お邪魔しまーす。 ふぅ、今日は一段と冷え込むなー。 さすがの雪女でも、この寒さはちょっとキツいからな。 I’m coming in. Phew, today’s quite chilly… And this is coming from a snow lady, so you know the temperature is pretty nasty outside. お前の部屋はいつも暖房も効きすぎてなくて助かるんだよー。 にしても、相変わらず綺麗な部屋だな。本当に男なのかお前は。 Ah, I’m glad your house isn’t too warm either~ Still, your place is way too neat and tidy, as always. Are you sure you’re a normal guy? えっ?な、なんだよ、その嫌そうな顔は。 まさか、急に来たら悪いっていうのか? Hmm? What is with that look on your face? Did I come at a bad time or something? 用事でたまたまこの近くを通りかかったし、 この時期になるとお前、いつも私を家に呼ぶだろ? だったらお前に呼ばれる前に、私の方から行ってやろうとおもって。 I just happened to have something to do in the area. And you’d always call me to come over around this time, right? So I figured I’d save you the trouble and come here first. べ、別に…お前に会いたいとか、そういうんじゃないからな。 勘違いすんなよ? T-This doesn’t mean I wanted to see you, or anything! Don’t be mistaken, okay? な、何笑ってんだよ。 ふ~ん。そんな態度取ってもいいのか~? せっかく今日は、耳かきでもしてやろうと思ってたのになぁ。 Wh-What are you laughing about? Hmm? Is that how it’s going to be? And I was even planning on cleaning your ears today too. あぁ、そうだよ。 この間、ある情報を耳にしてね。 Ah, right. I mean, I heard about this recently… 好きなひ…じゃなかった… お、男はみんな、耳かきをすれば馬鹿みたいに喜ぶって聞いたからな。 Cleaning the ears of someone you li— I-I mean, you guys just get crazy happy when they get their ears cleaned, or so I heard. 日頃の感謝も込めて、ちょっとやってやろうかな~って考えてたんだけど。 いいのかな~?やらなくても~ ほ~れほれ、私の膝の上はいつでも空いてるぞ~? I was thinking of doing it for you, as thanks for everything so far. But now~? Maybe I should reconsider~? What a pity~ Even though my lap just so happen to be free right now~ ちょっ、おまっ。急に頭乗っけてくる奴があるかっ。 いや…そりゃ、私から誘いはしたけど… やっぱり、ドキドキするっていうか… Ah! Hey! Who in the right mind would just plop his head on my lap like this? I mean, I know I was the one who provoked you into doing so… But still, this is making my heart pound… なっ、なんでもない! じゃ…お前がそういうつもりなら、早速… I-It’s nothing! Now, since you are already like this, I should go ahead and… どっ、どうした? 冷たい…?あぁ。そうか。 いや、肝心の耳かき棒なんだけど…買おうと思ったら意外と高くてな。 H-How is it? It’s cold, you say? Oh, right. I mean, I was going to buy the all-important earpick, but it turns out they’re way more expensive than I expected. だからほら。自分で作ったんだよ。氷で。 良いだろ別に。 冬場に食べるアイスも美味いって聞くし。それと同じもんだろ。 少し冷たいくらい、お前も男なら我慢できんだろ? So I decided to fashion an earpick out of ice instead. Look, this will work just fine. Just think of it like how ice cream is delicious even during winter. You’re a man, so you can tough it out, can’t you? どうだ?気持ちいいだろ? だから、冷たいのは我慢しろって。 せっかくやってあげてんだから、冷めること言うなよ。 男なら根性出せ。 So, how are you feeling? Feels good, doesn't it? See, that’s why I told you to just put up with the cold. I’m already going this far for you, so don’t put a damper on things, okay? Show me your manly determination here! むぅ…意外と難しいな。 おかしいなぁ、簡単だって書いてたんだけど。 せっかく頑張って練習したのに… Hmmm… This is way harder than I thought. Funny, it was even written in there that it’s supposed to be easy. And I even practiced so hard too... え?い、いやなんでも? お前のために練習なんて、やるわけ無いだろ。 What? I-I didn’t say anything! There is no way I’d go out of the way to practice something for you! うわっ、お前の体温でどんどん氷が解けてくる。 うへー、これずっと氷維持しとかないといけないのかぁ。 神経使うなぁ。 耳の中水浸しにならないように気を付けないとな。 