Comics, daily stories

He's not afraid of the cold, he just prefers warmer places.

He turned a page of the comic book with his finger, glancing briefly at Eriri, who was holding a cup of red tea and squinting.

Yes, Eriri is really useful now, a self-propelled heater in human form.

"It's early, we'll have a day off this afternoon."

"Well, what happened?"

Nomiyama turned to look at Megumi. The girl was wearing a scarf around her neck, a plain black scarf, similar to the two black scarves he had worn before. Her hands were in the same position as Eriri's, holding a cup of hot black tea.

Meeting those gentle eyes, he heard her say, "Let's go to Kazehaya's for dinner tonight."

“Okay.” Nomiyama readily agreed, then smiled, “I’ll cook. In winter, something hot and spicy would be more suitable.”

He looked at Yukinoshita, who hadn't said a word.

Yukino Yukinoshita turned a page of her book and casually said, "Let's have hot pot. It suits your taste and will save you the trouble."

Nomiyama's eyes lit up: "This is good."

Eriri Sawamura glanced at the three people's faces and said with dissatisfaction, "I want a hot pot with two broths. I can't handle the spiciness of the three of you."

"Trash." Nomiyama didn't hide his sarcasm. "Trash, trash, trash."

"Nomi Yamakaze Hayate!"

Sawamura Eri patted the red tea and stood up.

Nomiyama put on a mocking face and stood up as well.

A cool voice rang out: "I probably won't be coming over much before the New Year. My sister is a bit... Anyway, I plan to take complete control of the Yukinoshita family's operations next year."

"Huh? What about a date?" Nomiyama was reluctant.

Yukino Yukinoshita closed the paperback and looked at him: "After the New Year."

Eriri Sawamura sat down silently, pulling out a manga to cover her expression. It's your business if you don't come out, but it has nothing to do with me.

Yukino Yukinoshita shifted her gaze to Eriri: "Eri, come with me. Our families have a deep connection, and there are some things we need to discuss together."

Eriri Sawamura put down her manga and looked at her: "Mom said I should focus on my studies for now."

"Alright, then consider it keeping me company." Yukino Yukinoshita looked at him. "What do you say?"

Nomiyama raised his hand: "I don't understand you rich people."

Eriri Sawamura said irritably, unfolding the manga again: "What good friends? They're fake, all fake."

Yukino Yukinoshita ignored her complaints and turned to look at the person sitting next to her sipping tea: "Kato-kun, our promise shouldn't have changed, right?"

Kato Megumi gently put down her teacup and met her gaze, her voice calm: "Since Yukinoshita-san didn't break the agreement first, I won't either."

Yukino Yukinoshita smiled and said, "Okay."

Nomiyama listened silently while flipping through the manga. He knew about the agreement, which stipulated that neither of them could stay at the other's house when the other was not there. This had become an unwritten rule among his girlfriends.

But agreements can always have loopholes.

For example, since we can't stay at his house, we can stay outside...

......

"Little Wind! See you next winter!"

Yui Yuigahama waved her hand, her smile still showing little sign of sorrow, only wisps of white vapor appearing with her words.

"See you next winter, Yumiko and Himeko too."

Nomiyama stood in the corridor, smiling and waving to the three people who were with him.

Yumiko Miura asked something else first: "Hey! Want to hang out after the New Year?"

Nomiyama shook his head: "No, I like to stay in the kotatsu in winter and I don't like to go out."

"Oh, goodbye." Miura Yumiko pulled her two friends along and left without looking back.

Hina Ebina quickly turned around: "Come see you in Fuyu!"

"See you in winter."

Nomiyama watched the three disappear around the corner of the corridor, then strode towards Class C, where Megumi and Eriri were.

Reaching the classroom, he ignored the few students still remaining and knocked on the door: "Megumi, Eriri, let's go."

Both of them simultaneously looked away from a painting and turned to look at him.

"Let's go, Eriri." Kato Megumi patted Eriri on the shoulder and walked towards him with her bag.

"Hmm, wait a minute." Eriri Sawamura rolled up the drawing paper and then tucked it into a cylinder in her handbag to prevent it from getting damaged when folded.

"What painting?" Nomiyama asked quietly to the person who walked up to him.

“It’s the Service Club,” Kato Megumi replied.

"Oh, she's still the same as before." Nomiyama turned around first when he saw Eriri walking over.

"The same as before?"

Eriri likes to draw the people she likes in one picture.

"I see."

“Fifth in line, huh.” Eriri Sawamura followed him.

"Fifth place it is, I like being fifth." Nomiyama completely gave up.

"Huh, what's this all about?" Kato Megumi asked, puzzled.

"It means that I'm only fifth in Eriri's heart," Nomiyama explained.

"I see, Eriri isn't being honest." Kato Megumi's words floated by.

“What do you mean he’s not being honest! He’s the fifth in line!” Eriri Sawamura insisted.

When the three of them arrived at Class J, Yukino Yukinoshita was already waiting for them in the corridor.

Nomiyama instinctively walked over and nudged her twice: "What ingredients should we buy?"

Yukino Yukinoshita slapped his hand away, turned around with a cold face: "Don't touch me."

