On that day, the SPR office was nearly empty. With no upcoming cases at the moment, the irregular members were going about their regular business. Only Mai, Oliver and Lin remained. The last two of whom were working in their respective offices.

The weather was suitable for an early December in Japan. Although it was too early to expect snow to fall, the cold was engulfing everywhere. Mai loved this time of year. But after all, was there only one time of the year that Mai did not like? It seemed that she always found a good reason to enjoy the moment. In the summer, Mai enjoyed the sunshine and it was amusing to notice that the exact opposite was just as pleasing to her in winter. Indeed, it was the perfect occasion to stay indoors drinking a good hot tea and sharing good times with friends. The approaching festive season was reason enough for her to appreciate this season.

Thus, as she had done every year since she had been employed at SPR, Mai decorated the office tree with a playful air, diving into the decorative cardboard boxes spread around her to find the perfect assortment. Whether it was garlands or suspensions, she would go through everything before finally deciding to put a little bit of everything on. Just like every year, because she always found the colourful mixes to be the most beautiful effect. Since it was a matter of being festive, it was time to go all out!

Oliver was coming out of his office, probably to make his recurring request for tea. He could not hold a sigh when he saw the decorations. After all this time, Oliver had not changed his mind about the annual festivities.

"Your memory must be failing you. I thought I said we wouldn't be here until the end of December," he began.

As always, Oliver had the knack of provoking a rift in Mai's emotions. She was already torn between vexation and attachment. She turned her eyes to him and exclaimed as a twisted smile distorted her face.

"Hey!"

In spite of this, she quickly returned to her occupation, placing a garland before retorting.

"Believe it or not, I had understood perfectly! I just thought we couldn't spend more than half of December without decoration."

Once again fixed on the tree, her eyes expressed nothing but tenderness.

A few weeks earlier, Oliver's adoptive mother, Luella, had called. The family had expressed the wish to see their son for the end-of-year festivities, as it had been the case for previous years. Also, two years prior, the entire SPR team had been invited and the curious relationship between Mai and Oliver had not gone unnoticed by the family. That was why – among other reasons – Mai had been invited a few other times in England. It was happening again this year.

"Only you can waste your time on such futile things."

"Whatever you say, I got the point. Tea will be ready when I'm done with this."

Even after that, Oliver did not move. Always against a wall not far from her with his arms crossed. Mai had just finished decorating the tree, all she had to do now was put the final touch to it. Mai took the star and walked towards the tree.

"You're going to fall again," Oliver teased as he watched her, split between amusement and fatigue.

He was referring to the previous few years when Mai had always found a way to lose her balance, she was after all an eternal clumsy one, he thought...

"What are you talking about? They were accidents, this time I'm going to be fine. It's not the first time I've decorated a tree at the office."

She reached up on tiptoes and stretched her arm as far as she could to place the star at the top of the tree, but she was unsuccessful.

"No, unfortunately," he replied tiredly.

As she could not reach the top, she tried to stretch all the more and failed again.

"You could at least help me, since you're so clever."

"A simple stool would do the job," pointed out Oliver.

"No, I'll manage, there's not much left..."

She stretched herself to her fullest again, this time determined to show him that she was perfectly capable of doing it. That would shut him up! There were only a few millimetres left!

"You're going to fall," Oliver warned again.

"Stop saying this, I'm not cursed, nothing says I—"

And as expected, Mai ended up losing her balance. She held back from barely falling on the tree, but her evasive gestures made her tilt backwards. Oliver caught her by the waist, not surprised. He had said so! And he did not restrain himself from pointing it out to her.

"No, indeed, you're not cursed," Oliver began after a sigh, "but these aren't accidents either. Your failures are of your own doing and your stubbornness in spite of my advice, you are definitely clumsy as well as being stubborn," Oliver mocked.

She froze. Oliver was only a few centimetres away, his body so close to hers, and his lips twisted into a teasing smile she was familiar with. Yes, Oliver was charming, but only when it came to tormenting her in the process. And even at the age of twenty-four, Mai's reactions were still secretly entertaining for Oliver. The result began with poor Mai being unsettled and blushing first with surprise...and later with irritation.

"...Y-you...!" She stuttered and soon became frustrated as she could not find anything satisfying to reply. She eventually snorted in annoyance.

Oliver straightened up to walk away and returned with a stool.

"Finish this so I can have my tea," and he helped her up with a nonchalant attitude. Mai looked at him confusedly. To him, his act was perfectly justifiable. "You're already so clumsy on a large flat surface, I don't want to see what it is on a stool all by yourself," he explained.

Fulminating, Mai pouted and finally placed the star and then Oliver brought her down.

Once again close, they stared at each other for a moment. Oliver's hands had yet to leave her waist and he looked at her with a raised eyebrow. The insolent... The tension was tangible. Mai's irritability had not subsided in the least. And as if that was not enough, she was all the more annoyed that she could not hate him. Unfortunately for her, like a child playing with fire, Oliver did nothing to ease her mood, quite the contrary.

"I'm going to end up thinking you're doing this on purpose so I come to your rescue."

Mai's grumpy expression suddenly turned to shock, and then the red came back to her face – this time out of shame. Oliver found her immediate reaction most satisfying.

"Heeh~?! Baka!"

She immediately lowered her head and put a fist to his arm to hit him without much force. Then she buried her face in his chest to hide her red face and groaned.

Oliver's eyes softened, he let out an amused sigh as he rested his chin on the top of her skull, slightly tightening his embrace.