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Volume 7.5, Chapter 3: Each Individual\'s Way of Spending Part 3

It\'s 10 o\'clock at night. Christmas Eve passes by moment by moment. I was watching the television alone without hanging out with my male friends. It was showing a live broadcast of the Tokyo cityscape, depicting its Christmas mood. Even if I tried switching channels as a test, as expected, all of the programmes are related to Christmas. The ranking of presents to gift to girls (although I feel like it\'s late timing wise) as well as the ranking of presents that would make children happy (as expected I feel like the timing is late). However, there were no programmes in particular I felt were interesting.

I stopped watching the television and turned on my computer. Feeling like I wanted to watch something other than information about Christmas, I looked through the various articles that popped up. Accidents and incidents. Good news about foreign athletes and the such. Even though it\'s Christmas, one day is just one day after all and the flow of time, without much change, moved on.

The bell to the room rang. It was not from the lobby but from the front door.

"Coming".

As I headed towards the entrance while answering with that, the identity of the visitor was confirmed.

"G-G-G-Good evening".

It was the voice of a classmate I was familiar with. I unlocked the entrance and opened the door.

"Kiyotaka-kun!".

"What\'s wrong, Airi? It\'s late at night".

The time was already past 10 o\'clock at night but judging from her appearance, it seems like she\'s just returned.

"Have you been out playing until now? But if I recall, the gathering was tomorrow, right?".

"Yeah. It\'s different from that. I\'ve been playing together with Haruka-chan ever since afternoon".

"I see".

If they met up from around midday, then it\'s roughly been half a day.

"Did you have fun?".

"It was a bit exhausting, but I had fun".

"That\'s a relief".

I no longer have to worry about Airi each and every time. At the very least, within our group, this state will continue. They\'ll probably happily spend time together tomorrow as well.

"I heard from Haruka-chan that you have business tomorrow and won\'t be able to come......".

I see. That reminds me, I had such a talk with Haruka. Her telling me she\'ll handle it well, might involve her playing with Airi today.

"I have an appointment. Sorry for not being able to join in".

"No, that\'s perfectly fine. Umm, the truth is, I was planning on handing it over tomorrow but!".

Saying that, Airi extended both her hands towards me. A package wrapped in a simple yet cute, red ribbon was handed over to me.

"This.....if you\'ll have it".

Apparently she\'s prepared a Christmas present for me.

"Is it fine? For me to have it?".

"Yeah! I-I\'ve prepared one for everyone else too".

If that\'s the case, it\'s easy for me to accept it too. I\'ll gratefully accept. I took the offered present into my hands. At a time like this, I wonder what the right thing to do is. Should I check the contents right away here? Or should I do so after Airi has left? As I pondered over it, unsure of what to do, Airi shyly said this.

"I-I don\'t mind if you open it, you know?".

So it seems, and so I decided to unreservedly obey her. As I opened up the small box, what came out from inside were warm-looking gloves.

"Kiyotaka-kun, ever since a while ago, you looked like you wanted gloves.....you don\'t have one yet, right?".

"I was thinking of buying them, but I didn\'t in the end. Thank you, Airi".

"Hehehe......I\'m glad".

I had been dragging out my purchase of the gloves. They were simple, blue gloves. It\'s a lot easier to use them than ones with illustrations and designs carelessly added to them.

I tried putting them on right away. It was the first time wearing gloves in my life, but I didn\'t announce that fact. It fit into my left hand, and my right hand as well. And then I tried repeating rock–paper–scissors over and over. Airi happily watched me do that.

"H-How is it?".

"The size is perfect, and it\'s warm".

"I\'m glad".

I\'ve never discussed my tastes before but even if I were to go and buy one myself, this glove seems like the one I\'d choose.

"Well then, umm, I\'m sorry for dropping by late at night. Good night, Kiyotaka-kun".

Perhaps she thought staying too long would be bad, but Airi said that and turned her back. As for me, I wouldn\'t have minded getting her a cup of tea but it is late at night. On top of that, on Christmas Eve the 24th, it would be all kinds of trouble for me to invite a girl into my room. As I saw off Airi, who was walking towards the elevator, whether it was because she realized my stare or not, she looked back once. And after waving her hand slightly at me, she went into the elevator and returned back to the upper floor.

After seeing her off, I returned to my room.

".....I wonder when I should offer my gratitude".

Payback for Valentine\'s Day is on White Day, something like that is naturally, known to me but I wonder when payback for Christmas would be. I\'ll look it up later.