Kotori: Hi everyone~ Did you all buy presents for your loved ones yet?
Eli: No we haven't.
Kotori: E-Eli-chan... you're not supposed to respond.
Eli: But it's true though, the author hasn't bought anything too.
Kotori: That's because she's not a Christian. (Which can be supported by the fact that only her Christian relatives actually give presents on Christmas)
Eli: And you are one? Strange, I was under the impression that most Japanese practice Shintoism... and the reason why people give presents on Christmas is to remind themselves of the presents Jesus Christ received from the Wise Men.
Kotori: ... I-I correct my previous statement. Enya-chan doesn't buy anything as she doesn't celebrate Christmas, and sees no purpose in giving anyone something that they may not like. (Eeeeeeh, if it was Honoka-chan she'll be like 'oh I see'...)
Eli: And the fact that she chose to remain at home while her family is overseas may be another factor?
Kotori: That would ring true if she didn't find our at the last second that she would be whisked away to Japan and is now currently in Yokohama. Anyways Eli-chan, we probably should start now?
Eli: Okay, I'll do it. The author doesn't own anything.
XXXXXX
"Thank you very much for your purchase!" Eli called out, a bright smile on her face as she saw a customer off. Eli was working part-time as she wanted to gain some experience to prepare herself for the working world. Due to the fact that she was a school idol and was preparing for her entrance exams, she chose a part-time job that allowed flexible hours.
"You're something Ayase-san, don't you have exams soon?" An older woman asked, her grey hair falling in front of her face. "I really should bring a hair clip next time..."
"Oh I think I have one, I could lend it to you if you like?" Eli offered, chuckling at the woman's grumbling. The woman, Rui Tamashi, was one of her co-workers, and was recently unemployed until now due to personal reasons at her previous job occupation.
"No need, thanks for offering." Rui sighed, glancing at her watch. "I hate it when Christmas rolls around, the customers triple within an hour. Desserts sure are popular huh?"
"I suppose, it's a favourite on such a romantic holiday..." Eli replied, glancing at a cheesecake. The cake reminded her of a certain someone she had a crush on since her second year, which caused her to blush at the thought.
"Speaking of romance, you're thinking of your boyfriend aren't you?" Rui asked, an amused smile on her face. Eli snapped out of her thoughts, and immediately denied the accusation.
"No I'm not! I don't have one, idols aren't allowed to date anyways."
"Not even school idols?"
"I hope you're not implying that school idols are inferior to professional idols."
"Of course not Ayase-san, I wouldn't dream of it." Rui laughed lightly, as though Eli had told a grand joke. "Why are you so fascinated with cheesecake anyways?"
"They're fluffy, and I guess there's this rich feeling that envelops your body?"
"Huh, that'll be a scandal alright. You're lucky that I'm just a normal woman instead of some paparazzi."
"... Why would that be a scandal?"
"Looking at cheesecake photographs isn't something that fans would want to hear you doing." Eli blinked, and after a quick search on the internet, she gasped in horror. "Ahahaha! You have some amusing reactions Ayase-san!"
"D-Don't suggest such nonsense! Stop laughing already!"
"Alright alright, I get it. You have a crush on Minami-san and looking at her favourite food reminds you of her." Rui commented, causing Eli to sputter in shock. "It's on magazines you know, the part about Minami-san liking cheesecakes that is."
"H-How..."
"Uh... It's obvious? Like how you went to the shrine and prayed that she'll like you back-"
"How did you know that?!"
"And how secretly bought merchandise solely of her-"
"That's something you shouldn't have known!"
"And how you made a plush of you kiss a plush of her-"
"ARE YOU A STALKER?! THAT LAST BIT WAS SOMETHING I ONLY DID IN SCHOOL!" Eli cried out, shuddering at the thought her co-worker was stalking her.
"Elichi~" Eli turned her attention to the entrance, where both Nozomi and Nico were standing at. "Oh and if it isn't Tamago-chan!"
"Nozomi... and Nico? What brings you here?" Eli asked, surprised to see her two friends at the shop she was working at. Of course she'll be even more surprised if it was anyone else, considering that only those two knew about her job. "We're selling some strawberry tarts for Christmas if Nico's interested."
"Sounds interesting. Anyways, what's with all that shouting Rui?" Nico eyed Rui, who had a smirk on her face. Eli blinked, she didn't recall introducing her co-worker to anyone from school.
"Oh nothing, just teasing Ayase-san."
"Ooh sounds scandalous~ Elichi, what naughty things are you doing behind Kotori-chan's back?" Nozomi teased, playfully touching Eli's shoulders.
