I’ve got an idea, of course.

I glanced over at Oguri-chan, who was surrounded by a group of beauticians. They were poking their fingers into her cheeks, feeding her cake, all in all busying her. She might look cute like a hamster on the outside, but she’s a grown adult on the inside. She’s much older than all the women currently spoiling her. And that’s what sticks out the most to me. The Ushiki Oguri I know is the one I last met eleven years ago. I don’t know the current 25-year-old Ushiki Oguri.

In other words, she’s like a stranger. She told me that she worked at a management company in the same building as me. In other words, she was an employee there. Isn’t such a large time frame the most appropriate time for a personality to change? There’s no way she’d be the same person as back during her middle school days. Hence, I have no idea what kind of person she even is. And yet, there’s one thing about her that didn’t change. She still likes me. Even after traveling back in time, she still confessed to me. Her feelings haven’t changed since she was 15.

Knowing that, my attitude towards her hasn’t changed. But…what is she thinking right now? Was it her who spread the nonsense about us two dating? I really want to get with Onikichi to confirm that, but…He’s surrounded by all the gals of the school. As you’d expect from a beautician school, there were a lot of gals walking around, and I’d guess around 30% were walking around with colored hair.

And as you’d expect from the future top host in all of Tokyo, he’s got no hesitation interacting with people older than him, letting their conversation flourish. I’m not skilled enough to call out to him while he’s being swarmed. I’d like to learn one of his skills. Also, I think I’ve made clear how interesting my friends are. Contrary to that…not a single person would talk to me. Did I learn how to use Misdirection like Kuro*o? If you’re interested, please google what that means. That being said, this sure feels like I’m using some magic spell to mask my presence?

Needless to say, I don’t have any ability like that. It appears as if I have a natural level of Misdirection always active. In other words, I barely leave any presence! Do you even understand how awkward I feel?! Everyone’s excited, yet I’m the only one sipping on my tea. I’m not even thirsty, but it’s the one way to calm myself amidst this attitude! I’m not taking deep sips either, it’s just small nibbles! When will this hell be over? Please let it end…

Thankfully, my prayers had been answered, as ‘Jingle Bells’ stopped playing, switching to ‘The Lovers’ Christmas’, and the host stepped onto the stage.

“Okay, everyone! We’ll now begin the long-awaited bingo tournament!”

“Woooo! Bingoooooo!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Naturally, that gathered all the attention in the hall. I was just so happy to finally be freed from this solitude. Surprisingly enough, one gentle student joined in.

“Woooo! Let’s have some bingo time!”

Another boy leaned against me with that scream, followed by the others around us, which turned into a wave of cheers. And this marked the beginning of the Christmas Bingo Tournament. I took out the card I received when I entered the hall, opening the grid.

“Wowee! Bingo!”

Thanks to the event starting, Onikichi now became free again, heading his way towards me. I’m not alone anymore! And Oguri-chan saw that happening, as she followed after him.

“Hopefully we’ll win something good, right Shimono-senpai?”

“Y-Yeah…”

I don’t know how to react to that. Onikichi watched that happen and moved away from me, offering Oguri-chan a seat right next to me. He smiled like a grandpa looking at his grandchild. I guess he was trying to provide some sort of assistance to me. Oh yeah, on the way here, I told Onikichi that I like the chief, so he’s probably feeling conflicted. After all, he thinks I like the chief, but that I’m also dating Oguri-chan. In his eyes, I’m helpless filth. And yet he’s still trying to help me. What a great guy he is…but I don’t need that right now!

Eventually, the other three joined us, too. Do that from the start, won’t you? You all left me alone.

“Let’s have a bet on who gets bingo first! Well, it’ll be Biwa, though!”

Biwako-senpai was as much of an airhead as always, but I appreciate that she’s taking the lead on the conversation to get us away from any awkward atmosphere.

“I’ll be the one to win that, Biwako-chan! My boobs are filled with dreams and luck, after all!” Nao emphasized her chest as always, colliding with Biwako-senpai.

I heard the phrase that one’s chest is full of dreams, but I’m not so sure about the whole luck part. Also, when is she ever gonna feel embarrassed about flaunting her boobs to no end? Do I need to teach her another lesson?

“Biwa’s got bigger ones than OguOgu, at least.”

“Huh?! Why are you dragging me into this?! Also, why are you comparing yourself to a middle school student! Once I’m 25, I’ll even beat mgh!”

Since she was about to spiral out of control in two different ways, I quickly blocked off her mouth with my hands.

“It’s weird, I taught OguOgu about breast-massaging techniques. If she did that, she’d be a big-boobed loli right about now. What a waste, it’s important to stay on top of your game, OguOgu.”

“Mgh! Mgh Ggh! Grrr!”

Oguri-chan tried to fight back, but only mumbling could be heard since I still kept her mouth shut. They’re already thinking that we’re a couple, so we can’t afford to have anybody figure out that we’ve traveled back in time, too. I’ve experienced myself what happens when a time traveler gets emotional and forgets that they time traveled. It’s the typical stuff.

“Well, Biwa can totally see Touka scoring that bingo, no doubt.”

“Oh yeah, the chief’s got everything she needs. Right, Chief?”

It seemed as if the chief still hadn’t recovered from the previous situation, as she sat around not commenting at all even after Nao and Biwako-senpai tried to integrate her back into the conversation. She had yet to even open up her bingo card.

“Chief, are you still not feeling well?” Nao asked with a worried tone, to which the chief slowly raised her head.

“Nao-chan, Nao-chan.” She called out to her with the voice of a small child, looking at her.

“What’s wrong, Chief?” I asked.

“How do you play bingo?”

“““““?!”””””

All five of us instantly looked at the chief. That’s gotta be a joke, right? Or so I’d like to believe, but she has never gone to a water park or amusement park before, so it’s not impossible. But…not knowing how to play bingo is taking the top for sure. No, that can’t be. A high school student might not have any experience playing bingo, as they’re busy studying, and she doesn’t seem like the type of person who watched TV shows with celebrities. However, what about an adult?

For example, at a get-together of the company. Especially during the end-of-year party, they usually do bingo evenings then. Did we do that before? Actually, I’m not quite sure I remember. What about a marriage ceremony? At her age, she should’ve at least participated once, and doing a bingo game during that doesn’t sound too impossible. I guess that even the uptight chief must’ve played bingo at least once in her life.

“I don’t believe that.”

