Kapitel 14: Christmas for Two
When Mahiru arrived at Amane's apartment the following day, she seemed a little
restless. It would've been perfectly understandable to be nervous about visiting the
home of a member of the opposite sex on a holiday, but that didn't seem to be it.
Mahiru wants to play games. She's probably just excited.
Apparently, this would be her first time ever playing a video game. In some ways, she
was like a sheltered highborn young lady who knew little of the world at large.
"Before we play, I'll make lunch, okay?" Mahiru confirmed.
"Mm. I'll have mine well-done, please," Amane answered casually.
"I know; I remember."
Even dealing with such a demanding customer didn't seem to dampen the girl's mood.
With a flutter of her apron, she headed for the kitchen and began preparations for
lunch. From the way she was behaving, Mahiru seemed to be quite pleased.
Amane felt a little awkward and embarrassed about how much he had been looking
forward to this.
It's just because I'm looking forward to enjoying the games, that's all, he told himself. It
certainly was not that he had been excited about spending time alone with the nextdoor angel. As he watched Mahiru's ponytail swaying back and forth, Amane smiled
wryly to himself.
"…How are you supposed to hold it?"
After lunch, the two of them settled on the sofa in front of the TV. Both were now
looking straight at the screen.
When Amane had asked her what game she wanted to play, it became apparent that
Mahiru didn't even know where to start, so he'd booted up a well-known 2D game and
handed her a controller. Unfortunately, Mahiru immediately got flustered as it became
apparent that she had no idea what to do with it.
"Uh, okay, so you move around with this joystick, and you jump with this button…"
Mahiru, usually so calm and collected, was looking back and forth between the
controller and the TV as she manipulated her character on-screen. It was obvious that
this was her first time. She charged straight at the enemies without dodging, dying
over and over again. Amane began to wonder if perhaps there were things even an
angel couldn't do, though she did seem to be gradually improving, if ever so slowly.
"…I can't win," Mahiru professed.
"Never mind clearing the stage—you haven't even defeated the first enemy," Amane
observed.
"Oh, shut up."
"Well, it's just a matter of practice; you gotta keep trying. Get that muscle memory."
Amane warned Mahiru that it would be a challenge, but she didn't seem ready to give
up. It was charming to watch the girl tackle the game with such a serious expression.
Amane couldn't help but smile.
Unfortunately, Mahiru was just too much of a beginner and kept on losing. Eventually,
it was obvious that she was growing frustrated. As she shot a glance at Amane, he
could have sworn he heard a gamelike sound effect accompany her sullen face.
"Ah, here, you need to do it like this…" Mahiru was sure to lose interest if she continued
to metaphorically bash her head against a wall, so Amane put his hand on the
controller she was holding and tried to physically show her what to do.
Amane had cleared this game on countless occasions, so he was able to help Mahiru
get through tough spots. Surprisingly, Mahiru was actually worse than the average
player. Most people wouldn't have gotten stuck nearly as many times as she did, but
Amane kept that thought private.
"Look, this enemy moves at a consistent speed in an irregular pattern, but if you watch
here, he moves toward your character and speeds up as he approaches. Just watch
your timing and jump."
Amane put his hand over Mahiru's smaller one and gripped the controller to
manipulate the character on the TV, showing her how as he explained. On the screen,
the game character moved as Amane had said it would, avoiding the oncoming enemy.
It wasn't much of a move, but it was apparently enough to impress Mahiru, who let out
a small gasp of astonishment. Her eyes, rimmed with long lashes, snapped wide open,
and her expression brightened.
The two were sitting closer together than they ever had before, and Amane noticed
for the first time that Mahiru's lower lashes were fairly long, too. Smiling, he watched
Mahiru happily play.
As Amane admired her beautiful profile, Mahiru turned toward him, possibly because
she'd felt his eyes on her. He'd needed to get close in order to be able to reach the
controller, so the two had ended up far nearer to each other than either had expected.
Their arms and hands were even touching, and Amane could feel Mahiru's breath
lightly grazing his skin. Amane found himself surrounded by warmth and a faint, sweet
fragrance.
