Hi there! I'm back from my vacation, I had a wonderful time with my girlfriend (thanks to her for proofreading this chapter). I'm back for more Codename Jackie, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter.

Shiena remained dazed by the building she was standing in front of. It was the biggest restaurant she ever went to, it looked so fancy and rich. She looked at the door with hesitation, wondering if she should really step in. She felt like she didn't belong there, that she would be like a stain on a perfect white sheet. She was worried that she wasn't worthy of such a place. But someone was waiting for her, and she went through all the trouble to be perfect for her. Shiena took a deep breath, gathering up all her courage, and finally stepped inside.

The interior was even more astonishing. It was so huge, well decorated, and everyone looked so elegant and classy. It only made Shiena felt even more like she didn't belong there. She was tempted to go back but before she could recoil a waitress approached her.

"Excuse me miss, do you have a reservation?" the waitress asked.

"Oh, huh, I'm supposed to meet… a friend. Her name is Takechi Otoya," Shiena replied nervously.

"Yes, just a moment please," the waitress said as she went behind her computer. "Miss Takechi is already here, you can follow me. Would you leave me your coat?"

"Eh, sure," Shiena said, uncertain as she removed her coat, feeling embarrassed to expose her outfit.

The waitress took her coat and gestured Shiena to follow her. Her heart was racing like crazy as she walked between the tables, feeling gazes all over her. She was worried that the people here found her weird or she stood out in a bad way. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, following the waitress until she reached her table.

Otoya rose up when she saw Shiena. She was wearing a white shirt with a purple tie, which suited her very well. Otoya's eyes were wide open in disbelief as she gazed at her.

"Shiena…san?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah…?"

Shiena began to be worried. She was wearing a simple cream dress, her hair was straightened but still a little wavy, untied, with a hairpin exposing part of her forehead. She was wearing some makeup but nothing too much, and instead of her glasses she was wearing contact lenses. It was all Haru's work, who was now enjoying the night with Tokaku.

"You… you're so beautiful," Otoya finally said with a smile and admiration in her eyes.

Shiena was so happy and relieved to hear those words. Her heart calmed down a little as she felt her cheeks becoming warmer. Otoya then pulled out a chair and gestured Shiena to sit down.

"You may sit," Otoya said politely with a wink.

"T-Thanks," Shiena replied, a little bit shy.

Shiena sat down, followed by Otoya. The waitress gave them two menus.

"Do you want anything to drink?" the waitress asked.

"Uh... a coffee? With a little sugar and milk," Shiena asked.

"A coffee too, black, thanks," Otoya said.

Shiena was a little bit surprised. Didn't Otoya use to drink hers with cream and sugar? It didn't seem to be an important detail so Shiena didn't mind it, starting to read the menu while the waitress walked away.

"What are you going to order?" Otoya asked.

"I don't know, I… I'm not used to fancy restaurants," Shiena admitted, embarrassed.

"Hehe, I had a doubt. You feel like the type of girl who enjoys fast food."

"... I do…"

"It's fine. I personally dislike those. Let's say that I'm quite the gourmet, I have a well-developed sense of taste."

Shiena remembered Otoya's reaction to the food at her house. Otoya had fancy and refined tastes, which put a certain amount of pressure on Shiena, who feared that she wouldn't be able to satisfy her. Not that she disliked fancy food, but she would rather go eat in Mcdonald's than here.

"I think I'll take a rare steak," Otoya said.

Shiena continued to look through the menu. She was quite picky with her food so she wasn't sure what to take. She decided to take what seemed the less fancy option in her eyes.

"I'll take the alfredo spaghetti," Shiena said.

"Oh, that's a good choice too."

The waitress came back with their respective coffees and set them down in front of them.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll take a rare steak and she'll take the alfredo spaghetti," Otoya said as she handed her the two menus.

"Very well, it shouldn't take too long."

The waitress walked away again as Otoya started to sip her coffee.

"Isn't it too strong?" Shiena asked.

"Hm? Oh, my coffee? I like it bitter. I like bitter stuff."

