Volume 1 Chapter 2: The Christmas Mixer
It was Christmas Day
I was seated at a table in a stylish restaurant - one Ayaka had reserved in advance. Strangely enough, despite the ambiance, there wasn't a couple in sight.
“Seriously, how'd you even find a place like this? I thought all the trendy spots would be overrun with couples this time of year."
The place didn't quite match the luxury or atmosphere of yesterday's restaurant, but with its more affordable prices, I had to admit - it suited me a lot better.
Whether she knew what I was thinking or not, Ayaka flashed a smug grin and gave me a thumbs-up.
“Internet searches can only get you so far. A proper recon mission is where it's at. I'm the organizer here, so I take that job seriously."
“You're always pretty on top of stuff like that."
I meant it as a straightforward compliment, but apparently Ayaka wasn't thrilled with how I phrased it.
“'Stuff like that'? You make it sound like I'm a total mess the rest of the time. I'll have you know, I'm always on top of things."
“Yeah, yeah. So hey, can I ask you something?"
I leaned forward slightly across the table to meet her eyes.
“W-What is it, all serious like?"
“Why is it... no one else is here?"
At that, a flicker of panic crossed Ayaka's face.
“Y-You just had to go and ask... the forbidden question of this gathering."
That expression, that theatrical tone of voice - both suited her perfectly. With a face that all my friends unanimously called beautiful, she looked every bit the actress when she put on a performance like this.
But honestly, the days when that kind of thing made my heart race had ended back in high school.
“Give me a break. What do you mean we're the only ones here? Guys and girls alike - just us?"
I could've sworn she said over the phone that this was a proper mixer.
“…I made a mistake.”
“Come again?"
" told you the wrong time! You're the only one I told to come an hour early!"
Ayaka dropped the act in an instant, switching back to her usual tone.
“Sure, I messed up. But still, you could've checked your phone. I sent you messages - like, a bunch - and you didn't even leave me on read."
“Wait, seriously?”
I checked, and sure enough, there were several messages from earlier that afternoon.
[Sorry, I gave you the wrong time. It's 8 p.m. meet-up.]
[8 p.m., okay?!]
[Hey, if you don't reply, I'll have to show up at that time too, you know?]
[At least read the message!]
[Fine! I'll go if that's what you want!]
“…You’re right.”
I usually had videos running in the background at home, so I guess I missed the notifications. Having my phone on silent certainly didn't help.
“I was wondering why you weren't replying, but I figured you were just feeling lonely living on your own and had some music blasting or something."
Ayaka let out an exasperated sigh.
"Since it'd be awkward to keep you waiting at the meeting spot, I figured I'd show up early."
"Huh."
Well, sure, the one who made the mistake in the first place was Ayaka.
But the fact that she went out of her way to cover for it - yeah, that's just like her, for better or worse.
Maybe I should thank her later.
"By the way, how'd we even get in? We're still an hour early for the reservation."
"This hour's usually slow, so they let us in early as a favor. I'll make sure to thank them when we pay."
After that, we spent about forty minutes chatting about nothing in particular, waiting for everyone to arrive.
As much as I hated to admit it, Ayaka was the one I felt most comfortable around out of all my friends. Not that I could ever say that to her - she'd tease me to no end. But honestly, this quiet time with just the two of us was way more enjoyable than any group mixer.
◇
◆
“Yo!” “Hey!” “Sup!”
The male members arrived with typical university-guy
greetings, completing the group for the mixer.
Ayaka had chosen well; the faces were indeed good-looking.
They could easily earn a lot of points just by greeting normally. ‘Yo’ and
‘Hey’ I could understand, but what was with the shortened ‘Sup’? It took hardly
any effort to say ‘What’s up,’ it’s not like they’re saving any time. Besides,
it’s nighttime.
“Good evening, everyone!”
Ayaka greeted them with a bright smile.
Seeing her polished performance, I couldn’t help but smirk
inwardly. Ayaka had always been popular, ever since high school. Many people,
regardless of gender, liked her. And the main reason for that was her outwardly
cheerful, friendly demeanor.
Though glimpses of her sharper, usual attitude would slip
through as we got closer, it seemed tonight Ayaka was carefully portraying herself as a harmless, energetic girl.
“Yo, Ayaka-chan! Thanks for inviting me today!”
“No , thank you for coming on such short notice,
Motosaka-kun! I’m happy you’re here.”