"S-sorry…" Amane suddenly realized that his hands were almost completely covering
Mahiru's, and he pulled away in a panic, while Mahiru's eyes darted around the room
as if she had only just realized they were touching at all.
Blinking dramatically, Mahiru replied, "No… it's fine. I'm the one who should apologize."
The girl's cheeks had flushed scarlet, and Amane was filled with regret over what he'd
done.
Mahiru wasn't a fan of physical contact. No matter how used to each other they had
gotten, having someone touch her hands like that had probably been too much for her.
Thankfully, while she looked fairly embarrassed, she didn't appear upset or angry.
"Really, I'm sorry," Amane said again.
"Um, I'm not that bothered by it…," Mahiru said.
"Don't you hate physical contact?"
"…I was surprised but not upset. It's not like you're a stranger."
It seemed that today, the magnanimous angel had seen fit to forgive Amane's
transgression. Relieved at how easily Mahiru let it go, Amane restarted the game.
Fixing his eyes on the TV screen, Amane got ready to help Mahiru make some real
progress in the game this time. Then he saw that her character had fallen off the
stage—a rather predictable outcome. Amane was seriously beginning to wonder if he
could do anything to help her get better.
In the end, Mahiru somehow managed to clear one level, whining all the while. The
two of them agreed that was probably a good stopping place for the time being.
If Amane kept making a total beginner face death, it would have a considerable effect
on her motivation. His plan for now was to get her to try another game and loosen up.
"Mahiru, you're tilting."
To that end, next Amane had suggested a racing game, since that had some grounding
in the real world, but Mahiru was leaning with her entire body.
There was no gyroscopic control element to the game, so there was absolutely no need
to physically move around. Amane wasn't sure whether Mahiru even noticed what she
was doing, but she swayed left and right with every turn she made in the game.
In contrast to the earlier game, this one was all about driving a car, and Amane had
thought it'd be easier, since pretty much everyone understood the concept of driving
to some degree. Playing through the tutorial also might've helped, because even
though Mahiru's driving was a bit clumsy, she was able to handle the actual gameplay.
She was trying her absolute hardest to perform well. Her body swayed this way and
that while she maintained a very serious expression.
This is ridiculously cute, Amane thought.
Mahiru was strangely adorable, rocking back and forth like a pendulum. Her intense
focus and effort only made her look even cuter.
With every turn, Mahiru's body automatically leaned way to the side. Eventually, she
tumbled right onto Amane's lap, and he was forced to choke down a laugh.
"…You really don't need to tilt your whole body, you know?" he said.
"I-it wasn't on purpose," Mahiru replied sheepishly.
"Yeah, I know. But still, you were leaning pretty far."
Mahiru sat back up, somehow keeping her trembling, pouty lips in check.
The girl had felt soft and light when she'd accidentally flopped on him. That much was
to be expected as Mahiru had a small build, but she was so slim that sometimes Amane
worried she might snap in half.
Roused out of Amane's lap, Mahiru's cheeks were flushing, and her body was
trembling, likely from embarrassment. It was times like these that the girl really
resembled a small animal.
Finally, Amane couldn't stand it anymore, and he burst into a fit of laughter.
"A-are you making fun of me?" Mahiru demanded.
"No, no. I was just thinking how charming you are."
"So you are making fun of me!"
"You think I'd mock someone while they're trying their best?"
"No, but…"
"See? You were just very cute; that's all."
"…When you say cute, I'm sure you mean childish."
There was a bit of a peevish overtone to Mahiru's words, and Amane was worried she
might get depressed if he teased too much; thus he decided to keep any further
thoughts to himself. He flashed Mahiru a half smile in response to her expression of
disapproval, and she quickly turned away.
Any trace of the angel's gloomy mood vanished instantly when she returned to the
game. Her intense concentration overrode everything else on her face. It was
becoming clear that she was getting used to the game, as she was managing to keep
up with the other cars, if a little awkwardly. Amane had been right to assume a more
familiar concept like steering a car was better for Mahiru. She did still veer off course
into the dirt or slam into a wall a few times, though.
