Happy Holidays
The clouds in the sky had tricked everyone in school that day. They were grayish white, a sign that snow was on its way. All throughout the school day, not one snowflake had fallen. Others were upset, but Satoshi Hiwatari didn't mind much. He had to make up a gym class and didn't feel like walking home in the snow.
Why, of all days, Satoshi chose the day before winter break to make up his class, he wasn't sure. But the halls were empty, with only a few present. As he lifted weights and listened to the radio that played softly in the weight room, Satoshi thought he saw the teacher grab his bag and leave the room. When he went to the indoor swimming pool and saw no one, he knew that he was alone. He could have easily signed out on his sheet and gone home, but Satoshi was tired, and didn't think of it.
With his required time finished, Satoshi grabbed a towel, signed out on his sheet (which the teacher had signed when he left), and walked out of the school, his muscles weary. It had been a long week.
"Ah! Hiwatari-kun!" Satoshi turned, confused, and saw a bundled up Risa Harada waving at him. She smiled as she walked over to him. "How are you?"
"... I'm alright," Satoshi replied, confused.
Risa gave him a look of sympathy. "You look tired."
"I am." He put his hands in his pockets and looked around. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh! I was going to wait to walk home with you after school, but you weren't there, and I didn't have your cell phone number, and I wanted to ask you something, so I just waited until you came out of the school."
The thought of Risa sitting out in the cold, by herself, just waiting for him, made Satoshi feel guilty. "What was so important?"
A slight shade of crimson appeared on Risa's cheeks, and Satoshi was sure it wasn't just because of the weather. "Would you like to spend Christmas with me, Daisuke, and Riku?"
"Daisuke, Riku, and I," he corrected her, absent-mindlessly.
"Whatever. But would you? Come on! It'll be fun!"
"... I'm afraid I will bore you all. I'm not very good company."
Risa just smiled. She was always smiling at him. "It's ok! Riku and Daisuke aren't exactly comfortable to be around either. Please?"
Risa wanted him to come. She said please. She had waited out in the cold for him. Why? "... I suppose I can, if you don't mind being around my lack of social skills."
She beamed. She was truly that happy that he could go? "That's perfectly fine! It's going to be so nice, just you wait!"