Date Her Instead Vol. 7 (Final Volume)

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lie To Yourself No Longer

After that, she went around to everybody else. Itsuki had already been on board, and Mayu was more than happy to say yes. As for Hinami, she agreed more easily than Jasmine expected. "And that leaves one," Jasmine thought, turning her attention to Chiyo, who was still sitting at her desk. Surprisingly enough, Michi was too. It was as if both of them wanted to talk to the other, but they just didn't know how.

Fortunately, Chiyo managed to get past that issue soon enough. "H-Hey, Mi-chan?" she said nervously. "What?" Michi responded, sounding indifferent. "So like, Jas-chin wanted to throw a Christmas party, and she's inviting a lot of people, and uh... well, I-I thought maybe... I'd invite ya... as long as ya don't have plans, that is. Oh, but if ya do, it's fine. Not like it's the end of the world, y'know? I just figured I'd ask becau-"

"I'll go."

"...eh?" the gal let out. "Wait, really?" "Why do you sound so shocked?" Michi asked. "Everyone I know will be there, won't they? It'd be weirder if I didn't go." "Ah...right..." Chiyo said, sounding disappointed. A part of her had hoped Michi would say yes just to be able to spend time with her. "That's so stupidly selfish of me," Chiyo thought. "Of course she wants to see her other friends. And, it's the perfect way for her not to be alone on Christmas."

The odds of Michi's parents sacrificing their holiday alone time to have her along was pretty low, so most likely, Michi was going to be bound to sit by herself in her apartment, alone. Being invited to a party probably seemed like a godsend.

"That's all I wanted to ask. See ya," Chiyo said, trying to make a quick exit. "Wait," Michi suddenly said, stopping the gal dead in her tracks. "You'll... be there too, right Chiyo?" The gal remained frozen in place for a moment, unsure of what to do. On the surface, it was a simple enough question, but between the two of them, it was clear there was much more than surface-level meaning behind it.

Eventually, Chiyo turned back around to face Michi. "Yeah, I'll be there," she said. "After all, it's a chance to spend Christmas with you, Mi-chan." "W-What's that supposed to mean... idiot..." Michi muttered, her cheeks taking on a light shade of red. Seeing that reaction only started to confuse Chiyo more, so the only thing she could do was dash off.

Watching from the side, Jasmine sighed. "Geez," she thought. "She really does act like a pure maiden sometimes, even though she's the farthest thing from it." Then she turned to Mayu, who was just finishing packing up. "Ready to go?" "Yes," Mayu responded pleasantly. The two of them began walking down the hall, making conversation as they went.

"I'm excited for the party," Mayu said. Jasmine laughed. "It's still a couple weeks away though. If you're already excited now, what'll ya be like when it's here?" Mayu laughed too. "I don't know. Perhaps I'll be even more excited?" "Are you the kinda girl that loves Christmas, Mayu-chi?" Jasmine asked. Mayu thought for a moment. "Hmm. I suppose I do like it, although my little sister likes it more." "That's probably just because she's still young," Jasmine said. "Maybe, but the way she talks about Christmas, it makes me think that her enthusiasm will never fade," Mayu said. "Though I don't believe that to be a bad thing."

The two of them continued walking, all the while making conversation. When the time came to split off, it felt a little sadder than usual. Perhaps it was because of how well things were going between them, or perhaps it was a reminder of the limited days they had left together. Either way, they were both left with an odd mix of feelings. One feeling being sadness at their parting, but another being joy at the thought of spending such a precious holiday together.

*****

"Kanako, you should really stop making that face."

"I'm not making a face."