As if to answer my thoughts, Oguri-chan spoke up next to me. And then she whispered with a voice only I could hear.

“She’s done it.”

“Done it…?”

“She’s definitely done it before.”

“Done what?!”

What exactly?! Huh?!

“During the July of your third year at Geotam, after all the calculations came in, you started a bingo party, and Chief Kamijou participated in that.”

“Oh, really? …Wait, why do you know about that?”

Erm, what? Why do I feel so terrified?

“We’re talking about Chief Kamijou right now, don’t try to interpret anything unnecessary into my words. I simply had the habit of tracking your actions, and I just so happened to spot you in the same bar.”

“How is that unnecessary?! There’s clearly something fishy going on!”

“Anyway, Chief Kamijou knows the rules of a bingo game.”

“Don’t change the topic on me! But…why does she feign ignorance, then?”

“Because she’s doing it.”

“Again, tell me what exactly she’s doing!”

Oguri-chan turned towards me, sighed once, and shook her head. That hurts, you know?!

“This is why men are so helpless…Listen, when did Chief Kamijou start acting off?”

“Last month, methinks.”

“That means it’s been about a month since then. That makes sense, I understand what kind of person she is now.”

“A diligent but strict person?”

Once again, Oguri-chan sighed deeply. It hurts…

“On the surface, yes. She was famous as a capable employee, after all.”

“S-See, I’m right.”

“On the surface!”

Scary! Her tone and immature face don’t match up!

“Listen carefully, Senpai. This is who she really is…”

“Who she really is…?”

“An attention seeker!”

“An attention seeker?!”

So…like those people who are always on Twitter talking about themselves and their day?

“Exactly! That kind of attention seeker!”

“Stop reading my thoughts!”

But…that doesn’t make much sense, then.

“I told you before, right? That she’s got a hidden side to her. And that she’s playing with you. She likes getting all the attention from people fawning over her. That’s why she’s keeping every guy she meets warm until she’s tired of them!”

“But…would that be related to the current situation?”

“That she’s an attention seeker, geez!”

Mama, I’m scared. Please come pick me up.

“She hasn’t told you the reason why she didn’t come up to the rooftop, right?”

“I couldn’t ask…Way too awkward.”

“Chief Kamijou couldn’t stand it. Why isn’t he asking me? Does he not care about me? And that’s when she’s hungry for attention. I want him to only pay attention to me! As a result of that, she’s now supplying herself with the attention of everyone else…like a young child!”

L-Like a young child?! Well, she does seem to be acting that way as of late.

“Seems like you finally understand, Shimono-senpai. She’s acting like she’s never played Bingo before to have everyone teach her. And to make herself look cute. That’s what I’m saying she’s doing!”

“She’s doing it!”

“Exactly! She’s totally doing it!”

“She’s totally doing it!”

“That is who Chief Kamijou truly is!”

“So cute!”

“That’s right, she’s so…Huh?!”

“A chief who’s begging for attention is adorable!”

Oguri-chan looked at me with wide-open eyes, took out her bingo card, and pushed it onto me.

“Shimono-senpai, how do you play this game~?”

“You’re doing it!”

“Please teach me~”

“You’re definitely doing it!”

“Hmph, whatever.” She pouted and walked over to Nao.

What was that about? By the way, Nao was currently explaining the rules of bingo to our attention seeker chief. Now, was the chief actually doing it, or not? That doubt filled my mind, when the bingo game started for good.

“We’ve got some wonderful prizes for the people who score a bingo! And the faster you get here, the greater choice you have! We’ve got pair tickets to a popular theme park and even tickets for a hotel stay next to it!”

These words made the place burn up with passion. Tickets for a theme park visit with an annexed hotel…That would be one hell of an invitation for your person of choice. And I bet a lot of girls would be happy to get invited there. As a man, this chance was far too juicy to pass up on, which is why I have to go all out!

“All right, the number to start us off is—the 74!”

I looked through the rows of numbers on my card, spotting the 74.

“Oh, good start.”

Not to mention in a corner. Very nice. I put a cross on the 74 in the top right corner. Onikichi saw this and commented.

“Nanacchi! I didn’t have it! Oni-chan’s super-duper sad quest.”

“What the hell does that even mean…”

The girls also sighed, making it seem as if I was the only person who scored lucky on the first one.

“Okay, we’ll keep going! Now it’s number 29!”

29…Got it. Bottom left. It’ll let me draw a line to the previous number. It seemed as if Onikichi also got lucky with this number, as he bugged me with a happy voice.

“All right! My here we is rising!”

“Huh? Does your ‘here we’ have an entire dictionary page because of all the meanings?”

At the same time, we’ve got a third number ready from the stage.

“Next! Matsui Hideki’s 55!”

So old! Actually, at this time, we’ve still got the Yankees getting some records with the baseball leagues.

“The third number is usually the time people are getting close. But could it really be that simple for me to…Ah! There it is, 55!”

Second and second row from the right, which means…

“One more!”

Gazes of the people inside the hall gathered on me once more, with three holes in my card. My lucky number is 7! How fitting! Even though I had been ignored this entire time, I was finally worth a gaze.

“Are you serious, Nanacchi? You might just be the one to snatch it away.” Onikichi clung to my shoulder.

“Oh come on, it won’t be that easy~”

Or so I said, but my heart was pounding. In my life, I’ve never been this lucky, but to think I’d be repaid during such a time. Is this what this is, God? I’m going to win the tickets, invite the chief, and then we’ll be happy ever after!

“Nanacchi, who are you gonna invite if you win it big? I’d expect you to choose Ogucchi, but she’s still in middle school. And Touka would be blatant cheating.”

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I got too engrossed in bingo, I forgot the main problem.

“About that, Onikichi—”

“Seems we’ve got people about to win! Will this be history’s fastest bingo?! Here comes the 4th number!”

“Here it comes, Nanacchi!”

“Y-Yeah! Please, give me the 7!”

All right, I can talk about that later. For now, bingo comes first. So please, give me a bit more luck! This is the most important game of bingo in my life!

“The number is—”

*

“Good thing they still had some prizes over! Look, this bath salt is pretty cute.”

“Wait, we both got the same? Hilarious.”

“That’s because you’ve been focusing only on bingo this whole time! There’s nothing else left, except the final pieces!”

“Haha, but this bath salt isn’t half bad. But Touka and OguOgu were the fastest, huh?”

