Ch.143Chapter 21. Year-End (7)

A cute girl with sparkling eyes stands before me dressed as Santa.

…Well, I suppose it feels a bit strange to call her cute with my own mouth since she looks exactly like me.

But honestly, when I first saw her through a third person’s perspective, I thought she was a cute and pretty girl, so I guess it’s not exactly wrong.

The yakuza uncle, who used to do these kinds of events for his daughter when she was young, seemed unsure how to react to Koko, who despite being a teenager, was responding like a complete child.

Well, he did mention that his own daughter stopped reacting this way after she grew up.

“Santa Claus!” Koko exclaimed with sparkling eyes.

How Koko woke up… I don’t think that’s particularly important.

Maybe she just happened to open her eyes. People sometimes suddenly wake up to noises they normally sleep through.

You could say it was simply bad luck.

And the yakuza uncle wasn’t the only one with bad luck.

When Koko shouted “Santa Claus,” the other children in the room began to wake up one by one.

“Mmm… Koko? What’s going on…?”

Yuka, who was rubbing her eyes and getting up to speak to Koko, froze when she saw the yakuza uncle.

…

Ah. Right.

Come to think of it, this room is currently full of sleeping high school girls.

Fortunately, none of the girls here were sleeping in just their underwear. That was natural, I suppose. Even among close friends, being in just underwear would require… quite a lot of courage unless they were roommates.

The problem was that only about half the people here thought this was “fortunate.”

First, there was me. Then Koko, who didn’t seem to have any particular thoughts about it. Yamashita, who had prepared this event. And Kaoru, who was still half-asleep.

The rest of the girls either pulled up their blankets to cover themselves as much as possible, blushed bright red, or jumped up from their spots to rush at Santa Claus.

For reference, two people jumped up.

Koko, to run toward Santa Claus.

And Yuka, also to rush at Santa Claus.

Ironically, their reasons were completely different.

“Wait, Yuka—!”

I reached out toward Yuka and shouted, but her feet had already left the ground.

It seemed Yuka had learned more than just how to swing a sword—her flying kick perfectly struck the center of Santa Claus’s body.

And right below that, Koko added a football-style tackle—she had no ill intentions, but when she wanted to, her physical abilities could far exceed human limits.

“Ugh.”

Santa Claus couldn’t even scream.

The “Ho ho ho” sound he was making turned into something like air escaping, and he flew backward.

Thwack!

Although Japanese mansions aren’t completely without modern elements, this mansion wasn’t just any Japanese-style residence.

This was a yakuza mansion straight out of a light novel.

So naturally, the door leading to the hallway was a sliding door, just like those often seen in Japanese works.

It couldn’t withstand the large man flying at high speed.

The slightly open door bent inward at the center and flew backward.

Thud!

The yakuza Santa slid across the floor and hit his head against the hallway wall.

Then he went limp.

“…”

Everything happened in less than 30 seconds after Koko woke up.

I could only blink.

Belatedly, the lights in the room turned on, and the hallway lights came on too.

“What happened?!”

Yakuza men came rushing in from wherever they’d been hiding. Well, not as many as last time.

“Santa Claus…?” Koko said, shaking the unconscious Santa’s body.

“…Santa?” Yuka muttered, having landed safely on the floor but still maintaining a fighting stance with her fist clenched.

I turned my head to look at where Yamashita was.

Yamashita had one hand pressed against her forehead.

Yes, that makes sense.

When you see a situation like this—and you’re the one who created it.

Even if it wasn’t your intention, it’s still embarrassing.

After all, embarrassment tends to feel much stronger the further it is from your intentions.

*

Very fortunately, Santa didn’t stay unconscious forever, so Yuka didn’t become a murderer, and we didn’t have to dig a hole in the mansion’s yard in the middle of the night.

After being unconscious for about five seconds, Santa blinked awake when Koko shook his body. It seemed the large thief bag—I mean, gift sack—he had been carrying on his back had acted as a cushion. It was mostly filled with stuffed animals, so that made sense.

