Junichi Tachibana sat isolated in stillness and silence within the confines of his homeroom. The vibrant yellow sun was setting in the distance, pouring its rays and colors through the large classroom windows to his left. It was the winter of Junichi's senior year of high school and his final Sousetsai festival. He sat still deep in thought and introspect.

Junichi's romantic life throughout high school had been in shambles. It all started when he was stood up on that Christmas Eve all those years ago. Since then, Junichi had tried six different opporunites. Kouhais, Senpais, his class rep, his childhood friends...he was intertwined at some point with them all, however they all failed unfortunately. There were no long lasting down sides, however he was left almost as distraught as his closest friend, Umehara-kun.

Now as he pondered his failed romance attempts, Tachibana Junichi began to think of the upcoming Sousetsai festival, and of all the high school couples of his fellow classmates that would be present.

"Would be nice," he sighed. "So this is what it's like to be chronically single..."

"You have no idea!" He heard a voice from just outside the door.

As he looked toward the door, in stepped his homeroom teacher, Takahashi-sensei.

Both we kind of taken aback.

"Eh, Tachibana-kun?" she asked, setting down her stack of papers.

"Takahashi-sensei..."

"What's wrong , Tachibana-kun?" she asked.

"Oh nothing much," Junichi replied meekly.

"You sure? You seem down."

Junichi remained silent.

Maya Takahashi too has had a reasonably stagnant, lonely romance life...it was known throughout the school, even joked about among the student population.

Takahashi-sensei pulled up a chair in front of Junichi's desk and sat before him. The door to the classroom was shut. She placed her elbows in the desk and rested her head in her elevated palms.

"What's wrong Tachibana-kun, its the end of the semester, you should be in high spirits! Or, very stressed for university exams," she began.

Junichi remained silent.

"Are you love sick?" she pried further.

He sighed, "I admit it kinda sucks having no luck."

"Well even so, its the Christmas season! Shouldn't you be excited of the holiday season? Come on Tachibana-kun. Be joyful!" she encouraged.

"Christmas time, for me hasn't been the joyful time it is for most people."

He went on to explain why he had such a negative relationship with Christmas season, starting with his abandonment on a very important Christmas date. His most significant attempt with a girl, with the class president, Ayatsuji Tsukasa, had also been shattered by the Sousetsai committee duties also on the Christmas season. All of it accumulated to how Junichi was now.

Takahashi-sensei could only feel added layers of sympathy for him as he went on. She subconsciously had found herself supporting Junichi in his attempts at romance at every step.

When he finally finished, he decided to poke around with his teacher as well. 'What about you, Takahashi-sensei? what about your romance life? I'm sure you can relate."

"Eh?!" Maya lit up at this question, "I-I am totally fine! I have been successful in my career doing what I love as a teacher helping my students! I couldn't care about such things!"

Junichi pulled his head on a swivel and shot Maya a blank look of disbelief, even raising one eye brow.

"Takahashi-sensei, there wouldn't be anything for others to rumor about, if there really was nothing at all." Junichi plainly stated.

Maya sighed. She continued to support her head with one arm, while her right was placed to the desktop. Lightly, she began tapping her index finger on the wood surface of the desk. She stared at her hand at the location where a ring finger would be..one of these days."

"Well Tachibana-kun, sad truth is..they're all true. I too have had no success. I had always, even since my high school days have been a workaholic. I always prioritized my work and pushed people, even the guys that had taken interest in me away. In a way you could relate to, I was very similar to Ayatsuji-san as a student at this school."

Junichi listened avidly to a look into Takahashi-sensei's past.

"As my university days rolled around, the guys in my class had essentially labelled me as work centered, and soon the boys who had come from other high schools, and even a good amount of girls had also passed over me and had just left me to my own devices. And so on and so forth all the til now."

She paused and looked at him with a remorseful look.

"So Tachibana-kun, to answer your question, no I too have been unsuccessful. I've never had a boyfriend and have no idea what that wonder is like."

Junichi had almost been satisfied in his curiosity, however one bigger question still remained.

"Sensei, have you ever...well... Have you ever kissed someone?"

Maya suddenly ceased tapping her thumb and pointer finger. Her body shuffled a little.

"No," she solemnly answered, "I have never kissed anyone."

Junichi sighed, "Neither have I."

Both of them let out a heavy sigh.

The clock ticked away. Each tick, the heavy beat of a heart was felt. The air in the classroom remained stale. You could hear a pin drop. The sun was low in the sky and now a deep shade of orange flooded the classroom, pouring in through the large panes of windows. It seemed like an eternity of silence before-

"Takahashi-sensei," Junichi spoke.

She raised her face to level to respond to him when suddenly-

Chu

Junichi pressed his lips to hers.

Despite the cool conditioning of the room by the AC unit, the both of them felt...warm.