Chapter 16: Christmas with a Childhood Friend (Part 2)

Christmas with a Childhood Friend (Part 2)

"Phew, we've had a blast!"

"I ate a lot!"

"I think I ate too much."

A little under an hour into eating, we each stuffed our faces with the delicious food on the table. Karen, who was in high spirits and has a small appetite, ate a lot more than usual, and her belly was bulging. Maybe it's because I'm a Karen fan that I feel like she's pregnant and it's a bit erotic.

Kikka, a member of the sports club and a physical monster who's the ace of the team even though she's only a freshman, ate a lot too. I think she ate more than one large pizza by herself, I think she ate about a whole bird's worth of chicken, whether it was fried chicken or something. And yet, she kept a cool face while saying "I ate too much," which is amazing. But maybe because she ate so much oily food, her lips were shiny, and she looked kind of naughty to me too. Kikka is my second oshi, so I can't help but look at her with a lewd eye.

"But even after all that eating, there was still some leftovers."

"Well, it can't be helped. We brought a lot of other things besides pizza and chicken."

"It's okay, we can just eat it tomorrow."

That's true, though.

It's the Japanese spirit within me, but when I see leftover food on the table, I feel like I've done something wrong. Well, it was none other than us who prepared so that there wouldn't be any leftovers in the first place. I guess this is the dilemma I'm talking about. 

"...Even if it's an annual tradition, why am I having a party with three girls on Christmas Eve?"

"What are you talking about now?"

"It's fine, it's just a complaint. Ah, I'm a beautiful high school girl, so why don't I spend Christmas with my boyfriend? If it were planned, I would have found a boyfriend by summer and skipped this party."

Karen often talks about boyfriends. She's at the age where she's in love with love, so that's cute, but in reality, she's probably just upset that other girls have one and she doesn't.

Well, logically speaking, there's no way she could get a boyfriend. Karen stands out in class, after all, in a bad way.

Sure, Karen's appearance is incredibly cute, but with her awful personality and behavior, no one's going to be attracted to her. No one is going to be attracted to a bully who uses their childhood friend as a gofer. 

So if she really wants a boyfriend, she should confess before he finds out who she really is, and most guys would probably agree based on her appearance. But she's such a prideful girl that there's no way she'd confess first. She won't like it unless the other person is in love with her and she's the one going out with them. That's the kind of girl my Karen is. She's so damn cute!

However, even though she's an outsider in class, it's not that obvious, so she probably doesn't even realize it. She's not afraid to talk to others, so she's the kind of girl who can create opportunities for communication. It's just that she can't keep it up.

Imagine someone inviting her to class reunions, but for some reason, everyone was hoping she won't come. It can be fun to be around her, but everyone already knows that it's probably unpleasant.

"I don't think you need a boyfriend or anything."

"Here it comes, Kikka's "I'm a virgin" comment. So disappointing."

"Huh?"

Oh, Kikka, stop getting all red-veined like that, it's ruining your pretty face. See, I told you not to. If it gets to you, instead of just putting up with it, just make a move first...

Yeah, she won't do that yet, will she?

I don't think it's a problem if she hits Karen hard in the stomach. ...Ah, maybe not. I don't want her to keep soiling my room with her filth for two years in a row. 

"No matter how you look at it, a boyfriend is just a nuisance. It just takes away time from studying and club activities, and there's no reason to spend so much time on someone you've only known for a short time."

"That's why childish Kikka is no good. She's always worried about efficiency and time. Everything disappears before love."

"...Ah, it looks like we're just going nowhere any longer, so I'll stop now."

Oh, Kikka's backed down! Well, that's the usual pattern, Kikka's the one who basically backs down. Adults can't win an argument with a child. Because kids have infinite energy, so they'll just keep arguing forever.

Karen is happily triumphant, oblivious to this subtlety.

Meanwhile, Kikka seems dissatisfied. You can take your frustrations out on me, okay?

"So, what about Yuri? Don't you want a boyfriend?"

"Huh, me?"

This has kind of spilled over, it's troublesome.

Well, as a man in my previous life, a boyfriend was out of the question, so the decision was already made. But the problem is that I can't just say I don't want one now. Because I can't deny Karen. My role in Karen's development plan is to unconditionally accept her completely.

She ask, "Don't you want one?", but from what she said earlier, the only answer she's looking for from me is "I do."

So, should I answer that I do want one here?

That's not right, so it's difficult. Because if I answer that way, all of a sudden, the love talk with Karen will begin. And it's not particularly meaningful. 

Because neither of them has a crush on anyone, so there's no way things will get any better if we talk about love. So, what happens when that happens is...

Karen will be in a bad mood.