I just hope the stuffed animals didn’t burst.

It seemed he had taken the advice to soften his eyes to heart, as Santa’s disguise looked a bit different from when I last saw it.

Specifically, he had covered his caterpillar-like black eyebrows with fake white eyebrows made of cotton.

It looks incredibly itchy.

“Ho… ho ho ho.”

“Santa!”

Koko’s eyes sparkled again when she heard the authentic Santa laugh from someone who wasn’t even a professional.

Or maybe not. Perhaps the memory of flying through the air had been knocked out of him? His eyes looked a bit unfocused, which actually made him look more benevolent.

I felt someone poking my side. It was Yuka.

What’s going on?

Koko’s senses were much more developed than a normal person’s, so she might hear even whispers from here.

Normally, she wouldn’t pay much attention to whatever we were talking about. There weren’t really any conversations between us that “Koko shouldn’t hear,” and Koko usually didn’t pay much attention to our conversations anyway.

But we couldn’t discuss anything that might suggest “Santa doesn’t exist” in front of a child who believes in Santa.

Instead of answering, I looked at Yamashita, and Yuka’s gaze also turned to Yamashita, who was covering her face with her hands.

Yamashita’s unusual behavior was answer enough for everyone here.

That Yamashita had arranged this situation. And that Yuka had misunderstood and attacked.

Some people had seen me leaving the room earlier, after all.

“What’s going on?!”

A bit late, the door to the adjacent room burst open and Sasaki jumped out.

He stared at the scene before him with his mouth open.

Right? I think so too.

Though I’m not sure what you’re thinking.

“…Koko…”

The yakuza Santa uncle seemed to hesitate for a moment about what title to add.

“Miss Koko.”

And that was the title he finally settled on.

“Santa Claus!”

After looking at Koko with her sparkling eyes, he looked at me. I nodded.

I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to do, but it felt like the right thing to do. Honestly, I was too tired to think much in this situation.

“Grandpa, Santa Claus?”

“Ho ho ho.”

When Koko asked with sparkling eyes, the yakuza Santa laughed.

Was it just my imagination that his laughter didn’t seem entirely like an act?

“Yes, I’m Santa Claus,” the yakuza uncle said with a kind expression.

“I came because it’s Christmas.”

“Wow!”

Koko didn’t seem to be aware that she was the one who had sent Santa flying.

Perhaps because Koko’s reaction was so enthusiastic, Santa’s eyes crinkled. Well, it’s hard not to smile when faced with Koko’s bright smile.

Besides, Koko was a “high school girl who genuinely believed in Santa.” How could she not be adorable?

“Miss Koko, have you been good this year?”

“Yes!”

Koko answered without hesitation.

Well, she has been well-behaved.

If Koko had truly acted like a child in every way, I would still be struggling quite a bit.

She understands everything I say, tries hard to study, and though she had too much of an appetite at first, she stopped causing trouble once she realized I was genuinely struggling.

I know… how difficult that is.

I’ve caused my family plenty of trouble too.

…

That’s right. Koko is truly a good child.

It would be strange if this child didn’t receive a Christmas present.

When I came to my senses, I realized everyone around us was silent. They were all staring intently at Koko and Santa.

As if watching some kind of ritual.

I think I can understand that feeling a little.

Santa adjusted his posture. Then he brought forward the gift sack that had been pressed against his back.

The string tying the sack was untied, and the gifts inside became visible.

There was the large cat plushie I had bought in advance, and other similar stuffed animals.

Well, right now only their shapes were visible. All the plushies were carefully wrapped. They just weren’t in boxes, so they weren’t perfectly rectangular.

“Let’s see.”

Santa examined the name tags attached to each plushie one by one, and pulled out the gift with Koko’s name.

“Miss Koko.”

“Yes!”

“Here’s your Christmas present.”

