第46話 氷の令嬢と初詣
先の見えない長蛇の列をひたすら並び、二礼二拍手一礼で参拝を終えた頃には、冬華も日菜美の勢いにだいぶ慣れたようだった。
過度なスキンシップにはまだ耐性が付いていない様子だが、当初の緊張と不安は会話や表情から消えている。
千昭も千昭で、日菜美とは対照的に適切な距離感を保ちながら、着実に氷の令嬢と交流を深めていた。
その会話のほとんどが共通の友人の話題、つまりは朝陽の話で占められていたのは、単に初対面故の気まずさを回避する術なのだろうか。
時々、ニヤニヤと油断ならない顔をしていたあたり、八割方は意図的な話題操作の気がしてならない。
そんなこんなで、日菜美が無理に抱き着かないように、千昭が余計な事を言わないようにと目を光らせていると、時間はあっという間に過ぎ去っていく。
「やっぱ、おみくじだよね!」
唐突なバカップルの提案で今年の運勢を占うことになった四人は、それぞれ見事に結果が分かれた。
「うわっ、大凶って本当にでるんだね。私、初めて見たかもしれない」
「基本、悪い事しか書いてねえ......こういう時、あそこに結べばいいんだよな?」
「確かそうだよ。ほら、みんな集まってる」
「じゃあ、早速こいつを結んで来るわ」
「あっ、ちーくん待って! 私も一緒に行く!」
中吉と中々良い引きを見せた日菜美に背中を押されるようにして、大凶を引いたある意味持っている男である千昭がトボトボと歩を進める。
その途中、ちょっとした段差で足を滑らせかけていたので、おみくじの効力は絶大なのかもしれない。
死ぬかと思ったと大袈裟に身を縮める千昭を、日菜美は楽しそうに笑っていた。
「相葉さんと吉川さんって、とても仲が良さそうですね」
「そりゃ、二人は付き合ってるからな」
「そ、そうなのですか!?」
「そんなに驚くことか? あからさまってか明らかだろ」
「言われてみれば確かに......でも、まさか恋仲だとは......」
朝陽からしてみれば今更過ぎる話なのだが、今まで全く接点がなかった冬華にとっては驚愕の事実だったらしい。
今日一日、日菜美が冬華に付きっ切りだった事も関係し、バカップルのイチャイチャを見るのはどうやらこれが初めてのようだ。
「ちーくん見て、恋愛のとこ!」
「何々......この人となら幸福あり。おーっ、まさにその通りだな」
「私達、神様公認のカップルって事だね!」
おみくじを結びながら二人だけの幸せな空気を漂わせる千昭と日菜美を遠目で眺めながら、冬華は「お似合いですね」と素直な感想を漏らした。
「どうしよ、俺も結びに行こうかな」
「朝陽くんは吉でしょう? それなら結ぶ必要はないんじゃ......」
「でも、吉って結構微妙じゃないか?」
「そんな事ありませんよ。おみくじの縁起順には二つの解釈があって、吉が大吉の次に位置する考えもありますから」
流石は学年一位の博識と言ったところか、冬華は豊富な知識を持って詳しい解説をしてくれた。
何でも、神社本庁なる総本山がそもそも二つの解釈で分かれているらしい。
どうしても気になるのなら、宮司に問い合わせ、この神社における吉の立ち位置を教えてもらうのが良いそうだ。
「......普通に持っとくか」
「是非、そうしてください」
結局、朝陽は一度は手放そうとしたおみくじをポケットにしまう事にした。
吉が良いのか微妙なのかは分からないままだが、冬華が良いというなら間違いないだろう。
「ふーゆちゃんっ!」
「わっ......あ、相葉さん?」
「大吉のおみくじ、ちょっと見せて!」
「いいですけど......」
どうして、という疑問符が冬華の頭上に浮かんでいた。
ただ、それを気にする日菜美ではない。
冬華から小さなおみくじを受け取ると、目をキラキラと輝かせて眺めはじめた。
「ヒナ、どうだった?」
「未来に幸福あり、だって!」
「ほうほう、なるほど。これは楽しみですな」
「そうだね、期待大って感じだね!」
いつの間にか戻って来たバカップルは仲良くお揃いのニヤニヤ顔を浮かべた。
その生暖かい視線は冬華にだけではなく、朝陽にも向けられる。
「あいつら、ニヤニヤと何を言ってるんだ?」
