December 24
A tiny girl with pink hair descended the stairs sleepily, almost stumbling at the bottom. Muttering something indecipherable, she walked past the girl with blue hair, who was washing her hands at the sink. "Huah.. So tired.. what was I doing last night anyways?"
Yawning, she dropped into a chair and immediately breathed out in relaxation. "This chair is soft.. and warm.."
As she leaned back in her seat, she felt as if her entire body was encompassed in warmth. ".. It's like a hug.. so nice.."
Yutaka did not realize if she fell asleep, nor could she tell how long she was sitting there. It probably would have gone on longer.. If someone didn't wake her up.
"Yu-chan.." A warm, loving voice whispered into her ear, and she felt a cold, wet touch on her neck. A moment passed before her face was engulfed in red darker than her hair, and she couldn't stop a squeak of surprise from leaving her lips.
"Ah.. ah! W-w-wha?! W-wait, sis, what are you d-doing?!" She tried to escape, but she was held fast by Konata's arms.
"Giving you your Christmas present.. Yu-chan~.." Konata whispered, squeezing around Yutaka's waist gently yet firmly.
Yutaka squirmed and stuttered for a bit, before she gave up her struggles. "W..what? Sis is.. what.. did we.. ah.."
The bluenette kept her in the darkness for a little longer, before she allowed the girl to tilt her head back. Leaning over her and looking directly down into the lime eyes, she smiled devilishly, with all the intent of a cat eyeing its prey.
"Yutaka, it's a joke."
"..."
"..."
".. Eh?"
][ ][
".. and my hands weren't dry yet." Konata finished her explanation with a shrug and a satisfied nod.
".. O-oh.." Yutaka, mumbled, looking down at her lap.
"But man, that was great!" Konata blurted, bending over in laughter. "The way you jumped and made those cute sounds and tried to get away! You're still blushing too! Hahaha!"
Yutaka wanted to hide herself away. She tried to laugh, but only succeeded in looking even more embarrassed. "She really had me fooled.."
"Hah.. ah.. Alright. Christmas Eve, Yu-chan! I'm gonna go hang out with my Kagamin, so have fun with Minami!" Konata winked, before she turned and headed for the door, grabbing her things and waving a goodbye.
Smiling, Yutaka waved and said her goodbyes, before she realized what Konata had just referenced. Blushing crimson, she puffed her cheeks and walked up to her stairs to get her cell phone. "M.. Minami-chan? N-no, it's not like that.. is it? Ah.. I wonder what Minami-chan thinks of us.. I think I'll call her.. wonder if she's busy.."
Sojiro walked past his niece, who was going up the stairs the same time he was going down. Raising an eyebrow at the girl's intense blush, he continued down to the table where he found breakfast and a note. With a smile, he sat down and read the note from his daughter.
"Going out with Kagamin, don't get too lonely by yourself! Enjoy your Christmas Eve! -Konata
Also, Yu-chan is great to prank!"
Still smiling, he could feel the imaginary tears rolling down his cheeks.
"My own daughter still loves to make fun of me on this day.. Nothing will ever change that, heh?"
/-/
Konata knocked on the door to her lover's house, not waiting for a response. Opening the door, she called out her arrival and put her bag down in the hallway.
"Hello!" Konata greeted, bounding around the family's table and saying each person's name, punctuated by a quick hug. "Morning Miki-san.. Tadao-san.. Matsuri-sama.. Inori-chan.. Tsukasa-chan.." She was met with smiles and friendly greetings, except from the one person she hadn't yet acknowledged.
Kagami turned around and pretended to glare. "What? You aren't even going to say my name?"
"I wanted you to notice me first.. My Kagamin!" Konata giggled, throwing her arms around her girlfriend and kissing her on the cheek. Kagami blushed a little bit, but she responded in kind.
"That's my tsundere! Chu!" Konata smiled before she stood up. "Happy Christmas Eve everyone! What've you all got in plan?"
"We're going out together." Tadao smiled, putting an arm around his wife's shoulders. She smiled back at him.