It's not going to turn out the way she wanted, so she'll be extremely upset. She's already in a great mood, so the difference will make her extremely upset.

Karen is a little girl, so once she gets upset, it's hard to get her in a good mood. One time, when I quickly found her while playing hide-and-seek, she got upset because she didn't like being found so quickly. I tried every trick in the book to make her happy, and it was really hard.

What's so hard about this type of kid is that they realize when the other person is trying to please them. So they keep pretending to be in a bad mood so they can feel like king for longer.

Of course, it's hard for me, because I have no choice but to be humble to Karen, who feels like a king. 

Hmm, what should I do?

I glance over at Kikka. If there was anything that could be done to resolve this situation, it would require a third party to intervene. In other words, Kikka would have to step in and interfere...

"..."

Ah, this won't work. Kikka is staring at me, curious about my response. I can't expect her to interfere.

...

……

…………

"Would you like some cake?"

I decided to run away.

"So sweet."

I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Karen munching on the cake with a big smile and a gleeful expression. I took a gamble by changing the topic, but I'm glad it worked out.

I thought that Karen, who loves sweets, might be able to convince her by offering the cake. It was a great success. Kids really need sweets, after all.

Even though she said she was full, she kept eating the cake without stopping. Maybe she has a separate stomach for sweets?

"...Sweet and delicious."

I was glad to see Kikka munching on it with such joy. She's a girl who loves to eat, after all. It's kind of cute, like I'm indirectly feeding her.

"Ahh...yeah. Delicious."

I followed their lead and ate the cake, the sweetness of the whipped cream and the tartness of the strawberries were so satisfying.

I've always loved cake, or rather sweet things in general, since my previous life, but I feel like I've grown to love them even more since becoming a girl.

Maybe the tongue or brain is different from a man's body. It's mysterious.

By the way, Karen's cake was special. It was Christmas-like, with a candy Santa and reindeer, and a chocolate bar with the words Merry Christmas and white chocolate. It's the kind of thing kids get when their family buys a Christmas cake.

Karen loves special things, so she loves those kinds of things too. Even when she's not being selfish, she's so cute, like a little girl, it's the best.

Speaking of girls, it was with Sumire-chan the other day. It seems she still remembered most, if not all, of her memories, and she apologized profusely at school, saying, "I'm so sorry about that day!"

I was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm at the time, but looking back, it seems a bit wasteful. When I think about the possibility of spending a night with the legally loli teacher, I can't help but feel it's a shame.

Well, I'm sure I would have made the same choice if I were put in the same situation again. That's how bad sensei smelled of alcohol at the time.

They say that drinking alcohol more or less reveals one's true nature, but it seemed like sensei was the type whose mask came off the most. The type that keeps things bottled up like that are the worst.

...If I asked, Kikka, would you drink alcohol?

Well, I guess that's impossible. There's no way a serious girl like her would break the law. It would only lower her liking for me, so I won't suggest it.

In the end, the whole cake was gone. What does it mean to be full? 

"So, the last event of the day is the gift exchange!"

"Yay!"

"Well, even though it's called a gift exchange, it's not like we're all sharing it among the three of us, but rather each of us is preparing two gifts."

I couldn't think of a good name for it. Since we're actually exchanging the gifts we've prepared with the gifts they gave us, I compromised and decided it would be fine to call it an exchange party.

I really love this event every year.

Why? Because when I see the presents they give, I can tell what they were thinking when they prepared them. Of course, it's all just my imagination, but it's fun to imagine what they must have been thinking when they prepared them.

"Okay, me first. I'll have this!"

Karen took the lead. She went to get a paper bag from the corner of the room and brought out two small presents.

Judging by the size and packaging, I think she probably bought the same ones from the same store.

Well, it's Karen after all. There's no way she'd go to such lengths to find the perfect gift for me! And the perfect gift for Kikka!

Spoiler alert, I'm sure she knows the price of my present, but the fact that she wouldn't even think of doing something like that is so Karen-like and so adorable. I absolutely adore her, she's so ignorant and adorable, but be prepared to throw it away someday, fufu ♡

"Can I open it?"

"It's fine, it's nothing special."

After checking it over, I carefully peel off the wrapping and take out the contents.

Is this... lipstick?

"My lips have been really dry lately, so please use this together."

"Wow, thank you!"

"Thanks, Karen."

Ah, I'm starting to get it, I'm starting to get it.

First, she'll head to the mall to get a present for us, and surprise us with something that suits us both! Karen was excited about this.

But the more she thought about it, the more confused she became about what would be good, so she got tired of it and started looking for her own cosmetics.