“Nah, if you invite me, Ayaka-chan, I’ll go anywhere!”
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, you know?”
Ayaka laughed lightly, and knowing the real Ayaka, I nearly
laughed as well.
Once the mixer started, conversations among the guys and
girls quickly became lively. Despite it being a rushed gathering, the guys were
chatty, and all the girls were attractive. It was impossible not to have fun.
Even I, despite initially being reluctant, found myself
enjoying the conversation for about an hour. The setup had guys and girls
facing each other, and the girl across from me shared my interest in manga,
which sparked lively discussions.
However, the guy named Motosaka sitting across from Ayaka
seemed less interested in general conversation and more intent on openly
flirting with her.
“Man, I wish I had a girlfriend like you, Ayaka-chan.”
“You’re cool, Motosaka-kun, I’m sure you’ll find one soon!”
“Hmm, I don’t know. It’d be great if she was someone like
you, Ayaka-chan!”
“Oh stop it, you’re making me blush!”
“Hahaha!”
Motosaka laughed loudly, slapping the table dramatically.
I could see right through him. This was clearly a serious
attempt at flirting, disguised as casual banter. Though I hadn’t had much
dating experience myself, I had seen enough guys approach Ayaka to recognize
this type instantly.
Ayaka often said she wanted a boyfriend, yet she
consistently brushed off advances from guys who seemed shallow or insincere.
And sadly, it was always those types who flocked to
her – drawn in by her looks like moths to a flame.
Back in high school, it wasn’t so bad. But ever since she’d
started college, the pattern had become much more noticeable.
I remember once asking her why she still acted so friendly
with guys she clearly had no interest in.
“Because there’s no downside to it,” she had replied,
matter-of-factly.
Personally, I always felt like that kind of thing could
easily spiral into trouble. But maybe someone like Ayaka, with her confidence
and social skills, was just good at resolving problems before they ever became
real issues.
I never asked beyond that, so I wouldn’t know for sure.
…Anyway, back to this guy – Motosaka.
The moment the group date officially began, he started
guzzling drinks like it was a race, and his voice kept getting louder with each
passing minute.
The place we were in wasn’t some rowdy pub – it was
mid-range, sit-down izakaya – so our group had already begun to attract
attention.
Then, as if that weren’t enough, he started throwing crude
questions at the girls. Even Ayaka, who was usually unflappable, began
twitching at the temple.
“Motosaka-kun, you’re kinda being loud,” she said with a
forced smile. “And maybe… tone it down a bit with those kinds of questions? You
only just met these girls.”
“What? Why?” Motosaka bellowed, clearly drunk. “I’m speaking
for all the guys here! I’m just asking stuff everyone wants to ask!”
He said it like he was doing us all a favor, like he was
some sort of spokesperson for our gender. From the way he was carrying on, you’d
think I’d personally handed him a list of raunchy topics to bring up.
The other two guys at our table exchanged glances and gave
strained smiles.
Yeah, no – this was definitely his mess, and his
alone.
“Still,” I muttered, “you can see they’re clearly
uncomfortable…”
When I said that, Motosaka’s face twisted sharply.
“What’s up with that? You guys are seriously no fun.”
“It’s not about fun. I mean, just look at the mood now.”
“That’s just ‘cause
you interrupted the conversation, isn’t it?”
“No. That’s not it.”
“And how can you be so sure?”
Motosaka glared at me, making no effort to hide the irritation
in his voice.
“Besides, the mixers I used to go to were always like this.
This is just normal, right?”
At those words, Ayaka opened her mouth to respond.
“Sure, maybe there are mixers like that, but…”
Her unspoken plea – At least read the room and realize
this isn’t one of them – practically echoed in the air.
But, hopelessly insensitive as ever, Motosaka didn’t get it.
“Whatever. Anyway, like I was saying-” he continued, trying to bring the conversation back.
Up until now, the girls sitting beside Ayaka had just been
giving strained smiles throughout Motosaka’s ramblings. But now their
expressions had become visibly uncomfortable.
From the looks of it, Ayaka had probably invited some acquaintances
she wasn’t too familiar with. And unfortunately, she was the one who had also
invited Motosaka.
She seemed to be aware of the fact as well, and for a
moment, her expression stiffened with resolve.
Just as Ayaka opened her mouth, about to finally speak up-
A voice, cheerful to the point of shattering the tense atmosphere,
rang out across the room.