"Naughty?! If that's your definition of creepy, then yes, she's narrating to me how I prayed at the shrine so that Kotori will like me back, how much Kotori-only stuff I bought and the fact that-"
"You plush kissed Kotori plush? Yeah we told her that." Nico interrupted, a blank look on her face. "What, don't tell me you thought that she's your stalker or something."
"... Um." Eli didn't dare to look at her co-worker in the eye, not when Nico had provided a reasonable explanation that- "Wait a minute, you two know her personally?!"
"I know Tamago-chan at the shrine."
"And Rui's my neighbour."
"... Oh." Eli gulped, within a day she had cause a series of misunderstandings that Rui was thankfully not holding against her. "Uh, sorry about that."
"It's alright really, now I wonder if the Christmas cakes you two ordered are ready..." Rui went into the kitchen, while the trio waited. Eli fidgeted, the silence in the air was a bit too awkward for her liking, but she was at work so she wasn't allowed to talk much with customers.
"... Soooo Elichi, when are ya gonna confess to Kotori-chan?" Nozomi asked, a wide grin plastered on her face.
'Never mind, I think awkward silence is better than talking about how to confess to Kotori.'
XXXXXX
"How to win someone's heart? Kotori, why are you asking me this?" Kotori's mother asked, a surprised look on her face. She knew that she wasn't the best person to go to for romantic advice, so surely there was someone more equipped to answer her daughter's questions. "Maybe you should try asking Tojo-san, she seems more knowledgeable in that aspect."
"Mom, you're married."
"Allow me to remind you that I'm also divorced."
"You married Dad, so you should be able to answer my questions!"
"For starters, he was the one winning me over. Not the other way around."
"You married him, therefore you loved him."
"That's because I was pushed into it by my parents."
"... I'm not going to go anywhere with this right?" Kotori asked with a defeated tone, to which her mother nodded regretfully. "I guess I'll just have to be honest then."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The person I like is a square, and you're the closest square I could think of that won't collapse into a blushing mess like Umi-chan. So please advise me on winning her heart." Kotori asked again, a serious look on her face.
"... I'm not sure whether I should be horrified at the fact that you know what does the term 'square' means, or mad that you called me one."
"Wait, calling some a square is an insult?"
"Kotori, you just called me dull, rigidly conventional, and out of touch with current trends. You really didn't know that you've been calling me such?"
"I thought it means honest, traditional and loyal. Eli-chan isn't traditional of course but she's certainly honest and loyal."
"I'm not traditional either. Nevertheless, I should reiterate the fact that I'm not the person you should be consulting with regards to romance." Kotori's mother sighed, getting up from the sofa. "With that, good night."
"Aw man, who's the closest to Eli-chan in personality now...?" Kotori groaned, going towards her room. "Maybe I should play that dating sim again, there's a serious one in there after all..."
"Okay never mind I'm going to advise you after all!" Her mother yelled, stopping Kotori before she entered her bedroom. "I don't want a repeat of what happened in middle school!"
"Repeat what?"
"You kissing the characters in that simulator!"
"I wasn't planning on kissing them this time though? Besides, I kissed the computer screen, not the virtual characters themselves."
"Doesn't matter! Now go back to the damn sofa while I look up on advice about dating squares!"
"Mom, you just said that it's an insult. And I can simply do that in my own room..."
"I don't care! I'm not running the risk of you actually attempting to ask a virtual character out on a date!"
"Mooooom, I'm over Dia-chan already!"
"Don't remind me of her! Are student council presidents your type or something?!"
"If that was the case, then I would be attracted to you too." An awkward silence descended in the Minami household, with the older Minami furiously tapping on her phone a second later and hurling it to one corner of the room after discovering that no such advice exists.
"... Okay so step one is to not cause trouble. Especially for her."
"I'm starting to think that dating sims have much better advice than you Mom."
"I agree, but I don't want another trip to a psychologist."
"... What's step two?"
"Be yourself."
"... Want to play that dating sim together with me?"
"... Okay."
XXXXXX
"Has anyone ever told you that you have an unhealthy reliance on dating simulators?" Kotori frowned at the person sitting opposite her, her emerald eyes glinting with amusement under a cafe's dim lighting. "Oh my, no need to attack me now."
"Tsubasa-san, I don't think you're in any position to question my choices seeing as you're consulting someone who, as you have phrased it, 'have an unhealthy reliance on dating simulators'." Tsubasa groaned, it wasn't her fault that she sucked so bad at dating. Erena and Anju proved to be useless, if them making out when Tsubasa was asking them about how to ask someone out said anything about it.
