The next day, Masuko was waiting for me downstairs at my apartment.
I guess going to school with your friends is also part of the activities that people in 3D do.
—Are you okay, darling?
—I'm fine. I'm just a little tired.
—It's only Tuesday,' she says.
It's barely 7:30, and yet the shopkeepers of Yokohama are already on the attack, they are too, my opposite.
—Motivate you a little, darling, we have our review to make!
The famous imitation of the Ice Cream anthology…
We go back to our club room with Anzu and Aneko and then take back our work where we had left it.
—Today we don't stop, we have to finish this newspaper before tomorrow morning!
—Yes, president!
—Were you able to do any additional research on the event?
—Yes, I was curious, so I went all out to find out more!
Stop saying you're curious, Anzu, you'll end up evolving into Chitanda Eru…
—According to my sources, I learned that the protest lasted for several weeks and that all the students did not go to class and did not eat at the canteen anymore. They had a meeting with the school principal who accepted their proposal. That's how the Kanagawa Christmas Party was born, roughly speaking.
—All right, let's continue, folks!
—Yes, president.
Thanks to Anzu's research, we made rapid progress. We had to rewrite what she discovered and couple it with Masuko's findings.
—Darling, can you get my eraser, from my kit, please?
—Yes.
I retrieve it and hand it to her.
She breaks it into two separate pieces, then hands it to me.
—Here, this will give you a souvenir of the first group work you did, darling.
This? A souvenir? What do you say, Misaki Takasaki?
—Thank you, sir.
There was a good atmosphere during the making of the paper.
Even so, something bothers me. I don't see Anzu at all like before. The more I look at her, the more I can see Sakai's face.
If it bothers you that much, I can help you.
He's a real psychopath, that one.
—We've made good progress. Do you want to take a break, darling?
I sit back in my chair, take a deep breath and answer.
—I don't mind.
We head for the vending machine. I buy, as usual, a strawberry milk and Masuko offers herself a green tea. We sit down on the stairs, then she confides to me, with a joyful expression.
—I really like working with you, darling.
I press my drink against her cheek, and tell her.
—Your smile is creepy, silly.
—That's cold, darling!
You deserved it, you were the first one to piss me off.
Piss carrot, Kinari sneers jaggedly.
—Darling, by the way, I didn't know where to put myself when you said we were a duo.
I think about it… His heart is beating fast right now?
— Darling?
If she's really in love, it must be pounding inside her as fast as it did when I was a kid.
— Darling!
And what about Aneko, is it the same? It must be really disturbing to be in love with someone. I don't get it. How can she…
She pinches my cheeks with her fingers.
—Are you listening to me, darling?
—Sorry, I was in my thoughts.
—Idiot.
—What did you say, President?
—Never mind, idiot.
That's a lot of idiots.
—I continued to learn the different lessons.
I grab a sheet of paper from my bag, and pass it to her.
—Here, this is a quiz I made for you to help you review.
—Are you serious? But…
Nah, she doesn't like it? I spent the whole night doing this!
—You… You're adorable, Kinari, adorable! Really adorable, adorable, adorable! Thank you, thank you!
Have I ever been complimented so much in one sentence?
—I don't know how to thank you, seriously, what can I do for you?
—Make your dream come true.
Her cheekbones flush. Her eyes became bulging, she let all her enthusiasm show before answering me.
—I love you darling. You and nobody else.
I'm going to faint, she's way too cute, this nerd.
—Well, shall we … shall we go, Masuko?
—Yes!
We go back to the room and get back to work.
I gave so much in this imitation of Ice Cream… I'm exhausted.
Anzu and Aneko manage to collect the pictures of the old Christmas parties to put them on our newspaper.
—Look at that, folks! It looks like a fun party.
Our elders dancing? Is it something spectacular?
The bell rings.
—We didn't have time to finish!
—We're going to get yelled at by our homeroom teacher…
That's your mum, silly.
—My sister is home alone, we can finish it there if you want.
—I'm in, darling!
—I wouldn't leave Masko with my Kin'ri, I'm coming too!
—Don't leave me, girls! I'll go with you,' stammers Anzu, pulling up her scarf.
I hate this harem.
And I love the way it's turning out, dreams Kinari in love.
I send a message to my sister to tell her that I have invited my friends to the apartment.
On the way, I notice that Aneko seems distant. She stays at the back, and tries to hide her trembling hands.
Does she feel so anxious to come to my place? Yet she gets along well with Chizu, right?
