Volume 2 - CH 3.1

“Phew…”

Less than two weeks remain until that fated day on Christmas Eve.

Himeno was lying face down on her bed, groaning in a low voice. Her round eyes were half-closed, creating a complicated expression on her face.

The cause of this was reflected on the LCD screen on her smartphone which she held with both her hands.

Himeno had posted her four-panel comic strip on Twittet. “It might be true” Which depicted the experience she had the fourth time she went out with Shiba as an agent.

As the title suggested, this work is a reference to Himeno’s actual experience when she went out with Shiba as an agent.

Because her actual experience is depicted in the comic, the realism of the story is quite significant, and the comic has gained popularity, with the latest instalment receiving 40,000 likes due to Himeno’s artistic talent.

Of course, the number of likes was due to the high degree of perfection in the fourth chapter, but that number also reflected the expectations for the next chapter.

At the end of the fourth chapter, Himeno skillfully laid out the groundwork for the next chapter.

This groundwork referred to the portrayal of the heroine noting down the date 24 December in her room. “I hope I can go on a date with you”. As a result, Himeno was able to move the readers as she wished.

“I wonder what kind of date they’ll have on Christmas!”

“Looking forward to it! Refreshing every second!”

“As expected, Debiru-chan’s manga is divine! Can’t wait for the Christmas date!”

“The hottest date ever is coming!”

“I’ll be happy with this manga this Christmas.”

Himeno… or rather, Debiru’s-chan’s manga had a lot of fans. Moreover, precisely because it hinted at the development that would occur, the comment section was full of such impressions.

It was naturally a joy to have people respond to her work in such a way. It was a happy thing, but… even so, she couldn’t rejoice because of the situation she was in. 

“Shiba, I wonder when you’re free..”

She anxiously muttered her concerns. Yes, Himeno’s phone still hadn’t received it until now. The email confirming the date with Ryoma on Christmas Eve.

Himeno’s manga is composed of going on dates with Ryoma so that readers could sympathize with it.

To explain it plainly, it meant that if she couldn’t go on a date with Ryoma, the quality of the manga can’t be maintained.

If Ryoma has plans, why not ask another agent to do it?

Even though that was a solution, Himeno didn’t agree to it.

“…It has to be Shiba. If it’s not him, then there’s no way…”

She was unwilling to compromise. If Himeno wanted to go on a date, it always had to be Ryoma. The thought of having someone else as her agent made her uncomfortable. 

“I should contact Shiba now… right?”

If she sent a message for confirmation, it would be like urging him on. Himeno knew this, and that’s why she was waiting for his message. However, her days were numbered.

Himeno tapped the DM button on Twittet, then tapped Ryoma’s icon and once more typed in the letter with both hands.

“Shiba, can you meet me at the University tomorrow, after school? I have something I want to talk about.”

Having made this text… Himeno sent it while feeling hesitant.

“How are your Christmas plans going?”

At first, she tried typing this way. With this sentence, a single reply would resolve her concerns. However, there was only one thing that couldn’t be done with this content. Which was the fulfilment of Himeno’s budding desire.

“I want to meet and talk…”

It was a desire that she could never express to Ryoma. She wanted to see him in person and talk to him.

After sending the message… she kept looking at her screen in hopes of receiving a message very soon. 

“Eh?”

Suddenly, her smartphone screen changed on its own, vibrating, with a buzzing noise heard after. Reflected in her purple eyes was a friend named Aira shown on the screen.

She had no plans on calling Ami today. Though she was surprised, she quickly answered the phone so as not to miss the call.

“H-Hello… Ami?”

“Yahallo! Thanks for answering Hime! What are you doing now?”

“Lying down in bed.”

“Ah, sorry for calling you when you’re so relaxed.”

The time was 11.30. It was already late at night. However, Ami was speaking excitedly as per usual.

“More importantly, what’s with you calling me? You always call after I call you.”

“Well… you would have declined if I texted you can we talk. So I did it this way.”

“We’re not on bad terms. Why were you thinking like that?”

“W-Well, that’s related to the reason why I suddenly called you. But… I just wanted to check if you were okay. That’s what I wanted to ask.”

So much for the cheerful voice. Ami’s voice became serious, but Himeno couldn’t understand the question she was being asked.

“What do you mean by okay?”

“It’s hard for me to say, b-but…sorry for prying too much…b-but I was just wondering if you and your boyfriend Ryoma-san had a fight.”

“No, we didn’t fight. Really. Shiba is kind.”

“I can’t imagine the two of you fighting either. But Hime, you’ve been looking really grim lately, always staring at your phone, and making noises like you’re in deep trouble. That’s why that was the only reason I could think of.”

