December twenty-fourth. Tokyo's streets were utterly drowned in Christmas decorations.
The colored lights strung along the roadside trees had been up since the end of November, and by now they'd been hanging there for a full month.
In the shop windows, reindeer pulled a sleigh carrying a Santa Claus off to deliver presents to the children.
In front of every shopping center, big and small, stood an enormous Christmas tree.
A golden star was mounted at the very top, looking especially vivid against the grayish-white sky.
The main streets and back alleys teemed with crowds, mostly boys and girls brimming with youth.
Although Christmas wasn't an official public holiday in Japan, most schools had already started their winter break sometime between the 20th and the 25th.
Inside Tsushima Kagami's home.
Yukinoshita Shizuku was standing in front of a small full-length mirror, frowning at her own reflection.
She'd already changed outfits three times.
The first was a cream-white sweater with a dark gray long skirt—it looked gentle and elegant, but she thought it was too plain.
The second was a black turtleneck knit paired with jeans—it looked sharp and capable, but she said, "Wouldn't wearing black on Christmas Eve be a bit too gloomy?"
The third was the one she was wearing now.
It was a light pink wool coat, with a white turtleneck sweater underneath, a dark brown plaid short skirt on the bottom, paired with thick black tights and a pair of brown short boots.
How about this one?
Yukinoshita Shizuku turned to look at Shimizu Nayotake beside her.
"Shizuku, you look lovely in whichever one you wear."
Shimizu Nayotake sat on the edge of the bed, both hands propped against the mattress, speaking with complete sincerity.
"Isn't it too pink?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku turned to the side, checking her profile.
"Not at all, it really suits your complexion."
"But..."
Yukinoshita Shizuku bit her lip.
"I never usually wear this color."
Shimizu Nayotake laughed softly.
"After all, today is a special day."
Yukinoshita Shizuku glanced at her in the mirror.
Shimizu Nayotake was dressed the same as always today—still that school uniform.
Her hair was loose as usual too, hanging down on both sides of her shoulders, already grown nearly to her waist.
Ever since last time, after her birthday, when it hadn't been long before Auntie Shimizu was admitted to the hospital.
Her mental state had clearly improved a great deal.
Her smiles had noticeably become more frequent, too.
"It really is just like Kagami said."
"You really have been treating the winter clothes we bought last time like a family heirloom on display."
Hearing Yukinoshita Shizuku say this, Shimizu Nayotake, sitting on the edge of the bed, swung her lower legs and said with a smile.
"I have to work part-time all afternoon and all evening, so I don't need to wear such expensive clothes."
"We'll come find you later tonight."
"Come sleep over with me tonight."
"Auntie Shimizu is in the hospital anyway, so there's no one at your home."
Shimizu Nayotake's fingers gently rubbed at a corner of the bedcover.
After thinking it over, she finally gave a small nod.
"Mm."
Seeing Shimizu Nayotake agree so readily, Yukinoshita Shizuku smiled happily too.
Then she looked at her own reflection in the mirror once more.
"Today is a special day."
In the end, Yukinoshita Shizuku still chose the first outfit—the cream-white sweater with the dark gray long skirt, a light pink wool coat over it, brown short boots on her feet, and beneath the long skirt peeked a pair of ankles wrapped in black tights.
Yukinoshita Shizuku came into Tsushima Kagami's room, Shimizu Nayotake following alongside.
Tsushima Kagami, perhaps feeling a little warm in his autumn undershirt and long johns, had thrown half the blanket off, one foot resting on top of the blanket outside, the whole of him hugging the covers.
There was even a manga book at the head of the bed.
He was still fast asleep, sound and deep.
Because after break started he'd had no plans lately to write a new novel or draw new manga.
And so the whole person had grown slothful.
He'd reverted to that all-nighter-pulling state from his past life.
He originally had a large supply of energy potions given to him by the System. Whenever he stayed up creating, he'd drink an energy potion, so even pulling all-nighters he wouldn't feel sleepy, and could stay full of vigor for a whole day.
But now that it was break and he had nothing to do, he'd taken to enjoying days of staying up until dawn and then burying his head in sleep until noon or evening.
