Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Christmas Party
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「「Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way ♪」」
In the gorgeous 3LDK apartment where Shimon Mari lived.
Moroha’s and Maya’s singing voices resounded.
「「Oh, what fun it is to ride in a hone-horse open sleigh, hey ♪」」
They decorated the room as they sang happily.
They folded origami paper and connected them to make ribbons.
– Moroha, I’d like you to open a new glue desu.
– Okaay.
They were making lots of them.
– Maaya, I’m thirstyy.
– I’ll go get tea desu.
They made them as they took breaks moderately.
For some reason Mari, who came back from shopping, stood stock still at the entrance of the room,
– You two are more intimate than I thought.
For some reason they muttered, looking astonished.
Moroha was eating the cake and tea served by Maya while folding origami paper. They stared at her in puzzlement.
– … Is it always like this in the dormitories?
– I’m not really sure about what kind of impression “like this” is.
– Maaya and the others are as special as always nanodesu.
– … I see. Haimurkun, I’m not saying it has to be now, but please take responsibility for Maya someday.
– What? What kind of responsibility?
– … Nothing.
For some reason, Mari dropped her shoulders and began to mutter to herself something like 「*Sigh*… When will my fantastic boyfriend appear…?」 while opening the shopping bags.
Moroha turned his face to the one next to him,
– Hey, what is she talking about?
– It’s nothing (Happy face).
Even Maya said something like that.
But when he saw her angelic innocent face, he didn’t feel like questioning her.
The two of them sang cheerfully again and returned to the decoration work.
The day of Christmas Eve. 14:00.
The weather forecast said it would be sunny all day. Great job, sun.
The party was scheduled to start at 16:00, but at the strong request of Maya, who said 「We won’t be ready even if we want to start now desu」, they motivated themselves and now were getting ready for it.
Because Moroha was taught to decorate the shop ran by his parents when he was young, he got used to it. He was confident that he could decorate even a huge Japanese fir, but he gave up because of Mari’s entreaty, who said 「T-that would be too big, so forgive me…」
Therefore, a toy Japanese fir was enshrined on the TV stand.
– Isn’t it nice that 6 people will be here? Though it’s regrettable that Momochi-san can’t come.
Mari confirmed while organizing the contents of the shopping bags.
– A friend in her class seems to be on birthday today.
Moroha replied as he folded origami paper.
Precisely because yesterday was a national holiday, he heard that she went to visit her friend far away and stayed over.
– Oh, that’s something special. Then she surely had to give priority to that.
– To make up for it, we decided to go out and eat together tomorrow.
Moroha said, satisfied with the finishing touches of the connected ribbons.
「「……」」
Then all of a sudden, Maya and Mari became silent.
– What’s wrong?
He asked, but he was ignored, and the two of them looked at each other’s face,
– Harukonee-san is getting bolder little by little, Maaya is filled with deep emotion nanodesu.
– It’s okay to be impressed, but it’s not good for a woman to accept it meekly, okay? Do your best too, alright?
Another discussion that Moroha couldn’t understand.
Although they were still distant relatives, they lived together for many years. This was what “tacit understanding” meant.
While looking at them with a pleasant feeling,
– Oh no. I forgot to buy crackers.
Mari put a hand on her cheek with a troubled face.
– I’ll go buy them right away.
– Maaya will go desu. I want Mary-onee-chan to rest desu.
Maya stood up immediately, checked the purse in her pouch and rushed out.
– Fufu, she is very excited, isn’t she?
Seeing her off, Mari muttered happily.
– It’s Maaya’s first time after all. Let’s have a fun party.
Moroha said as he decorated the place high up the window with the ribbons.
──But.
– Before that, do you have a minute?
He turned around slowly.
A full audiovisual equipment, open kitchen and wide dining room with good sunlight.
It was just him and Mari there. It was the perfect time to ask her.
– Yes? Is it a difficult conversation, I wonder?
Mari, who leaned coquettishly on the corner sofa, seemed to very interested.
– Well. I can’t tell if it is or not.
Moroha sat cross-legged on the carpet.
And asked straightforwardly.
– Do you know a person named──Shiba Akira?
– Shiba Akira you say!?
At that moment, Mari suddenly slipped down the sofa. Was it that shocking?
– Don’t surprise me like that, geez! Where did you hear that name?
Mari dragged the dropped pointy hat towards herself as she got up.
– I heard this from a person called Nelly… no, Shiroi Usako.
– You know Shiroi-san too!? When!? Where!?
