#279
The new year began with a quiet dawn, not a dramatic one.
Putting on the school uniform after a long while, I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed for the front door.
At the entrance, there was a photo frame displayed.
I had shown the photo to my mother and sister and they liked it, so they decided to display it here so they could see it every day.
I turned my gaze to the photo.
A boy with a radiant smile and a girl casting a sidelong glance at him. Three others were standing on either side, and the two girls held their gifts with care, gazing at the camera.
In the center, the boy sat. Looking at it now, I still noticed a certain stiffness in my expression.
My smile was a bit awkward, but it wasn’t fake. It was the clumsiness of a genuine expression that only I could discern, being my own face.
I had to feel a bit embarrassed looking at this photo every day. But since I also liked the photo itself, I accepted the current situation without complaint.
As I finished changing into my outdoor shoes at the entrance, I glanced at the photo for a moment, reflecting on all this.
“Alright, I’m off.”
“Take care. Mama will be so lonely without Minato-chan that she might die, so come back home early after school.”
My mom waved, and she did it so naturally, unashamedly, and with that childish crying gesture. I closed the front door without acknowledging her last words.
The New Year’s wind was still cold. I gently pulled my scarf up close to my mouth.
When I reached the road, I saw some familiar faces already looking at me.
There were four of them. Seeing them, I couldn’t help but let out a slight smile.
Confirming their presence, I walked closer to them.
…You guys, aren’t your houses in the opposite direction from mine?”
Naturally, I found it suspicious, but I believed that in cases like these, it was a golden rule not to question them.
No, it’s definitely double effort, isn’t it?”
Thinking such a thing, I walked up to them, marking the first day of the new school year together.
And so, the final chapter, with the third term began.
BrutalBot Tl 
Tbh, whenever I encounter something like this, I just end up releasing 4 or 5 chapters instead of my usual 2 but I’m translating a novel that has short chapters in general.
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Yeah, I read the one you’re doing… But I think I’ll just wait for it to finish and read it in one go tho. 😅
I prolly can’t do what you’re doing, it’s easier reading WNs instead of translating it ryt?
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