Intro note: I love writing about cold weather activities and Christmas! The timeline is now one year after Starlight, Clear and Bright. Speaking of that story, a friend drew fanart for it not too long ago. There's a link on my profile so check it out to see their beautiful kiss, plus Arata hugging the Daddy Bear pillow :D This is my longest chapter so far, hope you enjoy it!
"If I see that bridge
That is spanned by flights of magpies
Across the arc of heaven
Made white with a deep-laid frost,
Then the night is almost past."
-Otomo no Yakamochi, Poem 6
CHAPTER 7
December
*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Arata took a few steps back to make sure his birthday present was centered above his dresser. Matsuyama had positioned the two red maple leaves on opposite corners of the poem and set it inside a frame to create an art piece. He had also given him a small calligraphy set. Arata really appreciated his landlord's thoughtfulness. The same could not be said about his roommates though. Naoki's gift was a hentai manga and Sai's was a pair of grey marled socks.
He shoved the porn in the back of his closet, vowing to never look at it again. Seeing one page was enough to set his face completely on fire. *Why does everyone want to corrupt me?* he wondered, thinking back to his ex-boss at Katsugi Books, who would ask him to organize the adult section just to embarrass him.
Arata cut the tag off the socks before putting them in a drawer. *At least I'll be able to use these. Truthfully, Arata hadn't expected Sai to get him anything. I suppose it means that he's trying to be friendly… or maybe he just felt obligated. He shrugged the last thought off. Sai isn't as rude anymore so that's something anyway.*
*.*.*
The doorbell rang on the first of December. Chihaya pulled it open to reveal Arata with an overnight bag slung over his shoulder. "Happy Birthday, sweetie!" She gave him a quick kiss. After he removed his coat and shoes, Chihaya took the bag and said, "I'll put this in my room. Be right back."
Arata spotted Chitose curled up on the armchair and said hello.
"Hi, Arata-kun. How have you been?"
"Really good," he replied, sitting on the couch. "What about you?"
"Oh, I've been alright. I have a few weeks off before filming starts on that historical drama."
He nodded. "Chihaya told me about your supporting role. Bet you're excited, huh?"
She couldn't keep the grin off her face. "Yeah it's a step up from what I usually do. My agent seems to think this might open up film roles for me since it's more serious acting."
"That's great. Congratulations, Chitose-san," he replied with a smile.
Chihaya appeared back in the living room carrying a wrapped box and gift bag. She sat beside him as he opened his presents. Inside the bag was a new set of karuta cards (his were getting quite worn out) and an autographed CD of a band that he liked. "Chitose had it signed for you," Chihaya informed him. "So it's partially from her as well."
"Thanks a lot, this is awesome."
"You're welcome. I'll try and get some concert tickets next time. I think they start touring in March."
Arata unwrapped the box next to reveal a striped blue and black zip-up hoodie. It was made out of a knitted cotton material that was more stylish than his regular sweatshirts. He thanked Chihaya as she held it up against his chest. "I think it will fit, but why don't you try it on?"
Arata stood up so he could slip his arms through. He was able to comfortably zip it over his long-sleeve T-shirt. "What do you think?" he asked the girls as he pulled the hem down to straighten the layers.
"You look very handsome," Chihaya declared.
"Yes, it's nice." Chitose turned to her sister. "I'm happy that you're becoming more fashionable."
They watched TV until Mr. and Mrs. Ayase arrived home from work. The family of five sat down at the table and talked together as their beef sukiyaki sizzled in the electric skillet. Arata felt completely at ease; all of them ended up smiling and laughing a lot during the meal. No one had any room for dessert, so they played monopoly while they waited for their stomachs to settle.
His birthday cake was brought out after about an hour and a half. It was round with white frosting and there were whole strawberries set around the edge. Arata blew out the nineteen sparkler candles in two breaths. Mrs. Ayase cut the cake and handed him a plate with the first slice. "Chihaya made most of it," she informed him.
Arata took a bite of the yellow cake. The inside was moist and the frosting was just sweet enough. He finished chewing and said, "It's delicious, Chihaya. Thank you."
She smiled happily at him.
