Christmas Of Fire!-Karen’s Warning

December 24th—the fateful Christmas Eve.

I was heading with Karen toward a small multinational restaurant located between Hamamatsucho and Takeshiba. Our circle was holding its Christmas party there today. The entire venue was booked, and just a short walk away stood the Hotel Intercontinental Tokyo Bay.

“I heard the prizes for the Christmas party are super luxurious this time!” Karen said in a buoyant tone.

“Oh, really?”

I gave a reply, but there was likely very little emotion in it. That was because I already knew exactly what the “final prize” of the party was.

“I can’t wait! We definitely have to get it!”

“Yeah, I’d like to get it too.”

While I said the words, my mind was occupied by something entirely different.

…At this party, Toko-senpai and I are going to expose the affair between Kamokura and Karen. And then, right then and there, we’ll declare that we’re cutting them off…

That part of the script was already set in stone. The problem was what came after.

Who is the person Toko-senpai is going to spend tonight with?

About a week ago, on the day of the taste-testing session at her house, she told me: “I want you to wait without saying anything.” True to her words, I hadn’t asked. But even now, at this stage, I hadn’t heard a single word from her.

…I wonder what Toko-senpai is thinking…

That was my source of anxiety. Did it mean she had no intention of spending the night with me? Would she choose someone else?

Or… was she planning to get back together with Kamokura after all?

Once, she had asked me: “If Karen is reflecting on her actions, wouldn’t it be better to continue the relationship?” I had denied it at the time, but perhaps those words were actually a reflection of Toko-senpai’s own feelings?

“Yu-kun, Yu-kun!”

Karen pulled on my arm.

“Eh? Ah, what?”

“What’s wrong? You were totally zoning out.”

“I was?”

“You were! I’ve been talking to you over and over, and you’ve just been giving these half-hearted replies.”

“Was I? Sorry. So, what were we talking about?”

“About today’s Christmas party! I was saying, until last year they split it into the ‘Couples Group’ and the ‘Singles Group.’ But for some reason, they decided to do it all together this year!”

Yes. Apparently, for the last two years, the circle’s Christmas party had been held separately for couples and singles. But this year, because of the “affair exposure,” we had suggested that it might be better to do it as a whole circle—mostly to ensure my friends and Toko-senpai’s allies were all present.

“Oh, that. Since it’s being held as a circle event this year, I figured it’s better if everyone is together.”

“But the reason they started doing it separately was because three years ago, a couple started flirting right in front of everyone and made a girl with a crush burst into tears, right? I just wonder why they went back to ‘doing it all together’ this year.”

“Would you have preferred it if they were separate, Karen?”

“Not really, I don’t care either way. Whether it’s just couples or if the ‘no-boyfriends, no-girlfriends’ crowd is there too.”

Still, Karen looked a bit dissatisfied. From what I’d heard from the other girls, Karen tended to cling to men and try to “flex” her relationship status on the single girls, which made her quite disliked among the female members.

Suddenly, Karen stepped in front of me, forcing me to stop.

“What’s up?”

“Yu-kun… lately, you haven’t been letting it get to your head just because the other girls have been talking to you, have you?”

She glared up at me.

“I have no intention of doing that.”

“But even at the farewell camp the other day, you left Karen alone and looked like you were having so much fun talking to the other girls.”

“We were just talking normally.”

“No way, you looked like you were enjoying it! You were all smiles! And you ignored me when I asked for things.”

…In your mind, does not immediately obeying demands like “Serve my food first,” “Bring me a drink,” and “Get me a chair because I’m tired” count as “ignoring” you?…

I suppressed my irritation and spoke.

“That’s not true. But if that’s how you felt, I’m sorry.”

“And lately, it seems like you’ve been doing programming assignments for other girls behind my back.”

“I’m not hiding it. I told you about it properly.”

Karen narrowed her eyes further, scrutinizing me.

“Also… Yu-kun, did something happen between you and Toko-senpai?”

I was genuinely startled. I hardly spoke to Toko-senpai on campus, and I never mentioned her name in front of Karen.

…Does she suspect something?…

“What are you talking about? It’s Toko-senpai. There’s no way anything happened.”
I replied, feigning composure.

“Is that so? But you know, lately, Toko-senpai has been looking at you a lot. That never used to happen before.”

…Toko-senpai was looking at me?…

I hadn’t noticed that at all. Does she really pay attention to something as subtle as “someone else’s gaze”?

“I’m sure you’re imagining it. You’re overthinking things, Karen. It’s Toko-senpai we’re talking about. There’s no way she’d be interested in someone like me.”

At that, Karen spun around and started walking again.

“If you say so, fine. But let me tell you one thing. I hate Toko-senpai. So don’t talk to her much, Yu-kun!”