「わ、私も分かりません......」
そう言い切った冬華は若干頬を赤く染めていた。
「......返してもらいます」
「えーっ、まだ半分も読めてないのにー!」
半ば強引な形で日菜美からおみくじを奪い返した冬華は、明らかに慌てている様に見える。
どうやら、短いやり取りの中で何らかの羞恥心を刺激されたらしい。
首を傾げる朝陽と顔を赤らめる冬華を交互に見て、バカップルはまた一層ニヤニヤの度合いを強めた。
絵馬を書いたり、甘酒を飲んだりと神社でできる事は全て網羅して、いよいよ帰ろうかという時に、参拝客の混雑は丁度ピークを迎えていた。
四人で横一列に並ぶと迷惑になるので、前に千昭と日菜美、後ろに朝陽と冬華といった風に縦二列で歩を進める。
「あの二人、とても自然に手を繋ぎますね」
「ちなみに、目を離したら抱き着いてる時もある」
言葉どころか目線も交わさず絡み合った手を、冬華はまじまじと後ろから見つめた。
その熱心な視線を感じたのか、それとも単に会話が聞こえたのか、日菜美と千昭が同時に勢いよく振り返る。
例によって、その表情はあまり歓迎することができない企み顔だ。
「二人も手、繋げば?」
日菜美からの思わぬ提案に、思考と歩みが止まりかける。
流石にこの人並みで立ち止まる訳にはいかず、どうにか足を動かし続けたが、お陰で頭は上手く回らない。
「何で俺らが手を繋がなきゃいけないんだよ」
「それはもちろん、さっきみたいにはぐれないように」
「こうやって、手を繋げば安心でしょ?」
「......迷子になったのは日菜美が暴走したからだろ」
「そ、そうだけど、この混雑だったら万が一があるじゃん!」
中々の暴論な気がするが、迷子経験者のお言葉は何故か妙な説得力がある。
確かに、先程から道行く人々の流れは渓流のように激しく、少し気を抜けばたちまち孤立するなんてこともあり得そうだ。
ただ、手を繋ぐというのは如何なものか。
それは恋人間では当然の好意でも、友達間では異常な行為だ。
異常、というのは言い過ぎだとしても、その相手が異性となれば意識せざるを得ない。
(って、俺は何で真剣に考えてるんだ......)
ほんの少しだけ流されそうになったが、冷静になった頭で考えれば自ずと結論が出る。
こちとら日菜美と違って、周りが見えなくなったりしない。
常に気を付けていれば、手を繋ぐ必要はないだろう。
さっきから俯いて黙り込んでいるが、きっと冬華も同じ考えのはず。
そう考えていた朝陽は、ゆっくりと伸びてきた左手に考察を覆されることになった。
「お二人の言う事はもっともですから......」
一センチ、また一センチと冬華の小さな可愛らしい手が朝陽へと近づく。
その様子を朝陽はもちろん、千昭と日菜美も息を呑んで見守った。
すらりとした細い指先がさらに一センチの距離を縮め、そして――
「......これで安心です」
冬華は親指と人差し指で控えめに朝陽の上着の袖を掴んだ。
「へー?」
「ほー!」
前方から意味の分からない反応が飛んで来るが、朝陽はそちらに意識を割く余裕がない。
「......しっかり掴んどけよ」
その頼りない繋がりは二人の肩を引き寄せる。
肌と肌は直接触れ合っていないのに、冬華の指先からじんわりと温かい熱が伝わる気がした。
「この神社では、大吉の次が吉なんだって!」
「じゃあ私と隣り合わせだね!」
どこからともなく聞こえて来た、元気で明るい子供たちの声。
どうやら、仲間内でおみくじの見せ合いっこをしているらしい。
「良かったですね、朝陽くん」
参道をゆっくりと歩きながら、二人は足音を重ねる。
いつもより、数センチほど距離が近い。
交わす言葉と微笑みですら、少しだけ何かが近づいているように思えた。
Ch 46
After standing in a long line without any end in sight and praying with two bows, two claps and one bow, Fuyuka seemed to have gotten used to Hinami's vigor.
