By the time Setsuna appeared before him, it was already noon.
Haruto, lying on his bed, had returned to his apartment, rested a little to recover from fatigue, and was about to prepare lunch when the doorbell rang. Standing there was Setsuna, whom he hadn't seen in some time.
"Here."
The girl handed him his Suica card.
The Suica, often called the "Watermelon Card" or "Penguin Card," got its nickname from the Japanese pronunciation of "suica," which sounds like "watermelon," and from the black-and-white penguin mascot, which had become a popular internet sticker.
It's primarily used for subway and bus travel, but can also pay for locker rentals at stations, convenience stores, and vending machines.
Seeing the card handed to him, Haruto reached into his pocket, realizing his card was indeed missing. He took it from her hand and looked at the girl standing before him.
"I came to find you yesterday after returning, but you weren't home."
"I went to Sekai's place."
"I know. I wanted to surprise you, but by the evening, when I heard from your mother that you were staying at Sekai's, I decided not to tell you that I had returned."
Setsuna lowered her eyes slightly, hiding her expression in the shadow of her long hair, a hint of disappointment lingering.
Haruto, holding his Suica, stepped closer and embraced her tightly.
The sudden hug left Setsuna flustered, but she could feel warmth from him she hadn't experienced in a long time.
"Sorry."
"…"
Closing his eyes, Haruto pressed his face against her shoulder, burying himself in the strands of her hair, breathing in her familiar scent, holding her even tighter.
Wearing thick clothes, the strong embrace made it a little hard for Setsuna to breathe.
"It's… a bit… tight. What's wrong, Haruto? Did something happen?"
"No, it's nothing."
Hearing her words, he loosened his arms, looking at her with a gentle gaze. Setsuna, who had been feeling uneasy in her heart, felt comforted at once, seeing the boy before her... her boyfriend, back to his usual self.
Her expression softened, returning to the gentle demeanor she always had.
After lunch, Setsuna quietly sat in Haruto's lap, sharing warmth and closeness.
Leaning against the bedpost, Haruto reached under his pillow and brought out a small, pure-white box, presenting it to Setsuna.
"Hm?"
Seeing the box, Setsuna's face showed confusion. But when Haruto opened it, revealing a sparkling diamond ring, her expression froze. Her eyes widened as she looked at the dazzling ring, then slowly turned to Haruto, resting against him.
"I prepared this last night. Let's see if it fits."
Gently taking her slender, delicate hand, he slid the ring onto her right ring finger. Though she had expected it to go on her middle finger, seeing it on her ring finger left her mind blank.
Other boys their age might not think much of such gestures, but Setsuna, as a girl, clearly understood the significance of a ring on the ring finger.
"It fits perfectly."
"Haruto…"
After spending the afternoon together, by evening they appeared before Mai. Seeing her daughter with the ring, her eyes widened. Looking at the two smiling faces, she paused, then simply smiled.
It seemed… everything was okay now.
In the following days, Haruto remained constantly by Setsuna's side... either at home reading or watching TV, or going out shopping and strolling at nearby malls. Visiting Kaminarimon once again with Setsuna brought a feeling different from when they had gone as a family.
"You two have become close again, haven't you?"
Sitting at Sekai's home, Sekai felt mixed emotions. She should have been happy seeing their relationship improve, yet she couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.
"Our relationship has always been good," Setsuna calmly replied.
"…."
Sekai's tongue nearly slipped out at the sweetness of the answer. She turned her face away, not wanting to see the two of them. A mix of emotions swirled inside her, unsure of her own place.
As days passed, it soon became the end of December, 2014. The weather outside was freezing. Haruto stayed in, not feeling like going out despite initially considering it.
The forecast for the 27th predicted a cold wave would arrive on the 31st.
"So, it could snow tomorrow?"
Snuggled under the warm blanket, he hesitated to get up, quietly sitting in his room, eyes closed.
After resting for a while, he finally opened his eyes, got dressed, and headed to a nearby shop.
With everyone preparing for the New Year, the streets were crowded. Thinking about how many people would be out later, Haruto sighed. He wasn't particularly interested in staying up late at shrines to pray for the New Year, but others were quite devoted, so he went along quietly.
At the shopping street, he didn't run into anyone he knew. Alone, he quietly bought some necessary ingredients and daily goods, then returned to his apartment.
At noon, someone knocked on the door. Opening it, he found Sayu standing there.
"Off work today?"
"Yes. With New Year coming, the manager gave a day off in advance."
Haruto stepped aside to let her in. Noticing the tidy room, Sayu remarked it had been a while since she last came.
