"Even though the process of transferring paper copies into digital copies is a hefty task, it needs to be completed. It should take our department around six to eight months give to complete this process," Nadeshiko spoke evenly in the medium size meeting room, well in palace terms of being medium, among the physicians.
"As for the physical examinations, it would be best to sparse them out in different intervals every two years instead of hosting an annual one. That way, we can balance our own work hours and the patients are free to schedule their check-ups instead of trying to squeeze in a time frame during the two weeks of late August. I've organized individual schedules for each of you here according to what you've told me along with some of my ideas for that matter. Is there an agreement between us so far?"
There was unanimous agreement among them.
"Great," she nodded before flipping to the next file, "I've also put together all the information you've each provided me in terms of the medication we've been using and I developed a new proposal on our stocks. Take the time to look through them before the next meeting. Have a nice holiday."
Half an hour later, she was in front of Fujiwara's office who was the Head of the Medical Household.
"Come in," he spoke after she knocked and announced her presence.
She had barely opened the door when she noticed the Sergeant Surgeon Matsuda's figure on one of the seats. He met eyes with her and gave a smile.
"Don't worry about interrupting us, Doctor Shiraishi, we're only discussing a few trivial matters right now."
Though, there was nothing physically wrong with with his smile or mannerisms, her stomach couldn't help but churn in response. Still, she effortlessly smiled at the two men courteously and stepped forward.
"Good afternoon, gentleman," she bowed towards each of them before handing over a small file to Fujiwara. "I'm just here to drop off the recorded discussions during today's meeting between the physicians. We've agreed upon the first part of the proposal. The latter part will be discussed after the holidays."
Matsuda somehow felt obliged to comment.
"Oho, four months in and you're already seeking out reforms. You sure are dedicated. It sure reminds me of how hot-blooded I was in my youth." He should be more careful; his smile was distorting—was what she thought.
"Sometimes it's the youth that gets thing done and bring in fresh ideas. Don't you think so, Dr. Matsuda?" the Head asked before taking another sip of his coffee cup. Nadeshiko and the Surgeon glanced back at him in astonishment for his sudden compliment... well, or what was close to a compliment towards a newcomer like her.
The Surgeon was faced with no choice but to agree. From the corner of her eye as she excused herself out of them room, she can see his jaw muscles were taut, but didn't waste anymore time and made a quick exit. There was a spring to her steps and a giddiness to her smile as she shut the door and walked away. All that came to a halt as soon as she saw the door of Prince Glenn's office opening and she adjusted herself to a more professional manner of walking.
It seemed her guard was on for nothing, since she saw that it was only Yu who left the room with a bow before shutting the door. It didn't take long for him to be aware of her presence from the corner of his eye.
"Just in time. I was about to make a search for you. I was wondering if you could spare me some of your time right now," he smiled gently as he strolled towards her. "The orders for the materials you needed just came in this morning and they're in my office. I also need to ask you a few questions before I get the schedule organized."
"I have an hour to spare before a patient drops by so that's fine with me," she nodded and the headed off to his office.
"Did I step into Santa's workshop or something?" she gasped upon seeing all the presents in different sizes in fancy Christmas paper wrapping stacked neatly in the room.
"We didn't want the presents for the orphanage to get mixed up with the presents for the staff party, so we decided to store them here for now since my office is fairly large," he replied as he headed to the back of his desk.
This year, Glenn and Aya are deciding to spend their Christmas Eve with the children at the capital's only orphanage along with Alan. Yu of course, was obliged to accompany them and had suggested that Nadeshiko too should join in since she had yet to make holiday plans that time. She accepted the offer with joy and volunteered to help the children make origami ornaments to decorate their tree.
"The staff here sure are efficient, didn't you just gather the letters the children wrote to Santa two days ago?" she spoke as she continued to pace around observing the presents.
"Yes, and we sought out to buy and then wrap everything soon afterwards," he then carried and placed a large cardboard box down the table. "Here they are. Take a look at see if they're alright first."
She set the folders she was hugging aside on the desk and reached for the utility knife. After cutting the box open, she peered into the contents.
"It looks like they got the right order," she nodded and spot something else on the table. "Oh... you're learning origami?"
Yu flushed and shyly nodded while scratching the back of his head. "Since we're going to be teaching the children how to fold cranes, mini-trees, and stars, I thought I'd learn a little before I embarrass myself."
"You could have asked me you know," she gave him a grin rivalling the Cheshire cat's before shifting it to a gentle one. "Just kidding. I know you wanted to give me some space since I've been busy. I'll be waiting to see your improvement on the day we're visiting then."
He laughed. "That reminds me, the proposal went well didn't it? Congratulations, Nadeshiko."
The way he addressed her now seemed so surreal. It wasn't as if she found felt unsettled by it. Actually, it was far from it. She never knew how blissful it felt to be just called by her name until now. And she too, began to address him as "Yu" during their private moments.
