...Part 39: Tomomi Hikari...

The bell rang, and students rushed to cram out of the door, just like they always did. But this wasn't just any rush out of the school to them – it was the holiday release. A couple weeks of vacation would greet them all when they got home. I waited, still not feeling like getting squashed by them all.

"Hey Tomomi?" I heard a timid voice from behind me. I turned around, wondering who it was.

"Oh, konnichiwa Byako. What's up?"

"I haven't seen your cousin around much lately. Is he alright?" she asked. I was about to ask which cousin she was referring to, but then I realized I hadn't seen Mitsukai in class.

Then I remembered why. I smiled reassuringly at her. "Mitsukai's fine. He just has practice, is all." I hoped she wouldn't ask what kind of practice.

"Oh." Byako was confused, but she didn't pry. "Well... can you give this to him for me? And tell him Marry Christmas for me?" The doll-like girl held out a small, gift-wrapped package for me to take.

"I don't see why not," I agreed.

"I was going to give it to him myself, but he wasn't here, and I didn't know whether to go over to Chiisai or not. I wouldn't want to bother him, of course," she rambled, letting her nerves out.

"It's no problem. I'll give it to him the very moment I see him, okay?"

Byako nodded, smiling a little, and hurried off. "Bye, Tomomi – Arigato gozaimasu!"

Byako had always had a sort of crush on my older cousin, and when I saw her ask him to dance with her during the Halloween party, I couldn't help but be somewhat proud of her. And she was thoughtful enough to get him a Christmas gift. I think she was the kindest girl I knew; timid by nature. It surprised me a little to know she'd fallen for someone with such an intimidating aura – or maybe she didn't see him the way others did. Who knows?

I literally ran into Daichi in the hall on my way out to find Takumi out in the halls.

"Hi, Tomomi," he greeted me cheerily. "I was just looking for you."

"Really?" I admit, I was a bit puzzled.

"Yes, really," he replied. "I couldn't leave without giving my favorite cousin a gift, could I?"

I laughed. "Daichi, we'll be seeing each other again soon, you know."

He shrugged. "I know." Daichi handed me a pocket-sized package encased in white, snowman-patterned paper and blue ribbon flecked with little confetti-sized snowflakes. I contemplated using it in my hair later as I gazed at it. "You don't have to open it now, of course."

"I'll open it now," I said grinning. "I'm too curious to wait."



I untied the ribbon, wrapping it around my fingers to keep it somewhere I would remember it and commenced to peeling the wrapping-paper away. It was a little jewelry case. I could've said, 'Oh – it's a box; how sweet,' just to be silly, but I didn't. Peering inside the case, I found a pair of earrings. They were in the shape of wings.

"They're beautiful," I whispered. "Thank you, Daichi." Without thinking, I threw my arms around him in a hug.

He laughed, hugging me back. "I'll have another surprise for you later this week, too."

That got my mind racing with anticipation. Surprises made me overreact – I was excited to see what it would be.