Mari bent herself forward to the table with a momentum that threw off the pointy hat she finally had put on her head.
Confused by the unexpected and violent reaction, Moroha blinked.
– Err, we just got to know each other the other day…
– Please let me hear about it in detail!
The questioner ended up becoming the opposite.
Moroha made an effort to exchange information and calm down Mari as he scratched his head.
It seemed to be written as 熾場亮 (Shiba Akira) *.
*TN: When Moroha said his name before, it was written in hiragana (しばあきら).
A first-generation student of Akane Academy, just like Mari. A regular member of the first generation of Strikers.
– Properly speaking, he was worthy of being the captain, not me…. But at that time, I was arrogant even if I do say so myself, I never gave up. Shiroi-san often made fun of me.
This meant that Nelly was also a regular member back then.
– Shibkun is like you, a person who doesn’t boast his strength at all, even when the seat of the deputy head was assigned to another person.
– I can’t imagine that the school principal had something like an arrogant phase.
– Every person has their own history.
Mari showed a smile of self-deprecation on her face.
Moroha pretended not to notice it and cheerfully laughed it off with an 「Of course」. Then,
– So that guy… was really strong, huh…
He muttered as he recalled the personality and the certain importance of the way of talking of the man he met at the mansion of the witch.
– Shibkun is a rare 《Savior》 who awakened with his own strength.
When he was in third year of middle school, his hometown was unexpectedly attacked by a 《Metaphysical》 and he awakened to protect his family with his power.
Because of that, he already had battle experience, so he came along to Akane Academy with a flourish of trumpets.
Naturally selected by Strikers, he stood out remarkably.
– At that time, the White Knight Organization had just been established, it was a terrible time…. There were less C-Ranks than there are now, the people who could stand on the battlefield were insufficient, the standard practice development was incomplete and it wasn’t unusual for people to die if they fought. My team was no exception.
Mari hung her head, her eyes dark.
– Still, the one who kept injuries to a minimum was Shibkun because he was always bearing the brunt of the attacks. It is not an exaggeration to say that I’m alive now because of him. But the principal at that time was an extremely cruel man. The more we gained in battle, the more he sent us to even difficult battlefields for scoring his own Brownie points.
Mari and Nelly were wounded and worn out.
Shiba was in the vanguard, exhausted, but still throwing out his chest.
Moroha was struck by painful feelings just by imaging that.
– And at one point, a disaster occurred in which 《Metaphysicals》 appeared in succession, we still weren’t able to recover from the injuries and Shibkun went to the battlefield alone… and yet, he did it, and was acknowledged as an S-Rank. I don’t know how gruesome the battle was, the people around me clapped, they were in ecstasy.
A worshipped image.
Honor that was nothing but a complete inconvenience.
He couldn’t help but feel bitter.
While being convinced of “In the end, that man was the sixth S-Rank, huh”.
– That continued for over a year. In the fall of the second year, one day, Shibkun couldn’t fight.
– Was he injured or something? … On an emotional level, perhaps?
– Emotional problems…. He looked like he had lost the willpower to live. But not even I know what happened. At that time, I was trying to open my heart to others little by little, but it didn’t work, and I didn’t understand why Shibkun ended up doing so. In the first place, I finally realized that not even Shibkun knew the reason we were fighting for… I feel sorry for him…
Mari looked up in a different direction with a melancholic look.
To not let the tears gathered in the outer corner of her eyes fall.
– The brute adults were making Shibkun, who lost the willpower to fight, to keep fighting by every means…. It seems that he got to witness the ugly part of humans, I remember well how intensely disgusting it was…. Surely that must have been unbearable for him. … one day, he abruptly disappeared with Shiroi-san. Shiroi-san had been his greatest supporter since he entered school*.
*TN: Adults is the furigana reading for “principals”.
Moroha felt that in the mansion too.
A deep relationship between Shiba and Nelly that couldn’t be measured by others.
Was that cultivated at Akane Academy?
Compared to it, what was different from the impression he had was──
– Based on Nelly’s way of speaking, I thought she was on good terms with the school principal…
– Shibkun and Shiroi-san possibly thought of me as their comrade in arms. If only I had recognized them as friends sooner…
Mari distorted her beautiful face and grinded her teeth.
(I see…)
Moroha understood as he stared in the direction of Akane Academy outside the window.
The current Akane had an educational policy that protected students and respected individuals*.
*TN: Current is the furigana reading for “Mari”.