She still hadn't developed a tolerance for excessive skinship, but the initial nervousness and anxiety was long gone from her expressions.
Chiaki, in contrast to Hinami, was maintaining an appropriate distance and steadily deepening his relationship with the "Ice Lady".
Asahi wondered if the fact that most of the conversation was about a mutual friend, or in other words, about himself, was simply a way to avoid the awkwardness of meeting for the first time.
Asahi couldn't help but feel that 80% of it was intentional manipulation of the topic, as they were grinning and making tricky faces from time to time.
As such, time flew by as Asahi kept an eye on Hinami to make sure she didn't perform excessive skinship, and also Chiaki in order to make sure he didn't say anything unnecessary.
"It's fortune slip, alright!"
At the sudden suggestion of the lovebirds, the four of them decided to divine their fortunes for this year, and the results were wonderfully different for each of them.
"Wow, terrible luck does really appear! I think I've never seen this one before."
"Basically, all it says is bad things... In times like this, I should just tie it there, right?"
"Yep. Look, they're all gathering there."
"Then, I should tie this up ASAP."
"Oh, wait, Chi-kun! I'm coming with you too!"
As if being pushed by Hinami who pulled a medium good luck, Chiaki, a man who pulled a terrible luck, walked forward.
On the way there, he almost slipped on a small step, so perhaps the effect was really working.
Hinami laughed happily at Chiaki, who exaggeratedly shrugged, saying he thought he was going to die.
"Aiba-san and Yoshikawa-san seem to be very close."
"Well, you know, they're dating."
"R-really?!"
"What's so surprising? It's so obvious."
"Come to think of it... but I didn't think they were in love..."
For Asahi, it was outdated news, but for Fuyuka, who had never had any contact with the two before, it was a shocking fact.
This was apparently the first time she had seen the lovebirds flirting, partly because Hinami had been with Fuyuka all day.
"Look, Chi-kun! On the bottom of the fortune slip!"
"Let's see... [If it's with this person, there's happiness.] Oh, that's exactly right."
"I guess we're a God-approved couple!"
"They look good together." Fuyuka said honestly while looking at Chiaki and Hinami from a distance as they tied the fortune and exuded an air of happiness.
"What to do? Maybe I'll go tie a knot too."
"You pulled good fortune, right, Asahi-kun? Then you don't need to tie it..."
"But isn't good fortune pretty vague?"
"That's not true. There are two interpretations for the order of fortune in fortune slip, and some believe that good fortune is next to great fortune."
As expected of the most knowledgeable person in the school, Fuyuka gave a detailed explanation with her wealth of knowledge.
It seemed that the head office of the shrine was divided between two different interpretations.
If someone was really curious, they could contact the priest and ask him to tell them about it.
"I'll just keep it then..."
"By all means, please do so."
In the end, Asahi decided to put the fortune away in his pocket after he once tried to let it go.
Whether his good fortune was really good or vague remains to be seen, but if Fuyuka says it would be good, then it must be right.
"Fuyu-chan~!"
"Wah... Aiba-san?"
"Let me see the great fortune you pulled!"
"Okay..."
"Why?" A question mark hovered over Fuyuka's head.
However, Hinami didn't care about that.
When she received a small fortune slip from Fuyuka, she began to look at it with sparkling eyes.
"Hina, what does it say?"
"[There is happiness in the future.] It says."
"Oh, I see. This is something to look forward to."
"Yep, it's looking very promising!"
The lovebirds returned before they knew it and put on matching grimaces at each other.
Their warm gaze was not only on Fuyuka, but also on Asahi.
"What are they saying with all those smirks?"
"I-I also don't get it either..."