Amane had been worried she might end up running the whole course backward, since
she'd never played a game before, but he was relieved to see that she was making
better progress than he'd expected.
Trying to play the racing game together with Mahiru proved to be a little difficult, as
she kept distracting Amane without realizing it. As she tilted her whole body back and
forth with the game, she occasionally leaned right into him. Each time she did so, a
lovely scent would waft over him, making it difficult to keep his composure.
Even with the unusual handicap, Amane still managed to maintain a huge lead. They
were competing against the weakest computer opponents, after all.
"…How are you so fast?" Mahiru inquired.
"Practice and experience," Amane replied.
After playing the game so many times, Amane knew the course by heart and understood
how to best navigate the turns. Even with Mahiru's outside interference, he was able
to seize every advantage and hold the lead without much trouble.
Glancing back at Mahiru, who appeared utterly dumbstruck, Amane quietly switched
the game to solo mode and dropped out of the competition. Mahiru didn't have enough
experience, so Amane thought it'd be better to play together after he let her practice
by herself for a while. It was better that she got comfortable playing against computercontrolled characters rather than feel disappointed over losing to Amane.
Thankfully, it was clear that Mahiru had no shortage of determination, and she stared
enthusiastically at the screen even after going to solo play. With an attitude like that,
Amane was sure she would quickly learn to hold her own against a computer opponent.
It was obvious what a hard worker she was, even with something like a video game.
Such perseverance was rather charming, but whenever Amane let a smile slip onto his
face, Mahiru would quickly take notice and slap his knees in protest.
If he laughed too much, amused by her protests, Mahiru would frown and grumble,
"Amane, you idiot."
"I won."
After two hours of dogged perseverance, Mahiru crossed the finish line as the words
FIRST PLACE flashed across the screen. She turned to look at Amane, obviously proud
of herself.
After a hard-won battle with the racing game, Mahiru had achieved the glory of
finishing first.
Though she'd ended up in last place on so many earlier tries, Mahiru had refused to
quit and kept going, improving her ranking bit by bit until at last, she won. Such
investment had probably made the victory quite emotional.
Mahiru's expression seemed to proclaim "I did it!" and Amane dutifully clapped in
admiration.
"That's great. I could tell you really tried hard," he praised.
"Yep!" Perhaps because Mahiru was enjoying the praise, her usual demeanor had
softened, and she appeared a little bashful. She didn't break into a huge, obvious grin
but instead wore a fleeting, shy curl of the lips that looked ever-so-slightly pleased. It
seemed so sweet that it was hard to believe it belonged to the same cool, reserved
person.
Recently, Mahiru had been acting more like a regular teenage girl and less like a perfect
young lady. Today most of all, she was really acting like a kid. Her cherubic smile had
something innocent about it, and looking at her, Amane felt his sense of reason begin
to give way as the roaring desire to hold her close rose within him. The urge to pet
Mahiru like a cat seized control of his arm, and before he knew it, Amane found himself
reaching out toward her.
"Is something the matter?" Mahiru asked.
Quickly, Amane regained control of his wayward limb. "Ah, n-no, it's nothing. You really
got good at this, h-huh?"
"I'm getting better?"
"For sure. You're way better than when you first started."
"Thank you. It was a lot of fun, so I guess I got pretty engrossed." Mahiru chuckled to
herself.
Amane avoided making eye contact by crossing the room and retrieving a small box
from a basket on the shelf. "Let's say this is your prize for first place," he said.
"Ah, um, that's really not—"
"If you don't like the idea of a prize, then think of this as something left behind by a
stout old man with a white beard and a red suit."
It was a Christmas present that Amane had carelessly forgotten to give Mahiru the day
before.
Since Mahiru's birthday and Christmas weren't that far apart, Amane had expected
some difficulty picking out this second gift. Thankfully, he'd also gotten a little more
familiar with the practice, so it surprisingly wound up not being as tough to choose a
Christmas present as it had been finding one for Mahiru's birthday.