Biwako-senpai looked over at the chief and Oguri-chan, who held bear plush toys.

“Choosing a bear plush toy at your age, you’re still a bit of a child, huh, OguOgu?”

“I-I just went with what because it was the last good thing left! And shouldn’t you be saying that to Kamijou-senpai?! She’s older than me!”

“Right now, her mental age is basically that of a kindergartener.”

Biwako-senpai’s words got the chief’s attention.

“I’m not some baby! I wanted this!”

“Chief, you’re not arguing here, you’re confirming it, haha!” Nao laughed with all her heart.

“Woo wooo! I got the most useful one!” Onikichi showed off his sunscreen to the girls.

“Hey, Biwako-chan, why do they have sunscreen among the prizes?”

“No clue. Probably because this is a beautician school?”

“Ohh, that makes sense! You’ve been all over beautician schools lately, after all!”

“Tsk, so what? You cow tits! Ora!”

“Eek, I’m being molested! Your way of fondling my boobs is so lewd, Biwako-chan!”

This situation naturally gathered a lot of attention from all the other men present at the party. And just as Nao said, the bingo was done and all the prizes were gone…

“This concludes this year’s bingo tournament!”

At the same time as I heard the host’s voice, all the people who received prizes looked at me instantly. And then they all awkwardly looked away.

“All right! I’m sorry for being such an unlucky bastard!” I crushed the bingo card that gave me not a single bingo in my hand.

“You’re a poor guy, Nananosuke.”

“And you’re a demon!”

Don’t kick a guy when he’s down already! That’s BM in fighting games, you amateur!

“I knew you never had any luck, Nanaya.”

“Two demons!”

“Calm down. Wanna fondle my boobs to raise your luck?”

“If that helps me, then I’ll start believing in God!”

Maybe I’m just not lucky because these bastards are stealing all the luck from me? This is what always happens. Right when I thought I was doing fine, I’m immediately being dragged down again. Are my stats bugged or something?

“Or so you thought! But rest assured, we’ve got one final prize left!”

A single holy ray descended from the heavens. The host retracted his previous statement, explaining his words.

“Life isn’t just all about luck! Sometimes you gotta be out of luck, too! And to all of you guys who didn’t get any bingo, this is your chance! Look at your own cards! Top right of the card, you have a number, right? I’m going to pull a random number out of this box, and the winner will get a special gift! Of course, everybody else who got a bingo already turned in their cards so your numbers have been removed. This will be your final struggle, you losers!” He said and raised the box towards the ceiling.

That had all the losers raise their voices.

“Wooooo!”

“You losers! Do you want a prize?!”

“Yeah!”

“Do you wanna get back at all those guys who got bingo?!”

“Yeah!”

“No matter what the prize might be?!”

“Yeaaa…aaaah?”

That final comment filled the hall with anxiety, but the host continued like he didn’t even care, stuffing his hand into the box.

‘This is it! Number 154! Who’s the lucky one?!’

The host swung his left and right hand up to create excitement. I observed the other people around me, checking my number—154.

“It’s me…”

“Over there! We’ve found our poor guy! And it’s one of our special guests, namely a friend of Ayaka-chan!”

After that first close victory of mine, I once again received attention from everyone. Also, could you stop calling me a loser? I did win this thing, no?

“Oh! Great work, Nanacchi!”

“I knew you could do it, Shimono-senpai!”

“Hm, not bad, Nananosuke.”

“Nanaya~! Better share some of that prize with me later!”

“…Congrats.”

Stop giving me comments like I won a newcomer manga award! Also, they were all ignoring me before, now to get on my good side again! But, I’m not letting down my guard just yet. I remember what the host said, this prize isn’t gonna make me happy! It’s gonna give me a headache! What’s this about the last prize, he’s just hyping it up to then crush my hopes. I can see it happening! Or so I complained in my mind as I headed over to the stage. Well, there’s also a good chance it might be a good prize for once. Arriving at the stage, the host put his hand around my shoulder and screamed into his microphone.

“Welcome, Mr Lucky guy! What’s your name?”

“It’s Shimono. Shimono Nanaya, and I’m a first-year at Amakusa South High.”

“Shimono-kun! You truly are a lucky guy! Or rather, you are Santa Claus who’s going to carry out all the luck!”

I don’t know how that made any sense, but sure. Also, shouldn’t I be getting the presents instead of handing them out? The light shining upon me up on the stage was almost too bright, it forced me to narrow my eyes, when I realized that the host had disappeared from my side.

“Huh? Where did he go?”

Don’t leave me alone again. I’m sick and tired of being cast aside. I looked around to find the host when the song ‘The Lovers’ Christmas’ stopped playing. Following that, it turned into ‘Clumsy Santa Claus.’ The lights and BGM don’t even match!

“Okaaay! Shimono-kun, sorry for the wait!”

As that song started playing, the host returned with a large plastic bag. He apparently grabbed something from the side of the stage. Geez, if you’re sorry about leaving me, then at least warn me beforehand. I was lonely, okay!

“Here you go.” He said, pushing the plastic bag onto me.

I wondered if this was the prize he mentioned and checked inside, spotting red and white colors. I took it out of the bag and opened it up.

“This is…”

“That’s right! You’ll be our Santa Claus!”

Inside the bag was a Santa Claus outfit…Do I seriously have to dress up like an old man?!

“All right, get changed, lad!”

Hold on, that’s a bit too fast, y’know! However, I’m a guest. I was invited here, so there’s no way I can just spoil the mood. Reluctantly, I headed to the side of the stage and began changing into the costume. Of course, with the attached white beard. Once I returned to the stage, I was greeted with a round of applause. Honestly…this doesn’t feel so bad. Becoming Santa Claus is fine and all, but what am I supposed to do now? Is this cosplay the whole prize? That usage is so limited, I wouldn’t even know what to do with it.

“Doesn’t look half bad on you, Shimono-kun. Did you work as one before?”

“When I was working part-time selling cookies before.”

“Err, you’re a 1st year in high school, right? Were you working in middle school?”

Crap, I did it again! I keep forgetting that I traveled back in time!

“W-Well, I had a dream about it before.”

Gaaah, what an embarrassing excuse to come up with! Nao and Biwako-senpai are looking at me in disbelief, and Oguri-chan is grinning! Curse you, my junior!

“I see, I see! You’re an interesting guy, Shimono-kun!”

He’s so kind! I love him!

