December 16. I poked the ground with an ice pick, but I couldn't see the ground at all.
Who is the one who built such a world? ......

'Waha~!You can walk on snow!
'...... won't sink'.

Loretta was excited to wear the sandals that everyone had made together. Magda walks on the snow, checking it step by step.

'It's amazing, Yashiro-san. It's like magic that your feet don't get stuck in the snow.

Ginette's eyes sparkled. But I didn't expect such an ancient tradition to be called magic. People north of the northern Kanto region must be surprised.

'It's like walking on a cloud.

Ginette walks through the snow, squeezing and squeezing. Her footsteps seem to be lighter than usual.

'Sleighing!
'Hiku!
'I'm an impersonator of Kasajizo!

My brothers are pulling a sledge loaded with foodstuffs.
We can't use wheeled carts, but we can use sledges. What could be more useful for transporting food in the snow?
I wonder if the story of the Kasa Jizo is spreading?

'...... It's cold. Yashiro, hug me.'
'Don't f*ck around on the snow.
'...... very serious'
'............ try a little harder.'

I'm not the type of guy who's as confident in his physical strength as you are.
I'm not the type of person who is confident in my physical strength like you. He has shown some interest in the kajiki, but he doesn't get too excited about it. The three younger brothers are working together to pull the sled.

'Whoa!Wha-ho!I'm not afraid of the snow!

......, so Loretta is the only one who is excited about it.

'You should help out a little too!
'Wabuku!

A snowball the size of a fist hits Loretta in the face.
Hmm. I guess my shoulder's still in good shape. As expected of the handball throwing class record holder.

'Huh!You did it, big brother!

Loretta's eyes sparkle as she begins to make an oversized snowball.
But next to me walks Ginette, who is synonymous with 'dumb'. If I'm good, Ginette will surely fall prey to the snowball.

'...... If you hit Jeannette, you'll have to skip breakfast.
'Huh!

Loretta removes the snowball. Oh, the ...... snowball cracked open and turned into a small lump.

'Well, I'll get revenge when I get back!
'Yeah, when I get back.

There are no guests here anyway. Let's have a snowball fight and play.

As we approached the field, Mormat hadn't come out yet.
It's impossible to work in the field in this snow.

I jumped down on the fresh snow in the field and wrote 'Mormat's idiot' with my footprints.

'...... already, Yashiro-san.

When I returned to the road, a troubled-looking Ginette admonished me.
Well, well, well. It's okay to play around like this.

'They'll never know I wrote it, anyway.
'No, they'll probably find out soon enough.

Loretta says confidently. What, you know a lot about mormat biology?Are you a Dr. Morgat?

When I look up, I see Magda attached to Loretta.
Her ears are flattened, and she is listless.

'Magda.
'.................. Mmm.'

Her reply is minimal. He's in a lot of pain.

'I'll make you something nice when we get to the church. Just hang in there a little longer.'
'............ Mmm'

I warmed her ears with my hand, as if I were covering them.
It's hard to have cold ears, isn't it?
Your bite hurts, you know, when your ears are cold.

'Yashiro-san. Is that the 'good stuff' you were preparing just now?


'Hmm?Yeah. I'm sure the kids at church will love it.

I thought I would have to spend a lot of time making sandals and sledges, but my brother and Loretta took to it so quickly that I was able to leave them to it.
So I used the free time to prepare the 'good stuff'.
I steamed the glutinous rice and boiled the red beans.

'Now all I have to do is boil it again, and it will become oshiruko.
'Is oshiruko ...... a soup?'
'The soup ...... is a soup.'

Where do you think the position of oshiruko is?
You can say it's a drink because it's in a vending machine, or you can say it's a soup because it's in a vending machine.
Oshiruko is "oshiruko" after all. It is neither more nor less than that.

By the way, Percy brought a lot of sugar with him when we played in the river yesterday. ...... Maybe this is a bribe. I don't know. ...... It's like I'm supposed to get along with Neffery to make things work. ...... Well, I don't know, because he didn't tell me.