"Not going shopping with Yuka today?"
"She had other work today. Even on the day before New Year, she's still working hard. I wouldn't be able to do that myself."
Sitting on the edge of his bed, she looked at Haruto. She had noticed that he had grown closer to Setsuna recently, but due to work, hadn't paid much attention.
With a free day and nothing to do, she had come to spend some time with him.
"Are you planning to stay up tonight to watch the sunrise?"
"I'd rather rest early at home and sleep, but others might not want to go to bed so soon."
Haruto tossed a tangerine to Sayu and sat down at his desk. He had long passed the age of youthful excitement, and such things no longer sparked strong anticipation in him.
But just because he wasn't interested didn't mean others wouldn't be.
It was certain that Sekai would be very interested in visiting a shrine for New Year's, and especially in waiting for the sunrise…
"The shrine will probably be crowded. Are you planning to celebrate with Yuka?"
"Probably. I wanted to see if you had time, but it seems like there isn't much time now."
The girl stood up, pocketed the tangerine, waved at Haruto, and headed for the door.
"Well then, I'll go find Yuka. See you tomorrow."
"Mm."
Watching her leave, Haruto returned his gaze to his laptop. New Year was just around the corner. He wondered whether Mari, his editor, would be alone or…
_ _ _
"I've returned home for now, spending the holidays here. I'll probably come back to Tokyo after the New Year. Is there something urgent?"
Mari, dressed in thick pajamas, lay under her blankets, reluctant to get up. Once out of bed, she would face her parents and their inevitable "marriage lectures." She was already an adult, working, and yet…
"Shouldn't you start thinking about your future?"
When she returned home, she had been frustrated, wanting to rush back to Tokyo. But since coming home was a rare occasion—just once a year—she endured her resentment and stayed in her room.
"If it's urgent, I could return to Tokyo right away."
"No, it's nothing. I just wanted to ask about New Year's plans. If you're alone, you could come by my place for a small gathering, but since you're already home, I'll just wish you a happy holiday for now."
"I see. Then, happy holidays to you too."
After chatting with Mari about plans for after New Year, Haruto ended the call, reopened his contacts, and checked messages of New Year's greetings.
"Tomorrow is fine. Today can wait."
He set his phone aside, closed his laptop, and lay back down for a while. After resting, he got up and headed out to the Kiyoura household. Mai had already started her holiday early and was resting at home.
"Haruto?"
"Is Setsuna home?"
"She went out with Sekai earlier. I think she wanted to meet some other friends before the New Year. Did you need to see her?"
Haruto walked into the living room, sat down beside Mai, and lay his head on her lap, gazing at the TV in front of him.
"It's nothing. I just didn't know what to do, so I came to check on Setsuna. Since she went out, there's nothing pressing. By the way, tonight… are you planning to stay up for the sunrise?"
Seeing Haruto lie down immediately on her lap, Mai gently ran her fingers through his hair.
"I'm no longer young. I've long lost that kind of energy and interest. I probably won't stay up all night. Are you and Setsuna planning to stay up together?"
"I'm not planning to, but Setsuna might be interested, so she'll probably rest a bit first."
"You're just going to lie on my lap and rest?"
"Is that a problem?"
"Not a problem. Then, rest properly."
Haruto closed his eyes, feeling slightly drowsy, and quietly lay on Mai's lap. He wasn't overly sleepy, but gradually, without noticing it, he drifted off.
He didn't sleep long... about an hour before opening his eyes again. Seeing Mai also asleep, leaning against the sofa, he slowly sat up, reached out, carried her to her room, tucked her in with a blanket, and returned to his own apartment.
By evening, he received a message from Setsuna saying she had returned home. Haruto went back to the Kiyoura house and found Mai awake and ready for dinner.
"Later, Yoko and Sekai will also come over."
"Tonight, both families are celebrating together?"
Haruto looked at Mai with mild surprise, then glanced at Setsuna beside him.
"Mm, Sekai… she's actually quite lonely too."
Haruto didn't think there was anything wrong with being able to understand her friend, though his feelings were subtly complicated. Sitting quietly in the living room, he watched Mai bustling about, then looked back at Setsuna.
"When will they come?"
"Soon. Probably in about half an hour."
With a little time to spare, Haruto stood and helped Mai prepare dinner.
After more than half an hour, Sekai and Yoko arrived at the door, carrying gifts.
"Shouldn't you invite Ogiwara-san too?"
As she welcomed Sekai and Yoko, who were holding gifts, into the house, Setsuna suddenly spoke and whispered to Haruto about Sayu.
~~~~~~~~~~
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