“By the way, is this costume the prize?”

“Of course not, you better return that later. Your present is the opportunity to give everyone in this hall a present! You’re Santa Claus!”

So I can’t even keep this?! I take it all back! I wanna get out of this place right away!

“All righty, Shimono-kun! Now this is your true prize!”

I was given a beautiful necklace, with a small ring as the main attraction.

“If you bring this necklace to the manufacturer, you can have whatever you’d like engraved into it! So, Shimono-kun! Give this necklace to the girl you care for, and celebrate your get-together!”

I see, I understand the idea behind this prize. That’s definitely the kind of Christmas plan students would like. Especially since there could be a date tomorrow, too. And of course, the people watching me expect for me to hand this necklace to one of the girls I came here with. They don’t know the kind of relationships we have in our group, but the same can’t be said about the folks from our own school. Who do I hand the necklace to? They all probably assume I’m going to give it to Oguri-chan. In their minds, Oguri-chan and I are dating.

Having a boyfriend give a present to his girlfriend is to be expected…If we were an actual couple. Seen off by the host, I stepped off the stage. That being said, I wasn’t quite sure of my plan of action. Maybe I should give it to Oguri-chan to not cause a ruckus? But, that would practically be the same as admitting that we are dating. And it’ll leave things far more complicated. So, wouldn’t it be better if I stayed true to my feelings and handed it to the person I truly cared for—the chief?

After all, Oguri-chan and I aren’t dating. I could use this chance to make my feelings clear. And for that, I’m giving it to her—Really? Is that really the right choice? Shouldn’t I be thinking more like an adult now? She thinks that Oguri-chan and I are dating. And yet, I would ignore that girl to give her the present? Would she be happy? Would she accept it? If I left my girlfriend alone to hand a present to another girl, it’d make me seem like some playboy.

And if I just acted selfishly here, it’d make me seem like an egoist. After all, this misunderstanding might have also come into place because of my own actions. If so, I’m the one who’s at fault. If I do anything unnecessary, it’ll cause more problems. I should think about why things ended up this way, and stay true to my own feelings. But while thinking about this, I already reached my friends. What to do? Maybe I should give it to Oguri-chan after all? I glanced at her. She met my gaze, her eyes opened, and…

“Waaah! Thank you very much, Santa-san! I’m so happy!” She said, reached for the necklace, and jumped at me.

“Err, no, Oguri-chan, I haven’t…”

I accepted Oguri-chan’s body with awkward movement, but even as I showed a bewildered expression, the people around us cheered in joy, giving me a round of applause. And right at that moment—STOMP. I heard the sound of somebody getting up and running away. Of course, these footsteps I heard belonged to Kamijou Touka.

*

I returned the Santa Claus outfit, made my way back to the table, and kept my head hanging low. I can’t deal with this awkward atmosphere. I wasn’t feeling awkward towards anybody in particular, but rather at myself.

“Well, that’s just how it is. You’re not at fault Nanaya.”

After the chief ran away, Biwako-senpai chased after her, leaving Nao with me.

“That’s right. You’re good, Nanacchi.”

I know these two were trying to cheer me up, but I can’t help thinking that the reason she ran away is that I handed Oguri-chan the necklace, and the others must be aware of that. Whether or not I didn’t have the intention, I caused this.

“But I gotta say, you two are flirting around way too much. It seemed like you were trying to hide it, but it’s pretty obvious that you two are dating.”

“Yeah, Nao, about that…”

Right as tried to resolve the misunderstanding, Biwako-senpai came back.

“Am back!”

“Hey, Biwako-chan. What about the chief?”

“We found an open terrace, where she’s taking a break. Though she doesn’t seem to be doing too well. She’ll get some more fresh air and then join back with us. Said she wanted some time for herself.”

“Isn’t it cold outside? They said it’d be snowing tonight.”

“She grabbed the coat from the reception, so she should be fine. Biwa was with her, too, and it wasn’t all that cold.”

“I see. That’s good, at least. Seriously, the chief keeps on making us worry, it’s not even funny!”

Yeah, it feels as if their positions had been flipped as of late. At first, the chief was like a guardian, but now it’s totally the other way around. When did this happen? What sorta contradiction is this?

“So, what were you folks talking about?” Biwako-senpai asked without a single worry in the world.

She couldn’t be more casual, huh?

“We knew that Nanaya and OguOgu were dating, but they were flirting around far too much, so we just commented on it.”

“Ah, so you told them? Biwa was trying to be considerate and kept it a secret, so you better be thankful.”

“R-Right…”

I see how it is. In their minds, I was trying to hide it.

“Being lovey-dovey is fine, but don’t let it escalate or you’ll be going at it like rabbits.”

“Like hell we will!”

I retorted, and Oguri-chan joined in.

“Don’t compare yourself to us, Sakonji-senpai” She mumbled.

And of course, Biwako-senpai seemingly heard that.

“Wha! Biwa wouldn’t do that until after she graduates from high school.”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s okay.” Oguri-chan shook her head.

I joined in and took Biwako-senpai’s side for once.

“No, seriously. She might look like this, but she’s incredibly pure.”

“Huh? Wait, Sakonji-senpai’s a virgin?”

“Huh?! I’m not! Biwa might be a virgin, but she’s not!”

I’m going to use that argument against her from now on.

“Even though you’re a gal?”

“What does that have to do with anything?!”

“You virgin bitch.”

What does that even mean?! Those two words are contradicting themselves!

“OguOgu’s hella aggressive, huh? Wait, did you already do it with Nananosuke?!”

“…Who knows?”

“Don’t give me that! Deny it, dang it! I cleared my throat to gather everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, there’s one thing I have to say.”

“What’s up, Nanaya?”

They looked at me, and I slowly opened my mouth.

“We’re not actually dating.”

Putting it into words, it sure went down easily. Correcting a misunderstanding was so simple. The first one to react was Onikichi.

“Hm? What do you mean, Nanacchi? You two aren’t going out?”

“That’s right. Plain and simple.”

The next one was Nao.

“Huh?! Seriously?!”

“Yep. If anything, I don’t know why you would even think that.”

The last one to join in on the fun was Biwako-senpai.

“Nah, that can’t be. Biwa heard that you two are dating.”

“From who?”

“OguOgu.”

Oh…I had considered a large variety of possibilities, but the person most suspicious happened to be the one who created this false reality, is it? And Biwako-senpai gave me the final piece of the puzzle. Without uttering a word, I directed my gaze at Oguri-chan.

