Finally, the day of Christmas Eve arrived.

For me, this special date turned out to be the same as any other year. Simply another day of new game releases.

“…In the end, it doesn’t snow, huh?”

The time was 6 p.m. After spending the day looking around for new games and buying titles I liked during test play, I looked up at the overcast sky as I walked through the crowded streets.

If I still had plans to confess my feelings on a white Christmas, this weather would have been disappointing for me. But now I felt the overcast skies were a blessing because they meant I wouldn’t slip as I shopped for games.

“Well, it’s all good.”

As desired, Kotani was able to confess once more, and now Yuzu had the chance to clear her past regrets. Considering that we, a fake couple, sprang into existence in order to keep her clique intact, I’d say we’d accomplished our true mission.

Yup. When I think about it like that, there was no downside whatsoever, were there? I even got the time to relax and enjoy playing games.

“…Alright! Let’s play the games I just bought today!”

I picked up speed on my way home, getting excited by the fact that I was able to buy all the games I was interested in. It was then that suddenly—

“Huh, Yamato?”

—a familiar voice called out to me from behind.

I turned my head around to see a group of girls. One of them was raising her hand to me.

“…Oh, Hina.”

I stopped my feet and then Hina said something to her friend before trotting my way.



“Yamato, what a coincidence!”

“Yeah. How is it going with the girls’ team’s fattening-up tour?”

“It’s walk-and-eat! What is that super unpleasant-sounding tour name?!”

I thought that was pretty much the same, but seeing Hina puffing up her cheeks, I decided to not pursue the matter. Silence is golden.

“But then again, I never thought I’d actually see you on Christmas Eve. I’m glad it looks like you are not yet on your date. Are you meeting up with Nanamine-san after this?”

“Well, yeah. Something like that.”

I was at a loss for words for a moment, though Hina had asked me without any other intention. However, my nonchalant attitude must have looked strange to Hina, who then squinted her eyes.

“…Really?” Hina pressed me with a sharp gaze that resembled a prosecutor’s..

Although she was asking in the form of a question, she definitely must have known that I had told a lie.

“…Well, a lot happened,” I admitted in a roundabout way.

Hina let out a sigh and then her voice turned gentle.

“If Yamato doesn’t want to tell me, that’s fine, but I’ll hear you out, at least.”

I wasn’t strong enough to brush off that kindness.

“…Please, not a word to anybody.”

I started to reveal to Hina the situation revolving around Kotani and the rest.

“Today, Kotani is confessing to Sakuraba.”

“Could it be at the ‘Christmas Fulfilment’ event?”

I nodded at her words.

“That’s right. The thing is, Kotani actually got rejected once before. Following that, their clique fell apart…and Yuzu made a run for it. She greatly regretted it. For Yuzu, this is a chance for her to try again.”

“So, she chose to be beside her friend to avoid running away like before?”

“Yeah.”

After hearing the general situation, Hina pondered deeply before speaking her mind, “Then Yamato, you simply nodded your head to that? To cancel your Christmas plans with her and let her prioritise her friends?”

“Well, I have no reason to stop her.”

Hina twitched her eyebrows at my answer.

“I believe Nanamine-san would’ve wanted you to stop her, though.”

“…You think so? I know she felt sorry for me, but she was the one who decided that if she runs away again here, she’ll regret it, and I also think the same. I don’t think there’s any greater cause beyond that.”

Hearing that, Hina slowly closed her eyes and then blurted out, “…Reasons, causes or whatever, none of that matters.”

When I failed to catch her meaning, she opened her eyes and looked straight at me.

“Tell me, Yamato, are you and Nanamine-san really dating? Or is it all actually a lie?”

I was too stupefied to even utter a sound.

This sudden exposure of what I had been hiding so far froze me in place—this sight of me finally convinced her that she had guessed right, she withdrew her gaze and let out a sigh.

“Sure enough.”

My halted thoughts began to restart from there.

“….How did you know?” I spat out agitatedly.

She then replied while looking at the crowd in the distance, “Because Yamato, you were looking for a reason to be with Nanamine-san. It’s as if you shouldn’t be together if you don’t have a reason.”

Hina’s words helped me perceive my mental state, which even I myself was unaware of.

“I have no reason to stop her”

“I have no purpose that takes precedence over that.”

“Not spending Christmas with a boyfriend when you have one would raise suspicions.”

“We’re dating to protect the interests of the Riaju1 clique.”

She got it right. From the very beginning, we always had a reason before us. A reason why we had to be together. Because there was this reason, we could be together; we had been holding on to this stated principle.

“I too… when things didn’t work out with Yamato, I thought about similar things… I wondered if there was any reason I could use to talk to you or if we had any errands that we had to do together so that I could be with you… things like that. Finally, when I could say with all my heart that we were friends, I could talk to you even without those pretexts,” Hina muttered in a melancholic tone.

She then added, “Maybe it’s different between lovers and friends, but the part where you’re looking for reasons…made it feel like the relationship you have is fake. I have no idea what kind of circumstances led you guys to that, though.”

“I see… Ah, that makes sense.” I just nodded as I digested the words that pricked at my heart.

“If your feelings are genuine, you don’t need a reason. Just having the desire to stay together is enough for you to actually be together. If you still need a reason just to be together, what you have there is fake.”

Then she looked at my face again.

“Therefore, I believe Nanamine-san would have wanted you to hold her back. Especially by you, who no longer has any reason to be with her. Maybe she would have prioritised her friends on top of that, but still…”

Hina hypothesised that, when I didn’t make an effort to be with her without a reason, Yuzu must’ve taken that to mean there were no feelings on my side whatsoever. Thinking about it this way, Yuzu would surely be glum about it.

“Yamato, what do you wish to do? There is no reason for you to stay with Nanamine-san now. There is no great cause, no necessity, no obligation. As such, what does Yamato want to become with Nanamine-san now?”

Quietly, I looked into my heart and tried to find the answer.

But I didn’t have to.

The answer was always right there, but I had forcefully kept a lid on it.

“I—”

“Stop. Not to me, you should say that to Nanamine-san,” Hina stopped me with her hand as I was about to open my mouth.

Surprised by this, I chuckled and nodded. “…Yeah. I will.”

“Hmm. Good luck.”

I turned my back on her, who cheered me on, and I started sprinting towards the station.

chocolala: Yay, Hina the best wingwoman ever!