Mahiru blinked rapidly, as if the reference to a Christmas present had just reminded
her that today was in fact Christmas, and she nervously accepted the box. At Amane's
urging, she carefully undid the wrapping.
Well, it's nothing special, though, Amane thought.
She opened the box and slowly took out the gift. It was a leather key holder.
Expecting Mahiru to feel uncomfortable if Amane got her something too expensive,
Amane had avoided getting a fancy brand-name item. He'd selected this one purely
because the design seemed like it would suit Mahiru.
It was simple, with flowers and ivy carved into the leather, making it perfect for
everyday use. Amane wasn't too well versed in flowers, so he didn't know exactly
which ones were featured in the design, but he thought their dainty forms suited
Mahiru well, and that's why he'd chosen it.
"Well, I gave you my spare key and all. If you don't want to use it, that's okay, too,"
Amane said.
"No, I definitely will, thank you. You've got a better sense of style than I expected,
Amane," Mahiru replied.
"What do you mean, better than expected?"
"I mean, normally you just wear sweatpants or jeans… It's not like you're into fashion
or anything."
"I just don't own anything besides functional clothes."
Getting dressed up in nicer outfits was a tedium that Amane avoided whenever
possible. He'd never had the occasion to show Mahiru what he looked like in better
clothing, so she'd only ever seen him in his school uniform and casual house clothes.
It was no wonder she assumed he had no fashion sense. Such a guess had been right
on the money, and Amane didn't seem likely to dispel that slovenly impression
anytime soon.
"…If you made an effort, you'd probably look pretty good, you know? You kept up your
appearance in middle school, didn't you?" Mahiru asked.
"That was because my mom forced me to… Wait, how do you know that?"
"Shihoko sent me this picture and said, 'Here's what he could look like if he tried'…"
"Unbelievable."
Amane was shocked to see the photo of the time his mother had dressed him up and
brought him to work. Silently, Amane cursed his mother's indiscretion.
"…That style didn't suit me."
"I suppose you're right, Amane. You know, you never make eye contact, and your face
is always hidden behind your hair, but I think you have rather distinguished features…"
Mahiru's small hand stretched out toward Amane's face, and her white palm brushed
against his forehead as she pushed his long bangs upward. She was looking at him
with a curious expression. He didn't think his face was anything to marvel over; it was
perfectly ordinary—not quite ugly and not quite handsome. Amane began to wonder
why Mahiru was staring so intently at him.
"…What is it?" he asked.
"Nothing. Your eyes look livelier than they used to, that's all," Mahiru replied.
Without looking away, Mahiru reminded Amane that several months earlier, his face
had been vacant like a zombie's.
While Mahiru continued to stare, Amane was beginning to feel uncomfortable that a
girl, not to mention an incredible beauty, was staring at him so intently. He wondered
what she found so fascinating about his boring looks.
Eventually, he couldn't stand it anymore. Amane slowly reached out and brushed a
lock of hair away from Mahiru's own lovely face. He was hesitant to touch her, but she
had reached out and touched his hair so casually that he thought she'd probably
forgive him for doing the same. It would only be the faintest moment of contact; surely
that much would be all right.
But wow, she really is beautiful…
Mahiru was much prettier than the glamorous models in the magazines that had
previously been scattered around Amane's room—and much more appealing.
Something about her felt amazing every time he looked upon her.
Photographs, Amane knew, couldn't be trusted anyway. Even if they could capture a
moment of beauty, preserving it in time, photographs could be made to deceive.
Mahiru, however, was standing there before him in the flesh. Her beauty was real—
unadulterated. Amane didn't think he could ever get tired of beholding such a creature.
As Amane continued studying her features, Mahiru's eyes started to shift, and she
pulled away from him, dropping her controller. Amane wondered what was bothering
her as she hugged a nearby couch cushion tight against her chest.
"Um. So… right. I have a Christmas present for you, too."
"Um, oh, thanks."