“Wueh?”

She’s panicking like crazy! Look at her sweating buckets! But she’s still playing innocent! Well, let’s hear your defense, Ms. Hea—Excuse me, Ms Ushiki.

“Could you tell me what exactly this is about, Oguri-chan?”

“Me?”

Yes, you! Who else could’ve done this?!

“How I see things, you’re the one who instigated this whole ordeal. Got anything to say about that?”

I spoke with determination in my voice to show her I wasn’t making any jokes. And Nao supported me.

“That’s right, OguOgu! You’re making my boobs hurt like this!”

…Is she? Either way, we were both looking down on her, so I guess she’s on my side. We held our breaths, waiting for her next words.

“I…never told Sakonji-senpai that we are dating, you know.” She showed a faint smile.

Since that expression was overflowing with confidence, we reflexively turned towards Biwako-senpai.

“W-What?! Biwa heard it!”

“Then why don’t you give us a detailed explanation of how things went back then?”

I do feel a bit bad for showing this much doubt towards her, but she’s not exactly the most reliable person.

“Duh, you and OguOgu had a rendezvous on that day, and Biwa saw it!”

“Rendezvous…? Ah, at the family restaurant? We just met up to talk…Wait, you saw us?”

“Sure did! And you seemed awfully close! Plus, Biwa knew that OguOgu was gunning for you, so it all made sense!” Biwako-senpai seemed displeased that we didn’t trust her, when Oguri-chan joined in.

“That’s when Sakonji-senpai approached me, asking about our relationship. But you were already gone by then, Shimono-senpai.”

“That’s right! And you told Biwa!”

“I didn’t, though? I feel like it was just your misunderstanding, Sakonji-senpai.” Oguri-chan narrowed her eyes.

She’s just as suspicious.

“But…Biwa asked if you two were on good terms, and you didn’t deny it.”

“See, I didn’t confirm anything.”

“T-That’s true, but…”

She sure didn’t confirm it, but the way she didn’t deny it still makes Oguri-chan seem suspicious.

“See, it was just Sakonji-senpai’s misunderstanding.”

“But, but! When Biwa asked if you two are actually dating, you said…!”

This is the moment of truth. Everything should become clear with this.

“And what did I say, Sakonji-senpai?”

“You said…’I’ll leave it up to your imagination’…”

“Oh? Oh wow, Sakonji-senpai, I never said that we two are dating, right? Right?”

“Y-You’re right…It was all just Biwa’s misunderstanding…Oh no, oh no, oh no!”

“Don’t ‘Oh no!’ me! How could you mess up this badly, Biwako-senpai?! You’re clearly the person at fault here! All because of a misunderstanding! She knew what would happen, and still did it!”

“Wait, really?!”

“That’s right! Look at her face, Biwako-senpai!” I pointed at Oguri-chan, who showed a smirk as if everything went according to plan.

“Huh?! Wait, Naopon, is it Biwa’s fault, or not?!”

Biwako-senpai seemed to be confused and flustered as the guilt started to sink in, unable to arrive at a proper conclusion even after looking at Oguri-chan’s face. She clung to Nao’s arm, pleading. She really is pure, huh?

“Biwako-chan, calm down! You were definitely set up by OguOgu!”

“Nao-senpai! Don’t cast me aside!” Oguri-chan looked at Nao like a squirrel that had its nut stolen.

“OguOgu, you can’t deceive me even with your cute…Gaah, I can’t!”

You damn cow tits! But at the very least, Biwako-senpai seemed to have recovered a bit.

“How dare you deceive me, OguOgu!”

“I didn’t deceive you. You just assumed everything on your own. Isn’t that right, Shimono-senpai?”

Don’t turn towards me!

“So what, Nananosuke? Are you gonna side with OguOgu, too?”

“Who’s the one keeping a calm head whenever you grow rampant? And Oguri-chan, don’t ask for my assistance when you know I’m not going to!”

“Tsk.” Oguri-chan audibly clicked her tongue.

Ushiki Oguri after the time leap is terrifying.

“Why did you even do that, OguOgu? Everything would have cleared up if we just asked Nanaya, no?” Nao asked.

In fact, that’s what they’re all concerned about.

“That’s…”

“Because of Touka, right?”

The one who answered Nao’s question was Onikichi, who had been quiet this entire time. Oguri-chan responded ever so slightly, as Onikichi glared down at her.

“You wanted to get between Touka and Nanacchi, right? That’s why you spread the rumor about you two dating so that Touka would feel uneasy. Even if Nanacchi denied that, it’d still be enough to throw Touka off and she might start becoming more doubtful of him. Ain’t that right, Ogucchi…No, Oguri.” Onikichi spoke with an oddly determined and serious tone.

The atmosphere grew tense instantly.

“Please don’t accuse me of such weird crimes, Tadokoro-senpai. As I just said, I had no intention of deceiving everyone, and I wouldn’t have to care about Kamijou-senpai. She’s not twenty…Excuse me, twelve anymore, so she should be able to take responsibility for herself.”

“And if you argue about that, you should be taking responsibility for your actions, Oguri. You may have cleared up the misunderstanding with us, but there’s still one person who is under the wrong impression. So take the responsibility and apologize.”

“Huh? Why should I do that?”

“You like Nanaya, so you should understand best how Touka feels, right?”

It’s been a while since he last called me Nanaya. I think he’s genuinely trying to scold Oguri-chan. Not just being mad at her, but trying to point out her flaws. He reminded me of the chief.

“You’re scaring me, Tadokoro-senpai!”

“Huh?!”

Oguri-chan bit back like a chihuahua. Onikichi seemed just as surprised at that, as his usual expression returned.

“You always talk about here we here we and let’s go, but only now did you go back to the former Tadokoro-senpai! Who do you think made you turn into such a playboy?!”

Wait, Oguri-chan caused this change in Onikichi?! Oh yeah, she mentioned that she directly evoked the change in Nao and Onikichi, but this directly?! Did she use hypnosis or something? She’s no joke, seriously.

“Th-That may have been you, but…!”

And Onikichi is feeling gratitude towards that?! Now I really wanna know what happened between the two of them!

“Scary, scary, scary! A tanned high school boy scolding an innocent middle school girl is terrifying! I’m going to cry! I really will!”

No person will cry after announcing that!

