CH 57

“……Souta kun.”

She leaned closer and squeezed my hand. Her hair is like pure white snow, smooth and comfortable to the touch.

Her skin is also pure white, but her cheeks are slightly red. In contrast, her eyes are as blue as the depths of the ocean.

Her face is very well-defined, and she is so beautiful and pretty that you can look at her forever.

“What is it?”

When I squeezed her hand back, the corners of her mouth, which had been raised, turned up again just a little. She doesn’t seem to be trying to hide her happiness, and I naturally smile as well.

“I love you.”

Straightforward words of love. I feel like Nagi has been saying things like this more and more lately. ….It’s definitely not a bad thing.

But I still can’t get used to it. Because it was rare for someone other than my family to be straightforward to me like this.

“I love you. I love Souta kun’s voice. The warmth of your voice. Your heart. The way you look. …..I love everything about you.”

For a moment, my throat chokes and the air supply is cut off. But it was only for a few seconds. Soon air was pumped into my lungs.

Along with Nagi’s sweet, flowery scent.

“I love you so much…I’m so happy. So much so that I wonder if it’s okay to be this happy.”

“……It’s okay to be this happy.”

Nagi’s hand is released. I gently touched your cheek. The fingertips are slightly cold and the palms are warm.

“If I’m with Souta kun, I feel like I can get over whatever happens.”

“I feel the same way, Nagi.”

Wrapping my fingertips with the palm of her hand. Let it warm her to the core.

“Fufu.”

Nagi smiled softly and put her hand between mine.

Her eyes were softly looking at me. Her face came closer to mine……

Soft lips gently touched my cheek.

“Now that I think about it, the first time I kissed Souta kun like this……was when we were on the train.”

“……Yeah. It was an accident, though.”

It was when the train shook and pushed Nagi against the wall. Not the first time, but the second.

“Thank you very much for that time as well.”

“You’re welcome. ……Well, it was within the scope of our agreement.”

“Even so. Souta kun showed himself to protect me. Without Souta kun…..I might have been crushed.”

“Though you were crushed by me in the end.”

After saying that, Nagi let out a chuckle.

“If Souta kun crushes me, I welcome you.

……Souta kun, you smell so good. I can feel Souta kun with my whole body.”

After saying that, Nagi showed a surprised expression. turned red in the face.

“N-no ! I, well, I. It’s not that I’m a pervert who likes to be crushed or anything like that….!”

“Yeah, I know.”

The frantic Nagi is a little funny, and cute…..my cheeks loosened.

As Nagi tried to change the topic, she seemed to be thinking about various things while spinning her eyes.

I’m not sure how much more fun it would be to watch her, but I don’t want her to dislike me. Just when I was about to offer something to talk about, Nagi shouted.

“Yes, that’s right ! I have something for Souta kun !”

Saying so, Nagi searched the contents of her bag. I’m not so insensitive that I can’t understand the meaning of those words.

“……Me too, I guess.”

I take out a box from my own bag. When I looked, Nagi had also taken out the bag.

“Souta kun, Merry Christmas to you.”

The red bag was tied with a green ribbon. And a big Christmas tree was printed on it.

“Thank you, Nagi.”

After receiving the gift, I handed the box to Nagi.

This one is also red and wrapped with a green ribbon.

“Merry Christmas. I have a present for you too.”

“Yes ! Thank you !”

Nagi carefully received it with both hands.

“Souta kun, first of all. Please open it.

“Yeah.”

Nagi gave me permission, so I unwrapped the ribbon and took out the contents.

“……! A scarf !”

It was a blue scarf, the same color as Nagi’s eyes.

“Yes ! …..There is another one in the back. Take a look.”

Just as Nagi said, there seemed to be something else in the back. I took it out and…..

“……! There’s gloves too !”

“Yes ! ……I didn’t spend much time on this one, but it was successfully completed last night.”

“Does that mean…..it’s handmade?”

“Of course !”

I was surprised to see Nagi nodding her head……

I looked back at the scarf and gloves and my cheeks relaxed.

“I made it with all my love and gratitude.”

“Thank you. I will cherish it.”

That feeling made me very…..very happy.

“Fufu. It gets cold at night, so please try it on as soon as you get off the train.”

“Yeah. ….Nagi, please open it too.”

“Yes !”

Nagi carefully opened the present as I gave her a signal.

And what appeared was a pure white box. Nagi opened it.

There are two boxes in it. One is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

The other box is even smaller.

“This is……! This is the key case you mentioned before ! Thank you !”

The larger one is a key case. I had a hard time deciding which one to choose, but I went with the sky blue one that seemed to suit Nagi. There was a small bird painted on the corner.

“It’s so cute !”

Nagi seemed to be pleased with it.