So you are all set to make oshiruko.
There was no time to make the rice cakes, so they were simply mashed like ohagi. ...... Well, there is no difference in taste.

I hope this makes Magda feel better. ......?

I'm not sure what to say.

Magda suddenly fell into the snow.
He fell forward, with a thud.

'What's wrong?Are you at your limit?'

I hurriedly picked her up and saw that Magda was shaking and shaking.
Isn't this a bad idea?

'...... is a flower......'
'Hana?'

Magda said in a shaky voice.
'What?What are you trying to say?

'I want you to ...... your nose, plop ...... it down.'
'What about ..................?'
'I want you to .................., .......'

'Cover your nose?

'...... should I just, uh, blow my nose?'
'..................Yes.'
'.................. stinky?'
'......I'm fine.'

No, I don't have any toothpaste or anything like that, though I do rinse my mouth out. ............ Oh, really?

'............Yashiro......'

He looked up at me with his usual expressionless but somewhat weak eyes.
His hands grabbing my clothes ...... are so weak that it's hard to imagine them from the usual Magda.

He's asking me to do it. It must mean something to him. ......
More importantly, I don't think he'd mess around in a situation like this: ............

'All right. Then let's go to .......'
'............'.

The only thing that escaped was a sigh of ...... breath.
I feel like I'm about to fall asleep,...... and I'm going to sleep like I never woke up,......

I'm sure you'll agree that it's a great idea.
I don't know what the point of blowing your nose is. I don't know, but ......

'.................. blow'.

I gently bite Magda's little nose.
I felt a little nervous, like I was kissing her, but she was Magda. If our lips accidentally touched, it was safe because we were children.

Now I'm going to blow my nose. ...... So, what happens now?

--And...

Creepy, creepy, creepy!Magda's body vibrated.
Like a dog splashing after getting wet, it's a super-fast vibration that no human can imitate.

What's that?
Is my mouth that smelly?

'............ mom'
'......What?'

Magda clung to me tightly.
She buries her face in my chest and rubs her head against me.

Magda's strength is returning to her arms.

'............ nyaa'.

She lets out a small cry and stops moving. ............

'.................. Huh.'

Suddenly her ears stand up, twitch and shake, and then stand up again.
The ears are pointing at me.

'...... Magda?'
'...... hey .................. wait.'

She presses her face against my chest and squirms around somewhat.
He rubs his head restlessly, busily, merrily.

'............ Mom, you're spoiling my parents. ............ I'm so embarrassed. ......'



Apparently, she's embarrassed.
In ......, mommy parents are ......

'............ Magda, you're an adult.'
'You're still a minor, so you're safe.

Apparently, the extreme cold had taken its toll on her spirit.
Maybe he was feeling nervous.
After sniffing, Magda's arms were firm and strong.

Perhaps, for Magda and the other Tigers, sniffing is part of the expression of affection that parents give to their children. The child rubs his head and rubs his soft parts. Just like Magda is doing to me right now.

'............When you grow up, you won't have to do this ......'.

Apparently, Magda is embarrassed by her current pampering mode.
It's the first time you've rubbed ...... your head or rubbed my belly. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money.

'............But I'm underage now,......'
'Yes, yes. That's right.
'............Because you're a yashiro.'
'Yes, yes.'
'..................Thanks.'
'Hmm.'

Maybe this guy has some bad memories of snow.
It's said that when a trauma comes back, it can cause sudden loss of consciousness or collapse.
Well, I'm not going to pursue it, but I'll keep it in mind.

And if he's behaving strangely, I'll indulge him like this.
I'm sure he's lacking something like that.

If you do that, will he be able to ...... laugh at you someday? I'd like to see that.

'Mr. Yashiro'.

Ginette calls out from behind me.
The reason she didn't come from behind Magda is probably out of consideration for Magda. I'm sure Magda is more cautious now.

'Does she look okay?
'Yeah, I'm fine. Your arms are stronger, and your complexion is improving.

Your body temperature is rising, too.

