December 2018

"Excuse me?"

No response.

"Ma'am?"

He waved in front of her face this time.

"What?" the store employee rudely responded while removing her ear buds.

"You wouldn't happen to carry any panda decorations, would you?"

"Pandas?" she asked.

"Yeah, like Christmas-y pandas. My girlfriend really likes pandas, well, Buchimaru-kun to be exact. We usually make do with any panda-like design given the rarity, though."

"Cool story," the employee responded, "try the toy aisle or somethin'... I dunno."

Akira sighed. "Thanks for your help."

This wasn't how he thought he'd be spending Christmas with his girlfriend, or rather, Christmas at all seeing as Makoto wasn't accompanying him as went store to store looking for decorations. Crazy to think a panda wearing a santa hat would be such a rare commodity. He'd been to three home accessory stores already, searching for the mythical ornament.

Why was he buying decorations? Long story.

It all started a few days ago. Sae was gracious enough to allow Akira to stay with them over the holidays, much to Makoto's disbelief. Perhaps Sae had faith that her presence would be enough to snuff any plans between them to have sex while she was right down the hall. Perhaps it was her gift to Makoto, seeing as the older sister apparently had nothing else planned for Christmas. Either way, Makoto was ecstatic to have her beloved with her for the holidays, and with zero college schedules telling them when they could and could not be together.

No sex? No problem. They could just cuddle. She'd cuddle with him for the rest of the year if she had it her way. Okay, maybe doing so on the couch was pushing their luck. But Makoto's fashion sense as of late was a direct result of her newfound boldness. Leather jackets and cuddling with Akira—two things she loved perhaps as much as Buchimaru-kun. It was during one particular snuggle fest on one particular evening in their living room that Akira sprang the imminent question.

"So, what are your plans for Christmas?"

Makoto, her face buried in the warmth of his chest, looked up from beneath the fuzzy blanket that bound her to him.

"...Umm, more of this?" she asked in response as she hugged him a little tighter.

"You're not doing anything with your sister?"

Her full body grip loosened.

"We could go somewhere! I-If you'd like, that is. I hear there's going to be a parade at Destiny Land. Wanna go see it?" she asked.

"Uhhh, sure?" he answered as more of a question. "Is Sae coming with us?"

Makoto let out a soft sigh as she sat up, pulling the blanket off the both of them before it fell to the floor. The expression on her face openly displayed the guilt that was welling up inside her.

"...I'm so selfish," she said, "I should have told you before inviting you to stay with us for Christmas. I'm sorry…"

Akira sat up as well, once again displaying how perfect a boyfriend he was, as he immediately began caressing her sullen shoulders.

"Tell me what?" he asked with concern for her sake only.

"My sister and I, we...don't really celebrate Christmas. Not anymore…"

Akira was under the impression the two had long since made up. Evidently all was not well in Shibuya.

"Why not?" he asked.

Makoto leaned down and picked up the blanket and began to fold it in her lap. She needed something to do while she searched for the least painful way to explain the circumstances. There wasn't one.

"Our father..." she started, "he died around this time, five years ago. When sis took me in… things were hard on her, financially. She'll never admit it, but I know it was. When Christmas came around that year, I didn't ask for anything. Not that either of us even felt like celebrating."

Akira remained silent as she spoke.

"By the time Christmas came back around the following years, the... distance between us had grown. It didn't feel the same anymore, not without dad. I couldn't just ask her if we could celebrate together. I was too afraid of getting pushed away further. And then last year, with her new job and everything, I...I just couldn't."

"...But you wanted to, right?" Akira asked.

Though glossy and half-opened, he could look directly into those beautiful crimson eyes of hers and determine exactly what she was feeling. She shouldn't be surprised at this point, but she was.

"I-It's...childish, isn't it? 20-years-old and yet still I want to jump into my big sister's arms on Christmas morning."

Baited.

Akira chuckled. "Makoto, there's nothing immature about wanting to spend time with your family on Christmas."

Hooked.

"I know," she said whilst leaning up against him, "why do you think I wanted you here?"