"Tadao and I always make a point to spend our Christmas Eve together!" Miki kissed him on the cheek, their hands entwined.
Konata grinned at the two parents, making a small bow in their direction. "You two really are great parents and great partners!" She turned her head in the direction of the two oldest daughters in the family.
"I'm going with Inori." Matsuri said.
"I'm going with Matsuri." Inori followed up immediately, almost cutting her sister off. "Since neither of us are in a relationship, she was begging me to go with her so she wasn't lonely."
"Hey! You don't have to say that!" Matsuri growled, narrowing her eyes in anger. "Wait, I didn't beg you for anything! You asked me!" Inori turned on her sister, staring with condescending eyes.
"Really now?"
As the two argued, Tsukasa looked at her friend with an apologetic smile.
"Ah.. I'm going to be spending my day with Miyuki-san and whoever she wants to bring. I'm not in a romance either, so.. yeah.." She admitted nervously.
"Why am I nervous? Should I be nervous? Kona-chan has that effect.. I wonder if I'm weird?"
Spaced out, Tsukasa fretted and muttered to herself, her expression changing every so often as if she were holding a conversation with herself. Leaving the airhead to her own thoughts, Konata draped herself around Kagami.
"And what are you doing today, Kagami?" She asked, lazily tracing a finger around her girlfriend's shoulders. "You've worked me into your schedule, right?"
"Nope. I'm spending the day without you." Kagami stated in a monotone. She hurriedly retracted her statement, seeing the frozen expression and quivering lip. "N-no, I'm joking! I don't have plans besides being with you today.."
Brightening instantaneously, Konata cheered and put her hands in the air. "Yay! Come on, finish up! I have presents!"
][ ][
"I bought you this stuff!" Konata reached into the black bag she had brought, and pulled out a shiny black gift box wrapped with a red ribbon, holding it out to her lover with a wide smile. Kagami accepted with a raised eyebrow.
"Should I be suspicious?" She couldn't help but ask.
"Not like your choice of colors help my judgement."
"Kagamin~, it's Christmas Eve! Don't be so suspicious!" Konata pouted. "Just accept the free stuff!"
"I know, I know.. I'm just messing with you." A white lie. Kagami smiled disarmingly, an expression she rarely used. Of course, Konata made note of this.
"Please don't smile like that. I'm getting scared."
"Hey."
She untied the ribbon and lifted the lid of the box. What she found was a colorful display of more boxes. Taking a closer look, she saw that the boxes were actually snacks.
"Sweets?" Kagami wondered aloud. "Let's see.. Rare Cheesecake and Royal Milk Tea pocky.. Green Tea and Dark Chocolate Kit Kat.." As she read the flavors to herself, Konata watched with uncharacteristic pink tinted cheeks. She put her hands behind her back and opened her mouth, searching for something to say.
"Um.. I didn't really know what to get you, so I, uh, decided to get those. I think they're sort of hard to find.. like, the flavor is hard to find, not the pocky or the Kit Kats, those are easy to get, but I figured you would want something that's sort of special, and.. H-huh?" Kagami put her arms around the otaku, pulling her in for a gentle hug. A quiet gasp escaped from the girl's lips before she went silent, blushing a light red.
"I still don't understand how you switch modes so quickly. You go from being frustrating to ridiculously cute." Kagami smiling teasingly, her fingers running through Konata's smooth blue hair.
"You're supposed to be the one who changes personalities.." Konata muttered. Her willpower and strength evaporated, leaving behind a simple feeling of contentness at being so close to the one she loved.
"What's up with me? I feel so powerless.."
Minutes passed, and the two didn't move from their standing embrace. It was as if even the flow of time had left them alone for this one precious moment.
"Hey.. It's a really thoughtful gift, Konata. You're very sweet when you want to be, you know that?" Smiling softly, she stroked the cerulean hair again.
"Mm.." Breathing in the familiar scent, Konata buried her face in Kagami's shirt, feeling the purple hair rest against her shoulder. "It's your fault."