He'd been like this these past few days, because if he didn't indulge in it now, once he went back to Chiba there'd be Mrs. Yukinoshita keeping watch, and he wouldn't quite dare to sleep in.
After all, he still had to maintain the model persona of a good son.
Yukinoshita Shizuku looked at Tsushima Kagami in this state, shook her head, walked over and took the manga book away from him.
She set his leg that was propped outside back down, then pulled the blanket up over him again.
Finally, smiling, she patted his cheek and said softly.
"Nayotake and I are heading out now, okay."
"I've made your bento, you can heat it up when you get up."
"No more instant noodles!"
Tsushima Kagami nodded groggily.
"Take your time."
Then he rolled over and went back to sleep.
Yukinoshita Shizuku put her hands on her hips helplessly and looked at Tsushima Kagami.
Then she turned and saw Shimizu Nayotake standing to the side, staring at Tsushima Kagami.
She could only spread her hands and laugh helplessly.
This is just how lazy he usually is.
"Let's leave him be."
"Let's head out now."
With that, Yukinoshita Shizuku took Shimizu Nayotake's hand and left Tsushima Kagami's room.
Shimizu Nayotake also took one last look at Tsushima Kagami asleep on the bed, then followed Yukinoshita Shizuku out of the house.
The two of them were inside a café near the convenience store where they worked part-time.
Because it was Christmas Eve tonight.
The convenience store also had a promotional tie-in event.
So they were rather short-handed today.
The two of them both had to work part-time together in the afternoon.
So they'd arranged for Shimizu Nayotake to come find her at noon to hang out.
Then they'd go out to eat together, and head to the convenience store once it was time for their shift.
That's why Yukinoshita Shizuku had only left a bento for Tsushima Kagami.
The two decided to come out to eat.
Inside the café, the two had just finished the salmon salad they'd ordered together and slowly fell into conversation.
Yukinoshita Shizuku cradled a cup of coffee in both hands, watching the couples of men and women pass by outside the window.
She said with a smile.
"It's not that I love being a busybody or anything."
"Kagami's always so fond of eating that junk with no nutrition in it."
"He was already always staying up late to write novels and draw manga."
"And when he's got nothing to do, his days and nights are always flipped around."
"That can't be good for his health, right?"
"Last week I even asked him why he couldn't go to bed early and get up early with me."
"And do some morning exercise together at the nearby park while we're at it."
"After all, he doesn't have any work on his hands right now."
"And then Kagami actually said."
"That sleeping in at home makes him happier than going to bed early, getting up early, and doing morning exercise with me!"
"Isn't that awful of him!"
"So now I have to make him a nutritious meal every single day."
"And watch him eat it all up obediently, too."
Shimizu Nayotake, meanwhile, ate a matcha-flavored mousse cake.
While smiling and watching Yukinoshita Shizuku prattle on and on about Tsushima Kagami.
"Shizuku, you're really so considerate toward Kagami."
Yukinoshita Shizuku listened to Shimizu Nayotake say this about her.
Her face suddenly flushed, and she turned her head away.
"Wh...what are you talking about."
"If it weren't for Mother telling me to take good care of him."
"I wouldn't want to fuss over him this much at all."
"And besides, it's break now and I've got nothing to do, so making him a bento doesn't take much time."
Saying this, Yukinoshita Shizuku paused.
Then she said in a huff.
"Honestly, if it weren't for Sis Kinue spoiling him too much."
"Always sneaking him that junk with no nutrition."
"I wouldn't have to make him bentos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"
Shimizu Nayotake continued to listen quietly to Yukinoshita Shizuku's grumbling.
That faint smile still hanging at the corner of her mouth.
Yukinoshita Shizuku, still blushing, lowered her head and kept talking while caressing the coffee cup in her hands.
"And...and besides."
"I've already decided to confess to Kagami tonight."
"And...and then if we start dating..."
"This...this kind of thing is something you have to get used to ahead of time, right."
"Isn't it?"
Hearing Yukinoshita Shizuku's last words.
The spoon in Shimizu Nayotake's hand, eating the matcha mousse, also paused.
In the end she lowered her head as well.
