Slow Start ch154

Thank you for waiting.
Here's your kushiage hors d'ouerves platter. [tn: Kushiage = fried meat and vegetable skewers]
Wah, amazing!
It's huge!
Hya~
Kya~

Ooh~
We managed to get a grade up thanks to the extra numbers.

But is it really okay that we didn't get chicken or something? What with it being Christmas and all.

Everyone's families tend to have chicken for their own Christmas,
so if we end up having the same thing as them, we'd get sick of it.
Cakes aside.
Ah, I see.
In that case, kushiagi was the way to go!
Cakes aside.
Cakes are counted separately.

A feast fit for a party!

The theme of our Christmas party is doing whatever we want.
Whatever we want!

Since we're eating at home, we can double or even triple-dip into the kushiage sauce as much as we want.
How fascinating!!

[tn: Most kushiage restaurants have large sauce pots that are shared between customers, so it's incredibly bad manners to re-dip your own skewers after biting into them once.]

But I'm surprised.
About what?

I figured you'd be the type to do the Christmas cooking yourself, Tama-chan.
Aah.

Actually, our kitchen's being used to prepare for osechi right now, so there wasn't really any room left. [tn: osechi = extravagant bento boxes eaten on New Year's Day]

Your family makes osechi too?
Wishing for immortality!!
That's right.
This year, it's a triple-generation collaboration between my grandmother, my mother and myself.

My parents are heading back overseas once the new year arrives, so we're giving it our all.
Eeeh?

You're gonna be apart again, huh?
That much be lonely...
Yeah.

They stayed for longer than they usually do this time around,
so I guess I do feel kinda lonely.

But doesn't the same go for you, Hana-chan?
You're a good girl, living all by yourself.
That's true, that's true, but, but,
being oceans apart is different...!
I am a good girl, though!!!

Hmm.
The truth is,

around the time I was graduating middle school,
there was talk of me going with them to study abroad.
Eeh?

Back then, I did think it might be fun to tag along.
Eeeh...

But I don't feel that way nowadays.
I-Is that so...
Thank goodness...

Ah.
I'm sorry. I know it's not nice to say such things.
You must be feeling very lonely too, Tama-chan...

...Nyehehe.

?

Nah.
I just felt kinda happy.
Nyehe.

?
?

Now then!
Let's go pick up the cakes next!
Ah, right.

Ah.

Chouno-senpai-san!
Good afternoon.

Are you two picking up your Christmas cakes too?
Yep.

I'm looking forward to the cakes.
Having two of them lined up together feels luxurious.
I'm getting excited.

Ah.
Um...

I've also
made some Christmas cookies.
Ooh!
Amazing!

Um, bringing something handmade so suddenly must make things awkward, huh...
I got a little excited...
No no.
Not at all. Not at all.

I'm not sure if they'll suit your tastes...
No no no no.
Not at all. Not at all. Not at all.
Awawa
Awawa

But
I figured they'd at least at a little color if I lay them out...
We'll eat! We'll eat them!
We'll chomp right into them!!
Wasshoi Wasshoi

Hah

Kamu?
Yep.
I'll eat them.

? Eat what?
Yep.
I'll gobble them down like a monster.
Don't eat like a monster.
You should eat things courteously.
Om nom nom

By the way,

what did you bring for the present exchange?
Ehehe. It's still a secret♪
I did a lot of research with Hiroe-san before deciding~ {She says Hannen-san here, but I believe Hana usually calls her Hiroe-san, so it might be an error?}

I chose mine after consulting with Tsukkun too.

It's my first Christmas party with friends, after all...
But I think I picked something good...
Exciting, isn't it?

Ufufu, but y'know,
if you use the internet to look that stuff up,
you usually end up going with a bath bomb, huh?

Eh...?

Eh...?
Huh?

Ah...

Ah, the present.
Can't forget to bring this.

Ehehe♪
Probably safe to say the majority of presents at this year's Christmas party will be bath bombs.

Bath bomb big boom.
?

It's okay as long as the shapes and scents are different... but what if those end up being the same too!?