Chapter 41 (1/2)

Holy Night’s Dream

“Hora~, Hardt~, wake up~”

“Uun~, five more minutes”

As I listen to Kasan’s devil’s voice, I cover myself to the head with the futon and sleep. The wind that comes in from the gap between the walls is cold, I have no desire of leaving the futon.

‘I will continue to sleep like this!’, I thought and shut my eyes and, loud footsteps approach my room.

And the door opened vigorously. Still, I ignore that and

“Koraa! Didn’t I say wake up!”

Kasan who tears the futon off with all her strength. The inside of the futon that was warmed up with my body temperature was suddenly cooled by the outside air. Co, cold!!

“Wha, what are you doing, Okasan!”

“It’s because Hardt doesn’t wake up at all, right! Today is the festival’s preparation, right!”

“……I, hate the festival”

I turn away as I rub my chilly body. Thereupon, ‘Haa’, Kasan sighs. Uuu, I’m bad with Kasan’s sighs. Whenever Kasan sighs, it’s always because she’s worried about me. But, this time, what I hate is what I hate.

Once every year, there is a festival where G.o.d gives us gifts but, in any case, Kasan and I can’t partic.i.p.ate. Not only that, because most of the villagers partic.i.p.ate, Kasan who doesn’t partic.i.p.ate is made to keep watch in the cold. I hate that fact and it’s intolerable.

“Geez, what a worrisome child”

Kasan smiles bitterly at me who turns away as she sits beside me. And she embraced me gently.

“I understand that Hardt is thinking about me but, I think I would hate it if Hardt gets left out because of that”

“But……”

I hang my head and, Kasan gently pats my head. And then, she slaps my back with all her strength. Ouch!

“Horaa, don’t make a face like that and go! Listen properly to what Stellchan and Lig-kun say!”

I leave the room unable to say anything to Kasan who’s smiling. I wash my face with the bucket that’s outside but, it’s harsh in this cold season. Nevertheless, I bear with it, wash my face, and head towards the destination after eating my breakfast.

Over there, Lig, Stella, the other kids and I prepare for the festival in accordance with the adults’ instructions. However, there were various differences between Lig and the others, and I.

Lig and the others are able to be forgiven with a smile even if they mess up but, if I mess up, I get scolded, beaten in worse cases. There are also occasions where Stella would stick up for me but, she stops saying anything when Lig says it’s my fault for being slow.

Only amongst Regul and the others are there those who laugh when they see that sight of mine. Regul is the village chief’s son so he’s being exempted from the preparations and so forth.

The preparations finished one way or another before night but, I can’t partic.i.p.ate. What was the reason again. If I remember correctly, this is a festival that’s celebrated by the entire family, those without family members can’t partic.i.p.ate or something like that, that’s how it was.

There’s probably no such rule. However, in actuality, only my family is without a father, there’s also no way I who is powerless can say such thing, I merely watch as everybody eats delicious-looking food and have fun.

Lastly, there’s something like giving presents to the children but, naturally, there’s none for me. I eat the usual black and tough bread, salty dried meat, and return home.

Kasan can’t leave because she’s still keeping watch so there is only me alone in the house. The fire isn’t lit as well so it’s extremely cold. So that when Kasan comes back, she can spend the time in warmth peacefully, I light the fire and sat waiting in a chair.

When I realized, I was seemingly sleeping on the chair, what I can hear faintly is the Kasan’s crying voice and, her apologies towards me. Aa, don’t apologize, Kasan. Kasan didn’t do anything wrong. So don’t apologize…….

“……What is this”

The first thing that entered my sight when I woke up was something soft and skin-coloured. Because my face is held between the pair soft things and I’m embraced from the back my head, I can’t move. The sensation of the gentle patting on my head occasionally is itchy.

Amazingly soft sensation and sweet scent. I thought what in the world is this and try to somehow raise my face up and, over there was the figure of Mylene who cried……why is she crying?