Winter break. Until then, we'd both been busy with our own student lives, waking up early every morning for club activities and classes. But for a little while, we could finally relax at home, occasionally hanging out with friends to unwind. It was only about two weeks, but being able to just roll around in a futon or under the kotatsu all day without a care in the world was pure bliss.
And having the girl I love right by my side makes it even better.
"Hey, Maki."
"Hm?"
"Can I come over there? I know it's a kotatsu, so it'll be a little cramped, but…"
"Well, if you're okay with that, Umi, then I don't mind."
"Ehehe, yay. Okay, excuse me then…"
Christmas Eve, the twenty-fourth, had passed, and now it was Christmas Day. I'd planned to spend the entire day with my girlfriend, Umi, just the two of us. We played games, read manga, and when we got hungry, we ate while watching movies. When we got sleepy, we napped together… It wasn't all that different from our usual routine, but the sense of closeness was worlds apart from when we were just 'friends.'
Umi, who'd been sitting across from me, happily snuggled up beside me.
…Seriously, why are girls so soft, faintly sweet, and just smell so good? The hand I gently held was smooth, and her hair tickling my cheek felt silky… Well, that's probably just a testament to how much effort Umi puts into her appearance. Today, she was dressed in her usual casual style—an oversized hoodie and jeans—but her nails were perfectly manicured, and the elegantly shaped ears peeking out from her black hair were adorned with subtle, shimmering earrings. She was paying attention to every little detail.
And then there was me… dressed almost exactly like Umi, but with a serious case of bedhead and slightly rough hands from neglecting to even use hand cream. I felt a little guilty, spending this time together looking so disheveled.
"Ah, hey Maki, your lips are all chapped again. C'mere, I'll put some lip balm on for you."
"Eh? No, it's fine. I can do it myself…"
"But I want to do it for you. C'mon, it's okay, right?"
"Ugh…"
She was already cute, but when she gave me those pleading, spoiled eyes from up close, I was powerless to resist.
"…Go ahead."
"Wow, that was easy. I thought you'd put up a little more of a fight."
"What's that supposed to mean…? I-I'm just easy, I guess."
"Fufu, you know it. But I don't hate that about you, Maki… In fact,"
"? What?"
"…I love it."
"…Is that so."
"Yep. Ehehe."
With a wide smile, Umi pulled out a tube of lip balm from her bag and carefully applied it to my dry lips.
"Umi, is this…?"
"? It's the one I always use. Why?"
"…No, it's nothing."
As we spent more time together, things like this had become second nature. Sharing lip balm, drinking from the same bottle, Umi letting me use her favorite comb or nail clippers… Once the wall between us as 'friends' crumbled and the distance closed to zero, neither of us really cared about that stuff anymore.
For us, who were already lovers and knew the taste of each other's lips, there was no need to panic over an indirect kiss… though since we were still a new couple, it felt like it would take a bit more time to get completely used to it.
After she finished with the lip balm, we flirted playfully for a while longer until we were both satisfied, then turned our attention back to the TV while munching on snacks.
Since it was Christmas, the channels were filled with holiday specials. Right now, a music show was on, featuring a popular idol group singing and dancing on a dazzling stage with sparkling smiles.
"Come to think of it, Maki, do you have a favorite in a group like this? You know, a so-called 'oshi'?"
"An 'oshi,' huh… I listen to a fair bit of music, and I like some anime and idol songs, but I don't think there's a specific member I'm a die-hard fan of… What about you, Umi?"
"Same, actually. Yuu and Nina talk about it sometimes, but it never really clicked with me… Oh,"
"? What's wrong?"
"No, sorry. When I really thought about that 'oshi' thing, I realized there is one person."
"Heh. So you have someone like that too, Umi."
She was a girl her age, so it wasn't surprising that she'd have someone she personally rooted for, just like Amami-san and Nitta-san… It wasn't jealousy, but I was still a little curious.
"…Fufuu~n."
"Wh-What is it?"
"Curious? You're curious, aren't you? Jeez, Maki, you're so hopeless~"
"I haven't said a word."
"Don't play dumb~ C'mon, just admit it. Say, 'I'm going crazy with jealousy'."
"I'm not gonna go crazy… but, well, I am a little curious about who it is."
"Just curious?"
"…Yeah."
I should have been happy just to have her as my girlfriend, but once that happened, my heart started wanting more and more.
I want her to look at me, not at other people… though I couldn't bring myself to say something so greedy out loud.
"Fufu, alright, I'll make a special exception and tell you, Maki. …It's this person."
"Ah, okay. Thanks…"
I took Umi's phone and looked at the picture on the screen.
It was the profile of a boy about our age, wearing a school uniform. It seemed to have been taken secretly, as he didn't seem to have noticed the camera at all.
A plain face, messy hair, and an ill-fitting uniform—and yet, the way he was engrossed in his work looked surprisingly cool.
…Wait, this photo.
"…It's me."
I doubted my own eyes for a second, but the person in the photo was definitely me, Maehara Maki.
It was probably taken while we were working on the cultural festival exhibits, but I had no idea she'd snapped a picture from that close up.
So that means, Umi's one and only 'oshi' is…
"…You're grinning, you know, Maki?"
"I can't help it… This is just unfair."
"Fufu, sorry, sorry. But I thought this might be a nice way to tell you for a change."
I don't really get what it feels like to have an 'oshi,' but I at least understood that Umi was that crazy about me.
If that's what it meant, then I guess I have just one 'oshi' too.
Someone whose happiness I want to protect, someone I'd do anything for just to see her smile.
"…Hey, Umi,"
"Yeah, what?"
"I'll do my best to keep making you happy, forever."
"Thanks. In that case, I'll be the happiest girl in the world, just for you, Maki."
On the TV, the next idol unit was putting on a fantastic performance, but my and Umi's eyes were locked on each other, not straying for even a second.