Light Novel Chapter 33

クリスマス・フラダンス・クライシス (Kurisumasu, Furadansu, Kuraishisu, lit: Christmas, Hula Dance, Crisis) is the thirty-third chapter of the light novel series of The "Hentai" Prince and the Stony Cat.
==Plot==
Christmas season arrives, and Yokodera Youto is assigned to community service as punishment for his antics during the field trip. His work involves the unrewarding task of picking up trash near the train station, supervised by the vice president of the track-and-field club, Maimaki Mai.
As he finishes his last day of service, Mai mocks Youto, equating him to the trash that he's picking up, but subtly shows concern for him, commenting on how he took the blame for someone else while the actual person avoided accountability. Their banters grow friendlier as they discuss Christmas and commend each other for a job well done for the past two weeks.
Calling her by the nickname "MaiMai," which he learned from Cozy-sama, Youto tells Mai that he actually quite likes her. Caught off-guard by the remark, Mai fixates on his use the nickname, but Youto insists that nicknames are important for shortening the distance between two people's hearts. Seeing as he won't budge, Mai begins to call Youto by the nickname of "YouYou" as well.
Having observed their playful banter after arriving on a bus, Cozy-sama hints at a closer relationship between Mai and Youto. She brings up a pact between them, saying they have sworn to tell each other upon finding a boy they like, prompting defensive responses from Mai, asserting that it is a misunderstanding. Her teasing turns physical as she begins tickling Mai and slipping her hands under Mai's sweater.
Youto finds an opportunity to slip on a bus and escape. Since the field trip, he's noticed that the Old Miss and the Moustached Daruma have gotten way closer, with Daruma even thanking Youto by treating him to barbecue. Mai and Cozy-sama have also gotten even closer. However, the relationship between Youto and Tsukiko seems to have run opposite of the trend.
Walking out of the school, Youto runs into Tsukiko, whose immediately reaction upon spotting him is to lower her head and walk past quickly. Trying to stop her, Youto grabs her arm, causing her to drop a library bag filled with books. Youto glances over the titles while helping her pick up the books. Her selection includes Turgenev's First love, Saneatsu Mushanokouji's Friendship, Stendhal's On Love, Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, and Shakespeare's Sonnet Collection. After some brief discussion about literature however, Tsukiko would apologize and leave.
After this encounter, Tsukiko would continue to avoid Youto. Feeling a sense of loss as the Tsukiko he knew seems to have retreated from his daily life, Youto makes it his goal to return her to normal. The day before Christmas, he invites Tsukiko to Azuki Azusa’s Christmas party, emphasizing how fun it would be with games, prizes, and wild activities. Tsukiko briefly hesitates, showing a flicker of interest, but ultimately declines. She cites her responsibility of caring for her sisters as university admission exams come up, but more importantly, she believes she needs to "find the true meaning" of love and before she can properly stand beside Yokodera, acknowledging that her prior ways were too immature.
Youto arrives at Azusa's house, greeted by her mother dressed in a reindeer costume, who playfully calls him "Puppy Ouji-kun." Azusa herself is dressed in a mini Santa outfit, her excitement palpable. She nervously seeks Yokodera's opinion on her outfit, twirling to show it off. Yokodera struggles to find the right words, overwhelmed by how stunning she looks.
Azusa then suggests introducing Youto to her papa, which catches Youto off-guard as the thought of Azusa's father has never really crossed his mind. Assuring him that her papa is "cute like a teddy bear," she leads Youto to her father's room.
The room is filled with dumbbells. Standing out among them is a barbell leaning on the power rack, with six 50kg plates hanging on both sides, totalling up to a monstrous 300kg. As Azusa's father stands up from a chair, what towers in front of Youto is a man with massive, muscular physique. His head is bald, he wears a T-shirt even in the winter cold, he has an old scar running along his left eye, and he looks ready to murder on command. Terrified, Youto internally nicknames him the "Macho Bear."
Azusa leaves to cook with her mother, leaving Youto alone with her father to put up Christmas decorations. Their initial interaction is tense, but the ice breaks when the father reveals his love for a nostalgic baseball board game. Youto joins him, leading to an unexpectedly competitive and lighthearted bonding session before they start putting up decorations.
As the clock strikes seven, the four of them gather around the dinner table, beginning to enjoy a lavish feast. Azusa's mother comments that Youto feels like one more family member, and jokingly suggests starting a baseball team, asking for Azusa's thoughts. Azusa grows bright red, protesting in embarrassment.
Just then, Macho Bear stands up, causing Youto to panic, fearing that his wife's remarks have made him angry. However, it turns out that he only intends to take a commemorative picture. Before he can do so though, he clumsily drops the instant camera, smashing it to pieces. Sulking, he communicates with Azusa's mother only via groans, but she seems to understand him just fine. He prepares to head out, insisting to buy a replacement camera, with Azusa and Youto volunteering to go with him. Before they leave however, Azusa's mother, as if getting an idea, stops her husband with the excuse of retrieving something from a high shelf, letting Youto and Azusa take care of the shopping themselves.
After getting a new camera, the two walk together through snowy streets, holding a shopping bag between them. Azusa begins talking about her family. She reveals that her father always wanted a son and often tried to get her interested in baseball, but she preferred spending time with her neighborhood friend, "Ma-chan." Azusa mentions how happy her father seemed during the party and jokingly suggests that if Youto was her father's son, they could see him that way every day.
Azusa comments on Tsutsukakushi's absence, expressing her wish that she could have joined the Christmas party. She proposes organizing a grand celebration for Tsukiko's upcoming birthday. Youto admits that Tsukiko has been avoiding him since the field trip, and Azusa offers comfort, saying that sometimes friendships require patience and persistence. She compares waiting for a friend to "standing in place like a blind sheep," emphasizing that true friends are willing to wait no matter how long it takes.
Nearing Azusa's home, Youto contemplates the differences between relationships as snow turns to rain. The enjoyable dinner at the Azuki household comes to an end, and before long, so does the year.
==Characters==
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