*.*.*
Arata was reading when Chihaya walked into her bedroom wearing flannel pajamas. He put the book down on the bedside table and pulled back the covers to make room for her. She took his glasses off before climbing in for a quick snuggle.
"Did you have a nice birthday?" she asked, giving him a toothpaste-flavored kiss.
"It was perfect." Her hair was a little damp and it smelled heavenly. Arata had seen the label on the shampoo bottle earlier and could finally identify the scent: Vanilla Orange Blossom.
"I know something else we can do in a few weeks."
He brushed his lips over her neck. "Hmm and what's that?"
Arata could hear the smile in her voice. "There's a meteor shower on the 13th and the astronomy club is planning a bus trip to the countryside. I think it would be fun to go, don't you?"
"Yeah, sounds great."
He settled his head underneath her chin and they were asleep within minutes. It was after midnight when Chitose woke them. Chihaya reluctantly left the warm bed, leaning down for one last kiss. "Night, sweetheart."
"G'night," he replied, attempting to stifle a yawn. "See you in the morning."
"You should just move in together," Chitose said when she closed the door behind her.
A futon had been set up on the floor and she crawled under it. "We want to, but we need to save up some money first." Chihaya paused. "Do you think mom and dad would be okay with me moving out?"
"It'll probably be hard for them at first since you're the baby and all, but they love Arata so they'll come around to the idea."
She sighed, trying to get comfortable. "I hope so. I want them to approve of our plans."
"They will, so stop worrying about it. I'm turning the light off now."
The room went dark and Chihaya hugged her Daddy Bear stuffed animal. Despite her sister's advice, her mind continued to whirl with doubts.
*.*.*
The following afternoon, Naoki walked into Arata's room holding a new release that he had been meaning to buy. "This is your real gift," he said, putting it down on his bed. "The hentai was just a joke to tease you. Where is it by the way? I'll take it back if you don't want it."
Arata pointed to his closet. "On the floor behind my laundry basket."
Naoki laughed. "Damn, you'd think it was poison or something."
"It is!" he insisted. Before Naoki could say anything else, he brought up the astronomy trip next weekend. "Chihaya suggested that you ask Tomome and then we can all go together."
"Good idea. I'll text her now." Naoki pulled his phone out of his pocket. "Watching a meteor shower will be a romantic first date, huh?"
"Yeah, so don't wreck it by doing something perverted like groping her."
He gasped. "I'd never! I'll be an absolute gentleman."
Arata glared over at Naoki. "Saying that while holding porn isn't very convincing to me."
"Hmm, you have a point there," he replied with a smirk. "I'll put it with the burnable trash, alright?"
Arata nodded. "Tomome is a good friend of Chihaya's and I don't want you to disrespect her. Please remember that she's a real girl, not some mindless 2D waifu."
He let out a loud laugh. "Oh god, hearing you say 'waifu' is priceless."
"I'm being serious here!"
"I know, I know, but I couldn't help it. That was too funny." He cleared his throat and looked him in the eyes. "Arata, I swear that I'll be respectful. I know the difference between fantasy and reality."
"Good." He reached for the historical mystery novel. "Thanks for this by the way."
"No problem." Naoki's phone buzzed and he flashed him a grin. "She said yes!"
His excitement made Arata smile too. "Well of course she did. Tomome likes you for some reason."
*.*.*
The challenger finals took place that Sunday afternoon. The Nagumo Society was there, along with Murao's friends and family. Arata went over to greet them and he was able to catch up with everyone for fifteen minutes before they had to take their seats.
Suo and Shinobu won the first match by wide margins. Their opponents were taken completely off-guard by their strength, but they re-grouped during the second. Rion's sharp hearing allowed her to get a 3-card lead, but Chihaya could see the fire shining in Shinobu's eyes as she mounted her comeback. Their incredible skills awed Chihaya. It was close for a while until Shinobu captured "Yama kawa ni," one of Rion's name cards. That turned the tide of the game and Shinobu was victorious by 4 cards. The girls bowed politely and the former queen's eyes sought Chihaya's, giving her a pleased smile. They would be playing each other for the title again.
Meanwhile, the men's match came down to luck of the draw. Murao's card, "Tsuki mireba," was the one read and he was able to defend it. During the break before the 3rd match, the former meijin went in search of Shinobu.