How fortunate Sae wasn't home. The mewls and giggles mixed with the unambiguous sound of lip smacking that soon filled the living room would get them both in trouble for sure. He couldn't just let her casually call him her family and get away with it now, could he? The blanket was immediately unfolded as the two retreated underneath, to kiss the day away until dinner time came. That was all Makoto needed to be happy, she wouldn't ask for more.

...But her boyfriend was extra. "Good enough" just isn't good enough for the person he loves most in this world. That night, he hatched different plans. Plans to spread some holiday cheer for both Makoto and her sister.

First order of business was decorating. Their apartment had nothing in it that would even suggest Christmas was fast approaching. He thought maybe he'd just get some garland, maybe a wreath, throw it up on the walls. Nothing invasive, of course. Sae would probably throw him out in a heartbeat if he started hammering nails into the walls, not to mention it would ruin the surprise. Instead, he bought some adhesive hooks, making sure that they were the kind to not leave any residue. If nothing else, the mess he was about to make needed to be easily undoable should it strike Sae's bad side.

Then there was the tree. Of course they needed a tree, it's like the focal point of any living room on Christmas. But alas, artificial trees are expensive. He could probably afford one, he'd been saving up after all, but then he thought that maybe such a hefty purchase would reflect poorly on his decision making skills in the eyes of Sae. Thankfully he knew of a place from where he could obtain a tree for free: Leblanc.

During his year in the attic and more recently his past few months of college, he had the privilege of cleaning it up himself (twice now...). Buried beneath the dusty books and boxes of various junk Sojiro stored up there, there was an artificial Christmas tree. It had a small, electronic motor in the base that spun the bulb around, projecting a wide array of colors into the translucent branch tips. Broken, of course, but he guessed if he could fix a broken laptop, he could probably figure out how to fix a mechanical tree.

"If you can fix it, it's yours," Boss said.

So yeah, Akira got a free tree.

Lastly, was gifts, saved for last due to the expected difficulty he would have in procuring them. He already had Makoto covered, of course, having always kept an eye out for gifts she may like even before the holiday season arrived. It was Sae he had no idea how to shop for. He just didn't know much about her, personally. Not once did he just have a casual conversation with her where work or school wasn't brought up. The few times he ever learned anything about her came from Makoto's mouth only, and it's not like they frequently talked about her sister in their personal time. Not a lot to go on.

Here's what little he knew:

She worked a lot. Not much he could do with this. Unless he got her something to relax with, but that could be interpreted as him telling her she needs to chill and he honestly didn't see that going over very well. Pass.

She's stronger than Makoto, allegedly. Makoto had told him of the countless times she'd challenged her sister to a duel. Not once was she able to defeat her. Useful information that served as a reminder that whatever gift he got her, it mustn't be something that she would be offended by. Short of getting her a sports bra or a protein shake, he didn't know what to do with this in terms of gifts. Pass.

Apparel wise, she seemed to favor dark-colored, professional looking clothing. Her business attire had remained unchanged in the two years he'd known her: charcoal gray pant suit, black turtleneck, black high heels. Staying with them did offer him a glance at her sleepwear, however unhelpful it was—the woman sleeps in all black pajamas as well. Clothing was a dead end.

What little alternative color she had was in her make-up. Sort of a light fuchsia lipstick accompanied by a subtle lavender eyeshadow. Her nails were a deep viole-...no, red. She'd changed that recently.

'Red nails…' he thought.

Akira took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found the desired name: Ann Takamaki . He knew she was spending Christmas with Ryuji and his mom, but he only needed a moment of her time.

The line rang only twice before the recipient picked up.

"Heeyyy, Akira! Merry Christmas!" the blonde chirped over the phone.

"Hey, Merry Christmas. So listen, there's something I need to a-"

"HEEEEYYYYY, THAT AKIRA?!"

Even over the phone, Ryuji's shouting was unmistakable. Though his words sounded a bit more slurred than usual.

