Extra – Pounding Mochi

Mochitsuki (Mochi Pounding)

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Spending the year-end relaxing under the kotatsu while watching the Red and White Kohaku Battle* on TV, like a snail seeking shelter, is the best way to enjoy the holiday. We celebrated Christmas together, but as the year-end approached, it was time to spend quality family time.

<NHK Kōhaku Uta Gassen, a popular show during New Years in Japan.>

Shizuku had gone back to her hometown to express gratitude for the year and offer New Year’s greetings. As for Kirasaka, her father’s work required her to handle the reception of visiting guests.

Yuuto had been visiting his grandparents for three days ago, and he was expected to return to this town on the evening of December 31.

Miyashita, too, couldn’t spend Christmas with her family, so today they were having a family gathering.

 

I was doing something similar. I enjoyed New Year’s soba while watching special programs with my family, and when we heard the temple bell ringing at midnight, we realized that the new year had arrived.

The day after a quiet and peaceful end to the year, the activities of the new year began.

 

We visited my alma mater, Sakura Gakuen. Normally, visitors from outside the school were a rare sight here, but today was an exception.

The new Student Council President and Miura had organized a mochitsuki (mochi-pounding) and a rice porridge event. Many people, including residents from the nearby homes and local elementary and middle school students, had come to the school.

 

“It’s quite crowded…”

 

“Oh, Shinra-kun! Happy New Year!”

 

“Happy New Year. If you think it’s busy, you can help out too.”

 

I greeted them and then headed to the tent where Koizumi and Miura were working busily.

They welcomed me with New Year’s greetings when I showed my face from the side as I talked to them.

 

I probably felt a little prickly about Miura’s words because I had arrived in a bad mood.

This event was not an official Student Council activity; it was organized by volunteers. Many of the students participating were those from the upper echelons of the school hierarchy who wanted to have a lively end-of-year and New Year.

 

When students who didn’t usually get along gathered under one roof, nothing good ever came out of it. To prevent a tense atmosphere at the start of the New Year, Koizumi arranged for it to be a free participation event, and I had informed them that I would participate in the clean-up as well.

Among the students helping with the event, I couldn’t find Yuuto, Shizuku, Kirasaka, or Miyashita. They were all busy like me, and I heard that they would show up for the clean-up, just like me.

 

The event and rice porridge distribution had been completed for the most part, and now the annual Mochi-pounding event, a New Year tradition, was underway.

They had borrowed the pounding tools from a neighbour who used them as large ornamental stones, or rather, as mere decorations. With the assistance of the local residents, they borrowed the equipment free of charge and began pounding mochi with the children.

 

Parents supported the children, joyfully pounding the mochi rice, and Koizumi was responsible for turning over the mochi in the mortar.

It took one sweaty boy to finish the process over and over until we had enough to distribute to the people who came to the school. Early in the new year, the Student Council President was sweating with a refreshing smile. It seems like this will make him more popular…

After coating the mochi with roasted soybean flour and sweet red bean paste, after packing them, the small mochi were distributed to each person by the event organizers. Since we were short-staffed, I also pitched in to help with the distribution. Once we finished, we finally took a breather.

 

“I thought everything would be tough at first, but Mochi-pounding event is even more of a workout than I imagined.”

 

“…Just thinking about doing it by yourself is admirable.”

 

Koizumi, cooling off her overheated body with cold tea, said with a smile. He might not have the charisma of Hiiragi Akane, but his approach of supporting and standing by the students was probably the right one.

If repeated, the students would undoubtedly come to trust and support him. It was up to us, the Student Council, to support that.

 

“Shinra-kun isn’t with the girls, is he?”

 

Miura asked from the side. It seemed that my image was like with a happy meal which came with Shizuku, Kirasaka. And it seemed unusual for the two not to be around.

 

“Kirasaka goes without saying, and Shizuku is busy every year during New Year with visits to her family.”

 

“By the way, what about you, Shinra-kun?”

 

“Spent it sleeping.”

 

“…”

 

Sharing information about the two of them and answering Miura’s question with full sincerity, even the Student Council Secretary herself fell silent.

Without making eye contact, my response to the question was as swift and automatic as a machine. Clearly, this seasoned master of the laid-back New Year was no joke.

 

I had already reached a point where I didn’t care about what others thought. The proper way to spend New Year, as stated in the Minato Dictionary, was to eat mochi and sleep, eat osechi (traditional New Year’s dishes) and sleep, and watch special TV programs and marathons.

In other words, once this New Year’s event was over, I would change jobs and become the Home Security Squad, where I was responsible for guarding against any attempts to escape the kotatsu.

 

The responsibility was immense, and I would not tolerate letting the kotatsu heat escape. I wanted to show my skilled techniques to my friends… even though I didn’t really have any friends.

Ignoring Miura’s cold gaze, I observed the scene in front of me. The age range was wide, but everyone was wearing smiles.

