“This year’s cafe is over~~!”
Hana flipped the sign at the entrance to “CLOSE”, straightened the ribbon on the Christmas wreath above it, and hopped back to the warmly lit sharehouse, bouncing along the way.
Cafe MAHO-do had closed for the year shortly before Christmas.
Aw, come on! Christmas is the time to make some money~~!!
Well, everyone's busy at the end of the year. And we're having a Christmas party here. Hazuki's coming back too.
Oh, I see. So this year, we'll all be together again for the first time in a while.
Doremi was gazing at the large Christmas tree decorated in the living room.
Among the colorful ornament balls, there was one with a soccer ball pattern - though the pentagonal shape was rather irregular and not quite even in size.
It was something Doremi had painted with a silver ball using a magic marker, wishing that Kotake would one day play for the Japanese national team and succeed on the world stage, when they first started dating.
“The wish for him to succeed in the world came true, but…”
The future she had envisioned at that time wasn’t quite as happy as she had hoped.
Just then, Hana came bounding in.
“Hey, Doremi, have you bought the presents yet?”
“Ah! The Christmas party present exchange!!”
The next day, Hana and Doremi took the train to the shopping center.
The holiday before Christmas was bustling with many shoppers.
Every store was displaying gift items with fancy holiday wrapping, making everything look so appealing.
“Jingle bells, jingle bells, I’m so hungry~♪.”
“Hana-chan, let’s try to choose seriously.”
“But I can’t decide on anything, and I’m so hungry~.”
“For us girls, it’d be easy to pick something ‘that you want but wouldn’t buy for yourself’, but with San-chan and Oto-san, it’s a bit trickier.”
“Otoji likes old games. We played Monopoly together the other day.”
“Ah, nostalgic board games and puzzles might be good ideas!”
“Huh!?”
“What’s up?”
Suddenly, Hana pointed towards the open area where the escalators were installed.
They could see Ryo carrying a large gift box as she rode up.
“Ah, Ryo-chan must have come to buy presents too.”
“Is that really a present? It looks rather important…”
“Never mind that~! Come on, let’s hurry and pick our presents!”
Doremi pulled Hana back into the store.
“Aaaah!”
After much deliberation, Doremi bought a reissued board game, while Hana bought a magic set.
Then the day of the Christmas party arrived.
Under the tree, everyone’s presents were already lined up.
Hana noticed that the present Ryo had been carrying at the shopping center was not among them,
“As I thought…”
And she grinned mischievously.
In the kitchen, Doremi and Onpu were making sandwiches, Sang-yoo was tossing Yangnyeom chicken with sweet and spicy sauce, while Ryo was preparing a gratin with plenty of vegetables and pasta.
“Wow, the table is all full, Doremi!”
Hana exclaimed as she carried the dishes everyone had made.
Then Sang-yoo brought out a small folding table.
“I think this one will fit just right.”
The unfolded table fit perfectly in width and height with the large table.
“That’s perfect! We can put this here.”
Momoko came in carrying a tart decorated with various berries, the strawberries being the main focus.
“Yay! A bright red Christmas cake!!”
“Momo-chan, we also made ice cream with the chestnuts Ryo-san gave us.”
Onpu mentioned as she helped place the cake, to which Ryo replied,
“Oh my! I’m glad I made an effort to bring them back!”
“Everyone, you’ve made quite a feast!”
Otojiro said, who had also prepared some non-coffee drinks in various glasses, as if he had something else in mind.
At that moment, the doorbell rang with a chime.
“Merry Christmas!!”
They heard Aiko’s cheerful voice.
“It’s Aiko!”
Hana rushed over and brought Aiko inside.
“Hazuki-chan isn’t here yet.”
“Yeah, she said she’d be a little late.”
Then Otojiro gestured towards the sofa.
“Ladies, why don’t you make yourselves comfortable over there?”
Doremi, Aiko, Onpu, Momoko, and Hana sipped the refreshing plum syrup-based drinks Otojiro had made as they waited for Hazuki.
“Ai-chan, how’s your sports trainer studies going? Is it going well?”
Doremi asked, and Aiko replied,
“Yeah. What I learned in university is really helpful now… I’m gradually getting to assist the athletes too.”
“Wow, that’s amazing!”
“And Onpu-chan is doing great too! She’s going to London next year, right?”
