Volume 3 - Me, Her, and a Pair of Wings
Chapter 18
(Chinatsu) It was only for a little while, but I was able to have a proper talk with grandma.
(Chinatsu) I want to see you, Hajime. Where are you?
Those were the messages I received from Chinatsu on the second night.
It wasn’t very late, but with this place having fewer lights than Tokyo, the streets were already dark, and I was about to head back to the hotel when I received those messages, so I immediately called Chinatsu.
“Hello, Chinatsu?”
“Hajime?”
Even though I knew it was Chinatsu on the other side of the phone, both of us still said each other’s names.
And, the moment I heard her say my name, I was able to somehow feel that something she once kept inside her had disappeared.
“I’m near the castle.”
“Yeah, can I come there? I really, really want to see you. Really.”
Hearing her say she wanted to see me, and the way she emphasized it multiple times, made her feelings clear even over the phone. Of course, I also wanted to see her.
“Is everything okay now?”
“…Yeah, I’m not sure, but I apologized to grandma and we had a proper talk.”
“I see. There might not be any buses left. Can you take a taxi?”
“Ah, wait for a sec, Hajime… Is it okay? Thank you… Hajime, just now, my cousin, Acchan, said she’s going to drive me. Is it okay if I meet you on the road in front of the castle?”
“If she can drive you, that gives me peace of mind. Sure, the castle is lit up for the snow festival and looks beautiful. I also wanted to see it with you. I’ll wait for you here.”
I didn’t know what had happened at Chinatsu’s grandmother’s house, but her voice sounded cheerful, which made me feel relieved. She must have had a good conversation with her grandmother, regardless if it was long or short. As long as they were both satisfied, that was enough.
After hanging up, I looked up at the sky. Maybe because there were fewer lights on the streets, or because of the high altitude, or because the air was so cold it seemed to freeze, the moon and stars above looked incredibly beautiful.
◇◆
While I waited in front of the castle, a car pulled up along the road, and Chinatsu got out. I gave a small nod to the woman, probably a university student, sitting in the driver’s seat. I was grateful that she was willing to drive Chinatsu even though it was already night.
“Hajime!”
As I was giving a nod, Chinatsu suddenly called out and immediately ran towards me, hugging me so suddenly that I almost fell over. It was something I hadn't expected, but I somehow managed to stay on my feet and caught her in my arms.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman in the car looking at us with her eyes wide open, which made me a bit embarrassed. But Chinatsu didn’t seem to care at all. Instead, she grabbed my face with both hands as if dissatisfied that I was looking elsewhere and—
Huh?
“Wha—Mmm—! W-wait, Chinatsu?”
—I felt a soft feeling.
After a moment of daze, my brain finally managed to process the fact that she had kissed me, and I hastily pulled away.
Outside! We're outside! And your cousin is watching us with wide eyes!
“…Hmph, you pulled away, Hajime.”
Chinatsu sounded very upset and acted sulky about it, so I asked her anxiously,
“No, no. It's not that I didn’t like it, but… that aside, what's wrong, Chinatsu? Did something happen back at your grandmother’s house?”
“A lot of things happened, but it's all good now! I… just really wanted to see you, and once I did, I couldn’t stop myself. Ehehe.”
Don’t think you can get away with anything just because you’re cute... although, I suppose I should let you get away with it.
There were still passersby, people here for the snow festival, tourists, and locals. Despite feeling their eyes on us, when I saw Chinatsu's smile, I found myself not caring about anything else.
Even though Christmas had passed, the lights that brightened lovers' nights were still shining. I was sure that made it okay for us too. The stars in the sky and the lights on the ground sparkled, and under them, various snow sculptures beautifully reflected the light. Chinatsu looked at them and spoke.
“It’s called a snow festival, right? I know Christmas has already passed, but what do you say about having a belated Christmas date?”
I had no objections at all.
◇◆
The square wasn’t too big, but it was filled with various ice sculptures. The lights were beautifully adjusted, making the castle and trees glow in a magical way.
“Wow, everything's amazing. I think this must've been the first time I went here during this time of year.”
“Really? It’s my first time too, so that makes me a bit happy.”
"Fufu, it turned out to be quite a Christmas, didn't it? But maybe it was for the best... Dinner would have been fun too, but I think I ended up liking you even more, Hajime.”
“…I didn't want to point this out but… aren't you overflowing with too much affection today, Chinatsu?”
“I can't help it! It's all your fault, Hajime!”
I see. It's all my fault, apparently. Welp, if she says so, then it can't be helped.
“Are you saying you would not like it if your girlfriend’s affection was overflowing for you?”
“…There's no way I wouldn't like it. If anything, it makes me very happy.”
Indeed, it was nice being in a place where nobody knew us. We didn’t need to worry about others or about Chinatsu having to disguise herself. We could just enjoy our date. Here, we weren't just an inconspicuous boy and a popular girl from high school; we were simply Satou Hajime and Minamino Chinatsu, a pair of lovers.
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(2/21)