The faint smile at her lips remained, but it couldn't match the flicker of dimness that flashed through her eyes.
"Mm..."
Tsushima Kagami was woken by his phone alarm.
He fumbled for the phone on the nightstand and squinted at it.
Six in the evening.
His room had no windows, and it was pitch black inside now.
He rolled over, pulled the blanket over his head, lay there a few more seconds, and then sat up.
There was no one in the living room.
A note was left on the tea table, in Yukinoshita Shizuku's handwriting, written neatly and tidily.
"Nayotake came over, we've gone out to eat. Remember to finish your bento when you get up!"
Beside the note sat a cup of cocoa that had already gone cold.
As it happened, he was thirsty, so he drank the cocoa down, flipped the note over, and set it back down.
When he came out after washing up, the door to Hayase Kinue's home was open, and the sound of talking came from inside.
He walked over and knocked on the door frame.
"Kagami-kun!"
Hayase Kinue poked her head out from the kitchen.
"Awake now? Want to eat a little something together before you go?"
Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage sat at the dining table, two cups of tea set before them.
Tsukuyomi Komoe was wearing a red sweater today, with a reindeer printed on it, its antlers all crooked and lopsided, as if she'd drawn it herself.
Douraku Utage was the same as ever, hoodie and jeans, hair carelessly tied up, leaning against the back of her chair flipping through a magazine.
The living room was full of Christmas decorations.
In the middle sat a small Christmas tree, too.
They also spotted Tsushima Kagami standing in the doorway.
They immediately came over wanting to pull Tsushima Kagami in to keep them company.
They knew Tsushima Kagami had been lying low by day and out by night these past few days, so they hadn't disturbed him during the daytime.
Tsushima Kagami looked at Hayase Kinue with a smile and said.
"No need, I'm about to go pick up Yukinoshita Shizuku in a bit, and then we'll go eat together."
"Oh my, I almost forgot all about that."
Hayase Kinue said with a regretful smile.
"Oh-ho, oh-ho, so you're off on a date with little Shizuku?"
Douraku Utage tugged at Tsushima Kagami's arm, teasing him with a laugh.
Tsushima Kagami looked at Douraku Utage and nodded with a smile.
"That's right."
"I want to go too!"
"Hey, come on!"
"Take us along too~ take us along too~"
Tsukuyomi Komoe shook Tsushima Kagami's arm, wheedling.
Douraku Utage joined in on the ruckus and shook Tsushima Kagami's arm too.
Just as Tsushima Kagami was nearly unable to hold them off, thinking that bringing three more people along wouldn't really be a big deal.
After all, everyone usually ate dinner together in the evenings anyway.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to suggest they all go have fun together tonight.
Hayase Kinue gave Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage each a knuckle-rap on the head.
Hands on her hips, she said to Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage, who were now crouched on the floor clutching their heads.
"You mustn't cause Kagami trouble at a time like this."
"We know already."
"I was just teasing him on purpose."
"I never actually wanted to tag along!"
"You hit way too hard!"
Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage rubbed the little smoking bumps on their heads and, on the verge of tears, protested to Hayase Kinue.
Hayase Kinue paid the two of them no mind.
Suddenly she said.
"Oh, right!"
Then she dashed into a room and came back out holding a paper bag.
She pushed the paper bag in front of him.
"Your Christmas present."
"It's not even evening yet."
Tsushima Kagami took it and said with a smile.
"You're bound to be out having fun until very late anyway."
"So I'm giving it to you early."
"Then thank you, Sis Kinue."
"Oh my, we prepared some too."
At that, Tsukuyomi Komoe and Douraku Utage also ran off and came back holding presents they'd prepared long ago.
They handed them to Tsushima Kagami with smiles.
"Kagami-kun, for you!"
Tsushima Kagami took the presents and thanked the two of them with a smile.
"Thank you, Moe-sensei and Yan-sensei."
"But this way it'll be awkward for me to go meet Shizuku."
"I'd better put these back home first."
After saying goodbye to Hayase Kinue and the other two, Tsushima Kagami went back home and put the presents away.
Only then did he head to the convenience store where Yukinoshita Shizuku worked part-time.