"Come on, Arata. This should be good."
"Huh?" he asked as Chihaya pulled him into the hallway.
"I want to see what Suo-san says to Shinobu-chan." They stopped outside of Shinobu's waiting room. She had only opened the door a few inches before stopping short. Chihaya pulled on his arm and he looked through the gap to see the former meijin and queen hugging. Shinobu was standing with her arms at her side, but she slowly raised one and patted Suo awkwardly on the back.
"Okay, I get it. You're happy for me… but you can let go now, Suo-san."
"Not until you call me Hisashi."
"No."
He pulled her closer, leaning his chin on the top of her head. "Come on, Shinobu-chan. Just once."
"That wasn't the deal," she reminded him.
"I will get my title back without a doubt," he replied. "So just look upon this as an early reward. And if by some tiny chance I don't become meijin, I'll owe you a favor."
"Fine then." Shinobu gave a brief pause. "Hisashi," she said very quietly.
He was smiling happily as he released her. "Thank you, Shinobu-chan." Her face was flushed and Suo touched his finger to one of her rosy cheeks. "You look pretty when you're flustered."
She pushed his hand away. "Will you get out of here already so I can change?"
Chihaya closed the sliding panel and tugged Arata away from the door. They had to hold back their laughter as they walked down the hallway. The room was hot and stuffy, so Arata suggested they watch the final match from outside.
"Sure. I'll get our coats."
Suo's encounter with Shinobu seemed to inspire him because he got off to an early lead. Murao's mistakes cost him the match and the former meijin won by 8 cards. Like Taichi last month, Murao was surrounded by friends to comfort him in his loss. *Perhaps that will be my fate next month,* Arata thought pessimistically.
Chihaya spotted Rion walking out of the building. "Arata, I'll catch up with you later. I need to talk to Yama-chan."
"Okay. See you later." Arata sat down on the steps. The sky was an untroubled blue and a gentle breeze lifted the hair from his forehead as he gazed up at the clouds. A hand on his shoulder snapped him from his reveries.
Taichi sat beside him. "You thinking about what a tough time you're going to have?"
"Yeah, that and how disappointed Murao-san must be right now. Losing never gets any easier, does it?"
"Unfortunately not." They sat in silence for a few seconds. "I'm pretty busy with exams, but I can practice with you sometime next week. I'll be able to more often during winter break though."
"I won't be able to during break. Me and Chihaya will be in Awara until the championships."
"Wow, so things must be serious if Chihaya is staying with your family, huh?"
Arata's face felt warm. "Yes, but she's already been there twice this year. My parents love her."
"I would have been really jealous to hear that a few years ago, but I'm happy for both of you now."
He smiled at him. "What about you and Sumire?"
"I'll be going over to her house on Christmas day. My mother is still coldly civil so I'd rather not subject her to that uncomfortable atmosphere." He smirked. "Did you know that Sumire stood up to my mom back in high school?"
Arata shook his head and asked for the details.
"I skipped my school trip so I could play in a tournament and when my mom found out that I was playing karuta instead of studying, she came storming over. Sumire actually stood in front of the door to prevent her from entering the building." He shook his head in disbelief. "No one has ever dared challenge her before so of course she hasn't forgotten it."
"Chihaya used to call your mother 'Mrs. Pressure.'"
Taichi laughed. "Yeah, that's about right. She has gotten a little better over the past year though. Or maybe I'm just finding it easier to be myself without letting her control everything that I do."
"Must have been hard for you growing up."
"A lot of parents are overbearing like that," he replied with a shrug. "You and Chihaya are just lucky enough to have supportive ones."
"I know. I've always been thankful for them. I wouldn't have gotten far without my family." Arata smiled and added, "But my friends may have done even more. Both of you stopped me from giving up. My life would be awful if you and Chihaya hadn't come to Awara."
They both pondered how different everything would be if they had made other decisions; had taken other paths. It was an overwhelming thought. Neither of them could imagine another reality besides the one they were living in now.