"But you wanted cream and sugar at my home…"

"Oh, really? I like to switch from time to time, to have good diversity. Right now I'm craving the bitter taste~"

Shiena started to drink her own coffee while she noticed Otoya simply gazing at her with a soft smile.

"Takechi?"

"Sorry, I just… can't help but look at you. You're so stunning, I love what you did to your hair."

She felt a rush of blood in her cheeks again and her heart racing.

"T-Thanks…"

Suddenly, Otoya reached over the table and ran a hand through her hair, softly stroking it.

"Yeah, it's still soft, I like that."

Shiena felt like her entire face was red now. Hopefully, the foundation was hiding it.

"Oh, uh… I got you a gift," Shiena said nervously.

"Ah, same here. Show me~"

With a trembling hand, Shiena looked through her purse (which she never used before) and pulled out a box messily wrapped in Christmas paper, before handing it to Otoya.

"It's… it's for you," Shiena said shyly.

A smile on her lips, Otoya took the gift.

"Thanks, Shiena-san!" she said happily as she started to open it.

Shiena felt anxious. What if Otoya didn't like her gift? What if it wasn't a good idea after all? She could feel cold sweat dripping down her back, nervously playing with her fingers, waiting for Otoya to open it.

When she finished removing the paper, Otoya opened the box, under the worried gaze of Shiena. She then pulled out the gift from the box, a small ornament representing a bouquet of flowers made of ceramic. Otoya's gaze became stoic for a moment and Shiena felt like her heart had stopped.

"I… Well, you said how you like flowers but don't like to keep them in your house because you dislike seeing them rot away, so I thought… you would maybe like flowers that will never fade away? You know, like… eternally blooming flowers or something," Shiena exclaimed nervously.

Otoya remained silent, still staring at the flowers ornament. Shiena tensed up as she started to regret her gift.

"Sorry, maybe it wasn't a good idea-"

Suddenly, a cheerful smile appeared on Otoya's face.

"I love it!" she exclaimed. "Thank you, Shiena-san. It was a good idea."

Shiena let out a discreet sigh of relief. She got really worried for a moment that she had made a mistake, but it turned out that it was a good idea after all.

"Here, let me give you your present now," Otoya said as she took out a small box from her purse.

It was a simple white box kept closed with a red ribbon. She handed it to Shiena who took it with a shivering hand, having a hard time opening it. When she finally managed to open it, she nearly dropped it and caught it in time, before taking out what was inside.

It was a silver pendant in the shape of a heart with a purplish stone in the middle. Shiena remained stunned by how beautiful it was, and by how much it must have cost.

"Oh, Takechi… you shouldn't have…"

"You don't like it?"

"No, it's not that… it's beautiful… but you shouldn't have spent so much for me."

"Oh, don't worry about it, I got a discount on it," Otoya reassured.

"Another discount?"

"Hehe, what can I say, I'm crazy lucky. So don't worry about it, it barely cost anything, and I thought it was beautiful. When I saw it, I couldn't help but picture it around your neck. I'm sure it will suit you so well. Let's just try it right now."

Shiena felt a little bit shy and nervous as Otoya rose up, taking the necklace, before going behind the brunette. She gently lifted her hair to get her neck free while Shiena felt her heart beating faster. Otoya slipped the pendant under her chin and the chain touched Shiena's skin, which made her shiver a little. The metal was kind of cold. Otoya then tied it behind her neck and Shiena looked down. The pendant was truly beautiful. Otoya went back to sit at her place, admiring Shiena.

"Yes, it truly suits you," Otoya said with a soft smile.

Shiena blushed at the compliment while Otoya chuckled. Shiena took the heart in her hand and examined it.

"This stone… what is it?"

"It's an amethyst. Since it's your month's stone, I thought it would suit you. Purple does fit you."

"It would suit you better with your purple hair."

"Hehe, but I do like seeing a colour that represents me on you, Shiena-san~"

This comment made Shiena so happy. She felt a little bit complex though, Otoya gave her a piece of jewelry, while she only gave her a cheap ornament. But Otoya genuinely seemed happy with her gift, and she said hers didn't cost that much, so maybe that was fine. After all, it was the intention that mattered.

Their orders finally arrived, the waitress put Otoya's steak in front of her and Shiena's alfredo spaghetti.

