Chapter 170

“Wh-what are you doing...? You're too close. Back off...!”

She furrowed her brow, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.

The way she tilted her chin up to protect her pride was a little ridiculous, but also cute.

“What are you doing after you leave today?”

“I don't know...!”

“You don't know? No plans?”

“I'm hanging out with Chinami...! We're going to get ice cream...! Please, just go...!”

She couldn't risk raising her voice, but showing her annoyance would just make her look petty...

Her dilemma was completely transparent.

Chuckling at Renka's whining, I obediently stepped back.

“Let me tag along next time.”

“What are you talking about...? No.”

“Why not?”

“How many times do I have to tell you to stop speaking so informally?”

“You're so stiff. Got it.”

“I'm not being stiff, it's basic manners.”

“Then did the President have basic manners when you treated me worse than Trash?”

“...That's a bit harsh... Trash... It's true I didn't treat you well, but I never thought of you that poorly.”

“Thanks for saying that, even if it's just empty words. I want to give you a reward...”

At the word ‘reward,’ Renka flinched, her expression crumbling.

“I d-don't need it...! What reward...”

“I'll decide that. By the way, do you like cats?”

“...Cats?”

Renka tilted her head.

She blinked in silence for a moment, as if carefully weighing whether my question hid any malice, before asking back.

“Why...?”

“Just asking.”

“N-not really...?”

She actually did like them, but she was answering the exact opposite out of fear of what I might do.

She was completely transparent.

“Understood.”

“...What is it? Why did you ask?”

“I told you, I'm just asking.”

“There's no way you're just asking... Give me a straight answer.”

Click.

While Renka pressed me for an answer, the Changing Room door opened, and Chinami stepped out with a flushed face.

That naturally cut our conversation short.

Smirking at Renka, who had snapped her mouth shut, I thought about what kind of cosplay outfit would suit her.

I didn't plan to make her wear it anytime soon, but if I didn't prepare it in advance, it would likely be out of stock by the end of the year. I needed to order it soon.

“Oh, really? You're entering the team competition with Matsuda-kun?”

At Miyuki's surprised question, Tetsuya shoved his head between the front seats from the back.

He looked at Miyuki and beamed.

“Yeah. You'll come cheer for us, right?”

“Hmm... when is it?”

“Before the new year. It doesn't overlap with the school trip.”

“Really? Then I have to go. I'll definitely cheer for you.”

“Got it.”

Tetsuya grinned with a satisfied look.

Seeing him smirk pissed me off.

I hated this bastard for eating up my conversation topics with Miyuki one by one.

This was why I didn't want to give him a ride... He was nothing but a nuisance.

We were on our way to Miyuki's house after dropping Tetsuya off.

She broke the silence as I drove.

“Why didn't you tell me you were entering the tournament, Matsuda-kun?”

“I was going to, but he beat me to it.”

“Why didn't you do it first, Matsuda-kun?”

Hmm... That sent a chill down my spine.

At the same time, it made me feel good. It seemed she preferred hearing things from me rather than listening to Tetsuya babble.

Wait, considering Tetsuya was worse than food scraps, wasn't that obvious?

“I told you I was going to.”

“But you didn't.”

“Because he struck first.”

“Then you could have struck first, Matsuda-kun.”

“With my fist?”

“...The way you think... That wasn't funny at all, you know?”

Miyuki scoffed and turned toward the window.

Glancing at Miyuki as I slowed the car down, I saw her face faintly reflected in the window.

She was pulling her lower lip inward. Was she holding back a laugh?

Sometimes she would burst out laughing at the kind of casually tossed-out, unfunny jokes she would usually ignore, and it seemed Miyuki was in that state right now.

“Is it funny?”

“...Didn't you hear me say it wasn't funny?”

“Look at me.”

“No. Focus on driving.”

“You laughed.”

“Says who?”

“You're smiling right now.”

“I told you I'm not.”

While we bickered playfully, the car arrived at Miyuki's house.

Grumbling, Miyuki unfastened her seatbelt and grabbed her bag.

Then, as she opened the passenger door to get out, she paused. "Oh...?"

She looked up at the sky and let out a surprised gasp.

Curious about her reaction, I asked.

“What is it?”

“Matsuda-kun...!”