It also wasn't the only thing that changed. Though the changes were subtle, she understood that they were extremely significant. For example, he never touched her anymore-not in a sense of keeping his distance, of course. Instead, she felt that they were closer than ever because of these changes. There was only one conclusion she had for why things are changing, but chose not to dwell on it too much as she wanted something more concrete to happen.
Pulling away from her thoughts, she managed to cracked another smile. "Thanks, I would ask how you know, but you know my behaviour too well. I'm glad we're officially on holidays after today. I need to shop for presents. I can't believe I've been so busy with this proposal and business trips with you guys that I couldn't even spare time to go out. I've never went later than a month for these things before."
"You deserve a nice break."
"So do you."
"I still have some things to take care of for the next few days like the King's birthday on the 23rd. Luckily, Glenn and Aya are taking things easy during this season and until New Year's. Would you care for some tea?"
"I'd love to, but my patient awaits," she spoke apologetically and looked as disappointed as he was. He proceeded to escort her to the door. There was something strangely fidgety about him before he took at deep breath. Everything from him then emitted solemness as he stared at her with determined eyes.
"Nadeshiko."
"...Yes?" she spoke hesitantly and eyed him carefully. Her heart was beating rapidly with anxiety at the sudden change in mood.
"Do you want to spend the rest of Christmas Eve with me after we visit the orphanage? As in a date?"
After he finished his last phrase, the papers from her folders epically slid out in a slanting motion and scattered all over the carpeted floor. The two of them panicked and immediately crouched down to collect the papers.
"I think this should be the last of them—Nadeshiko, are you crying?"
She glanced up to see that his face was stunned and finally felt the wetness from her eyes.
"Oh my, isn't this embarrassing?" she forced out a laugh which ended up sounding like a choked sob as she gently wiped the bottom of her eyes. Her hand reached out to stuff the papers back into the folders.
"I'm fine and... I'll be looking forward to our date," she gently smiled and patted his shoulder before standing up.
"Me too," he spoke with a smile mirroring her own.
"I'll be off now."
Not too long after Nadeshiko left the office, there was a knock on his door. Did she perhaps forgot something? He was sure they both gathered all the papers that fell. Maybe something else?
"Come in," he spoke in a cheerier tone than usual.
But it wasn't her.
"Glenn forgot to give you these papers so I offered to deliver them to you since he's caught up in a few things," Aya gave him a small smile as she walked towards the front of his desk. The sound of her heels were muffled by the carpet.
"Thanks, Aya," he returned her with the same smile as he took the papers from her hands.
She didn't leave yet. Instead, she stood there and fidgeted. Her lips curved into something anxious and she appeared to be building up a burst of courage.
"I... I met Nana-chan on the way here. From the look on her face... I'm guessing something good has happened between you two?"
If it was a few months—even a year or more back he would've thought bitterly to himself why she was perceptive for such things instead of the feelings he harboured all these years. However, no such thought appeared.
"Yes, something good did happen. I asked Nadeshiko out," he spoke with a tone of sereneness as he straightened the papers and filed them neatly on his desk.
"That's really great! I'm happy for the both of you," she spoke cheerfully as she gave him a pleasant smile once more. He gave her a "thank you" and silence followed after as she still remained glued to her spot.
"Yu-chan," she spoke once more and fixed her strikingly solemn eyes at him, "I want you to know that I really mean what I said. I can't say that I know everyone intimately in this world; however, you two deserve happiness more than anyone I know."
"Because..." her eyes wandered off to the floor, "I'm one of the ones who've cause you two so much pain all these years. Even though I may act like I don't notice, but I have noticed ever since the incident with Lord Kaneda. From afar through the corner of my eyes. However, if I waver, I would only cause you two more pain. So, I have to continue moving forward and continue to be happy."
"Oh! But, don't think of it as I'm not happy because I really am-"
She was so caught up in her endless rambling that she didn't notice him approaching her until she felt his hand on her right shoulder.
"Aya, don't worry. I understand. I apologize that these thoughts have been consuming you for so long..." there was a brief glimpse of forlornness in his eyes before he returned to a more calm composure with a smile. "If it didn't happen, then it was never meant to be. Now, we can finally move on and truly be happy."
"Also, despite loving you did cause me pain... it also gave me happiness and many other things. So, I don't regret it and you'll always be important to me... just in a different way now. Therefore... thank you."
"This somehow feels like we're saying goodbye," she cracked a little smile.
"It's not really goodbye when I'll be running into you and Glenn a few hours later," he chuckled. "Off you go now."
"As realistic as ever I see," she feigned a little sigh along with a pout before exiting.
"EEEEEEEEEEE!" the unanimous squealing sounds coming from her phone made her recoil her head back until they were finished.
"Congratulations!"
"That's so exiting!"
"So, what will you do?"
"What will you say?"
"What will you wear?!" the last question was once again in unison and made her flinch back once again.
"Geez, I can't even tell who is who anymore and you guys act like you two are the ones being asked out instead of me," Nadeshiko spoke back with her voice a tad bit louder than usual and retained a normal tone once the squealing over the line stopped. "Well, I already have something to wear and I think the other two are obvious."