Then, Nagi turned her eyes to the other box.

“Then this one is…..?”

“I don’t know if you will like it or not. Anyway, please open it.”

Nagi opened the box with a puzzled look on her face.

What was in the box was a small keychain.

It has an accessory in the shape of a silhouette of a pitch-black cat.

“Ah-. Well, you know. I thought it would be a little lonely with just the key case and the keys. …..It’s the best thing I’ve ever made. You don’t have to put it on if you don’t like it.”

“Is it handmade?”

Nagi looked surprised. I nodded with a smile.

“The cat part. I did a lot of research on it.”

I’m not used to this kind of thing, so it took me a little time.

“…..! I’m so happy ! Very happy ! I will treasure it !”

Nagi held the key case and keychain to her chest. She smiled very happily.

“And it’s so, so cute !”

“I see. I’m glad to hear that.”

I was relieved to hear those words. I wondered what I would do if Nagi didn’t like it after I made it. ……I’ll have to be more careful next time.

Nagi smiled happily and I smiled at the scarf and gloves.

As we did so, the Ferris wheel was just beginning to lower.

“…..I forgot to mention about the view.”

“Ah……right.”

The view outside must have been pretty good. But I just missed it.

“Do you want to line up and go around again?”

“……That would be nice, too.”

Nagi looked at me and smiled softly.

“Let’s enjoy the view next time we come back.”

–Next time. Next time, huh.

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”

That’s right. This is not the last time.

It’s a long life… I’m sure there should be at least one chance to come here.

Perhaps. At that time, it’s not just the two of us, but the three of us…….

I looked at Nagi, who was smiling at the keychain and key case.

While we were talking, the Ferris wheel arrived at the bottom. I got off first and held Nagi’s hand to prevent her from falling.

A little walk. ……We arrived at another place where there were few people around, where many things had happened before. Not on purpose, but by chance.

There I put on my gloves and scarf.

“How is it…? Does it suit me?”

“Yes ! It really suits you !”

In contrast, Nagi also took one key out of her bag…..a copy of my house key, she attached it to her key case with a keychain.

“Fufu……”

Nagi smiled and put it away in her bag. I suddenly thought of something and called out to Nagi,.

“Nagi, come sit next to me for a minute.”

“……? Yes, I understand.”

Nagi comes next to me, tilting her head. As I expected, Nagi is very stylish and a little taller. She’s still a little smaller than me, which is just right.

Once I took off the scarf around my neck. wrapped it around my neck and gave it to Nagi.

“Let’s warm up together anyway”

“……! Yes !”

I wrapped the scarf around Nagi’s neck. We naturally became closer.

“…..Hm. I’m a little bit nervous. But I’m very happy.”

“Yeah,…..you’re right.”

It’s a slightly different feeling than holding hands. Although each other’s actions are restricted, there is no sense of dislike or anything like that.

I felt like I was connected to Nagi more deeply, and I was a little happy.

“Then…should we get back soon?”

“……I think so. It’ll be getting late once we get back home.”

Even though we said we were going home, we weren’t going back to our respective homes. She will stay at my house today.

“Oh, that’s right. Suzaka san will deliver dinner to your house.”

“I see. I’m glad to hear that. …..Ah, that’s right. I’m going to go buy some souvenirs.”

“Ah, I forgot ! Let’s go buy some !”

Nagi holds my hand and we start walking.

I thought I would have Christmas alone this year.

……No. It’s not just Christmas.

This year, and surely next year too. I thought I would always be single, although I have made a friend named Eiji.

I thought that my daily life would continue unchanged. I thought it wasn’t so bad, until that moment.

Then, my daily life suddenly changed. It changed so suddenly that I didn’t want to go back to my old routine anymore. It made me happy and joyful.

“……Hey, Nagi.”

I called her name, and when she turned her head, our gazes met. I looked into her eyes, which were as beautiful as jewels.

Then I looked at her face.

She had a very beautiful face.

I looked at her face for a long time. But I thought there was nothing to say.

I’m not good at speaking, and I’m not good at talking to other people.

“…Thank you.”

Those words leaked out naturally.

For being with me. For talking to me at that time.

For cooking for me. For making my lunch.

For choosing me.

It would take too long to say it all, so I’ll try to keep it short.

“…..I’m the one who should thank you.”

I don’t know if I conveyed everything. But I’m sure that my feelings were conveyed.

The next time I opened my mouth, we said it at the same time.

[ [You’re welcome.] ]

As the words overlapped, Nagi laughed. I laugh too

Seeing her smile, I was convinced.

…Nagi is already fine.

Between buying souvenirs and returning home.”

The corners of Nagi’s mouth never dropped.

She kept smiling, thinking that the good times would continue after we got back home.