“Yeah.”

“It's snowing...!”

“Snow?”

“Yeah. Snow. Hurry up and get out.”

Following Miyuki out of the car, I broke into an unconscious smile as I saw the small, white snowflakes gently drifting down just as she had said.

It was about time for the first snow. Was this a gift from God for all the suffering I'd been going through lately?

Usually, the first snow falling on Christmas for a cozy date was the standard cliché... but I thought it was much better to see it now.

Because the mood would be weird on Christmas due to the threesome.

“Wow...!”

Stepping naturally to the side of the marveling Miyuki, I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her toward me.

I gently stroked her cheek, flushed a soft pink from the cold, with my thumb and spoke.

“It's barely snowing.”

“I know... Still, it's always just rained, so it's nice to see snow today.”

“Let's go somewhere when it snows heavily.”

“Yeah.”

Miyuki's expression was quite flushed.

She saw snow every year, but seeing it with me this time seemed to make it feel special.

Miyuki had been meeting my eyes in silence for a long time. "Mmm..."

She suddenly hugged my waist.

Seeing the snow must have stirred up fresh, romantic feelings in her. The fact that she was even making her signature pleasant hum proved it.

“I like you. A lot...”

Miyuki confessed as she nuzzled her face into my chest.

Patting her back, I also conveyed my sincere feelings.

“Me too.”

After sending Miyuki off and returning home, I contacted Chinami.

“Hello. Good evening.”

Chinami answered the phone before it even rang twice.

Chuckling at her unique greeting, I asked.

“Where are you right now? Are you eating ice cream with the President?”

“Yes. That's right.”

“Did you happen to see the snow? It snowed for a bit.”

“Huh...? Snow...? It didn't snow here.”

“It only snowed a tiny bit, so you might have missed it. That's a shame.”

“Hmm... Was it really the first snow?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh my... oh my...! Missing the first snow means I'll have terrible luck this year...! Of course, there's less than a month left until next year.”

Was there a superstition like that? It was my first time hearing about it.

It seemed Chinami just made that up on her own... She was eccentric as always.

If Chinami had seen the snow, I would have rushed over to her right away.

Since it was a memorable day, I wanted to spend time with her too.

But since she didn't see it... I'd have to aim for the next opportunity.

“What is it? Who is it?”

Renka's puzzled voice echoed over the receiver.

Letting out a soft sigh, Chinami asked for my understanding before answering her.

“It's my junior, Matsuda, and he said the first snow fell.”

“Snow? It didn't snow here.”

“He said we might have missed it because it was just a little bit.”

“It's a lie. Don't believe him.”

Renka kept stacking up her bad karma.

Keep doing that. Let's see what happens.

“A lie...? There's no reason for junior Matsuda to deceive me.”

“Hurry up and hang up so we can eat ice cream. Your favorite ice mochi is coming out too.”

“Ah...! Ahem... Junior. Would it be alright if I called you back after I finish eating?”

Is mochi more important than me? That's a bit disappointing.

This was all Renka's fault. It was because that wicked fox had bewitched Chinami.

It wouldn't be right if I didn't pay her back, would it?

“Understood.”

Ending the call, I immediately opened my Laptop and went to a site that sold event cosplay costumes.

After buying various props and outfits to use next time, I went to an online shop that sold cute gloves.

It was to buy a gift for Chinami.

The item I was looking at was gloves.

Not standard winter gloves, but mittens.

Thin, knit-style mittens wouldn't do.

Chinami absolutely had to wear thick ones. Pink or beige would probably suit her best.

Just imagining Chinami opening and closing her small fingers in them, waving hello as if performing a little dance, made a fatherly smile leak out on its own.

Anyway, when should we do it next?

I wanted to do it a few times before the threesome to get Chinami used to it... I needed to set a date.

The next day.

I went to school with Miyuki, and not long after, I narrowed my eyes when Tetsuya walked in.

It was because the bastard's hairstyle had changed.

“Tetsuya-kun, you're here? We have a pop quiz in the afternoon class, so you should rev... iew...”

Miyuki also noticed his bizarre hair and trailed off in the middle of her greeting, looking bewildered.

“I tried changing up my style a bit... What do you think?”

Gauging our reactions, Tetsuya scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.