"DUUUUDE YOU SSSHHOULD *hic* COME OVER! I PROMISH, MY *hic* MOM DIDN'T PUT ANYTHIN' IN *hic* THE EGGNOG! Oh ssshhit I'm gonna... *hic*"

"Hey! Don't fucking puke on my phone! *slap*"

Akira listened as the two apparently fought for possession of Ann's phone. Her freakishly efficient metabolism won out in the end as she kicked her drunk boyfriend out of his own room and slammed the door behind him.

"Sorry about that," she said, "what's up?"

"Yeah, sorry to bother you guys, but I wanted to ask you a question." Akira said.

"Shoot."

"Nail polish, how much do you know about it?" Akira asked.

Ann was quiet for a few seconds

"Like, is that rhetorical or…?"

December 25th, 2018

Makoto awoke to a half full bed. Well, technically full since two people weren't meant to share her twin sized bed. Her nice, warm boyfriend wasn't lying beside her, which was a bit irritating as her room was quite chilly. Morning cuddles, where the hell were her morning cuddles? The smell of coffee creeping up under her door answered that. Not the passable stuff her sister made, but the exceptional brew her boyfriend provided. Maybe she'll forgive him yet for denying her the necessary morning cuddles.

Just two steps into the kitchen and she froze at the sight before her.

Gold and silver garland adorned the walls and a wreath hung above the TV. Various holiday knick knacks, the likes of which she knew they did not own, were placed on every surface. In the middle of it all stood an artificial tree, glimmering in a brilliant red and blue pattern.

Her boyfriend stood at the kitchen counter, smiling as he prepared coffee for the three of them. Atop his head he wore the deepest red santa hat he could find.

"Wha-...Akira...WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Makoto demanded.

Okay, not the reaction he was hoping for. Maybe he should have woke her up himself and eased her into the idea. Too late now. Best hope he could charm his way through this introduction to the wonderland he created.

"Oh, good morning, my love~" he said without deterring from his cheery expression, "Jamaican or Cuban? I brought both."

Makoto stared at him, dumbfounded. "...huh?"

"Your coffee?" he asked.

"Coffee??? We're not gonna talk about THIS?" she asked while frantically gesturing to the… well, everything.

"Mmm, talk about what?" he replied, slyly sipping his own coffee.

"Th-The tree…! A-And the…" she trailed off as she noticed them on the coffee table.

A cluster of multicolored balls, each with a different festive pattern and tiny panda passengers in various positions, layed grouped together on the coffee table.

"Wh-What are those?!" she yelped, paralyzed by their adorableness.

Akira slipped a blue santa hat on her head as he walked by—she didn't seem to mind.

"These," he said while crouching beside the table, "are apparently meant to be tree ornaments but I noticed something about them while taking them out of the box."

He gave the blue one a poke. The panda riding atop the ornament wobbled backwards, but then wobbled right back forwards before settling back into its original position.

"They can't fall over. Cute, right? Little, wobbly panda babies~"

"That's… You're…" she tried to object, "oh, god damn you, that's adorable."

He smirked, knowing yet another piece of her heart had been successfully stolen and swapped with a quick peck on the cheek as he passed her by and returned to the kitchen. Makoto sighed before joining him.

"It's not like I don't see what you're trying to do, Akira. It's… incredibly sweet and I love you for it. But it'll upset sis. We have to take it all down before she wakes up."

Makoto's tone was sincere in contrast to her initial reaction. She had just as much right to shut it all down as Sae did, this was all for her after all. Maybe he would have considered it if given another glance from those pleading, garnet eyes from hers. But coincidences are sometimes convenient like that.

Sae's morning routine, so regular that she could do it half asleep if need be, was often executed silently in the early hours of dawn. So imagine the surprise of not only Sae, but Makoto and Akira as well when all three met in the kitchen. Silence befell the room, save for the soft whistle of steam escaping the coffee maker.

Makoto froze, dreading the potential fallout as Sae shifted her surprised glance around the room until finally looking at the festive couple standing at the counter.

"I… suppose I should say Merry Christmas?" Sae asked, breaking the silence.

Merry Christmas. Two words Makoto never thought she'd hear again. From her sister, at least.

"M-Merry Christmas, sis…" Makoto sheepishly half-whispered back.