“Whoa – senpaai!”
Bounding toward us with bright energy was the very same
college girl who had recently retired from her role as Santa: Shinohara.
“Good evening, Hasegawa-Senpai!”
With her eyes sparkling, Shinohara drew closer.
Her stunning looks turned heads all around the restaurant.
Even among the group of cute girls gathered at the mixer, she stood out like a
star.
The only one who could possibly rival Shinohara in looks,
Ayaka, was left speechless, her expression caught somewhere between surprise
and confusion at the unexpected visitor.
Sitting at the edge of the table closest to the aisle, I
stood up, wondering what the hell kind of timing this was.
“Y-yo. Fancy running into you here.”
“Senpai~, long time no see – like, since yesterday!”
Shinohara’s voice was unusually sweet, almost cloyingly so.
It wasn’t like her. I don’t remember her ever speaking to me like this, and
from what I’d seen, she wasn’t the type to put on this kind of act in front of
others either.
More importantly, I hadn’t even told her where this mixer
was taking place. How the hell did she find us?
As I stood there puzzled, someone unexpected spoke up.
“Oi, what the hell are you doing here, Mayu?”
It was Motosaka.
Even after being warned by both Ayaka and me, he hadn’t shown a hint of
shame. Yet now, the moment he saw Shinohara, his face turned pale.
Calling her by her name, and reacting like that?
It wasn’t hard to guess what kind of relationship they had.
“Oh, so this is where you were,” Shinohara said coolly, her
tone completely different from the one she’d used with me just moments before.
“Yeah… I mean, yeah. But Mayu, what are you even doing here?”
“Does it matter why I’m here? Just a coincidence, that’s
all, Yūdō-senpai.”
Her cold, cutting gaze carried more weight precisely because
of her usual sweetness. And it was terrifying.
Glancing briefly at the girls’ side of the table, Shinohara
let out a small sigh.
“You look like you’re having a great time.”
“Mayu, just so you don’t get the wrong idea – this is just a
Christmas party. That’s all.”
“A party, huh?” Shinohara replied, her tone sharp. “Doesn’t
really look like one to me.”
“Come on, it’s not what it looks like. I learned my lesson
after the last time.”
Motosaka reached out and placed a hand on Shinohara’s head,
but she swatted it away without hesitation.
“It’s a mixer, isn’t it?
Having pieced together their relationship, I finally spoke
up.
If Motosaka had been acting like a normal person, I probably
would’ve kept quiet. But honestly? I felt like saying it out loud now.
“You said it yourself earlier, didn’t you? That this is just
like every other mixer where you drop dirty jokes on every girl at the table.
So why are you lying now?”
“Y-you bastard…”
Motosaka shot me a death glare, his face twisted in rage.
I stared back at him blankly, pretending not to notice, as
if I didn’t know what he was so mad about.
Shinohara sighed and gave a little shake of her head.
“Yeah, that’s about what I figured. I am technically Yūdō-senpai’s
girlfriend, so could you not make me look stupid in front of everyone?”
“That’s not true! You’re just joking, right?! Tell me you’re
joking!”
Motosaka clicked his tongue and turned his fury on
Shinohara.
“And what about you, huh?! You’re always saying you
don’t have any guy friends – so what’s going on with this guy?!”
“Unbelievable. Look who’s talking… Also, you’re being loud.
Keep your voice down, please.”
With a calm gesture, Shinohara brought a finger to her lips
to shush him. And somehow, after ignoring every bit of criticism from me and
Ayaka earlier, Motosaka actually fell silent.
What Shinohara had said yesterday – “Even if he cheats,
he still totally loves me” – was starting to sound a lot more believable
now.
“And as for my relationship with Hasegawa-senpai,” she
added, “we’re just two people who happened to spend Christmas Eve together.”
Pfft.
I couldn’t help but let out a snort.
I opened my mouth to clarify, but the sharp look in
Shinohara’s eyes stopped me cold.
A silent plea: 'Just go along with it, please.'
…Fine. She’s buying me something later for this.
When Motosaka heard about us spending Christmas Eve
together, the color drained from his already pale face.
“Hold on, hold… That’s cheating! You seriously think it’s
okay for girls to cheat?”
“But guys are allowed to?” Shinohara asked, raising an
eyebrow.
“Well, I mean… girls shouldn’t, right?”
