"It's snowing, it's snowing."
"A flock of little painters has come to the snowy fields~"
"The chicks paint bamboo leaves, the puppies paint plum blossoms..."
"Aren't you the one who hates the cold the most?"
"Stop standing out on the balcony."
"Come inside already."
"Fine."
Tsushima Kagami listened to Yukinoshita Shizuku say this from inside the room, and could only head back indoors.
He slid the balcony door shut.
Tsushima Kagami had been standing on the balcony, watching the great goose-feather snow that filled the night sky.
He couldn't help wanting to recite a poem, to give voice to the knot of feelings in his heart.
Thinking it over and over, he suddenly recalled this nursery-rhyme-style passage from a textbook.
Only to be interrupted by Yukinoshita Shizuku.
He came over to the dining table and sat down beside Yukinoshita Shizuku.
He took the reindeer plushie out of his pocket and set it on the table.
He stared at it for a while, then closed his eyes.
The System Panel surfaced before his eyes.
He checked the Pure Love Points he had accumulated.
Then he looked at the points required to upgrade the system from LV3 to LV4, or to upgrade the exchange shop from LV1 to LV2.
Both were pretty steep.
The points he currently held were only enough to pick one.
What function a system upgrade would unlock, he had no idea.
What products a shop upgrade would unlock, he had no idea either.
Everything was unknown and uncertain.
But right now the only way to do anything about Mrs. Shimizu was through this system.
Or else he could save up more points and upgrade both at the same time—the odds of getting something useful would probably be greater that way.
But given Mrs. Shimizu's current condition, she probably couldn't wait that long.
With a sigh, Tsushima Kagami exited the System Panel.
Then he turned to look at Yukinoshita Shizuku beside him, who was carefully slipping the photographs one by one into the white photo album he had given her earlier.
At this moment Tsushima Kagami remembered that when Mrs. Shimizu had called, Shizuku had seemed to want to say something to him.
"By the way, Shizuku."
"What?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku set a photograph in place and asked without looking up.
"Before Auntie Shimizu called, what were you about to tell me?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku's hand holding the photograph paused for a moment.
Then she resumed placing the photo as before.
"It's nothing."
"I just suddenly felt like saying something heartfelt."
"You can still say it now."
"I'm not in the mood anymore."
"Why does it feel like you've had a cold look on your face ever since we got back from the park today?"
"Why the sudden bad mood?"
"After something like that happened."
"How could I possibly be happy?"
Tsushima Kagami nodded in understanding.
"That's true."
"I'm tired. I'll go rest in my room first."
Yukinoshita Shizuku closed the album, then picked up the album and the photographs.
And headed toward her own room.
"Good night." "Good night."
Tsushima Kagami also got up, stretched lazily.
He placed the reindeer plushie he'd been fiddling with back on the table.
And walked back to his own room.
The next morning.
When Tsushima Kagami woke up, Yukinoshita Shizuku had already gone out.
A note was left on the dining table.
"I've gone to the hospital to check on Nayotake and Auntie."
"Give my apologies to Sayuri and the others for the get-together."
He changed his clothes and packed the gifts into his backpack.
The sun was lovely today; the snow had already stopped.
But a cold wind still gusted now and then.
A café in a quiet alley in Shinjuku.
When Tsushima Kagami walked in, Sayuri and the others had already arrived.
Today she wore a red sweater with a moose printed on it.
Everyone else had also taken off their coats because of the heating, wearing sweaters of various styles.
Kosaka Akane and Machida Sonoko sat to one side.
Seika Ijichi and Hiratsuka Shizuka sat across from them.
Hiroi Kikuri and PA-ko were squeezed into the innermost seats, a cup of hot cocoa already half-drunk in front of each of them.
"Kagami! Over here!"
Sayuri waved to him.
He walked over, sat down in the empty seat, and set his backpack by his feet.
"Where's Shizuku?"
Machida Sonoko asked.
"She went to the hospital."
Tsushima Kagami briefly recounted what had happened yesterday.
After the others had listened, a silence settled over them for a moment.
"Nayotake..."
Machida Sonoko weighed her words.
"She won't do anything foolish, will she?"
"Not yesterday."
"As for later on, who knows."
Sayuri bit her lip.
"We can't leave Nayotake all alone."
"She's not alone right now."
Kosaka Akane said.
"Auntie Shimizu is still there, and besides, she has all of us."
Sayuri lowered her head and said nothing more.
The waiter came over to take orders, and everyone ordered their own drinks.
Tsushima Kagami ordered an Americano, and when the coffee was brought over.
He added a cube of sugar, stirred it, and took a sip.