Wow, your body heat is melting the ice. Wait, so I’ve got to keep the earpick frozen as well? How nerve-wracking. I have to make sure not to get any water into your ears. カキカキカキカキ。 確か、こうやって音を声に出すと良かったんだっけ? Scratch, scratch, scratch… I think making sounds like this makes the experience better? あ~…でも氷だから…別の音の方が良いのか? シャリシャリシャリシャリ… なんて、さすがにこの音はないか。ははっ。 Ah~ But since I’m using ice for this, maybe a different sound would work better? Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch… Ahaha, I guess this doesn’t quite fit either. シャリシャリって音聞くと、かき氷食べたくなるよなぁ。 後で食べようかな。 お前はどうする? 面倒くさいけど、お前がどうしても作って欲しいって言うなら… Speaking of crunchy stuff makes me think about shaved ice. Maybe I’ll make some after this. Do you want any? It’s a hassle, but if you were to beg for it, maybe I could do something about it. え?冬場のかき氷はさすがにない? はぁ…はいはい、そうですか。 Hmm? Shaved ice during winter is not for you? Ahhh… Right right. That’s how it is, huh? いいよなー、お前ら人間は。 私達雪女は夏に活動はあまり出来ないからなぁ。 たまには海とかで遊んでみたいよなー。 How nice, huh, to be human. We snow women don’t get to do much during summer. I’d like to go to the beach and play too… …あ、今変なこと考えただろ? バーカ。お前なんかに私の水着は見せてやらねーよーだ。 …え?別に頼んでない? むぅ…ムカつくなぁ。 Huh? What were you imagining just now, hmm? You idiot. I'm not about to show off my swimsuit to you. What? You didn’t ask? Why you… You’re so pesky. ほんと、お前だけなんだよなぁ。 このクソ寒い時期に、私と話をしてくれるのは。 Seriously though. You’re the only one huh? The only one who would spend his time talking with me in this freezing cold season. だから一応…感謝してるっていうか。 そういう意味もあって、耳かきしてあげようって考えたんだからな。 お前の方こそ感謝しろよ。 So, in a way… I'm grateful to you. That's why I thought I'd help you clean your ears. Really though, it’s you who should be thanking me. え…はぁ? べ、別に?お前のことなんか好きじゃないし。 ほ、本当だって。 Huh? W-What? This isn’t because I like you or anything. W-Where did you get that idea? だって、私とお前は、ただの友達だし。 友達に感謝するのは当然だろ? 他に変な感情なんかないから。 あーもう、ニヤニヤすんなよ。 I mean, you and I are just friends. It’s only natural for friends to perform acts of gratitude to each other right? There's no other meaning to this. None at all. Jeez, stop with that grinning already. い、いつも…ありがとな。 仕方無いから、これからもお前の友達でいてやるよ。 B-But still, thanks for everything. I don’t have much other choice, so I'll continue to be your friend. え?それ以上…って。 ば…バカ。 いい加減にしないと、もっと氷とがらせて突っこむぞ。 ったく。 What? You want to go a level higher? D-Don’t be stupid. If you don’t stop messing around, I’ll sharpen this ice and ram it down your ear, okay? Jeez… よしっ、一応こっちの耳はこれでいいかな? ん?なんだ、寒いのか? まあ、ずっと氷を耳に突っ込まれてたらそうなるか。 じゃあ…この後の仕上げを… Alright, this side should be done by now, right? Hmm? It’s cold, you say? Well, you did have what is essentially ice right in your ear the whole time. Well, let’s finish off with this… はぁあああ(耳はー) どうだ?これなら少しは、あったまったろ? Haaaaaaaaah~ How's that? That should have warmed you up, at least a little bit, right? さ、どうする? 寒いなら、さすがにここでやめとくけど… So, what do you want to do now? If you’re cold, then I don’t mind stopping now, but… ははっ。 なんだ、結局やって欲しいんじゃんか。 私の耳かき技術も大したもんだろ? Ahaha! I knew it, in the end, you still wanted more huh? My ear cleaning skills must be pretty good then, ya? 仕方がないから、凍え死なない程度に…続き、やってやるよ。 Can’t be helped then. I’ll just have to be careful so you don’t freeze to death from this. Let’s continue with the other side. だんだん慣れてきた感じがするけど、どうだ? 