“Mn…”

“That’s why…you know, if you want to talk to someone, you can talk to me. I might not be trustworthy since I accidentally let it slip that you have a boyfriend, but if I do it again, you can stomp on my face!”

She grasped her point fully. Ami was worried about Hime’s relationship and called her on her phone, but it was not unreasonable to misunderstand the situation like this. 

It was true that Himeno had passed her time at school with a grim look on her face.

“Thank you for your concern, Ami. But there’s nothing to worry about. It’s really the same as usual with Shiba.”

She had become like this because she hadn’t received any communication from Ryoma about whether or not he could meet her during Christmas. To add to that, depending on when he contacts her, the timing of her manga submission may be changed.

“If that’s the case, then all’s good. But I was just thinking yesterday. Even though you and Ryoma-san are in the same university, I’ve never seen you both go home together or anything. You don’t even meet up after school, do you?”

“E-Eh!? T-That’s…because I told Shiba that I had something to do, so I went home alone.”

“What!? Going home together after school is supposed to be the most fun thing, right!? Knowing

your personality, I feel like you would rather rely on Ryoma-san and go home together.”

Though Himeno made such a statement to prevent Ryoma from getting a bad impression, it made Ami, who knew her personality, feel uneasy.

Determined to keep her fake relationship a secret, Himeno thought as hard as she could and came up with an excuse. 

“I-I said I was going home alone… because I was worried about my future. I didn’t want Shiba to find out about that.”

“F-Future!? You’re already thinking about the future even though you’re only in your first year of University!? That’s way too ambitious…huh? Ah…aha, I see.”

“…W-What?”

Right after hearing Himeno’s reasons for her concerns, Ami spoke, grinning, immediately causing Himeno to feel a bad premonition. This premonition would prove to be correct in the next moment.

“This concern for the future, are they like whether or not you’ll be able to marry your boyfriend Ryoma, or whether other women will steal him away? You don’t want him to think of you as feminine and that’s why you went home alone, right!? Look, Christmas is coming up soon, so don’t get awkward before that event!”

“T-Tha… I’m not thinking about that. It’s something else… I’m thinking about my future career after graduation.”

“Yeah, yeah. Someone with strong possessive tendencies like you wouldn’t go out with someone just for fun. In that case, I think you’re choosing a boyfriend who can be with you for a long time, and because you have such a great boyfriend, I think you still have some concerns.”

“….”

There was nothing wrong with what Ami was saying. Just imagining Ryoma going out on a date with another person covered Himeno with a hazy feeling. The answer as to why she feels this way, however, still remains a mystery.

“Actually, you want to marry Ryoma-san, right?”

“W-Why did we suddenly start talking about that?”

“Come on, don’t be shy, tell me.”

“….”

“Eh, ignoring me?! You don’t want to get married?!”

“T-That’s not it. I just can’t imagine it… I can’t say it because I can’t even imagine it.”

“Haha! Certainly, if someone suddenly said that, it would make you feel that way. But just because you couldn’t say you don’t want to get married doesn’t mean that the answer isn’t already clear, right?”

“We’re in a relationship, so it’s only natural that it would be like that…”

“That’s so straightforward.”

Although Himeno was using an agent, it doesn’t mean that she wasn’t taking dating seriously. The fact that she kept repeatedly requesting Ryoma was proof of this.

“But, I feel relieved somehow. I’d never seen you looking so grim before, so I was really worried. I thought you had some serious problem that couldn’t be fixed.”

“That’s not it, don’t worry.”

“I have some advice for you, Himeno. It’s better to talk to someone about your troubles than to keep them to yourself, you know? If you think about it carefully, Ryoma is more suitable for that role than I am.”

“Is that so…? I already feel better talking to you though.”

“I’m happy to hear that, but your boyfriend is still the most important person to you. Ryoma has that mature aura about him and he can handle a lot of things, right? If it’s about his precious girlfriend’s troubles, he should be listening to her seriously and leading her in a positive direction. According to the information I’ve gathered, boyfriends are happy when their girlfriends rely on them for support.”

“That’s… I see.”

“In any case, you’re probably going to go on a Christmas date just like Fuko, and since that approaching event only happens once a year, isn’t it okay for you to be a little clingy? And even if you believe in your boyfriend, you’ll still need to be affectionate with him, or else you’ll always be anxious that someone else might steal him away. I guess I shouldn’t be saying that though since I’m going to be a confirmed Christmas loner.”

“Hehe.”

“Don’t laugh, really. That’s super rude, you know!?”

“Thanks, Ami. I’ll try to rely on him a little.”

