The first day of winter vacation, December 23.
I woke up at eleven o'clock. The reason why I get up at this time is because I don't want to feel cold in the morning. It is a good thing that I can get out of the futon safely when it is almost noon because the temperature rises to some extent, and it also contributes to the reduction of the Sakakikis' food cost by cutting breakfast.
I am sure that healthy people who advocate going to bed early and getting up early will object to my lifestyle. But I dare to say this. For me, getting up early is the most stressful thing to do.

Well, I don't care about that, and I don't really care what anyone else says. After breakfast and lunch, I retired to my room again, warmed the happiness of living in my heart, and started to nurture it in my futon. It's the best thing I've ever done. The relief of being able to sleep endlessly without any worries. Be forever.

Boom, boom.

The door is roaring. This house is supposed to have poltergeist-like phenomena. I hope the self-aggrandizing spirit dies immediately. I close my eyes.

'Brother. Help me shovel the snow!

The door can't talk. Where in the world are the vocal cords and lungs? So I must be hearing things in my ears. The music I listened to before going to bed must still be surging in my brain, creating auditory hallucinations. I decided to ignore it.

'Hey, bro. Help me shovel snow!

Shoveling snow doesn't really change anything. It's going to come down again anyway. You can't get your lost stamina back.

It's not cold, so let's shovel.

It's cold, that's why it snows.
No. I'm never going.

'Ugh. I'm gonna cry. ......

I jumped out of bed.

'Okay. Let's go shovel with my brother.'
Thanks. You're a piece of work.'

Oh, for God's sake.
Don't make me cry.
I opened the door to find Ugin standing there in full winter gear. There were snowflakes around his waist, falling to the floor and quickly melting and disappearing, as if the snowflakes themselves had died to show how warm the room was.

Is it piling up?
'Yes. It's too hard for me to do it alone, so please help me.

Winking at Ugin.
To others, it's a smiling brotherly love. But to me, the person involved, it was clouded by deploration and concern.
Deploring was my anger at the fact that he had deprived me of the time I could thoroughly relax without seeming to take it personally. How dare you trample on my blissful time? Winter and summer vacations are synonymous with the time before kindergarten when you are promised freedom in all things. Take that time ......!

But he could not resist his sister's threats of tears.

My concern was that she might be approached by some crazy guy. My sister is one of the prettiest girls in my opinion. I had assumed that she would be a single woman in her twenties or forties in the future, because she made a lot of jokes similar to mine, probably because of her genes, but through casual conversation, I learned that she is surprisingly popular.
It is interestingly annoying when I think about the idea of my sister becoming someone else's man. I wonder if it's the feeling of a father coming for his daughter.
I must reprimand him if he is winking here and there. You're attracting flies.

After putting on my Eskimo-like warm-up gear, I start shoveling with Ugin.
The sun is hidden by a light grayish overcast, and the snow shows no sign of melting. I crunched and crunched my way through the snow, peeling off the hardened snow as I broke up the dreaded snow. I sift through the white carpet that lines the human corridor like a soldier digging a trench, blowing away the snow with my snow shovel. You son of a b*tc*! Who do you think I am shoveling snow for? Ugin Sakakiki. It's your fault. Snow is never bad.

You don't have to look like that if you're going to do it.
'Let the snow disappear from the world.
'Then we'll have to move to Kenya! I'll help! I have to tell my mom!
'Don't do it. At least give me a break by going south to Okinawa.'





I finished shoveling (or ran away) and poured a 720ml bottle of tomato juice into a glass in the living room, enjoying the ultimate in post-work pleasure.

(Excellent ......)

I wonder if this will be wine when I grow up. Well, no. Tomatoes for sure.
The TV was showing a special program reviewing the events of the past year, and I was watching it intently.
Ugin is still out there. He stopped shoveling snow in the middle of the day and started building a snowman even though he will be a freshman in high school next year, so I guess he is still in the process of building it. That's why I ran away.

A casual glance at social networking sites shows Makoto's top page with a two-shot photo of Ryuka and him. The mood is pretty good.
And then I received a message from Makoto at the perfect time. I thought I was being watched.

Where do you think I should go for Christmas with Ryuka?

I ignored him and licked my tomato juice. I pretended I didn't see it.
A few minutes later I got a call from Makoto.

Why are you ignoring me?
I'm sorry, I didn't notice. I'm sorry, I didn't notice. (Are high school students now expected to be smartphone addicts at the level of noticing messages as soon as they come in?)"
Where do you think Christmas is the best time to go?"

I hung up as if nothing had happened. You're on your own. Don't ask me in the first place. You'll show that you don't know much about love. No, the last time you were at the aquarium.


Is this guy making fun of me? Does Makoto Takane feel a kind of status in having a girlfriend and look down on those who don't? If so, he must be executed.
The phone beeped again.

Why did you hang up?
'Sorry. My hand slipped.
'Seriously, please! Please give me some ideas!
'Saudi Arabia would be nice.
"Are you watching the special on comet ......, too?"

Just now, the TV was reporting on Saudi Arabia's oil business.

'I'm not going to help you this time. I won't leave the room if it's useless.
'Oh, no. ......, we're friends at heart, aren't we?
'Ask Tsuru. I'm sure she'll know all about it.
'I don't have an email address, number, or line ......'
'On foot. Use the last means of communication.
'Tell me about it. ......'

I had no choice but to give him my account.
On Christmas Day, couples show up all over town. They will enjoy a meal at a fashionable restaurant, and the night view will make their hearts beat faster. By the way, the Sakakikis are having a cake party.
I wonder what kind of cake Ugin will make this year. She is so good at baking cakes that she makes my taste buds roar.