右より上手になってるだろ? I feel like I'm getting more used to this too. Don’t you think I’m doing better than on your right ear? ははっ、良かった。 私の力なら、氷の形は自由自在… 今後はお前好みの耳搔き棒に変えられるんだぞ? ま、相変わらず冷たいのはご愛敬だけどな。 Ahaha. That’s good. With my power, I can shape the ice into any form I want... Which means, I can change this earpick into anything of your choice, you know? Well, it’s still going to be cold though. Sorry about that. カリカリカリカリ、ヒヤヒヤヒヤヒヤ。 他の耳かきの種類で、ジェルってのがあるらしいんだけどな。 氷なら、ジェルじゃなくて、ジェラートなら作れるかもな。 良い具合に溶かして、シャクシャクシャクってな。 Scratch, scratch, scratch… Chill, chill, chill. You know, I’ve heard that there's some sort of ear pick made of gel. With ice, I might just be able to make one out of gelato instead. Just have to get it to the right temperature, and then it’d be nice and gooey. お前と出会ってから、もう3年経つのか。 懐かしいな。 お前が酔っ払ったまま公園で寝てて、 凍え死にそうになってたところを私が声かけたんだよな。 ま、そのバカのお陰で、今があるわけなんだが。 It’s already been 3 years since we first met, huh? How nostalgic. I remember when you were drunk and sleeping in the park. You were about to freeze to death when I called out to you. Well, we are here together now all thanks to the idiot you were back then. え?なんでずっと仲良くしてくれてるのかって? そりゃあもちろん… Hmm? Why have I been so friendly to you all this time? Well, of course… お前を氷漬けにして…私の大事なコレクションにするためだよ。 はぁあああ(耳はー) It's so that I can freeze you into an ice block, and keep you in my precious collection. Haaaaah~ ははっ。なーんてな、ビクッとしたか? って、気持ちよさそうな顔。 んだよ、怖がってびくってしたんじゃないのかよ。 Haha. Did I freak you out? What. You look like you’re feeling good instead. I really thought you would get scared by that too… お前、冗談だってバカにしてるけどさ。 雪女ってな。 昔から、気に入った男を氷漬けにしてコレクションにする風習があるんだ。 今ではその風習も衰退してるけど… もし私以外だったら…今頃ここにいないかもしれなかったんだぞ? You think it’s a joke? Don’t make fun of me! It’s an old custom for snow women to freeze a guy they like and keep him in their collection. Well, that custom has pretty much died out these days though... Anyway, if it was a different snow lady, you wouldn’t be here laughing anymore, you know? 雪女の趣味も色々あってな。 中にはもっとヤバい趣味を持ってるやつだっているし… ま、私の趣味はいわゆる人間観察だったから、あの時も偶然、お前を見つけたわけなんだけど。 よしっ、今ならもう一度、私にお礼を言うチャンスをやるぞ?ほら。 They have all kinds of hobbies. Even those that are… pretty awful. There are those as well. Well, lucky for you, my hobby is people-watching. Which was how I happened to find you back then. All right, now I'll give you a chance to thank me once again, all right? C’mon~ え…だ、だから違うって。 助ける前からお前をずっと見てたとかそんなわけ…! いや、別にお前のこと気に入ってないし、コレクションにしたいとも… あーもう。だから好きじゃないって。 しつこいなぁ。 Huh? D-Don’t be mistaken! I didn’t say I was watching you before we met! There is no way I was interested in you, or wanted to put you in my collection… Ah jeez! I don’t like you, okay? You are so annoying. いつもいつもそうやって私を小馬鹿にして。 そんなんじゃ友達も減っちゃうんじゃないか? まぁ、私は慣れてるからそんなんで嫌いになったりはしないけど。 え…私だけがいればいい? Always making fun of me like that. You're going to lose a lot of friends that way. Well, I'm already used to it, so I won't hate you for it. “I don’t care as long as I have you”...? ~~っ! ま、またそうやってバカにして。 急にそんなこと言われたら…嬉しいんじゃんか、バカ。 Ugh! Y-You’re making fun of me again! But hearing that from you… doesn’t make me happy at all! You dummy. な、なぁ。今のセリフって、つまり… い、いや。やっぱり、なんでもない。 