Instead of mass-producing human weapons that slaughtered 《Metaphysicals》, it trained 《Saviors》 who had their own righteousness and beliefs.
It never made light of the curriculum of a regular school or the humane heart and emotions.
Everything expressed the regrets of that time.
It couldn’t be done so easily.
It was easy to imagine how difficult it would have been to steal the position of the former principal, expulse the old influence and built a genuine opposite system.
Moroha returned his gazed and looked at Mari with a gaze of respect.
At the same time, he asked the following question.
– On that note, are the two of them missing?
– No… it’s a little different…
Mari turned her head to the left and right feebly.
– After that, the moment I heard his name, I didn’t believe my ears──
Winter, four years ago.
Shiba Akira rose in revolt.
He rallied 《Saviors》 who weren’t pleased with the White Knight Organization and declared war to the Six Heads.
The 《Saviors》 who didn’t obey the organization were no longer 《Saviors》.
Sir Edward preached so and decided to call them 《Demons》.
Shiba became the king of the 《Demons》 and they became a threat alongside the 《Metaphysicals》.
However──no, for this reason, perhaps?
Shiba’s rebellion was quickly suppressed.
The Chinese Division Head Ba Tekka decided to act and defeated Shiba, the mastermind, in person.
The 《Demons》, who had lost their unifying force, soon collapsed due to the small number they had from the start.
An incredibly fast blitzkrieg tactic. The seriousness of the Six Heads.
Most of the people from the White Knight Organization didn’t know about this rebellion, even to this day.
It was no more than a coincidence that Mari knew. She happened to hear that the former principal proudly kept cursing and denunciating the dead Shiba.
– Eh? Did you hear that Shiba was dead?
– Together with Shiroi-san. But they were alive.
– And in the mansion of the “witch of the prison”… huh.
Mari made a complicated facial expression.
There was no doubt that the delight that they were alive was mixed in with those mixed emotions.
– Why did the information differ? Rather, who is lying?
It was unlikely that the former principal had such ability or motive.
– During the joint operation this time, Shiroi-san came to visit me. She said that Head Suruga Andou is a liar.
– Is that so…? Then the Japanese Division Head is a liar?
– Maybe it’s not just Division Head Suruga. After all, the mansion of “the witch of the prison” was made by the French 《Les Éléments》, no?
– This sounds like a conspiracy of some of the Six Heads, or all of them. Why making lies like that…?
– Well…. Maybe they have certain profound thoughts, or surprisingly, no big reason at all…
– Shall we ask them directly?
– Eh…?
Moroha said, looking as if this had nothing to do with him.
He gave a sidelong glance at Mari getting bewildered and made a phone call with his mobile phone.
『Hello? It’s me, me』
『Munya… this voice… is it you, Jack!?』
He heard a sleeping-sounding voice then, in a complete change, a surprised voice from the telephone receiver.
『Hey, why are you sleeping during the day? The director-general sure has a do-nothing job, huh』
『It’s 6 in the morning in London, you know?』
『Oh, I see. My bad』
Moroha apologized shallowly.
『Geeez, stop messing around Jack～』
The person with whom he was talking on the phone──Edward, the head of the British Division, would forgive him right away.
And greet him too.
『There’s something I’d like to ask, but do you remember the name “Shiba Akira”?』
『How Jack knows that name!?』
『I’m the one asking questions. Do you know where he is now?』
『I’d like to know that! When Charles’ subordinates went to see the state of the mansion of “the witch of the prison”, it was completely empty. Maybe with the confusion of the attack of the headless Evil Spirit class』
『Well, what kind of too-good-to-be-true-story is that…? Then my first question is: are you aware of the situation in which Shiba, who was imprisoned, appears to be dead to the world?』
『That’s because we can’t let the mastermind of the rebellion live』
『Then why is the opposite? Why didn’t you kill him? No, I’m not in the mood to blame you at all, I think it was an excellent decision』
It was a bother, so holding back without future troubles──however, that wasn’t the thinking of really strong people after all.
『Of course, I proposed sparing his life and persuaded everyone』*
*TN: Everyone is the furigana reading for Six Heads.
Edward puffed up with pride, probably because he was proud Moroha said “excellent decision”.
『Akira is like us, you know? However, Charles and Lighting Empress are always talking, they’re so annoying. Do you know how many hardships did I have at that ──』
『Ah, that’s enough. Thank you, bye bye』
Moroha ended the phone call.
He got a returning phone call right away, so he turned off the mobile phone. He was busy now.
Later, he would get a call from AJ to scold him with a terrible threatening attitude, but that was another story.