"It's just fun saying stuff like that, though," Nicky spoke and Nadeshiko could imagine her shrugging as she examined her her nails. "Don't cry too much over there, okay?"
"I'm not crying," she retorted back. Well, it wasn't a complete lie.
"Just messing with you... Oh! I forgot to tell you two something! I earned the leading part for the revival of My Fair Lady over here! They just announced it a few days ago and I hope you two make it once it starts."
"Congratulations! Of course we'll make it, we've never missed a single one of your performances and not to mention it's your first leading role," Becca spoke over the line with sheer enthusiasm.
"Congratulations and I'll definitely reserve some time for you no matter what! When is it, by the way?"
"From late April to mid-May, so there's plenty of leeway to organize your schedules... like bringing your boyfriend along, Nade," she added the last part with a sly tone.
"He's not my boyfriend," she retorted with a frown.
"You mean, he's not your boyfriend yet," Becca chimes in with equal slyness.
"You two..." she sighed, but there was a wide grin playing against her lips. "I don't recall ever doing anything during the times you guys dated to deserve such teasing. I'll try asking him, but I can't guarantee anything."
"Well, we'll look forward to meeting him if he does show up. Oh, let me tell you about this passenger I had on my flight a few weeks ago..."
And the night continued on with lighthearted chatter.
The bells attached to the door chimed lightly as she poked her head inside the shop. Her eyes scanned across the room to observe all the uniquely designed clocks. The store display was one thing, but the inside was like stepping into a whole new world. The atmosphere was relatively quiet, since none of the clocks—save for one on the counter—were not in operation, probably for noise level control as well as battery conservation for the ones that aren't mechanical.
At the centre of it all was the shop owner who just finished selling something to a customer and went over to greet her. She introduced herself as a friend of Yu's and they chatted amiably for a while about him as well as the owner's work.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" he offered.
"Oh! I almost forgot what I came here for today. I'm just planning to browse around for a present," she smiled sheepishly and the owner nodded before stepping behind the counter to repair a clock.
"Alright, let me know if you need anything."
She began to wander around glancing at the shelves and display cases. At first, she had trouble finding something right in particular since all of them were so beautifully crafted and unique. However, none of them really seem to fit the keyhole. After looking around some more she spotted one hiding in the back of a shelf. It was a silver anniversary clock that used glass domes shaped like jellyfish there were other deep sea designs within the clock as well that made it resemble an aquarium within a clock.
If memory served her right, he was always fascinated by the deep sea from the times they ventured to the aquarium or to the local bookstores. Last time she went into his room, she did see a few books like that. Therefore, this would be a nice one for him. She studied the clock a bit more and begin to frown a little. She wondered if it was alright to buy it.
Then she recalled what Nicky and Becca had once told her.
"A good gift you can get someone is something that they really want, but they're too embarrassed to buy for themselves for whatever their personal reason is," Becca spoke while she tied her hair up.
"Yeah, that way they can use the reason that it was a gift as an excuse to use it. However, they're actually totally happy about it!" Nicky nodded vigorously as she was dangerously waving her hair straighter around. "Like my brother. He still really likes Shiffey, but he keeps saying stuff like he's older now, so he's too shy to buy any merchandise. So, I bought him a nice cup design of it for his birthday. Should've have seen the look on his face."
She stared at it once more.
Should be fine then. And she headed back to the counter to ask the owner for the clock.
"That's a fine clock you've chosen. The maker of that clock retired a while ago and this is one among the few that haven't been sold yet. I hope the person you're buying it for will like it," he spoke as he removed the clock from the shelf.
"I hope so, too," she smiled as she followed him to the counter. "By the way, I was wondering if you could give me some directions to get to the local flower shop. The one Yu usually visits."
Around an hour before they were off to visit the orphanage, Nadeshiko was slipping into the strapless periwinkle dress Aya had designed for her along with a few other things to go with it. She was in the midst of fixing the hem of the black mesh overlay of the skirt until Aya requested an entrance. The first thing Nadeshiko noticed was that Aya was hiding something behind her back as she carefully stepped inside attempting to conceal what she held in her hands from Nadeshiko. She then noticed that Aya had worn the brooch she gave to her earlier this morning and complimented it.
"You look great, Nana-chan! Gorgeous! The dress suits you so much," she spoke with a bubbly tone.
"Thank you, and I could say the same to you," she nodded and hovered her gaze over to what Aya could possibly be hiding behind her. "Did you come here to give me something?"
"Yes. Since I might not get the chance to give it to you tonight or tomorrow, I thought I'd give them now," she popped open a small jewelry gift box that revealed a pair of white gold drop earrings. "Plus, I think they'd go with the dress."
"Aya-chan... thank you," she spoke as she gazed at her friend and the earrings tenderly. She placed the box on the top of the dresser and started to place them on.