“Really!?”
“Yeah. She’s going to perform on stage with an actress named Sakuya-san. But she’ll come back right away since she wants to continue her volunteer work.”
“I see.”
“Oh, that reminds me! Momo-chan has good news too!”
“Huh, me?”
“The new dessert Momoko created is going to be sold at ‘Eugene’ again.”
“Ooh, the future sous-chef strikes again!”
“Everyone has grown up so much, huh?”
Seeing Hana nod her head even more convincingly after saying that, everyone couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Hana-chan, if you pass the exam next year, you’ll be a doctor, right?”
“Yeah! I’ll definitely pass and become a proper adult!!”
Hana’s excited exclamation made everyone laugh uncontrollably.
“Doremi-chan, which school did you end up going to?”
“Not yet. It won’t be until next year~~.”
“So, what’s going on with you and Kotake?”
“Huh…”
Everyone turned to look at Doremi all at once.
“He’s going to the Netherlands even by himself. He has to go! So…”
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
“She’s here!!”
Hana jumped up, followed by Doremi, Aiko, Onpu, and Momoko rushing to the entrance.
“Sorry I’m late.”
For some reason, Hazuki’s face was peeking through the crack of the door as she apologized.
“Hazuki!”
“Hazuki-chaaan!!”
As they went to open the door without even bothering to put on their shoes, they saw Hazuki standing next to Yada, who looked nervous.
“Eh!? Yada-kun is back too…”
Doremi started to say, but then everyone’s eyes focused on Hazuki.
Her slightly rounded belly…
“Hazuki-chan, you’ve gained weight…”
“No, that’s not it! Right, Onpu-chan?”
“Yes. That’s definitely…”
“Baby…”
Oh my...!
Wow!
Hana gently hugged Hazuki’s belly, seemingly happy.
“A baby~~~~!!”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Doremi looked at the nervous-looking Yada next to her.
“Is Yada-kun the father?”
“Yes.”
As Yada awkwardly muttered, everyone surrounded the two of them.
“Congratulations, Hazuki-chan!”
“It’s surprising, but I’m so happy for you!”
“I always thought this day would come.”
“Looks like you two were destined for this.”
“I can’t believe everyone is so happy about this…”
Tears welled up in Hazuki’s eyes.
“Wait, Yada-kun! Don’t tell me you two are still…”
Doremi glared at Yada involuntarily, but before she could finish, a voice interrupted.
“The only ones who know are this old lady and the young lady’s mother. The other family members are unaware.”
“Baaya-san!?”
To the surprise of Doremi and the others, an elderly woman appeared behind Hazuki and Yada.
This woman had served the Fujiwara family since Hazuki’s mother was a child, acting more like a caring senior and understanding confidante than just a caretaker for Hazuki. When the Fujiwara family went bankrupt, she had heard that she had moved to a relative’s home in Hokkaido.
“Miss Hazuki consulted only with her mother after much worry.”
“And then she told me, ‘Just come back’. She asked Baaya in Oshamambe to take care of me.”
“We both came back to Japan at the beginning of this month.”
“Well, that’s the story,” Baaya explained.
Just then, Otojiro peeked out from the entrance.
“Why don’t you all come in?”
“Yes, hurry and come in!!”
Doremi took Hazuki’s hand.
“We’ll be intruding then.”
With a deep bow, Baaya forcefully pushed Hazuki and Yada into the house.
“At first, I said we should go to visit Hazuki’s house to say hello. But…”
“But I stopped him. I was worried it would be a big shock for Papa and cause a commotion… And I thought it might cause trouble for Yada-kun’s parents too…”
“I’ve been taking care of them until they felt settled, but I thought it would be best to at least inform their old friends.”
“I see…”
“Well then, today is Christmas and a celebration for Hazuki-chan and Yada-kun!”
“Yes, let’s do that!”
“Enjoy today with the baby, the three of you!”
“Thank you, everyone!!”
Seeing Hazuki on the verge of tears again, Yada tightly held her hand.
“I’m glad we came…”
A smile finally appeared on Yada’s face.
Seeing this, Baaya also smiled gently with relief.
The party began.
There was lively eating, drinking, and chatting…
Yada kept his eyes on Hazuki the whole time.
Hazuki, who was with Doremi and the others, relaxed for the first time in a while and had a calm smile on her face the whole time.