For just a moment, Santa’s eyes turned to me.

His eyes crinkled slightly.

“You should keep listening to your sister, okay? You want presents next year too, right?”

“Yes!”

Koko nodded her head vigorously up and down.

Santa placed the gift in Koko’s arms.

“Wow!”

Koko jumped around excitedly, hugging the still-wrapped gift. The people who had been blankly watching Koko began to smile.

A truly Christmas-like atmosphere, isn’t it? While she might not look completely like a young child on the outside, her innocent demeanor certainly suited her.

“Now, next…”

Santa pulled another gift from the sack.

Being Santa, it would be right to give one to each child to avoid Koko’s suspicion. This was… Yamashita’s idea.

Always looking proud but still so thoughtful in these matters.

Well, if she weren’t such a thoughtful person, she probably wouldn’t have run away from home when her father said he was remarrying.

Even now, she was standing there covering her face.

“Miss Kotone.”

Was it because he knew I was Koko’s sister? Or was it just coincidence that my gift was the next one he grabbed?

It probably doesn’t matter either way.

I went up to Santa.

“You’ve been good this year too.”

It was praise from someone who didn’t even know me. Thinking about it, it’s a bit funny. My counterpart wasn’t even a real Santa, but a yakuza. Someone who can’t help but do bad things.

“…”

I silently accepted the gift.

“Kotone has been good too!”

“…”

Koko’s words left me even more speechless.

Though it was wrapped in wrapping paper, I somehow felt like I knew what the plushie inside looked like as I hugged the large stuffed animal with both arms.

I could feel the rustling of the wrapping paper and the soft cotton underneath.

Everyone received a gift.

They all seemed to be stuffed animals.

“Ho ho ho.”

As the gift sack became thin, Santa stood up.

“Well then, children, see you next year!”

There wasn’t a single child here, but no one dared to say anything about that. What would they say?

Santa ran away quite quickly and disappeared from sight in an instant.

Very fortunately, Koko didn’t try to follow Santa to see Rudolph.

“Let’s look at the presents!” Koko exclaimed with sparkling eyes instead.

Usually, you check them in the morning.

But since everyone was already awake, and if we didn’t look now, Koko would probably deflate with an “Aww…” and lose her energy.

And that would make my heart ache.

So it would be better to open them now.

When I looked around, the other girls exchanged glances and nodded.

…Ah.

But Sasaki didn’t get a present.

Well, that’s natural. He came in later, after all.

…Above all, he’s not particularly good, is he? Harems are a system that should be discouraged in modern Japanese society. They’re only forgiven in light novels or romantic comedy manga.

Even if this is a light novel world.

*

The black cat plushie, almost as big as her upper body, must have really pleased Koko, as she fell asleep hugging it tightly.

The plushie I received was similar. It was also a black cat, but its fur was a slightly less dark color than the one Koko was hugging.

With that plushie at my pillow, I lay on my side and watched Koko sleep for a while.

“…Aren’t you going to sleep?”

Somehow knowing I wasn’t asleep, Yuka asked.

“…I’m about to.”

“Mm.”

After being silent for a while, Yuka said,

“Thank you for today.”

It was an unexpected expression of gratitude.

Was there any special reason she should be thankful to me today? Yamashita had prepared this place, and we all shared the gifts.

“…This is my first time coming to a gathering like this.”

Ah, I see.

It seems Yuka did know some kids in her neighborhood, but the problem was that she didn’t attend the same school as them.

You might occasionally run into someone, but it’s naturally much more distant than someone you’re forced to see and talk to every day.

“Of course we had to invite you.”

I answered like that and lay back down, looking at the ceiling.

Yuka was silent for a while.

“…Good night.”

“Yeah. You too.”

We exchanged those greetings and fell back asleep.

*

The next morning, we woke up, had a warm meal, and lazed around playing until lunchtime.

I learned quite a few things from this event.