"Enjoy your meal," the waitress said as she walked away.

"Wow, you sure do like your steak bloody," Shiena commented.

"Hehe, I like blood. And I'm a true carnivore."

"Well, as long as you only eat animals' meat…"

"Hm… who knows? Human flesh might be good… I may be tempted to eat Shiena-san~"

Shiena froze for a moment, uncertain about what she just heard until Otoya started to laugh.

"I'm just kidding, don't worry. Anyway, if I ever eat you, that will be in a much different and much more pleasant way."

Shiena instinctively squeezed her legs and felt her center becoming hotter. What did she mean by that? It couldn't be what she thought, right? Or perhaps…

"Aww, you're all red. I was just joking, relax. Now let's just eat, shall we?" Otoya said.

Shiena wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed. She started to eat her dinner, noticing the broccoli. She tossed them away, her who hated all veggies. Otoya was cutting her steak, seeming to enjoy the process, before she took a bite of this rare steak. They both ate at their own pace, enjoying their food. Shiena looked at her pendant from time to time, happy that Otoya got her that, even though she wasn't the jewelry type. But it came from Otoya, so she would gladly wear it.

"So, did you learn anything new about Jackie or the Demolisher?" Otoya casually asked between two bites.

"Oh, well… you see, Jackie's poem… I decided to reply to it. You probably saw it on Facebook… I dedicated it to her."

"Yeah, I saw it. Really lovely. Care to tell me more about the meaning?"

"Ah… I don't really feel like talking about it now, sorry…"

"Oh, it's fine, I won't force you. I just wish that one day, you'll feel comfortable enough with me to tell me."

Those words somehow comforted Shiena. She was glad that Otoya didn't insist, and she too, wished that one day she'll feel at ease enough to tell her about her dark past.

"Thank you, Takechi."

"No need to thank me, I'm just doing what any decent person would," Otoya brushed away. "So, what about the Demolisher?"

"Oh, them… well, I have a suspect in mind."

"Ah? And who might that be?"

"I… prefer to keep it to myself for now, in case I'm wrong."

"Ah, I understand. Can you at least tell me if they are a man or a woman?"

"It's… kind of complicated. I would say that they are a girl, but… maybe not always."

"Hm, sounds mysterious… But I'll take it."

Shiena continued to eat. She did enjoy talking about serial killers with Otoya, but she wanted to keep the Demolisher case for herself, given that she was about to do something reckless that Otoya might disapprove of. And for once, she wanted to talk about something else with her.

"What kind of passion… did you have before?" Shiena suddenly asked.

"Huh? You mean like… when I was younger?"

"Yeah, like… when you were in high school."

"Oh… Well I was in the gardening club, but I also hung out in the cooking club too. I love growing flowers and cooking, and I still do~"

"Ah, I see."

"What about you? What did you use to do when you were younger?"

"Uh, well… my interest used to be theatre. I always enjoyed… watching plays. To see the actors play live is just such a wonderful experience. It's not like TV, they can't redo it if they make a mistake, so it's much more stressful- yet they must feel so much adrenaline and satisfaction when they finish. I feel like being a theatre actor is much more rewarding than being a TV actor. Other kids found me weird for preferring going to theatre than watching TV, and as I grew older, I wanted to be part of it."

Shiena suddenly felt bad for rambling so much, but Otoya looked so interested in everything she was saying.

"Like, to be an actor?" Otoya asked.

"Not really, I don't have the confidence to be an actor. I much prefer to be the one writing and directing the play. You know, a dramatist."

"Oh. Then why didn't you become one?"

"Well… I was tempted to study in an art college, but… people dissuaded me. They said art was not a suitable job for me, that it would be hard for me to pay the bills with that. They suggested me instead to rely on my other talents, because it was a field with a lot of job prospects."

"You mean… computer science?"

"Yeah, I became a computer technician because it was safer, I knew I would be able to earn enough money to survive. But sometimes, I wonder what would have been my life if I decided to follow my dreams and become a dramatist."

It was one of Shiena's biggest regrets. She couldn't help but wonder if she would have succeeded as a dramatist, maybe she would have been happier this way.

Otoya softly took her hand and smiled gently.