“A-Ahh, I’m sorry, Ogucchi~!”

“Waaaah! Tadokoro-senpai got angry at me!”

“Ah, Onikichi is making OguOgu cry! You bastard, what are you doing to my OguOgu?!”

Nao embraced the fake-crying Oguri-chan. I haven’t confirmed her face, but I’ll just judge that she was fake crying for reasons. Also, why is Nao now siding with Oguri-chan?! She’s being deceived just as much as Biwako-senpai!

“Yuck, making a younger girl cry, you’re the worst, Onikichi.”

“Not you too, Biwachosu!”

Speak of the devil! How can they all run to her side after everything that happened? But whatever, we men gotta hold together in dire times.

“You two should calm down. Onikichi’s right, I think Oguri-chan should apologize to the chief.”

“Na…Nanacchi!” He buried his face in my shoulder and started crying.

His tears are definitely the real deal. Go and let it all out, my friend.

“There it is, the boys are trying to play the rational part again. Sometimes logic is secondary, especially when it comes to girls.”

Nao’s really not letting up, huh? Is she actually falling victim to Oguri-chan.

“Also, Biwa’s got a question now.” Biwako-senpai dropped her tone and continued. “How would Nananosuke and OguOgu dating connect to Touka acting weirdly? And what did Onikichi mean by OguOgu disrupting Nananosuke’s relationship with Touka? That makes it sound like those two are the true couple.”

“W-Well, about that…The chief and I aren’t dating, of course.”

Oh yeah, we skipped one step in the whole scheme.

“What are you on about, Biwako-chan? That’s because Nananosuke…”

“Wait, wait, Nao!”

I stopped my childhood friend who was about to blurt out somebody else’s feelings.

“What do you want, Nanaya? You plan on hiding it from Biwako-chan?”

“No, no. Just…I wanna be the one to say it.”

If we don’t tell Biwako-chan, it’ll create an endless circle of misunderstandings. There’s really no use hiding it anymore. But…I should at least be the one to tell her myself. I’m thankful to her in a lot of ways, and she told me how she cared for the chief when we first met. That’s why, as a junior…and a friend, I have to be the one.

“Biwako-senpai…That’s because I like Kamijou Touka-san.”

“Huh?! Is that true?!”

“…Yes. I’m sorry for keeping quiet about it.”

“Since when!”

“Even before I met you.”

“Huh? So you’re aiming for Biwa’s Touka?!”

Mhm, well, the direction she’s throwing her anger is a bit off from what I expected.

“I don’t think she is yours, Biwako-senpai.”

“Tsk, that makes so much sense! But to think some guy like you would gun for Touka. Know your place, you nobody!”

“That’s a bit too cruel, no? Hey, are you fine with her just insulting me?”

Isn’t she a bit too pissed? Nao gently caressed Biwako-senpai’s head and spoke up.

“Now, now, Biwako-chan. Relax, OguOgu knew that and lied to you.”

“I wasn’t lying.”

She’s still making up excuses? And as Oguri-chan was acting stubborn, Biwako-senpai seemingly had another question.

“But hold on, Biwa understands that Nananosuke’s got the hots for Touka, but why would she then be acting crazy like this?”

“The answer’s simple, Biwako-chan. Just think.”

“Wait, Naopon, are you serious?”

“Yep. That’s because the chief also likes Nanaya.”

Biwako-senpai slammed her hands on the table.

“Objection, hearsay!”

Objection?!

“Go ahead, Attorney Biwako!”

Nao really jumps on every possible joke, huh?

“Biwa’s got no problem with Nananosuke, and he might have an average face, but he’s definitely pretty reliable overall, but Biwa doesn’t see enough charm from him that would make Touka fall for him.”

“Objection sustained!”

Just to let you know, but I should at least have three seconds to allow myself to object myself. Also, that’s very rude towards Oguri-chan, who confessed to me!

“Attorney Biwako, how else would you explain the fact that the chief has been beyond herself for the past month?”

“Ugh…Biwa can’t argue against that…”

“And that’s all! The verdict is…the chief likes Nanaya, thus he will be given the death penalty.”

“You better quit as a judge right this instant!”

What kind of ridiculous verdict is that?! This entire country and its messed up law can go to ruin for all I care!

“Biwa doesn’t want to admit it…but if Touka really likes Nananosuke, then OguOgu really should apologize to Touka.” Biwako-senpai suddenly argued with a serious expression.

In the end, she’s serious when it matters.

“Oh? What a mature decision made by Biwako-chan. That means I can’t stand by OguOgu any longer,” said Nao, which means that us boys won this round.

“What about you, Shimono-senpai?” Pressed against the corner, Oguri-chan slowly opened her mouth. “Do you also think I should be doing that?”

Her eyes were filled with anxiety. For now, she doesn’t seem to be lying, at least.

“Yeah, I do.”

“So you’re admitting to the fact that you and Chief Kamijou have mutual feelings?”

Considering the fact that she called the chief as I do, it’d be fair to assume that she’s taking this pretty seriously.

“I don’t feel like we are. But…I don’t want to run away anymore. I feel like we’ve been two people with one-sided feelings for an eternity now.”

“Mutual one-sided feelings?”

“Well, I guess. In today’s terms, that’s what you’d call it. That’s why I don’t want you to run away either.”

“In today’s terms? You mean in eleven years?” She whispered in a voice only I could hear.

Following that, she turned toward everyone.

“Okay, I get it. I’ll talk to Kamijou-senpai.” She seemed unwilling to some degree, but still walked away.

I saw that her legs were quivering slightly.

*

We left the main floor, took a right, and walked down the long hallway when we spotted the stylish open terrace. When we opened the glass door, a pleasant winter breeze greeted us. We really should’ve grabbed our coats from the reception. I warmed my hands with a warm breath, as I hid in the shadows of a pillar. In the end, I was curious how things went with Oguri-chan, so I tagged along. In the distance, I saw the chief sitting on a bench. And Oguri-chan stood in front of her. I stayed a tad bit away, but I could still clearly pick up their conversation. I focused on my ears and watched over the two.

“Urk…Ushiki-san, what do you want?”

The chief was clearly bewildered at Oguri-chan’s appearance. Contrary to that, Oguri-chan lacked any expression, just standing still. I guess she’s made up her mind.

“L-Let’s head back to the party. Everyone’s waiting, and it’s cold out here, right?”

“No, thank you.”