"Fiiine, I apologise for riling you up. How's it going with Ayase-san, found a way to confess yet?"
"Not really, I had plans to invite her over for a Christmas party but I feel bad for leaving the rest out..."
"I think the rest would be busy over dates, minus a certain square that I so happen to love."
"Speaking of squares, Mom nearly freaked out when I used that term. You didn't tell me that it had a negative connotation."
"Honestly? I thought you knew, since it originated during the 20th century."
"And you're calling Umi-chan that."
"I meant it in a positive way, though I guess she fits more into the negative aspect..."
"... You're certainly not how you portrayed to us when we first met." Tsubasa chuckled, sipping her cup of tea that had already went cold long before she commented on Kotori's use of dating sims... and promptly gagging it out a second later.
"Gah! Oh yucks, this tastes terrible now that it's cold!" Tsubasa coughed, wiping her mouth with the paper napkin provided. "Well, idols have to be role models after all. Don't tell me you expect me to broadcast to the whole country that I'm money-minded?"
"You are?"
"Of course not! I'm not hard up for cash! That was an example, a realistic one if I may add." Tsubasa eyed Kotori, silently noting that Kotori was more of the literal type. "Anyways, Christmas is around the corner, so you better act fast."
"That should be applied to yourself, considering that you don't have much interaction with Umi-chan."
"Indeed, but I think I'll get my chance this coming Thursday." Kotori frowned, taking a sip of her own tea before proceeding to splash it on Tsubasa. "Hey! What gives?!"
"Like what you've just said, it tastes disgusting now that it's cold." Kotori replied, sticking her tongue out in disgust. "Next time, let's just order some juice..."
"... I suppose that's a suggestion I would take it to heart the next time we meet up." Tsubasa said, standing up from her seat. "I hope to be pleasantly surprised on Thursday."
"Likewise Tsubasa-chan." Kotori replied, standing up and making her way to the door. Tsubasa smiled, though she certainly would prefer another person to talk over tea, she also knew that Kotori was the best option for their situations were somewhat relatable.
"Now, how should I go about making conversation with Sonoda-san?" Tsubasa muttered to herself as she sat back down onto her seat, reaching out for a pen and a notepad in her bag, possibly to jot down ideas for her confession. 'How tricky... I may be forced to enlist Kotori's help at this rate...'
XXXXXX
"Hey Umi-chan, do you have plans on the 25th?" Kotori asked Umi, a smile on her face as she waited patiently for her best friend's answer.
"Christmas? I confess I don't, why do you ask?" Umi replied, with Kotori giggling away. "Kotori, what's so funny?"
"Oh nothing, just thought that you may have a date on that day. You're pretty popular after all!" Umi blushed at Kotori's teasing, with the latter glancing at her phone. "Ah, go on ahead without me for a bit. I need to text someone."
"Your lover?" Umi asked, attempting to tease Kotori. Kotori shrugged, shooing Umi away with a wave of her hand.
Minamibird: [She's free on 25, what are u gonna do though?]
Kirakira: [Ask her out for coffee?]
Minamibird: [I did NOT ask for her plans on that day just so you could ask her out for a drink!]
Kirakira: [Then what the hell do you want ME to do?! 'Accidentally' bump into her on Christmas?!]
Minamibird: [Oh that's a plan, I'll set you up!]
Kirakira: [Kotori, no.]
Minamibird: [Kotori yes.]
Kirakira: [... At least tell me the location afterwards.]
"She's surprisingly compliant, figured that she'll put up more of a resistance..." Kotori commented, not regretting the moment when she asked for Tsubasa's number after she offered the option for Muse to dance on UTX's rooftop.
"Resistance to what?" Kotori jumped upon hearing the voice, quickly jumping away from the source. "Haha, no need to be alarmed now."
"E-Eli-chan! Good morning, fancy seeing you here!" Kotori greeted, her voice trembling just at the mere sight of her crush. 'Please say that she's not behind you, I would love to talk to you for a bit even though I'll end up in a mess soon enough!'
"Good morning, and why wouldn't I be here? You're standing outside the school gate after all." Eli pointed out, which embarrassed Kotori.
"Ahaha, right right! Where's Nozomi-chan?" Kotori wanted to dig a hole and hide from Eli, but not only would that look bad but also she lacked digging resources. 'This is so embarrassing... where's a hole when I need one?!'
"She's running late. With Honoka." Eli replied, her punctuated words veiling the reason of Nozomi's lateness. Not like it was well-hidden anyways. "Where's Umi?"