“Motosaka’s voice had dropped to a mutter, but the damage
was already done. It was painfully obvious to everyone whose side had the upper
hand.
That’s when Ayaka clapped her hands together sharply.
“Okay! Let’s call it a night here. We’ll hang out again when
everyone’s free.”
The girls sitting next to her visibly lit up in relief.
Apparently, Ayaka had decided that calling it early was
better than trying to smooth things over with Motosaka.
“Haaah… I only came because Ayaka-chan invited me, but man,
the people here… Next time, try getting a better group.”
He made sure everyone could hear his parting shot as he
stormed off to pay his share of the bill.
The fact that he still thought Ayaka would invite him again
was almost impressive.
“Let’s go, Mayu,” he snapped.
He headed for the door without looking back, and to my
surprise, Shinohara followed after him without protest.
Just before they stepped out, she turned and gave me a
little wave.
“See you later, Senpai.”
I raised a hand in return, still feeling too confused to
manage anything else.
The Way Shinohara swatted Motosaka’s hand away when he tried
to touch her hair really stuck with me.
“Sorry, everyone… even though it’s Christmas…”
Ayaka, usually unfazed, actually looked a bit down as she paid
the bill.
The others, both guys and girls, all chimed in to reassure
her.
Watching that, I quietly stepped ahead and opened the door.
Sha-ran.
The jingle of the doorbell, perfect for Christmas, somehow
sounded lonelier than it should have.
“Ughhh, seriously! That was the worst!”
On the way home, I was walking down the night-lit street
alone with Ayaka.
Everyone else from the mixer had split up at the station,
heading their own separate ways.
“Well, consider it a learning experience. If you invite
people you’ve never drunk with before, you’re bound to get one or two like him.”
“But why’d it have to be Christmas? I don’t even know
how to apologize to everyone.”
“They were all reassuring you, weren’t they? They had fun-right
up until Motosaka started messing everything up.”
I was enjoying myself too, so having it ruined was a bit of
a letdown.
I didn’t even talk about anything deep, but the girl across
from me really shared my taste in manga, and the conversation flowed easily.
“If they were really enjoying it, someone would’ve suggested
a second round after Motosaka left. But no one said a word. This whole thing
was a flop.”
“Really? I thought I heard people chatting normally
afterward.”
“That’s because I couldn’t shift the conversation away from
Motosaka. He was hitting on me the whole time, so I couldn’t include everyone
else. It ended up forcing everyone into one-on-one conversations. The girls
next to me were trying so hard to keep things going… but yeah, that’s just an
excuse.”
Ayaka let out a dramatic sigh and pushed her hair back in
frustration.
“Well, sounds like you were having fun at least. One
of the girls asked me to get your contact info.”
“Oh, for real? Maybe it’s ‘cause we hit it off over manga.”
Ayaka gave a nod, straightforward and casual.
“She knew you spent Christmas Eve with another girl and
still asked for your contact. So I’m guessing she just wants to be friends. At
the very least, you should reply to her message.”
Then, as if remembering something, Ayaka suddenly came to a
stop.
“Wait-hang on. You knew Shinohara? The Santa girl you
spent Christmas Eve with… was her?”
“Yeah, that’s her. Shinohara was Santa.”
“Huh. What a crazy coincidence. That girl’s actually my
junior, you know.”
And with that, the little question that had been tugging at
the back of my mind was answered.
“So that’s how she found the place – because you told her
where the mixer was.”
“Yep. She asked about it…Although, now that I think about
it, I don’t remember ever telling her you’d be there. She didn’t look surprised
at all, did she?”
“Nope. Maybe you just forgot you mentioned it.”
It wouldn’t be the first time Ayaka introduced me to people
without warning me. It’s basically tradition at this point.
Apparently satisfied with my answer, Ayaka nodded.
Soon, we reached the usual spot where we went our separate
ways.
It was a busy street, so there wasn’t any need to walk her
home.
“Sorry about today. I’ll make it up to you.”
“You don’t have to. Really, don’t stress over it.”
“But I dragged you out, and then that happened. I won’t feel
right unless I do something. How about I treat you to a date?”
She twirled a strand of her black hair between her fingers
as she offered, the soft streetlight catching the shine of it just right.
Her dark hair glowed under the white lights – sleek, smooth,
and flawless.
I swallowed the thought before it could slip out and let out
a slow breath.