'You're fine now, Magda?
'............ Mmm. Five more minutes.'
'Yes, yes.'
'Well, I'll go to the church first and make a fire. I'll go to the church and make a fire so we can have something hot to eat soon.'
'Right. Take care of it.'
'Yes, sir.'

Ginette slowly walked back to her brothers and went to the church first.

'Magda, are you alright?
'...... I'm fine. I'll be fully recovered in seven minutes.'
'You're two minutes overdue, .......'

Loretta tries to look into Magda's face, but Magda stubbornly refuses to do so.
Every time Loretta moves, Magda's face is pressed against my chest. It hurts a little, so I'd like you to stop.


'............ but .............'
'Don't be shy!
'............ stinks.'
'You don't stink!

Loretta was shocked by Magda's harsh words.
If she can make jokes like this, she should be fine now.

'Loretta. Why don't you go ahead and heat up some oshiruko? The recipe is at .......'

I tell Loretta how to make oshiruko, when to add water when it boils, and how much sugar to add.
I don't expect her to be able to remember.

'If you look at the Conversation Record, you should be able to do it without fail.
'All right, sir!I'll leave it to you!

Loretta puffed her chest out with pride. It's a normal-sized bulge.
With the Conversation Record, it's easy to pass on the recipe.
I'm sure that even the idiot Loretta will be able to finish it.

'Well then, my brothers will be here soon!
'Yes, yes. Oh, and Loretta...'
'What is it?
'Don't fall down, okay?Don't fall.
'Don't pretend like that!I'm not going to fall!

After a moment of wondering if she should fall, Loretta ran to the church without falling.



'............ Well.'

I put my hand on Magda's head.

'I'm all you've got.'
'............Yeah.'

Well, what can I say? It's a rare thing. ......
Yeah, life is a lot of things. ......

My chest was warm and now it's cold.
That's why I was the only one who noticed.
Magda's situation.

I looked up and saw that Magda was crying.
You've got no expression on your face, do you?

'............ strange?'
'No. I was afraid to get into a car for a while too.
'...... cars?'
'It's like a horse-drawn carriage. I've been in an accident with one.'
'...... carriage, are you afraid?
'I'm totally fine now. I got over it a long time ago. That's why. ......'

At this time, I had an image in my mind of a kitten mewing to itself on a snowy night.

...... You must be cold. Come here and warm up more.

'No need to rush, no need to be in a hurry. And don't worry about it.
'............'
'It'll all be in the past someday. And then, surprisingly, you'll be okay.
'......When I grow up, will I be ......?'
'No. It's not about age.

It's when you start to think that traumas and annoying things that are holding you back are no big deal. ......

'Maybe it's when you find your place in the world.
'...... place............'
'Even on a cold night, it's warm when you get home, right?If you have a place to come home to, you can be strong.'
'..................Yes.'
'Yes.'
'............ so'
'Hmm.'
'...... 'Yes'.

I don't know what happened in Magda's past. I'm not going to ask, and I may never know. But that's okay.
Even if I don't know what his past was, I know what his present is.
I can see his future with him.

That's all I need.

'...... Mmm.'

Magda buries her face in my chest again, her puffy cheeks leaking a dissatisfied voice.
I'm not sure what to do.

'............Yashiro is so cool sometimes,............ ...... is unfair.'
'Right?That's what I'm trying to do, actually. That's why I make Yashiro mischievous every day.'
'............ That's not true. That's just me.

Hey, hey. I don't care either way.
Think what you want.

Just one thing.

'If you need help, you can count on me.
'............ Yes.'

Magda's body warmed slowly.
She must have felt safe. It's the warmth of a child's body.

We sat there for a while, exposed to the too-cold wind.
It was so cold that it was no joke, but ...... I thought I would do this until Magda calmed down.






I'm not sure what to say. Magda!

When I arrived at the church, the kids were already eating.
I'm early.
...... No, we ended up staying outside for about thirty minutes, so I guess it can't be helped.

'It was cold, wasn't it?Have some hot soup.
'Thank you.
'......Thanks'.
'...... Ah. ............ Magda-san. 'Yashiro-san brought you some oshiruko, it's amazing food, you can count on it.'