The relationship between Himeno and Ryoma was so complicated that they couldn’t tell anyone about it, and it was not so easy to just rely on him like that. These words were just to reassure Ami.

“Don’t mention it. Once your worries are sorted out, you’ll definitely have fun on your date, so do your best. If Ryoma complains that you’re being annoying or something, let me know okay? I’ll do my best to help you out.”

“Shiba would never complain like that.”

“Wow, really?! Well, it’s getting late and it’s a good time to take a bath, so I’ll do that. Let’s meet tomorrow at school, Himeno.”

“Mn. Thanks for today. Make sure you don’t catch a cold, Ami.”

“Thanks for worrying about me. Then, see you tomorrow at school, Ryoma-san’s girlfriend.”

“Tsu…”

The moment Himeno gulped, the call disconnected. She took her smartphone away from her ear and murmured while looking at the screen.

“Ami was quick to tease me…”

Still, Himeno found the teasing to be pleasant. It was a fresh sound to her since she had never had a boyfriend before.

“If I had a real boyfriend, I would be even happier…”

Her heart raced with excitement. The happy feelings continued for Himeno, who had been honest about her feelings during her call with Ami.

“Ah.”

Immediately after that, Himeno’s phone vibrated, receiving a notification. It was a reply from the person she was waiting for the most. 

“Thanks for the email Himeno. I’ll see you tomorrow after school. I finish class in the fourth period, how about you?”

Such an email made her look forward to tomorrow.

“Hehe…”

Unconsciously relaxing her mouth, Himeno flapped her feet lightly on the bed. To conceal her current state, she sent a brief and indifferent email saying, “Fourth period, same as Shiba.”

The next day. After school, a beautiful orange was spread throughout the sky.

“How many days has it been since I’ve last seen Himeno…”

While muttering to himself like that, Ryoma made his way towards the empty classroom using the email that Himeno had sent him. Even though they both had classes in the fourth period, Himeno had finished her lectures slightly earlier, so she went on to find the meeting place ahead of time.

Looking forward to seeing her after a long time, he opened the door to the classroom──and reflected in his field of view–

Was a girl with beautiful silver hair tied up with a hairband. She looked like a cute junior high school student who had wandered into the University by mistake. Hearing the sound of the door opening, she turned around. And right after, their eyes met.

“It’s been a while, Himeno. Were you eating sweets while waiting for me?”

“Mn.”

Looking at Himeno, she was nodding and wriggling her mouth like a hamster. Although their situation was rather unusual for a reunion after a long time, it showed Himeno’s love for sweets.

“A-Ah, you can eat it slowly. You don’t have to wash it down.”

In order not to be rude, she tried to speak quickly, gulping down the sweets with tea, but he stopped her.

In front of the desk where Himeno was sitting lay a large pouch packed with snacks, among which the snacks were divided into two categories, butter cookies and chocolate chip cookies. The finished cookie wrappers were neatly put into one place.

“Himeno, can I sit next to you?”

“Tap, tap.”

“Haha, thanks.”

While moving her mouth up and down, she tapped the chair next to her with her small hand, as if to say please. Despite being busy, Himeno’s round amethyst eyes were shining. She had her usual expressionless face, but there was an aura of happiness coming from her.

After getting permission, Ryoma slowly sat down and placed his belongings on the spacious desk.

“…Shiba, thank you.”

“No, thank you. I’m glad I could eat your snacks again. It’s been a while, hasn’t it, Himeno?”

“Mn. It’s nice seeing you today.”

Catching Ryoma’s sidelong glance, Himeno gave him a straightforward greeting.

“This pouch also contains Shiba’s snacks, so let’s talk while we eat.”

“Thanks for preparing the snacks every time we meet. To tell you the truth, I kind of missed the cookies.”

“Eat as much as you like. They’re delicious.”

“Then, I’ll eat them without reservation. Thank you.”

Every time they had a secret meeting in an empty classroom after university, a similar exchange would take place. It was something that particularly happened because of Himeno, who brought snacks every time they met.

“Take some too, Himeno. Here you go.”

“Mn.”

After Ryoma took his own share of butter cookies from the pouch, he handed Himeno another cookie. Which she had just finished a short while ago. Receiving it with both hands, Himeno’s eyes narrowed with satisfaction.

“I-Is it strange that I’m saying here you go when it’s your own cookies?”

“Huh? Shiba took it so it’s not strange.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes.”

In reality, this was something that the owner would usually offer by saying “Here you go”. However, for Himeno, that didn’t matter. She was happy with the gesture of Ryoma offering it to her thoughtfully.

“Then… by all means, take one more. Here.”

“Mn, thanks.”

Before long, the other cookie was immediately taken by Himeno. For some reason, Ryoma felt like he was feeding a small animal in a zoo.