"O-Oh, she's in front. By the way Eli-chan, how's your... um, job?" Kotori asked, making Eli turn as pale as a sheet. 'Wow, I didn't know that Eli-chan could be whiter than she usually is...'
"H-How did you..."
"I-I overheard it in the clubroom...?" Kotori responded, deciding that she wouldn't reveal that Tsubasa had stalked Eli for a while in order to repay Kotori a favour. 'Thank god I helped A-RISE secure that cloth material for their costumes...'
"I-I see. Don't tell Umi though, the competition is coming up in two days... and I know I haven't been attending all the practices..." Eli begged, her cerulean eyes turning watery. Kotori blinked, for all she knew, Umi was singing praises about Eli despite not attending all of the practice sessions. To top it all off, Eli had entrance exams this year. Kotori inwardly sighed in admiration, Eli's time-management skills were something she truly admired and respected.
"Don't worry, that'll be our secret. With a few others of course." Kotori giggled, placing a finger to her lip in a teasing manner. Eli let out a soft groan, which made Kotori giggle even more. 'Eli-chan's really too cute to be described in mere words~!'
XXXXXX
"Care to tell me what was that just now?" Kotori asked, stomping away from Tsubasa, who was not the least bit concerned of the turn in developments. Kotori, Umi and Eli were leaving school together as the others had their own business to go about, not the least bit aware of Tsubasa waiting outside the school gate. Once they had passed the school gate, Tsubasa had approached Kotori and held the latter's arm suggestively, dragging Kotori away from her friends after sending them a mischievous wink. After turning around a corner, Kotori had promptly slapped the idol leader which resulted in the current situation. "I can't believe you just did that in front of Eli-chan! Now she's going to get the wrong idea!"
"That's the plan you dummy. Shouldn't you test the waters first? Getting yourself rejected is painful you know." Tsubasa replied, rubbing her sore cheek. "You sure have a strong palm, practice a lot?"
"Tsubasa-chan, I was planning to confess to her on Thursday! Now look at what you've done! It's going to be super awkward now that you've gone and done it!" Kotori yelled back, raising her hand and threatening to slap Tsubasa a second time. "You're the worst!"
"Look, I don't see the problem with it. Besides, she's clearly into girls so you should just go for it like any other confession."
"That's not the issue!"
"It isn't? Oh yeah, Ayase-san was checking you out as I dragged you away. Her eyes were mainly on your back, which I have to admit, you do have a slender back."
"I- Wait, what?" Kotori stopped her yelling and started to pay more attention to Tsubasa's sentences. "R-Repeat that."
"I said that Ayase-san was checking you out when I dragged you away, and her eyes were on your back the whole time until we turned round the corner." Tsubasa repeated, offering Kotori a breezy smile. "Seems like you're not the only one who's interested after all."
"I... That would be great... but it could be directed at you for all I know!" Kotori protested, relieved that there was a possibility that her crush felt the same way.
"Nah, not at me, you. She kind of shot me a few glares as I brought you over here, so she's totally into you." Tsubasa explained, clapping on Kotori's shoulder. "Good for you Kotori."
"Y-Yeah! I-It is a good thing!" Kotori did her best not to squeal in front of Tsubasa but did so anyway. She stopped however, upon remembering that Umi was also with them when it happened. "Hold on... what about Umi-chan? Doesn't this ruin your chances of confessing to her?"
"I can make it work. I mean, you're setting me up with her on Thursday right?" Kotori nodded, which made Tsubasa crack a grin. "I'm Tsubasa Kira, the pinnacle of charisma. Charming her would be a breeze!"
"... I hope it goes well for your sake." Kotori wanted to apologise for dumping all her worries on Tsubasa, but decided not to as Tsubasa would simply brush Kotori's apology aside, hurting herself even more. 'Tsubasa-chan...'
"Welp, time to get going! Text me the details for Thursday so I can meet up with Sonoda-san!" Tsubasa waved goodbye to Kotori, even going as far as skipping back home. Kotori knew that Tsubasa was just trying to hide her pain, but she was determined to make it right for the one person who had helped her so much, even going as far as to ruin her own chances with Umi.
'I'll make it right Tsubasa-chan, I won't let what you did for me today ruin your chance with Umi-chan!'
XXXXXX
"I'm sorry, what?" Umi asked, couldn't believe what she was hearing. It wasn't that she was just told that someone close to her was gravely injured in some freak accident, but it was something that Umi still couldn't believe. "Kotori, you're not dating Kira-san?"