*.*.*
Arata, Chihaya, Naoki, and Tomome got off the bus at 11:17 PM on the following Saturday. The four of them were bundled up in hats, gloves, and scarves to shield themselves from the wind-chill. As the group of thirty students gathered in the parking lot, the astronomy club advisor handed out LED lanterns that gave off a bright blue glow. When each pair had their light, one of the advisors said, "Alright everyone, the meteor shower is set to begin in less than an hour. Lets find a good spot." He led the way towards an empty field and the students followed behind.
Arata and Naoki spread the blankets on the ground while the girls unpacked thermoses of coffee and sweets to snack on. Someone got out an acoustic guitar and started playing "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz. They chatted casually about school as they ate. Chihaya told Naoki and Tomome about a poetry competition that Professor Matsuyama had entered her in.
"First prize is 100,000 yen, but I'll be happy if I make it into the top twenty so I can see my poem in the magazine."
"Ooh, that's exciting! When will you find out?" Tomome asked.
"By the end of January." Chihaya took a sip of her creamy mocha. "How are your art classes going?"
"Good. I'm working on a still life project right now. It can be tedious, but I think I've finally managed to get the rose petals right."
"Have you drawn any nude models at all?" Naoki asked with a smirk.
Arata shot him a warning look, but his roommate pretended not to see it.
Tomome laughed. "No. That's a separate class for juniors and seniors only."
"You know I was thinking that I might pose nude," he remarked. "Those models get paid well and I could use the extra money."
Arata nearly choked on a butter cookie and had to cough the crumb up. Chihaya rubbed his back. "You okay, sweetie?"
He nodded as he wiped his streaming eyes. The cold made them burn and he took a sip of coffee to soothe his irritated throat.
Tomome's brow furrowed. "But wouldn't you be embarrassed to stand up there naked in front of everyone?"
Naoki shook his head. "I'm comfortable with my body."
"There's no way I'd be able to do something like that." She glanced towards Arata and Chihaya. "Would either of you pose nude?"
"Absolutely not," Arata replied, voice still a little hoarse from his cookie mishap.
"Yeah, I bet you'd die of embarrassment before you could even untie your robe," Naoki teased. "What about you, Chihaya? Did you inherit your sister's confidence?"
She shook her head. "Chitose's never done a nude photo shoot either. Her agent wanted her to, but she turned them down. Our parents collect all of her stuff so that would be really awkward."
"Hmm yeah, I can understand that. My mom would freak if she found out I was even considering it." Naoki explained that he was an only child of divorced parents. "She can be overprotective. I wasn't even sure that I'd be able to leave Yamagata to come here, but I told her that my job prospects would be better if I attended a uni in Tokyo."
"Where in Yamagata?" Tomome asked with interest.
"Shinjo."
"That's not too far from me! My family lives in Akita prefecture in Yuzawa."
Naoki grinned. "Then we should get together over winter break. Maybe we could go to a shrine for new year?"
"I'd really like that," she replied with a smile.
The main theme of 'Howl's Moving Castle' started up and the two otaku's made happy exclamations. That got them on the subject of Studio Ghibli films and they all shared their favorite. 'Kiki's Delivery Service' for Chihaya, 'The Secret World of Arrietty' for Arata, 'Spirited Away' for Naoki, and 'My Neighbor Totoro' for Tomome.
"Counting Stars" by One Republic was the next song. Everyone clapped to the beat of the chorus, which put goofy grins on all of their faces. The wind picked up a short time later and Arata used a fleece blanket to cover himself and Chihaya. They huddled against each other for warmth as "Hey Jude" by the Beatles played softly in the background.
"It's freezing out here," Naoki commented to Arata's left. "Tomome-chan, do you mind if I put my arm around you?"
"Not at all. Go ahead… Naoki," she added shyly. It was obviously her first time addressing him that way.
Arata and Chihaya gazed up at the star-strewn sky while the song played; feeling an unnamed connection with the universe that only poetry would be able to convey. To their surprise, a girl with a pretty voice sang along to "Thinking out Loud" by Ed Sheeran. Everyone listened with rapt attention, clapping enthusiastically when she finished her performance.
The meteor shower started just after midnight and it was a breathtaking sight for Chihaya, who had never seen one before. She made a wish on each shooting star: not only for herself and Arata, but also for her family and friends. "This coming year is going to be an amazing one," she whispered near Arata's ear.
