V4C9

The Ferris wheel we had just ridden was now reflected in the train window. Before we got on, I had been too nervous to really pay attention, and afterward, I could only look up at it from below. Now that I could sit back and take it in, it looked like quite the beautiful sight. Maybe the fact that the train was running at just the right height made the view even better. 

「The Ferris wheel looks nice, doesn’t it?」 

「Huh? Oh… yeah, it does」 

「Did I say something weird?」 

「No, I was just surprised. I was thinking the same thing」 

「Really? I sometimes find myself thinking the same things as you, Souta!」 

「I-I see」 

Her innocent smile, paired with those words, made me feel a little self-conscious. Just as I was trying to find a response, my phone buzzed in my pocket. 

「Sorry, let me check this. It’s probably from Yuna」 

「Go ahead. I get it—you worry about her」 

I pulled out my phone to check the message. Sure enough, it was from Yuna. She was asking if a friend from the party could stay over since it was getting late. It was almost nine o’clock. Letting a middle school girl head home alone at this hour wouldn’t sit right with me either. 

I typed out a quick reply, saying it was fine and letting her know where to find the guest futon and extra towels. I also mentioned that I’d be home late. After hitting send, I slipped the phone back into my pocket. 

「It was Yuna」 

「Did something happen?」 

「No, she just wanted to know if her friend could stay the night」 

「Ah, right… she mentioned making extra food for that」 

「Yeah. We spent some time cooking together. She was a little clumsy, but it had been a while since we did that, so I enjoyed it. She got a bit sulky, though—said her cooking would never match up to mine」 

I chuckled at the memory, but Mei let out a soft “Hmm” in a slightly cold tone. Her sharp gaze told me exactly what she was thinking. Yeah… talking about my sister while on a date probably wasn’t the best idea. 

「I’m kidding. I wouldn’t get jealous over Yuna-chan. Still… I can’t help feeling a little envious」 

「Is that so?」 

「Hmm. I mean, you did give me this, after all」 

Mei smiled, gently brushing her finger over the ring on her right hand. 

I was glad she liked it, but honestly… it was a little embarrassing to see her cherish it so openly. 

We kept joking around like that as the mostly empty train rocked gently along the tracks. Another thirty minutes passed, and the view outside the window shifted to the familiar streets of our town. Our fun evening was nearly over. Still, I was going to make sure I saw her home properly. 

We passed through the ticket gates and started walking toward the residential area. Thanks to the people coming and going, the roads weren’t covered in snow, but the rooftops had already turned white.

「Do you think it’ll pile up?」 

「Hard to say. But if it does, Akari-chan and Takuya-kun will probably be thrilled」 

「I’m sure they will. Iori will probably join in too. It hasn’t snowed much lately, and if it actually sticks, it’ll be the first time in years」 

「Yeah, that’s true」 

As I thought back, I realized the last time snow really piled up around here was back in middle school. Time flies—looking back like this, it feels almost too fast. 

「Won’t Yuna-chan be excited too?」 

「Maybe a little. But once she’s dragged into shoveling snow, she’ll probably start complaining about how much she hates it」 

「I can totally picture that. If it does snow, I’ll come over and help too」 

「That’d be a big help」 

We kept walking through the gently falling snow, chatting about nothing in particular. As we passed by a bulletin board, a flyer caught my eye. 

「It’s almost that time… Not that I didn’t know already」 

Hearing my murmur, Mei followed my gaze. The flyer was for the shrine we had seen earlier. A painting of a sunrise over a torii gate, with bold calligraphy reading “Hatsumode” overlapping slightly. 

「Are you going to visit your mom and dad?」 

「Nah, I think I’ll just relax at home. If they ask me to come by, I’ll visit after the New Year rush dies down」 

「Winter break’s a little long, after all」 

「Exactly. What about you?」 

「Our relatives are coming over. So, I’ll be busy during the day, but I’m free at night」 

Mei’s eyes lingered on the part of the flyer that said “Ring in the New Year at Our Shrine!” I could tell exactly what she was hinting at. 

「Wanna go together, then? I’ve never done a New Year’s Eve shrine visit before」 

「Me neither. I usually just stay under the kotatsu, watching TV」 

「Same here. I’ll be sitting there, and before I know it, Yuna’s already dozed off. I end up waking her up just as the new year arrives」 

「You can’t fight the kotatsu’s magic. Takuya and Iori are the same. Every year they swear they’ll stay up until midnight, but then they fall asleep all cozy and warm. When they wake up, they’re all grumpy about missing it」 

「Yeah, I know the feeling. I hate waking Yuna too, but if I don’t, the next morning is a nightmare」 

「Totally. It’s the same at my place. We even play rock-paper-scissors to decide who has to wake everyone up」 

As we laughed, the Hirose house came into view at the edge of my vision. Looks like we’d reached the end of tonight’s walk. 

「We’re here already, huh」 

「Yeah. But I’ll see you tomorrow, right?」 

「Hmm. Everyone’s looking forward to it」 

「Hope I live up to those expectations. Anyway, see you tomorrow」 

「Yeah, see you tomorrow!」