Amane was about to ask what on earth it might be, when Mahiru cut him off by pulling
out a nicely decorated gift bag from her purse. Hastily, she pushed it into his hands.
"All right, I'm going to prepare dinner."
"Huh? Y-you are…?"
With those words, Mahiru quickly stood and moved to the kitchen. Amane was left
with nothing but bewilderment at the overly rapid development.
After Amane finished washing the dishes from dinner, he returned to the living room
to find that Mahiru was restless. She was sitting beside him, in the way they had
recently grown accustomed to, but this time, Mahiru was having trouble maintaining
her composure. She'd been averting her gaze all through dinner, too.
This was a kind of self-consciousness that Mahiru had seemed previously incapable
of, prompting Amane to wonder if something had happened. Perhaps it had something
to do with her giving him the gift? When Amane had given Mahiru the teddy bear, he,
too, had felt like running away, and it'd been difficult for him to calm down. Maybe
Mahiru was experiencing a similar sort of anxiety.
"By the way, can I open this?" Amane asked.
"P-please do."
Amane picked up the gift from where he'd left it sitting atop the coffee table, and
Mahiru nodded somewhat hesitantly. Concluding that she was indeed nervous about
giving him a present, Amane untied the ribbon fastening the bag.
Right away, he could tell from the feel and weight that it was something made out of
cloth. When Amane pulled it out and saw it to be a length of black-and-white
houndstooth, he wasn't sure what it was. After spreading out the whole object,
however, he immediately understood.
"A scarf?"
It appeared to be quite soft and luxurious. Surely, this would keep him warm if he
wound it around his neck.
"…Well, you're indifferent to fashion, and you always seem cold on the way to school,
so…"
"I can really use it; and wow, it feels so nice."
"Quality is important when you're choosing something that you'll be using every day,"
Mahiru explained.
As Mahiru was someone who only wore high-quality clothes, Amane was sure she
knew what she was talking about. Mahiru seemed like the type who considered it a
waste of time to buy cheap things, preferring to use well-made products that would
last for a long time, instead. If this scarf met her standards, it had to be very nice
indeed.
Amane could tell just by touching it that the scarf had a luxurious texture and was soft
enough not to bother even sensitive skin.
Impressed with Mahiru's high standards, Amane waved the gift at her while she
watched him with a stiff expression.
"Can I try it on?" Amane asked.
"I gave it to you, so you can do whatever you like," Mahiru answered curtly.
"Roger."
Amane smiled at her blunt response and wrapped the scarf around himself. He could
feel the quality of the fabric even more on his neck, where the skin was more sensitive.
It kept all the warmth in without letting too much air pass through. The feel of the
fabric was soothing and snug. As Amane was still inside, it was hard to tell just how
effective the scarf would be, but he trusted it would undoubtedly keep him comfortable
throughout the winter months.
"Wow, it's super warm."
"That's great."
Amane put on a gentle smile, and Mahiru answered with a relieved smile of her own.
Recently, Mahiru had begun to show Amane her many kinds of smiles more frequently,
and he found himself staring again at her enchanting features.
…When she looks like that, she really does seem like an angel…
Sure, everyone at school said Mahiru looked heavenly, but Amane thought it was far
more attractive when she smiled like this and showed her true self.
"Wh-what is it?" Mahiru had noticed that Amane was staring straight at her. Her eyes
shifted left and right before fixing themselves back on the one gazing at her.
"Nothing; I was just thinking that you seem much more relaxed compared to when I
first met you."
"…Is that so?"
Mahiru looked surprised, and Amane laughed a little.
"Yeah. Before, you were all stuck-up and not cute at all."
"That was terrible of me, not being cute," Mahiru said sarcastically.
"Come on—don't sulk… Now you're way more… How should I put it? I think you just
look better. I was thinking that the way you smile now is way cuter. It's really kind of
a shame you weren't smiling like that sooner."
Mahiru had always been beautiful, but some quality of that changed in how she carried
herself.
The angelic smile that she showed at school had the beauty of something to be
appreciated from a distance. It was a fragile thing that was not be touched.