The chief’s question was denied immediately by Oguri-chan. Man, I thought she came here to apologize.

“I see…” The chief wept like a puppy.

I feel bad for her.

“Chief Kamijou, you’re trying to get attention, right?”

You came here to apologize, yeah?!

“What…do you mean?”

See, I knew she wouldn’t understand it!

“You act as if you’re depressed, hoping to get Shimono-senpai’s attention. I heard about you acting weirdly at school. It’s all because you’re an attention-seeker, yeah?”

She doesn’t hold back at all, huh? She has absolutely no intention of apologizing, yeah?

“Yes…you might be right. I’m sorry. I guess I got in the way of you two.”

“Yes, you sure did. You’re already the center of attention, so could you not seduce Shimono-senpai? The conclusion has been drawn, and you lost!”

All right, time to head out. There’s no way they’ll ever reconcile at this rate. Oguri-chan still can’t shake her feelings. And of course, I have no right to say that, but if they keep going, they’ll both get hurt. I gotta unravel the misunderstanding myself. I was about to take one step out of my hiding spot when I heard the chief’s voice. Unlike her weak tone from before, she was now sounding much more vigorous.

“Do you really like Nanaya-kun?”

“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean, of course I do. I’m really happy right now. I get to enjoy my second youth with Shimono-senpai, which is why I don’t want you getting in the way.”

“I see. If you truly like him, and if you feel happy right now, then I don’t mind.”

“That’s right. God gave me this chance in the shape of me traveling back in time, so I’m going to enjoy myself.”

“Then why do you look like you’re in pain?” The chief raised her head and looked at Oguri-chan.

Oguri-chan took a step backward and lowered her gaze. She resembled the Oguri-chan from before.

“H-Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Everything is working out great for me, so why would I be feeling that way?”

“I understand that you can’t stand me as your rival in love. And in your position, I’d be just as annoyed if some attention-seeker…or whatever got in my way.”

“Th-That’s right. See, you get it. I’m just tired of you getting in the way!” She roared in anger.

“But, Ushiki-san, to me…you look like you’re suffering. And you’re not the kind of girl who’d throw such words at other people, right?”

That’s when Oguri-chan raised her head and glared back at the chief.

“You…! What do you understand about me?!” Her face was twisted in pain.

And the chief just watched over her in silence. Oguri-chan continued.

“At our company, there wasn’t anybody who didn’t know Chief Kamijou. Even my colleagues who couldn’t be bothered to remember my name knew about you. And not just our company, everyone in the entire building heard your name. Did you know we worked in the same building?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t.”

“I figured. Not like it matters. It wasn’t normal for people in the same building to know each other. Even more so with an average employee like me. But I may not have excelled at my work, I may not be as beautiful as you…but I had my dreams, my aspirations, and I tried to work through my life to the best of my ability. I was in love, too. So I don’t want you to get in my way. You were loved by everyone, so how could you understand anything about me?! How could you talk like you know me?! You have no right to say anything!”

Her voice was shaking. Is she angry, frustrated, or hurt, I don’t know. But, I understood how she felt. As an average guy, I couldn’t help but sympathize with her. It might just be an excuse, or I might just be venting my anger, possibly even a means of escaping…But undoubtedly, we were both suffering. While we compared ourselves to the better people, we began hating ourselves, and it allowed us to forget about our own flaws.

That’s why…if those dazzling people even figure that out, we won’t have any place to escape to. Because we have an excuse, we can work hard. And we want to protect that escape route no matter what. What she’s saying is just the same as weeping. To the strong, it sounds like complaining. But she was screaming like her life depended on it. Hearing that, the chief’s expression changed. I’ve never seen that expression for the past month…it’s how she used to look in the future. More accurately, I guess she came back.

“It seems you have the wrong idea about something.”

It was the face of a strict superior.

“Wha…!”

Oguri-chan was bewildered at such a sharp gaze.

“Apologize.” The chief stood up and declared with a prideful expression.

“Apologize…? Me? Ah, I see. You immediately saw through my lie that Shimono-senpai and I are dating. Then you acted like you were distraught by it. On top of that, you’re now blaming me. As I thought, talented people really have it easy. I just have to apologize, right? I’m sorry for lying, Chief Kamijou. Is that good enough?”

“I see…so you were lying. But, that’s not what I’m talking about. I want you to apologize.”

“I just did, no? What else is there to apologize for?”

“Don’t apologize to me. I want you to apologize…to yourself!”

The chief is angry, I can tell. She’s not scolding anybody, she’s genuinely pissed.

“Ushiki-san, you said it yourself, right? What I know about you. And you’re right, I don’t understand anything about you. The time we spent together is far too short for me to say that. Our relationship hasn’t progressed far enough. That’s why I don’t understand anything about you.”

“Then don’t act like you do! Don’t talk nonsense just to make yourself sound better! What’s this about using foul language?! I’m being just that cruel of a person right now! That’s the kind of person I am!”

“No, that’s not quite right.”

“It’s true!”

“I don’t know what kind of person you are. But you should be able to understand yourself the most!”

“…!”

“You’re in pain, you’re suffering, you’re helpless, which is why you let out your frustration on me, and you still hated yourself…That’s why you’re crying tears of sadness right now!”

The chief is angry at Oguri-chan crying so much.

“Ugh…I…”

“I don’t know you and I didn’t realize you were lying either. But, I can easily see right through your lies. It’s plain and simple to see that you are not happy at all.”

“Chief Kamijou…”

The chief gently embraced her.

“I’ve looked after countless people so far. Don’t underestimate my ability to read people.”

“Urk…Waaaah!” Oguri-chan buried her face in the chief’s chest and bawled her eyes out like a child. “I really tried. I worked so hard. And yet, nothing worked out, I kept failing at everything, and even a retry at life failed catastrophically!”

“Yeah…I guess things don’t change that easily, even if you’re given a second chance. Especially when it comes to changing yourself. But still, Ushiki-san, I don’t think your efforts into changing were wasted at all.”

“So what…even if I worked hard, what’s the point if there are no results? That’s how society works, right? I’ve seen it myself. Effort alone doesn’t let you live in prosperity. Life isn’t that kind.” She muttered as she kept on weeping.