I would let her do it, I'm lazy.
When I opened the door of my sanctuary, Chizu burst confetti and then jumped into the girls' arms with tears in her eyes.
—I missed you guys!
—I missed you too Chizu!
What a welcome, sighed Kinari jaggedly.
After everyone's greetings, we went back to my apartment.
Aneko's hands are still shaking.
Something is wrong.
—Shall we get to work?
—Yes, darling.
Chizu approaches me, and teases me, from the corner of my ear.
—D-A-R-L-I-N-G, what a man.
Don't add to it, Chizu, it's already complicated enough.
The time passed, but we stopped when we heard the rumbling of Anzu's stomach.
—Shall we have a bite to eat?
—I'd love to, Kinari!
I thought so, silly.
Anzu sits down next to me. This way of sitting, everything is synonymous with Sakai.
Why don't you tell me your real identity, Anzu?
—Did you read the brochure of the cultural festival?
They even made a pin?
That's great.
—Yes!
—I can't wait for the drama club performance!
The drama club, what do they have planned these crazy people?
—Me too!
After the meal was over, the girls got up, then Masuko and Anzu confided in me.
—We'll both go home. We will continue the newspaper together, see you tomorrow, friends!
Aneko pulls me several times the sleeve then whispers to me.
—I have something to tell you.
No nickname, it's creepy.
—Wait for me in my room, I'm coming.
I greet Masuko and Anzu before going up with apprehension to see Aneko.
I freak out to death.
I swallow my saliva, and join her.
She seemed frightened, as much as me, probably.
—I received this.
A letter?
Maybe it's from her future self, what do you think, Naho Takamiya?
—Can I take a look at it?
—Yes, go ahead.
I'll get it and read it.
Kinari hates you.
What's this letter? That's so weird!
I'm starting to get interested,' Kinari said angrily, juggling three khukuris.
I was lost, and had two hundred thousand questions to ask him.
—Where did you get this?
—In my locker when I left school before I came.
So it would be someone from our school, I see.
Clever otaku.
Shut up, nerds.
—But, isn't it true what it says in the letter? You don't hate me, do you?
Someone from school… I have to find out about the student body from the president of the board.
—You hate me that much?
The problem is I've never even talked to the guy. Won't he think that's weird?
—He hates me.
Stop thinking about that. I have to reassure her first, I mean, I think that's what I saw in a shōjo.
She's … she's crying?
—Do you really … really hate me? Why did I fall in love with such an idiot!
Here is the moment when the hero kisses her, dreams Kinari otaku.
—I don't hate you Aneko! You can trust me, I'll find the one who wrote this letter.
—Liar, she says to me with a smile that slowly takes shape.
—Even if I'm stupid, even if I don't understand anything about your universe, I'm sure of one thing.
I inhale, exhale for a long time, then swallow my saliva.
—I love you, Aneko!
What did I just say? That was totally not what I wanted to do! Damn, I'm a freak!
I warned you not to count on a pervert like him…
— Ki… Kinari, I don't know,' Aneko answered, collapsing in my arms.
I didn't understand anything.
I love this harem, dreams Kinari in love with a drip.
Knowing that the streets are not safe at night, I was afraid to let her go home alone.
—It's pretty late, Aneko. Shall I walk you home?
—I'm fine, honey.
She's not gonna get stuck in that stutter, is she? Damn, I'm so stupid!
We go down the stairs and notice Chizu who had blocked us.
—You will sleep here, Aneko! I'm not going to leave you while you're scared.
—Doesn't it bother you, Kin'ri? Aneko asks me shyly.
—No, I'll sleep on the couch, don't worry.
—We can spend the night 'seems to me if you want, Kin'ri, she whispers in the corner of my ear while pulling my sleeve.
I'm going to have a heart attack… Damn, I should never have said such stupid things, I'm in big trouble now…
—If it makes you feel better, Big Brother will gladly accept!
And I still don't have a say…
I put a futon on the floor, then we went to bed.
—Do you have any idea who gave you that letter?
—No, she sighs.
Apart from Izanami, who would want to see Aneko suffer like that?
Ice Cream: Anthology written in the work Hyouka.
Chitanda Eru: Curious main character. (Hyouka)
Misaki Takasaki: Character in the centre of the love triangle (Love & Lies)
Naho Takamiya: Main character who received a letter showing her future. (Orange)
Izanami: Character of a famous Japanese tale (Izanagi and Izanami)