“Making it up to me with a date? Bit full of
yourself, aren’t you?”
“Aw, come on. Most guys would be over the moon right now.”
Ayaka smiled, raising the corner of her mouth in that
signature teasing of hers.
…Except, it looked a little forced.
Because she always teased like this, that subtle shift in
expression was easy for me to catch. Something was different this time.
“…Well, I mean. If I were the type to get swept off my feet
that easily, we probably wouldn’t be this close in the first place. Just
hanging out like this is already fun.”
Hearing that, Ayaka blinked a few times – her big eyes
blinking wide in surprise.
“…Yeah. You’re right.”
Under the street lamp, she tilted her head back and looked up
at the night sky.
The smile she gave then wasn’t the usual pasted-on grin she
wore around others. It was the gentle kind – one she only ever showed when it
was just the two of us.
When she whispered thanks, she looked more beautiful
than ever.
◇
◆
After parting ways with Ayaka and heading home, my usual
messy one-room apartment greeted me like a loyal dog.
It was only ten in the evening – right around the time
couples across the country were probably just getting started.
I hadn’t checked social media in a while, so I opened the
app, and sure enough, my timeline was flooded with posts from friends from high
school and college.
And, as expected for this time of year, most of them were
just begging to be roasted.
Posts like “Christmas date in my cute holiday outfit! But
I’m sooo not confident~” made me want to yell, Then don’t post the damn
picture in the first place.
And “The Christmas tree is HUGE!” – only for the
photo to be a couple’s selfie with zero tree in sight. If you’re gonna talk about
the tree, at least show the tree.
Normally, stuff like this wouldn’t bother me. But tonight
was different. It was Christmas, after all.
I hated to admit it, but… a part of me was jealous of those
couples. That was the truth of it.
If I kept scrolling like this, I knew I was only going to get
more bitter. I hovered my finger over the power button – but then, for no
reason at all, I gave the timeline one last flick.
And that’s when a certain post caught my eye.
“I have a feeling today’s going to be a special day ♪”
Totally ordinary. Harmless. The kind of vague optimism
people post all the time.
But the profile icon – it was unmistakable.
That soft brown dyed hair belonged to none other than my
ex-girlfriend: Aisaka Reina.
We broke up just a month ago after I caught her cheating.
I thought I’d mostly gotten over it. But the moment I saw
her face, something inside twisted.
“…Tch.”
There was no one else in the room, but I clicked my tongue
as if to push away the sudden wave of bitterness.
Just from her saying “special day,” I could imagine all too
well what that meant.
The signs had been there as our one-year anniversary
approached. Subtle, at first.
She started replying to my texts less often.
Then came the half-hearted excuses. She turned down dates
more often than not. Eventually, she even started canceling at the last minute.
Even so, the few times we did go out were genuinely
fun. And every time, she’d post pictures on her socials. I kept telling myself
that meant she still cared – that maybe, just maybe, we could get back what we
had.
Just remembering it made me groan.
“Ugh, I gotta stop thinking about this.”
There was no point in dwelling on it. Back when I was a mess
after the breakup, I promised myself that once I got over it, I wouldn’t mope
around again. If I kept doing this forever, I wouldn’t be able to face Ayaka,
who had gone out of her way to offer me awkward but well-meaning encouragement.
To reset my mood, I stretched my body out as far as it would
go.
My back cracked in several places – satisfyingly so.
Whenever I’m feeling frustrated like this, moving my body
really is the best fix.
…Come to think of it.
I wondered if Shinohara had made it home okay.
Yesterday she said she wanted to break up with her boyfriend
after getting revenge for his cheating.
So today – Christmas Day – was when she carried that out?
Knowing Motosaka and his pride, getting into a public fight
and getting dumped on Christmas of all days… had to sting hard
And breakups between couples are always the ripest for
drama.
“Leave without muddying the waters” might be a great
proverb, but it sure doesn’t apply to breakups.
Those peaceful partings where both sides agree, maybe even
go back to being friends later… Yeah, watching Shinohara and Motosaka, that seemed
like pure fantasy.
Before I even realized it, I had her LINE screen open and
hit the call button. The familiar ringtone echoed – but this time, it felt
strangely cold and lifeless.
She never picked up. And the screen faded to black.
It had already been about an hour since we all parted ways.
She should’ve been home by now.
I had a bad feeling—but without being able to get in touch
with her, there was nothing I could do.