– Alright. The thought of not wanting to take his life──was a very respectable reason.
He told Mari with a face as if this had nothing to do with him.
Mari seemed to be utterly amazed for a moment,
-You are really… an unprecedented person.
She finally wiped the outer corner of her eyes and laughed.
After all, a beautiful woman was always better than being sunk in the dark.
Fortunately, the sound of the front door opening was heard and Maya came running while making sounds of footsteps.
– I’m home nanodeeesu.
And, seeing Mari laughing,
– Were you talking about something interesting nanodesu? Maaya would like you to let her hear it too desu.
They went to greet such an innocent angel-chan.
– It’s could outside, isn’t it? I will make tea now.
– I shall offer the well-behaved Maaychan to warm by sitting on my lap.
Mari headed to the kitchen and Moroha hugged Maya. He let her seat on his lap and hugged her tightly.
Then the three of them had a friendly conversation for a while, after that, they remembered that the decoration work had been interrupted and resumed it hurriedly.
If he put the things he had heard now and the story he heard from Shizuno the other day──
Then what resulted was that the remnants of the 《Demons》 who controlled the 《Metaphysicals》 and Shiba Akira were related.
It was easy to imagine that they probably came together now that he broke free from the mansion.
But the matter in question was kept in Moroha’s chest for now.
When he looked at Maya’s smiling face, he didn’t feel like the conversation should be continued today, on Christmas Eve.
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Satsuki and Shizuno came together before four o’clock.
– Happyyyyyyy, Merry Christmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas!
His「younger sister」 looked strange from the first words she said.
– Satsuki-onee-san, happy and merry mean the same nanodesu.
– Uwaaaaaa that’s terriiiific! The room is decorated. Terriiiiific! There are so many ribbons. Terriiiiific! There’s even a Japanese fir tree. Terriiiiific! Cha cha! Terriiiiific! So cute! Terriiiiific!
– I think your excitement is terrific…
And she didn’t hear Maya’s retort at all.
As soon as she entered the apartment of the school principal, the surroundings surprised Satsuki who kept raising a strange voice and made her eyes shine and wander here and there aimlessly.
On the other hand, Shizuno was calm as one would expect and handed Mari a long and thin vanity case.
– Thank you for inviting me today, Sensei. Here, I came with refreshments Nii-sama entrusted me with.
– Oh, is it wine? Thank──
– Me too, me too, me too, I brought lots of thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings.
Satsuki stepped in between them from the side, put the Santa bag she was carrying on her back on the ground and opened it.
– DX reincarnation game, UNYO, card games, Hanafuda, TCG, Othello, Shogi, Go, chess──
– What the, you really want to play, huh.
Today was Sunday. Tomorrow would be Monday. Staying up late was strictly prohibited.
– Apart from that, what about Leshya? I was sure she would come with you.
– Eh? I met her in the dorm during the day, but I haven’t heard anything.
– She seems to have something to do so she will be late. She wants us to start first.
When Shizuno replied, Satsuki inflated her cheeks and glared at her. As if to say “you’re nothing but cunning”.
Moroha showed a wry smile on his face as a delicate relationship between these three people appeared.
– Then do we start desu? Shall we party nanodesu?
– Shall we do so? But we have to eat the food first…
Mari glanced repeatedly at the kitchen.
– If so, we can only play gaaaaaaa──!
Satsuki thrust her hand into the Santa bag she paid on her own again.
She found something there, and as if she had remembered something,
– ──Be.fo.re.that. Look, look, Maaya. Tda!
She took out a Christmas present from the bag.
– It’s a Christmas present from me!
– It’s a gift from Ranjou-san, Elensan and me.
Shizuno corrected together with a cough.
The three gave her a pouch with a very cute design.
-The one you use all the time is cute too, but you’ve been with it for a long time, right?
As expected of Satsuki, she noticed it well.
This kind of thing was hard for Moroha, a man, to notice.
– Thank you nanodesu! I’m happy desu.
Maya was also very delighted, and immediately put it on.
And transferred the crystal in the pouch she had from before.
Then rotated as if boasting it.
The new pouch moved in a lively way with the centrifugal force.
It looked very good on her, everyone applauded.
Maya was shy for a moment,
– Maaya and Mari-onee-chan also have presents for the Onee-sans desu.
The items handed by Mari were distributed to Satsuki and Shizuno.
– You too, Moroha. Here nanodesu.
– Thank you.
It was good that──Moroha received it gratefully.
