Volume 1 Chapter 1: Encounter with Santa Part 3
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
It was Christmas Eve – the day I’d promised to meet
Shinohara.
Shinohara, formerly Santa, arrived exactly on time.
“Hey. Right on time, I wasn’t waiting long.”
“Actually, I intended to catch the earlier train, but… it
was so crowded, I missed it.”
I nodded in sympathy. It felt like there had been twice as
many couples as usual on the train today.
“Shall we get going?”
“I’ll lead the way”, she offered, and I followed behind her.
As we walked, I noticed guys from passing couples sneaking
glances at Shinohara. She seemed to have put extra effort into her makeup
today, and there wasn’t a hint of the younger, more innocent vibe she’d had
yesterday.
She was so startlingly cute that, despite myself, my heart
began to race.
We passed beneath an overpass, veering off from the main
street crowded with couples onto a quieter road. It wasn’t exactly deserted,
but there were clearly fewer people around. Unlike the main street lined with
buildings ten stories or taller, this area had mostly two-story buildings, each
adorned with festive Christmas decorations. It was obvious at a glance that
this was a popular spot for couples.
“This is it”, Shinohara said, pointing – not to one of the
two-story buildings – but to a staircase leading down into a basement.
Watching her proceed without even glancing back at me, I
suddenly remembered Ayaka’s warning from yesterday.
“Hm? Is something wrong?”
Shinohara stopped midway and looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“No, it’s nothing.” I replied, shaking off Ayaka’s warning
from my mind as I followed Shinohara down the stairs. There was a heavy-looking
door ahead, so I reached out from behind her to help open it.
*Ring Ring*
A gentle chiming sound greeted us as we stepped through,
perfectly fitting the Christmas atmosphere. The staff gave us an unusually
courteous greeting, rare for chain restaurants, making me straighten my posture
instinctively.
“We have a reservation for 6:30, under Shinohara,” she told
the staff, who bowed again and led us deeper into the restaurant.
The interior was dimly lit, and no seats were visible from
the hallway. Each section was separated by doors, creating private rooms. The
room we were guided to featured a sofa where two people could sit side by side,
and glasses were already set on the table.
“This clearly feels like it’s meant for couples.”
“Well, it is a Christmas course.”
Shinohara responded casually, taking the inner seat and
gesturing with her eyes for me to sit next to her.
“Uh…”
“This is supposed to be an apology, remember?”
“Right, sorry about that.”
Her words reminded me that I was the one who suggested this.
Even though we had just met yesterday, being brought to a place like this
inevitably made me conscious of the situation, but I decided to calm down a
bit.
“It’s a course meal, but you can order drinks separately.
Feel free to choose whatever alcohol you’d like,” Shinohara said, handing me
the drink menu. The prices were about three times higher than an average pub,
meaning I’d have to carefully consider my wallet when ordering.
“Seriously, does the course really just cost eight thousand
yen?”
“Yep. It’s a hidden gem.” Shinohara said with a proud grin.
“That’s reassuring. But why did you want to bring me here so
badly anyway?”
“I’m glad you asked!” Her eyes sparkled excitedly at my
question, making it clear she wasn’t planning some kind of honey trap.
“Last week, my boyfriend cheated on me!”
She declared indignantly, then lifted her glass to her lips
despite it being empty.
“Huh? It’s empty.”
“You should’ve noticed before bringing it to your mouth,” I
sighed, somewhat exasperated.
“Besides, you’re underage. Even if they pour you something,
don’t drink it.”
“Oh, don’t be so uptight. Didn’t you drink during freshman
welcome parties, senpai?” Shinohara said, pouting as she put her glass down.
Drinking only after turning twenty was often ignored during
freshman welcome parties, not because today’s generation was irresponsible, but
due to an unfortunate tradition that had persisted for years.
“No way. I politely refused.”
“Really?” Shinohara narrowed her eyes, smirking
mischievously. That devilish smile suggested she’d easily wrapped a few guys
around her finger before.
From there, our conversation drifted to our shared
university experiences until Shinohara suddenly stopped mid-sentence just as
the main dish was about to arrive.
“Wait, are we just glossing over what I said earlier? That
was pretty shocking news, wasn’t it?”
“You totally forgot about it too, didn’t you?”
“N-no, I didn’t! We just got sidetracked!”
“True enough. Doesn’t feel like we only met yesterday.”
“Yeah, anyway-“
Shinohara cleared her throat.
“My boyfriend cheated on me.”
“Uh, yeah.”
It had less impact the second time around, and I struggled
with how to react. Thinking about how I’d similarly troubled my friends before,
I quickly downed the cocktail I’d ordered to hide my discomfort.
“You know, I carefully picked this place after lots of
research. I never thought I’d end up here with a senior I barely know.”
“You invited me, remember?”
