CHIHAYA
I stood in my bedroom, staring at a closet full of clothes. A conversation I'd had with Kana-chan left me second guessing myself.
I'd run into her as we made our way to the clubroom after school yesterday.
"So you're going out with the Prez tomorrow, right?" she asked.
"Mm. We're going to pick out my reward for winning the qualifier," I told her happily. Visions of Daddy Bear merchandise danced in my head.
She pursed her lips. "Is that all? Maybe you should have dinner together…since you're going at night, you know."
"Maybe. But I'm trying to save up for my trip to Omi Jingu."
"Well, then, you could walk around and look at the lights or something that's free like that."
"Oh! Aren't the light displays so great right now?" I enthused. "The blue ones remind me of Shinobu-chan somehow." I cocked my head trying to figure out why.
Kana-chan sighed and mumbled something about 'our poor Prez.' She grabbed my arm and stopped me in my tracks. "At least… Promise me you'll at least dress up a little and look nice." Her pleading look startled me.
"Uh, okay." We're just going shopping, but if it will make Kana-chan happy….
Something about that conversation left me feeling unsettled. I couldn't understand why Kana-chan seemed to be making a big deal out of our excursion tonight. After all, it's just Taichi. I hang out with him all the time. Why should I have to dress any differently than usual?
Finally I decided on an outfit that would be suitable for our class Christmas party. I'd forgotten about it when Taichi and I made plans, but I'd promised to meet up with everyone if we finished our business early. The ensemble was cute but comfortable, and I had an amazing coat Chitose had brought home from her latest shoot that would bump up my stylishness a few notches.
It seemed all my efforts were unnecessary, though. When I dashed up to Taichi in front of the station where we agreed to meet, he frowned at me. "I was starting to think you'd forgotten."
"I'm sorry," I said, panting. "The trains are all packed and I couldn't get off in time and had to go to the next stop and come back."
"Tch. Figures," he mumbled. In a normal tone of voice, he said, "Let's go."
Night had already fallen, so the sidewalk was illuminated in patches by festive street lamps and colorful window displays. After covering a couple blocks we stepped into the warmth of the Daddy Bear store. It was packed.
Taichi came up close behind me. "I can't believe there are this many people who are crazy about Daddy Bears."
His grousing couldn't dampen my rising spirits. I flitted from one display to the next, Taichi sticking close. "Oh, look at this one," I cried, holding up a Baby Bear plushie. Just as quickly I spied another winner. Dropping the bear, I said. "Ooo! Suspenders! These would look cute, huh? I wonder if Shinobu-chan would like them? Oh, but I have to wear a hakama this time…."
I prattled on, Taichi laughing at my comments or sighing at my endless enthusiasm for item after item.
"It's so hard to choose!" I moaned.
"You liked that hoodie, didn't you?"
I was surprised he'd noticed. I did like it—a lot—but I figured it was pretty expensive. My longing eyes returned to it.
"Do you want to try it on?" he asked.
I wrestled with my conscience for one tiny second and then gave in. "Okay." I slipped out of my stylish coat and handed it to Taichi to hold. I thumbed through the stack of sweatshirts until I found my size and pulled it on. Freeing my hair, I tugged the wrinkles out and asked, "How does it look?" I met Taichi's eyes hopefully.
He broke into an indulgent smile. "It's good."
I tugged at the cuff of one sleeve, hoping to get a look at the sales tag. Taichi wrapped his hand around my forearm, trapping the tag out of sight. I looked up at him with wide eyes.
"You like it, right? Then let's get it."
"But…" I looked down at where his hand held my wrist. Something inside me squirmed.
"You're going to the Queen match, right? And it's Christmas too, so let's celebrate. Okay?" he said.
"If you're sure…"
"I'm sure." For some reason I felt relieved when he let go of my arm.
Taichi purchased the hoodie and we stepped out into the cold evening air. He stopped for a minute in front of the store, rummaging in the plastic bag. Couples dotted the sidewalks on both sides of the street.