“Alright, let’s do the present exchange now!”
When Doremi said that,
“Let’s draw lots, let’s draw lots~~!”
Hana brought a box of lots and started going around among everyone.
“Just one lot, please~!”
Yada couldn’t stay still and stood up.
“Masaru-kun?”
“I’ll just step outside to get some fresh air…”
Leaning against the wall, Yada contemplated, gazing absentmindedly at the biotope.
He hoped Hazuki would always have that lovely smile.
What could he do to ensure that?
“Oh my, there’s someone out here already.”
Startled, Yada looked up, and Ryo, who had somehow appeared beside him, quickly produced a red flower from her palm.
“The magic set, I won it.”
“Oh…”
As Ryo made the flower appear and disappear, she continued,
“I understand her fear. I’ve been through that myself.”
”!?”
“I have a child. A 5-year-old boy. I’ve left him with my family for now.”
“I see…”
“When I got pregnant, I couldn’t tell my parents either. While I was hesitating, my parents found out… He got scared after being scolded by me and his parents. I was so angry that I broke up with him. But, it was for the best. It wouldn’t have been good if I had married such a guy.”
“…!!”
“No matter what she says, if you firmly decide, in the end, it’ll work out. Definitely.”
With that, Ryo slipped the red flower into Yada’s shirt pocket and walked away.
“Ah, wait…”
The red flower seemed to be gazing at him.
“Firmly decide…”
Yada muttered to himself, clenched his fist and hurried back inside.
Doremi and the others, who were excited about the presents they each received, were taking a break with the coffee float with chestnut ice cream made by Otojiro.
Hazuki had a cocoa float.
Just then, Yada hurried back.
“Would you like one too, Yada-kun?”
“No, I’m fine.”
When he said this to Doremi, he gently took the glass from Hazuki’s hand and placed it on the table.
“Masaru-kun?”
“Let’s go!”
“Eh!?”
Surprised, Doremi and the others looked at Yada.
“Yada-kun?”
Yada then looked straight at Doremi and the others and said,
“Thank you all for today. We’re going to Hazuki’s house to pay our respects now!”
With a firm, resolute expression, he bowed politely as if he were a different person.
“Masaru-kun…!”
Yada then helped Hazuki put on her coat and firmly took her hand, leaving MAHO-do.
For a moment, everyone remained speechless, staring towards the entrance.
“…Nice one, Yada-kun.”
“Wow~~! It’s like a drama!! No, better than a drama - super cool, Yada-kuuun!!”
“Hazuki-chan looked so happy…”
“I never thought Yada-kun could be such a good man.”
“This is a happy ending, isn’t it?”
“Indeed.”
When everyone turned to those voices, they found Baaya left behind.
“Baaya-san!?”
Doremi and the others couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Halmeoni (Grandma), did we leave you behind?”
“Hohoho… I’ll manage just fine on my own!”
“No, it’s worrying for you to be alone. Shall I take you home?”
Suddenly, Ryo appeared from upstairs, carrying her coat and the large present in question.
“I’ll take her. I need to go home and give my son his Christmas present.”
“Eh!? Ryo-san has a child?”
Everyone looked at Ryo in surprise.
“Didn’t I mention it?”
“What!? You didn’t know?”
“It’s a boy named Ichirota-kun…”
Otojiro and Sang-yoo also looked at Doremi and the others in surprise.
Hana stared intently at Ryo and said,
“Ryo-chan, are you a genius hacker mom!?”
“Ahahaha, a genius hacker! I’ve been thinking about it, but could it be about the spy games I played with my son?”
“Spy games?”
“‘Understood! I’ll immediately infiltrate and analyze the data!’ kind of thing, right?”
“That’s it~~! That’s what you were doing in your room~~!”
“We did it via video chat, the spy games with my son.”
“Ehhhh, so that’s how it was!? That’s so boring~~! Being a genius hacker would’ve been more interesting!!”
Hana flopped back onto the sofa, head in her hands.
“Too bad, Hana-chan!”
When Doremi said this, everyone laughed.
Then, there was a rattling sound from the entrance.
“Eh? Did Yada-kun forget something?”
Doremi went to the entrance and froze in her tracks.
“K-Kotake…”
Kotake was standing right in front of her.
He looked like he had been running in the cold, his ears bright red and breathing heavily.
