AYAKO

What could be more flattering than spending Christmas Eve in a rather skimpy, female Santa suit and standing in front of your blushing boyfriend who's clearly mesmerized by your drop-dead loveliness and couldn't seem to get over himself?

Ha! It doesn't hurt to be honest once in a while, y'know. After all, I should really be stunning to have swayed Kaede Rukawa's attention this much. You just have to look at how his eyes sparkled like the stars, or how he could hardly speak in awe.

Well, he hardly speaks in any other situation, true. But this kind of silence from him, especially now that our surreptitious relationship is on its second week, is more than enough to catapult me to Mt. Olympus and give Aphrodite a wicked shove off her throne.

I feel that divine... and beautiful.

An ice block like my Kaede's got such weird ways of letting you know how much he appreciates you. And, of course, as his girlfriend I should rightfully know how to nail the subtlest signs

"You dumped him."

Oh, that one's rather, er... new?

"What?" I asked innocently, keeping my smile from breaking into a smirk.

And, for my sake, he repeated it most dutifully in that same monotonous, almost accusatory tone, "You dumped him."

I almost completely broke into nervous laughter, but luckily I have enough of my senses left to hold such an irrational outburst back. Instead, I expelled a deep sigh, coiled my arms around his neck, gave him a quick firm peck on his impudent lips and whispered, "Merry Christmas, Kaede."

And he just had to quip with untiring prudence and ruin the romantic atmosphere I was trying to build, "You should've been a bit more tactful."

"What do you mean?" My smile has by now dissolved into a questioning frown. This little exchange-aside from making a scenewas making me want to wish I have stayed longer in that toy store I was working part time for. I think I can bear with a few wrinkles from those abrasive juvenile bloodsuckers more than I can the urge to ram my beloved boyfriend into the snow.

"You shouldn't have told him about me," he grimly replied. It was amazing how his face can expertly manifest the gravest expressions more than he could the more pleasing ones. I was virtually wading in the depth of those blue eyes which seemed to be gazing right into the insides of my reeling head.

"I never did," was all I was able to say, arms slipping off his neck and flopping weakly to my sides. I felt like I've been drained of all my strength when he has done nothing more than look me in the eye.

"He knows there is another guy."

"I never said your name."

"He'd soon find out."

"And what's so wrong with that? He's supposed to find out! The whole world should find out"

"That you dumped him because of me?"

God, Kaede, what a perfect time to show me you've got at least a rational blast of air between those ears! This kid was sure playing on my temper. Playing on it so expertly that I suddenly felt it slipping from my grasp and I have not the power to hold on to it any longer. It was starting to seriously clog my airways, leaving me with only one rational resort.

I snapped and started yelling out in anger.

"I never dumped him! It was never us in the first place! Kaede, what is your problem? What is this all about, huh? I just told him the truth. That I can never love him as much as he does me! Why are you making it out like some crime of the century or something! Am I that bad, Kaede? Am I?"

I knew I looked pathetic. Like a flipped version of a Christmas Atilla, the scourge of an unfairly questioned love. More and more nosey people were snooping in to see the show and I could clearly see that Kaede was not liking it.

But like the collected and composed guy he always was, he kept his cool as he calmly reproached me, "Don't shout. People are staring."

"Oh you bet I'll keep them looking longer if you don't tell me how my dumping Ryota's gonna affect your life with me!"

"You just said you never dumped him."

I was stumped and couldn't help just gazing at him with flaring eyes. So this guy has been paying attention to my deafening rants, all along!

But that still didn't explain what this guy was really up to. Was he trying to hint on a more serious matter? One so afflictive that he's finding it hard to tell me directly?

"Don't... Don't you wanna be with me, Kaede?" I asked in a small cautious voice. "Don't you want to make this official?

"Senpai... I-"

It was at this moment that I totally lost whatever bit of restraint I have been trying to impose on myself. Before any of us-nor any of the herd of passing meddlers-could blink an eye, my hand has flown up and marked his face with the wrath of an awfully offended girlfriend. "So that's what I am to you now, huh? Your good old senpai?"

I never bothered waiting for his reply. Right after that outburst, I turned on my heels and stalked off, fuming and hurting at the same time. Not really knowing where exactly I should go but intent on leaving that cursed place just the same.

A hand suddenly made a detaining grab on my arm.

"I'm sorry... Aya-chan." He gently turned me around and held me tightly against himself. And since this was his first time to initiate an act of affection, I was stunned for a couple of seconds before I finally leaned deeper into his embrace and closed my eyes. The world could crumble at my feet at this very moment and I wouldn't give a damn care. "He's really hurt."

"He'll be all right," I said, looking up at him with an assuring smile. It always amazes me how much concern Kaede really has for his teammates. It is a side of him that I alone has special access to. "I know Ryota. Hes a tough guy. He'll get over it, trust me. For now, let this night be just about you and me, okay?"

He released a deep sigh, its cool-warm burst momentarily caressing my face. Then he nodded and managed a rather stingy smile before we started walking off with his arm wrapped lovingly around my shoulders.

We seemed to be floating in a moment where we felt we were the only beings on earth, until-

"Ayako-chan!"

"Haruko!" The couple standing before us looked as surprised to see us as we were of them. Well, fancy bumping into my What the hell?

"Do'ahou," I heard worrywart Kaede mutter under his breath. And it didn't take me a second to figure out what he meant.

For the guy Haruko was clasping hands with was not the one any of us would've expected him to be.