"About tonight... you two don't have to worry about accompanying us home and then going to your date, Glenn will drive Alan and I home," Aya spot from where she was sitting at edge of the bed smoothing out the sheet with her palms.
Nadeshiko glanced up at the mirror to look at Aya as she just finished wearing the earrings, "Are you sure that's alright? I thought Prince Glenn and you would be going on a date as well."
"Well, we've had our fair share of sneaking out on dates for the past few years while Yu would hold the fort," she laughed in return. There was a look of fondness as she momentarily recollected the memories before she turned her attention back to her friend.
"So, now it's time to start returning the favour. Besides, it's nice to spend a peaceful Christmas at home just as much. Alan might complain a bit about wanting to join you guys but he'll probably fall asleep in the car halfway or maybe even before that."
"I guess agreeing to open presents tomorrow instead of today with him also somewhat makes up for it, but... what about the paparazzi?" Nadeshiko questioned as she started to dab some light makeup on.
"Don't worry, Nana-chan. We're just driving home alone. It is true that we're usually with Yu, but everyone's too drunk in holiday festivities and relaxation to notice. The situation isn't much of a scoop for them to blow something up anyways. You two just get out there and have fun, okay?"
"...Alright," she nodded, finally convinced. "I hope you and Glenn have fun, too. Don't get too wild while we're gone, alright?"
"No promises there!"
"Once you've finished tucking the flaps of the paper like this," Nadeshiko spoke as she slowly performed the instructions she just spoke and lift the folded paper up. "You blow into the tiny hole at the tip and it becomes... something that resembles a tiny present box."
She then held out her creation for everyone to see and they all followed suit.
"Wow! It really does look like a tiny present box!" Alan, who at the opposite side of the large table exclaimed which caused the others to chime in.
"I can't wait to put it on the tree!"
We got a big one this year, too!"
"I'm glad you're enjoying this. Now we can use these thin ribbons to tie some bows on them."
She waited patiently for them to finish and wandered around a few times to help those who were still struggling. After a few minutes there was the sound of a group of people heading into the main hallway, who were none other than the workers along with Yu, Aya, and Glenn carried trays of an assortment of hot dishes out.
"Lunch time!" the Director of the Orphanage announced and the children immediately cried out with joy.
"Just leave everything on the table her and take a seat over at the dinner table, alright?" Nadeshiko spoke and they obediently did so. She then jogged over to help the adults sort out the utensils and distribute everything.
"Hey," Yu gave her a boyish grin as he approached her soon after they finished and were about to start gathering their own dinner.
She avoided his eyes as her gaze took a sudden interest on the carpeted floors. Her cheeks were tinged slightly pink and there was a silly little grin tugging against her lips as she stuttered out, "H—Hey..."
Her sudden shyness was both amusing and endearing towards him. They barely had contact since the day he asked her out. Albeit it wasn't something particularly strange as they were both busy with various things, but couldn't help but missed her.
He grabbed two plates and handed one over to her. As soon as she thanked him and barely got hold of the plate he suddenly spoke out affectionately, yet softly so only she could hear, "You look beautiful."
Her body stiffened in reaction and it took her a second to realize that the plate had slipped out of her grasp. However, Yu had caught it with ease and elegance.
"Careful now," he spoke with a playful tone and equally playful smile.
She grumbled a bit as she took the plate back, "You did that on purpose."
He let out a laugh, "Well, I can't deny that."
"Geez," she sighed a little before giving him a wry smile as the tension was gone from her body. "Thanks for the compliment, Yu. You're looking handsome yourself... you always do."
The last part was spoken a bit mischievously. Sure enough, it got a reaction out of him causing her to burst into laughter. Yu could feel his face heating up a bit for multiple reasons. He could even spot Aya watching them from a distance with a smirk, which he returned with a slight glower. Unfortunately that only widened his friend's smirk as she shrugged and turned back to her conversation with Glenn.
He cleared his throat. "Let's just finish getting the food and find somewhere to sit shall we?"
After lunch was done and so were all the decorations, all that was left was to hang them up. The children along with the director, Glenn, Aya, and Alan were in charge with hanging them up on the tree while everyone else, including Yu and Nadeshiko were decorating them around the room and hallway.
"I must say... those origami poinsettias back there were lovely," the raven hair lady spoke as she hung up a stocking, "All that practice paid off for you. I'm proud, yet surprised."
"You make it sounded like you wanted me to mess up," he smiled with good nature as he was searching for some more decorations in a box.
"Well... maybe just a little. It's not everyday I'd get to see a flustered Yu," she grinned back impishly, looking down towards where he was crouching.
"Really? I think you've been seeing me being flustered quite often lately."
"You're right..." she closed her eyes for a split second before turning to meet his eyes with a smile. "It seems that I'm the only one of the ones who gets to see your flustered face as well. I feel a bit presumptuous saying this, but it makes me feel special."
"That's because you are special. You—" he halted his words right after he realized what he was about to blurt out as soon as Nadeshiko's expression changed to one of astonishment. He mentally chastised himself for nearly confessing before the right moment. He began to fluster around for an excuse until Alan approached them.
