#273
After school, the student council room was filled with the usual council members and a few others. Before the meeting began, the student council members also discussed similar topics.
“Christmas has completely transformed the atmosphere within the school, hasn’t it?”
Koizumi, seated at the student council president’s desk, said with a gentle smile. Sitting in the seat next to his, Miura nodded in agreement.
“Since the school trip is over, there aren’t any major events left for the rest of the year.”
“Oh, really? What about a Christmas party or something?”
Hino asked. Although his appearance might seem tough but his mind always in a happy place. He seemed to have been thinking about Christmas parties even though he had no friends to celebrate with.
Who on earth was he planning on spending his time with…? It was obvious that he would answer even though he hadn’t been asked.
“There won’t be a Christmas party because the school will be on winter break.”
Shiraishi said, shaking her head in exasperation at Hino’s lack of knowledge. Then, she turned her inquisitive gaze toward me as if she were genuinely interested.
“Where are you planning to go, Shinra-senpai?”
“…No, why is it assumed that I’m going somewhere.”
“Well, didn’t you plan something with Kanazaki-senpai and Kirasaka-senpai the other day?”
My unexpected reaction made Shiraishi tilted her head. She immediately turned her gaze to Shizuku, seated to my left, but Shizuku showed no sign of looking my way. Her expression displayed her dissatisfaction, and her cheeks seemed a bit puffed.
Next, I looked towards Kirasaka, who was seated on the sofa at the back of the student council room. She cast a cold stare in my direction but remained silent.
Why were they looking at me with such cold eyes? Well, I had a pretty good idea of the reason, so there was no need to ask.
They were probably still holding a grudge because I declined their Christmas invitation. Well, I already had plans that I had decided in advance, involving my kotatsu and chicken.
From their perspective, they might think I could have chicken anytime, but let me make it clear;
They’re correct.
However, I couldn’t deny that part of my reluctance to go out was because it was just too much of a hassle. It was cold, walking was a pain, crowds were annoying, and my wallet was freezing cold just before New Year’s with no allowance coming in.
Even an inactive guy like Minato considered part-time work for winter break. Shiraishi and Koizumi likely understood this, and with a wry smile, the student council president intervened.
“They were probably turned down by Shinra; it’s only once a year, so why not accompany them?”
“…”
The words delivered with a gentle, almost persuasive tone momentarily left me speechless. This person was really troublesome when she sided with someone else.
Every word she spoke seemed to be correct, and I had to resist the urge to nod along.
Be strong, they often say in dramas, men don’t just bend over two words. I had confidence that I wouldn’t bend my will even if there were three words.
We were all young people here, and I understood the interest in this kind of conversation. However, prying too much and digging for answers wasn’t something I appreciated.
There was no lifeline even if I tried to call for help.
So, until the student council meeting began, I had no choice but to divert the topic away from our conversation.
“By the way… I think some girls in our class mentioned inviting Koizumi.”
Wherever you went, most topics were generally similar. So naturally, conversations among classmates also reached my ears.
It might not have been about romantic interest or something similar, but I was sure that Koizumi’s name had come up during a conversation with several students.
I didn’t particularly care about who was talking to whom or how they were spending Christmas, but I had no choice this time. I would step in for Koizumi.
When I mentioned it, Shiraishi shot Koizumi a sparkling look, while Miura gave him a dark, troubled look.
“What? What’s this about? I haven’t heard anything!”
“This was just a story I heard earlier… maybe you’ll receive an invitation soon?”
With my cheek resting on my hand, I tossed the metaphorical ball, which was intended for me, to Koizumi. New student council president, this was your first trial.
Miura, as if to ensure Koizumi wouldn’t escape, grasped his neck and held him down to prevent him from running, then he was questioned for a while.
However, during that time, the gazes of Shizuku and Kirasaka remained just as cold as before.
As we walked home, reflecting on the day’s school events, Yuuto, who had been waiting at school for the student council activities to end, talked casually.
“This is harsh… You should accept the invitations from those girls like a man.”
Yuuto said with a wry smile. Despite not working part-time jobs, he managed to maintain a social life with many people. But would this time be busier than usual?
I debated whether to ask, but first, I replied to Yuuto’s words.
“It’s not like I’m refusing because I dislike them… I just don’t like crowds.”
Christmas, inevitably, attracted people. Even places that were usually less crowded would start to draw crowds if they added a bit of illumination, especially in our small town.
The shopping streets, the area around the station, and if you ventured outside of town, the number of people would increase exponentially.
Just thinking about it made me feel queasy. After all, there was no way anyone would willingly go to such a place.
Having known each other for a long time, Yuuto showed a certain degree of understanding while pondering.
…There’s no need to think of solutions or anything like that. I just want to have a peaceful Christmas and New Year’s.
While praying silently for the god of inspiration to not come down to him, I turned my gaze to the side. Then, as if remembering something, Yuuto let out a sigh.
“By the way, Miyashita said that her parents went back to their hometown for a bit, and she’s home alone with her dog…”
Saying that, Yuuto turned his gaze towards me. The expression on his face suggested that he had just had an epiphany. I could only shake my head.
Desperately holding down Yuuto’s right hand, which was trying to retrieve his phone from his uniform, I stored it within his uniform.
“Come on, why not? Everything is set for a relaxing Christmas—chicken and a kotatsu, what more do you need?”
“There’s no guarantee that it’s going to be relaxing…”
Presumably, he was trying to contact Shizuku. Despite my attempts to prevent it, Yuuto used his superior strength to remove my grip on his arm, and his phone, which had been tapped a few times, initiated a call with the other party.
Farewell, my peaceful Christmas. Hello, Christmas filled with chaos.
I decided that I would make Yuuto buy me a higher-quality Christmas chicken than usual to make up for the situation he had created.
BrutalBot Tl 