Hey everyone! How long has it been since I last updated... well, I guess it had been quite some time. Truth is, I'm now in college and things get pretty hectic. For sure, I can't update as often as I did in the past, but trust me, I will still update! ^^

In the meantime, thank you sooo much for all the reviews. We got... what? 92? *sob in happiness* I hope I will not let you down!

Hmmm will Ibuki become a rival to Klaus? We'll see about that, okay? ^^ Thanks for your support for KlausxRaelyn!

Klaus blinked in surprise when Iris handed him a small box, wrapped elegantly in dark purple paper and white ribbon. It took him a moment to register what was happening and he glanced at the calendar to confirm his hunch.

He smiled and accepted it. "It's already that day again, huh," he said. "Thank you."

Iris returned his smile. "Thanks to Agate, actually," she told him sheepishly. "If she hadn't come to my house and asked me to make chocolate with her, I might have forgotten as well."

"I'm not blaming you," he said. "You don't exactly have the obligation—"

"Don't imply I'm forced to do it," Iris retorted. "And before you even think of saying it, no, we're not too old for this. We can be gray haired and I'll still give you chocolates on Winter Harmony Day."

Klaus decided to let her have the last word; some arguments were not really worth pursuing after, after all. He put the chocolate box on his desk and took his coat. He wore it and opened the door to a snowing landscape, allowing Iris to step out first.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"I couldn't agree more," he replied.

They were walking towards the Trade Depot when Klaus noticed a figure in front of Raeger's restaurant. It was Raelyn.

"Raelyn," he called.

She turned and approached them. "Mr. Klaus, Miss Iris," she greeted as politely as always. Klaus noticed that her basket—he rarely saw her without it when she was in town—was filled with a few carefully wrapped boxes. There was one box that attracted his attention, because it was wrapped quite differently—more elaborate—than the others: green with pink ribbons.

Harmony Day chocolates?

"Oooh… are those Harmony Day chocolates?" Iris gushed, unwittingly voicing out his thoughts.

He watched her cheeks turned into a faint shade of pink. "Ah, well… yes…" she admitted bashfully. "I got some help… from Raeger."

She looked down shyly as she shifted between her legs. There was a brief, but awkward, moment of silence; surprisingly, Raelyn was the one who broke it. "I—I need to go!" she said. "See you later!"

They watched the young farmer left. "Phew… and I thought she was going to give you chocolates."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "What does it have to do with you if she does, anyway?"

Iris giggled. "I wonder…"

The meeting ended earlier than he expected. Klaus walked on the pathway of the crowded city. It seems that they observed Harmony Day here, too, for there were many promotions on chocolates along the road.

It was then his eye caught something: sakura mochis. Come to think of it, he had never brought her sakura mochis except for that one time. Perhaps this would be a good time to do so, perhaps the confection could lift her mood up somewhat.

"But today is the Winter Harmony Day," Iris said. "You can do it during the Spring Harmony Day!"

"It'd be better if her mood is lifted before that," Klaus argued back.

Iris' eyes glinted with playfulness. "You do care about her."

"I don't recall a time I said I did not."

"Are you falling for her, Klaus?" Iris asked. Her tone was playful, but Klaus could still sense that she was being serious.

"No," he replied. "I do care for her, but that does not mean that I'm falling for her."

"I think this is just you trying to delude yourself," Iris said. "Well, we'll see how it goes…"

Her farm seemed to be much more organized than the last time he stopped by. He could see that she had added some facilities as well. Klaus was about to knock on her door when it opened and she stood in front of him, complete with her winter gear. Her wine-colored eyes widened in surprise. "M—Mr. Klaus?!"

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Good afternoon."

Raelyn straightened up her body and asked: "How could I help you?"

Klaus took a deep breath. "I know it is out of the custom, but I have some sakura mochis for you."

The pinkette blushed. "S—sakura mochi?" She seemed to be unsure of what to say. After a brief moment, she stepped aside. "Please come in," she said.

Klaus handed over the box to her and she went to the kitchen. In the meantime, he looked at the interior of her small, but lovely house. She had made some changes; she changed the wallpaper into plain white, while her floor seemed to be made of a better quality wood. There was a low table at the middle of the room, but this time this table was equipped with a thick blanket around it.

"Please take a seat," she said while putting down the plate of sakura mochi on the table.

Klaus followed her. When he put his legs under the blanket, he felt warmer than he thought he would be. He moved his leg slightly towards the center of the table and found that it got even warmer. "This is convenient," he said.

Raelyn chuckled. "You did not see this often around here, I bet," she said. "This is a kotatsu."

"You seem to be well-versed with Sakuran culture."

"Oh, well… actually, I'm part Sakuran... from my mother."

"I see…" Klaus nodded thoughtfully. "By the way, did you not mean to head out somewhere when I came just now?"

Raelyn seemed to be shocked. "I apologize for my sudden visit. I'll—"

"A—actually," she interjected—a gesture that surely took a lot of courage for her. "I was about to look for you."

"For me?"

Raelyn nodded. She then took out a box, wrapped in green paper and pink ribbon—the one he saw this morning—and pushed it towards him. "As you said… today's Winter Harmony Day."

"Oh…"

"I… I didn't want to delay your trip this morning so I thought I should just give it in the afternoon." She blushed. "And… I know you are not particularly fond of sweet things… so I reduced the amount of milk and sugar… I hope it doesn't turn out too bitter."

He was touched by her thoughtfulness. Smiling, he took the gift and unwrapped it. "A-are you going to eat it here?!" she asked in shock.

"I am," he affirmed. "I hope it is fine with you."

"W—well, yes, but…" she looked away, blushing. "It makes me nervous somehow."

Klaus chuckled. "You should be more confident of your cooking," he told her. "I still remember your bouillabaisse. It was excellent."

Klaus peered into the box; there were several rose-shaped chocolates. The color did seem to be darker than what he usually found in the stores.

"I used a mould," she told him. "So it wasn't a big deal."

"I see…"

Klaus took a piece and tasted it. Just like Raelyn had told him earlier, this chocolate was bitterer than the standard milk chocolate. As it melted in his mouth, however, it gave off a slight sweetness together with a fruity taste.

"…oranges?"

"There are other fruits, too," Raelyn said. "I thought you might like it better that way…"

He smiled. "I can't wait to discover the other flavors."

Finally, she smiled back at him. "And I'll enjoy the sakura mochis."

Stay tuned for the next chapter!

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