"All right, worrying blindly won't help anything."
"These are the gifts Shizuku and I picked out for you all."
Tsushima Kagami handed out the gifts he and Yukinoshita Shizuku had bought yesterday to everyone.
"Oh, right."
Sayuri took out a paper bag from her purse.
"This is a gift for Nayotake. Take it to her for me."
"Got it."
The others also took out their gifts one after another.
And stuffed them into Tsushima Kagami's backpack.
In no time, the backpack was bulging again.
"Should we go to the hospital later too, to check on Nayotake and Auntie Shimizu?"
Hiratsuka Shizuka said at this point.
"I was actually about to suggest going to the hospital later as well."
Sayuri chimed in too.
Seika Ijichi, seated beside Hiratsuka Shizuka, on the contrary furrowed her brows and said.
"I actually think that given Nayotake's current state, having a lot of us show up might end up upsetting her instead..."
"Yes, right now it's enough that Shizuku is there keeping her company."
"Too many people would only make her uncomfortable."
"It'd be bad if it backfired."
"It's best if everyone just treats her the same as always."
Kosaka Akane also looked at Seika Ijichi in agreement.
After hearing this, everyone nodded.
After that, no one dwelled on the topic any further.
Instead they moved on to lighter subjects.
When it was about time, Tsushima Kagami checked the hour.
"I still have to make a stop at Kenta's place later."
"I'll head off first."
After saying goodbye to everyone.
When he came out of the café, the sunlight was rather glaring instead.
Tsushima Kagami stood there for a moment, then turned and walked toward the station.
Yamada Kenta's home was on a quiet residential street in Shinjuku.
Tsushima Kagami had been there a few times and was quite familiar with it.
He had also prepared a gift for Yamada Kenta.
After all, Kenta had looked out for him quite a bit before.
Right on his way there, Tsushima Kagami spotted classmate Hazuki not far off.
From the look of it, she also seemed to be heading in the direction of where Yamada Kenta lived.
So Tsushima Kagami took the initiative to step forward and greet her.
"Hazuki."
Hazuki Hotaru had been walking with her head down the whole time, looking utterly out of it.
Being suddenly called out gave her a fright.
She turned to look and found it was Tsushima Kagami, whereupon she bowed slightly and said.
"Hello, Tsushima-san."
Tsushima Kagami walked up beside her and said with a smile.
"What a coincidence. You're heading to Kenta's place, right?"
"I'm on my way there too."
"Let's go together."
"Um..."
"Could I trouble you to pass this along to Yamada-san?"
"I won't be going after all!"
"Sorry to trouble you, Tsushima-san!"
Hazuki Hotaru pulled a small gift box out of her bag and shoved it straight into Tsushima Kagami's hands.
Then, before Tsushima Kagami could react, she quickly dashed off.
Tsushima Kagami looked at the exquisite little gift box in his hands, completely baffled.
What was going on?
Didn't the young couple exchange gifts together last night on Christmas Eve?
Since she'd come all this way, and Kenta's place was just a few more steps off, why run away?
Was this some brand-new PLAY they were into?
Tsushima Kagami scratched his head.
Never mind, he'd just ask Kenta what was up once he got to his place.
When Tsushima Kagami arrived at the door of Yamada Kenta's home.
He rang the doorbell and waited a while.
The lock clicked open with a "click."
"Coming, coming!"
Yamada Kenta's mother's voice came from inside the door.
"Oh my, it's Kagami-kun!"
"Come in, please!"
"Hello, Auntie."
Tsushima Kagami greeted her with a smile.
Mrs. Yamada's expression had originally been somewhat troubled.
But after seeing Tsushima Kagami, her face broke into a delighted smile.
Not because Tsushima Kagami was now the dream boyfriend of housewives all across Japan.
But rather with the look of someone who had seen a savior.
"Kenta's upstairs. Go on up and find him."
She paused, then lowered her voice.
"These past few days he's... been a little strange."
"Do Auntie a favor and take a look."
"What's wrong with Kenta?"
Tsushima Kagami asked curiously as well.
"It's just..."
She thought for a moment.
"I can't quite put it into words."
"You'll understand once you go up."
Tsushima Kagami nodded.
When he climbed the stairs, Yamada Kenta's room was at the very end of the second floor.
The door was closed, and a hand-drawn sign was pasted on it.
It read "Nina's Room."
The handwriting was neat, and it was even framed with a border of decorative trim.
He knocked on the door.
"Come in."
He pushed the door open.
The curtains in the room were not, as they usually were, either half-drawn or fully closed.
Instead they were thrown completely open.
____
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