"Merry Christmas!" Akira said over Makoto's shoulder to the both of them, his voice much more confident.

Confident enough to allow his arms to boldly make their way under Makoto's as he hugged her from behind. Their cheeks and their silly red and blue santa hats nuzzled together in what was surely an endearing sight; despite Makoto's visible embarrassment that he would do such a thing in front of her sister. Was he wearing her leather jacket under his pajamas? Because she sure as hell wasn't.

Sae didn't seem fazed. "So, I take it the two of you have plans today? Don't mind me, I'm just getting some coffee and then I'll leave you to it."

"Actually, those plans include you, Sae-san."

"Me?" Sae asked.

"Her??" asked Makoto as well, turning her head as much as his ongoing embrace would allow.

"Yeah. I mean, it's Christmas, isn't it? Families are supposed to be together on Christmas. You're sisters, aren't you?" Akira asked.

Makoto and Sae looked at each other, the anticipation laid bare on Makoto's face. Suddenly Akira's chest against her back was a source of comfort as she awaited the credulous "no thank you" from her sister. Sae stared blankly at the couple. A mix of astonishment and curiosity kept her from displaying any particular emotion. Then she looked down at the countertop.

On it, lay a purple santa hat. Horribly tacky so of course perfectly in tune with the theme of the morning: unexpected yet deeply coveted.

A small grin appeared on Sae's face. To Makoto's amazement, she took the hat and put it on her head, adjusting the pom-pom to dangle opposite of her hair.

"Well, I wouldn't want to interrupt your plans. It is Christmas, after all." Sae said.

"H-HUH…?!" Makoto gasped in pure shock .

"Is that Blue Mountain coffee I smell?" Sae asked Akira, ignoring her sister's hysteria.

"Yeah, gift from Boss. He said: 'Thanks for putting up with the freeloading smartass.' " Akira said as he released Makoto and returned to his position as Barista Claus.

Sae scoffed as she took a seat at the counter.

"Well, you're not that bad a guest if you not only brought coffee but also made it. I'll have to remind Sakura-san of that when I thank him."

"He'll just find some other reason to make me do all the work around Leblanc. He might as well just retire and give me the place." Akira joked.

"Heh." Sae quietly chuckled.

The casual nature of this conversation was… bizarre to Makoto. The sister she knew three years ago wouldn't be chatting up her boyfriend on Christmas morning. Hell, if the sister she knew was here today, she wouldn't even have a boyfriend. This entire scenario was just foreign to her.

"Hey, Makoto?" Akira asked.

"Y-Yes?"

He leaned in closer to whisper in her ear.

"...In my closet? Wait… did you see them?!"

"Of course not," he said, "but I figured it was as good a place as any to hide mine as well. One Last Surprise, you know?"

Makoto groaned at the overused joke as she went back to her room.

" 'Last Surprise?' " Sae asked.

"Dead inside joke that bugs the hell out of her." Akira answered.

"Ah."

Moments later, Makoto returned with full hands, each carrying bags filled with presents.

"Akira…? How many gifts did you buy? I thought we were saving up for an apartment?"

"And we still are," he said while taking some off her hands and making his way to the living room. "Most of these I got back home and wanted to give you last year but couldn't. So don't worry, just unwrap them and tell me how much you love me~"

Sae cringed at the idea of them living all alone together, but didn't want to cause a fuss.

"Oh, actually," he pulled out the one bag that wasn't concealed in panda wrapping, "this one is for you, Sae-san."

"...For me?" Sae asked, surprised.

"Well you didn't think I'd do all this and just have you awkwardly drinking coffee in the corner, did you?"

"But I… I didn't get you anything…" she indeed awkwardly muttered.

A quickened wheeze escaped Akira mouth.

"You let me stay over for Christmas. It's thanks to you that I've had the privilege of sleeping in the same bed as the love of my life for the past few days. As if that's not sappy enough, there's everything you did for me before. You helped me get my future back when I didn't have one. One that I plan to spend entirely with Makoto if she'll humor me long enough. If anything, I didn't get you enough to show you just how grateful I am."

