At the same time, in the room downstairs.
"From here on, I leave it to you, Giorno. Give my regards to everyone… huhu, no matter how many times I watch it, this line really makes me want to cry… Bucciarati, ARRIVEDERCI (Italian: Goodbye)…"
Having just finished watching the second-to-last episode of JOJO Part 5, Masuzu was wiping tears for Bucciarati ascending to heaven when she suddenly sensed movement beside her.
She turned her head and found her only friend picking up her bag and putting on her jacket, as if about to go out.
"Dango-chan, where are you going?"
Masuzu asked casually while picking up the remote and switching to the final episode.
She didn't think much of it, unconsciously assuming Yuigahama was just going to the convenience store downstairs to buy something.
Even though there were still plenty of drinks and snacks on the table, it wasn't strange to buy a few more as backup to accompany watching JOJO.
"I'm going upstairs, I'll be right back."
"Oh, be careful on your way… Wait!"
Almost dropping the remote, Masuzu quickly turned and stared at Yuigahama, who had already unlocked the door chain and opened the door. Her eyes widened in disbelief:
"You, you're going to look for Yuu and Yukinoshita?!"
As if it were nothing unusual, Yuigahama tilted her head slightly and said calmly: "Yes. But I won't disturb them. I'll just put the Christmas present in front of the door, I won't even ring the bell!"
"Putting a Christmas present in front of the door, and not even ringing the bell…?"
Fully turning her body to face her, Masuzu looked puzzled. Sharp words shot from her mouth like a rapid-fire gun.
"Do you want to torture yourself? Think about what time it is now. If they happen to be 'battling' on the sofa, the sound might be audible on this floor. Standing outside, wouldn't you become the most pitiful heroine? Even more pitiful than the female singer whose voice actor husband brought a female staff member home to have sex, at least she was performing a concert outside, while you—"
"I know, I know! But it's not as scary as you say!"
After struggling to recover from the verbal barrage, Yuigahama hurriedly raised her hands in surrender and said with a wry smile: "First, Yuu-kun is still very considerate about things like that. Yukinon is very easily embarrassed and has a serious personality. Even if the atmosphere is right, she might only kiss him a few times before pushing him away. Yuu-kun also isn't the type controlled by lust who would force Yukinon. There's absolutely no need to worry about them losing control."
"Well, that's true…" After thinking that what she said made sense, Masuzu's expression gradually softened.
"Besides, I've already prepared myself mentally by giving them their own world on Christmas Eve, you know~ If we're talking about self-torture, that's the real self-torture."
Clenching her fists in front of her chest, Yuigahama laughed casually, "So, just delivering a Christmas present is fine. Thanks for your concern, Masuzu-chan~ Well then, I'll be off for a bit!"
"W-who's concerned! I just don't want to see you do something stupid, that's all."
With a slightly reddened face, Masuzu turned her head away, unconsciously showing a classic tsundere reaction.
After hearing the door close, Masuzu finally turned her head back. She glared at the door, then sighed helplessly.
"Whatever, why should I worry about her… I don't have much leisure time myself anyway."
Left alone in the room again. She looked around the quiet surroundings and suddenly began to feel a little uncomfortable—or rather, lonely.
Even though she had always been alone before, now she had at least one friend she could bring home. The loneliness she had grown accustomed to for over ten years had betrayed her so easily. It was quite ridiculous to think about now.
There's a very true saying: Only loneliness is undefeatable. Building relationships with others creates weaknesses.
…But, since she already had her mother and Yuu as weaknesses, having one more Dango-chan shouldn't matter, right?
After finding an excuse for herself, Masuzu slowly exhaled. She suddenly bent down and pulled out a black-covered notebook from under the table.
Bought at a stationery store, fifty yen per book.
She opened the notebook. The front part was densely filled for dozens of pages. The end connecting to the blank pages was written "December 24th," but there was no content under this title yet.
"Although this is just a last-ditch effort, even electron flow can create miracles, who can say I can't do it…"
Muttering to herself like that, Masuzu immediately started writing. She wrote down everything that happened today.
For example, her feelings when following the two of them to the supermarket, and ultimately retreating sadly like a villainous female lead. For example, how she and Yuigahama formed a losers' alliance and watched JOJO at home…
For example, to preserve the same memories as him after the world changes, she recorded everything that happened so far in diary form, forcing herself to develop a habit of writing a diary every day. Even if one day she remembers nothing, she could use it to tell herself about everything that once happened.
Masuzu didn't know if this would work, nor did she know if the notebook could remain intact. Moreover, she didn't know if the memories of this mission would be completely corrected by the Gods as she suspected.
But it's better than just lying down waiting for death, right?
After working so hard to get closer to him, after struggling to almost remember the forgotten past, she didn't want to wake up and return to being autistic as if she had lost everything from the beginning.
So, while Yuigahama went upstairs, Masuzu began writing quickly. She wrote line after line in beautiful handwriting in the diary. Every word and sentence was like speaking to her future self.
Suddenly remembering something, her movements halted. A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
Shifting her gaze to the night sky outside the window, Masuzu seemed to want to peer from afar at what a certain university student, more miserable than herself, was doing.
"Yukinoshita Haruno must be more worried and scared than I am, right? The advantage she worked so hard to gain, the memories she struggled to recover… If she loses them again because of her own little sister, she'd probably vomit blood from anger if she remembered later~"
But she probably doesn't know that Yukino plans to end everything today, right?
Maybe she has planned many things, intending to ask Yuu out on a date during Christmas, but is afraid Yuu will refuse because of his two girlfriends.
Masuzu shook her head. Her smile gradually faded, leaving only a slight self-mockery.
This is fine too. Ignorance is bliss.
If she didn't force herself to forget this problem, her mood would unconsciously become heavy and uncomfortable, every minute and second feeling like torture.
"Well, overall, I hope everything goes smoothly!"
She closed the diary and put it, along with the pen, into the cabinet under the table. Masuzu lay sprawled on the sofa. Her eyes stared at the motionless ceiling and gradually drifted into daydreams.
(What is he doing now?)
(Is Yuu having a healthy interaction with Yukino like Dango-chan said, or has he truly turned into a beast, leaving behind so many women who love him, and is only with her tasting the forbidden fruit…)
Unconsciously, Masuzu began to imagine. Various scenes flashed through her mind, only bringing feelings of frustration and the urge to rush over immediately.
Masuzu realized she had absolutely no right to say those things to Yuigahama.
After all, she and Yuigahama were both fools who are experts at complicating things.