A few minutes after I hung up the phone, Tsuru called me again.

I told you to tell Makoto, didn't I?

Oops. It seems that Makoto asked me right away.

I thought, 'Tsuru is the best in this kind of thing. Tell him.

I sent him a 'no,' and he sent me a stamp with a crying face. Isn't that creepy?

That's definitely creepy. I feel like my stomach juices are coming out of my nose.

Just answer me with a reasonable answer. Then I'll believe you.

I sent him a love hotel, handsome.

I blew tomato juice. Ugin was back in the living room and said, 'Ogaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! My brother is dying! He's vomiting blood! I screamed.
What is this little girl talking about? A love hotel? And to use the word "love hotel" so readily when addressing me, a man, isn't Tsuru-san's sense of chastity a little dangerous? It's a little misleading. Maybe you'll think the crane has a crush on me.
I flick my mind back to the quiet lakeside. With a heart as flat as possible, trying to be poetic, with beautiful, unclouded words.

He will be so pleased. '

I sent it. Okay, no more Makoto.




It was around 3:00 in the afternoon. Ugin came knocking again.

Mom said she had to go shopping.
'Wow! Why do you say such heartless things? (Japanese man)''
'Your tone sounds like a foreigner's reaction.
'What's up with me shopping? ...... The Sakaki family seems hell-bent on getting rid of me. ......'
'Mom said we're almost out of tomato juice. She said I could buy some on my way to the store.
I'm going. I'm going shopping.'
'Maybe I should go...'
No. I'll go shopping.
'Well, you'll have to carry my luggage, won't you?
'Okay. You can push me into anything.

I put on my trench coat to protect myself from the cold and venture outside for the second time today.
I walk with Ugin to the supermarket.

'I have a list of things to buy,' he says.
Please.''

It's like we've been transported back in time. That's how I feel when I'm working with Ugin. At the same time, the pressure of not being able to return to the past is starting to feel very heavy. I know this is a well-known fact.

Arrive at the supermarket.
I shoved my basket into the cart and prepared for battle.

Thanks, bro. That's very kind of you to help me, I'm so fragile.
'I'd do anything for a glass of tomato juice.
''Oh yeah.''

Ugin led the way, looking at the note, and I followed at a sluggish pace behind him.
My sister tossed mayonnaise, meat, and triangular nets one after another without hesitation. She understands the structure of this supermarket perfectly. She can probably handle it even if I blindfold her. She turns the corner and reaches for the merchandise with her eyes down to the memo paper as if she were walking on her cell phone. I could never pull off such a feat. I'm confident I can break all the eggs. The housewife would probably tear me to pieces.
At the last minute, she gives me the right to choose tomato juice. My mother always buys the large plastic bottles because she uses them for cooking. I reached for it without hesitation.

I finally got my hands on some .......
Don't go home and drink it all. Your mother uses it for cooking too.


'Hang in there. Trust me.
'If you can't, just slit your wrists and sip it.
'Oops, Uginchuwaan ......'

I left the cart with Ugin and waited on the other side of the cash register. I wait on the other side of the cash register, bagging up the food offerings after paying for them.

(Ugin will make a good wife. ......)

Well, if she becomes my wife.
If she brings up the idea of an engagement, my father and I will have a long look at her. If they're not right, I'll kick their asses and kick them out. Just don't get me into surgery.

What a coincidence.
What?

Shirana was there.
Her sudden appearance left me speechless.

I was speechless. We live close to each other, so it wouldn't be surprising if we bumped into each other.''

It's a fair point, but it's too natural for me to talk to you after so long, I'm afraid. In fact, Shirana is talking so normally that it's funny that I'm surprised.

Are you going to the year-end party of Tsuru?
Oh, yeah, let's go. How can a person who was asked to gather people by Tsuru not go?
'I see. I thought Alina and Tsuru were planning it.
'He can't act in such a coordinated manner. ......'

It's been better lately, though.

'...... hey, comet. You don't have to worry about me, okay? I'm refreshed.'
'Eh.'
'It's a little frustrating, though!

Shirana gave a threatening yelp, then rolled over and smiled quickly.

I'm sorry about that.
'Oh, God! So it's okay! As for me, it's harder to be cared for, you know?''
'...... sorry.'
''God d*mn it!

Then Shirana put her forehead against my chest. She didn't hug me. She was just leaning forward a little and letting a small part of her weight rest on me.
She looked up quickly.

'Will you tell me your love story at the New Year's Eve party? I might go into a jealous frenzy, though!

With these words, Hakuna left.
I was so nervous! You made me a little nervous. Calm down, my heart. Look at the clock and calm down.
After paying the bill, Ugin appeared with a villainous grin on his face. I stuffed my food into the plastic bag without a care in the world, knowing I'd step on a landmine if I tried to talk him out of it.
Shit. Ugin's smirk keeps popping into view, and it's annoying. If I'm a clown, Ugin is a pieretta. You clown. Reset your expression.

"Hey, hey, hey, brother.
'Wait for me. Big brother is currently stuffing his meat. If you tear the vinyl with your fingernail, it will lose its freshness, so please don't talk to him now.
'It's Shirana-san from earlier, right? Hey? Hey?''
'Yes, I am, but...'
'It looked like courtship to me. Maybe I'm hallucinating.
'Of course not. No rational higher creature would do such a thing in a public place.
'Amazing! My brother was human!
Let's go home.

With plastic bags in both hands, he strode out of the supermarket.
Ugin was in a good mood and skipped around the neighborhood singing a very disgraceful song, 'Fukurin Fukurin My brother is an adulterer '. Fall down, you bastard!

By the way, I went to bed early that day.