When he got to the convenience store,
it was Christmas Eve today, so there were more people in the shop than usual—some buying beer, some buying fried chicken, some buying Christmas cake.
There was even a large table set up in front of the shop entrance.
On the table sat a row of reindeer plush toys.
Red-nosed and fluffy—today's tie-in merchandise.
And Shimizu Nayotake stood here with another girl he often saw working part-time, calling out to hawk the goods.
Both of them wore the red aprons and Christmas capes the convenience store had specially prepared, with reindeer-antler headbands on their heads.
Tsushima Kagami smiled and greeted the two of them.
Then he walked into the shop.
Yukinoshita Shizuku was still busy behind the register.
Once there were finally no customers for the moment.
Yukinoshita Shizuku poked her head out from behind the register and waved at Tsushima Kagami.
"Wait ten more minutes for me!"
Tsushima Kagami nodded, walked over to the magazine section, and casually picked up a copy of Shukan Bunshun to flip through.
The cover was some politician's scandal; he glanced at it a couple of times and put it back down.
He then picked up a Swimsuit Gravure magazine, the girls inside dressed in skimpy swimsuits of various styles.
Striking all sorts of alluring poses.
But Tsushima Kagami felt that looking at this in the dead of winter seemed a bit cold.
So he stuffed it back onto the shelf.
And started flipping through other magazines.
By this time Yukinoshita Shizuku had changed clothes and come out; the moment Tsushima Kagami saw her, he walked straight over.
The two of them walked out of the shop together.
The late-December cold wind poured in from the street corner, blowing up the hair and scarves of the passersby.
People with boyfriends and girlfriends took the chance to hold each other even tighter.
The single fellows tightened their collars, pulled their necks down inside them, and quickened their pace.
"We'll be off first, then."
Yukinoshita Shizuku said, looking toward Shimizu Nayotake and the other girl at the entrance.
"Mm."
Shimizu Nayotake nodded.
"Have fun."
The other girl said with a smile.
"What about you? What time do you get off?"
Tsushima Kagami asked Shimizu Nayotake this time.
"Around eleven, I suppose."
"I can leave once these reindeer are all sold."
"Then we'll swing by and pick you up on our way back."
Tsushima Kagami had already heard from Yukinoshita Shizuku that tonight they planned to have Shimizu Nayotake sleep over with them.
Shimizu Nayotake nodded with a smile.
"If I manage to sell them all early, I'll wait for you in the staff break room."
After saying goodbye to Shimizu Nayotake.
The shopping center tonight was packed with people.
Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku walked side by side through the crowd, pushed forward by the flow of people.
A Christmas tree stood in the display window, hung all over with golden bells and red ribbons, gorgeously wrapped gift boxes piled beneath it.
Christmas songs played over the loudspeakers.
"Go eat first?"
Tsushima Kagami asked Yukinoshita Shizuku beside him.
"Mm."
Yukinoshita Shizuku checked her watch.
"We can catch a movie right after we eat."
They chose a French restaurant on the fourth floor of the shopping center; from the window seats you could see the night view of the streets below.
The table was draped with a white tablecloth, a single candle set upon it, the candlelight casting the two people's silhouettes against the glass window.
This was a French restaurant with a fairly good reputation.
The two had reserved it a few days in advance.
Yukinoshita Shizuku had never been to a French restaurant before.
On a sudden whim she'd said that eating dinner at a French restaurant on Christmas Eve would have more atmosphere.
So Tsushima Kagami just went and made the reservation.
Neither of them held any great expectations for this French meal.
After all, they'd long known its main selling points were small portions and refinement, and sometimes the sauce might be more plentiful than the main dish.
Mainly they were there to experience the atmosphere and taste the novelty.
In the end the two unanimously rated it as neither delicious nor bad.
Tsushima Kagami thought only the foie gras and the cream of mushroom soup barely counted as being to his taste.
In the end, on the principle of not wasting food, the un-picky Yukinoshita Shizuku helped clean the plates.
Fortunately the portions had been pitifully small to begin with, and they hadn't ordered much either.
After eating, the two happily made their way to the movie theater floor.
Yukinoshita Shizuku had already bought tonight's movie tickets in advance.