"Like I said, I'm not dating her! Anyways, what is your answer to my question just now?" Kotori's frustrated voice crackled through the receiver, the signal getting weaker due to a heavy downpour throughout the whole of Tokyo.
"I... A-Are you sure there's nothing going on between you two?" Umi pressed, she didn't want her hopes to be raised all for nothing. "I mean, you two were acting very intimate today... and she was waiting for you outside the school gate!"
"Okay fine, I can't deny that she waited for me outside the gate. But believe me when I say that there's nothing going on between the two of us! She was just trying to help me confirm if Eli-chan likes me!"
"Eli? What does she have to do with anything?"
"I like her, in a romantic way. Sorry for not telling you earlier, you're terrible at keeping these kind of secrets to yourself..."
"O-Oh... I see..." Umi paused, so that was why Tsubasa smirked upon seeing Eli glare at her with such intensity... 'I can't believe I thought that Kira-san was two-timing Eli with Kotori...'
"Hello? Umi-chan, can you hear me?"
"Yes, I can. And um, regarding your question about what I think about Kira-san... I-I've always wanted to get to know her better under a more personal setting, b-but she's not the type who'll give me the time of the day to do that...!"
"Umi-chan, I guarantee you that it's far from the opposite. Tsubasa-chan is very friendly, in fact she reminds me of a puppy. Don't ever tell her that if you see her though, I'll never hear the end of it."
"Consider that done. Does Honoka know about your crush towards Eli?" Umi asked, realising that Honoka hadn't been spending time with them of late. "Or to be more specific, does anyone in the group know about it?"
"I'm positive that Nozomi-chan knows about us by now. Maybe Nico-chan too. The rest, not really."
"Nozomi and Nico... doesn't that mean that Eli knows about your crush towards her by now?"
"They're not the type to reveal such matters to the person in question, so trust them a little Umi-chan. Oh by the way, can I meet up with you on Christmas? Thing is, I wanna give you your Christmas present but I have to get ready for a Christmas party..."
"That's perfectly fine with me. What time do you want to meet up?"
"Hmm... does 10 am outside the station work for you?"
"It's settled then. By the way, who's attending your Christmas party? Is it by any chance your family members?" The line went silent, and Umi was worried that the call was disconnected due to the lack of signal. "Kotori? Are you still there?"
"Ahaha, yeah about that... I was planning on inviting Eli-chan so that we could celebrate together but I'm not too sure if she had already made plans with Alisa-chan..."
"You could just ask. Or you can make it a d-date..." Umi figured that a party for two would be really awkward, but Kotori should be able to pull it off... maybe.
"Hey yeah, I can just ask her out for dinner at my place! Why didn't I think of that? Thanks Umi-chan, look forward to your present on Thursday!" The call ended, leaving Umi with static. Umi placed the receiver back on its shelf, prompting her to return to her own room to do some revision. However, she couldn't as the mere thought of Tsubasa reduced her brain to mush.
'Urgh, why must Kotori ask me about Kira-san?! Now I can't get her out of my head...'
XXXXXX
"I can't believe it, Kotori just asked me if I wanted to have dinner with her on Christmas! Alisa, you're staying over at Yukiho's right?" Eli sported a silly grin, giggling away creepily like a love-struck person... which she currently was.
"Yeah, what you said. Have you given her a reply yet?" Alisa asked, lifting up one side of her headphones. Eli shook her head, still acting as though she was told she would receive a year's supply of chocolate. "You better reply her before she thinks that you're not interested."
"On it!" Eli couldn't believe that it was happening, she was worried that she would spend her Christmas alone while her crush would be on a romantic Christmas date with Tsubasa. The mere thought of Tsubasa made her blood boil, especially that smirk sent her way. 'Wait wait wait, is Kira-san joining her for dinner too?! I better ask...'
Eli Ayase: [I would love to join you for dinner on Christmas! By the way, will anyone else be at the dinner besides the two of us?]
Minamibird: [Would you like anyone else to join us? ^8^]
Eli Ayase: [Oh no, I was referring to your family! So, I take it that it will just be the two of us?]
Minamibird: [At my place, yes!]
Minamibird: [Unless you feel that just the two of us is awkward then I guess I could ask someone else...]
Eli Ayase: [No, I'm perfectly fine with just the two of us!]
Eli Ayase: [Do you want to exchange presents on that day? I know the rest planned to do it on Wednesday, but since you've already made plans I feel that I should ask...]
Minamibird: [Oh that's a wonderful idea! Let's do it on Christmas itself!]
