Cure Narrative 54: Gift-Giving Season

Season: Heartcatch Precure

Character: Itsuki M.

Summary: Dear Santa, please give brother the gift of health. Thank you.

Word count: 1042

A/N: This is a part of my gift to Peachsupreme64 for Precure Secret Santa 2020 event on tumblr. One of their favourite characters is Cure Sunshine so I tried writing something for Itsuki though it's not exactly my forte. I do hope this is enough to be a decent present ^^

The chilling breeze, the merry carols, and the vast array of poinsettias lining the front of the Hanasaki Flower Shop heralded the holiday season. Today, Itsuki was meeting up with her friends here to go Christmas shopping.

As usual, Erika showed up with an attire fit for a fashion show. Itsuki gaped at the impeccable balance between holiday vibes and practical winter clothings. A balance her choice of clothes never struck, she inwardly lamented as she looked at her own plain trench coat.

Truly, to her, the past few months were enlightening in a way. Tsubomi and Erika led her onto paths she never even thought about before, it was exhilarating. She never thought she'd one day tug on her friends' sleeves and point at a display window of a boutique, calling out, "Look! That skirt is so lovely!"

Erika jokingly suggested as she was dragged to the display window, "Well, why don't you ask Santa if you want it?"

A chilling breeze shot across Itsuki's ears. There were words she would respond with, had they not been frozen in her throat.

Want it? Did she? Should she?

"Oh please, Erika," Tsubomi was the one who spoke up, nudging Erika playfully, "We're not children anymore."

"Buuu~! What's the harm?"

"Ah but knowing Itsuki, perhaps she already stopped naively believing in Santa since very young. Right, Itsuki?"

Snapdragons bloomed on her lips, "Yea... t-that's right. We're not at the age of asking Santa for presents anymore."

To be frank, it wasn't a matter of age so much as it was a matter of necessity.

'Want' had seldom been something of her concern. If she wanted a new notebook, a new backpack or a new hakama, her family would notice it before she asks. If she wanted a specific doll, a specific accessory or a specific dress, she would purge the thought from her mind before her family notices. She led a plentiful life, there was never a need to ask of anything more from Santa Claus.

At least, it was supposed to be this way.

Since the Christmas 10 years ago — the Christmas her brother spent at the hospital — she found a wish.

─── *:.。. .。.:* ───

Dear Santa,

I have been a good girl. Big brother has been a good boy. I hope Santa can give brother the gift of health. Thank you.

Love,

Itsuki

─── *:.。. .。.:* ───

Santa is no deity. He awaits requests for toys, not prayers for miracles. But what difference did it made to a little girl who slept alone in the coldness of winter, who woke up the next morning not rushing to peek into Christmas stockings, but rushing to her morning training?

"I wished for Santa to make big brother healthy again!" young Itsuki cheerily announced by her brother's bedside when she visited him later.

Back then, she couldn't comprehend his visage. He seemed pleased, proud even, yet there was a certain shadow over his eyes, not unlike how one would narrow their eyes when the sunlight is too bright.

Now she understood. No, she understood somewhere down the line before now, she only refused to acknowledge it because there was hardly anything else she could do for him. The sense of powerlessness was too great for her to bear.

And powerless she still was. He had trembled in fear somewhere out of her reach, had faced it head on somewhere out of her reach, and was undergoing rehabilitation somewhere out of her reach. Now she had lost even the need to make a wish on his behalf.

But now she had all the freedom in the world to wish for something she wants, something detached from her family and her duties.

"You should've made a wish for your own sake," her kind brother would say, maybe he already did some years ago. And that was... a little unsettling.

It was easy to say she wanted her brother to be healthy, it was a right choice, anyone would agree. But what was right — what was expected — when it came to herself?

"Ichuki~" a squeaky little voice called out from inside her bag, interrupting her contemplation, "You're thinking about something-dechu, is everything okay-dechuka?"

"Ah... you can tell, Potpourri?"

The big round eyes of her fairy stared at her, concerned.

Itsuki smiled lightly, patting Potpourri's head. Snapdragons bloomed again, "Everything's fine. I saw a scarf brother may like inside the store. Come on, let's head in with the others."

She pursed her lips as Potpourri retreated inside the bag. She needed get rid of her habit to overthink like this, fast. Months had passed since she chose to live this way, yet she still couldn't catch up with... herself.

Because on this gift-giving holiday, this perfect chance to tell beloved ones that you care, what is there to even doubt? She loved her brother, not out of obligation, not out of pity, everything she had ever done for him was out of simple love. And nothing would ever change that.

Powerless she may be, if anything in her power would delight him, then she was eager to try. He often said her smile was like the sun, did he not? Then so was his in her heart, the sunshine bashfully filtering through clouds that had occupied the sky for far too long. So gentle would this radiance be, flowers gazing upon it would surely flourish even in a winter of change and confusion.

"Ah, Itsuki, welcome home," her brother greeted her at the entranceway when she returned, "Did you have fun today? Did you buy anything?"

The knowledge that he was able to walk to the entranceway from within their giant manor on his own two legs within the time it took her to cross the front yard still felt surreal from time to time, but it already sufficiently warmed her up despite the freezing climate outside.

"Yes I did," she produced a beige and black checked scarf from her bag, "This is for you, brother. This year you would be able to go out during the holidays, and you must take care to keep warm."

"Thank you but..." he narrowed his eyes, "what about yourself?"

"Worry not," she assured, sunflowers blooming on her lips, "It is gift-giving season after all."

End of Chapter 54

Flower language trivia:

Snapdragon: deception and lies

Sunflower: adoration and loyalty

Source: Google :)))