The original plan was to catch a movie after dinner.
Then come out and browse the nearby shops while picking up some presents.
Once the two arrived at the theater.
The movie was Bayside Shakedown: The Worst Three Days in the History of Wangan Police Station.
Spun off from the super-popular TV drama Bayside Shakedown, it had pioneered the "national-level" crime-comedy genre.
Tsushima Kagami and Yukinoshita Shizuku would watch it too when they had nothing to do at home.
This film premiered on October 31st and had a run of over three months, spanning the entire winter season.
It achieved an astonishing box office of 10.1 billion yen, making it the domestic live-action box-office champion in Japan that year.
Yukinoshita Shizuku sat beside him, her right hand resting on the armrest, only a few centimeters from his hand.
He could smell a faint, delicate fragrance on her.
During the exciting parts, Yukinoshita Shizuku would sometimes grip his arm tightly.
Other times she'd clutch his palm firmly.
When the movie let out, the two walked out hand in hand.
The glowing Christmas tree inside the shopping center looked several shades brighter set against the darkness outside.
The songs on the loudspeakers rotated among a few classic Christmas tunes—"Jingle Bells," "Silent Night," "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and others.
"Let's go pick out some presents."
"It's all your fault for sleeping in so late."
"Now there was no way to get Nayotake and the others' presents ready ahead of time."
Yukinoshita Shizuku turned her head and gave Tsushima Kagami a coquettish, pouting look.
Tsushima Kagami scratched his head.
"It's not like we can't give them tomorrow on Christmas Day."
"But everyone exchanges presents on the evening of Christmas Eve."
Yukinoshita Shizuku went on.
"Won't everyone else be spending it with their families anyway?"
"Tonight, other than you, me, and Nayotake, there's only Sis Kinue and Moe-sensei and Yan-sensei."
"Oh right, they already gave me their presents ahead of time, I left them at home."
Yukinoshita Shizuku listened and nodded.
"That's true."
"Then we'll give them all to them together tomorrow."
The gift section was on the third floor of the shopping center, taking up the entire floor.
First they picked out a scarf for Mother—dark purple, cashmere, very soft.
Then for Sayuri they picked out a planner notebook, leather, cream-white, good for copying down mistakes.
This was something Tsushima Kagami prompted her to buy.
For Kosaka Akane they picked a cute teacup.
For Machida Sonoko they picked a fountain pen.
For Seika Ijichi they picked a guitar pick.
For Hiroi Kikuri, a bass pick likewise.
For PA-ko, a pair of earphones.
For Hiratsuka Shizuka they chose a cool-looking lighter.
"And there's still Moe-sensei, Yan-sensei, and Sis Kinue's."
Yukinoshita Shizuku counted off under her breath who else needed presents bought.
It felt like there were so many things she was suddenly about to be unable to carry them all.
She could only try to pick some small items as much as possible.
Otherwise even the backpack Tsushima Kagami had carried out today wouldn't be enough to stuff them into.
Yukinoshita Shizuku thought to herself.
Meanwhile, Tsushima Kagami was picking out suitable presents on the other side.
He walked up to a counter and stopped.
The counter was laid out with all sorts of ribbons.
Red, gold, silver, blue, wide, narrow, plain, patterned—they filled an entire counter.
At a glance he took a liking to a red ribbon with two black stripes at each end.
He picked it right up and walked to the register.
"This one."
The clerk smiled and immediately wrapped it up, then placed it into an exquisite little paper bag.
He glanced at Yukinoshita Shizuku browsing in an accessory shop across the way.
Only then did Tsushima Kagami remember he hadn't bought Yukinoshita Shizuku's present yet.
So he went browsing through other shops.
Then he walked into a shop that looked like a photo studio.
But the counters were laid out with all kinds of photo albums and photo frames.
Leather, cloth, paper, big, small, thick, thin.
He walked up to a photo album and reached out to pick it up.
It had a cover that was overall a milky-cream color, patterned with a few silver snowflakes.
It had a lambskin texture to the touch in his hands.
Extremely soft and comfortable.
It was probably some kind of genuine leather.
The overall look was elegant and simple.
