"Kumiko, Kumiko!"
To her upperclassman's loud callings, the euphonium player spun around, nearly dropping the instrument in her arms.
"Oh, Natsuki-senpai. What's up?" replied Kumiko, a smile forming on her face from looking at the second-year's outfit. Natsuki was wearing an elf hat that clashed with her uniform colors but managed to pull it off like she always did. She tended to hype up Christmas more than it should be, but it wasn't like the brunette was complaining. She loved the holiday just as much as the second-year, but she'd much rather just spend it alone with her special someone than go around the halls yelling at everyone.
"You're missing something, Oumae-san!" Natsuki claimed before plopping an oversized Santa hat onto the younger girl. Kumiko stumbled a little due to the fact that she now couldn't see at all, for the hat covered all the way to her nose.
"N-Natsuki-senpai! Take-"
The hat suddenly became very heavy. Kumiko shut up, feeling her upperclassman's hand pat her head twice.
"Keep that on, young one," the second-year spoke in a low voice, "You look great, even if you can't see and no one else can see your face."
"You do know it's only the first of December, right?" Kumiko asked. She couldn't tell if the second-year had reacted or not. The hat was starting to itch on her nose, and the amber-eyed girl longed to brush the festive hat out of her face but unfortunately had no hands to spare. It was times like this when the younger euphonium player wished she had a third arm.
"It's never too late to celebrate Christmas! Anyways, Kumiko, just keep it on. We've gotta spread the cheer!"
"Wait, Natsuki-senpai," Kumiko called and turned blindly to where (she supposed) Natsuki was, unknowingly speaking towards a wall instead of her upperclassman. "Help me put my euph back. I can't walk with this hat on me, so I'll keep it on if you do it."
"I'm over here," Natsuki said behind her. Kumiko turned blindly again, bumping into her upperclassman with her euphonium. The second-year grunted but caught the instrument just fine. "Don't worry, Kumiko. I'll get it to its rightful place. But in return," Natsuki paused, waiting for the younger girl to disorientedly brush the hat out of her face. "You've got to keep that on."
"For the whole day?"
"Take it home with you, actually, if you want."
Kumiko nodded hesitantly, the hat falling over her face again. Her upperclassman burst into laughter that trailed away as she left. Sighing, the brunette contemplated taking off the hat. It was quite warm, which was the only factor that kept the oversized piece of cloth on her head.
Reina couldn't help herself.
No. Not at all.
She kept looking at Kumiko and her ridiculous hat throughout practice and wasn't focused at all. Natsuki was wearing a green elf hat, but she stood to the side and wasn't that distracting. Her girlfriend was so disturbing that it even caused her to be chastised by Taki-sensei for a bit.
Even during sectional practice, Kumiko's cute figure was embedded in her mind, making her forget all of the notes. Her upperclassmen had pulled her to the side and asked her if something was wrong, but Reina couldn't possibly tell them that it was something as silly as her euphonium player of a girlfriend in a Santa hat.
Now they were walking towards the train stations hand in hand, and the trumpeter still couldn't get over the fact that Kumiko looked just so cute in her hat (or was it Natsuki's? She had been pestering different people in the hallways to spread "Christmas cheer," after all). She sighed, feeling the warmth of her breath disappearing in seconds.
"It's only the beginning of December, and you're celebrating Christmas? It's too early now, isn't it?" The trumpeter spoke, her words a puff of white in the air. She could feel the snow soaking her shoes and condemned herself for not wearing boots. Kumiko giggled suddenly, an adorably wanton smile plastered on her face.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, everywhere you go~" the euphonium player sang, jumping forwards and twirling in a circle. The hat decided that it was a good time to fall and covered Kumiko's face. She tripped over herself clumsily, eliciting a small giggle from Reina.
The trumpeter paused in her tracks as Kumiko ran back towards her, jumping on her shoulders with a force that nearly knocked her over. "Continue it, continue it!" exclaimed Kumiko. Reina pried the euphonium player off of her, a definite smile appearing because of her girlfriend's childish acts.
"Come on, Reina!" pleaded the brunette again. The black-haired girl buckled, finally singing the next lines quietly.
"Take a look at the five and ten, glistening once again, with candy canes and silver lanes aglow."
Kumiko pulled Reina forwards, making them twirl together. The trumpeter let a chuckle out, playfully dancing with the euphonium player in the snow as she continued to sing.
"But the prettiest sight to see," Kumiko stopped dancing and simply held Reina in her arms, "Is this beauty in front of me," the euphonium player stepped closer. The Santa hat reflected Reina's cheeks on a more intense level. The trumpeter could feel her heart thumping in her chest. She felt strangely warm, even though she was cold just three seconds ago. Her girlfriend's smart twist of lyrics surprised her with warmth to no end.
"And I love you so."
Immediately after the euphonium player finished, Reina leaned up and kissed her silent. She loved her dorky girlfriend, however insensible and however frustrating she could be. They stood on the sidewalk, oblivious to all else, just enjoying the moment. The two broke away a while later but still stayed close to each other.
Kumiko laid her forehead on her girlfriend's head, gently pecking the tip of it. Her hat was on the brink of falling from her head, Reina hugged the euphonium player, burying her face in the taller girl's chest.
"Love you too," Reina whispered into Kumiko's shirt.
a/n: december is the best. christmas is my favorite holiday. have any of you heard earth, wind, and fire's holiday edition "september"?
i was listening to michael buble so you know where that inspiration came from.
natsuki is me