The Gal Next to Me Is Trying Too Hard to Make Me Fall in Love With Her
“I’m sorry…”
“It’s… it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry, I’m so sorry…!”
“I said it’s fine. It’s not something you need to apologize for, Amagi-san.”
After that.
We managed to leave the love hotel without incident, but Amagi-san’s complexion couldn’t have been any worse.
Well, it was no wonder she was depressed. After all, she’d invited us to the sauna, and both of us nearly died there.
But regarding this, it wasn’t entirely her fault.
I was the one who agreed to the sauna, and I was the one who lost track of time, succumbing to her temptation. If I’d been a bit more careful, this situation could have been avoided.
“Um, that sauna… Let’s go again sometime.”
“…Huh?”
“This time, we’ll both bring swimsuits. And we don’t have to go to a love hotel—there are places we can go together, right? Let’s find somewhere like that… and go again. We never really got to experience that feeling of being ‘in sync’ after all.”
I thought about what words might make Amagi-san smile, then spun out the conclusion I’d reached.
She looked up at me, eyes wide, a little teary.
Her vermilion lips curved into the shape I loved.
“Do you have time after this?”
“I do, but it’s already past ten? Are we going somewhere now?”
“No… Actually, I was making a Christmas cake…”
“Huh!? Wait, Saeki’s homemade!?”
“Yes. I taught the class how to make cake before, and I thought if Amagi-san found out about this, she’d definitely be jealous… Just in case, I made it.”
Before she could even ask if I wanted some, I raised my hand and shouted, “I want some!!”
Her face made it easy to imagine her wagging her tail like a dog. She was so cute, it made the corners of my mouth turn up too.
“When we get back, it’s a Christmas party! Since we’re at it, let’s grab some chicken on the way home!”
“Chicken right now? I wonder if any supermarkets open at this hour are on our way home…”
“You want proper chicken? Isn’t FamilyMart chicken fine?”
“FamilyMart chicken sounds good. It’s getting pretty cold, so let’s stop by FamilyMart quickly on the way back.”
“Ah! Wait, wait a sec!”
Amagi-san said, tugging my arm.
She reached into her bag and slowly pulled out a paper bag. She handed it to me. I looked inside and let out a small gasp.
“These are gloves…! Are these a Christmas present for me!?”
“Y-yeah! I was actually planning to give them to you at the restaurant, but that didn’t work out, right? So I thought I’d give them to you at the love hotel, but with everything that happened, I forgot…”
“Ah… Well, it can’t be helped.”
“It feels weird giving them to you out of the blue, but will you take them now? It’s cold right now… I’d be happy if you used them, I guess…”
She fidgeted, gauging my mood.
No need to ask. I slipped my left hand into the black glove, then reached for my right hand—but then I glanced at her.
“What’s wrong, Saeki?”
“…No, it’s just…”
“Did you not want the gloves…?”
“N-no, that’s not it! I just thought one would be enough for now…!”
“What do you mean!?”
I put the right glove back in the paper bag and glanced up at Amagi-san.
Quietly, I held out my hand. She seemed to understand my intent and let out a breath tinged with crimson emotion.
“You… wanted to hold my hand?”
“Is that okay?”
“W-What do you mean? It’s not like it’s not okay or anything?”
“Are you embarrassed?”
“I’m not embarrassed!”
“You’re so easy to read, Amagi-san.”
“Guh-guh-guh! You’re just Saeki!”
Amagi-san looked frustrated, but when I took her hand, her cheeks instantly softened.
We intertwined our fingers, clasped them tightly, and laughed together.
We felt moved, like it was the first time we’d ever held hands today.
“Let’s go!”
The quiet road home, away from the hotel district.
No illuminations, no cheerful voices. Just the night-colored asphalt stretching endlessly ahead.
But it was fun. Amagi-san walked a little ahead, holding my hand, and that alone made me feel like I didn’t need anything else.
Suddenly, I looked up at the sky.
At the same moment, she looked up too and exclaimed, “Wow!!”
The first snow of the year had begun to fall steadily.
One crystal chose the tip of her upturned nose. She showed it to me, the flake melting away instantly, and laughed innocently, giggling.
Maiban