"I'm sure you would have been a wonderful dramatist, Shiena-san."

Shiena felt moved by the compliment. Otoya was so nice to her, she was so happy she met her.

They continued to eat their dinner, Shiena having almost finished her spaghetti, without having touched the broccoli.

"That's not good, Shiena-san. You gotta eat your veggies."

"But… I don't like veggies…"

"It's good for your health."

"I eat fruits from time to time, so it's fine-"

"No. Vegetables and fruits don't have the same vitamins, you need both."

Otoya was acting like a mom right now. Shiena was a little bit annoyed, but she knew she must only be worried about her health. Her parents never bothered to make her eat her veggies as a child, so Shiena never got used to it.

"Eat them," Otoya said.

"N-No…"

"Just one. For me," Otoya said, almost pleading.

Shiena sighed. Otoya was looking at her with puppy eyes, she couldn't refuse. She looked at the broccoli with disgust and took a deep breath, before putting one in her mouth.

She couldn't bear with the texture and the taste was repulsive. But she forced herself to chew, to please Otoya. She quickly swallowed it, feeling a little bit nauseous. For a split-second, Otoya had a smirk on her lips, before she smiled happily.

"You did it, Shiena-san! I'm so proud of you!"

Shiena immediately drank some coffee to wash off the disgusting taste in her mouth. Otoya finished up her steak and her coffee.

"Ah, that was so good!" Otoya said. "Now I'm ready for dessert. Hey, waitress!"

A waitress who passed by stopped, approaching them.

"Yes miss?"

"We are done with the main meal, we would like dessert."

"Of course. The dessert menus are right here, I'll come back in a moment."

"Thank you."

Otoya took the menu and started looking at it, which Shiena did too. She didn't have much of a sweet tooth so she wasn't that fond of cake. She wanted something not too sweet and with a soft taste. She looked through the options and made a choice.

"So, what are you going to take?" Otoya asked.

"I'll go for the creme brulee," Shiena said.

"Oh, interesting choice. Hm… so many good options, which one to choose… I'll go with the cheesecake."

The waitress came back a little later to take their orders.

"I'll have the cheesecake and she'll take the creme brulee," Otoya said.

"Excellent choice, I'll bring you that in a moment."

Shiena finished up her coffee, but was still curious about some aspects of Otoya.

"Hey… how did you know that… you were gay?" Shiena suddenly asked.

"Hm? Oh, well, I met a girl when I was a teen. She was so beautiful and she asked me out, so we dated. But we eventually broke up because we didn't feel like we were a good match. But at least it helped me figure out my sexuality."

"Oh, I see… how many girlfriends did you have… if it's not too much to ask?"

Otoya chuckled.

"A couple, but it never really ended up well. I never was lucky in love. I could never find that one special girl that would fill the void in my heart. I try to stay hopeful and optimistic, but… sometimes I feel like it's impossible…"

Otoya suddenly looked down with sadness in her eyes. Feeling sympathy for her, Shiena softly grabbed her hand, gently stroking it.

"I'm sure you'll find the right person, Takechi. You're such a great woman, kind and generous, anyone would want to be with you. I… I think the right person might be closer to you than you think, she must be waiting for you, to fill the own void she also has in her heart."

Shiena couldn't believe she dared to say that. She anxiously looked at Otoya, waiting for her reaction. She simply smiled at that, looking moved.

"Thank you, Shiena-san. I'll stay hopeful then. I'm sure you'll find the right person too soon."

Shiena wasn't sure if those words comforted or hurt her. Otoya didn't understand what she meant by that, but at the same time, perhaps it was better that way. Shiena wasn't ready yet to tell her her feelings.

The waitress came back with their desserts and she set them down in front of them.

"Thank you," Otoya said.

"Thanks," Shiena added.

The waitress bowed before she walked away. Shiena grabbed her spoon and looked at her creme brulee. It did look quite tasty. She took a bit of it, satisfied with the sweet yet soft taste. She saw that Otoya was starting to eat her cake.

"Mmm, delicious," Otoya said as she licked her lips. "What about yours?"

"It's quite good I must say," Shiena said before taking another bite.

