Knock knock knock.

Ding dong.

"Oh, Hayama-kun! It's YOUR turn to open the door today!"

Hayama glanced at the seriously merry look on his headmaster's face, then at the two empty chairs around the table, reserved for the absent first and second seats. With a sigh, he got up and approached the door, Azami closely following him.

When he cracked it open, Kurokiba and Alice were standing side by side immediately in front of him, an expectant smile on their faces.

Alice beamed, "Why if it isn't Hayama-kun? It's been a while, now hasn't it?"

Kurokiba smirked. "Nice make-over, Hayama. You sure are looking spiffy."

"Shut up," Hayama replied, but after seeing the hurt glance on Headmaster Azami's face, he added, "So, who did you recruit to your choir this time?"

"Someone that you know quite well." Alice teased. Azami curiously pushed past Hayama to take his place in the front of the doorway.

Alice and Kurokiba parted to reveal a tiny, timid professor fidgeting on the ground below.

"JUN!?" Hayama shouted, utterly shocked to see his adoptive mother.

"Um, hello, Hayama-kun, Headmaster. Uh, ahem." She turned to face a group of eleven uniformed musicians standing on her right. They played the now-recognizable opening chord to the 12 Days of Christmas, as Jun began to sing.

"On the eleventh day of Christmas, Hayama gave to me…"

"WHAT!? I gave something?"

"Eleven pipers piping!" The pipers played along to the classic carol in perfect harmony, their grandeur making up for the professor's shyness.

Alice winked at Hayama. He'd been played! He should have been more suspicious of that strange, shockingly specific request from Jun last night. And since he'd already paid for two days, tomorrow was a guarantee, too. Hayama couldn't believe he'd been so stupid.

"Ten lords a-leaping," Mito sang hesitantly, still slightly hurt from yesterday's mishap.

"Nine ladies dancing!"

"Eight maids-a-milking," Tsukasa sang, tipping his new cowboy hat while trying not to spill his glass of fresh milk on his new cow-print shirt or the cow-skin chair.

"Seven swans a-swimming,"

"Six geese a-laying,"

"FIVE GOLDEN RINGS!" belted Rindou, riding on one of Tsukasa's cows and sneak up behind him to steal his hat.

"Four calling birds,"

"Three French hens,"

"Two turtle doves"

"And a partridge in a pear tree!"

This time, Azami let himself clap, while nodding appreciatively at Shiomi Jun, who gave him a wary glance in return.

"Thank you for your time!" Alice added as usual, to which Azami returned, "No, thank you!" She smiled at him, then added, "Bye, Hayama-kun", and departed.

Hayama was clearly shaken. Why would Jun join their choir? What was the point of all this?

Azami patted the ninth seat on the back. "There's no need to look so troubled. It's almost Christmas!"

The ninth seat nodded slowly in response. "I suppose it is." Tsukasa's words from previously echoed in Hayama's head, "It's just gonna be another meeting day." Then, he thought about all the previous Christmases in his life:

At first, the holiday meant nothing to him. On the streets of India where he'd lived, nobody gave any more than usual, or acted generously because it was Christmas. The world was still cruel and confusing, and at that time, colder than ever. After Jun came along, though, she introduced him to a whole new culture, full of lights and cookies and celebration... Although Christmas celebrations could never compare to the events on New Year's Day, in Japan.

Next, Hayama thought about his "friends", Alice and Kurokiba, and all the effort they had put into this whole caroling scheme. Once more, he wondered: What exactly did they want from all this? Then, he realized that maybe, just maybe, they were simply celebrating Christmas in their own way. With a slight grin, Hayama wondered who they were going to add the last day, who would become the star on their caroling Christmas tree. Whoever it was, he silently wished them good luck, as he sat down in his meeting room chair once more.


To be continued...