Minamibird: [Is 6.30 at your house good with you?]
Eli Ayase: [My house?]
Minamibird: [Yep! I want to pick you up, or is that too troublesome?]
Eli Ayase: [Perfectly fine, I was just confirming. I look forward to it!]
Minamibird: [Me too!]
"It's just like a date. It's just like a freaking date! Alisa, what should I wear on that day?!" Eli panicked, with Alisa facepalming in the background.
"It's in three days. God, how did I end up with such a useless sister..."
XXXXXX
"Mom, can you not come back home on Christmas?" Kotori asked, an innocent smile on her face. The person in question choked on her coffee, shocked by Kotori's sudden request. "Oh, is that not polite enough?"
"That's what you find wrong with your request?! Kotori, where do you expect me to stay on that day?!" Kotori's mother asked, coughing in the process.
"I don't know, a hotel?"
"Kotori, what on earth is the occasion such that I'm barred from my own house?"
"I'm inviting Eli-chan over for dinner." Kotori plainly stated, not batting an eyelash. Her mother took a moment to consider her daughter's request, in deep thought for around five minutes before giving her reply.
"Unless you're telling me you plan to get her in bed, I don't see why I should be locked out of my own house."
"You're a light bulb."
"Excuse me?"
"It means that you're a third-wheel by the way."
"Excuse me?!"
"I'm not standing in your way though?"
"Young lady, how dare you call your own mother a third wheel!" Kotori's mother fumed, the younger Minami innocently whistling away. "Don't you dare play innocent with me here!"
"I mean, I can't actually force you to leave so I figured that you can simply stay with us. Just that things would be super awkward..."
"... Fine, I will allow you to spend Christmas alone with Ayase-san. On one condition." Kotori groaned, there was always a catch whenever she made deals with her. "You will ensure that the house is spick and span when I get home on Friday."
"Suuuuure, just don't come back on Friday midnight. That's basically coming in on Christmas."
"Very well, have fun preparing for your... plans while I find myself a place to stay on Christmas." Kotori's mother huffed, leaving Kotori alone in the living room. Kotori felt bad that she had to kick her mother out on a holiday, but she only had one chance to confess to Eli and it was on Thursday.
'Alright, the dinner's all planned out! Now to get Tsubasa-chan with Umi-chan...'
XXXXXX
"Uh, so why am I here with you? It's 9.30 am. On Christmas." Tsubasa asked, shivering slightly as she pulled up her scarf. "You even asked me to wear a decent set of clothes, what's the occasion?"
"Hold on..." Kotori pulled out a hairband with a ribbon attached to it, handing it to Tsubasa. "Okay, put this on."
"What? No!"
"Just do it!"
"Why?! My forehead is exposed enough already thank you very much!"
"You should have thought about it before getting such a haircut!"
"It was a mistake!"
"What was a mistake?" Umi stepped out of the train station, coming face to face with Tsubasa. "K-Kira-san! I-I didn't expect to see you here!"
"Umi-chan! Perfect timing, here's your Christmas present! A date with Tsubasa-chan!" Kotori beamed, running into the station. "Have fun!"
"K-Kotori?! Wait!" Umi yelled, with Kotori conveniently ignoring her. Umi groaned, turning to face Tsubasa, who looked amused. "So uh... Kira-san, what lie did Kotori tell you to come here?"
"Well, she said that she'll make my Christmas wish come true. She also said that I need to ask a question in order for it to be fully granted." Tsubasa shrugged, not minding Umi's blush. Hell, she was probably turning red too but Umi's not the type to notice.
"Oh?"
"Yeah... so... will you go out with me? Like, I'm cool if you just want to hang out together for today and remain friends afterwards... but I would prefer it if we can hang out as girlfriends?" Umi's vision blurred, fainting from shock afterwards. "S-Sonoda-san?! Can you hear me?! Sonoda-san!"
'Kotori, this is the best Christmas present ever. I humbly thank you for making my life complete.'
"Oh my god, why aren't you breathing?!" Tsubasa continued to worry over Umi, going as far as to prepare CPR on her. "D-Don't die!"
XXXXXX
"Sorry for imposing! Kotori, are you sure the principal won't mind?" Eli asked, gingerly stepping into Kotori's apartment.
"Oh don't worry, she's busy so she's not gonna come back for Christmas!" Kotori dismissed Eli's worries, a bright smile on her face. 'I'm not going to tell her that mom is busy looking for a place to stay the night because of this...'