Satsuki and Shizuno ended up looking at each other’s face instinctively.
「「「An ID tag….? 」」」
The exact same thing they already had, and with their names carved on them.
Maya showed an angelic smile on her face, then drew near Moroha and the girls and explained in a whispering voice.
– Even if you break one, you will have a spare, allowing you to feign ignorance and avoid writing an explanation desu. Keep this a secret from everyone else nanodesu.
– This is suspicious, very suspicious, Maaysan’s smiling face is very suspicious.
She giggled together with Satsuki.
– We got something good. Then, here. This is from me to Maaya.
Moroha took one of the Christmas presents arranged in the corner of the room.
– Can I open it desu?
– Of course.
Looking excited, Maya politely opened the present.
– They are matching teacups nanodesu!
– One of them is mine.
– Of course nanodesu. We will bring them back to Moroha’s room desu.
– You really liked that present, Maaya.
Mari said to Maya with a friendly grin and said 「Thank you」 to Moroha with her eyes.
– Matching… matching with Nii-sama… I’m jealous…
For some reason, Satsuki appeared to be stricken, and retreated staggeringly.
Immediately after, she rushed to Moroha and,
– Y-you, you don’t have a matching present for me!?
– Sorry… I do have a present, but not a matching one…
– Eeeeh? I like those too～～～.
– Don’t wish for children’s things.
Satsuki, who brought her face to a point-blank range, replied while being overwhelmed.
At the same time, he hurriedly took a new present and presented it to her.
– Thank you, Nii-sama.
Unable to contain herself, Satsuki opened the rough wrapped box and took out the contents.
It was a deformed stuffed cat. It seemed to be the mascot character of a certain game.
The look in its eyes was very mature, an ennui gaze, and its feature was that it created a somewhat cold atmosphere. It had a cigarette in its mouth too.
Its name seemed to be 「Jigonyan」.
Satsuki made a complex face as she locked eyes with Jigonyan.
– Y-you didn’t like it?
– It’s not that cute…
– That’s weird, I was recommended this. I was told that high school girls would surely love it.
– By whom?
Satsuki’s neck turned 90 degrees, facing his way.
– A woman? It was a woman, right? Another woman, huh?
– W-who are you talking about…?
Moroha feigned ignorance, he would never say the name of Nelly.
He couldn’t look Satsuki in the face and turned to the opposite side.
– I’m an open-minded woman, you know?
Shizuno-san was waiting there!
– But hiding things from me really hurts my chest.
– It’s certainly a woman, but she’s just an acquaintance.
– Is she really just an acquaintance?
He felt the wet gaze of Satsuki piercing him from behind.
– If Moroha says so, I believe him. Thank you for talking about it.
Shizuno looked like a goddeeeeeess.
– Geez! Urushibara is scoring Brownie points right away!
– Yes, the distant howling of those who can’t score points.
– Whaaaat did you saay!?
– You two, don’t fight in a day like this. And in front of a child.
– Maaya will plug her ears, so please don’t fuss over me nanodesu.
– Don’t abandon me, Maaya.
When Moroha wished for salvation and extended his hand, Mari smiled in her place and,
– Ranjou-san. Since you don’t like the stuffed animal, should I get it instead?
– No!!! I’m happy as long as it’s something I got from Moroha.
Satsuki hugged the Jigonyan as if she were protecting her child.
As expected of the school principal, she changed the topic with the resourcefulness of an adult and calmed the situation.
Satsuki talked to Jigonyan while stroking it gently.
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– What should your name be? Either way, it’s Nii-sama’s present, so should it be 『Moroha』?
– … It seems you liked it, I’m glad.
He had to give her a more faithful-looking stuffed toy.
– Is there anything for me?
– Yes, I do have something for you. Here, this is for Shizuno.
Moroha took a present and handed it over.
The contents were an elegant headband.
After Shizuno stroked it as if treating it with tender loving care for a while,
– Will Moroha put it on me?
She said something unthinkable.
She graciously removed the horseshoe-shaped headband she was wearing now.
– Err, I don’t really get it. I think your hair will be all messy…
– I’m fine with it. Will.You.Put.it.On.Me?
– Are you angry…?
Moroha gave up and nervously put it on her.
Touching the hair of a girl is kind of erotic──no it’s not!
In the end, he couldn’t put it on her well, and Shizuno’s bangs were unbalanced.
Moroha couldn’t help being anxious as Shizuno confirmed that it was compact, appreciating it from various angles.
