Chapter 30 – Christmas Eve (Part 2)
Christmas Eve, Part 2
Novel Title: ツァイガルニクの恋の沼 (Zeigarnik’s Love Swamp)
Author：月村奎著 (Tsukimura Kei)
Illustrator：志水ゆき (Shimizu Yuki)
Translator: K (@kin0monogatari)
Protagonists: 市川春音 (Ichikawa Harune -MC) & 二ノ宮航輝 (Ninomiya Kouki -ML)
*Please read at novels.space, the original site of translation. TQ*
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As they ate, they talked about various things, just like usual. They discussed work, and shared stories about their cute niece.
In the past, Harune had always harboured doubts—wondering if Kouki had really lost his memory, or if he was only being considerate because they were now family by marriage. But now, there was no reason to be plagued by such suspicions anymore. Seeing Kouki’s cheerful expression as he nodded along to Harune’s stories, Harune was overwhelmed by a happiness he couldn’t put into words.
For dessert, Kouki served a walnut brownie.
The texture of the walnuts was so pleasant that, despite being full, Harune couldn’t resist having seconds. When he told Kouki that the brownie was even better than the chocolate roll from Swan, Kouki’s eyes sparkled like a young boy’s, his face lighting up with joy. Harune felt a deep sense of contentment, realising how much his words could make Kouki so happy.
Before the coffee could sober him up, Harune reached for the gift that had been placed by the legs of his chair.
“Here. It’s just a little something, but it’s a Christmas present.”
Kouki’s eyes crinkled happily.
“Oh, thanks! Can I open it?”
“Go ahead. It’s nothing big.”
Inside was a pair of hand-knitted gloves with a woven pattern. Since Harune didn’t have much time, he had to give up on making something more elaborate.
“Wow, this is awesome! Did you make these, Harune?”
“Yeah. It’s just a small thing, really.”
“These are amazing!”
Kouki’s eyes gleamed with exaggerated excitement as he immediately tried them on.
“They’re so warm.”
“They should be warmer than regular knit gloves since the four-colour pattern makes the inside two layers thick,” Harune explained, hiding his embarrassment by talking about the technical details of Fair Isle knitting.
With a serious expression, Kouki said, “I’ll treasure these for the rest of my life.”
“No, um…”
Harune felt a bit flustered, beads of nervous sweat beginning to form.
“They’re just gloves, so don’t hesitate to throw them out if they wear out.”
“No way, I’d never do something so wasteful.”
“I’ll just knit you a new pair.”
Kouki broke into a wide smile.
“Thanks. But I’m keeping every pair you’ve ever made for me. In fact, when I die, put them in my coffin.”
“You’ll definitely outlive me, so instead, when I pass away, make sure to cook that roast chicken and those brownies for my wake.”
Harune shot back with a playful comment, then immediately thought; Wait a second, what kind of conversation is this about spending the rest of our lives together!? His face flushed.
Kouki must have realised the direction their conversation had taken as well, because he suddenly fell silent, and an awkward quiet descended between them.
The crackling of the wood stove, which they hadn’t noticed before, now seemed to amplify the stillness in the room.
What do I do now? Dinner was over, he had given Kouki his gift, and normally this would be the moment to leave, right?
But then again, Kouki had told him to prepare to stay the night…
Stay the night… stay the night…
Harune’s heart began to race. What if his face was giving away all the strange thoughts racing through his head? Just as panic started to set in, Kouki suddenly stood up from his chair.
Startled by the sound, Harune nearly jumped up like a startled cat.
“I’ve got a little present for you too.”
“No, no need. Just dinner is more than enough!”
“Come with me.”
Kouki grabbed Harune’s arm and pulled him up before he could protest.
He’s not bringing the gift to me? Where are we going? To see the stars or something?
Harune’s mind ran wild with possibilities, and he was unsure how he would react if the surprise turned out to be something that romantic.
But instead of heading outside, Kouki led him toward the back of the house.
“Here,” Kouki said as he opened the door to a room.
Harune peered inside for the first time, and the scent of wood filled his nose. There was a large wooden desk, along with a sturdy-looking chair and a matching stool. The back wall was lined with built-in shelves.
Through the wide, curtainless window, Harune could see the twinkling lights of the town outside.
“Um…”
The room was beautiful, but Harune couldn’t figure out what the gift was. Maybe it was the desk, given that it was too big to hand over?
“Do you like it?” Kouki asked.
“…The desk?”
“It’s more than that. It’s the whole room.”
“…The room?”
“Yeah. This is your room. I added shelves for your craft materials, and I made sure the work desk was big enough. The stool is a rocking design with a forward tilt to reduce fatigue during long hours of work.”
“Uh…”
“Oh, and the reason there aren’t any curtains is on purpose. Ninomiya Furniture Store did such a great job with the coordination, but I figured you’d want to choose the curtains and décor yourself.”
Harune was left speechless, completely stunned by the unexpected gift.
“Uh, wait a second…”
“What’s wrong?”
Wait, what does he mean, my room?
Was this Kouki’s way of subtly inviting him to move in, like he had hinted at before? If Harune were still tipsy, he might have been able to ask about it without hesitation. But now that his buzz had faded, his rational mind was sending him into a panic.
“No, I mean… um… but where’s the bed?”
Harune, flustered, blurted out something about the missing furniture and then quickly came to his senses.
Wait a second. What if Kouki is just offering me a workspace? If that’s the case, asking “Where’s the bed?” is way too presumptuous and embarrassing!
As he scrambled to take back his words, Kouki tugged at his arm again.
“The bed is this way.”
“Huh? Wait, hey… uh…”
Kouki led him straight into his own bedroom.
“Sleeping alone is boring, don’t you think?”
So, I wasn’t being presumptuous after all! But wait, that’s not the point…
“Hold on, just wait a second…”
Kouki flashed an adult, teasing smile at Harune’s panicked reaction.
“Want to test out how comfortable the bed is?”
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*Translator’s Note: I think Kouki wants that booty so bad… -K
Illustration 9:
Next update: 2026.07.08
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