Ch3
Fast forward to 24th December, Christmas eve. Jiro goes on a date with Usami. Kanade and Subaru is going to one of their parties, Kanade can’t get out of those despite living away from home. Jiro felt like his HP has been slowly shaved away throughout the last 3 weeks.
Usami and Jiro talked about the end of term exams, how Jiro was lucky to have all 3 of them tutoring him. Jiro felt Usami is the best teacher out of all of them, since the other two are ‘naturals’ and their explanations are harder to understand for someone like him that has to work for it.
(includes a pic of Usami in teacher clothes:
http://img170.poco.cn/mypoco/myphoto...4923129601_005 )
Kanade eventually got Subaru to call Usami ‘Usamin’ as well – Jiro felt like he’s being overwhelmed by the moe just by being on the sideline, it must be even more intense for Usami to be on the direct receiving end of it.
Currently, 4pm, Usami asks Jiro if they can go somewhere. They eventually reach Usami’s real ‘home’. Usami’s backstory is further explained, how her parents are divorced in all but name, keeping a house and marriage up only for appearances. A broken family. Usami here doesn’t trust anyone is probably because she couldn’t even trust her family, people that should have been there for her no matter what. After all this time, Usami has gotten better and is willing to trust others now.
Usami asks Jiro to wait for her at a café while she go and talk to her parents. Jiro sits and drink a coffee that’s going cold, thinking about how he takes spending time at Christmas with his mother and sister for granted, when Usami with her broken family and its members drifting apart, alone in a atmosphere that is even colder than winter in December… Jiro was jolted out of his reverie when Usami told him she’s done, he was think so much he didn’t realise Usami was back.
On their way to their next stop, Jiro asked Usami if she went to her home because she wanted discuss things with her parents. Usami said after a moment’s silence that’s about right, in a small voice that’s almost covered by the cold winds. Usami felt after all this time she finally have the strength to put a end to everything, she wanted to tell them she’ll never come back to that home again. She can live by herself from now on. It’s a farewell to her parents.
Usami wanted to move on; after the time spent with Jiro, Kanade and Subaru she feels she can finally do so.
Jiro hesitantly want to raise the point when January comes by his house will be fixed, and Kanade with Subaru will move back to their mansion. Usami will be alone again after that. Usami said that out loud before he could, and says she’ll be fine. She can still meet up with Jiro during school or in their off-time.
== Begin extract==
As she spoke, I saw Masamune smiled bravely.
“… I’m sorry, Masamune.”
“Wh… why is baka-chikin apologising? Rather, I should be the one apologising. It’s a hard-to-come-by Christmas, a calm day. But…”
“But?”
Silence.
As I asked her that, Masamune went silent for a moment.
“I – had thought to ask baka-chikin to come along with me. Because I sort of felt I couldn’t have done it by myself.”
“…”
“ – Then, let us stop this melancholic topic. It’s Christmas, so let us enjoy ourselves. Besides, your gynophobia needs curing too.”
Masamune said lively as she looked back at me.
Also, she held onto my hand.
We can feel each other’s body heat through the contact.
Like this, we walked forward on Christmas’ streets like a pair of lovers.
“…”
But, what is going on here?
Is it because due to the low temperature? For some reason it feels like her hand are a lot colder compared to normal.
== End extract==
Jiro and Usami went ice-skating after that. After all the training his mother and sister put him through, most physical stuff are easy for him now. Masamune pouts with puffed cheeks on the side, holding onto the rails, discontent because Jiro is first time skating but he’s doing so much better than her. Usami had skated once as a child, and she feels like she was better back then. She almost slipped and Jiro caught her. Jiro and Usami skated together, with him holding her hands. Usami told him to hold in his nosebleeds – if that happens in the middle of the skating ring in Christmas, it’ll ruin the atmosphere. Jiro joked he’s not Santa Claus, he won’t become red all over. Usami commented he’d more likely be the red-nosed reindeer, with the red nose. Jiro thought he’d probably scare the children, looking more like a boxer that went 12 rounds rather than having a face that says ‘Merry Christmas’.
They talked too much, and Usami lost her balance. Jiro held onto her on reflex and Usami grabbed Jiro to keep standing. Jiro felt Usami is very warm, even through her clothes. He can hear her heart beating loudly right now. Usami blushed slightly due to embarrassment, and told Jiro she’s fine when he asked. Everyone around them that’s this close are lovers, but Jiro thought that’s not the case with him and Usami – she confessed to him, but he hasn’t gave a reply yet. He has a vague suspicion that everyone decided on curing his gynophobia first because they wanted to keep the happy days they have right now going for a while longer – not just them, but maybe himself as well.
Usami suddenly let Jiro go, and he fell unceremoniously onto his backside. Looking at what made Usami so excited, he found it started to snow on Christmas Eve.
(See illustration:
http://img170.poco.cn/mypoco/myphoto...129601_013.jpg )
Looking at Usami’s innocent, happy smile, Jiro felt like he’s happier just looking at her.
Snow stopped 5 minutes later. 7pm now, Jiro and Usami went to try and find a place for dinner.
Jiro asked if something happened to Usami while she was at her house; and by how Usami went silent he felt he guessed right. Usami has been acting overly cheerful, like she was trying to hide something.
Usami asked if Jiro would be willing to listen to her, and Jiro said yes. Usami gave a small smile that’s different from the ones she shown so far, and continued. She didn’t think she it’s possible to make up with her parents when she went back today. Even if that was possible, she never considered it.
However… when she got back home, there was nobody waiting for her. Checking the text they sent. She didn’t get the meeting time wrong. She waited for a while longer, but her parents never showed up. Even though Usami came with the thoughts that she wanted to see them for the last time, to at least farewell to them… she finally figured out what their responses are while she’s waiting.
They rejected her, and casted this meeting aside like it was of no importance. Usami can do as she wished.
Usami thanked Jiro, and he asked why. She knew he was getting angry because of her – that he cared enough about her to get angry for her. Jiro asked her if it’s really alright to let it end like this; if he has to, he would drag her parents to come and meet with her, if Usami really wanted that to happen. Usami says it’s alright, because ultimately…
She’s happy. She’s no longer alone. She has friends now, Jiro, Kanade and Subaru. She even has one of her wishes granted, to be able to spend Christmas Eve happily with someone. Just having that wish granted means she’s fortunate.
Jiro’s anger faded away after he saw Usami’s smile. He replied Usami didn’t have to thank him, she got all that through her own efforts; she worked hard and changed herself. Usami said it’s not her own efforts, Jiro helped as well; from back during the culture festival, if he didn’t do what he did she would not have the results today.
Usami stated she would never forget Jiro, no matter what.
She then said she wanted to skate a bit more, while she can during winter. She went to the ring, and Jiro thought back to how she said she had come skating once before when she’s younger. That was probably when her family wasn’t broken apart; Usami probably took him here to make a new beginning, to be able to walk forward from that part of her life.
Usami waved at him, asking him to hurry up or she’ll leave him behind. Jiro felt like they’re really family, having lived together for 2 months and even went on a date at Christmas Eve. He doesn’t know how much longer these days will last, as when January comes he’ll be going back to his own home and more importantly when his gynophobia is cured he’ll have to give her his reply to her confession.
But before that happens… he can enjoy this rowdy daily life to the fullest.
Like he will never forget these days that had happened.
Those are Jiro’s thoughts as he walked towards Usami and her smiling face.