Christmas Eve? Something seemed to ring a bell.
Stuffing something small in his pocket, Taichi held out the bag to me. "Congratulations."
I took it and bounced on my toes gleefully. "Thank youuuu!"
He chuckled, looking pleased. Just as suddenly, his brow furrowed and he looked away, down the block. "So, um, do you want to walk down to the plaza and see the big Christmas tree?"
Kana-chan's words came back to me, and I felt unsettled. "Uh, okay. If you want to."
He began walking without looking back. I hurried to join him. For some reason this walk felt tense, not comfortable like the walk from the station had been.
I'm probably just imagining it.
Soon we were approaching the plaza. "Wahhh, it's even bigger than I remember!" I exclaimed. Lights of all colors dotted the Christmas tree set up in the center, and blue lights were strung among the bare branches and down the trunks of the trees that lined the shopping arcade. "So pretty," I said in wonder.
"Do you want a coffee or cocoa?" Taichi asked, his eyes straying to a nearby cart.
"Sure," I said, suddenly aware of the cool, damp air. He went to purchase our drinks, while I watched the tree and the couples who meandered through the plaza. When one of them vacated a bench near me, I took a seat, pulling my coat tightly around me.
"Here you go." Taichi returned, handing me a cup.
"Thanks!" I wrapped my gloved hands around it, soaking in the warmth. Taichi sat next to me.
We sipped our hot drinks, idly watching the giant tree sparkle in the night.
"Chihaya," Taichi said. "We've been friends a long time, but there's something I haven't told you."
Curious, I turned to meet his eyes, but he was still looking at the tree. The coffee must have warmed him up; his cheeks looked flushed.
"I…" The tinny jingle of my cell phone interrupted him.
Pulling it from my pocket, I smiled at the display and flipped it open. "Arata!" I greeted him happily.
"Chihaya." His husky voice warmed me more than the coffee had.
"Merry Christmas!" We both said at the same time and then laughed at our blunder.
"Can you see the misty bridge tonight?" he asked.
"Mm-hmm," I said, not bothering to check the sky. I didn't need stars to connect me to the one I longed to be with…I had this wonderful phone and the excuse of Christmas. "Did your society have a party again this year?" It was quiet in the background, unlike last year.
"Yeh. I was talking to Murao-san and I had an idea."
"Murao-san is the one who will be in the Master match, right?"
"Yeh. I was thinking it would be a big help for him to practice against someone with excellent game sense. You know, to prepare to play Master Suo."
"Ah."
"And it would benefit you to practice against someone as good as Murao-san to get ready for the Queen match."
The beautiful logic of it struck me and I thrilled at the prospect. But…
"But how would we?" I asked.
"Well, uh, Fukui isn't that far from Omi Jingu. We always drive there and it only takes a couple hours. My parents would probably let you stay with us for a couple days before the matches if you wanted to."
My heart stopped. Stay…with Arata…for a couple days. That alone seemed like a gift beyond imagining, but to be promised I could play Murao-san, and… "And I could play you, too, right?"
His warm chuckle restarted my heart with a vengeance. "Yeh. I'll help you as much as I can."
"I'll do it!" I cried.
"Don't you have to check with your parents?" he asked.
"Oh, right." My eyes drifted to the left and I noticed Taichi frowning at the ground. Taichi! I'd totally forgotten about him!
"Oh, Arata, guess what? Taichi is here too," I bubbled. "Want to say Merry Christmas to him?" I held out the phone to Taichi.
He looked up, his eyes hooded, and finally took the phone from me. "Merry Christmas," he said tonelessly.
He nodded and grunted a few times before handing the phone back. "Arata? You check with your parents and I'll check with mine, okay?" We signed off.
Taichi didn't ask about the conversation. He just stood and said, "Well, I'm going to head back. See you."
My eyes followed his retreating figure, but what I saw was a picture of me facing Arata on the tatami. At last.