He turned his head to look at her. The lantern light had transformed Arata's eyes into a deep blue that reminded Chihaya of the ocean at night. "It most certainly will," he replied with a smile.
The two of them fell asleep on bus ride back. The advisor's voice woke Arata, who blinked blearily at his watch. It was nearly 4 AM. He rubbed Chihaya's shoulder gently, kissing her sleep-warmed cheek. Her eyes snapped open within seconds. "I had a dream that Daddy Bear was serving us coffee!"
He chuckled. "You always have the strangest dreams."
Chihaya undid her belt and kneeled on the seat to look over at their friends. Naoki was leaning against Tomome's shoulder and her face was resting on the top of his head as they slept. Chihaya snapped a quick picture of them, which also served as a wake up call because of the camera flash.
Naoki walked Tomome to her campus dorm while Arata and Chihaya headed to Matsuyama's. The brisk air seemed to re-energize Chihaya, who talked excitedly about the meteor shower. Arata listened to her in amusement, adding comments every now and then.
They quietly entered the house and immediately went upstairs to brush their teeth; standing together at the sink with half-closed eyes. Pajamas were hurriedly pulled on back in Arata's room. They nestled together in his cozy bed, giving each other a chaste kiss before falling back asleep.
*.*.*
Studying and working occupied most of their time until winter break arrived on the 23rd. "Since we'll be in Awara for Christmas Eve, I thought we should go somewhere tonight," Arata said as they exited a lecture hall.
"Where?" They had already been to the Starlight Garden shows a few times already.
"It's a surprise," he replied.
"Do I need to dress fancy?"
"No, casual is fine." Arata noticed that the clasp on her necklace was showing. "Hold on a second, let me fix your necklace." He straightened it out, running his fingertip over the star pendant that he had given Chihaya last Christmas. She smiled and a warm, fluttery feeling surged through his midsection. Arata knew that the passing of years would never lessen the effect that she had on him.
*.*.*
Their destination turned out to be Tokyo Tower. The tall windows of the observation deck provided a stunning panorama of the city's lights. They walked slowly around, taking in the atmosphere. Eventually they sat down on one of the stone benches. Arata reached into the flap of his coat pocket and took out a gold box that was secured with a red satin ribbon. Chihaya carefully untied the bow and lifted the lid to reveal a small white card with a watercolor maple leaf. She looked up at him. "Did you paint this?"
He nodded. "I borrowed Tomome's watercolors."
"It's so pretty," she praised.
Arata gave her a shy smile. "Turn it over."
She did so and her heart nearly stopped when she read the words written out in a calligraphy brush. Chihaya, will you marry me? Even though they had talked about this before, seeing Arata's question in front of her eyes made the situation entirely real. It was no longer just a dream, but something that would assuredly happen.
"Yes, Arata," she said in a voice full of emotion. "I'll marry you!"
He grinned and her heart skipped another beat as he took her hand. They were both trembling as he slipped a delicate silver band with a small garnet gemstone over her ring finger. Warm tears slid down her cheeks as she gathered him into a close embrace.
"You weren't expecting me to ask you yet?"
"No, but I'm glad that you did."
When they let go of each other, Arata wiped the tears from her face. Chihaya had to get a tissue pack out of her purse to quietly blow her nose. When she was all cleaned up, Chihaya admired the way the stone sparkled when it caught the light.
"It fits perfectly. I don't have any rings so how did you know my size?"
"Your sister told me hers and suggested I go up by a half."
She met his gaze. "Did she go shopping with you too?"
"No, I wanted to pick it out by myself. Do you like it?"
"I love it." She smiled as she cupped the side of his face. "And I love you."
He kissed the palm of her hand. "I love you too, Chihaya."
*.*.*
Chihaya's parents were surprised to hear about the engagement, but they seemed genuinely pleased for them and offered their heartfelt congratulations. Mr. Ayase shook Arata's hand and Mrs. Ayase gave him a hug.
"Do you have a time-frame for the wedding?" Chihaya's father asked.
"We were thinking about this summer."
Arata cleared his throat. "I know that it's rare for people our age to get married, but we don't see the point in waiting when we're so certain about spending our lives together."