“You’re not wrong. The world isn’t so kind to one person. And people aren’t that kind, either. That’s why you have to keep going no matter what. That’s what it means to become an adult. But…I realized. After returning to being a child, of course. It’s true that not everybody is kind…but there are people who truly care. There are people who are willing to watch me change, the people I ignored the first time around. They’ve now become my precious friends. Would I call that pointless? If I hadn’t worked harder, this wouldn’t have happened. One attempt may have failed, but another result has shown. Results don’t just show if you accomplish your goal or not. And I know how hard you’ve worked after traveling back in time. Was it really all for nothing? Was there nothing you gained?”

“Urk…”

“You’ve found some wonderful friends, have you not? You got to know people you originally never would have interacted with. And it’s all thanks to what you’ve done.”

“Ugh…Waaaah…”

“That’s why, please stop blaming yourself? Just like the people who care for you, you need to be kind to yourself.”

“Ahhh…I’m sorry…Chief Kamijou, I’m sorry…”

“I’m sorry, too. I didn’t realize you were suffering this much.”

The chief’s such an idiot. She keeps lecturing people about kindness, but she’s more gentle than anybody else. Ayaka-san…you might be worried about your diligent, foolish, narrow-minded daughter…but she’s become a wonderful adult and respectable superior. After Oguri-chan cried for a bit longer, she got away from the chief and looked up at her.

“Chief Kamijou…You like Shimono-senpai, right?”

“Yes, I do. I understand how much you care for him, and how painful it was for you, but I still can’t give up on him.”

“With such a perfect human being as my rival, there’s no hope left for me, is there…?”

“You keep evaluating me way too high, Ushiki-san. I’m not such a superhuman.”

“I’m shocked you could say that with such a perfect face and body!”

“A-Again, you only see that! Also, you’re plenty cute and adorable yourself!”

“I just used my knowledge after the time leap to make myself look cuter! Don’t compare me to a natural-born monster!”

“Natural born monster…you make me sound like a demon!”

Err, why are they fighting now? Maybe these two just have awful compatibility, after all? Like cats and dogs.

“Also, what average person could become a section chief at just 28?! Even the most talented people could reach the assistant manager! Or what, have you leaped several times to boost your skills?!”

“If I could freely time travel like that, then I wouldn’t have this much trouble. I’m a lot more stubborn than you might think! And…I’m constantly begging for attention. When you mentioned it, all my past actions over the last month finally made sense! I wanna dig a hole and hide there for the rest of my life!”

“What’s this, did you study up on otaku references after the last offline collab?! If you come over to this side, too, then I’ll have no more place to go! At least decide between staying a normie or being a nerd!”

“I don’t even understand anything you’re saying!”

Actually, can I just go back? I’m feeling cold. My fingers are going numb.

“Anyway, I apologized now! So if I see you and Shimono-senpai getting along a bit too well, then I’ll definitely get in your way!”

“Are you declaring war on me?!”

“I’m going back now! Also, please wait a bit before coming back, I don’t want them thinking we get along. I don’t like this kind of friendship acquired by exchanging fists.”

“O-Okay…”

In the end, Oguri-chan’s gotta stand on top, huh? If Oguri-chan’s fire, then the chief is ice. Oh yeah, wasn’t she called the Ruler of Ice at the office by some people? I reminisced about the past, when Oguri-chan walked towards me. Oh, crap. If I don’t get away soon, she’ll spot me…But, it was already too late. She met eyes with me, who hid behind the pillar.

“H-Hey there.”

“Eavesdropping on a conversation between two maidens, you’re quite the pervert, huh?”

“I’m sorry…”

“You came to check if I properly apologized, right? You’re so meddlesome, Senpai.”

“Heh, saw right through me?”

“See, I apologized just fine.”

Only if you look at the results! Your intention of apologizing, in the beginning, was a solid zero!

“Since you were listening, then I guess there’s no need for me to lie anymore. The reason Chief Kamijou didn’t come up to the rooftop is because I lied to her.”

“…Well, I had a hunch.”

“She was actually waiting under the maidenhair tree. That’s where the rumor originally talked about. And as you can see, she can be quite the romantic.”

You’re one to talk, after you confessed to me under the maidenhair tree.

“Here you go, Senpai,” She said and handed me the ringed necklace I just gave to her as a present. “You can have it back. You must have wanted to give it to Chief Kamijou from the start, no?”

I accepted the necklace and observed it. Following that, I placed it back into her hands.

“I gave this to you, Oguri-chan.”

“Huh? But…I just took it before you had a chance, no?”

“I actually hesitated if I should give this to you or the chief, so you didn’t steal anything.”

“…” Oguri-chan dropped her gaze and looked at the necklace.

“Once again, Oguri-chan, I can’t accept your feelings. I still like Kamijou Touka-san. But, I’m glad I got to meet you like this. In our previous timeline, I just lived my days like a bland company worker, never even catching you at the company. I didn’t even realize how lucky of a guy I was.”

“Of course…That’s what it means to become an adult.”

“Yeah, agreed. That’s why, when I came back to this time, I was reunited with Nao and Onikichi, got to meet Biwako-senpai, and became friends with the chief…and you still confessed to me again. I realized that some things should not be forgotten, even when we grow up.”

“Shimono-senpai…”

“So thank you, Oguri-chan.” I lowered my head.

I’ve repeated this action over and over, losing count of the number. Since Oguri-chan did all she could to confess her feelings, I have to respond accordingly.

“That’s enough, Shimono-senpai. I’ll gladly accept this token of gratitude, then.”

It seems like the two of us are destined to repeat the same thing over and over.

“I don’t think Chief Kamijou would be happy receiving a second-hand present.”

“You’re a rough customer to please, Oguri-chan.”

“That’s the kind of personality I have.” She smiled with reddened eyes.

“You just have to wait for that perfect someone to arrive and then engrave their name into this ring together with yours.”

“There’s a limited time to that offer, don’t you think? The store won’t wait forever.”

“Ah, that makes sense…Sorry.”

“Seriously…So, will you be okay? You’re going to confess to Chief Kamijou, right?”

“Figured me out, huh?”

“Of course. Then again, I wouldn’t mind if you got rejected by her.”

“Hey…can you not curse me like that?”

“Just to let you know, but I have no intention of supporting you two. Even if you start dating, I’ll get in your way,” she said and turned her back towards me.

“Thank you, I’ll do my best.”

She didn’t respond to my words and opened the door inside the building, vanishing into the distance. To make sure I don’t disappoint her, I gotta do my best. Christmas Eve…isn’t that the perfect situation? And this time around, I’m going to confess to her for sure.