7.5 Chapter 2.6: Ibuki's One Misfortunate Day (6)

On my way back with the shopping bag containing the book in hand, I received a call. After confirming the name Hasebe Haruka being reflected on the liquid crystal display, I answered the call.

"Ahh, it's me. It might be sudden but the day after tomorrow, why don't we all gather for a paripi?".

"Ehh? Gather and do what?".

My schedule for the day after tomorrow had already been decided but I inadvertently ended up asking about the word I had never heard before.

"You don't know about paripi? Party people. In short, paripi".

I hadn't realized such a new term had been born. No, in hindsight, I feel like I may have heard someone from our class utter it before. It probably means a gathering of party lovers making merry.

"Christmas isn't only for lovers, would be the main theme for it".

I see. It seems the influence of Christmas isn't limited to only couples. It's something that also affects singles in the surroundings too.

"Sorry. I already have plans for the day after tomorrow".

I did feel like it would be fun but here I have no choice but to decline.

".......yeah? The day after tomorrow is Christmas though, what do you mean by that?".

It's problematic even if she asks what I meant by that but if Haruka and the others will be playing outside that day too there is also the probability of being seen by them. It would be better if I told her about it honestly.

"I ended up promising Satou I would play with her".

"Satou? Do you mean Satou as in the sugar cube? Are you going to put them in your pocket for your outing?". (TLN: She mentions Satou as being a sugar cube because Satou can also mean sugar in Japanese. Think of the VA Satomi Satou and her nickname of Sugar)

What kind of airhead is she.

"Ehh? Ehh? What, could it be you're going out on a date with Satou-san? On Christmas?".

I didn't even have to explain, naturally Haruka should have understood the meaning of it. However, I should correct her where correction is required.

"It's not like it'll be a date. I'll just be out playing with her".

"People all around the world refer to that as a 'date' though".

That may be so, but as for me, I have no intention of using the word date for this.

"I've declined her invitations many times in the past, so I was asked by Satou to go out on the 25th".

"Nooo, no, no. This is bad, isn't it?".

Of course, since I've enrolled in this school I've also learned about the thing known as society. It's not like I don't understand the meaning behind a boy and a girl going out together on Christmas at all. But the sole reason I accepted Satou's invitation regardless is simply because she chose the 25th as the date and nothing else.

"I'm just confirming this with you but it's not like you're dating her, right?".

"It's the same thing as that time with Shiina. I'm not going out with anyone".

"That's right, I guess. Well, it's not my place to say anything but.......you know, Airi".

"Airi?".

"The day after tomorrow, if Kiyopon won't be joining us, I think she'll get curious about a variety of things. You can't hide it by feigning sickness either".

I just have to tell her the truth then. It would be simple for me to just say that, but I can't do that.

"I got it. I'll do something about it. The day after tomorrow, where will you be going?".

"Does this mean you'll make your move based on my schedule?".

"There's nothing else to do but that, right? If she happens to see Kiyopon and Satou-san going on a Christmas date, I think that girl might just faint".

It's an exaggeration to say she'll faint, was what I had thought, but since it's Airi that might just happen to her.

Depending on the circumstances, she may even lapse into a severe depression.

As I thought that, on the other side of the phone, Haruka's demeanor changed.

"Could it be, about Airi's feelings........you've noticed?".

Haruka asks me a question that hit close to the mark.

"Leaving aside whether or not it's exactly as Haruka thought, I at least understand that her feelings towards me are slightly different from the feelings other people have towards me".

"Tha~t is a slightly strange way to put it, but I see. It just means you're not that dense. Of course, since you understand that, I won't say anything unnecessary either".

Unnecessary. In other words, 'aren't you going to answer Airi's feelings?', is what she's talking about. If you ask me, Airi is like a baby bird that has just begun to take its first steps on its own.

Still in a state where it doesn't know a lot of other people, latching onto one of the few members of the opposite sex she's intimate with, in other words me, and directing her affections more or less towards me is something that cannot be helped.

First off, she needs to spend more time together with a large number of males and females and amongst them, she needs to mature.

By doing so, it may give rise to a feeling in her that's different from the romance she sees before her right now. That too, is something that can be said for me as well. What is school, what are friends, and what exactly does it mean to love someone. All these things I still don't understand very well, I cannot make an early decision yet.

"In any case, I'll contact you again, ok?".

"Sorry, for not being able to play with you guys".

I apologized like that, but in response to that, Haruka immediately replied.

"In the first place, we're a group that's gathered together to be outside such restrictions, right? If such restrictiveness were to be strangely strengthened it would cause our group to lose its forte. Gather when we like and decline when we're not feeling it. It's precisely because we're a group capable of doing so that gives it its charm".

Answering like that, Haruka ends the call.

"Certainly, that is true".

If something like an obligation were to be born in regards to invitations, the forte of this group would be lost. I recognized that this is a group I should be thankful for.