"Nadeshiko! Yu! We're done decorating the tree and going to start playing hide-and-seek soon! You two should join us! Glenn and Aya are joining us, too!"
Nadeshiko was the one to speak up first.
"Sure, that sounds fun. What do you think, Master Yu?" She gave him a completely friendly, yet reserved smile and she looked over towards him waiting for a reply.
"I agree," he spoke with a polite smile. "We're almost done here, anyways. So, we'll be ready in one or two minutes."
Around five to six minutes later, Nadeshiko and Yu found themselves inside an arts and crafts supply closet. They had decided this would be a fair place to hide. It was within a child's eye level, yet it wasn't a dead giveaway either.
It was not as cramped as they thought it would be. In fact, there was a lot of wiggle room as Nadeshiko was sitting on the floor with her legs folded to one side, since she was wearing a dress. Yu was sitting on the other end of the closet with his back pressed against the door.
They could barely see each other's silhouettes let alone their expression as their eyes did not adjust to the darkness yet.
"How long do you think it will take for them to find us?" Yu asked, attempting to strike a conversation.
"Not too long. Maybe ten to twenty minutes."
The conversation died after that for a few minutes. They didn't hear any footsteps passing by so far either. He was beginning to feel the walls close in on him, not to mention the temperature of the room seemed to be increasing. The silence between them was just getting more and more uncomfortable. However, he didn't really know what else he could say without letting something slip-
"Thank you for the other day," she suddenly spoke up in a clear, but quiet voice so only he could hear. "I managed to find where they were at the cemetery."
"There's no need to thank me. I just thought you'd be better off knowing. I still find it hard to believe that they kept you in the dark about where your parents' ashes were."
"Well..." by now his eyes have gotten use to the room and could see her melancholic smile as her eyes cast downwards. "I guess that shows how things are still bitter even after they died. Besides... I didn't know what I could possibly have done or say if I visited them. But, I'm still glad I know where they are now."
She leaned her head back against the shelves with a sigh.
"I just stood there for a long time not knowing what to do, though."
"That's okay. Just take your time. Alright?"
"Yeah, thanks, Yu. I'm glad you're here." He could faintly see her close her eyes with a relaxed smile, but they immediately snapped open upon hearing the excited voices and footsteps. It was then followed by the sounds of doors opening and closing, which are most likely from the other supply closets before theirs. "Looks like it will be a matter of minutes until they find us."
She made an effort to move a little, but cramped up midway and had to fall back to her previous sitting position.
"Having trouble?" he asked as he quickly stood up and moved closer to her in an attempt to lend her a hand.
"Yeah, I've been sitting like this for too long. Just give me a few seconds to get up. It'll be a lot more stable for me to lift myself up rather then using someone else weight since I'm sitting in an awkward position, but thank you."
She placed her palms down on the floor in an attempt to force herself upwards; however, she didn't take her time and sprung up so suddenly that her lower body failed to catch up yet again. He was close enough to catch reach for her just before her legs let her down.
"Thanks," she gave a sheepish little grin, but then winced a little and gingerly touched the back of her neck. "Looks like I scraped my skin against a shelf or two as I got up."
"May I have a look?"
Once she nodded, he wasted no further time to tug the pull switch of the light above them. He then tilted a bit closer and brushed the back of her hair further to the side. He froze a little the moment he caught a whiff of her shampoo, but placed a stop to those thoughts since it now wasn't the time.
"That's a scrape alright. The good thing is, it's not too bad and it isn't bleeding all that much, but it still must hurt a little doesn't it?"
"Just a bit. It'll be fine if it gets disinfected and bandaged later."
"Then allow me to-"
The door abruptly opened and the knob banged against a shelf causing them to flinch. Then, around half a dozen children eagerly poured into the room.
"Found you two-" Before the two had time to react, the children gasped then started to squeal, while some screamed and covered their eyes as they proceeded to dash away to meet with the other children. From afar, Nadeshiko and Yu could hear them talking loudly amongst themselves.
"They were doing something naughty!"
"I think they were going to kiss!"
"Maybe they already kissed!"
"Just like when we found the Prince and Princess!"
By now, he had distanced himself from her.
"S-sorry. Now that I think about it, that was an awkward position to be looking from," he coughed.
"That's alright. If I were to turn around for you to have a better look, I think they would still misunderstand," she smiled in an it-can't-be-helped way while fiddling with the hem of her skirt. "I can't guarantee that they misunderstood what they saw with Aya and Prince Glenn, though."
"Me either," he laughed. "I guess that's another reason why they would've misunderstood us regardless."
"Now that we've been found," she headed towards the entrance and glanced back at him, "shall we be off? I recalled I hearing a certain someone offer to help me before the children came in."
She felt herself tense up as she sensed him sitting behind her and could hear him let out a chuckle.
"I haven't even started yet and you're already squirming?"