お前に限ってそんな、私の事を… S-So, um, going by what you said, do you… N-No. Nevermind, it’s nothing. It’s only when it comes to you, that I… よ、よし。 こっちも終わったから、最後の仕上げに… A-All right then. Now, here comes the finishing touch… さっきのように、耳を温めてやるからな? はぁあああ(耳はー) I'm going to warm your ears, just like I did before, okay? Haaaaaaaaah~ サービスで、もう一回… はぁあああ(耳はー) One more time, as a bonus. Haaaaaaaaah~ ふぅ。 よし。終わったぞ~。 Phew~ All right, all done~ どうだ?寒かっただろうけど、一応すっきりしたろ? そうか…良かったな。 How was it? I know it was cold, but it’s at least pretty refreshing, right? Okay, that’s good to know. な、なんか、耳かきで神経使ったから、身体が熱くなってきた…。 っていうか、この部屋暖房効きすぎじゃないか? これじゃあ私にとって拷問部屋じゃないか。 Oh, I'm starting to feel the heat from concentrating too hard during the ear cleaning… Or rather, isn't the temperature in this room way too high? This is practically torture. え…えっと…じゃあ、用事も済んだことだし帰るわ。 その、本当にいつも、感謝してるから。 気が向いたら、また今度一緒に遊んでくれよな。 もちろん、友人として…だけど。 でも…お前がどうしてもって土下座してくるようなら… A-Anyway, now that I’m done with my business, I'm going home. I really appreciate all your help until now. If you’re feeling up to it, please hang out with me again sometime. As a friend, of course. But, well, if you were to beg and grovel to me... それ以上の関係…少しは考えてやっても、いいかもな。 Maybe, just maybe, I might give some thought into leveling up our relationship~ — ◆キャラ詳細 雪女の女の子。人間でいう10代後半ぐらいで、いわゆるお年頃。 可愛いというより、どちらかといえばかっこいいタイプであり、容姿端麗。 人間界の職業ならモデルで生計を立てられるレベルだが、実は本人はもっと可愛くありたいと密かに思っている。 しかし、その容姿とは裏腹に、性格はいわゆるツンデレ。 恥ずかしがり屋な一面も持ち合わせており、それだけで十分可愛いのだが、本人はその可愛さには気付いていない様子。 主人公との出会いは、冬の夜の公園。 酔いつぶれて寝てしまっており、凍死しそうなところを彼女に助けられた。 本来雪女は、気に入った男性を氷漬けにするという風習があるのだが、今ではそれも衰退。 人間に対して優しかった彼女のおかげで命拾いした主人公は、それをきっかけに彼女と仲良くなり、冬限定ではあるが、たまに主人公の家を行き来して仲良く話をしている。 主人公が彼女に対してどういう気持ちを抱いているのかは不明だが、実は彼女の方はまんざらでもない様子。むしろ嬉しそう。 2人が出会ったあの夜も、『たまたま』主人公を見かけて助けたというが… そこに特別な感情があったことを主人公に伝えるのは、もう少し先の話である。 A snow lady who looks to be in her late teens. Rather than cute, she is better described as a cool, attractive figure. Her appearance is already at a level where she could easily make a living as a model in the human world. But secretly, she wishes she could be cuter. Despite her appearance, however, her personality is that of a tsundere. She also has a shy side, which is a really cute characteristic of hers. However, she herself has yet to realise how cute that side of her is. She met the protagonist (you) in a park on a winter night. He had fallen asleep in a drunken stupor and was about to freeze to death when she helped him. Originally, it was customary for the snow lady to freeze any man she liked into an ice cube, but thankfully this custom has long faded to obscurity. Thanks to her kindness toward humans, the protagonist's life was saved. He then became friends with her, and during the winter period, she would occasionally visit his house and have a nice time chatting. It is unclear how the protagonist feels about her, but she doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, she seems rather happy about the situation. On this night, they talked about the first night they met, when she had just happened to find the protagonist freezing ‘by chance’. Alas, it’s going to be a long while before she can talk honestly about the feelings that she has for the protagonist.