"Oh wow, did you make all this? I already know that you're a great cook but I didn't expect you to prepare so much! Not worried that you'll have to roll me out like a ball?" Eli was amazed at the delicious array of food placed on the table, resisting the urge to start eating without washing her hands first.
"Is that so? Well I'm afraid that I don't have the strength to escort an Eli-sized ball out of my house, so I would simply invite the ball to stay over." Kotori giggled, which made Eli blush furiously. Kotori's laughing was one thing, but the suggestive reply had thoroughly embarrassed Eli. She wasn't able to form a retort to that, only able to stare at her junior with a gaping mouth resembling a gasping fish. "I mean it though, if you've missed the last train, you can stay over. Mom's not coming back at all so you won't be a bother at all."
"I-I... I'll take you up on that offer then." Eli decided to just accept it, hopefully she was able to actually to stay long enough to miss her last train back home. 'T-This is called flirting right? This means that Kotori might be interested in me right?'
"Great! Now why don't we start eating our dinner?" Kotori continued, pulling up a chair. "Have a seat over here Eli-chan!"
"U-Uh sure!" Eli panicked, she went over to the seat Kotori was holding on to, promptly sitting down only to stand up hastily afterwards. "I-I should go wash my hands!"
"Okay, I'll wait for you before starting dinner!" Kotori cheerily replied, going over to her phone.
Minamibird: [So how's your present?]
Kirakira: [We're officially a couple now. Oh and Sonoda-san fainted but I gave her CPR afterwards, she woke up just as I was about to kiss her...]
Minamibird: [Ooh nice!]
Minamibird: [Eli-chan's at my place now, she's washing her hands]
Kirakira: [You're comsidered lucky that your mother has business today, if not you won't be able to be alone with Ayase-san]
Minamibird: [Oh that? I threw mom out of the house!]
Kirakira: [You WHAT?! Don't admit that so cheerily!]
Minamibird: [She's cool with it]
Minamibird: [I called her a light bulb]
Minamibird: [She was mad at me]
Kirakira: [Dude, you should go look up meme websites and urban dictionaries]
Minamibird: [Should I? I don't think I have to though...]
Kirakira: [JUST DO IT!]
"Kotori, who are you texting?" Eli asked, coming out of the kitchen.
"Oh, my mom told us to have fun." It was a lie of course, but Kotori was fairly certain that her mother did tell her something like that before. "Shall we start?"
"Sure." Eli agreed, taking her seat. The two of them then held a conversation that included but wasn't limited to cooking skills, Umi having a massive crush on Tsubasa, Nico's grades and whether a couple going on a trip to get a slushie can be considered a date. (For the record, Eli was of the view that it wasn't a date as the couple would be spending all of their time together hunting for a place that sells slushies instead of each other while Kotori was of the view that drinking slushies together was likely to be the romantic part of that search. She also quoted that a certain slushie loving sociopath from a recently popular musical set in 1989 USA would insist that it was a date, which Eli couldn't deny.)
"I'll wash up, you can go... um... make yourself at home? Sorry, I didn't really prepare anything apart from dinner." Kotori apologised, holding up some of the empty plates. "I think there should be something on TV...?"
"Well we could play Strip Poker later." Eli replied, pulling out a deck of poker cards from her bag. It took her one second to realise what she had proposed to her crush. "W-Wait, I take back what I've said!"
"... I don't mind. I just hope that my lingerie is cute enough to be exposed to you~" Kotori chuckled, and if Eli wasn't mistaken, it sounded almost seductive...
'Oh why couldn't I suggest Truth or Dare like a normal high school girl?!'
XXXXXX
"Y-You're very good at this game..." Eli mumbled, trying her best to cover up her exposed body. Well, it wasn't exposed completely, but clad in only her lingerie can really cause serious embarrassment. Kotori was still wearing all of her clothes, winning all five rounds so far.
"Thanks! Your bra matches well with your panties!"
"Looking at me form a fashion designer's point of view huh?"
"Well that's partly true. I personally think that it looks cute on you." Kotori admitted, a slight blush colouring her cheeks. "You look good in checkered blue clothes."
"T-Thanks." Eli wasn't sure how she could reply that compliment, considering that Kotori wasn't in the same position as her. "Though if I knew this would happen, I would have worn something sexier."
"That'll be... nice." Kotori replied, her voice dropping from her usual high-pitched and innocent tone to a tone that was huskier, suiting Maki or even Nozomi if they were aroused. Eli gulped, she was now treading in dangerous waters and while it was obvious to her that Kotori had interest in her, it still wasn't safe for her to assume that Kotori was completely interested.