But──
Shizuno saw herself and the headband reflected in a hand-mirror and showed a smile on her whole face.
Shizuno. That Shizuno!
Satsuki, Maya and Mari had their eyes wide open.
(This sure did it…)
Moroha felt relieved.
Nelly’s choice was good.
– Hey, hey, hey, you are not giving me a ribbon?
– I gave Jigonyan to Satsuki just now, right?
Was this younger sister the embodiment of greed?
– I have alcohol for the school principal. It seems to be a Scotch whisky called Glenmorangie.
– Ara, that’s fantastic. Is that the choice of your little acquaintance-san?
– Well, yes.
Did Mari find that out based on the topic that came out during the day?
Apart from Leshya, who hadn’t come yet, he finished giving presents to all of them.
Then,
– Well then, it’s time for──
– Let’s have Moroha check our presents!
Shizuno and Satsuki sidled up to him from the left and right, each one with a present in their hands.
– Be gentle…
– Don’t leave it as that! Satsuki-chan’s dictionary is missing a few words!
The one moving first was Ranjou Satsuki.
Moroha opened the present while being nervous.
– … A hand-knitted scarf?
A wooow flowed in the air. Excepting Satsuki.
– Hey, are you happy? Are you super happy? Because it’s fuuuuuuuuuuuuuully packed with my love, absolute warm is guaranteed, you know?
– Yeah, I’m happy. I mean it. …………… But it’s heavy.
As Moroha wrapped it around his neck, feeling anguish,
– I said that elaborated things are prohibited, do you remember? How is this within the means of a high school student?
– At first, I went to buy it with that intention! However, Urushibara instigated me to a match and I──went for it and reconsidered that I had to prepare something. There was no other way.
– You two are doing that again…. Jigonyan doesn’t compare at all with this…
– Hey, look at me, If Moroha treats me better in the future, then we’ll be even.
– ──Ignoring that nonsense, it’s my turn next, yes?
Shizuno, who held a present in her hands, pushed Satsuki aside without hesitation.
Satsuki yelled in protest, but she was soothed by Mari with a “there, there”.
The one moving second was Urushibara Shizuno.
Moroha opened the small wrapped package while being nervous.
– … A pair of travel coupons?
– Let’s spend New Year’s Eve together.
– Urushibaraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Satsuki grabbed her immediately.
– Y-y-you! I thought that you bought something dull as a gift for Moroha! When did you change it for tickets with such an open ulterior motive!?
– Ara? Even Satsuki secretly changed her cards, no? We’re even, aren’t we?
– Yes, but no matter how you look at it, this is cheatiiiiiiiing!
– I get it, but wait, wait. Calm down, Satsuki.
Moroha managed to insert a break there.
As Shizuno gracefully fixed her disheveled hair and clothes with an unsurprising nerve,
– Are you a humorless person? Actually, I thought of having Moroha give this to his family.
– Your jokes are bad for the heart.
– My family…? Are you saying I can give this to my aunt and uncle?
– Yes. It’s a long-established ryokan where reservations can rarely be made. Make sure they enjoy it, alright?
– Ah, then, strictly speaking, this isn’t a gift for Moroha…?
– But Moroha is happy, isn’t he?
– Yes. Thank you.
Moroha received them with pleasure.
(If you want to shoot the general, first shoot his horse──nanodesu)
(As expected of Urushibarsan the tactician…)
He pretended not to hear the voices of Maya and Mari.
On the other hand, Shizuno and Satsuki drew near him from the left and right,
– Then, it’s about time──
– I wonder if Moroha will announce which gift made him happier!
– I’ve told you already, don’t compete for this kind of thing. It’s frankly boorish.
– The feelings of a girl are stronger than boorish!
He didn’t understand the meaning of the words, but he was about to be overpowered by Satsuki’s force.
Moroha came to his senses,
– Whether you like it or not, both made me almost as happy──
– Can Moroha pour the same amount of juice into two cups without a nanoliter of deviation? It’s impossible, right? Perfectly homogeneous equal amounts are nothing more than impracticable theories. I’d like you to tell us which one made you happier, even if the difference is about one nanoliter.
He didn’t understand the meaning of the theory, but he was about to be overwhelmed by Shizuno’s force.
(Hey, hey, Maaya. Do the three of them always make such tumultuous scenes?)
(Moroha is the owner of a terrible ill fortune concerning women nanodesu)
– I can hear you from here. Please stop smirking and give me a hand.
Moroha appealed to Mari and Maya.