Her mouth opened out of reflex in order to protest, but clamped shut since what she was about to say would've been much worse than being assumed that she was scared of pain. She had tried her best to suppress her nerves when he leaned in that close to the point where his breath tickled her skin. Not to mention, he smelled really, really nice. It was a mix of something sweet—most likely because he was in charge of baking the sweets for the children earlier before, as well as a fresh sort of scent. Like the fresh smell after spring rain.
Her shoulders tensed up even more and balled her hands into fists. Just thinking about it now is driving her up the wall. She had been trying her best to hide the fact that she was high strung this whole day in anticipation for the event the follows after their visit to the orphanage and she could tell Yu was going through the same thing.
Just as she was going through all these thoughts and actions, Yu was dabbing the cotton ball soaked with rubbing alcohol against her scrape.
"Is it really that painful—oh... I see."
She could hear him chuckle again and she was sure he caught on by now because she didn't even have to pull out her compact mirror out to know that she her face, even her ears were pink.
"You know, it's nice to have the situation reversed for change. Since it would usually be you giving me a check up or treatment," he spoke once more, probably to help save her some face as well as calm her down.
She glanced back at him and decided to play along, "I'm hurt here and you're happy about it?"
"It's not even that serious of an injury," he said as he slapped the band-aid on her. It wasn't anything aggressive, but the sudden action made her flinch a little. "You're all good to go."
"Thanks, Doctor Yu. What would I ever do without you?"
"So this is where you two have been." It was none other than Aya peeking her head inside the small infirmary and eyed both of them with a worried look. "Is everything alright?"
"Yeah, I got a little scrape, that's all. Is it almost time to go?"
"Almost, we just have to clean up a bit first while the kids are having the Christmas cakes Yu made. By the way, I tried a bit of your cake, Yu. It was delicious!"
"So you mean, he didn't burn it?" Naeshiko shot him a smirk.
"Well, I can't have you eating burnt food forever, can I?" he said this as he stood up to place the materials back where he got them from.
"What are you guys talking about?" Aya wrinkled her eyebrows at them before she shifted it to a grin. "Oh, I get it. It's an inside joke, right? We'll be waiting for you two in the dining hall. Don't take too carried away now, okay?" She winked.
"I should be saying that to you and Prince Glenn when we were playing hide-and-seek with the children," Nadeshiko fluttered her eyelashes teasingly at her childhood friend.
Aya's face turned fifty shades of red.
"Thank you for coming to visit us this year," the Director spoke as his staff gave Glenn and Aya a bow.
"Thank you for your gracious hospitality and I hope the children will enjoy their presents tomorrow morning," the prince spoke before they walked out of the estate.
Nadeshiko and Yu were right behind them. Alan, who was now fast asleep, was being carried by Yu. Once they arrived at where the two cars were parked, Yu gently seated the sleeping prince inside Glenn's car before bidding a goodbye.
"Have fun, okay?" Aya smiled and waved as they drove away.
"Thanks, we will!" Nadeshiko spoke as she returned the same gestures. She then lifted the switch to close the window and glanced at Yu.
"So, where are we heading?"
"To this gourmet restaurant called Kikufuji," Yu answered, but his eyes were firm on the road.
She glanced at the built in clock in the car and noted that it was indeed around dinner time.
"Sounds good."
"That was a really delicious meal. Where do you find all these nice places to eat, anyways?" she raised an eyebrow after she placed her chopsticks down.
"Atsumu's close friends with the son of the owner of this place, actually. So, I just happened to learn from him," he admitted and then called for a waitress to clean their dishes.
"I'll be back with your dessert within a few minutes," the waitress spoke with a polite smile before she left the room.
Nadeshiko blinked a few times and tilted her head to the side.
"We didn't order any dessert, did we?"
"We didn't," he nodded before giving her a meaningful smile. "But, I had something special planned beforehand."
The special something turned out to be a Oriesian-styled Christmas cake, which was a sponge cake topped with strawberries and whipped cream. However, instead of the white whipped cream, which was more common, it had chocolate whipped cream instead. It was of a smaller size, too. Enough for two people to finish.
"You prefer chocolate more, right?" And he cut out a slice for her.
She nodded and said the usual words before digging in. The sponge cake was moist. The chocolate whipped cream was extremely light and melted right away in the mouth. It was also incredibly sweet. It wasn't an sickeningly sweet taste, but quite the opposite. It complimented well with the fresh strawberries on top and within the filling of the cake. Also, there was a coolness to the cake, probably because it had been in the fridge prior to this, which made it taste even better.
"It's really delicious. I've never tasted anything like this whipped cream before," she forked up another bite sized piece from the slice she had and said, "My compliments to the chef," before happily placing it in her mouth.
"The chef gives his thanks then," he then casually took a bite as well.
She placed her fork down and gave at him a disbelieving look.
"No way..."
"Yes way," he smiled in delight and she could've sworn there was a hint of smug in his voice. "I made it especially for today and contacted the staff about it beforehand. I'm glad you didn't get the chance to have any cake at the orphanage."