“This delicious meat, the drinks, the soup- I originally
booked all this to enjoy with that boyfriend!”
“You don’t seem very upset, though.”
I finally pointed out her overly dramatic tone.
“Oh, you noticed?” Shinohara stuck out her tongue playfully.
“He was my first boyfriend, but throughout middle and high school, I kept
turning down guys who confessed to me.”
“Wow, you got confessed to often?”
“Yep, I’m pretty popular, you know,” she replied casually,
as if it didn’t matter much to her. Given her appearance, I wasn’t surprised
and nodded in agreement.
“Then why did you date this time?”
She paused thoughtfully, then snapped her fingers.
“Well, you see – I wanted to experience typical couple
stuff.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, seeing everyone’s posts on social media made me
envious. I thought it’d be nice to have a boyfriend and go to different
places.”
“Ah, I see.”
Indeed, many people start dating for that reason, especially
around this season when social media posts seem deliberately designed to show
off. Recently, it had made me check social media less often.
“So, I dated someone for the first time. But having it end
in cheating feels awful. Well, not just the ending, but feeling like I got the
short end of the stick.”
“Yeah, I guess anyone would feel that way.”
When I experienced being cheated on, I was pretty shaken –
no, genuinely devastated – to the point that I was bedridden for about a week.
Even Ayaka, who rarely showed much concern, got worried
enough to take notes for me during classes.
“He cheated, but I’m sure he still likes me. So, I want to
get a bit of revenge before breaking up,” Shinohara said casually.
“How exactly?”
“I haven’t figured it out yet, but maybe something safe like
making him see me getting cozy with someone else. Though I’d need someone to
cooperate.”
“Good luck,” I said simply, shifting my gaze to the beef
filet that had just arrived as our main dish.
“So, about that, Senpai-”
“I refuse.”
[TL/N: Rohan Kishibe would be proud.]
“But I haven’t said anything yet!”
Pretending to be lovers – such a scenario had once appeared
in a manga I’d read. Anticipating a similar request, I’d refused in advance.
Judging by her reaction, my instincts were probably spot on.
“Please, just a little bit! First, we just need to show him
how close we are!"
“No way. I know tonight was my idea, but this has nothing to
do with that. Ask someone else.”
“This is embarrassing – I can’t ask friends I actually know
well!”
That might be true, but her relying on me was equally
troubling. There had to be someone else more suitable. With Shinohara’s looks,
she just needed to speak up, and guys would line up to help.
“Look, I’ll cover tonight’s bill. How about it?”
“No way, I can’t just let a younger girl pay for me. Let’s
just split it normally.”
If the situation were reversed, and I’d been the one
inviting a girl out, I wouldn’t hesitate to pay the entire bill myself. Though
I had no intention of paying for Shinohara tonight, it still felt wrong to let
her pay for me.
“Don’t worry about it. I earned plenty from my Santa job,
and if it means hiring you for this plan, it’s money well spent. I’ll pay no
matter what you say, so please just accept and cooperate.”
“T-that’s ridiculous logic…”
“Listen, I’m definitely paying tonight. So stop worrying and
enjoy this beef.”
“It’s beef filet.”
The course menu described it as Rossini-style.
“Senpay, what exactly is Rossini-style?”
“I think it’s beef topped with foie gras and truffles.”
“Wow! You’re so knowledgeable, senpai!”
I couldn’t admit that I’d only known this because I’d once
eaten it with my ex-girlfriend. I remembered that filet had been tasty, though
perhaps not entirely worth its price
I cut into the beef filet and took a bite.
“Wow, this is really good…” I couldn’t help murmuring,
savoring the flavor.
Meat like this usually pairs well with red wine, but
unfortunately, I hadn’t developed a taste for it yet. Instead, I opened the
menu again, looking for a suitable cocktail.
Watching me with satisfaction, Shinohara flashed a
triumphant smile.
“Hehe, I’m glad my careful menu selection paid off. Then
it’s settled – thank you in advance for tomorrow, senpai.”
Hearing that, I almost choked.
“H-hold on! I have plans tomorrow-“
“What? How come you have plans on Christmas, senpai?”
“Hey, isn’t your treatment of me getting a little sloppy way
too quickly?”
“Not at all. So, what’s your plan?”
“I have a mixer. Well, I don’t plan to stay very long,
though.”
“…A mixer,” Shinohara replied, her expression unreadable.
“Sorry for being the kind of guy who goes to mixers on
Christmas.”
“No, it’s not that. Well, if you finish early, let’s meet
afterward. If it seems like it’ll drag on, we can reschedule. Just message me
later.”
After saying that decisively, Shinohara started eating her
filet as well.
Watching her repeatedly exclaim “delicious!” in a voice that
seemed almost punctuated with heart marks, I sighed, realizing she was exactly
the same type as Ayaka.
It seemed like this Christmas would turn out to be quite
something.
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