It was also a very thick album.
Tsushima Kagami picked it right up, walked to the register, had it wrapped, and put it in his own backpack.
After each browsing around for a while longer, the two met up with their things at the first shop where they'd started.
"Did you get everything?"
Tsushima Kagami looked at Yukinoshita Shizuku.
Yukinoshita Shizuku nodded, then said.
"What about you?"
"Did you pick properly?"
"Don't you go being perfunctory and just grabbing any old thing to pass off as a present."
"Relax, how could I be that kind of person!"
Yukinoshita Shizuku wore an expression that said, if I hadn't reminded you earlier, you wouldn't have planned to buy a present at all.
"Then it's about time we headed back."
Yukinoshita Shizuku also checked the time.
And nodded.
"Mm."
On the way back, there were far fewer people on the streets.
The two walked side by side down the small path; apart from the usual dim yellow streetlights.
Tonight the roadside was also dotted with colorful strings of lights.
"What did you buy?"
At this point Yukinoshita Shizuku beside him suddenly asked.
"What, so eager to exchange presents already?"
"As the elder sister you're really unable to keep your composure!"
Yukinoshita Shizuku paid no mind to Tsushima Kagami's usual mockery.
She pursed her lips, then turned her head away, hands behind her back secretly poking her fingers together.
"Then..."
"Then how about we exchange presents now first?"
Tsushima Kagami saw that Yukinoshita Shizuku truly couldn't wait any longer.
So he didn't keep teasing her.
"Sure."
Tsushima Kagami took off his backpack.
He fished around inside, and finally, from among a pile of wrapped presents, found the photo album he'd prepared to give to Yukinoshita Shizuku.
As he took it out, about to give it to Yukinoshita Shizuku.
Yukinoshita Shizuku was already holding out a wrapped present to him.
"This is for you."
"Thanks."
Tsushima Kagami took it and said with a smile.
"Aren't you going to open it and take a look?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku suddenly asked.
"I thought you'd have me guess what's inside first."
Tsushima Kagami toyed with the beautifully wrapped gift box and looked at Yukinoshita Shizuku.
"I'll open it right now."
Tsushima Kagami lowered his head and began tearing at the wrapping.
Yukinoshita Shizuku watched Tsushima Kagami, and the fingers she'd been twining together behind her back suddenly stopped, clasping tightly.
Tsushima Kagami pulled out a pair of mittens from inside.
The left hand was overall white, with horizontal red stripes, the thumb in a green color scheme, the wrist in red.
The right hand was overall green, with white stripes, the thumb red, the wrist white.
There were also colorful little pom-poms sewn on top.
Clearly a Christmas-limited-edition skin.
Tsushima Kagami felt the texture and it was like it was knitted from wool yarn.
The feel was very comfortable.
But the stitching was clearly a bit rough.
Some places were even a little messy.
Compared to mittens they were actually more like a pair of socks...
Clearly not the product of industrial manufacturing.
Tsushima Kagami looked at Yukinoshita Shizuku in astonishment.
"You knitted these yourself?"
Seeing that Tsushima Kagami had figured out she'd knitted them herself, Yukinoshita Shizuku nodded happily.
"When did this happen?"
"How did I not notice at all?"
Tsushima Kagami continued asking.
"For a while now."
"I asked Sis Kinue to teach me."
"On top of that, after break started you slept all day every day, so I'd be over at Sis Kinue's during the day learning and knitting."
"How are they?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku looked at Tsushima Kagami expectantly.
Tsushima Kagami put the mittens on and showed them off in front of Yukinoshita Shizuku.
"Like a pair of socks."
"I love telling the truth!"
Just as Yukinoshita Shizuku was about to change her expression and get angry.
Tsushima Kagami spoke again.
"I love things that are ugly-cute."
"Please knit them just as adorably next time, too."
Yukinoshita Shizuku immediately looked at Tsushima Kagami again in delighted surprise.
"Really?"
"They're cute?"
"Very cute."
"I love telling the truth."
Tsushima Kagami, wearing the mittens, performed a stretch of wota-gei in the night air.
"Too bad they don't have a glow function."
"As if they ever could."