"Even if I did have some at the orphanage, I'd still be glad to eat it again," she smiled as she fondly stared at the cake. "But trying it for the first time here like this does make it a lot more special. All this food is making me a bit drowsy, though..." Her eyes were beginning to droop as she spoke.
"Well, we don't want that to happen, do we?" he then scooped up another bite sized piece from the slice with his fork and moved it so it was now centimetres away from her lips. "Maybe this will keep you awake and excited."
Her eyes immediately went on full alert and she backed up a bit. "I think I'm awake now, thanks."
And he inched closer with the fork that balanced the piece of cake still in hand. "You think?"
She scooted back a little more. "I mean, I know I'm awake now."
He came closer. "But we have to make sure, just in case."
"Yu, I'm backed up against a wall now," she tore her eyes away from his intense gaze as her heart was beating a mile a minute."It's weird... and embarrassing..."
"Really?" he blinked feigning innocence. "So, it's weird and embarrassing if I move closer like... this?"
Too close! She felt like she was suddenly thrown in a sauna. Thank goodness no one else would come in unless they were called.
"Okay, fine! You win," she glared at him, her cheeks still flushed with embarrassment, she chomped down on the fork, with a bit more impact than she calculated causing her front teeth to feel a twinge of pain, and ate the piece. "As you can see, I'm wide awake now."
He moved away, looking awfully pleased with himself. "Good. I knew that would do the trick."
"I'll get you back eventually," she muttered under her breath and fanned her face.
"So, this is the famous Caretta Illuminations I've heard about..." Nadeshiko spoke while her eyes wandered around in awe as they stood in front of the shopping district.
"We're just in time. The animation is about to start. Look," Yu placed one of his gloved hand on her shoulder and pointed upwards to the building's surface.
There was the countdown and gradually the LED lights around them started to light up even brighter than before in light blue and light purple. It was if they were in a magical garden now. At the same time, the animation started to shift and there was music in the air.
"Looks like it's the Snow Queen this year," she heard Yu speaking next to her.
Once the animation ended, most of the crowd had left the scene since it was already pretty late. There were still some couples remaining to take some pictures. Most of them took them while they stood inside the large pine tree made out of LED lights. It was the most brightly lit of them all and was parted in the middle with a space that was large enough for people to enter inside.
"Do you want to go inside it before the lights get turned off?" he asked as soon as the crowd around the large landmark started to disperse and wandered around to observe the lights instead.
"S—Sure..." she nodded feeling slightly fidgety as thoughts roamed wild within her mind in anticipation for what may be coming. That all changed once they stepped inside. She was once again mesmerized by the beauty of it all.
"It's funny how they're just coloured lights, yet they're so beautiful. Humans and animals have always been fond of light. It gives off so much beauty, strength, and life... like the sun, don't you think?"
"I do agree with you, but..." his gaze shifted towards the half moon above them. "I think that light shines the brightest and most beautifulest in the nighttime. Besides, it would be hard to appreciate these lights if it was daytime, don't you think?"
She could feel her heart swelling with warmth despite how cold the night was. After that, they stepped away from the tree and continued to walk around observing the scenery.
"Yu... thanks for bringing me here today. I really had a great time. I've never had such a wonderful Christmas before. I'm glad I was able to finally see something like this."
He understood that she probably wasn't permitted to see these sites back when she still lived with her extended family but... "Are there not any sites like this in Liberty?"
She gave him a complicated smile. "There were. The city where I resided in was one of the most famous ones in the country for their Christmas events and displays. I just never really went out to see them."
"May I know why?"
"Well... one of my friends spends her time with her boyfriend or a date during this time of year when she goes out, while the other spends time with her mother. I couldn't possibly intrude either person so I just stayed at home and gave them the excuse that I was busy with studies of some sort," she looked down and forced out a laugh. "I'm sorry, this conversation suddenly became depressing because of me."
At that moment, she felt him stop walking and grasp one of her hands. As she turned to face him, he then grasped the other.
"You know, my Christmas' haven't been so great as this one for the past few years either. I'm usually busy or trying to forget about something. But, this year..." he slipped one hand away and reached for some loose locks, tucking them back to her ear. "This year, and the years that will come after... I have someone I want to spend it with."
"Nadeshiko, I know my feelings for you are not as strong as what you've felt for me all these years. But, they're growing stronger with each passing day and I'd like for them to be that way so that one day, I can love you as much as you love me. So..." he gently squeeze her hands. "Will you go out with me?"
She knew it was coming. Afterall, he hinted beforehand. She imagined the situation countless of times since that day and rehearsed in her mind what she would say. Yet, hearing the real thing was...
"Nadeshiko...?" she felt the cool and smooth surface of the leather gloves he wore as he cupped both of her cheeks and leaned down to meet here in the eyes. He brushed the tears away with his thumbs.
"Yu..." she avoided his gaze by fixating them on her heels instead. "I haven't cried in years ever since I left for Liberty. And even before that, I rarely cried. Lately, I've cried a total of three times in front of you."