However, Satsuki and Shizuno didn’t let go of his arms from the left and right.
– You’re happier with my present, right? If you say you’re happy, I can give you a lap pillow ticket now, what do you say?
Shizuno sat with her legs out to one side and stroked her thighs.
Shizuno’s legs were dressed in glossy stockings.
They weren’t too thick nor too thin, and although they looked soft, they were firm too. Moroha gulped saliva, imagining the feeling. He was a boy after all.
– S-sly. T-Then I’ll also give him a lap pillow ticket!
– Satsuki’s lap pillow ticket? Won’t that feel uncomfortable to sleep because there’s only the feeling of skin and bones?
– I’m not that skinny!
– By the way, the view from my lap pillow is superb, you know?
Shizuno traced her voluptuous chest line with her palm.
Moroha made a sound with his throat, imagining how he would be looking up at the bust directly from below while Shizuno gave him a lap pillow. He was a boy after all.
– Ggggrrrrr, this whole-body erotic weapon…
– Do I take that as a compliment? Ranjou-san has certainly a slender physique, and a beautiful one. But what I’m asking is something else: is that a style that men actually like? Right, Moroha?
– Don’t throw it to me.
– I’m throwing it to you. You’re the one who have to choose.
– Look, come here, Nii-sama! My lap is fragrant.
– But my lap is fragrant too, you know?
– Am I a firefly nooow?
Having his legs snuggled by Shizuno and Satsuki who sat with their legs out to one side from the left and right, Moroha was about to agonize.
It was the kind of agony that couldn’t be shown to the child and teacher.
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He was lost in thought, wondering how to escape from this seductive thigh sandwich attack──
– My apologies. It took me more than expected.
Leshya showed up with a momentum that left the front door open.
She forgot to push the bell, probably because she was very hurried; she breathed heavily.
The goddess of salvation had arrived just in time!
When Satsuki and Shizuno were distracted by Leshya, Moroha escaped from their thighs and went to greet her.
– It’s okay, we haven’t started yet. Come this way and take a seat.
He heard two tongues clicking from behind, but he pretended not to hear them.
– You had something to take care of, right? Are you okay now?
– What I had to do was very personal. To tell the truth… I didn’t know what to buy as a present, I was lost the whole time.
– That’s so typical of Leshya.
Making her sit between Satsuki and Shizuno, Moroha sat opposite her across the sofa table.
– This is my first time, and without knowing the way of doing things, I was at a loss.
– But the good thing about Elensan is that she doesn’t do things half-heartedly.
Being praised by Mari, Leshya looked a bit shy.
– Did you ask on 『5ch』 like always?
– Of course, I created a thread. As usual, the gentlemen taught me a lot of wonderful wisdom. But all the choices they gave me were too expensive for me…
– That’s why you were at a loss desu. Maaya and her little allowance understand your feelings desu.
Moroha totally understood her too.
Because Leshya wasn’t a regular team member of Strikers, she didn’t receive a scholarship. She was a boarding student, so her livelihood wasn’t an inconvenience. It seemed she got some money from the Russian Division, but she felt guilty about using it privately.
– So, referring to the teachings of the gentlemen, I was finally able to prepare presents that wouldn’t cost money, but… will everyone be satisfied with this?
Leshya took out something nervously.
It was paper. To be more precise, they were tickets.
Ten handmade tickets which had “shoulder massage” written on them.
– If you call me, I will come in a flash at any time.
– Although it’s you who we are talking about, this is commendable!
Satsuki jumped from the side and hugged Leshya close who was trembling.
– A grandchild doesn’t give this to their grandpa*.
*TN: This is an extremely literal translation (this line also uses a super vague verb for non-Japanese people like me).
Even though Shizuno verbally attacked her, she ended up taking good care of the ticket she received from Leshya.
– Y-you don’t need it, do you?
– I totally need it.
Moroha also received it with a smile.
Then Leshya made her facial expression brighten enthusiastically and cheerfully gave a ticket to Mari.
When she gave one even to Maya, a child, Moroha and the others couldn’t bear it anymore and burst into laughter.
– Even Maaya’s shoulders become stiff desu. Children have it difficult these days nanodesu.
And Maya inflated her cheeks, inducing a roar of laughter.
It continued for a while, and as Mari wiped the outer corner of her eyes,
– Now that we are all here, and that we’ve finished exchanging presents, shall we start again?
– Let’s party nanodesu!
At the lead of Mari, Maya handed out crackers to everyone.