Now Himeno had a butter cookie in her right hand and a chocolate chip cookie in her left. She looked back and forth with a grim face, seemingly hesitating between which one to eat, but she eventually decided on the butter cookie.

Seeing this, Ryoma also put a cookie in his mouth.

“Shiba, is it good…? I want to hear your thoughts on it.”

“Yeah, it’s really good. As expected, the snacks that Himeno chooses are always good.”

“I buy a lot of snacks, so I know which are the best ones.”

“Ahaha, I see.”

They continued their conversation without stuffing their mouths with cookies, taking small bites instead.

“This is pure curiosity, but…how much do you spend on snacks every month, Himeno? Isn’t it quite a lot?”

“I keep it to 10,000 yen a month for snacks.”

“W-What!? Y-You, keep it to 10,000 yen!?”

“I eat snacks to get sugar for drawing manga.”

“Ah! I see. That also implies that snacks are a necessary item at work.”

“Mn. But I also eat a lot of snacks at University, so I use it as an excuse.”

“But when you study, you also use your brain right? So it’s inevitable, don’t you think? Students have to work on their academics, like a job.”

“Y-You always spoil me like that, Shiba…”

“Aha, sorry, sorry.”

Ryoma apologized right away, but Himeno wasn’t angry. The pleasant atmosphere that they were wrapped around in was enough to allow for playful remarks.

If they wanted to get to the main topic, now would be a perfect time.

“So, what did you want to talk about today? You mentioned that you had something to discuss in your message.”

“Y-Yes. The thing I wanted to talk about is our plans for Christmas. I sent you an email about it yesterday, but I hadn’t heard back from you yet.”

“Ah!? S-So that’s what it was…Sorry, I really am. There was a vacant position at my part time job, so my shift got all jumbled up. But it’s more or less settled now. I should have contacted you before we met up…”

“It’s okay. We made plans to meet today, so we can talk about it then like you said.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

Himeno didn’t blame Ryoma at all, even offering words of sympathy in response. It was hard to believe that someone with such a kind personality has never had a boyfriend.

“So… what about Shiba’s schedule? Can we go on a date on the 24th?”

She lowered her eyebrows anxiously and bent her head slightly to one side. Changing the subject with a cheerful voice while feeling guilty about the faintly discernible expression of emotions.

“I can keep the evening of the 24th free until midnight. From 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., I’ll be on duty, but can you adjust to that time?”

“Y-Yes! I can do it.”

“That’s great. I already contacted the company at noon today, so if Himeno makes a phone call, we can make the reservation right away.”

“Got it. Then I’ll call today.”

“Thank you as always, Himeno.”

Although it was only a verbal agreement, their Christmas Eve date had been decided. For Himeno, this meant not only going on a date but also being able to continue drawing her manga. Two happy things were happening at once, but there was one thing that bothered her from Shiba’s earlier remark.

“Shiba, I have a question.”

“Is it about whether or not I can bring the time up a little earlier? If that’s the case, it might be a little difficult…”

“No. Not like that… On the 24th at noon, are you going on a date with another girl too, Shiba? It seems like your afternoon schedule is already filled up, so…”

Naturally, this was something that shouldn’t be asked. She understood that, asking timidly with upturned eyes.

Nevertheless, she felt like if she didn’t ask, she wouldn’t be able to get her mind off it.

Himeno had yet to realize that each time she requested Ryoma as her agent, her sense of possessiveness would grow stronger and stronger. 

“Date…? Ah, that’s different, that’s different! The vacancy at my part-time job was not for the agency, but for the one at the bookstore! It’s because the 24th is Christmas Eve, and my coworkers at the part-time job asked me to cover for them…something in that sense. I refused at first, but apparently, there was no one else who could take his place except for me…”

“Then, is it just me for Christmas? I’m the only one who’s going on a date with Shiba?”

“Only you Himeno. And there’s no plan for any reservations on the 25th either.”

“I see… I understand…”

The second Himeno heard that, her face became dyed in vermillion. Bashfully, she overlapped both her hands. She was the only one going on a date with him. Just this news alone eliminated all of Himeno’s possessive desires. She was satisfied just by this answer.

“I know it might not be appropriate to say this to someone who always takes care of me like Himeno, but the truth is, I’m not that popular as an agent. So, you don’t have to worry about it that much.”

“Not popular…? That’s a lie.”

“I wouldn’t lie like this. If I was a popular agent, I would’ve been fully booked for Christmas. And if you were a popular agent, the company would’ve forced me to work, but that didn’t happen to me.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Why…? That’s unbelievable.”

“Hahaha, I’m just glad to see your reaction.”