The cold look that she'd first given Amane held the appeal of something wreathed in
thorns to keep humans from getting too close.
Now her soft and innocent smile had a welcoming warmth that made Amane want to
caress and cherish her.
Amane thought about how Mahiru had changed. She'd slowly gotten used to being
around him, and she'd slowly opened up her heart. As he thought back on the time
they'd spent together, Amane felt a ticklish sensation gradually rising through his
chest and up into his cheeks.
"I'm happy that you can smile so naturally now, and that you've gotten used to hanging
around with me, and… What are you doing?"
Amane's sentence was physically cut off as Mahiru lifted the scarf up from around his
neck to cover his face with the fabric. She didn't wrap it tight, but it grew a bit stuffy
and hot as the material trapped Amane's breath.
"…Please just be quiet for a bit," Mahiru commanded.
"What for?"
"…Nothing."
Amane didn't understand this sudden outburst of eccentric behavior. He grabbed the
wrist of her hand that was holding up the scarf and pushed it back down. With his
vision restored, he could see Mahiru's flaxen hair and the tinge of color spread across
her cheeks, and he noticed that she was trembling slightly. As she looked at him, she
grew even more flushed.
He wondered why she was making such an odd face, and then it suddenly hit him that
there could be only one answer.
"…Don't tell me… you're embarrassed?"
"Shut up."
Mahiru turned away sharply, which only served to confirm what Amane had said.
Without meaning to, Amane smiled as he mused that the angel sure could be prickly
about things like this.
Mahiru groaned and quietly muttered, "I'm going outside for some air." Then she
quickly made for the veranda.
Through the window, Amane could see it snowing just like it had the day before, but
Mahiru didn't seem to care and stepped out onto the balcony anyway.
Chilly air rushed into the apartment, and Amane shivered. Though Mahiru immediately
shut the door, a touch of cold still hung about the living room. Amane let out a quiet
sigh.
It's fine for her to run away to hide her embarrassment, but she could at least do it in a
slightly warmer outfit.
Mahiru had obviously picked her clothes assuming she would be spending the day
inside—or at least wearing a heavy jacket if she went out. She'd clearly prioritized
looks over warmth, and her slender body was sure to chill quickly in the cold.
Amane cursed under his breath and picked up the blanket that was lying over the back
of the sofa.
It's super dangerous to stand outside in the snow wearing such thin clothing.
After pulling on his coat, Amane followed Mahiru out onto the veranda and wrapped
the blanket around her shoulders.
"Getting some fresh air is fine, but you'll catch a cold like that," chided Amane.
Mahiru quickly turned to face him. "…Isn't that my line?" Clearly, she'd calmed down,
as she'd answered with her usual demeanor and expression, though there was a bit of
a sulking tone to her voice. Maybe she was feeling down because Amane had said
something that called back to the conversation from when they'd first met.
"Hmph. That only happened because I didn't get in a bath and warm up like I should
have. Simple negligence," Amane reminded.
"Next time you get soaked like a drowned rat, make sure you warm yourself up right.
If I'm there, I'll be sure to toss you in the bath myself," Mahiru shot back.
"What're you, my mom?"
There were definitely times when Mahiru said some rather motherly things.
With a smile, Amane recalled his first encounter with the angel. It'd been around the
time autumn usually started getting cold, about halfway through October. He hadn't
expected to come down with a fever just from getting a little wet, but the weather had
gotten chillier far faster than it usually did back in his hometown. Thinking back on it,
Amane admitted to himself that perhaps he really had been careless.
The most surprising part of the whole situation, however, had definitely been Mahiru
nursing him back to health.
"…Y'know, it's already been two months since we started talking…," Amane said
wistfully.
"You're right. And to think, your room was so dirty! It was terrible… Now it only haunts
my memories," Mahiru quipped.
"Oh, hush. I'm keeping it clean now, right?"
"And who do you owe for that?"
"Why, Lady Mahiru, of course. It makes me want to bow down in humble gratitude."
"You don't need to do that, geez."