Nomiyama retorted, "Stop touching me! Yukino Yukinoshita, we're boyfriend and girlfriend!"

Yukino Yukinoshita slapped his hand away again: "You can speak louder."

Nomiyama looked around, then his gaze settled on a certain spot. He quickened his pace, heading towards the broadcasting room.

Yukino Yukinoshita grabbed him: "Shameless bastard!"

Nomiyama looked at her small hand holding his and slowed down. Ha, Yukino Yukinoshita, a mere mortal, dares to fight me.

Kato Megumi's gaze flickered, but she ultimately said nothing.

Eriri Sawamura's reaction was quite direct.

"Pooh!"

When they reached the shoe cabinet area, Nomiyama opened the cabinet, ready to change back into his sneakers, and then paused, stunned.

Your shoes were stolen?

He looked down at his indoor shoes and gradually felt incredulous.

He has only ever had his indoor shoes stolen in his life, never his sneakers.

Turning his head, Nomiyama looked towards Yukinoshita, his gaze filled with the same puzzlement.

His expression changed twice, and Nomiyama took a breath: "This is the first time I've encountered something like this."

Yukino Yukinoshita glanced at him twice, remained silent for a moment, and then said, "Let's try fishing later."

Eriri Sawamura stomped her little leather shoes twice, gloating, "You two aren't going to have your outdoor shoes stolen every day from now on, are you?"

Nomiyama closed the shoe cabinet and licked his lips: "If that's really the case, I'll just have to beat up all those people every day."

"Let's go, Kazehaya, try to fish the shoes out of the river."

Megumi Kato took the lead.

......

I caught nothing at Nomiyama: no shoes, no poisonous fish, no spring fish, and no normal fish either.

What made him both relieved and saddened was that the other two fishing masters, Yukinoshita and Megumi, also caught nothing. They seemed to have completely lost their usual luck of catching fish whenever they wanted, and ended up empty-handed.

The only surprise was that Eriri caught a fish.

This is a very large bream, perfect for slicing and cooking in a hot pot.

Exhaling a puff of white breath, Nomiyama handed the fishing rod to Yukinoshita, picked up the shad, and said with emotion, "Eriri, this is the first time I've eaten your fish in a year or two."

Eriri Sawamura proudly puffed out her chest: "Be grateful, you three air force pilots."

The three of them really had no way to refute this.

Yukino Yukinoshita and Megumi Kato frowned. They never imagined that one day they would experience being mocked by Eriri for being an air force pilot.

"Let's go home first, clean the fish, then change our shoes, and then we'll go to the supermarket to buy some ingredients."

Nomiyama took the lead and walked up the slope, asking, "Is there anything you'd like to eat? I'm planning to buy some mutton to slice."

Eriri Sawamura grinned: "Beef, I want shank, beef tongue, and tenderloin. If possible, add some brisket fat as well."

Nomiyama immediately looked disgusted: "You're so picky."

Eriri Sawamura glared at him: "Stop talking nonsense! We finally have a holiday, what's wrong with eating some meat!"

"Yes, yes, I'll listen to you, Miss."

Kato Megumi said thoughtfully, "For me, I'd like pork belly, but Kazehaya has to slice it thinly, and then add tripe. I remember Kazehaya really likes it. After that, I'll kill a chicken."

Nomiyama agreed: "Yeah, it's almost the New Year anyway, it's time to make a killing."

Yukino Yukinoshita pondered for a moment and offered her own menu: "Besides meat, there should be side dishes: lettuce, bok choy, lotus root slices, potatoes, tofu, and bean sprouts; that's all."

“Okay.” Nomiyama agreed immediately as always.

After a while, when his own house came into view, Nomiyama moved closer to her.

"Don't you want bok choy?"

"Cabbage hearts?" Yukino Yukinoshita was puzzled.

"You used to like it a lot. You loved eating it in winter when you were in elementary school."

Nomiyama thought of something from a long time ago.

Yukino Yukinoshita looked at him in silence for a long while before finally lowering her head.

"Yes, I want bok choy, blanched."

Kato Megumi's expression became more pronounced, and her eyebrows furrowed.

Eriri Sawamura gritted her teeth as she watched the two people talk about things she knew nothing about.

......

"Kazehaya takes good care of Yukinoshita."

Nomiyama glanced at the two people picking and choosing in the meat section, then turned to look at Megumi, who had a calm expression.

She was unhappy.

He reached out and took Hui's hand: "I remember what Hui likes to eat."

Kato Megumi wasn't easily fooled; instead, she asked directly, "What is it?"

Nomiyama pulled her toward the vegetable section: "Duck blood, then shiitake mushrooms, taro, and the rest are explained by Yukinoshita and Eriri."

After thinking for a moment, he said, "If I had to say, Hui's favorite meat isn't actually pork belly, but rather the tenderloin, which is why I asked Eriri to buy more."

Kato Megumi pursed her lips: "Kazehaya, that's a foul."

Nomiyama grabbed a taro and threw it into the cart, then reached out and pinched her cheek: "Megumi is my girlfriend. I pay attention to what she eats more or less."

"Kazehaya, you pervert."

"Thank you for the compliment, but I am the most terrifying pervert in the world." Nomiyama did not refute.