From Samegawa, the two traveled down the memory lane to the bus station in the shopping district. It was Saturday, and the two of them skipped schools. It was risky for the two of them, but both of them had made their decisions for it and ready for the consequences.

They made sure to dress themselves differently than when they were students. For once, Ayane wore a bit of make-up to hide her rosy cheeks. Yu had his hair slicked back like a delinquent. So far, nobody had noticed who they were from the bus station to the train station and all the way to Okina City.

Once there they had themselves lunch in one of the fancier diners. Yu had planned his route perfectly from start to finish, all in the hopes that Ayane would smile all day. From the light food she would eat that wouldn't upset her delicate stomach, to the movie they watched in the cinema that wouldn't bring her to tears, and then the gift they each bought for themselves at the accessories store for the two of them that would signify their bonds together.

Maybe not to a meticulous T, but he had it all planned out in his head.

Yet, fate seemed to test him today. The food that they ate wasn't that good, lots of sloppiness compared to what they usually made. The movie they watched afterward abhorrently sucked it yawned them to tears.

But at the accessories shop was when they had their first stroke of luck. The two of them saw a matching pendant that screamed tacky in every way. It was two pendants made one when united in the shape of a heart. It had jewelleries adorned around its outer shape, while the inner shape had its locking mechanism that played a soft tune when joined with the other piece. All of them as a set were truly valuable, as seen by the expensive price of five hundred thousand yen.

It was a tough decision for Yu. He had more than enough money pocketed to gift her that lovely item. Yet when Ayane found out about the price she had a concerned look on her face. What would be the right choice? Should he press on?

Then, after a short moment of hesitation and indecision, Yu called for the clerk behind the stand and asked for the item in question. The clerk nodded as she looked for the item in the back as per Yu's request.

Ayane, however, wasn't sure about the item that Yu had bought, considering he bought it in secret. It was a surprise, he said, but that surprise gave her the guilty pangs. Five hundred thousand wasn't an easy amount to acquire. It was as if Yu hadn't thought this through.

And he didn't consult with her about it.

Maybe that was what made her heart felt murky.

With the both of them silent on their ride back home, they arrived at the Dojima residence. The evening of their date had started, but there was a weird atmosphere among them.

As they opened the door to Yu's room, their Christmas Eve had truly started.