Once she recovered from her shame, Mahiru returned home, changed her clothes, and returned.

But it seemed she was still bashful, and would glance aside awkwardly whenever she met Amane in the eyes, leaving him awkward as well.

Luckily, she was fine with sitting next to him on the sofa, but he was feeling unbearable.

“..Forgive me.”

Having had enough of this, he instinctively apologized to her, who glanced back at him, and sighed.

Her shame might have subsided somewhat, for she reverted back to her usual expression.

“I am not angry at you. You do not have to apologize to me, Amane-kun.”

“But then.”

“I was just regretting my own carelessness. I have shown you such an unsightly look.”

“It’s not unsightly..just cute.”

The angelic sleeping face was truly befitting her moniker as the Angel, and she looked really cute, whether it was the sleepy eyes once she woke up, or the defenseless innocent face.

It was contrary to the usual poised and aloof expression, a new discovery of a really innocent expression.

It was so adorable, he had the urge to keep looking, but she probably did not want to show such a careless look.

He did not find it indecent, unsightly, so he wanted to deny that; for some reason, Mahiru bit her lips, and whacked at him with the cushion in her clutches.

It was not painful, and she probably not was being serious, but he did not know why she did that so suddenly.

“What?”

“..You really are hopeless at this, Amane-kun.”

“Seriously..what do you want me to do?”

“You should not be saying such words so lightly.”

“It’s not like I say this to anyone else..”

The only acquainted females near Amane were Mahiru and Chitose.

Chitose was relatively cute, if anything, but Amane instinctively found it a hassle to mention her, and there was no need to praise her directly. Thus, there was no one he could praise other than Mahiru.

Mahiru froze, and he was skeptical, shrugging,

“Say, you’re already used to hearing that from others, right? Not much of a difference now.”

He had called Mahiru cute a few times, and found it preposterous that she was being mindful of it at this point.

Mahiru should know very well how pretty she was, and was surely used to receiving praise.

There was no reason for her to be so flustered just because Amane alone said a few words.

So he thought, and for some reason, Mahiru frowned.

“So seriously, what’s up with you?”

“..Nothing at all.”

She launched another physical attack at him with the cushion, humph, and turned her face aside. “I shall make Ozoni now.” She wore the apron, and entered the kitchen.

Amane picked up the cushion that was shoved onto him, and could only stare at the displeased Mahiru in the back.

Once they finished the Ozoni, Mahiru reverted back to her usual expression.

She was scowling when they began to eat, and he was a little uncomfortable with that, but the Ozoni and the Osechi were really delicious, and he found himself mesmerized. Before he knew it, he sat that Mahiru seemed to be back to normal.

Everything returned back to normal when they left the dining table and returned to the sofa.

“Speaking of which, are you going for Hatsumōde, Mahiru?”

“Hatsumōde? I do not really wish to go..I do not like crowded places. It feels like I am being watched.”

“Well that’s because..”

You’re an unbelievably pretty girl after all, so he wanted to say, but he remembered he had just ruined her mood, so he swallowed back his words. “Well, that is to be expected.” He answered.

“Amane-kun, are you going to the Hatsumōde?”

“Back at home, I go with my parents, but I haven’t made up my mind. I think there’s no need to squeeze through on New Year’s Day itself.”

“Agreed.”

“Looks like Chitose’s group is bonding back home with her family, and kids nowadays don’t really go for Hatsumōde. We’ll go a little later.”

Compared to the past..fewer younger ones, especially those in their teens and twenties, would attend the Hatsumōde, not that Amane and the others were weird or anything.

Not that he did not want to go, but he understood that it would be packed there, and he would only feel tired just going there. He thought it would be fine going later when there were fewer people.

“Besides, I want to relax over these three days. I don’t really care about the New Year packets.”

“I am interested in receiving New year packets though. ”

“You want to go to the shopping mall?”

“..I have no courage to charge into the crowds there.”

“Agreed. ”

Amane replied as Mahiru did, and leaned into the sofa.

They were not dictated to go anywhere on New Year after all.

Amane would typically hope to avoid troublesome matters, and was fine with just spending the day, lazing around. It appeared Mahiru had intending to spend the entire New Year period at his place, for the convenience of cooking. They did not have to worry about having food, or someone to talk to.

This is one fancy New Year, so Amane thought as he glanced aside at Mahiru, chuckling away.