She sniffled a bit before pulling away to grab a handkerchief in her coat pocket. After dabbing her eyes a few times and ignoring the passer-bys who gave them stares full of curiosity, her eyes finally put a stop to the waterworks.
"But," she stared back at him with a soft smile, who had been waited patiently this whole time. "I don't mind it. Not as long as I'm with you. Please take care of me from now on. And umm..."
She was glad it was cold outside so her blush wouldn't be noticed. "I'll... I'll take care of you as well."
In a split second, she was wrapped into an embrace and she could feel his hair tickling one side of her face. It was different, this embrace, from the other times.
"Thank you," she heard him whisper. "And sorry for making you wait so long."
She clung to him and closed her eyes with a blissful smile. "It was worth the wait."
What happened after that felt natural as he pulled back a little before leaning in for a kiss. She was sure that she heard gasps and whispers from those who were around them, but she couldn't care less. It felt like this one kiss, this happiness, this love would last forever.
After a while when they moved apart, Yu was the first to speak.
"It's cold," he laughed.
She did the same and tucked both of her hands inside the pockets of her coat. "Yeah, it's really cold. Should we head back?"
He reached inside on of her pockets and pulled her hand out before interlacing their fingers. "Yeah, let's."
She stared at the sheet of paper with a frown. The characters which said "WORST LUCK" seemed to be mocking her. Even more so when it was printed to elegantly. She continued to read onto the more specific parts "tragedy in the family with bring the truth to the surface" and "unavoidable circumstances at work will lead you down to an extremely undesirable path".
This was certainly not a way to start the year. She never considered herself as someone who believed in fortunes, much less a strong one, but she couldn't deny that it was a downer. Especially, with all the joy she had been going through as of lately.
She then felt a tug on the sleeve of her furisode.
"What did you get Doctor Shiraishi? I got great luck," the young boy smiled brightly at her as he showed her his slip of fortune.
"Well... I wasn't so lucky," she lowered the paper down to his eye level.
"That makes two of us," and she looked up to see Yu holding up his piece of paper with the words "BAD LUCK IN THE FUTURE" with a crooked smile. From the distance where she stood, she could see the rest of the fortune saying "the situations you've avoided until up now will no longer be avoidable".
The three of them were exploring around the shrine that New Year's morning upon Alan's request. The specific shrine they were in had been booked for the day because a gathering among the six kingdoms was being held. Each prince from their respective nation were attending. There was also a number of officials who were present. Though it was less crowded than most shrines today, it was still pretty bustling.
Back to the present, Alan gave the two of them sad puppy eyes. "What should we do? Will sharing my luck with both of you work?"
"You don't have to worry about that," Yu patted his head. "If we tie the fortunes to those metal wires or pine trees over there, the luck will be stuck there instead of coming onto us."
"Also, if we have faith, be modest, and perform good deeds, things will work out," she chimed in. "What do you say we head over there and then go over to write some wishes?"
That seemed to have done the trick as Alan's frown turned upside down.
"What are you two going to wish for, Doctor Shiraishi, Yu?" Alan piped up as the three of them crouched down on the table.
"Just the general stuff like good health for everyone as well as success and happiness," Yu replied as he paused to look at the Young Prince.
"It's the same with me, too," Nadeshiko spoke as she continued to write.
"But, Doctor Shiraishi, you can't wish for good health or you'll run out of a job!"
She cramped up while Yu just burst out laughing.
"Well, that is true," she started slowly trying to organize her thoughts. "However, doctor's can still check up their patients, give shots even when their patients are perfectly healthy as well as help patients maintain their health.
"What about you, Prince Alan?" Yu, who had now subsided his laughter, asked.
He grinned from ear to ear. "That's a secret!"
"Of course," she giggled as she watched Alan write his wish down while covering it so no one could see. Just then, a large crowd of officials walked past them and she suddenly flinched while cupping her hand over one of her eyes. "Ah... I think I've gotten some dust in my eye."
Yu dropped his marker down in an instant. "Let me see."
She removed her hand and he leaned in to inspect. She looked into his eyes and worked up the courage in her head.
3, 2, 1, now!
Something then happened in a flash and Yu was left with a tingling sensation on his lips as she quickly gave him a kiss. He then saw the smirk on her face.
"Thanks, Yu. I feel all better now." Revenge was sweet as the look on his face was priceless. Even though she could feel her heart thumping like crazy against her chest as well as the heat building up in her ears. Yu was in the midst of stammering something while his face was looking like a ripe cherry tomato until Alan stood up and spoke.
"I'm done! Let's hang them up!"
"Just a minute! Master Yu still hasn't finished his yet," she smiled sweetly. "Isn't that right, Master Yu?"
"Consider yourself lucky," he muttered while looking back at his wooden plague and began to write again.
"I will," she replied as her eyes glittered in smugness. But it was briefly interrupted by the sudden thought of what her fortune said earlier. She frowned. It was just a mere prediction... right? Or so she hoped.