VOLUME 7

Chapter 4: Part 4

We ran all the way down to the Koto Ward with the last present in tow.

It was already the dead of the night, so there were no more trains running. It was pretty far, but for a vampire ninja and a zombie, it took less than an hour to get there.

However, I was pretty exhausted now.

We wanted to go in through the window, but there were so many racks and dressers jumbled up all over the place that we ended up going in through the front door instead.

“She’s sleeping?”

“Yes, sleeping as usual.”

“Ahh, I’m tired. I’m gonna sleep too!”

I had carried Haruna on my back all the way here, but she had also maintained her high level of energy all this time. So, the minute she got into the room, she began to lay out a futon with practiced motions.

Well, Haruna had certainly stayed here once before at least.

Now that I took a good look, I noticed that my bag was here. Ah, right, I had brought over a full set of clothes for staying over and had left all that stuff here.

Great. This was a good chance to change out of this half-destroyed reindeer outfit into my normal clothes.

I restlessly fished around for a change of clothes, when…

“Fuwaaaah…”

As usual, Nene-san suddenly woke up.

“Hm? Who are you?”

“No way! We worked together for so long!”

“Ahaha, I was joking, of course. Don’t screech like that.”

She laughed loudly as her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swung magnificently from side to side.

“I feel like we’re back to the point when you called me Aikawa Kinya…”

“So, why are you all here at this time of night?”

Yuu came forward after Nene-san asked that question.

We came to distribute Christmas presents.

“Ahaha, so you’re all playing Santa? Eucliwood’s also into this kind of gag now too, hm?”

Nene-san nodded a few times, and each time she did her b.r.e.a.s.t.s swung back and forth.

Each time they swung, I thought about how soft they were.

“Santa Claus brought this gift for you.”

Sera took the pillow out from the sack. And with this, our job as Santa had reached its conclusion.

“Thank you~~.”

“So, what should we do now? Looks like Haruna is sleeping… should we make something to eat?”

“Where the h.e.l.l did that come from?! Do you seriously want to cook that badly?!”

I desperately tried to stop the bewitching miniskirt Santa as she began to put on an ap.r.o.n.

Why not try another Christmas party here? = “Yeah! Let’s have a party!!”

“Hm. That is not a bad idea. In that case, please allow me to make some-”

“I can go get some cake at a convenience store then~~.”

“If you would like a cake, leave it to me. As for ingredients…”

Sera took a glance down at the tatami.

“We have enough.”

“No we don’t! I’m definitely not eating a tatami cake! I’ve never seen tatami used as an ingredient in anything!”

“Excuse me, but please keep your voice down. I have an Ayumu allergy, so that is quite unpleasant.”

It was almost as if my right to exist was being questioned here…

Tea, please.

“Well, you sure are making yourself at home real quick.”

“Ahh!” Haruna suddenly sprung up. Her ahoge was sticking straight up and her eyes were half-lidded…

“Ah, it’s Byston Well…”

“Exactly where are you getting spirited away to in your dreams?”

Haruna didn’t answer me, but instead just crashed back down onto her side. It was almost like she had picked up Nene-san’s habit of suddenly falling asleep. She was probably really tired…

Tap tap.

Ayumu. Tea please.

“Yeah yea, I’ll get you your tea.”

“Ahahaha! I see, I see.”

Nene-san smacked herself on her bewitching thighs, and I was confused.

“You see? What do you see?”

“Aikawa-kun brought a bunch of his friends over here… but he really looks like he has the most fun with these three.”

“Really? I get the feeling that all we do is get angry at each other though…”

“Yeah, you get the most emotional with this group, and that’s proof enough. I mean, if you aren’t close enough to someone, then you can’t really say mean things to them or have a real argument with them, right? All that would do is make things awkward. You have to believe… you have to have faith that doing stuff like that is okay before you can lay your emotions bare like that.”

I looked at Sera, and Sera looked back at me. And then, we pointed towards each other.

“No, it’s been like this with him (her) since the beginning.”

Nene-san burst out laughing again.

But… well, she might have a point.

I’ve known Orito and Hiramatsu since I was young, and Tomonori’s always been in the cla.s.s next door and so I’ve taken gym cla.s.s with her plenty of times. However, I never really got that close with any of those people, so I’ve never been able to speak my mind and say harsh things to them.

… Well, I certainly have spoken my mind to Orito though.

But right now… after I met these three, I found myself able to express my own opinions.

And I also realized that expressing opinions was a fun thing indeed.

Yuu had been the one who had taught me the joys of being with others.

And who had taught me the joys of b.u.t.ting heads with others…?

I took a glance down at Haruna as she slept. Even when she slept, she looked like a brat. She was probably causing absolute chaos in her dreams as well.

I really wanted to pay Haruna back for what she did for me.

I couldn’t just let this debt I owed her go unpaid… it would just be annoying otherwise.

“Nene-san.”

“Hm?”

“I want to talk with Chris again.”

“You mean, right now?”

Right now… ah, yes. My Christmas present to Haruna would be the magical energy that Chris had stolen away from her. So I wanted to get that back right now.

“Yes. As soon as possible.”

I steeled myself. I probably looked pretty cool and stylish right now, if I do say so myself.

Nene-san took a look at that cool face of mine, and…

“Zzzzzzzzzzz…” She’s not even looking!

“Hey! Wake up!”

Almost as if by conditioned reflex, I began to shake Nene-san sharply by her shoulders.

I could speak my mind and b.u.t.t heads with Nene-san as well.

Yes… that meant I really felt like I could place my faith in her.

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES