Written in Conjunction With: YourFavoriteAnon; http://pastebin.com/u/yourfavanon ---------------------------------------- I just get my jacket over my shoulders when I hear an ominous knocking at the door outside my room. I try to ignore it, zipping up and putting some gloves on, but it keeps hammering away. Great; there’s only one possible suspect who would be rude enough to bang like that this late at night. I check my clock, cursing my timing. Had I left just a few minutes earlier, I could have avoided this and been on my way to the tea party Hanako and Lilly had planned for us on Christmas Eve. I’m almost late as it is and knowing who could be outside, I might not even make it out alive if things go against me. For a moment, I seriously consider leaping from the window or shimmying down the wall, but I realize that the fall probably would kill me and I have nothing to make a rope out of except a few sheets and blankets, all of which tied together still wouldn’t be enough to reach the ground safely. Tucking the gift I bought under my arm, I brace myself, praying for a Christmas miracle. In the hallway, I find Kenji, a bottle of whiskey in his hand and a Santa hat atop his head. For once in his life, he actually looks dressed for the weather outside, winter school jacket and scarf around his neck. He has his free hand raised in a fist and almost brings it down in my face for another round of knocking before I step out of the way and he lurches back in surprise. “What the hell, man, how did you do that? Where’d your door go?” “Never mind, Kenji. I’m busy, what do you want?” Kenji holds the bottle up. “Dude, haven’t you checked your calendar? Don’t you know what day it is? It’s fucking Christmas!” “It’s Christmas Eve. It’s the 24th.” “Whatever. Tell that to the Romans. Listen, you and me, I got a plan.” I wipe the palm of my hand down the length of my face, starting at my forehead and ending at my chin and give a long suffering sigh. “Kenji, I’m heading towards a party.” He seems shocked by my statement, reeling back in surprise. “What?! A party!? And you didn’t invite me?” “It’s sort of a private thing.” His face turns to a snarl “Oh, I get it. Hanging out with that ‘girlfriend’ of yours again, are you? What the hell, man? Ever since the two of you started dating, all you ever do is let her lead you around on her little leash! She’s got her claws in you and you don’t even know it! Before you even know it - BAM! - she’ll have you doing some secret recon bullshit for the feminists! How can I trust you if you open yourself to brainwashing like that!?” I look at my wrist, checking my watch. “Kenji, listen I....” “Whatever,” he continues, ignoring my obvious shuffling towards the exit, “I have better plans! You want a Christmas party, I’ll give you a Christmas party! I have everything you need right here, baby!” He holds the bottle up victoriously. “We can have a ton of drinks, sing some carols! I am filled with the holiday spirit!” I know what’s he’s filled with and it isn’t Christmas cheer. I hold my hands up defensively. “Yeah, you know what, that sounds great,” I say, sliding along the wall. “Let’s do that...tomorrow. Yeah, we’ll hang out on Christmas.” I don’t really have any intention of actually following through, but it should give me enough time to either hide from Kenji away from my room or prove enough of a distraction to get me out of here. “Tomorrow? Man, you are always putting stuff off! Live today because tomorrow we die! Don’t you know the true meaning of Christmas?” “Friends, family, loved ones, decorating small trees and eating food that any other time of the year would kill me? Something about a manger, depending on your geographic location?” “No! It’s about giving winter the middle finger and telling it to take a hike! It’s about realizing that we’re halfway out of the dark and there’s light at the end of the tunnel! That no matter how cold it gets, the hearts of brother man will not relent to the icy cold grasp of the female gender! No army fights in the winter, so it’s a cease fire on the feminist front. It’s an opportunity to celebrate and regroup for the coming conflicts!“ He slams his fist against the wall, clearly animated about the topic. “Not even those horrid bitches can move their armies in the dead of winter! That’s what happened to Napoleon when he invaded France or Russia or Australia or something, and just look what happened to him!” Kenji shakes his head. “It’s that bitch Josephine’s fault!” I’ve cleared some distance between us. If I run for it, I can make the door before he catches me. If I can get outside, he’ll never be able to follow. “Okay, Kenji, we’ll talk about this tomorrow. I’ll see you then.” Kenji scoffs and shakes his head. “Fine, whatever. Go ahead and have one of your girly little tea parties you’re so fond of. Mark my words, Hisao! You’ll rue the day you started dating that woman!” He continues his rant, but I’m out the door, package under my arm securely and hustling down the icy path outside the dorms. I stop a safe distance away, breathing the cold in, the mixture of freezing air and snow making my heart pound. I breathe slowly, exercises that have become second nature to me as my heart slows back to a comfortable pace, before heading off towards the girl dorms. The wind is gentle, but it bites my exposed cheeks and my thin jacket does little to keep the chill out. Tiny snowflakes are carried on the current, caught in my eyelashes and blinding me. The snow on the ground glows with the light of the lampposts and the sidewalks that winds through the school towards the girl’s dorms are clear, with high piles of snow on either side, shoveled daily by staff. Still, patches of ice remain and a light dusting of snow skitters across my feet as I walk, head down, shoulders hunched against the wind. I get a strange sense of deja vu as I pass underneath a naked tree, the limbs all spindly and clattering like wooden chimes, scraping up above my head. In a couple week it will be one year since I came to Yamaku, one year since my first heart attack and my whole life changed in an instant. I think about Iwanako and the life I left behind, about the life I have now and the people in it, not to mention a very special woman who means the world to me. I smile to myself, glad for the changes in my life, for the place I’m in now. Maybe it’s just the holiday season getting to me, but recently I’ve realized just how lucky I am to even be alive, let alone to be happier than I have any right to be. It makes me consider the person who I used to be, an aimless, wandering teenager with no direction, then a bitter young man, angry over his circumstances. I really don’t feel any connections to the person I used to be anymore, as alien and unfamiliar to me as if he were a total stranger. And to put it quite bluntly, I’m glad that those ties were severed. I head past the mural, caked with snow and a rime of frost, avoiding the icy patches on the stairs. At the top is a bucket of salt, a little of which I spread onto the steps for safety’s sake. Last thing anyone needs is a careless fall, especially me. I head inside, careful to keep an eye out; in all the time I’ve been over here late at night for tea parties in Lilly's room, I’ve never once been caught sneaking in or out, though many times I’ve spent the night. I’m not sure that’s a positive mark for my stealth skills, dumb luck or just another bit of evidence against the pointlessness of having a staff presence, but I still don’t feel entirely secure walking into the girls dorms after dark. I’m not sure what the staff would think, but other students don’t seem to mind at all. Often I’ll pass someone in the hall and they don’t give me so much as a nod most of the time, though often when I recognize someone, like Emi or Miki, I’ll stop and chat. Maybe it’s a silent code among the girls, but they never ask what I’m doing coming in so late or leaving so early in the morning. It’s a good thing; that’s a conversation I’d rather not have. One time I think I heard a loud snapping sound which may have been Shizune trying to get my attention, but I just kept walking with my eyes straight ahead, not looking back; so long as I didn’t make eye contact, I could swear ignorance to her the next day in class. I doubt she would be as free with me coming and going as the other girls are. I take a moment outside Lilly’s door and knock a few times. “Come in,” I hear her say. I reach forward and twist the knob, pushing the door open and entering a space that I’ve managed to grow highly accustomed too. Not surprisingly, Lilly and Hanako both sit comfortably at the small table in the center of the room in their proper places. I catch bashful glance and smile from the latter, while the former simply faces in my direction and gives me her signature, and might I add an adorable, elegant smirk. “Good evening, Hisao. Very glad you were punctual, as usual.” She keeps her expression about her, but that last sentence felt like a massive dig at one missing individual who is not present. Somewhere, I am certain, Akira’s ears are burning. “Hello Lilly. Hello, Hanako,” I smile at the two of them and continue to awkwardly stand by the table, waiting for my cue to take a seat. I guess it feels unusual because Lilly generally asks me to join them right away, but she seems a bit behind in that category today. Of course, just as I begin to shuffle a bit in my place, as well as Hanako’s eyes nervously shifting their attention to Lilly, the light finally turns on. “Oh goodness, how silly of me. Would you like to have a seat?” “I thought you’d never ask.” I say with a grin as I take my usual seat. Hanako pours some hot water into my tea cup. I can already feel myself getting comfortable in their company. “Thank you, Hanako,” I say taking the cup from her. She gives me a shy smile and places the kettle down in the center of the table, a light blush showing up on her cheeks. I really do forget, on occasion, just how easy it is to make her feel embarrassed. Something as small as a ‘Thank you, Hanako’ or a ‘You’re the best, Hanako’ always seems to make her a slight bit more edgy. I turn my attention to Lilly after returning Hanako’s smile, the blonde haired girl obviously irritated and distracted by the current no-show of our final guest. I laugh try not to, but I end up laughing. This situation is what I’ve begun to call ‘the ticking time bomb’ between Hanako and myself when Lilly isn’t around. It’s as easy as this: every time that Lilly invites Akira over for a party, whether it be a birthday, a simple get-together or for a holiday such as what we’re having right now, she is always fashionably late. No matter what. Work lets off a few minutes late? Obviously late. Work lets off on time? Late. Work lets off a half an hour early? Late. No work at all, but she spent the night before getting absolutely wasted? Very, very late. I’m not sure, but I suspect ulterior motives on Akira’s part. “I’m just going to go ahead and assume we’re waiting for your sister, right Lilly?” Hanako can’t help but crack a smile at the tone of my voice, a very teasing and sarcastic approach landing just how I had hoped for it to: with Lilly breaking out a somewhat gritty smirk. Catching me off guard, and obviously Lilly as well, Hanako breaks in with a line of her own. “M-maybe you should t-tell him the story...” Lilly curiously raises an eyebrow at her, facing in her general direction. “And which story would we be talking about?” Hanako smiles sheepishly, bringing her knuckles up to her lips. “Y-You know... the one with your d-dad and uncle...” And just like that, a very uncharacteristic, barking laugh breaks through the air. It’s almost as if Lilly is laughing through a mix of sarcasm and piled up self-restraint. She takes a moment to calm herself down, pushing a few strands of hair back behind her ear. The she clears her throat, obviously embarrassed by the sudden outburst. “You’ll have to excuse that outburst, Hisao. That was rather inappropriate of me.” She bows her head in my direction, a light shade of crimson coloring her complexion. “But honestly, if you knew the fine details... I just feel that you’d find it rather amusing as well.” I take a moment and pretend to peer down at my watch, leaving Lilly confused as Hanako giggles at my actions. “According to my watch, we have plenty enough time for you to tell the story before Akira shows up.” She raises an eyebrow at the idea “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt anyone. You’ll have to pardon if I forget some of the finer details, but the general story is quite memorable, far more to me than most of what she’s said before.” Hanako and I both give her our full attention as she clears her throat once again. “Some time ago, back when I was very young, Akira was quite the star in the family. Mother of course loved her very dearly, and Father... well, he was still the same person as he is now.” She tweaks her nose a bit at the mention of her father, as if she has to adjust to speaking about him once again. “My father always has had a major habit of being perfectly punctual to every single meeting or engagement that he had to attend. According to Akira, back when we were young, she was heading to a meeting with Father simply because she couldn’t be left alone. On the ride over - and might I add, these are her words, not my own - they had a very... well, to say the least, interesting conversation about time management. In all seriousness, this is what she said was spoken between the two.” “Akira was talking to him as they were speeding through some country roads on their way into the city. She, being still young and a little naive, asked: ‘Father, why are we going so fast? You’re going to get in trouble!’. Of course, to that, Father got very annoyed with her, responding with a very simple ‘Punctuality is key, Akira.’” “Of course, her very... how should I say it, knowledgeable, I suppose would be correct, mind made her want to prove him wrong. The line that always hits me hardest is when she said ‘But Father, Uncle Jigoro said that being on time is for women and weak minded individuals who must follow some sort of agenda. Are you secretly a woman, Father?’” I try to cover my mouth to stop my laughter, but the uncontrollable action is probably loud enough to be heard throughout the entire dormitory. Hanako obviously was on the same page as myself, going off into her own rendition of loud laughter, a tight little tittering sound. After about a minute, the three of us finally reaching a reasonable form of calmness, Lilly shuffles around a bit uncomfortably in her seat. “Father’s response was rather... profane, to say the least. I’m not entirely comfortable with repeating what was said.” I have a little smirk on my face. “Let me guess, it was like this....” I speak a sentence which makes Hanako and blush and turn bright red. Lilly gasps at my use of profanity, but judging by her reaction I’m probably spot on. “Well, that... that is actually word for word what he had responded with, Hisao.” Hanako attempting to stifle her a girlish giggle with a highly drawn out sip of tea. Lilly lowers her expression, looking awfully stern as she faces me. “Do try not be so foul-mouthed Hisao. It’s rather unlike a true gentleman to say such things.” I rub the back of my neck, a little bit embarrassed by my use of language. But, there’s a far bigger opportunity to get at from what she just said. “Are you implying that I’m a ‘true gentleman’ in your book and your Father isn’t?” Lilly is obviously caught off guard by my rather stunning comeback, if I do say so myself. Hanako cuts in for once on her behalf. “We b-both think you’re a very nice person....” Lilly breathes out a sigh of relief after her stuttering mess, obviously thankful for Hanako’s attempt to help her save face. “Yes, Hanako and I both certainly think very highly of you, Hisao. But, to quickly summarize the ending of this little story - I believe we can call it that, anyways - Akira, on most basic terms, does not enjoy the presence of Father in her life at her current age. So, she simply goes out of her way to go against his teachings about life to her and swings more to our Mother’s side of the spectrum.” She coughs, mumbling out a few final words at the end. “I’m sorry, Lilly, but it’s not polite to mumble. Why don’t you repeat what you just said for Hanako and I?” She puts on her best pouty face, looking like a child who had just been told ‘no’ when asking for a sweet. “I said that Mother isn’t necessarily the greatest example or role model for anyone with her... less than formal mannerisms.” Just as I think of questioning her, as she hasn’t spoken a whole ton of what her mother is truly like with me before, the sound of the door knob twisting once again grabs the attention of all three of us. Dang. A head of bright, spiky blonde hair wearing a Santa hat sticks in around the door and peers at us at the table. “Ho, ho, ho,” Akira says, sliding into the room, throwing the door open, a paper bag of something suspicious under her arm and a wrapped gift as well. “Hope I’m not too late for the party?” Lilly gives a relieved sigh, but her face has a pinch of annoyance to it. “Not ‘too’ late, as it were, but late enough as it is.” Akira chuckles, rubbing the back of her head. “Yeah, sorry, Little Sis. Work ran late.” I smile at the festive headgear she has on. “‘Work’, huh? I thought you were a lawyer, not one of Santa’s little elves. Do you work in the legal department of the workshop?“ Lilly has a curious expression as to my meaning. Hanako leans forward towards Lilly and whispers something to her between her giggles. Lilly sighs when she hears and, though it's a funny expression coming from her, rolls her eyes in exasperation. Akira quickly grabs the hat off her head and hides it behind her back. “Yeah, well, by 'work' I mean a 'work party'. It ran late.“ “I hope you didn't tire yourself out,” Lilly says with a reproachful tone. “Nah, not at all. I can still hang out with you lightweights as a cool down.“ Akira tosses me the hat with a wink and I slip it onto my head, the smell of ink and smoke coming off of it. “And I brought a surprise!“ Here we go.... “Akira, honestly?“ Lilly says. “Must you always bring alcohol to these events?“ “I don't recall you ever telling me to stop once you've had some wine, right?“ Lilly twists her lips into a smirk and I think I see an all too eager glint in Hanako's eyes. Oh well. It can't be helped. Akira pulls from the suspicious bag a glass bottle, but not a wine bottle. If anything it looks like a jug of milk. “I know we aren't technically old enough for alcohol, Akira, but it's never stopped you before. Why did you bring a jug milk? Akira smiles deviously. “This ain't milk, Hisao. It's eggnog.“ Lilly draws a sharp breath of air. “It isn't...Mother's recipe, is it?“ “Yep,“ Akira says, popping the top. “Oh, dear....“ 'Mother's recipe', huh? Now I'm even more eager to hear about the kind of person Lilly's Mom is. Akira takes a few glasses and fills it with a little of the milky drink for each of us. “Take it easy on this stuff, okay? It's not that strong, but it has a habit of sneaking up on you since it's so mild.“ I take my glass and, following Lilly's careful sip and Hanako's eager gulp, try the drink for myself. It's thick and creamy, almost like drinking liquid marshmallows and I can definitely taste the egg, milk and all the spices that went into it, even the underlying hint of alcohol under it all. “This is fantastic!“ I say. “This is a family recipe?“ Akira nods after taking a glass for herself, a look of pride on her face. “It is. My Mother's family has been making it like this for generations.“ Lilly sighs after taking a particularly large gulp. “Strange how you are so good at making this and not at cooking?“ “Well...yeah, but this is fun to make.“ Hanako sets her glass down and holds the empty vessel out. “C-can I have more?“ Both me and Lilly drop our jaws at the speed Hanako took her glass down. She looks a little embarrassed. “It's....it's g-good.” A tiny rumble emerges from Hanako's tummy, making her turn red all over. Akira laughs and eagerly fills Hanako's cup to the brim. “I hope you guys didn't get bored without me?” she says. “N-no,” Hanako says. “Lilly was just t-telling us a little story about y-you.“ Lilly catches her breath. “Oh, which one?” Akira asks. “Th-the one where she tells us why y-your always late.“ Hanako is grinning at her uncharacteristic ribbing, which I find to be both surprising and endearing. Either the eggnog is getting to her after only one cup or Hanako is having some fun at Lilly's expense. Akira's face falls and she looks at Lilly, betrayed. “I can't believe you told them that one.” “Well,” Lilly says after collecting herself, “perhaps if you were not late to the party, I would not be forced to entertain our guests with stories of your past exploits.“ Akira narrows her eyes puckishly, licking her teeth. “So I can tell an embarrassing story about you then, right?“ Lilly turns red, her eyes growing a little wider. “Oh, please do,” I say. “I'm ready to hear this.” Hanako nods emphatically in agreement. “I don't think we need to go to such lengths. Maybe we should exchange the presents we bought for each other now? Immediately?“ I'm reminded we drew names to buy gifts for each other. I'm rather eager to see what Akira got me almost as much as I am eager to see what she thinks of the gift I bought for her. I'm sure Hanako and Lilly are equally excited to exchange their gifts as well. Still, an embarrassing story about Lilly is too much to pass up. “Oh, no, Lilly, you started this, I think it's only fair you let Akira have the chance to make it up to you.“ Lilly turns her face downwards, her fingertips dancing against one another in worried anticipation. “Okay, I have the perfect one for this party,” Akira starts. “This was a long time back, so Lilly was really young. Our parents took us to a Christmas party that our company was having and they had this Santa guy there, right?“ “Oh, Akira, please, not this one!” “You started it, Lilly, I'm ending it. Anyway, we go see this Santa and we each take turns, sitting on the fat guys lap and telling him everything we want while our parents listen in and think about exactly what to buy us. Of course, we ended up getting everything we wanted that year like every other year, but that's a separate issue. So I took my turn and Mother brings Lilly up. Now Father had explained beforehand to this Santa about Lilly, so he knew what to expect. Lilly, though, won't have anything to do with it. She's too scared. Doesn't want to let go of Mommy.“ Lilly is turning redder and redder as Akira speaks. “So, Father tells Lilly that Santa is part of his company and a friend and that it's okay for her to sit on his lap. It takes some convincing, but eventually she goes through with it. Lilly tells him what he wants and Santa is really patient, doing his laugh and all that jazz. So Lilly starts easing up and enjoys it. She asks to feel Santa's face, so she does.“ “Akira, please....” “Don't listen, Akira, keep going.” Hanako nods in agreement. “So everything's fine, right? Lilly feels Santa's face, she gets a candy cane for being a good little girl, everything is fine.“ Akira snickers. “One year later, Mother and Father bring us to a department store the next Christmas. Lilly hears that Santa is there. I'm a year older and wiser, so I want nothing to do with it, but Lilly is insistent she wants to meet Santa. So Mother, Father and me take her to this little Santa village with elves and reindeer and stuff, the while nine yards. We wait in line and Lilly goes right up and sits on Santa's lap. First thing she does? She feels his face.“ Akira's eyes light up and her hands shoot up in the air! “The poor sucker's wearing a fake beard and Lilly pulls it right off! She starts screaming, 'Imposter! Imposter! You're not Santa Claus! You're not Santa Claus at all!'“ Lilly hides her face in shame, covering her cheeks. I'm enraptured by the story and Hanako is equally dazed. “What happened?” I ask. “Oh, my Lord, Hisao, you have never seen so much pandemonium and chaos in your life! Every kid starts screaming and crying, parents are flipping out, reindeer are trying to escape and elves are running around trying to control everything! The poor Santa didn't know what to do! He hands Lilly back to Father and retreats with dozens of crying kids following him! Mother and Father take us away with Lilly screaming, 'My Daddy's a lawyer and he's going to sue you for this!'“ I hang my head and start laughing and Hanako rolls over onto her side, holding her ribs. Akira joins in and Lilly shudders, covering her face in embarrassment. She looks a little hurt, so I stifle it for her sake. “Lilly. Lilly, don't be upset,” I sputter a little. “Its okay, you were young, it's nothing to be embarrassed about.“ “It is something to be embarrassed about, Hisao. I ruined all those other children's Christmas because of my outburst.“ “You can't expect to be held to the same standard back then as you hold yourself to now. So what if you unmasked an imposter? On Christmas, all those kids still got presents from Santa, so of course he exists. It's nothing you should be ashamed of. It's actually a really cute story.“ Hanako sits up, straightening her nightgown, having been dislodged in her roll. “Lilly, it is. It's r-really cute.” Lilly is still pouting, but the compliment seems to assuage her injured pride. “Well, it is one of those little things you always remember and your parents insist on telling everyone when the time of year rolls around.“ “W-were they upset?” Hanako asks. “No, not at all. I believe Father wanted to act like what I did was a bad thing, but I never got in trouble for it. And honestly, he tells that story too often for it to have upset him greatly. I’m rather sure he’s actually fond of it.“ “Why wouldn’t he be? That's a great story to share. Besides, how many little girls are smart enough to threaten legal action for false advertising and impersonation at that age? He must have been impressed.“ Lilly turns red, no longer from the story, and dips her head gratefully. “Thank you, Hisao.” Akira finally makes an attempt to save the conversation from dying down, taking a long drag from her eggnog and smiling all the way through. Unfortunately, well... “Alright, Hisao! It’s only fair that you share something now since we are all in such a sharing mood.” She beams at me, her eyes closed with her pearly white teeth shining in the light of the dorm room. ...Yeah, that’s just extremely unfortunate, is all. I shift uncomfortably in my seat, blatantly killing the buzz that Akira had gotten going for herself, using all of my body language to avoid the topic. “There’s a problem with that, Akira. I don't really have any real holiday stories. They’re all bland. I spent most of the holiday on my own while my parents worked. Actually, I don't have any winter stories at all.” I shrug. “Minus one.” She glances at me curiously. “What, and you're not willing to share that single one with your friends?” Her smile returns, as she obviously believes in her attempt of persuasion. I shake my head and look down as my heart sinks, trying to fight back flooding memories from that wintry day with Iwanako. “It’s not a story that you want to know, trust me. It's not that’ it’s embarrassing or anything like that. It's not even amusing, just kind of sick. Trust me.” Lilly and Hanako’s blissful expressions drop into ones of concern, obviously uncomfortable, both of them understanding what I’m getting at. Luckily, and very surprisingly, Hanako interrupts the conversation. “Ch-Christmas time is about happiness and sh-sharing.” Akira swings her head out of confusion from the abrupt interjection from Hanako and blinks in confusion. She, thankfully, admits defeat on that one with a carefree shrug and turns her attention to Hanako. “Is that so? Do you have any stories to tell us then, Hanako?” Hanako fumbles one hand around the other, looking very out of place with the spotlight shining on her. “N-Not necessarily... I just f-feel like it’s a fun time to be together with f-friends and...” She trails off unexpectedly, but it leaves me feeling awfully terrible about what just happened, avoiding attention about my problems and throwing Hanako under the bus like that. I know exactly why she's stopped talking, and it’s not something that I’m willing, able or going to try and handle tonight. I’m not the only one who caught onto that hint, though, as Akira and Lilly’s expressions dropped from curiosity to slight worry. “It’s okay, Hanako. We don't have to talk about that right now. What do you ladies say we exchange some gifts?” And with that, three feminine faces light up like a Christmas tree. “I suppose that would be the proper thing to do at a time like this. Who would like to go first?” Lilly smiles at the three of us, obviously cheerful in the manner of the season. She reaches down and takes a sip of her tea, followed by a small sip from her glass of high spirit eggnog. I've been keeping an eye on her consumption and it's been pretty consistent along with Hanako. Akira jumps at the opportunity, taking out a decent sized box from behind her back, the one she had when she first arrived. My face turns red at the thought of what she could have gotten me. We organized it so that we only had to purchase a gift for one person; Akira and I buying for each other, while Lilly and Hanako did the same between themselves. I helped Lilly pick hers when she went into town recently, so I’m positive that Hanako will be very happy with it. My train of thought is broken as the box lands in my lap, Akira holding back a giggle as she takes a large gulp from her glass. “Go for it, Kid. I hope you like it!” I take advantage of the the invitation and tear into the wrapping paper, tossing it off towards the small trash can by the side of the room. I take the top off of the box in a hurry, just to be met with a sight that is unexpected, but certainly welcome. I pull the tie out from the box and hold it up in front of me. It has a pattern of red, white and green flasks, chemicals bubbling out from the top of them and creating an absolutely fantastic design. It's...so absurd! It's perfect! I look up at her, grinning from ear to ear, matching her own stupid grin. “I know you like science and all of that jazz, and your plain tie to your uniform was starting to bug me. So, I think it’s fair that I got you a new tie!” I look down at the strip of silk, surprised by how nice it is. It has theorems and formula and elements on it, all of which are factually accurate as far as I can tell. Oh, my God! It has the periodic table on it! Mutou is going to be so jealous when I go back to class! I stand up and wrap her in a hug, thankful for the kind gesture. She awkwardly returns it, somewhat groaning when I first went in for it, patting me reluctantly on the back. Hanako smiles at the gesture and Lilly giggles hearing her sister and guessing at my gratitude. “Thanks a lot, Akira.” Taking a minute to admire the tie, I take my own package, kept safely by my side through the evening and hand it to Akira, her eyes sparkling at the sight of it. “Here. It’s only fair that you open yours next, then.” Akira grins like a cat and I chuckle a bit as she rips into the small package like a kid, Hanako and Lilly also impressed by her will to get the packaging open so quickly. She pulls the top off of the somewhat small box, my smile not fading in the slightest as she holds the item up into the light. It reflects the light like it was pulled from the fires of heaven itself. The small flask, obviously antique, is treated by her like a sacred artifact. I bought it from that reliable store owned by the old man named Othello from the city. I figure if it's good enough for a Birthday, it should provide me plenty of options for Christmas. The old guy even recognized me and gave me a good deal on it since I was a repeat customer. I turn to Lilly as she smiles and nods in approval, her suggestion at the store reinforcing my conviction to buy it. Hanako covers up a bubbly giggle, hitting the halfway point of her second glass of eggnog. Akira then turns to me, raising an eyebrow at me. “What made you buy me a flask, huh Hisao?” I laugh at the question, the answer obvious to me at least. “Akira, honestly. You’re always drinking from cheap beer cans in public. I think it’s time for a little upgrade, don't you?” She rushes forward and wraps me in a tight hug, laughing the whole time and digging her knuckles into my hair with a sharp, but well meaning pain. After we part, she gives me a very rough and painful slap on the back, something that I should have been expecting for certain. “You did good, kid. I was sick of explaining myself whenever I enjoyed a drink. Very discrete, I like it. I think I'll even get it engraved.