"I'm fine with that."
Gazing into a pair of sharp purple eyes, Konata felt herself being drawn in..
"Nice! Keep going, just like that.. Perfect, excellent! Great job you two!"
Self-control coming back to her, Konata jumped and looked at the door, the source of the voice. The surprise on her face was evident as she looked away, trying vainly to hide her blush from Matsuri, who was standing in the doorframe with a malicious look on her face.
Matsuri opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Hazel eyes widened as her sister turned the bluenette's head to face her and leaned in for a passionate kiss. She stood there for a couple moments, but she hastily backed out and closed the door when she saw a hand slip under Konata's shirt.
As soon as their unwanted guest had left, Konata broke away from the kiss with a smirk, removing the intruding hand from her clothes.
"Alright, let's not get hasty.. After all, you need energy for the rest of today!"
"I was just doing that to make her go away. I don't actually care about your body at all." Kagami grinned, but the other girl didn't miss a beat.
"If that's the case, we don't have to spend the night together. We can part after our date is over-" She was cut off suddenly, and she felt herself being yanked towards the door.
"Okay, let's go outside now! You have a lot planned, right? Let's get going!"
"H-hey.."
/-/
It was cold outside, and Konata felt a chill as she stepped into the morning air. Exhaling in relief, she relaxed her body and allowed the cold to embrace her. Now accustomed to the temperature, she turned to her date with a smile.
"Anything you wanna do today, Kagami? We can do whatever you want!" Konata's eyes were gleaming with pride and excitement. Kagami felt a little warm spark in her heart as she looked at the short girl.
"This is my first Christmas Eve with Konata!"
"I don't really have anything in mind right now, but there are things I want to do later tonight." Kagami said. "Is it okay if we go to Tokyo? I know it's far, but I really would like to go there.."
"Oh, sure. I was planning to bring you there anyways." Konata agreed with a grin and a nod. "Wait, by things you want to do tonight.. do you mean..?"
"No, that isn't what I mean!"
][ ][
A lull in the conversation formed a silence between them as they disembarked the train. After a couple minutes of walking the city streets, Konata broke the silence. Shaking her head as if to clear away the ever-present cold air, she sighed regretfully. "Yeah.. Didn't think it would be this cold.."
Looking over the otaku's outfit, Kagami clicked her tongue in annoyance. The girl was wearing a white shirt framed with a gray vest, and a pair of black cargo pants. The short-sleeved shirt and thin layers were the very definition of what not to wear in the winter. Her hair was done up in a ponytail, giving her a much more adult look. Of course, there's still a limit to how mature you can look, being 142 centimeters.
On the contrary, Kagami was wearing a gray winter trench coat over her black undershirt. She also wore a pair of black pants, and her hair was done up in twin tails with black ribbons.
"You forgot it was winter? It might be fine right now, but it's going to get even colder, idiot. I can't believe you wore such thin clothes." Kagami sighed, and her companion rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"Haha.. sorry. Planned out everything except for what I would wear, so.. I'll just have to get used to it, I'll be fine after like, an hour!" Konata claimed confidently. Kagami shook her head, taking one of the girl's hands in her own.
"Your hand is so cold! And you're shivering! What were you thinking?" Kagami scolded, giving her friend a stern look.
"Idiot. And I didn't bring any extra clothes either."
"Don't worry about it! I'm pretty strong, you know?" Konata put her hands on her hips, but a sudden well-timed gust of wind caused her to shiver and wrap her arms around herself. With a sigh, Kagami hugged the girl's shoulder, drawing her in.
"Whatever. I can't do much, but this should help a bit."
".. Thanks, Kagami!" Konata glowed, happily hugging her source of warmth tightly. The tsundere muttered to herself, but the annoyed words mismatched her expression.
/-/
Together they wandered the city, checking out the shopping district and festive decorations. It wasn't the most unique of things, but Christmas Eve added a romantic flair to almost everything, as long as you were with someone you loved.
