At the lake in the hideout.
I tried on the new fur cape.
Meiko made it in secret.
Looking at the cape, I forgot about sex.
And my impressions after putting it on…
「This is amazing. It’s cool!」
「How does it feel? It’s a wild boar’s fur so it has some complex textures」
「I won’t say that it’s the best. I feel a tingle in my neck area. But, the warmth isn’t bad. This is a cape so you put it on top of the coat, right? With this much warmth, I’m going to sweat even in the coldest climates.
The cape Meiko made was of perfect quality.
It’s far superior to the flapping capes sold for cosplay.
You could trade this for a high price in Japan.
「Do you have only one of these capes?」
「Yes. But, I never planned to make one for all.」 It consumes too much fur to make one」
「We can all use capes, so that’s not a problem」
「Right. If Shinomiya-kun insisted, we would’ve made it」
「No need. If there are materials, then just one or two would be enough. We have a lot of fabric from the dismantled uniforms, and if we need more feather fabrics, we can make use of those. Well, if we already have this fine coat, I don’t think we’ll be making any more additions.
「I agree. Then, we can turn the animal fur into mutts or something, right?」
「I think that’s better. It’s going to get colder, and even now it’s cold in the mornings that you’ll want gloves」
「Right, Roger that」
I took off the cape and returned it to Meiko.
She hangs it on the bamboo clothesline.
「The laundry…oh, it’ll be dry later」
Meiko turned her back and examined the dryness of the laundry
Seeing her back, I thought…
(I feel like Meiko’s skirt is shorter today)
I can see her slender thighs under her skirt.
As I stare at that, the lust that I forgot earlier has come back
「Hey, Meiko」
I approached her nonchalantly, and then I grabbed her skirt with my right hand from behind.
Meiko jolted in surprise, and I stroked her thigh using that opportunity.
My hand goes up and touches her pussy across the panty.
Meiko’s panty is getting wet.
–This is good.
「It’s not as bad as Tanaka, but I’m also a man. Today’s Christmas Eve, right?」
I whispered to Meiko’s ear.
「So, how about…」
My fingers go inside Meiko’s panty–or should’ve been.
「No」
Meiko brushed off my right hand suddenly.
That was some strong rejection.
「S-Sorry, I didn’t know you hate it that much」
「It’s not that I hate it, I’m actually happy」
「Huh?」
「But, not today…」
That’s the same line as Eri.
She also said “It’s not that I hate it, but not today”
(Something’s going on)
Mana, Eri, and now Meiko.
The three of them rejected the same way
–I don’t hate it, but not today
「What do you girls mean by “not today”」
Shouldn’t they be fine with it because of the day?
Christmas Eve in Japan is the Horny Night, not Holy Night.
It’s a sexual night that pretends to celebrate the holy night.
So, why?
「I can’t say it」
Meiko’s voice is turning weak.
「Anyway, not today. That’s out」
「Out?」
「Yes, out」
Now I don’t get it.
Naturally, I’m confused.
「Sorry, I’m going first. Thanks for trying it out. See you」
Meiko didn’t wait and just ran away.
「What’s going on」
I went back to the public area with wrinkles between my eyebrows.
◇
Time passed without understanding anything and dinner arrived.
「We worked hard on Christmas Eve!」
Eri presents the main dish.
It’s roast chicken.
Seems like she asked Amane to procure roosters for us.
「「「Woah!!!!」」」
We’re all screaming in excitement!
Eri’s roast chicken was just perfect.
It’s obvious that it’s delicious even before eating it.
It looks perfect, and the superb aroma dominates the place.
This will never be bad.
「Time to eat!」
We ate the roast chicken greedily.
「Man! This is so delicious! I can’t get enough」
As expected, the chicken was supreme.
Just eating it makes me smile.
It just makes me happy.
「I’m glad that you’re eating so heartily」
Eri shows a happy smile and also bites into the chicken.
Everyone, including her, eats like we’re in a Shonen manga.
It was nonsense to try and eat classy in this place.
「By the way」
Arisa suddenly speaks up after getting her fill.
She turns her gaze from the food to me.
「Tomorrow’s Christmas, right?」
「Yeah」
「How about we make it a day off? Even though it’s Wednesday」
「I don’t mind. Well, the difference between work and holidays is already disappearing. We’re already past the point where I’m giving instructions on what to do」
「I see. That’s true. I guess there’s no problem!」
I nodded and drank water from my cup.