Ginette reacted slightly when she saw Magda's face.
She must have noticed the tears on her face.
After that, he talked to Magda gently with his usual smile.
I think he's a really nice guy, being able to pay attention to things like this.

'Hey, big brother!Please give me a taste!
'Oh. You followed the recipe, didn't you?
'It's perfect!The manager did all the work!All I did was stir it!

...... So, why do you look so proud of yourself? ......
When I followed Loretta into the kitchen, steam was rising from a huge pot.
And the sweet smell of red beans was in the air.

On the workbench in the kitchen, there was a row of 'make-believe rice balls' made from roughly mashed glutinous rice. Would 'kind of mochi' be more appropriate?

I'm not sure what to make of it.
............ Hmm. Normal!
It's just normal oshiruko.

'As expected, it's just what Loretta was stirring. It's so normal.'
'It doesn't matter, sir!It's seasoned by the manager, right?
'It's delicious. Very good.'
'Ehehe, it's .......'

Maybe this guy also wanted to do something for Magda.
He seemed to be Magda's closest friend in the sunlit pavilion.

'Well, when you're done eating, you can have this for dessert. ......'
''''' Thanks for the food! '''''

Before you can finish your sentence, you can hear the voices of the kids and then Bertina's voice coming from the common room.
...... It's too early to finish eating.

'Um, Yashiro-san,......, Sista,......, it seems like you guys can't wait?
'......That's why you ate your food in such a hurry. ............'

You kids, don't grow up to be like Bertina. No, seriously.

'Then let's give it to the kids!
'''' Wow! ''''
'Where are the sisters?

I shouted, and there were shouts of joy.
Except for about one sister.

'Ginette, Loretta. I need your help.'
'Yes, sir.
'Yes, sir!

Someone tugged at the hem of my dress as I tried to serve the oshiruko.
It was Magda.

'...... Magda will do it too.'
'Can you do it?'
'............ stupid question'.

'Foolish question. ...... Well, let's see how you're back to full strength.

'Yes!Now for the mission!Distribute the oshiruko to the kids so Bertina doesn't steal them away!
'Yes, sir.'
'Yes, sir.'
'...... Understood.'

The members of the Sun Goddess Pavilion leave the kitchen with a bowl of oshiruko.
When they left, Ginette was caught by Bertina and the oshiruko was taken from her. ...... Mission failed.


'Oishii!
'Awwww!
'It's hot!
'Omochi!
'Revolutionary of sweetness!

Oh, Hammaro's eating it too.

As far as I can see, oshiruko is a big hit.
Maybe I'll try making real mochi at church next time. Anko and ...... Oh, Ginette bought a lot of soybeans, so we can make soybean flour. Okay, okay. The mochi pounding contest is almost a done deal.

'......Yashiro'
'Oh, Magda.

Oshiruko (sweet red bean paste) is being served to the kids, and the members of the sunny pavilion are also enjoying it.
Magda seemed to be eating it too, her cheeks turning a light pink and she was smiling.

'Is it good?'
'...... affirmative. 'The sweetness of Yashiro.'
'What do you mean, my sweetness?
'...... That sweetness will be fatal one day. ......'
'It's not the same sweetness, and don't say horrible things.'



It seemed to me that he had taken the trouble to tell me that he was well enough to joke about it.
When I put my hand on his head, the chemo ears that had been lying flat on the ground outside pushed back against my palm with a faint resistance. Fluffy.

'Since this is the occasion, let's enjoy it to the fullest, Snow.
'...... will do.'

Onward.
Magda's eyes seemed to be fixed on the road ahead.

'......I'll do my best to get into a snowball fight.'
'You're not allowed to say "Red Moya," are you?
'...... Excuse that abbreviation. It's the venerable ...... of the Tigers.'
'You'll get cold.'
'............ zzzzz ............ puhhh'.

It's not ...... raining, but the heavy snow has made Magda big again.
I'm not sure what to make of that.

You may be ...... just imagining it, though.