Otoya took another bite of her cake before a soft smirk appeared on her lips.

"What about you? How did you find out you were gay?" Otoya suddenly asked.

Shiena nearly choked on her food. Why was she suddenly asked that? She then remembered she asked her the exact same question and felt embarrassed.

"Oh, uh… well since I was a child I always thought that women were pretty, and then… I got a crush on someone."

"Who?"

Shiena knew she was probably all red right now.

"One of my… teachers," Shiena admitted.

Otoya remained quiet for a moment before she started to giggle, much to Shiena's embarrassment.

"It's… it's not funny!" Shiena protested.

"I know, I know, I'm not laughing at you. I just think it's kinda cute," Otoya said. "Did… anything happen between you and that teacher?"

"O-Of course not! She was an adult and I was a teenager- she would have gotten into trouble. And it's not like… I have the guts to ask anyone out."

"So I assume you never had any girlfriends before, am I right?"

"Yeah…"

"But soon it will be a new year, and I have a feeling that it will be a lucky year for you. Who knows, maybe you'll meet the woman of your dreams."

As she said that, Otoya winked, which made Shiena's heart skip a beat. For a moment they continued to eat wordlessly before Otoya broke the silence.

"Does your family know that you're gay?"

"Ah… no. I never told any of my relatives, I'm not close enough to any of them to tell them. And I'm scared to… what about you?"

"Well, my uncle and aunt knew and never had any problem with it, and my parents… well they died before I could even realize it."

"Oh… I'm sorry…"

"It's fine, it's been such a long time now."

Another question popped into Shiena's mind, but she wasn't sure if it was okay to ask. And yet… she was far too curious and so she asked anyway.

"Your parents… how did they die?" Shiena dared to ask.

Otoya stopped eating and remained stoic for a moment before a soft yet sad smile appeared on her lips.

"They got murdered," Otoya replied.

Shiena froze when she heard that. She couldn't have predicted that.

"Oh my gosh… that's so awful… I'm sorry. Do you know… who did that?"

"The police searched for the culprit, in vain."

Shiena felt so bad for Otoya. Her parents being dead was already sad, but murdered? It felt even worse. Could it be why she was now obsessed with serial killers? As a way to cope with the murder of her parents? So that was the darkness within Otoya, different from her darkness, but that caused both of their obsessions with serial killers.

Otoya suddenly softly caressed Shiena's hand with a comforting smile.

"No need to be sad for me, I'm okay now. I'm over it. And I'm not alone, I have my aunt and uncle, my friends… and you."

Those words immediately washed away Shiena's sadness and made her so happy that she smiled.

"I'll always be there for you, Takechi."

Otoya's smile became wider.

"Same here, Shiena-san."

They finished their desserts and as Shiena was about to wait for the waitress to bring the bill, Otoya rose up.

"Takechi? We… we need to pay, right?"

"I told you I had a discount, I already paid. We can go now."

With some hesitation, Shiena followed Otoya. They both got back their coats and left the restaurant, standing in front of it for a moment.

"I had a wonderful time with you, Shiena-san. I'm glad I spent my Christmas Eve with you."

"Me too. Thank you for inviting me. And thanks for your gift."

"Thanks for your gift too, I'll treasure it forever~"

Otoya got closer to Shiena and leaned on her, to leave her a soft kiss on the cheek. Shiena felt her entire body burning.

"Merry Christmas, Shiena-san. See you later."

"M-Merry C-Christmas, Takechi…"

Otoya smiled one last time before she turned back and started to walk away. Shiena put a hand on her heart which was racing like crazy while slightly brushing her cheek where Otoya kissed her. Was it simply a gesture of friendship or was there something more between them? Shiena simply couldn't believe it.

She finally came back to her senses and started to head home, playing with her pendant, this small heart Otoya gave her. In a way, it felt like Otoya gave her her heart. Even if she wasn't into jewelry, she'll cherish this pendant forever.

She felt next year was going to be a good year after all.

Ring, ring, ring.

A ringing pulled out Shiena from her dreamless sleep. She opened her eyes, realizing that it was her phone. She quickly rose up and searched for it, finding that she had left it on the floor. She picked it up, wondering who it could be.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Shiena," a masculine voice said.