Fuyuka's cheeks turned slightly red as she said this.
"...I'll have that back."
"Eh? I'm not even halfway through reading it!"
Fuyuka, who took the fortune back from Hinami with a half-heartedly forced manner, was clearly in a panic.
Apparently, some kind of shame was stimulated in the short exchange.
Looking alternately at the confused face of Asahi and the blushing face of Fuyuka, the lovebirds grinned even more.
They had already done everything they could do at the shrine, including writing an ema (prayer plaques) and drinking amazake (sweet sake), and when they were ready to leave, the crowd had just reached its peak.
If four of them were lined up in a horizontal line they would be a bother, so they walked in two vertical lines, Chiaki and Hinami in front, and Asahi and Fuyuka behind.
"Those two hold hands so naturally."
"By the way, sometimes when you take your eyes off them for a sec, you'll see them hugging."
Fuyuka stared back at their intertwined hands, which hadn't even exchanged glances, let alone words.
Perhaps they felt her eager gaze, or perhaps they simply heard the conversation, but Hinami and Chiaki turned around at the same time with great vigor.
As usual, the expression on their faces was not very welcoming.
"Why don't you two hold hands?"
Hinami's unexpected suggestion almost brought Asahi's thoughts and his steps both to a halt.
He couldn't stand still in the middle of a crowd, so he kept moving his feet, but he couldn't think properly.
"Why do we have to hold hands?"
"That is, of course, so we don't get separated like we did before."
"Wouldn't it be safer if we just held hands like this?"
"...You got lost because you went off the rails though."
"Yeah, that's true, but still with this crowd, there's a chance it could happen!"
It may sound like an outrageous argument, but somehow the words of someone who experienced being lost sounded strangely persuasive.
Indeed, the flow of people on the road had been as fierce as a mountain stream for a while now, and if one was not careful, one could easily become isolated.
'However, was it okay to hold hands?'
It was something natural among people in love, but it was an abnormal act among friends.
It might be an exaggeration to describe it as abnormal, but when the person you were talking to was someone of the opposite s*x, you couldn't help but become aware of it.
'Why am I thinking about this so seriously?'
Asahi felt like he was going to be swept away, but when he thought about it with a calm head, he came to a conclusion.
Unlike Hinami, they didn't lose sight of their surroundings.
If they were always careful, they wouldn't need to hold hands.
She had been lying face down and silent since earlier, but he was sure that Fuyuka had the same idea.
As he was thinking this, Asahi was overturned in his consideration by a hand slowly approaching him.
"Because they both have a point..."
Fuyuka's cute little hand moved closer to Asahi, one centimeter at a time.
Chiaki and Hinami watched with bated breath, as well as Asahi.
Her slender fingertips closed the distance another inch, and then--
"...With this, we can rest easy."
Fuyuka discreetly grabbed the sleeve of Asahi's jacket with her thumb and forefinger.
"Huh?"
"Woah!"
An incomprehensible response came from the front, but Asahi didn't have time to pay attention to it.
"...Hold on tight."
That unreliable connection pulled their shoulders together.
Even though their skin was not in direct contact with each other, Asahi felt a warm heat emerging from Fuyuka's fingertips.
"In this shrine, the next best thing after great fortune is good fortune! They say!"
"Then we're next to each other!"
The cheerful voices of children came out of nowhere.
Apparently, they were showing off their fortunes to each other.
"Isn't that great, Asahi-kun?"
As they slowly walked along the path, their footsteps piled up on top of each other.
The distance between them was a few inches closer than usual.
Even the words and smiles they exchanged seemed to bring them a little closer to something.
How To Melt the Ice Lady
【コミカライズ連載中】氷の令嬢の溶かし方　～クールで素っ気ないお隣さんがデレるとめちゃくちゃ可愛い件～
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/how-to-melt-the-ice-lady/
Comedy Romance School Life Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Beautiful Female Lead Caring Protagonist Cooking Cute Story Famous Parents Kind Love Interests Kuudere Male Protagonist Modern Day Popular Love Interests
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n2567fv/
高峰 翔