落とし穴外伝：２０２５年明けスペシャル (Part2)
We had been gathered since before the turn of the year, which meant we were all pulling an all-nighter.
"I lay down after you fell asleep, Yuki. Judging by the time, I probably got about four hours of rest. I believe Taizo and Sota were drinking, though?"
"Aye, we were drinking, but we turned in shortly after. I doubt there was even a thirty-minute difference in our sleep times."
"Indeed. Alcohol makes one drowsy, and the night was already quite deep. The kotatsu is large enough that lying down wasn't an issue; it’s been a long time since I’ve had a proper 'kotatsu nap'."
That was a relief. It seemed all three of them had managed to get some rest. I had made sure to prepare for that eventuality—the kotatsu was large enough for four adults to stretch out inside without crowding. Not that I would ever recommend sleeping in one, but under the circumstances, it was unavoidable.
"With that settled, Sota and I are going to get a bit more rest. We’ll leave the send-off for Hifi and the others to you."
Ah, so that was why the two of them hadn't been around earlier. I had been asleep, after all.
"I intend to wake up by the time we’re meant to head out, but if I don't, please wake me."
"Understood."
With my confirmation, the two of them finished their tea, shuffled back into the warmth of the kotatsu, and laid down. Having no intention of playing games or causing a stir, I leaned toward Taiki and spoke in a hushed tone.
"The next order of business is what to do about lunch."
"Everyone is going their separate ways today, aren't they? As for the four of us men... everywhere is bound to be packed."
"That’s a fair point."
After all, it was New Year's Day. Weed was celebrating the new year with a country-wide fervor. Every shop was in its prime, packed to the rafters with customers—especially the eateries serving warm meals.
"Come to think of it, the order is to visit the churches first, then that shrine in the village, right?"
"Hm? Yes, that’s about right."
Generally, the circuit involved visiting the Rogari Lithea Church, the If Continent’s Enaria Church, the Hifi Church, the Haiden region’s Haire Church, and the Zuraburu region’s Seraphina Church, before finally heading to the village shrine. The shrine was a minor, secluded spot that only those I knew could access.
"In that case, it’ll be a decent hour by the time we finish the rounds. If we find a good place to eat before then, we’ll take it. If not, we can just buy something and eat back at the village. There’s the hot spring, too."
"That makes sense. It would be a fine way to warm up our chilled bodies. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask Suzuhikohime if she needs anything, either."
"She’s surprisingly fond of Western cuisine, isn't she?"
Indeed, just as Taiki said, Suzuhikohime—who held a position akin to the village head—had an unexpected penchant for Western food. She loved traditional Japanese fare, of course, but she found the novel flavors of Western dishes quite delightful.
"If there’s anything interesting, I might pick it up for her."
"That sounds like a plan. Oh, and since I had a dream about buying something with my New Year’s money, why don't we go looking for something? It might just turn into a prophetic dream."
"I see, that’s one way to look at it. Who knows, we might even win something decent at one of the stall lotteries."
"Yeah, that sounds plausible. Maybe fourth prize?"
"A bit underwhelming, but that’s probably the realistic expectation."
Winning the grand prize at those kinds of stalls was a rarity. Of course, I had made sure to instruct them against the kind of rigged lotteries you’d find back in Japan.
"A different kind of test of luck compared to the omikuji, then."
"Let’s all give it a try. I wonder what kind of prizes they’ve prepared over here."
And so, we spent the time chatting about the potential prizes at the stalls.
Happy New Year. I look forward to your continued support this year.
A lottery stall where you can't win anything with your New Year's money is a total minefield, of course. That said, it’s hard to recall exactly what I bought with my own New Year’s money as a child. I’m sure it was mostly games, though.