“I’m Mary. I’m in front of the police box…”
“So where did all that pride go?”
I thought you didn’t need directions?
Well, if she’s lost, there’s not much that can be done. There are plenty of things in this world that can’t be solved on your own.
I felt like telling her, “You should’ve just asked me instead of going to the police,” but it seemed like her pride as ‘Mary’ got in the way. The call ended quickly, so I shoved my cold hands back into my pockets.
* * *
“Hello?”
Another ten minutes later, my phone rang again. Perhaps she had finally arrived? I fumbled with my freezing fingers and answered the call.
“I’m Mary. I’m at Hikawadai Station now…”
“What!? Weren’t you at the police box!?”
“...”
I was so surprised that I blurted out the question, but she fell silent. I thought she might hang up again, but this time seemed different.
“The officer wasn’t there.”
“Oh… bad luck.”
“…That’s a lie. I just realized that I don’t know your address, so asking the police would’ve been pointless.”
“You figured that out a bit late, didn’t you?”
Truth is, I had already realized that Mary didn’t know my address since she wasn’t using a map app, but I kept quiet because it seemed more amusing that way. I felt a bit guilty, but she’s too cute, so it’s fine.
“...”
I thought she’d hang up by now, but Mary stayed silent, keeping the call going. What’s going on?
“...Tell me.”
“Huh? Did you say something?”
“...I said, tell me.”
“Wait, what?”
“Tell me how to get to your house!”
“Oh, uh, sorry.”
Pretending not to hear her had been a little too much. She sounded almost teary as she pleaded with me. So adorable, but maybe I went too far. Time for some self-reflection.
“Alright, first off… do you know where the nearest middle school is?”
“A middle school…? …Yeah, I know.”
“Okay, from the main gate, walk straight in the direction opposite the entrance.”
“Got it.”
Mary obediently listened and responded. By this point, all of her ‘Mary’ pride was gone.
“After a bit, you’ll see a bakery on your left. Turn left there, and after following the road for a bit, my house should be on the right.”
“Understood, thank you!”
“You’re welcome.”
With a cheerful tone, she thanked me and hung up the phone.
I put my phone back in my pocket and breathed onto my hands, which had become completely frozen. Ah, I really should’ve brought gloves.
After waiting for a while, the phone rang.
“Hello?”
I eagerly answered the call, and a lively voice responded:
“I’m Mary. I’m in front of your house now…”
“You did it! Well done!”
“Yeah!”
Finally, she said the iconic line…! I was so moved, I almost teared up. Ah, it’s been a long journey to get here.
But isn’t Mary way too happy? Is that okay for her character? Well, whatever, it’s too late to worry about that now.
The call ended.
* * *
“Hello?”
This time, the phone rang again almost immediately, but her previously cheerful tone was gone, replaced by a voice that sounded on the verge of tears.
“Hey… I rang the doorbell, but no one answered…”
“Yeah.”
“The lights are all off in the house…”
“Yeah.”
I nodded at Mary’s words. She sounded more and more like she was about to cry.
“Could it be… you’re not home?”
“Yep, I’m on a trip.”
“...…”
I answered in the same tone, and she fell completely silent.
“...…”
“...…”
“…Hic… sob…”
Then, I heard her starting to sob. It sounded like she was really crying.
Maybe I went too far with that one. After everything she’d done to get here, this was a pretty cruel joke. She looked so sad, I couldn’t even think of her as cute anymore.
“Are you okay? I’m sorry, don’t cry.”
“B-but… but, but…”
“...…”
Even though I tried to comfort her, it didn’t help. Mary had crouched down, and it sounded like she was about to start sobbing in earnest.
“…Hey, Mary?”
“...…”
She didn’t respond, but at least she hadn’t hung up. It seemed like she was still listening.
Undeterred, I decided to say the next thing.
* * *
“I’m standing right behind you.”
“...Huh?”
I heard a dazed response from two directions. One came from my phone. The other… from right behind her.
“...!”
She jumped and spun around, only for me to pull her into a tight embrace.
I could feel her breath and warmth directly against me.
“Sorry for teasing you like that.”
“...W-what… how…?”
Her eyes widened in shock, trembling slightly. They were brimming with tears and a little red from crying.
I gently stroked her head and smiled.
“When I got your call saying you were at Ikebukuro Station, I rushed home. I’m glad I made it in time.”
Yes, as soon as I heard she was at Ikebukuro, I had dashed out of my hotel and rushed home at full speed. Honestly, it was a gamble whether I’d make it in time, but luckily for me, she got lost, giving me just enough time to get here.
“But weren’t you on a trip…?”
“What are you talking about? There’s no way I’d sit back and relax on a trip when my girlfriend came all the way back from her study abroad to spend New Year's with me, right?”
“...Ah.”
The truth was, Mary was none other than my girlfriend, who had been studying abroad. Well, to be honest, I knew it from the start, since her name was displayed on my phone whenever she called.
“Come on, it’s cold outside. Let’s get inside.”
I let go of her and smiled as I said that.
She wiped away her tears and nodded with a smile.
“You owe me for making me cry, okay?”
As we stepped into the entryway, removing our shoes, she said that to me.
“...Yeah? What do I need to do?”
I asked, and she flashed an even bigger smile before replying.
“Next year, the year after, and the year after that… we’re going to spend every New Year’s Eve together!”
“...Yeah.”
I nodded at her words.
[The End]
1 Comments
Aww that's cute
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