The Christmas morning atmosphere was so typical—a bright gray sky without the sun, and a gentle yet sharp winter wind, piercing to the bone.
In front of the train station, the fountain that adorned the area was partially frozen, but the sound of the water still flowing provided a bit of warmth amidst the cold air.
A bustling crowd of people hurried by, bundled in thick coats.
At 8:20 am, Eiji stood calmly in front of the fountain located in front of the train station. The winter air was biting, but he seemed unaffected, standing with his usual relaxed and calm demeanor.
Around him, a few other men waited for their dates, just like him.
"Huft… Still ten minutes before the appointed time. According to netizen comments, arriving early before the appointed time is common for men."
Looking at the time on his phone, Eiji recalled the netizens' replies when he posted a question on social media. Briefly, the question discussed what men and women do when they go out together on Christmas.
He received many varied comments. Some people claimed to be members of the FFF Order, scolding him and wishing him a bad day. There were also kind people who offered advice and suggestions.
"Hey, Onii-san~ are you alone? Want to join us for karaoke?"
"Thank you for the invitation, but I have to decline. I'm waiting for someone."
Seeing a beautiful girl his age with her hair tied in a ponytail standing in front of him, Eiji politely declined the other party's invitation.
"Too bad, sorry for bothering you."
With a disappointed expression, the girl felt a little embarrassed after being rejected, she returned to her group of friends not far from there, who were already waiting for her.
"...?!"
"This emotion… Envy and spite?"
Sensitive to emotions, Eiji felt the emotions of the men around him.
Not thinking too much about it, he waited for Nino to arrive.
"..."
After waiting about 15 minutes, the figure he was waiting for finally appeared.
Nino arrived in a stunningly fashionable style, wearing a thick cream-colored coat, a soft gray scarf wrapped around her neck, and elegant black boots. Although she was late, she still looked confident, her face adorned with a slight smile.
"Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?" Nino said in a casual tone, brushing her hair that was caught in the winter wind.
"Mm. Nino-san is five minutes late." Eiji frankly stated what he thought.
Nino looked at him, slightly annoyed and confused.
"You really say it like that? Shouldn't you say just arrived or it's okay if a woman is late? You're not good at pleasing women, Kamiki."
Eiji just stared at her for a moment before replying in a calm voice, "But that's a lie."
"Oh my, you're too honest like Yotsuba. What do you think?"
"About what?"
"Isn't there anything you want to say after seeing me?"
"..."
Seeing Nino move to show off the clothes she was wearing, only now did Eiji understand what she wanted to hear.
"Nino-san looks beautiful."
"You're so slow to realize it, you idiot. But I'm glad to hear it."
Hearing the compliment, Nino didn't feel it was in vain to choose her clothes from the night before.
"Huft… Haah…"
She took a deep breath, then drew closer to Eiji's side, bringing their arms together to ward off the cold.
"So, where are we going now, Mr. Honest?"
"..."
Feeling the soft and squishy sensation on his wrist, Eiji saw a blush on Nino's face due to embarrassment, he decided not to pull his hand away so as not to hurt her feelings.
"I don't know, I don't have a specific plan. My intention is just to accompany Nino-san wherever you go."
"You're more passive than I expected, Kamiki."
"...?"
"Forget it, I shouldn't have had high expectations of you. After all, you have amnesia."
Eiji: "😐"
Nino thought for a moment, then her face lit up.
"How about we go to the cinema? My sister, Ichika. She got the heroine role in a new movie that's playing now."
Eiji nodded in agreement and said lightly, "Alright. I've never met Ichika-san. I only know she's an international actress who's very popular in the entertainment industry now."
Among the Nakano Family quintuplets, he had only not seen Ichika in person.
"Ichika is indeed busy. Out of the five of us, she's the hardest to meet." Nino said with a small smile.
"Let's go. It's very cold outside."
"Okay."
Without wasting any time, they both headed towards the cinema not far from the station.
When they arrived, the atmosphere there was very lively, dominated by couples on a Christmas date. Among the long queue, almost no single people were seen—as if everyone who came today had a partner to accompany them.
Small Christmas lights adorned the entrance, and the scent of popcorn wafted in the air, adding a warm atmosphere that contrasted with the cold air outside.
With such a lively atmosphere at the cinema, they had to jostle a bit with other couples who also planned to watch a movie on Christmas Day. Almost everyone came with their respective partners, and the atmosphere that was created felt truly romantic.
After getting their tickets, Eiji and Nino finally sat down on the waiting chairs, each holding a glass of boba milk they had just bought.
Since there was still time before the movie started, they both sat down and chatted about trivial things. Of course, the one who was actively talking was Nino, while Eiji was a good listener.
"You know, at the train station earlier, I saw a dog wearing a Christmas sweater." Nino said with a chuckle, sipping her boba drink.
"It's so cute! I don't understand why people love to dress up their pets like that."
"What animal does Nino-san like?"
"Rabbits! Their long ears look cute. How about you, Kamiki. What animal do you like?"
"A bunny girl, maybe?"
"Pfttt—"
Nino almost spat out her drink. Luckily, Eiji reacted quickly and covered her mouth with his hand.
"That's a joke, right?"
Holding his hand, Nino glared at him.
"Of course. Besides, bunny girls don't fall into the category of animals." Eiji said without feeling guilty, then changed the topic, "By the way, what are Miku-san and the others' favorite animals?"
"Ichika likes hippos, Miku likes hedgehogs, Yotsuba likes camels, and Itsuki likes kangaroos."
"Hmm… Even though you're quintuplets, you have your own preferences."
"That's normal. Identical twins are bound to have differences, let alone quintuplets. Favorite food, drink, favorite animal, snacks, morning routine, disliked food, etc., we have different tastes."
'But we like the same man…'
The last part, Nino didn't say it out loud.
"So that's how it is. I've learned a lot from Nino-san."
*DING-DING*
At that moment, the bell rang, signaling that the movie was about to start. Nino stood up first, looking at Eiji with a spirited smile.
"Come on! The movie's about to start. I want to hear your opinion after seeing Ichika's acting." She spontaneously pulled Eiji's hand.
"..."
Eiji just looked at their hands holding each other, then followed Nino's steps into the theater.
They sat side by side in the cinema, the lights began to dim, and the big screen in front of them began to show the first scene.