The streets of Tokyo were bustling with people; Not quite a crowd, but a lot of people nonetheless. Kagami was glad that it wasn't so packed as to ensure bumping into someone every second.
"Have you noticed how Christmas Eve makes everyone happier?" Konata suddenly asked, looking up at Kagami with a pleased expression. "It's like nobody wants to ruin the atmosphere."
"You're right.." She stared at Konata, who stared back. "Even you're different."
"Eh?"
"You aren't as energetic, and you're too friendly. Reminds me of the time when you drank that sake and had to go home early.."
"Hm. You could say I'm drunk on love, Kagamin!" Konata stated with a cat-like smile. In return, she got a sigh and a shake of the head. "Wanna go grab a table over there, in the plaza thing? I need to get something, so I'll join you in like, 10 minutes."
Without waiting for an answer, Konata slipped away and out of sight. Somewhat startled and annoyed at her date's sudden disappearance, Kagami groaned.
"There she goes again, running off without warning me. Guess I'll go find a table."
/-/
Konata checked her mental map again, making sure she was in the right area. Turning a corner, her eyes settled on her destination. "Ah, there it is."
Dodging past a couple people, she stopped in front of the streetside restaurant and called out. "Hey! Patty!"
"Oh, give me a moment. Kuroi-sensei, can you take over here?" A familiar voice called out, and within seconds the owner of the voice was standing in front of Konata. "Hey, Konata! You want your order now?" Patty gave her upperclassman a quick hug, already starting towards the kitchen.
"Yeah, thanks." Konata watched the blonde walk behind the counter and through a swinging door.
Patty took on a lot of part-time jobs, including working at the cosplay cafe, and she was working at the restaurant for Christmas time. Ever so thoughtful, the foreigner had offered to reserve an order for her fellow student, and Konata thanked her for that.
"Oi, what's up Izumi?" Another familiar voice called out to her, and she looked towards the source. "Didn't think I'd see you here!"
"Oh, hey sensei. I can say the same." Konata greeted the other blonde who was working the counter. She grinned, seeing an opportunity to tease. "Working on Christmas Eve? Quite lonely, don't you think?"
"Hey, don't get sassy with me just because you have Kagami Hiiragi as your girlfriend." Kuroi steamed, staring down her student with baleful eyes.
"Damn you Izumi.. Don't you know how much those kinds of remarks sting, coming from you of all people?"
"Haha, sorry sorry!" Konata laughed. "If it helps, my dad got the same thing too."
"Your own father, you little devil.. Poor guy." Kuroi stated grimly, before she burst into laughter. "Well, you better have fun! Not all of us are as lucky as you are, so make the most of it."
"Don't worry, Kagami and I are madly in love! Nothing could separate us."
Kuroi went back to her job, chatting absently with the customers about how annoying the girl in blue was. Konata leaned against a wall to wait.
/-/
"Kagamin~! I'm back, did you miss me?" Kagami jumped in surprise when someone hugged her from behind.
"Oh, Konata. Don't do that."
"Aw, why not? Do you not like my hugs?"
"It's not that, if you surprise me I might knock you out."
"I'm glad that my Kagamin only wants my hugs."
"Of course, you idiot."
Konata hummed victoriously, setting a bag down on the table. "I know you're hungry, so I went and grabbed lunch. It's hard to get this around Christmas time, so praise me!"
"Whoa, fried chicken? But you were only gone for like, 10 minutes!" Her interest was piqued when she saw the fruit of Konata's efforts.
"Some people order this stuff months in advance.."
"Ah, Patty helped me. She's working at a place around here, and she set aside a priority order for me or something." She explained smugly. "I hope you don't mind having fast food for lunch, but I have something fancier planned for tonight."
"This is fine, I don't mind having fast food once in a while."
"Patty tells me that they have this stuff all the time over in America!"
"Really? It's so unhealthy.."
/-/
After they had finished eating and had found somewhere to wash up, Konata and Kagami spent the rest of the daylight walking around and talked about whatever topic came to mind. Before long, the sky was getting darker, the sun painting an orange glow on the horizon.