Shiena froze when she heard that voice. It had been a while since she last heard it, but she still recognized him. She didn't understand why he was suddenly calling after all these years.

"... Oto-san?"

It was Shiena's father. Always busy with his work, he had neglected his daughter and eventually they lost contact. So his sudden call after such a long time was a real surprise.

"Merry Christmas," he suddenly said.

It took a moment for Shiena to realize what was happening. She remembered that she spent the evening with Otoya yesterday, the 24th, so today… was indeed Christmas.

"T-Thanks… Merry Christmas to you too," Shiena replied.

"How are you doing? Any plans for the holiday?"

Shiena spotted her heart pendant on her nightstand and reached for it, softly stroking it, a smile on her lips.

"I spent Christmas Eve… with someone."

"Oh? Right, you're not a little girl anymore, you're in the right age for love. What kind of man is he?"

Shiena remained silent. Of course her father would assume she was with a man. She was tempted to tell him it was a woman, but her father called so rarely, she didn't think it was the right time to do her coming out.

"... 'he' is… kind, friendly, generous, always comforting me and supporting me."

"Ah, I see. I'm glad you found a good man, not like- Anyway, I just wanted to know how you were doing. I did some cleaning in my house and found a picture of us, so I thought… it would be nice to speak to you."

Shiena didn't know how to feel about that. Part of her was glad that her father still thought about her, but she also felt some grudge against him. This man neglected her all her childhood, he was absent for most of her life, she suffered because of his actions. But today was Christmas, she was still overflowing with happiness due to her dinner with Otoya, she didn't want to let herself be overtaken by rancour. Perhaps it was the right time to forgive, let go of the past, and finally allow herself to be happy and at peace.

"Thank you for calling, Oto-san. I hope you're doing well too."

"I am, work is demanding as usual, but I feel like my efforts will be rewarded soon. I can feel this promotion… Do you have any news from your mother?"

Shiena wished he hadn't mentioned her. Her parents divorced when she was really young and since then, they barely talked to each other. Shiena herself hadn't talked to her for years.

"No, I don't. I just know she got remarried a couple of years ago, but that's it."

"Ah, I see… hopefully she found someone who makes her happy. I've got to go, I'm glad we could talk, and I'm happy that you found someone too."

"I'm glad we could talk too, have a good holiday, and a happy new year."

"I wish you a happy new year too. Bye."

And her father hung up. Shiena let out a sigh, not expecting that call. But part of her was kind of happy he called her, to know that deep down, her father still thought about her.

But it reminded her that her mother didn't, which gave her a twinge in her heart.

Still holding the pendant, Otoya's gift comforted her a little. At least she knew someone genuinely cared about her, and thinking about her filled her own heart with pure happiness.

She decided to wear the pendant and leave her bedroom, ready to make herself coffee to start her day well. But before she could, someone suddenly knocked at the door. Curious about who it could be, she quickly went to the front door and opened it.

There was no one outside.

Was it a prank? As Shiena was about to close the door, she noticed something on the ground.

A Christmas present.

It was an average-sized box wrapped in Christmas paper. Shiena picked it up, it didn't weigh that much. Who could have left that there? Curious but also a little bit worried, Shiena closed the door and headed for the kitchen, where she put the gift on the table.

She tried to look for a card or a name, but there was nothing. This present was totally anonymous. She was feeling more and more worried. But she was also extremely curious so she decided to take a risk and open it.

She unwrapped the gift and opened it, to discover a box full of colourful tissues. There was a certain smell coming from it, it smelt like… raw meat?

Shiena gulped as she put her hand into the box, trying to determine its contents. Her hand met with something wet, viscous, sticky and rather cold. This texture made Shiena a little bit nauseous as she finally removed her hand, bringing with her the suspicious content, before freezing in shock when she discovered what it was.

In her hand, Shiena was holding a bloody human heart.

I had no idea what to give for the main dish and dessert for Shiena and Otoya so I went with what I ordered when I was on a date with my gf: Alfredo spaghetti and cheesecake.

Looks like Shiena received... an interesting gift for Christmas. What is the meaning behind it? Let me know what you think!