“I got flustered… I was in such a hurry.”
“Eh…”
“I’m still going to the Netherlands. I don’t know when I’ll be back. But even so… even so, if you’re okay with it, would you wait for me?”
Tears welled up in Doremi’s eyes, and she quickly punched Kotake’s chest with both fists.
“Of course, you idiot!”
“Idiot? What’s that supposed to mean? You’re the one who~~~.”
Before he could finish speaking, Doremi hugged him tightly.
Kotake embraced Doremi as well.
“Doremi…”
“Kotake…”
They gazed into each other’s eyes and slowly leaned closer, bringing their faces together.
“Ohhhhh!!”
Hana’s exclamation snapped Doremi and Kotake out of their moment.
Before they knew it, Hana, Aiko, Onpu, Momoko, Baaya, Sang-yoo, Ryo, and even Otojiro were secretly watching them with great interest.
“Hana-chan, don’t interrupt them!”
“Tee-hee! But Doremi and Kotake were about to kiss!”
As Hana clapped her hands, she chanted,
“Kiss! Kiss!”
“We won’t~~!!”
Doremi and Kotake turned bright red and shouted with all their might.
Laughter and cheer filled MAHO-do.
At that moment, Otojiro whispered in Sang-yoo’s ear,
“There will be more wonderful people to come, you know.”
“That’s not the case~~.”
While Sang-yoo desperately denied it, he murmured,
“But maybe I did like her a little…”
With that, he scratched his head.
With Kotake joining in, MAHO-do that night was filled with lively laughter and warm light forever.
As the new year arrived, spring eventually came.
Spring is here! Doremi and the others will be even busier, won't they?
Yes!
Thanks to Yada’s determination to “firmly decide”, Hazuki and he were able to get the approval of each other’s parents safely…
“Whoa… I wonder if I can do this properly…!?”
Awkwardly holding the little baby in an orange overall who had just been discharged from the hospital, Yada let Hazuki hand him the bottle.
“There, Papa will feed you milk, Rere-chan.”
The grandparents kept suggesting new names one after another, so the baby still only had the nickname “Rere-chan”.
Of course, only Doremi and the others know that this was the name of the fairy when Hazuki was a witch apprentice.
Onpu was in London, performing on stage with Sakuya.
The theater district in London, known as the West End, had a very different atmosphere, perhaps due to its much older history than Broadway.
But the ability to become “someone else” on stage was the same.
“Segawa-san, you’re interesting. You’re fearless in your acting. It’s quite rewarding.”
“Sakuya-san…!”
This performance seemed to be something special for Onpu.
Aiko, who was aiming to become a para-sports trainer and was studying while working at her senior’s sports therapy clinic, was thinking of participating in the Rio Olympics as a volunteer.
“That’s why I have to study English too. Momo-chan, please help me.”
As soon as she arrived at MAHO-do, she said so with full determination.
Of course, her ultimate goal was to officially join the staff for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
Momoko, who had been making sweets at “Eugene”, finally got promoted to sous-chef.
“But I still have so much more to learn.”
Her dream of reviving Majomonroe’s MAHO-do might soon become a reality.
“Yeehaaaw! I did it~~~!!”
Hana also passed her exams brilliantly, obtained her medical license, and successfully graduated from medical school.
As she accepted her diploma on stage, of course Doremi and the others were there, but…
Oh my gosh, the tears just wouldn't stop then.
It's hard to believe the once baby Hana has grown up so impressively... and Doremi...
“Class 3-2… 4-2… 5-1… 6-1… Were the classrooms really this small?”
Doremi murmured as she peeked into the classroom.
During break time, her classmates used to rush out to the schoolyard together. What are they all doing now?
“I want to see everyone again… I’ll be able to, right?”
“Harukaze-sensei~~!”
As soon as Doremi stepped out onto the schoolyard, she was surrounded by a crowd of students.
From April onwards, Doremi became a teacher at her beloved alma mater, Misora Elementary School.
“Everyone, it’s a race to the jungle gym!”
“Wow~~~!”
Doremi was the happiest, luckiest, and most blissful maiden in the world, so happy that she felt like she could soar right up into the sky.
Ye, is done, but i really shock… i mean Hazuki really have a baby with Yada, i know they 22 or more but they have a dream right? It’s too soon to have a baby
Click here to leave comments on GitLab.