Yukinoshita Shizuku was so amused by Tsushima Kagami's performance art that she covered her mouth and giggled.
"But if you really want, I could add a fluorescent strip for you."
"Please, by all means, add it for me."
"That way at night I can turn off the lights and give you a performance!"
"Who wants to watch you perform that."
"It's hideous."
"For...for you."
After Yukinoshita Shizuku said this, Tsushima Kagami handed the present to her as well.
The moment Yukinoshita Shizuku took it, her first impression was that it was a bit heavy.
The feel of it was like a book or something.
"What is it?"
Yukinoshita Shizuku asked, tilting her head.
"You'll know once you open it."
Yukinoshita Shizuku nodded.
And began unwrapping it with an expectant face as well.
The finally-unwrapped packaging revealed a thick photo album with a white cover.
On it were also several silver hexagonal snowflakes.
To the touch it felt like a kind of genuine leather, very comfortable to hold.
Yukinoshita Shizuku opened it to the sleeve films inside that had yet to have any photos placed in them; she figured it could hold ever so many mementos.
Yukinoshita Shizuku closed the album and looked at Tsushima Kagami.
As if waiting for him to say why he'd given a photo album.
Tsushima Kagami understood Yukinoshita Shizuku's meaning as well.
He said with a smile.
"I noticed there are quite a lot of photos in your drawer."
"Just leaving them in the drawer like that isn't nice to look at."
"So I figured I'd just buy an album to collect those photos in."
Yukinoshita Shizuku nodded.
"It's just too thick."
"The photos in the drawer don't need one this thick."
Yukinoshita Shizuku stroked the album's cover and said with a smile at the corner of her lips.
"You say that as if there won't be any more photos from now on."
"From now on we'll take lots and lots more."
"It'll be stuffed full before long."
"By then one album surely won't be enough, and we'll have to buy a second, a third..."
Tsushima Kagami smiled and, with his mitten-clad hand, pinched Yukinoshita Shizuku's nose.
"Why have you suddenly turned into such a dummy?"
At this moment, a roadside bar playing Christmas tunes, after the song finished, put on "Last Christmas," sung by the British pop band Wham!.
Beneath the bright, lilting melody, the atmosphere grew even more tender and ambiguous.
Yukinoshita Shizuku cradled that white photo album, and even though her nose had been pinched and she'd been called a dummy, she wasn't angry.
Instead, with a mist in her eyes and a smile on her face, she gazed at the man before her.
Saying nothing for a long while.
"Why aren't you saying anything?"
Tsushima Kagami looked at her.
Yukinoshita Shizuku shook her head.
Accompanied by the music drifting out from the bar.
Once bitten and twice shy
I keep my distance
But you still catch my eye
Merry Christmas
I wrapped it up and sent it
With a note saying I love you
I meant it
Yukinoshita Shizuku's red lips parted slightly.
"Kagami." "Hm?"
As if she'd made up her mind about something.
She looked at him.
That gaze, he'd seen it before.
She'd always looked at him this way.
"I..."
She opened her mouth, her voice very soft, as if afraid it would frighten something away.
She drew a deep breath, and the white puff of air she exhaled curled up beneath the streetlight and slowly dissipated.
"I..."
"Bzzz..."
Tsushima Kagami's phone let out a vibrating sound along with its ringtone.
He froze for a moment, and instinctively pulled out his phone.
On the screen was an unfamiliar number.
He glanced at Yukinoshita Shizuku.
By now she had already lowered her head and turned her face away.
"Sorry, let me take this call."
"Mm."
Yukinoshita Shizuku, head lowered, nodded.
Still not daring to look at Tsushima Kagami again.
"Hello?"
"Is this Kagami-kun?"
A woman's voice came from the other end of the line, very urgent, with a sob in it.
Tsushima Kagami felt it was a little familiar.
But the distortion of the phone call right now kept him from placing who it was for the moment.
"It's me."
"Who is this?"
The voice on the phone was clearly so panicked it didn't even have time to introduce itself.
It just pressed on urgently on its own.
"So..."
"Sorry, I shouldn't be bothering you at a time like this."
"Nayotake is gone!"
____
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