“ Akira slips the flask into her pocket, a satisfied sigh coming from her when she finds it fits perfectly. “Now,” she says with a clap of her hands, “I think it’s time we let these two fine ladies join in the on the fun a bit.” I nod my head in agreement as we both take our seats once again, Lilly pulling her gift out from underneath the table. “You two certainly made excellent choices for each other,” Lilly smiles at the two of us as Hanako nods her head in mutual agreement. “Y-Yeah, I don’t k-know if my gift will be t-that good...” I wince at her self doubt, giving her a little pat on the shoulder for reassurance and a nod. “I’m sure the gift you picked for Lilly will be great, Hanako.” She gives me a shy smile, sitting her gift on top of the table. She rubs her hands together anxiously, obviously excited to see what Lilly purchased for her. “Hanako, would you prefer to open them up one at a time? Or would you rather we both open our gifts together?” “T-Together would be okay...” The two of them grin with excitement as they mutually exchange the two gifts between each other, my eyes switching off between the two as they begin to tear into them. First to complete the removal of packaging is Hanako, her very reserved self-demeanor fading for a few moments as she tosses her scraps and box off to the side. She stares in amazement at the item, which happens to be a very very old copy of ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’ with leather covers and the distinct smell of old ink and paper. She hugs the book to her chest, excited to have the new reading material and appreciative of it's obvious quality. Before Hanako can even express her gratitude, Lilly finishes opening up her present, a small diamond shaped bottle of glass filled with a amber colored liquid and a set of three new ribbons for her hair: One violet, one crimson red and the last sky blue. Lilly holds the bottle in her hands, fingering it carefully, finding a small tube and bulb for spraying. “Its perfume, isn't it?” Hanako nods. “Yeah. It's the kind y-you like. I saw it on your nightstand once. I recognized what it smelled l-like at the store. I th-thought you would like it.“ “Thank you, Hanako. It's my favorite.” Lilly then runs her fingers over top of the set of ribbons, smiling as a light blush rises to her face. She’s obviously not very accustomed to Hanako giving her any form of a gift, that’s for sure. “They’re wonderful, Hanako. Thank you very much. If you don't mind me asking... what are they colored?” I respond for Hanako, listing off the three colors that had ran through my head along with an example for each one. Lilly smiles at me, turning her attention back to Hanako who happens to be looking down out of relief and embarrassment to the acceptance of her gift. “I truly appreciate it. Thank you, Hanako. I also hope that you haven't read that novel yet, but I got a little reassurance on that note when I purchased it.” She turns and throws a winks at me that misses, making me look away out of innocence and not having anything to do with it. “I h-haven’t. I’ve h-heard it’s a really g-good romance story, th-though...” She smiles and looks down at the cover for a moment before returning it back to the death grip hug against her chest. “I l-like Dumas. Thank you, Lilly.” Akira finally breaks her own silence, her cheeks a rose tint as she heads towards the bottom of her third eggnog concoction. “Those are some pretty good gifts, guys. I'd say this evening was a success. Wha’dya guys say we finish this stuff off? She wags around the container, only enough for maybe three glasses remaining. I smile at her, ready for my second glass. “I don't see why not. Nothing else could possibly be going on this evening, right?” The three women in the room smile at me, two of them passing their empty glasses over to Akira as I follow suit. I clear my throat, as there’s something that has been lingering in the back of my mind since a little after I arrived at the party. All three girls quit their chatter and give me curious glances. “I just want to say that I really appreciate all of you for doing this kind of thing. It just feels great to know I have some important and special people in my life once again, even if I’ve known that for a while. I'd like to thank you for being my friends.” I smile at a very special girl, one who means the world to me.. “And more.” I raise my glass towards the center of the table as do Akira, Hanako and Lilly, though Lilly struggled to catch on to the toast at first. “Cheers!” I say. “Cheers!” ---------------------------------------- Lilly's Route: Memories of Winter: http://pastebin.com/A299dAXy Hanako's Route: Home For The Holidays: http://pastebin.com/8u73wkRf