SS 3 The Two on New Year's Eve (1)

The Two on New Year’s Eve (1)

“Welcome, Senpai‼”

She greeted me at the door with a warm smile. Unusually, she was wearing an apron. It looked like she’d gone out of her way to prepare New Year’s soba for us.

“Here, these are the tempura my brother made.”

Even Kitchen Aono was taking a well-earned break today, so we were all focused on New Year’s preparations. That said, after exhausting themselves with tasks like deep cleaning, my mom and brother were too tired to keep me company. They ended up shooing me out and telling me to spend the evening at my girlfriend’s place instead. Still, the fact that my brother went out of his way to fry tempura for me…

He’s clearly trying to give me a little push here.

By the way, it seems my mom and brother are planning to binge-watch a popular overseas drama that just got released for the holidays. Looks like they’re plenty energetic after all.

Even so, I feel so lucky to be able to ring in the new year with my adorable girlfriend.

“Wow, this looks amazing!”

“He made it at lunch, so he said it’s best to reheat it in the toaster oven before eating.”

I glanced at the clock—it was a little past 7 p.m. The Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red and White Song Battle) would be starting soon. The rarely used TV in Ai’s room was on, filling the space with a cozy year-end atmosphere.

“Got it! Oh, kakiage! I love vegetable kakiage!”

“This one’s special—it’s packed with seafood.”

“That sounds amazing.”

She laughed, mimicking a line from an anime we’d watched together recently. Her laughter was infectious, and before I knew it, I was laughing along with her.

“It’s been ages since I last had New Year’s soba.”

Her eyes said it all—eating it alone would’ve been far too lonely.

“Let’s make this our tradition from now on.”

“Yeah.”

She pulled out a chair for me in the kitchen and gestured for me to sit.

On the table was a gorgeous spread: sushi she’d ordered, appetizers she’d made using ham and kamaboko, salads, sashimi, and more.

“Okay, let’s dig in. And I hope you’re looking forward to the New Year’s soba! I made the broth using my mom’s recipe—I’m really proud of it.”

The thought of her making it all by herself felt bittersweet. But knowing she recreated a cherished flavor just for me filled me with gratitude.

“By the way, Senpai?”

As I savored the delicious food, the girl I loved most sat across from me, flashing a playful smile as she teased me.

“That thing you said earlier—next year, the year after, and every year from now on, you’ll be with me, right? That makes me so happy.”

My face turned bright red, and I was left speechless. A quiet, blissful New Year’s Eve unfolded before us. (To be continued?)