Volume 1 Chapter 1: Encounter with Santa Part 2
“I’m home.”
When I
arrive home, I say “I’m home”, even though there’s no one to respond.
It’s moments
like these when living alone makes me feel lonely.
Although my
university isn’t particularly far from my family home, I decided to live alone
anyway.
I thought I’d
like to invite friends over to hang out, but for me, living alone had more
disadvantages than advantages.
I especially
found it tough not having meals prepared for me.
I hung my
favorite jacket on a hanger and tossed my phone onto a pile of laundry stacked
on the carpet.
The moment I
did, my phone screen lit up. Picking it up from the glow of a pile of laundry,
I saw a notification – it was a new message from Ayaka.
[I’m having
a mixer on Christmas – you’re coming.]
“On
Christmas, seriously?”
I replied
out loud without thinking.
Tomorrow is
Christmas Eve.
It’s such
short notice. Besides, I already have plans with Shinohara tomorrow, and
honestly, going out on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day feels like too
much.
[I’ve
already made plans, so I can’t]
Send.
Two seconds
later, my phone rang. As expected, it was Ayaka.
“What.”
[“That’s my
line, why are you lying?”]
“What.”
[“That’s my
line, why are you lying?”]
“Lying?”
Right, of
course Ayaka wouldn’t believe I’d actually have plans.
It’s even
more irritating to think that if I hadn’t met that Santa girl, Ayaka would’ve
been completely right.
[“We’re
short on people. Look, I’m even bowing my head here – please.”]
“I can’t see
you, you know.”
Apparently,
the number of guys and girls at the mixer didn’t match.
It was rare
for Ayaka, who had a wide circle of friends, to struggle to gather enough
people.
If Ayaka
just said the word, plenty of people would come running.
“Wait,
shouldn’t the guys’ side be responsible for bringing guys? Why are you handling
it again?”
[“This time,
I figured I’d introduce my handpicked guy friends to the girls.”]
“Handpicked,
huh.”
[“And you’ve
splendidly made the cut! Congratulations!”]
“I’m hanging
up.”
[“Wait,
wait! I’m sorry!”]
Judging by
Ayaka’s panicked voice, it seemed she really was desperate.
“What the
hell! Besides, if they’re your ‘handpicked’ guys, I’ll just stick out if I show
up!”
[“Oh, that’s
not true. I actually like you quite a bit, you know?”]
TL/N: Lucky
She said
that in a puzzled, matter-of-fact tone.
“Uh, o-okay.
Did you hit your head or something?”
[“Ooh,
someone’s embarrassed! Anyway, what’s this about plans? Are you really not
lying?”]
“You…”
I bit my lip
annoyed at how easily she’d managed to fluster me.
“…I was
invited by Santa.”
[Huh, Santa?”]
Her tone
clearly implied, “What are you talking about?”
“A younger
girl dressed as Santa. Well, stuff happened.”
Then I
explained to her what happened earlier.
After
hearing the whole story, Ayaka let out a thoughtful “Hmm”, then spoke in a
suspicious tone.
[“…Aren’t
you getting tricked?”]
“Huh? You
think so?”
[“You
arranging a date just because you scattered some flyers is pretty sketchy too,
but then again, that’s exactly what I’d expect from the pickup king himself.”]
“Hey, hold
on! I’ve never picked up anyone in my life!”
I tried
protesting, unwilling to let that comment slide, but she shut me down
immediately with a sharp, “Don’t interrupt.”
I think it’s
her fault for saying something worth interrupting.
[“And you
know what? I think that girl, inviting an older guy she just met, sounds even
more sketchy. I wouldn’t be surprised if some other guy suddenly showed up
during your date and started demanding money or something…”]
“What is
this, some kind of honey trap? There’s no way that’s happening.”
[“Who knows?
But anyway, good thing I found out your date’s tomorrow on Christmas Eve.”]
“Huh?”
[“Well then,
see you at the usual place by the station at 6 PM the day after tomorrow. Bye!”]
I stared
blankly at the phone screen after the abrupt disconnection.
She had
always been bossy, even back in high school, but lately it felt like she was
getting even more careless in how she treated me.
Translators note: Wow. Once again, I would like to apologize for taking so long to release the next part—and it's a short one at that. Good news is, I graduate on May 9th. Once that's over, I'll be free to dedicate more time to translating due to not having to study 24/7. Also, at the request of others, I will try to do the Ayaka side story from the spin-off novel simultaneously. (Personally, I want to read it as well.) I thank you for your patience. Take care
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