"Say Kotori... I may be overstepping some boundaries here... but are you by any chance interested in me?" Eli asked, crawling closer to Kotori. Unbeknownst to Eli, Kotori's mind was in a mess as she didn't know how to properly respond to her crush. From Eli's point of view, she assumed that Kotori was in a state of shock at her sort of confession. 'Abort mission! I messed up!'
"Was I that obvious?" Kotori admitted, a bashful smile on her face as her amber eyes met Eli's cerulean eyes. "Well, it doesn't really matter either way. Yeah, I love you for quite a while. What gave it away though?"
"... The heavy implication that you want to bed me." Eli responded, staring at Kotori's clothes. "You know... I... wouldn't really mind if you wanted to do it now."
"What?! Haha, tempting but no! It's still kinda early to actually do it!" Kotori laughed breathlessly, relieved that Eli felt the same way as her, just like what Tsubasa had told her. Kotori glanced at the clock, and it read 11.30 pm. "Are your trains still running?"
"What's the time now?"
"11.30."
"Definitely. But... I'm just gonna pretend that it's 1 am now." Eli replied, winking at a still blushing Kotori. "I mean, you did say that I can sleep over right?"
"Y-Yeah! This is the best Christmas ever!" Kotori grinned, which soon turned to a frown a second afterwards. "Oh no!"
"W-What is it?!"
"We've forgotten the present exchange!" Kotori cried out, hastily getting on her feet and dashing out of the room. Eli chuckled softly, Kotori could be scatterbrained at times, and it would be one of the traits she loved about the idol group's fashion designer. Kotori entered the room ten minutes later, holding up a box wrapped in cerulean. "F-Found it!"
"Here's mine." Eli pulled out a small paper bag, a pink ribbon attached on to the bag. "Here you go, I... hope you won't be disappointed."
"Can I open it?" Eli nodded, handing the paper bag to her new girlfriend. Once Kotori had opened it, it revealed a forest green hairclip, one that she had always wanted but couldn't buy because she had pooled her savings into Muse's budget. "E-Eli-chan! You bought it for me? How did you know that I always wanted this particular hairclip?"
"Well, you were always staring at it every time we pass by that accessory shop. Also, Umi was telling me the other day about how you pooled all your savings just to fund the club's budget... which is something that we really need to address to your mother soon." Eli explained, pleased that Kotori liked her present. "Can I open mine then?"
"Go ahead!" Eli took the box from Kotori's hands, revealing a silver chronograph watch. "K-Kotori?! H-How did you..."
"Know? I asked Alisa-chan if there was something that you wanted and needed, and she told me that you wanted that watch for quite some time. Also, I noticed that your current watch is broken."
"No, I was about to ask how you were about to afford it."
"... Teehee." Kotori simply giggled, ending that particular conversation right there. Eli wanted to press for more information, but chose not to as the watch was a symbol of Kotori's love (if it wasn't, she wouldn't have gotten an expensive watch right?) to her. Eli grinned like a lovesick person, a silly smile spreading on her face, just like Kotori's.
Eli would learn from Kotori much later that she had embezzled part of the club's budget to buy that watch for her girlfriend, and Maki had endorsed her (supposedly) illegal actions. Not that Eli would love her any less.
XXXXXX
Kotori: Do you like the watch Eli-chan?
Eli: Of course I do! But... you're not the one who bought it.
Kotori: Eli-chan, assume that all Kotoris are the same. Just like how I assume that you and the Eli-chan in the story are the same.
Eli: O... kay? Anyways, where is your mother staying?
Kotori: Hm? I don't know actually, there isn't an extra about her so I guess she crashed Honoka-chan's house for the night?
Eli: Alisa is with Yukiho at the Kosaka residence... oh god. I just realised that they could be having-
Kotori: Eli-chan, calm down! Nozomi-chan and Honoka-chan are also... intimate?
Eli: Nozomi's super horny, I'm not surprised that they're doing it as they speak.
Kotori: True that. I wonder how is Tsubasa-chan getting along with Umi-chan...
Eli: What?
Kotori: Ahhh right, before I invited you over, I managed to hook Tsubasa-chan up with Umi-chan~
Eli: ... Wow. How about we continue this conversation outside the A/N section? Kinda feel guilty for taking up this section to chat.
Kotori: Meh, the author herself hasn't used the A/N section proper. But okay, let's end this here! You wanna do it or should I?
Eli: I did the starting A/N, so I guess it'll be nice if you could end it off?
Kotori: Okay~ Thanks for reading this, and Merry Christmas!