She explained how to use it to Leshya, then held them together,
– Happy 「「「「「Merry Christmas! Yay!」」」」」
There was one person who still made a mistake.
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Everyone ate and drank to their heart’s content the food and drinks that Mari had prepared.
The friendly conversation never stopped because what they ate was light pick-up-and-eat food such as BLT sandwiches and canapes.
Mari, who emptied the red wine, was now tipsy and sprayed the sex appeal of the adults.
After they completely ate up the cake, they enjoyed the games that Satsuki had prepared.
Maya was (surprisingly) strong in Othello, chess and so forth, and the sullen Satsuki immediately gave up.
When it came to card games, Shizuno’s poker face exercised its power (this wasn’t surprising at all), and the sullen Satsuki gave up.
The most exciting one was the DX reincarnation game.
It had a double structure: the first half was 「Deformed sugoroku: the half a lifetime of a person」 and the second half was 「Deformed sugoroku: You are hit by a truck and reincarnated in a different world」. This was a dynamic game in which turning the tables with a single successful move occurred frequently.
In the first half, Moroha succeeded in saving a small amount of money by choosing a hard job as a public servant, but in the second half he was reincarnated into a slime and was checkmated.
Satsuki had reincarnated from a jobless into a great magician, Shizuno had reincarnated from a system engineer into a robot pilot and Maya had reincarnated from a martial artist into an elf. None of them got involved in the battle for the top. Leshya, who had chosen a similarly reliable office worker, became a person who financially depended on a man after reincarnation, but because things were like this, she tried to win, but her calculations were too optimistic and was easily torn to pieces. Life and reincarnation weren’t something to take lightly.
They played exhaustively and without stopping──and when they noticed, the clock told them it was nine o’clock.
Everyone became tired after playing, and all of them were in a relaxed mood.
Turning on the unseen TV, they engaged in lively conversation as if remembering.
In the middle of that, Mari said.
– Thank you, Haimurkun.
– Why?
– Thanks to you, Maaya was in a gleeful mood all day.
Maya was completely asleep on the lap of Mari who was sitting on the corner sofa as if she were a pillow.
– She couldn’t imagine something like this for Christmas last year.
Mari stroked angel-chan’s head and untangled her golden hair with her hand.
– But I’m not the one who organized it.
Moroha, sitting on the opposite side of the corner sofa, waved his hand, saying, “no, not at all”.
– But without you, I think we couldn’t have a party without people gathering.
– That’s not true. Maaya is the definition of energy and is gifted with charm and personality.
Shizuno and Leshya nodded to Moroha’s words.
Shizuno-san was just about to say 「I wouldn’t have come if Moroha weren’t here」, but fortunately she read the situation.
– I’m the one who should be thanking you. You let us use your apartment. My 『younger sister』 also had her first Christmas party, we had lots of fun.
Moroha looked down.
Satsuki, who became tired after playing, fell asleep and lay her head in his lap.
Imitating Mari, Moroha also stroked her head.
– Ranjou Satsuki said it during the day. “I was so excited about today that I couldn’t sleep last night”.
– Just like Maaya.
– She’s completely a child, don’t you agree?
Moroha, Leshya and Mari chuckled at Shizuno’s comment that sounded like a joke.
What a happy time this was.
Moroha thought so without exaggeration.
He couldn’t help but pray for this to last forever.
But the reality wasn’t as kind as Santa, it would never give a Christmas present around midnight tonight.
It was depressing to think about tomorrow’s school, but it would be appropriate to put Satsuki and Maya to sleep and disband, in other words, disperse past ten o’clock.
If that’s the case, then I should cherish my time with Shizuno and the others for at least another hour, he thought.
──At that very moment.
Suddenly, and without any proper advance warning, Satsuki jumped up.
If Moroha hadn’t raised his head right away, she would have bumped into him.
– What’s wrong?
Surprised, he asked.
Satsuki didn’t reply anything.
No, she hugged her body as if she couldn’t answer and made her body quiver.
– Did you have a scary dream?
He talked to her in a gentle voice.
Satsuki still couldn’t reply.
She just stared outside the window. Unable to take her frightened eyes from it.
This wasn’t something common.
And Moroha remembered that Satsuki had gone through something like this several times in the past.
– Give me a break…
Moroha expressed to himself the dissatisfaction that couldn’t hit anyone.
He cursed his bad luck because he had to say these words on Christmas Eve, on this pleasant day, and when they were all happy.
Moroha asked.
With a stern look.
Is it a 《Metaphysical》?──He said.
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