"Oh, the sun is setting." Konata pointed out. "Soon they'll start to turn on all those lights."
"Yeah, there really are a lot of them! It's like the entire city is covered with lights." Kagami replied.
"It is, it is! You can't go anywhere without seeing a light show these days! It's strange how it doesn't get old, right?"
"You'd think that Japan would be tired of lights, since we already have illumination every night. Yet there's still light shows during the holidays, and everybody still enjoys it."
"I guess we're compensating for not being able to see the stars?" Konata wondered, looking up towards the skies.
"It's the reason why we can't see them, Konata. Too many lights down here makes it hard to see anything up there except for the moon." Explained the taller girl, who looked on with an amused smile.
"Ohh! I see." Innocent understanding dawned on the bluenette's face.
The idle conversation continued for a while, as it always did. There was something to be said about their bond. Even though it was the simplest thing in the world, talking with the otaku was secretly Kagami's favorite thing to do. Konata had a way of making everything refreshing, even topics that seemed to have been exhausted already.
"Hey, are you hungry?" Speak of the devil, there she was. "I reserved a spot in some restaurant, so we can eat anytime between six and seven pm."
"Oh, sure. I mean, we aren't doing anything besides walking around, so we may as well go now."
"Ah, I knew it! You are always hungry!" Konata teased, nudging her girlfriend's side. "I hope you at least exercise, since you obviously have no willpower for dieting."
"Shush. I don't want to hear that from someone who eats nothing but chocolate cornets and apple juice."
Certain topics that should have been exhausted a long time ago. Unfortunately, Konata had a habit of being able to bring anything up and make it relevant.
/-/
Dinner was in an upscale restaurant, one that turned people away with thoughts like "So expensive.." to "Too fancy.." and other such excuses. However, Konata had none of these qualms, and she grabbed her partner's hand, leading her into the fully occupied and addressing the man at the podium with a polite voice.
"Good evening. I have a table reserved under Konata Izumi." She didn't beat around the bush, nor did the other guy.
"Ah, welcome Izumi-san." He stepped out from behind his podium, and with a polite bow he led them through the restaurant's hallways, into a lavish dining room that looked very busy.
He had a distinct accent that Kagami barely recognized, yet his Japanese was fluent and clear. As she thought that, Konata took her hand in her own, pulling her gently along.
"This restaurant is apparently very French." Konata clarified, seeing the thoughtful expression. "They had some good reviews and stuff, so I figured we could try it out! Should be a nice change from normal stuff."
"Hm. Miyuki talks about it sometimes. She says that the French take a lot of pride in their food." Kagami remembered all the conversations she had with the pink-haired girl.
"Miyuki really seems to know a lot about this kind of stuff. She makes me feel so low-class.."
"I believe her. From how high they set their prices and decor, they must be pretty damn confident in how good their cooking is." Konata grinned. "Bet I could do better, though."
"Maybe. We should get Miyuki to judge that. As a bourgeois, she's perfect for that job!"
"She probably eats like this every day, if not better than this.." Konata heaved a deep sigh. "The differences between her class and mine may be bigger than the difference between our size.." The disheartened look on the vertically challenged girl's face was asking to be teased, but Kagami decided to be nice.
"Don't worry, I like you the way you are. Being short is cute, you know?" She was surprised when the response she got wasn't a thankful smile or a pout, but instead a confused look.
"I was talking about our bust sizes, not our height." She stated bluntly without any trace of embarrassment. Kagami put her hand to her forehead and blew out of the side of her mouth in exasperation.
"If I didn't like you so much, I would hate you. I hope you know that."
][ ][
The table they were led to was jet black with a dull golden border, and their seat was a maroon-colored sofa against the wall. Business was running high, and friendly conversation was accompanied by occasional laughter and cheers. Metallic lanterns hanging from the ceiling shone with a warm orange light, giving the room a cozy yet refined aura. While she was not able to take it all in at once, Kagami definitely did feel a sense of endearment already.