Mrs. Ayase gave them a warm smile. "Of course you don't want to wait. I've never understood long engagements anyway. Let us know when you've decided on a venue so we can make arrangements."
"Yes, we'd like to pick up the expense," Mr. Ayase added.
"Thank you," Arata said to his future in-laws. "That's very generous."
When they got back to Chihaya's room, Arata noticed the framed art on the wall over her bed. The red maple leaves she had gathered in Hakone were scattered across a background of wavy blue. "It's the chihayaburu poem." He sat down on her bed to get a closer look at it.
"Yes. The scarlet leaves floating on the Tatsuta River. I got the idea from Matsuyama-sensei's birthday gift, but I had some extra leaves so I made us some bookmarks too."
Arata encircled her waist with his arms, resting his forehead against her pale green pullover.
She ran her fingers lightly through his hair. "Were you nervous about telling them?"
"A little."
"My parents were young when they got married."
"Mine too." He looked up at Chihaya, who had a very soft expression in her eyes. "My mom is going to be thrilled about this. She was ready to marry us off last year."
Chihaya laughed. "Maybe even before that. Remember when she called me your girlfriend back in 6th grade?"
He returned her smile. "Yeah, she knew it before we did."
*.*.*
They had planned on telling Arata's parents the following evening during dinner, but his mother noticed Chihaya's ring as soon as she took off her gloves. "Chihaya-chan, is that an engagement ring?" she asked excitedly.
"Yes, it is."
Mrs. Wataya pulled her into a hug that nearly left Chihaya breathless. "Oh, I'm so happy!" She reached for her son next and Arata had to bend down to hug his petite mother. "I was just telling your father a few days ago that I was sure you'd come home engaged." When she released him, Mrs. Wataya lifted up her glasses to wipe the tears from her eyes. "My baby… getting married."
It took her a few moments to compose herself. She reached for their hands and said, "You two must be starving. I'll just go and steam some sweet potatoes."
"Sounds great," Arata said. "We'll unpack our suitcases. Have you made up the guest room?"
"I have, but there's no need for that now." Mrs. Wataya met her eyes and smiled. "Chihaya-chan, please stay in Arata's room with him. Engaged couples should spend their nights beside one another."
Chihaya felt a blush on her cheeks. "Thank you, Okaasan."
Mr. Wataya arrived home from work while they were eating lunch. He walked into the kitchen holding a bakery box. "I got a Christmas cake." Once he put it in the fridge, Arata's father went over to the table so he could greet them properly.
"Dear, I was right about the engagement," she said as her husband leaned down to kiss her cheek.
His eyes widened. "Is that so? Lets see the ring." Chihaya held out her hand. "You chose well, Arata," he said, clapping his son on the shoulder. Mr. Wataya then asked the same question as Chihaya's father.
"During the summer holidays. My parents said they'll pay for the ceremony and venue."
"Oh we can't let them get everything, that wouldn't be fair!"
Mrs. Wataya put down her teacup. "Then why don't we pay for the honeymoon?"
"Excellent idea, darling."
Both of them felt truly blessed to have such wonderful parents.
*.*.*
Arata and Chihaya walked around downtown Awara on Christmas Eve. All of the businesses had festive window displays and the trees were strung with golden lights. They ran into two of his former teammates: the Matsubayashi brothers, who were high school students at Fujioka East.
"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Hiro asked.
"We haven't," Arata replied.
"How about having some ramen with us then?" Shun suggested. "Our treat of course."
Arata looked at Chihaya, who gladly accepted their offer. The ramen shop was noisy and warm, but she liked hearing the boys banter with each other. "We'll be entering the Takamatsu Cup in January," Hiro informed them.
"So we'll be practicing a lot at the Nagumo Society these next few weeks," Shun added. "Arata-niichan, will you and Ayase-san be stopping by as well?"
"Absolutely. We need all the practice we can get."
Chihaya noticed that the younger brother, Hiro, kept looking at her hand. He had obviously figured out what the ring meant, but he was too shy to say anything. She took a sip of water to try and hide her smile. When they got back to the car, Chihaya told Arata about his kohai.
