The next day.
Winter vacation had officially begun.
After escorting Karuizawa back to her dormitory the previous evening, Hikigaya and she had exchanged contact details. She had used the excuse of returning the borrowed uniform, but it was obviously just a pretext. Hikigaya wasn't dense enough not to realize that.
Upon returning to his own dorm room, he had crashed onto his bed and fallen asleep without even changing clothes. The fatigue from the term, combined with the emotional exhaustion of recent events, had drained him more than expected.
And now, in the early morning hours, he lay cocooned in his blanket like a burrito, scrolling through his phone with just one hand poking out. He wasn't about to get up. Not now, not anytime soon.
"Winter break really is the strongest time of the year," he thought. "Maybe second only to summer break."
Just then, his phone buzzed—a notification from LN.
He groaned.
Of course it was LN.
He was already familiar with this cursed application and its cursed read-receipt function. It was the kind of app that revealed whether or not someone had read a message. There was no backing out once you opened it. It was the digital version of stepping on a landmine. The moment you clicked, there was no retreat.
He sighed.
After mentally preparing himself for the social consequences, he tapped the notification.
It was from Ichinose.
Of course.
[Ichinose: Hikigaya-kun, are you free in the next two days?]
Tomorrow was Christmas Eve. The day after was Christmas Day.
This type of message typically had only two possible intentions—either someone wanted to make plans, or they were inviting you to work on some kind of project. But it was Christmas, so clearly the former.
There was no need to think too deeply.
[Hikigaya: These next two days… might be a bit busy…]
A vague reply, carefully worded.
Technically, it was a lie. He wasn't busy. But it was Christmas, and on principle, he refused to participate in the collective illusion that it was a magical time for couples and candlelight dates. In truth, Christmas had religious roots—it was a time for family gatherings, to celebrate traditions and, in some cultures, feast on turkey.
Now, however, it had devolved into a loud, flashy consumer trap.
Everyone was rushing around, pretending to be happy, going on dates, posting selfies with overpriced lattes under fairy lights. It was all just noise.
And he wanted no part in it.
Ichinose's reply came instantly.
[Ichinose: Ah, I see! Hikigaya-kun must already have a date for Christmas, right?]
[Hikigaya: Hmm… you could say that.]
He averted his gaze awkwardly.
What kind of "date" did he mean? Well, he had already made a mental note to swing by KFC and pick up one of their Christmas buckets. In Japan, this had become a bizarrely standard tradition. Families—or single loners—would line up at KFC for fried chicken as if it were sacred.
"So yeah," he mumbled to himself, "I've already got an appointment… with Colonel Sanders."
Ichinose messaged again.
[Ichinose: Oh, sorry! I meant to say I'd made a karaoke plan with Hikigaya-kun. How about we go together after Christmas instead?]
"Wait, what?"
Hikigaya blinked.
When did that happen? He didn't remember agreeing to any such thing.
He tried to recall. Maybe she had mentioned it in passing before the final exams. He had been busy preparing for the class matching test, so it was entirely possible he had nodded along to something without fully listening.
Still, it was hard to imagine he'd willingly agree to karaoke of all things.
But Ichinose seemed confident. She was probably right. There might have been some unavoidable circumstance—maybe she had cornered him in that energetic way of hers, and he hadn't managed to escape.
[Hikigaya: Let's talk about it later.]
There. That was the escape route. Delay it long enough, and maybe it would be forgotten altogether.
As soon as he ended the conversation with Ichinose, another message popped up.
This time, it was from Menlai.
[Menlai: Hey, do you have any plans for Christmas, Small Business?]
"Wow…"
Hikigaya leaned back dramatically, distancing himself from the screen like someone trying to dodge an incoming punch.
He had seen this coming.
Menlai was always more direct than Ichinose. She didn't beat around the bush—she aimed straight for the heart. That made things more complicated. A vague answer wouldn't cut it with her.
If he lied and said he had plans, she might call his bluff.
Still, she didn't seem like the type to trap someone with a trick question.
[Hikigaya: Maybe… not sure yet.]
He went with ambiguity. That way, she couldn't accuse him of lying, nor would he be committed to anything.
Meanwhile, in the girls' dormitory…
Menlai and her close friend Juke were lying on Menlai's bed, their legs swinging lazily while they both stared at the same phone screen.
"Hmm… what does he mean by 'maybe'?" Juke frowned. "That guy… is he seriously pretending to be mysterious?"
Her voice was casual, but she sounded vaguely annoyed. In truth, she was already mentally cursing Hikigaya for being difficult.
"Does he not want to hang out with us?" she thought bitterly.
That would be infuriating.
He was supposed to be the socially awkward loner. He wasn't supposed to be in high demand. Where did he get off acting like a catch?
Menlai, on the other hand, just grinned confidently and flashed a peace sign.
"He's just being careful," she said. "Small Business is surprisingly popular, you know. Maybe someone else already made plans with him."
Juke raised an eyebrow. She wasn't convinced.
"Popular? That guy?"
But Menlai remained firm.
"Seriously. Think about it—Sakura-san and Kushida-san are both possibilities. They might've invited him already."
"Even if they did," Juke muttered, "wouldn't he just say no?"
"Not necessarily."
Menlai rested her chin in her hands, deep in thought. "If it's someone like Kushida, he might not refuse. He's been trying to be more sociable lately, right? He's even teamed up with Huko a few times. People have started noticing him more."
Juke scowled.
That was the problem.
People had started noticing him.
"What are we supposed to do then?" she asked, frustration creeping into her voice. "You're acting like he's some kind of celebrity."
Menlai didn't reply right away. Her gaze lingered on the phone.
"...He didn't give a solid yes or no," she said slowly. "That means he's the kind of person who won't make empty promises. He won't say yes unless he really means it."
"So?"
"So we just need to leave a good impression on him now," Menlai said firmly. "We're already ahead—we talk to him more than most girls do. That's our advantage."
She paused, smirking confidently.
"And if other girls invite him too, he'll think of us first."
Juke sighed and flopped back onto the bed. "You sound like you're strategizing for war."
"This is war, in a way," Menlai said with a laugh. "A Christmas war."
—
Back in his dorm, Hikigaya was still staring at his phone, completely unaware of the scheming happening in the girls' dormitory.
He tossed the device aside and pulled the blanket over his head.
"Why is Christmas always so damn complicated…"
Maybe next year he'd unplug everything and disappear to a temple in the mountains. No LN, no notifications, no karaoke invitations.
Just him, fried chicken, and absolute silence.
The perfect holiday.
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