 

The former Student Council President had been respected by everyone and had led the school with her charisma and abilities. Everyone trusted and supported her, and entrusted their actions and decisions to her.

On the other hand, the current one cannot achieve things by himself and had to seek help, and people around me extended a helping hand due to his likable personality and popularity.

 

Which one was more suitable for the position of Student Council President? The answer was different depending on one’s way of thinking and values.

Both were good, and I didn’t want to deny either of them. What I was relieved about was that Koizumi didn’t try to follow in the footsteps of the respected senior, overlaying her own identity with that image.

 

“…I think it’s a great way to start the New Year.”

 

“Really? Thank you, I’m so happy.”

 

When I told Koizumi, who was sitting next to me, he smiled happily. I thought there was nothing wrong with imitating someone you admire.

However, the person who must stand above someone and lead the way must not just imitate someone. It’s still imitation, no matter how much effort you put into becoming that person. You can never reach the level of the original.

 

Koizumi’s desire to become like Hiiragi Akane, the Student Council President, and to be like her, was not bad at all. But he was better off trying to find his own path instead.

As I observed the scene in front of me, I couldn’t help but think that it’s important not to blindly imitate others. Hiiragi Akane had an overwhelming charisma and ability, and I admired her. But imitating her could come with significant risks.

 

I had always observed talented people up close and analyzed those around me, which led me to worry about this. But these were baseless concerns and unnecessary for Koizumi. He was fine the way he was.

While I stood there gazing at the scene in front of me once again, I couldn’t help but notice something.

 

“…Where’s President?”

 

Hiiragi Akane’s figure was nowhere to be seen. Normally, she would suddenly appear and exchange words with us as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

But this time, she was nowhere to be found. No matter where I looked, I couldn’t spot President.

 

“Oh, Akane-senpai is preparing for something at home tomorrow, so she’s running late because of that.”

 

Miura was the one who answered instead.

Was President’s family also busy during the New Year holidays, just as expected?

 

On the other hand, it would be funny to imagine that President had too much free time and was just lounging around under a kotatsu.

As I briefly imagined the sight of President in a state of self-indulgence, I couldn’t help but smile slightly. At that moment, the sound of footsteps on the ground reached our ears.

 

The three of us, me, Koizumi, and Miura, simultaneously turned around, and there, right in front of us, was the person we had just been talking about.

 

“Oh, it’s the President.”

 

I muttered, and the President waved her right hand and smiled.

She was dressed in her school uniform, and her chestnut-colored hair was shining as usual. She nodded several times in satisfaction as she seemed to grasp the results of the event through the expressions of the people around.

 

“Even though it was your first event planning, it was a great success. That’s a good thing.”

 

The President patted Koizumi on the shoulder a few times, from senpai to kouhai. Koizumi also had a genuinely happy expression with a hint of embarrassment.

It was like a scene from a drama, and I couldn’t help but observe it as if it were happening to someone else. Then, it seemed President remembered her original purpose and walked towards me.

 

She stopped in front of me, took my hand from my pocket, and grabbed it firmly, as if to make sure I couldn’t escape.

In an instant, I had a bad feeling. President, New Year, and troublesome conditions seemed to come together.

 

“Come to my house for a New Year’s greeting tomorrow, Shinra.”

 

“…No-no-no-no.”

 

What’s going on all of a sudden? Is this about New Year’s greetings to your parents or something?

This is really bad, isn’t it? I haven’t prepared any suitable one-liner jokes for a greeting, and I don’t have any surprising Minato-gags either.

 

More importantly, why am I going to the President’s house?

I pushed aside my doubts and accepted this unusual relationship.

 

“Well, it’s sort of a pre-marriage meeting between you and my family… we’re already on marriage terms, right? So, the New Year’s greetings are important.”

 

“I’m sorry, President, but I’m planning to visit my grandparents’ house tomorrow…”

 

“Your parents have already confirmed that you’ll be lounging around at home. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning, so be prepared. Well then, I have some more preparations to make, so I’ll take my leave.”

 

With those words, the President turned on her heel and left the scene. I watched her shrinking figure, and involuntarily, I held my head in my hands.

How did it come to this?

 

“We’re back!”

 

“Sorry for being late.”

 

In place of President, Shizuku and Kirasaka arrived at Sakura Gakuen. The first thing they saw was a boy hunched over, head in his hands, obviously in a strange situation.

 

“What’s going on here?”

 

Shizuku tilted her head and asked Miura and Koizumi.

Koizumi just gave a wry smile and succinctly replied.

 

“I think you’re better off not knowing… as for me…”

 

Koizumi’s compassionate words made it clear that there was no escape for me. At the same time, I couldn’t help but be grateful that I wasn’t getting into an even more troublesome situation.

 

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<BBX> : Dose of Just recommendation: Oresuki, I’ll recommend the LN (if you’re here you should know where to get it) over the anime, which had an original ending.

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