“Ah, that was fun. Should we meet again at the beginning of the year? Let’s discuss it later!”

For example, I learned that Fukuda, despite looking like a completely outgoing gyaru, was actually the type to hide under the blanket when she saw Santa come in.

It’s not a big deal, but isn’t that what makes friendships interesting? As time passes, you learn things about each other that you didn’t know before.

“I was planning to have a year-end party, but it turned out like this. Well, how about meeting at the beginning of the year? Before the break ends.”

“Yeah, let’s meet again. We have plenty of time anyway. We’ll be third-years from next year, so we should have fun while we can.”

Kaoru and Izumi said with smiles. Seeing Izumi smile happily, it seems she enjoyed this party.

Yes. Soon.

It would be nice to see everyone again soon.

It’s vacation after all. Once we properly get through the Hyakki Yagyō, we’ll be able to meet again soon.

Maybe we could even have another training camp-like gathering.

“…Goodbye.”

I waved to Yamashita, who was greeting us somewhat gruffly—perhaps because of yesterday’s events, or maybe to hide her embarrassment.

“Senior, I really had fun.”

“Me too… um.”

Shii greeted us politely as always, and Sasaki… well, I don’t have much to say about him.

He did fit in somewhat, but naturally there would be some difference in closeness.

After exchanging greetings with those two, only Koko, Yuka, and I remained.

“…Um, so.”

Yuka rolled her eyes around.

I quietly waited for Yuka to speak.

“…Would you like to come to our shrine for New Year’s?”

Yuka asked somewhat shyly.

“It’s fine to go to other shrines too, but—”

“We’ll come.”

I answered before Yuka could make excuses. Yuka’s face brightened.

“Yes! Then, I’ll contact you then! Ah! But that doesn’t mean I won’t contact you until then!”

As the train arrived, Yuka waved her hand enthusiastically. Seeing her wave with one arm while holding a large plushie in the other looked just like an energetic high school student, which was nice to see.

After watching Yuka board the train and leave, I said to Koko,

“Koko. Before we go home, there’s somewhere I’d like to go. Is that okay?”

“Hmm?”

Koko tilted her head at my words, but soon the tilt turned into a nod.

“Thank you.”

I replied.

*

We headed to Kagami’s bar.

Honestly, I was worried about what to do if Kagami wasn’t there. It was his workplace, after all. And Kagami didn’t seem to actually live there.

I didn’t know any of Kagami’s other hideouts either.

I did have things I wanted to talk about, but that’s not why I came today. To be honest, I didn’t want to do any “work” today.

“Merry Christmas.”

Fortunately, Kagami was at the bar.

It was only around lunchtime, but he was already there. Seeing this, maybe Kagami doesn’t have much to do either?

Ah, maybe not. I noticed the bar looked like it had been cleaned recently.

Right, it was Christmas Eve.

Christmas isn’t a holiday in Japan, but that doesn’t mean people don’t celebrate it.

There might be people who come here with lovers, or to find lovers.

Though those “lovers” probably weren’t ordinary lovers.

“Are you here to give me a Christmas present?”

“Yes.”

Kagami probably said that to tease me.

When I answered without hesitation, Kagami’s expression went blank. I found that a bit satisfying.

I put my hand in my coat pocket and took out something I hadn’t removed since leaving home.

It was a keychain. I bought it along with the ones for the kids.

“Here.”

“…”

When I held out my hand, Kagami extended his hand and took it.

The keychain wasn’t bought with anyone specific in mind; it just happened to be a cat. It was coincidentally the same color as the black cat keychain Koko received.

“Merry Christmas.”

“…Would you like some hot cocoa?”

“You have some?”

Now that he mentioned it, I did feel a bit cold.

“…I’ll prepare it.”

While Kagami busied himself unnecessarily, we placed our two plushies side by side on chairs. They didn’t fall when we leaned them against the table.

Then Koko and I sat side by side, waiting for the cocoa Kagami would bring out.