Back on that rainy day, Amane would never have believed that he and Mahiru would
get to a point where they could banter like this. It all seemed so long ago now, but
really, it had only been a short while back. A lot had changed in those two months.
Time had really flown by.
A silence fell over the two, and suddenly, everything was quiet.
The snow, which had been starting and stopping in fits since yesterday, was now
drifting softly down from the sky, painting the surrounding apartment buildings in a
pale hue.
Amane and Mahiru's building was in residential area, plus it was Christmas, so the
area was hushed. From some apartment nearby, the pair could very faintly hear the
sounds of a Christmas song, though not well enough to decipher any lyrics.
Mahiru exhaled a little white puff, and Amane's ears caught that sound better than any
other.
"…It's kind of a strange feeling." Mahiru was the one to break the silence. "At first, I was
wondering 'What's up with this guy?'"
"Well, I guess that's not surprising. Anyone would be suspicious if someone suddenly
forced an umbrella on them… What do you think now?"
"Hmm, let's see. I'd have to say… you're a whole lot of work." Mahiru turned away after
her ambiguous answer.
"You're not wrong." Amane smiled while leaning against the veranda railing. "…You
know, I never thought that we would get close enough to be eating meals together like
this, either. To be honest, I always thought of you as someone to be admired from a
distance. I never considered ever getting involved with you."
"That was certainly honest… though I knew that already. That's precisely why I trust
you," Mahiru said, and her body shook with laughter.
Amane knew that Mahiru only accepted him in her life because he wasn't attracted to
her; and apparently, she felt the same way.
"Still, I'm glad that I got to know you like this. My life has really improved a ton, I'm
happy because I get to eat delicious food every day, and I feel at ease when I'm hanging
out with you," Amane declared.
"…You really think so?"
"I do. I'm incredibly grateful for these past two months. Thank you." Amane couldn't
have been more sincere if he tried. It was thanks to Mahiru that his standard of living
had gone up and that he got to enjoy a delicious meal every day. Surprisingly, Amane
had also discovered that he could enjoy talking to a girl without any sort of awkward
expectations. It'd even become something he looked forward to. Even better, Mahiru
would occasionally flash him adorable reactions when Amane teased her, and he never
got tired of those.
Recently, she's started to laugh more, too.
As Amane had realized before, Mahiru had indeed started displaying a richer array of
emotions, a change that only made her more endearing. Amane would never actually
act on his feelings, of course, but… just looking at her made him feel at peace.
Mahiru's eyes were wide, and Amane couldn't tell whether the slight redness in her
cheeks was because of the cold or because she was embarrassed.
"No, thank you very much," she said.
"But I didn't do anything." From Amane's perspective, Mahiru was the one who'd done
everything for him. He was sure he hadn't given the girl anything in return, but she
slowly shook her head in disagreement.
"…I'm grateful for things that you aren't aware of, Amane," Mahiru explained.
"Hmm… Each of us telling the other what we're thankful for has sort of an end-of-theyear vibe. I guess that's not all that weird, since the year is about to end."
Curiously, both Amane and Mahiru had thanked the other for certain things, despite
the new year still being six days away.
Mahiru's eyes sparkled at the mention of the end of the year, and she let a little laugh
slip out. "Ha-ha, that's right. It's still a little early, but… Happy New Year, Amane. Let's
make it a good one."
"…Yeah, Happy New Year." Amane nodded and smiled at Mahiru's heaven-sent proposal.
Then Mahiru suddenly said, "I'm freezing; let's go on inside, shall we?" She turned
around and opened the glass door that led back to Amane's living room.
Amane caught a glimpse of her ears, which had turned bright red in the frosty air, and
he agreed that it was best to retreat inside so as not to catch cold.
…One way or another, I guess I've also taken a liking to this lifestyle. That's probably why
my chest feels so warm. As he followed Mahiru back into the apartment, Amane
watched the gentle swaying of her soft, flaxen hair and smiled secretly to himself.
He hoped that in the days to come, he would continue to see more of the angel who
lived next door.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein