Riaru de Reberu Age Shitara Hobo Chītona Jinsei ni Natta - Chapter 458
Morning in the gym.
The academy used the interior in the wintertime for morning assembly instead of the courtyard.
The students were lined up, and the three sisters were onstage.
Taiyou smiled satisfactorily as he gazed at them amidst the crowd.
“You look happy.”
Leticia talked to him from the side, in her teacher’s outfit.
She was back to standard dialect in front of everyone.
“Yes, I am happy.”
Taiyou was also around everyone, so he spoke to his teacher politely.
“Not really sure how to explain it, but it’s like competing and winning numerous times.”
“Yes.”
The three sisters were currently receiving awards.
They had succeeded in outshining everyone in the quilt contest they had participated in for their club.
And this wasn’t sponsored by their club. They had participated in a competition open to the public.
The principal (who Youran had set up as a figurehead) was speaking with emphasis about their accomplishment.
Initially, the students hadn’t even known about the quilt contest, but as soon as they knew about the sisters defeating not students, but rather actual working adults and outshining them, voices of surprise and praise rang out here and there.
The three sisters were idling on the stage in a bashful manner.
☆
That day, Taiyou did not approach the triplets until school had ended.
Whenever it would get to break time, someone would always come and talk to them about the quilts they made or the competition, and for lunch break, they were surrounded by girls and went off somewhere.
When he went to their club room after school, there was prosperity like never before.
“Ah, Taiyou-san.”
Kotone saw Taiyou and cut through the crowd to reach him.
The students pressing into her saw Taiyou and momentarily stared at him blankly, but Kotone and Kazane told them about him to clear up confusion.
A little ways away from the club room, Taiyou asked Kotone a question.
“What’s happening here?”
“Uhh, we ended up knitting mufflers.”
“Hm? Sorry, did you maybe skip a few details there?”
“Ah, uhh…right.”
Kotone organized the information in her head before speaking again.
“So you know the competition award thing today. Well some people asked us what else we make, and we told them we also knit those things.”
“Oho.”
“And then someone asked us to teach them how, and more and more people wanted it.”
“And that’s how you got into this, huh? But do things usually escalate this quickly?”
“Uhh, well it is almost Valentine’s after all.”
“…Right.”
Thinking for a second, everything now made sense.
Taiyou realized that there was a month until the fated event.
St. Valentine’s Day, one of the two events in the year for lovers.
“Yes.”
“Well, in that case, it does make more sense now. Yeesh.”
Taiyou looked back at the club room.
There was an incredible vortex of heat in the air.
The girls must all be itching to get their presents to their lovers.
He also saw glimpses of boys in the room, but decided to ignore them.
“You’re amazing, Nene.”
“No, it’s really nothing special.”
“Only amazing people say their work is nothing special. I don’t even see Ruri bragging about her own talent. I mean, she does pull a few gags, but that’s it.”
“B-But…”
“Hey.”
Taiyou sensed that her humble attitude was going to loop around again, so he put an end to the topic.
“You wanna knit, Nene?”
“Eh?”
“As you’re teaching people you could knit me something too if that’s cool with you.”
“—-Okay!”
Kotone nodded with a beaming smile.
“Ah, but…it might be a bit too bulky.”
“Bulky is totally cool with me.”
“Then I’ll put my heart into knitting you a muffler, sweater, or gloves. What would you like?”
“Everything.”
Taiyou immediately replied.
“Alright.”
“Make mine match yours if you can. I’ll wear it around you and walk around as people give me angry looks and tell me to go blow up.”
“Yes…”
Kotone nodded, embarrassed.
“Then…I’ll go make everyone’s.”
“I’d be really happy if you could, but are you sure it’s not too much to handle?”
“It’s fine. Until Valentine’s we have…yes, we’ll definitely make it in time.”
“Still…”
Taiyou made a rough calculation.
Everyone’s set.
That would mean clothing for ten people.
Taiyou, the sisters, and the other six brides.
Materials for ten people would be necessary.
And if they were to follow what Taiyou had suggested, the sisters would end up having to knit a three-set for each person consisting of a muffler, a sweater, and gloves.
And there was only a month until Valentine’s.
Taiyou was really beginning to wonder if they could do this.
“You sure it’s going to work out?”
“Yes.”
Kotone nodded nonchalantly.
Her facial expression seemed to be asking “Is there a reason why we can’t?”.
“…Pfft.”
Taiyou burst out laughing.
He just couldn’t help it when he saw Kotone’s reaction.
The laughter was loud to the point where it could be heard throughout the hallway.
“W-What’s the matter?”
“Nah, I just thought that you really are amazing, Nene.”
“Huh, but I, umm, have three sets of hands, and we still have ten days left.”
“And that’s what I mean. The fact you can say all that with a straight face is amazing. Yeah, if I had to phrase it…”
Taiyou thought a bit before continuing.
“Even when I carry all of you in a trailer truck, the wheels are there to support it, y’know? It still moves. That’s what you’re like.”
“That’s because you’re amazing, Taiyou-san.”
“Yeah, and so are you.”
“Oof…”
Kotone groaned. She didn’t appear to be taking the compliment so well.
Taiyou gave her a smooch and walked off.
Picturing the finished sweaters or mufflers in his head, Taiyou could feel his chest gradually warming up.