"That means the entire Nagumo Society is going to know about us even before we make an official announcement," he said, turning the key in the ignition. "It won't be long until the press gets wind of it. They'll have fun with headlines this year… not only a rematch with the former meijin and queen, but also an engagement to talk about."
She giggled. "It's alright. I don't mind if the karuta community finds out."
"It's not that I mind. I just wanted to keep this to ourselves for a bit, you know?"
"Yeah." She switched the heat on as he started driving. "I guess I'm getting used to the lack of privacy."
"Thankfully that will be changing next year."
Chihaya smiled. "True, we'll finally be on our own."
*.*.*
Both of them slept so soundly in each other's arms that they didn't wake until past 11 in the morning. Mrs. Wataya was out, so they were naughty and ate a slice of Christmas cake for breakfast. After cleaning up the dishes, they went to Arata's room to get dressed. He put on a pair of jeans, a long sleeve T-shirt, and the striped zip-up Chihaya had given him for his birthday. Chihaya chose knitted cream-colored leggings, grey tweed shorts, and a black sweater with a panda stitched on it. She also pulled on some red slipper boots to keep her feet warm.
Arata's mother came back an hour later with grocery bags. They discovered that she had purchased the ingredients for sugar cookies. Chihaya secured her long hair into a ponytail and they tied on aprons to protect their clothing from the flour. After mixing the dough, they rolled it out flat with a wooden pin and used cutouts in the shape of trees, ornaments, and snowflakes. Chihaya slid the cookie sheets into the oven and set the timer.
"Do you want some hot cocoa?" Arata asked, going over to the cupboard where the packets were kept.
"Yes, please."
The kettle didn't take long to boil and they were soon sitting under the kotatsu with their red mugs. They blew on the steam before taking a sip of the rich chocolate that was flavored with a peppermint candy cane.
"Arata, I really want us to move in together before getting married. Do you think we could manage it financially?"
"I think so, but we'd have to go further outside of the city to afford the rent."
"Then lets start looking when we get back to Tokyo! That way we can move in over spring break."
They continued to talk excitedly until the timer on the oven rang. The cookies were carefully transferred to cooling racks and were ready to decorate after about five minutes. They used tubes of colored frosting, assorted candy, and colored sugar to turn them into pretty works of art. It was a fun, creative process that made them feel like kids again.
The remainder of the day was spent watching movies on TV and eating entirely too many sweets. When the Wataya's went to bed, Arata and Chihaya set up a nest of blankets and pillows near the Christmas tree. The twinkling lights reflected in their eyes as they spoke about the future.
Chihaya didn't want to ruin the moment with negativity, but she had to give voice to her fears. "Arata, what if something stands in our way and all of our plans fall apart?"
He pulled her closer. "That will never happen, Chihaya. We've worked so hard to get where we are. I don't think the universe would be cruel enough to keep us apart anymore."
She chewed on her bottom lip. "I'm just scared that our happiness will be taken away."
"It won't be," he said in a soothing tone. "We have the ability to make our wishes come true. I need you to believe that, Chihaya."
She met his eyes. "I do."
"Then no more worrying, okay?"
Chihaya nodded.
"This time next year, we'll be spending our first Christmas together as a married couple," he said with a smile. Arata's words filled her with a positive warmth that banished all of her fearful thoughts.
Closing note: So a few facts… 100,000 yen is equal to about 800 US dollars. I looked at a map and randomly chose Yuzawa for Tomome's hometown, but then I discovered that it's the supposed birthplace of Ono no Komachi (author of poem #9) O_o Funny how that works out, huh? There's a lot of canon references in this one, plus parallels to Starlight, Clear and Bright. Chocolate chip cookies to everyone who can find them!
The song of this chapter is "Thinking out Loud" by Ed Sheeran. Even when I wasn't listening to it while writing, I kept hearing it everywhere (the funniest place was at the dentist). I was planning out scenes while having my teeth cleaned and the song started playing XD
There won't be an update in April because I'm going on vacation. I wish I had a time-turner so I could fit more things into my schedule, but unfortunately I'm a muggle who can't do everything ;_; No announced release date because I don't know what's going on in May yet. We will slowly but surely reach the end of the story- 3 chapters to go! In the meantime, thanks for your patience :)