"This place is amazing! The atmosphere is so.. friendly! It's like the bars in video games.." She gazed about, her eyes taking in all the details of the restaurant.
"They say that the theme of this restaurant is steampunk and tavern." Konata explained, taking a seat down at the sofa. Her date took a seat next to her, picking up one of the menus on the table. Konata giggled, putting her arm around Kagami's waist and resting her head on the girl's shoulder. "Ah, going directly for the food? You don't want to play with me, Kagamin?"
"Food is more important." Kagami laughed and returned the embrace, letting her girlfriend know she was joking. Konata turned her eyes towards the menu, and her eyes lit up when she saw the vivid aesthetic displays.
"Whoa! What's this?" Konata pointed at an elegantly garnished plate.
"I don't know." Kagami's voice was dismissive and monotone, but she did have to admit that the dish pointed out did seem impressive.
"Boring. We should try it!"
"Konata, don't be so hasty. Check the description first." Her words went in one ear and out the other. The bluenette reached for something on the table, holding it up for Kagami to see.
"Look, they use forks here! You know how to use a fork, right?"
"Of course I do! I've eaten out enough to know how to use a fork and knife, I'm not a stay at home like you are!"
The other menu sat on the table, untouched.
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".. and that's the reason I actually enrolled in Ryōō." Konata finished her story, immediately being fixed with an annoyed glare. She nervously laughed, taking another bite of her meal to break eye contact for a couple relieved moments.
"I can't believe you. Your lack of motivation is appalling." Kagami muttered. "You seriously blackmailed your dad like that?" The venomous tone left no doubt of her disapproval, and suddenly the otaku felt like she needed to defend herself.
"Weeeeell, I know he wanted it too.. He just was reluctant, so I told him that I wouldn't go to school until he bought the console." Her defense back-fired. All it did was intensify the glare that was directed at her.
"Don't make excuses. You're just lazy and unmotivated." Kagami shook her head, picking up her fork and poking a piece of meat. "What were your other reasons?"
"Hm." Konata swallowed the food she was chewing, pursing her lips in thought. "Dunno. I went to school because my dad wanted me to, but I personally didn't see a point in it."
"Seriously? You don't care about your future? Didn't any of your friends transfer into Ryōō?"
"Nah. I only had one friend, and I haven't seen her since the middle school graduation ceremony." Konata said easily. Even though she didn't seem offended, Kagami mentally slapped herself in the forehead.
"Why did I say that? She already told me about how she didn't have many close friends until us, and here I am using it against her!"
"Sorry.. I didn't mean it like that." She said, not looking at Konata but not looking away either. "It sort of just came out, and I probably sound really insensitive.."
Konata didn't say anything for a second, and her neutral expression momentarily changed into a frown, but almost instantly it turned into a wide smile.
"Oh, that's what you're all sad about? Tsundere.. heheh.." Konata teased, holding the tsundere's hand between both of her own. "It's nice that you care about my feelings so much!"
Casting her eyes across the room, Kagami watched a couple who were smiling and chatting happily. She didn't make eye contact with her own date, but Konata waited patiently. Eventually, the bluenette continued, gripping Kagami's hand firmly.
"Kagami, I'm not good at these kinds of situations. I'll cry." She said in a monotone, quickly equipping her best sad expression. Panic flashed in Kagami's eyes, and she turned towards Konata, words of panic already on her lips.
"Wait, please don't cry! Konata, I'm sorry!" She barely had enough time to get the words out before Konata moved forward, giving her a gentle kiss. Surprised, it took Kagami a second to realize what was going on, but she gladly returned the kiss, and while it lasted for mere seconds she would remember the feeling for much longer.
"Let's enjoy ourselves, okay?"
On her face, a smile. In her eyes, happiness. In her body language, a relaxation that only showed at times like this. Kagami noticed everything about her friend and lover, albeit she did so in the subconscious part of her mind. Although she didn't realize it herself, she could read the otaku's mood like a picture. Give it a couple minutes of concentration, and she could practically see into the girl's heart.