「Hokage, do you have plans tomorrow?」
Arisa continued.
「Nothing really. Just lie today, I’ll just go around…」
「If so…」
Arisa grins, showing her teeth.
「How about we go on a date tomorrow?」
「Date?」
I tilted my head
「「「Date?!」」」
All the girls, except Arisa, shouted for some reason.
「It’s Christmas, so why not do what normies do?」
「I guess…」
「What? You don’t want to go on a date with me?」
Arisa glares.
「It’s not about that. It’s just that I wonder if that’s fine.」
「What do you mean?」
「I mean, you mentioned going on a date once we’re back in Japan, right? Do you remember? It was when you first started fishing」
I remember the line Arisa told me on our second day on the island.
『I don’t know when that’ll be, but we’ll be back to our reality, right? When that happens, let’s go on a date. Yep』
Arisa then leaks out a voice.
「Now that you mention it! I guess that’s one less thing to look forward to if we had a date here. Okay, no date. Pass」
I laughed it off and replied “Sure.”
「Arisa-dono, how about me…」
「Takahashi, are you free tomorrow? Accompany me」
Arisa ignored Tanaka and talked to Muscle Takahashi.
「I’m fine accompanying you, but no dates…」
「I know, you have a girlfriend, right?」
「That’s right」
「Let’s just spend the day as friends! I’ll go fishing, and you can carry the luggage and help me with other stuff」
「Very well, that’s not a problem」
「Okay, that’s the plan!」
Arisa’s plan for tomorrow has been set.
「Tanaka aside, who will you go with tomorrow, Hokage?」
「Please don’t treat me like I’m just an extra」
「Well…So, Tanaka aside, what about you, Hokage-kun?」
Tanaka crumbles and yet Arisa asks like nothing happened.
「A date?」
I never thought of that.
My head’s been dominated by sex.
Dates are an important part of the process.
(Is that why they say it’s “out” because I don’t ask them out?)
I remembered Meiko’s line.
(If what they want on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day itself is a date…)
Eri and Meiko’s “Not Today” will also make sense.
Christmas is about going on a date and then having sex.
(Now that solved the mystery!)
I felt refreshed, but then Hinako spoke up.
「No! You can’t! That’s a breach of the pact! No dates!」
「「「Breach of the pact?」」」
Arisa and I, then the boys all tilted our heads.
「Ah」
Hinako hurriedly covered her mouth.
「What’s that?」
Arisa asks.
Perhaps that’s a normal question for her.
She just asked what was on her mind.
However, Hinako is not an ordinary girl.
She twitched and trembled in fear.
It’s a reaction of someone being interrogated.
「Err, well, uhm, about that…」
「This won’t do」
Meiko sighed.
The other girls are showing a wry smile
「What, what now? What’s going on?」
「Uuuu」
Hinako’s not saying anything.
Sofia speaks up on her behalf.
「The truth is, we agreed to avoid contact with Shinomiya-sama outside of work today and tomorrow. It’s Christmas Eve and Christmas Day after all」
Arisa immediately figured it out.
The boys also did.
「Avoid me? Why?
I’m the only one who didn’t
「That’s because Hokage’s popular, that they all want to invite you」
Karin made a grim face.
「So in short, you’re doing that to avoid a fight?」
「That’s right」
「So the words “safe,” “out,” and “not today,’ were also part of that?」
I get it now.
I feel relief.
I get that they didn’t come to hate me now.
「On the contrary, who will you pick if you can only go with one? Of course, it has to be a girl」
Arisa, what are you asking now?!
「Choose?」
「Christmas date! Who’s the one on top of your mind, Hokage?」
The next moment, the girls were having a different look in their eyes.
They’re coming with an intense glare.
「Well, about that…」
「Go ahead, say it. There’s no problem if it’s today, right?」
Arisa’s grinning.
The other girls were nodding, and their noses were breathing roughly.
「I have to choose? Well, about that…」
I turned stiff for a moment, then…
「I’ll go ahead and check the equipment. See you!」
I escaped the hideout.
That’s all I can do, run away.
「Hey, don’t just run away」
「You inhuman!」
「Coward!」
The arrow of boos pierced my back, but I never looked back.