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(*.*==========The Gift==========*.*)
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The cold wind brushes his face as little Yuta walked by the street. Taking his time as he still too early before the school bell rings. His eyes fixed on the cloudy sky, expecting to see the first fall of snow this year. He's currently on his 4th year on grade school. His father left him and his mother for another woman so his mother is the only one raising him all alone. It's not really an issue for him as he's already used to it by now. Since his mother is busy at work, he is usually left on his own doing house chores and getting himself ready for school.

Not soon enough, he made it to his school. He met his friends at the gate and walked along them inside.

"Tomorrow is going to be when we will be having that exchange gift, right? I wonder if my gift is acceptable." Sayo said.

"Why? What gift did you bought?" Toya asked.

"It's a secret!" Sayo replied.

"Tch! Then who are you giving it to?" Toya asked again.

"I'm not really sure. Since we are using code names, it's somehow hard to tell."

"Then tell me what's the code name you got."

"That's also a secret!" Sayo replied teasingly.

"Eh? Then how about your code name. What's your code name." Toya insisted.

"Your persistent and annoying." Sayo said.

Yuta couldn't help but smile as he looked at his friends bicker at each other.

"How 'bout you Yuta? What's your code name?" Toya asked.

"That's also a secret." Yuta replied.

"Oh, come on! You guys are no fun at all!"

"Just cut it out already, Toya." Sayo said.

"Just tell me already! I promise I won't tell anyone. I know! How about I tell you guys mine."

"Sure! Whatever suits you." Yuta replied.

"Alright! Ah, but you have to tell me yours in return, okay?" Toya said.

Both Sayo and Yuta looked at each other and then to Toya with a wide grin and replied in a chorus. "NO!" And they both started laughing.

"Eh?! That's unfair! Its okay to tell you mine but not yours?" Toya protested.

"Hey, you're the one who suggested it." Sayo replied and they continued laughing as they went to their classroom while Toya is very annoyed with them.

All three of them went about their regular day at school. By the end of the day, their teacher reminded them not to forget their present by tomorrow. They've said their goodbyes with each other and went about their way.

Yuta looked up the sky but the clouds are clearing up. It seems he won't see the snowfall today.

He came to their home and met the same empty house before he left for school. His mom won't be home until 9 pm so he has to do the chores and prepare dinner for both of them. Unless his mother would have her dinner before going home. Though its only during his mom has her dinner at home that they actually spends time together.

Yuta takes his dinner early and would just talk to his mother while she's having her dinner. He also told her about their up coming party and their exchange gift for tomorrow. Since Yuta is always busy doing chores after school, his mother promised him to buy a gift for their party for tomorrow on her way home.

It's already past 9:30 and his mother is not home yet. "She's probably still looking for a gift. I wonder what she would buy. I hope it's not something embarrassing." Yuta wondered feeling a bit worried but excited at the same time.

A few more minutes later and he heard their door unlocked and heard her mother calling out to him. He rushed to the door to meet her and helped her carry her bag inside the house. "I'm really sorry you have to wait this long for me, Yuta. It's hard looking for a gift at this time so it took me this late to get home." His mother told him as they sat down for dinner. She then started to grab something from one of the bags she brought home. "This isn't really that much but, what do you think?" She pulled out a scarf and stretched it as much as she could. "Since the cold weather is right us, this will keep them warm. And it won't be a trouble even if you gave it to a girl or a boy." The boy stared and inspected the scarf for bit. It doesn't look bad. And the color and design isn't awkward. And it looks very comfortable too. As expected from a mother's sense of fashion. Thinking and caring about others comes first for them after all.

"It's... Ok? I guess? At this moment, I don't really have other option anyway." His mother just smiled as she put the scarf away. "Let's wrap it later, okay?"

That night, Yuta was very uneasy. He couldn't help but feel excited for tomorrow to come. Thinking of all the possible gifts he might get. Wonderful ones, bad ones, silly ones. He just couldn't help but think about them.

The next day after school. Yuta was walking home looking at the small flat box wrapped in blue gift wrapper tied with a gold silk ribbon and a card on top with the words 'To: Blue'. The word Blue seems to be a child's scribble. Despite being small, it's still bigger than the size of an adults hand. It also is quite heavy. Yuta tried shaking it but he still can't figure out what's inside.

He intended to open it when he gets home but curiosity got the better of him.

He went to a park and sat on a bench and looked around him. Since it's almost dark, there's not much people around. The place seems perfect to open his present so he proceed in doing so. Carefully, he untied the ribbon. The next part is a bit tricky. Trying to undo the wrapping as neatly as possible. The first 3 seconds is going fine until he saw a rip, then it doesn't matter anymore as he instantly ripped the whole thing apart. The last part, the box. Carefully, he lifted the top and found... A golden watch.