She smiled, nodded, needing no words to communicate her understanding.
That was where conversation between the two ended, only to be started up once again after just a minute.
/-/
"Let's go on the ferris wheel!"
From the insistence in her request and the way Konata pulled on her sleeves, the girl with twintails couldn't help but smile. "She reminds me of a little kid.."
"Sure, sure." She agreed, already starting to walk towards the line for the ride. Her childish friend pulled her along, managing to keep the same distance ahead of her partner.
"Slow!" She teased with a grin on her face. "The line will just get longer, Kagamin! Walk faster, please."
Rolling her eyes, Kagami stepped into line next to the energetic girl. "You're too loud. There are other people here, you know?"
The wait was much shorter than she had anticipated, even though the line was surely at least 30 meters long. Before long, she was being ushered into a gondola and the door closed, leaving her sitting next to Konata in a basket-shaped pod. There was no needs for words as the wheel turned, and the gondola was gradually lifted off the ground.
"Hey, Kagami.." Konata started, waiting for Kagami to look at her. When the girl did, she continued in a serious voice. "I'm really thankful to you. You were one of the few people to accept me as a friend, and you always stick with me no matter how annoying I am."
"Uh.. I just want you to know that I cherish the time we've known each other, and hope that we can be with each other for a long time."
By this point, Kagami had definitely noticed that her girlfriend seemed to be acting strange. It seemed that the higher they rose into the air, the more tension crept into Konata's voice, the more color crept onto her cheeks.
Then she noticed what was in Konata's hands, and her heart stopped.
"... ... ... ... ..?!"
"W-What? Is that.."
Konata cleared her throat, turning her body to face Kagami.
"T.. This is for you!" She looked down at the object in her lap and gulped. The lid popped open.
A/N
I can't remember writing a cliffhanger steeper than this since I've never written one at all.
Don't worry, we ain't done yet! It's been 6 days since I updated, and I apologize deeply for the extreme slowdown in content. I have trouble focusing as of late, and not as much time to work. I thought this chapter was getting extremely long, but turns out it was only 5k! _" Please tell me what you think of my ever changing writing style, about the story, and ask me questions about stuff! I'll do my best not to disappoint!
Sym: It's been so long, but welcome back to the chapter's end! Today I'm here with Kagami, our local foods expert!
Kagami: Since when did I have that title?
Sym: Moving on, you were given a gift of pocky and Kit Kats by Konata. Mind explaining to us the choice of flavors?
Kagami: Oh, that.. Well, rare cheesecake and royal milk tea pocky are harder to find than the normal chocolate and strawberry flavors. It's more expensive, more exclusive, and more exotic. That's the way they get people to buy it.
Sym: How about the Kit Kats? Anything special about those?
Kagami: Kit Kats became a big thing some time ago, and now they have a ton of flavors. They're given as a good luck gift, but they're also a good gift in general. Green tea and dark chocolate are my favorite flavors.. I'm glad Konata remembered that..
Sym: Thanks for explaining that! Before we leave, I wanted to give this to you. *hands Kagami a fruit*
Kagami: .. A lemon? And what is this for?
Sym: One of our guest reviewers requested that we put this into the story, but it got shafted. Originally, Konata was to give it to you as part of her gift, and then the waiter was supposed to give it to you for some reason, but they both missed it. So it's ended up with me.
Kagami: Why are you giving it to me? Why do I need this?
Sym: Actually now that I think about it, the lemon should go to the other story, SFL. I believe there was a discussion about it, and apparently it can't go in this story because of the T-rating.
Kagami: Mind explaining what you mean by that? *suspicious look at Sym and the lemon*
Sym: No reason at all! Do you want that?
Kagami: No.
Sym: Alright, I'll send it over to the SFL people right now. *takes the fruit, and it disappears*
Kagami: ...
Sym: That'll be all for today! Thank you Kagami for being here today, and we'll see you in the next chapter!