Chapter 276: Have a Refreshing Round
"Bye bye, Saki-kun~"
(づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡
Fujiwara Chika reluctantly waved to Sakurai Saki.
Tonight Kaguya would stay over here, but Sakurai Saki and Hayasaka Ai said they wanted to head home.
"Kaguya-san, are you really not coming back with us?" Hayasaka Ai looked at the Fujiwara sisters, a worry for Shinomiya Kaguya's safety rising inside her.
At night she might get dragged into some weird games again.
Kaguya-sama, please stay alert!
"I'm not going back." Shinomiya Kaguya shook her head.
Compared to going home to sleep alone, staying with the Fujiwara sisters was better—at least she had company.
That annoying Sakurai— the one who should be sleeping next to Hayasaka is me!
(˶˃⤙˂˶)
....
After saying goodbye to everyone, Sakurai Saki and Hayasaka Ai boarded the train.
It was past 9 o'clock and the train hadn't stopped yet.
As they entered the station, a sudden message came to his phone.
Sakurai Saki opened LINE.
He found it was a message from Miko-chan.
Miko-chan: [Sakurai senpai~ I miss you already ♡(˃͈ ˂͈ ), and also, I feel dizzy, the sun in the sky is too bright.]
"Ai-chan, Miko-chan says she misses me." Sakurai Saki showed the phone to his girlfriend.
"Probably drunk, right?"
"I think so too." Sakurai Saki typed on his phone.
"What did you reply?"
"I told her to sleep early and not to eat too much."
The party at Koyasu Tsubame's house was probably already over. By now Miko-chan was likely at her own home—or maybe staying at Koyasu Tsubame's place.
Ting ting.
Miko-chan: [Selfie: rosy-cheeked and adorable, the corner of her lips raised in a sly smile, making a peace sign. Behind her is a sofa with plenty of unfinished food and a box of whisky-flavored chocolate.]
"Totally drunk. I didn't expect Miko-chan to be the bold type when drunk?" Sakurai Saki again handed the phone to Hayasaka Ai.
Getting drunk from chocolate, what a noob.
"So cute, I just want to hug her and pamper her." Ai-chan's face radiated pure maternal light.
Hayasaka: ❀.(*´◡`*)❀
"I also… ahem, she really is cute." Dangerous—almost slipped up.
"New Year's is coming soon, boyfriend-kun, are you planning to go back to Kyoto?" Ai-chan changed the subject.
Sakurai Saki was typing a reply to Miko-chan: [Go to sleep early, okay? Ah, I've saved the photo and will treasure it. ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧]
"Probably have to go back for New Year. I went last year too; nothing much to do here."
"I didn't really introduce myself to Sakurai-chan's mother last time." Hayasaka Ai recalled the parent-teacher meeting this semester.
Seeing no further reply from Miko-chan, Sakurai Saki put his phone away: "That time my mom was quite busy and quickly went back to deal with work."
"This time I have to greet her properly." Hayasaka Ai's face grew serious.
"..." Sakurai Saki froze for a few seconds, then suddenly asked in doubt: "You want to go back with me?"
"Why not? I have to return to Kyoto for New Year's too."
"No, I just wasn't expecting it."
Ai-chan's mother was probably working at the Shinomiya main house in Kyoto.
Last time when Jinguuji Tamaki seized the divine seat, it was Hayasaka Nao who gave Sakurai Saki the warning.
"This year the Shinomiya family is visiting Inari Shrine. I heard the deity there is very responsive."
"..." For a moment Sakurai Saki didn't know what to say.
What on earth is my mom planning?
...
The train quickly arrived at the station, and the two of them stepped out.
On Sakurai Saki's phone, Iino Miko sent another message.
Miko-chan: [Sakurai-senpai, hurry up and forget it!!! ₍₍⚞(⸝⸝⸝>﹏<⸝⸝⸝)⚟⁾⁾]
Hayasaka Ai took Sakurai Saki's phone and typed a reply: [Super cute, makes me want to give you a kiss. (ง ˃ ³ ˂)ว ⁼³₌₃⁼³]
More than ten seconds later.
Miko-chan: [(⸝⸝0⸝⸝0⸝⸝)!!! Sakurai-senpai, what are you saying?]
Seeing this reply, Hayasaka Ai immediately snapped a selfie and sent it over.
"Ai-chan, your personality is really wicked." Sakurai Saki grabbed her left hand and tucked it into his coat pocket.
Ai-chan held the phone, her face blooming with a bright smile.
While typing with her right hand, she said, "Miko-chan probably likes you."
Sakurai Saki shook his head. "No, I think it's more like admiration than liking."
"Pretty much the same."
"Relationships between people aren't limited to lovers or strangers. There's also the option of friends. Miko-chan lacked friends before, so I simply approached her." Sakurai Saki spoke without blushing or a single skip of his heartbeat.
"At first you just treated her like a toy, didn't you?"
"…how did you know?"
Ai-chan slipped the phone into her coat pocket and said, "Because I'm the same as you."
"Ai-chan, your personality is really awful." Sakurai Saki teased.
"Hmph, if I were really awful I wouldn't let you be in contact with so many girls." Hayasaka Ai tucked her hands into her sleeves.
Sakurai Saki glanced a few times. "Is this moe-sode?"
"Not really? I'm just cold."
For true moe-sode the sleeves need to be even longer, and usually petite girls suit it best—like Miko-chan, she'd look perfect with her hands hidden in her sleeves making that cute gesture.
The two chatted as they walked into their rented apartment.
"Haa, it's so cold, even inside the room." Hayasaka Ai felt as if her ears were about to freeze.
At the entryway, Sakurai Saki changed shoes. Earlier he'd been carrying presents with his left hand and it was so cold he could hardly stand it.
Even an esper isn't immune to freezing to death, but still feels the cold—so strange.
He turned on the heater in the living room; after a few minutes it was much warmer.
"I'm going to take a bath."
Indeed, in winter you have to soak in the hot tub.
"Don't be long." Hayasaka Ai wrapped herself in a fluffy blanket on the sofa.
After both of them had bathed, they went into the bedroom.
They did what couples should do on Christmas, even using the handcuffs that Fujiwara Moeha had given.
Curse Chef: ( ˶°ㅁ°) !!
...
The next morning.
Sakurai Saki got up on time to go jogging.
Outside, he found that although the snow had stopped, a thick layer about five centimeters deep still covered the ground.
The temperature was also noticeably colder than yesterday.
After finishing his run in the park, while resting, Sakurai Saki saw a message from Gabriel.
Not a request for money.
Gabriel: Aki, do you want to come to Heaven with me for New Year's? If you go with me I can bring my computer back.
Tsk. As expected.
Sakurai Saki had once told Gabriel he wanted to stroll around Heaven, but not this time; he had already promised Hayasaka Ai he would go back to Kyoto for New Year.
He typed out a refusal.
Right after, she sent a flood of crying stickers—really annoying.
He switched his phone to silent mode.
Sakurai Saki slowly headed back home.
On the way he passed a taiyaki shop and decided to buy a few. It was pretty crowded here, with a long line.
"Here you go, blond Ojou-chan."
"Thank you."
Sakurai Saki saw a blonde girl finish buying her order before it was his turn.
"Owner, three pieces for me."
"Thanks for your support."
After buying the snacks and returning home, Sakurai Saki found his girlfriend still fast asleep.