Along the way, she found this lipstick, advertised on a poster or something as perfect for the dry season, and said, "This is good!", and bought two, a very happy Karen.

I can see it all. Up to this point, it's all just fantasy though.

Well, I don't know if she bought it from that store, but I actually saw this same lipstick advertised on a similar poster the other day. In fact, I was personally worried about dry skin, so I bought this same product the other day.

I'll keep this safe.

It's hard to stop fantasizing like this, isn't it? It's just weird as an otaku if you can stop fantasizing just because of something direct from your favorite idol. 

"Well, it's my turn next."

With that, Kikka rummages through her luggage and pulls out two packages.

This time, the sizes and wrapping are completely different, clearly indicating they were purchased at different stores. This is where Kikka really shines, the complete opposite of Karen.

Kikka hands me one of the small, bag-like items and then hands Karen a larger, box-like item. Although they're both small and large, there's not much difference between them.

After confirming with Kikka, we took out the contents.

"...a mug?"

Karen's item appears to be a mug. Kikka adds, "Use it to drink something warm and be careful not to catch a cold."

As for me...

"Is this... an owl?"

A small stuffed owl was pulled out of the bag.

What kind of choice was this? I'm good at daydreaming, but this doesn't really click with me.

I think the combination of the stuffed animal and the mug was probably to ensure that Karen's and my presents were as far apart as possible. Kikka is quite the picky person, after all.

I can interpret it as meaning that she tried her best to make sure the animal stuffed animal and the inanimate mug didn't overlap.

But why an owl?

Curious, I asked Kikka about it, but

"...Just because."

She definitely didn't answer, and it definitely wasn't just because.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I headed to the closet in my room and took out the present.

"Wow!"

The moment I pulled out the paper bag, I heard cheers from behind me. Of course it was Karen's. Well, that was to be expected, since she'd been pretty excited about the Christmas party from the start. 

"Here's what I've got for you. Here, Karen-chan, Kikka-chan."

I hand Karen a paper bag, and Kikka a small box and a piece of paper.

The difference between the presents is obvious at a glance. The paper bag used to wrap luxury items is high-quality, so you can tell at a glance. The other small gift is simple and not even remotely flashy, making the difference even more apparent.

Karen almost snatches the present from my hand, and without a word of thanks or permission, she takes out the contents.

"Yay!"

She exclaims innocently with delight at the contents. It's really nice to see someone that happy, especially considering the amount of money spent for it.

"Hey Yuri... is that okay?"

Kikka leans closer and whispers in my ear, her eyes hinting at disapproval.

Of course she does. We don't have a set budget, but up until now we've had an unspoken understanding that we've prepared presents based on about 2,000 yen per person.

If I were to do anything that would seriously disrupt that harmony, I would inevitably be reprimanded.

Besides, compared to the present I'd prepared for Karen, the present for Kikka was clearly cheaper. Anyone would reprimand me for making such a difference.

(...Ah, Kikka-chan ♡)

She gripped my right wrist tightly, and pleasure ran down my spinal cord.

I had clearly committed a wrongdoing, so she had begun to punish me, as I taught her. If I misbehaved, it was okay for her to lay hands on me and scold me. She could defeat me with force.

Her sadistic tendencies, born from a mixture of her sense of justice and pent-up defeat, were beginning to surface.

...But that's all I can say for now. If Kikka were to make a move now, it would be impossible to hold a Christmas party next year. I want to avoid that, so I'll rest easy for today.

"Kikka-chan, give me your ear?"

"?"

As I say this, she makes a puzzled face and brings her right ear in front of me. The fact that Kikka doesn't refuse here is so cute, and I want to lick the ear in front of me and make her scream cutely... But I'll stop here.

"Kikka-chan, you will open your present when you get home, okay? Promise..."

This is my conclusion.

I had been thinking about what kind of present to prepare even before the event, and this is surely the best solution.

Karen is feeling arrogant, having easily obtained a luxury bag. The difference in the present between her and Kikka's, who she hates, is clear, and I feel even better.

Meanwhile, Kikka is furious at the clear difference in their presents, further fueling the sadistic tendencies I've instilled in her. Karen looks down on her because of the difference in their presents, and inside she's furious.

Then, when she gets home, she checks the presents, the present I'd prepared, and the handwritten letter with half expectation and half anger...

Yes, this is probably the best solution.

School is already in its winter break, and unless there's a special reason, I won't be able to see them until the new year.

Will this choice turn out to be good or bad? Maybe I should pray to Santa Claus.

Author Note:

A little anecdote: Kikka tried to buy a collar before buying a stuffed animal, but gave up.
If Kikka had given Yuri the collar as a Christmas present, we would have progressed to Kikka's pet route.