I didn’t know where Shinohara lived, and besides, most of the time these
ominous feelings just ended up being baseless overthinking anyway.
By morning, I’d probably have forgotten all about this
little twinge of unease.
I let out a long yawn and pressed the button to run the
bath.
Just then, my phone rang.
When I picked up, Shinohara’s voice came through.
[“Hello? Senpai?”]
“Oh – Shinohara. Thank God.”
Relief escaped my lips before I could stop it.
A quiet chuckle followed from the other end.
[“Don’t tell me… Senpai, did you call me because you were
worried?”]
“Well… I mean, yeah. That guy seemed like a hassle. You two
left together, and I couldn’t help but wonder, you know?”
[“Haha, you’re overthinking it. Nothing happened.”]
She denied it in her usual bright tone.
[“Actually, I was just about to call you too. When your name
popped up, I had to do a double-take.”]
“That so? What were you gonna say?”
When I asked, Shinohara hesitated for a second, sounding a
little sheepish.
[“…I wanted to apologize. For dragging you into it.”]
“Huh?”
[“I mean, what happened today. I kind of ruined the mood,
didn’t I? You guys weren’t involved in any of it, but I still…”]
“Oh, that? Don’t worry. The mood was already garbage before
you showed up.”
If anything, her arrival had been a relief. Enduring that
guy’s endless chatter would’ve been way worse for me.
[“…Still, I was technically his girlfriend.”]
“So, you ended things after all?”
[“More or less, yeah.”]
Her answer had a vague edge to it, but I didn’t press. She
could talk about it when she was ready.
[“Getting into a relationship just because you want to do
couple-like things… not the best idea, huh? If I trace it all back, this whole
mess started because I got into it with that kind of mindset.”]
Hearing her sound genuinely downcast, I figured I’d say
something I’d always believed.
“Stuff like that happens. Honestly, there aren’t that many
couples who start out perfectly mutual.”
Back in middle or high school, maybe that kind of thing was
more common.
But if every couple had to begin as a fully-formed mutual
love story, more than half the couples in college probably wouldn’t even exist.
There were plenty of people who started dating just because
they wanted to experience the whole “relationship” thing. I was sure of it. And
even if most people felt the same way deep down, not many would come out and
say it.
That Shinohara had been open enough to share that with me –
honestly made me happy.
[“Senpai… you really are a senpai.”]
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
[“I mean, you’re good at comforting people. I was kind of
bracing myself for a ‘well, you did kind of bring it on yourself,’ to be
honest.”]
She sounded almost surprised.
“You already know you messed up, right? And you still haven’t
sorted out how you feel, so you came to me to talk it out. What good would it
do for me to rub salt in the wound?”
[“…Whew”]
Shinohara let out a light, silly-sounding sigh.
[“Senpai… I guess this is what they call mature composure,
huh? I’m seriously impressed.”]
“Don’t say weird stuff like that all of a sudden. It’s
creepy.”
[“Aww, that’s mean. You know, I don’t exactly go around
respecting people that often!”]
“Someone who doesn’t respect others easily saying
they respect me? That just means your radar’s broken. Shouldn’t you be
admiring someone like Ayaka instead? You two know each other, right?”
There was a brief pause before she replied.
“Ayaka-senpai, huh… Well, maybe. I’ll give it some thought.”
After that, we ended up talking for another thirty minutes
or so. Aside from Ayaka, there weren’t many people I’d stay on the phone with
even after the main topic was done.
We got especially fired up about the usual SNS nonsense, and
with how similar Shinohara’s sense of humor was to mine, we both ended up
laughing a lot more than expected.
[“Alright, time for a
bath.”]
“Yeah. I should probably crash soon.”
[“Okay. Goodnight, Senpai. I’ll make it up to you another day.”
“Sure.”
[“…Thanks for today.”]
With that quiet thanks, the call ended.
At some point, our roles had flipped.
That realization struck me a oddly funny, and I chuckled to
myself under my breath.
Even though things with her boyfriend had finally reached a
conclusion…
“Another day, huh?”
I leaned toward the window and let the dry winter air hit my
face.
Somewhere deep inside, I could feel it – the sense that a
new chapter was about to begin. And that feeling made the familiar night
outside seem just a little more vibrant.
Translator's Note: If the wording seems a bit different, it's because I changed it to where it sounds less formal. It feels more natural that way.
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