V.: Snow Day
"You shouldn't be here," his tone was hard, bordering on angry. He pushed his blond hair out of his face and turned his attention back to the dress he was pinning. "We had a deal, you don't skip school to work, no matter how behind we are."
"You used to," a voice drifted over from behind a stack of muslin bolts.
"Shut up, Kuromine. We want Ageha to succeed in school. And Ageha, you'd better get your butt out of here before I kick it out!" Yukari Arisaka advanced threateningly on the girl, causing her to back up against the door. It wouldn't be the first time he had used violence to remove her from his shop.
"But, Arisaka, I don't have school today." Ageha smiled innocently, attempting to disarm the fiery designer's temper. He glanced at the calendar on the wall and she laughed, "Yes, it's Wednesday, but have you looked outside? We're having a blizzard!"
"And you came out in this weather just to work? I should kick your butt all the way-" Ageha silenced him with a mittened hand on his arm.
"No, silly. I came all this way to play. Get your coat on." She tilted her chin and batted her eyelashes, in an attempt to win him over, unaware that she had done so months ago already.
"I can't," he insisted, nodding toward the dress pinned to the mannequin behind him. "We have five weddings on Valentine's Day this year. It will be a miracle if I get the dresses finished; especially with you taking off for exams next month."
"I said I didn't come here just to work, but I'm glad to stick around and help out. After you help me build a snow man. You play for half an hour and I work for the rest of the afternoon," she smiled, knowing that he needed her help.
"I don't have any mittens," he countered.
"I thought you might say that," she responded, pulling a pair of thick, warm black mitts from her bag. "I knit these for you in my Home Ec. Class. I got an A."
Ageha had taught herself to sew and was a whiz at picking up new sewing and crafting techniques. Arisaka knew they would be the highest quality mittens he had ever owned. He was running out of excuses.
"Oh," the perky teenager pulled several packets out of her purse. "I forgot to mention that I brought along hot chocolate to have when we come back in."
Images of a chilly Ageha cuddling up next to him on the couch sipping a mug of hot chocolate pushed Yukari over the edge. "You know, I'm feeling a little warm. A half hour out in the snow might be just what I need.