"Calm down, Maebara Keiichi.

Think!

Think hard!!"

Keiichi-kun held his head, screamed that line, and bent his neck backwards.

When he gets like this, he always speaks everything that's on his mind, and it's very fun to listen to.

But I had to concentrate. I needed to win this game!!

I was going to keep eating as much as I can and take all of the adorable girls home with me!!!!

Ahahahahahaha...☆.

I was having so much fun.

I was so thrilled that I felt like my heart was about to burst.

I might have been acting totally uncute...

but I didn't care, exactly because I was having so much fun.

Mii-chan always comes up with such extraordinary games.

Satoko-chan loves to play pranks.

Rika-chan is very sneaky, but it's impossible to hate her.

And Keiichi-kun is always so funny.

I enjoy every day.

I wish I could express how much I really do enjoy them better than by saying how happy I am.

Sometimes I even feel anxious because I enjoy every day so much.

There is as much misfortune and pain as there is happiness and pleasure in this world.

And I know very well that they all come to you regardless of how hard you try.

You'll have happy days regardless of how hard you try.

You'll have unhappy days regardless of how hard you try.

But, that doesn't mean that you don't need to try hard.

I can try to make my happy days even happier and last longer.

In the same way...

I can try to make my unhappy days happier and end faster.

I struggle very hard to achieve that.

That's why I'm going to enjoy the happy days I have now as much as I can.

I must not take them for granted, because they won't last forever.

They won't.

...One day, all of a sudden,

these happy days will come to an end. I know it.

That's why

...I was trying to enjoy the happiness I received today so that I wouldn't regret it

even if the world ended tomorrow.

I noticed my hands stopped moving while I was thinking about these things.

When spending time with my friends... I feel so happy that my heart might burst.

I even love doing the punishments.

They're fun for me.

I have friends.

I have a place where I fit in.

I have time in which to be myself.

I have a me that I love.

I love everybody.

I love Mii-chan, Satoko-chan, Rika-chan, and Keiichi-kun.

I love everybody in my class and everybody in Okinomiya.

"Oh?!

Rena's stopped eating!

I guess she went too fast in the beginning!"

"Okamura, this is our chance!

We can defeat Ryuugu-san!"

"All of you,

you're just

wasting your time!!

You think you can defeat me at Angel Mort?

You're too naive!!"

"Rena-san, come on!!

I'll never forgive you if you let Coach win!!"

"Heh heh heh!!

I'm not going to let anybody win!

I can even swallow the Pacific Ocean if you ask me to!!"

"What's wrong, Rena? Are you getting full?

I guess you just have to watch my

come-from-behind victory now!!

Am I right, everyone?"

"""Yeah!!!"""

"......Rena, what's wrong?"

I had left the table.

"Ahahahaha, excuse me.

I have to go to the bathroom."

I was just so happy.

I didn't care who won or lost this match.

Of course, it's more fun when I go crazy to try and win,

but I could never be happier than this.

If I could seal this happiness in a piece of crystal, I'd carry it around with me in my pocket.

I'd use it as heat to ward off the cold of hard days that are certain to come to me.

.........I know they will.

You're not truly happy when you feel happiness.

When you're bored with happy days and don't even realize that you're happy... That's when you've achieved true happiness.

You only truly feel happiness... when you're in a freezing cold environment.

That's the only time your heart can feel the warmth of even a small happiness...

On my way to the bathroom, I saw a waitress and a customer arguing at the register.

The customer was a woman.

The waitress was trying to explain that the lady needed a ticket to get a seat because the restaurant was holding an event today,

but the lady, saying she didn't know, was still trying to get a seat.

After a while, the store manager was called and started apologizing to the lady.

"...It's your fault.

You should've put a note outside that said we needed a ticket to come in, or somethin'.

How do you expect me to know when there's no mention of it..."

The lady's eyes met mine.

I guessed who it might be when I heard the voice, so I was prepared.

"......Oh, Reina-chan!

I didn't expect to see you here."

"Oh☆.

Hello!

Ahaha, what a coincidence!"

I held out my hand for a high five. She gave me one.

"Listen, Reina-chan.

They're so mean. They're saying that I can't get a seat because I don't have a ticket."

"Ahahahahahaha, it seems that way."

"...Well, I can't do anything about it, can I?

I can still buy some cakes to take home, yeah?"

"Yes, of course.

You can choose anything you want from our selection."

The store manager gave her a fake smile and led her to their showcase.

"I like this cute one.

I think he likes simple ones like shortcakes.

Hey, Reina-chan.

What would you like?"

"What? Me?!

Are you buying me one?

Hauuuuuu!"

"Ahahaha, you really like cakes, huh?

You can get whatever you like."

"Umm... Ummm...!

Then... I don't know......

...Ahaha, I'll take a shortcake as well."

"Really?

There's so many other cute ones."

"Ahahahahaha, everything looks so good... but shortcakes look the best.

Hau."

"Okay.

Give me two shortcakes and one petit trianon.

We're taking them home☆."

She imitated the smile I usually made.

I replied with the same big smile.

Then I smelled the strong scent of her perfume, and it made me sneeze.

"Oh, are you sick?"

Rina-san's perfume and I never seem to get along.