Sae was speechless. Makoto, on the verge of crying. Without wasting a second, Akira simply went back to placing all the gifts under the tree, as if he didn't just warm every heart in the room. Charming bastard. When he turned around, both Makoto and Sae were sitting on the couch, the former eagerly waiting for him to join them so she could hug the life out of him for that incredibly touching speech.

Present time!

The contrast between Makoto's and Akira's gifts was a bit amusing. Each of hers was neatly wrapped or bagged in a tasteful pattern. Such suggested these were gifts to an adult, however immature said adult is known to be on occasion. His were all wrapped in a light blue wrapping paper, covered of course, in pandas. It looked like he brought presents to a child's birthday party. Makoto loved it though, obviously. The one that wasn't wrapped in the panda paper was the one for Sae, instead occupying a silver, snowflake-patterned bag topped with a bow that matched her hat.

"I'll go first," Akira said as he brought a lightweight box with him to the sofa. "Merry Christmas, my love~"

She took the box and his lips, giggling as she pulled him in for a kiss. Ordinarily not the type of thing they'd do in front of Sae, but she seemed docile enough, sipping her coffee on the opposite end of their sectional sofa. Akira wrapped his arm around her as she gingerly unwrapped the present (because of course that's how treats panda wrapping paper.)

The tag was the first thing she saw when she opened the indistinct box beneath the wrapping, left on to prove the authenticity of the item. It read: " Buchimaru-kun & Me! "

Makoto's eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she practically ripped the lid off the box.

Slippers. Adult sized. Officially licensed. Buchimaru-kun Slippers.

"WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU FIND THESE?!" she screamed.

"Online. I wanted to give them to you for your birthday, but they didn't ship until May."

She stopped listening after the first word. Her attention span momentarily regressed to that of a little girl as she slipped them on. She left the tag on, to be surgically removed later. She'd sooner die than damage official Buchimaru-kun merchandise.

"They're so…s-so…" she tried to speak.

Words could not describe how cozy her toes were or how melted her heart was. So instead she just choked her boyfriend with the first of many over the shoulder hugs. Not for long, as she soon took them out for a test run by giddily pacing around the tree. The pure… innocence emanating from her adorable little panda-clad footsies was enough to make even Sae smile.

Makoto truly felt like a little girl again. But then Akira picked out one of her gifts and sat down with it, immediately snapping her out of it. She had forgotten about that gift.

"U-UM, let's maybe save that one for later," she said as she quickly stood between him and Sae, blocking her view.

The sudden change of mood in his girlfriend, as well as her silent mouthing of the word "don't" piqued his interest, to say the least. So he took a quick peep inside the bag without opening it all the way.

The words "erotic body oil" and "deep penetration" told him everything he needed to know. The silhouette of a nude woman apparently getting it quite good on the bottle's label made it abundantly clear that Makoto was expecting today to very differently. An innocent little girl, she most certainly was not.

He quickly closed the bag shut and thought for a second.

"Y-Yeah, yeah I mean… We don't have any… um… candles, right? It can wait until later."

She was very unimpressed with this improvisation, but went with it regardless.

"...R-Right! I should have thought of that earlier. I'll get them later so we can… bake it, I suppose??"

"I think we have some candles in the cabinet, actually," Sae offered. "Do you need them for a cake? What kind is it?"

"N-NO! I-I mean, it's fine, don't worry about it. We'll just do it later." Makoto said without realizing the double meaning in her words.

"Oh, alright then," Sae said.

They quickly moved on to the other presents, mostly so Sae wouldn't get the chance to piece together what that second gift really was. Besides the lube, Makoto got Akira some more practical gifts, like a new jacket and some college exam guides—things he needed and of course greatly appreciated. His however, gravitated more towards things Makoto actually wanted, like rare Yakuza films to add to her collection and even more officially licensed Buchimaru-kun merch. Makoto made a joke and said he might as well become a private investigator, with how good he was at tracking most of this stuff down.

Sae sat patiently and drank the last of her coffee. She was content simply abiding by the happy couples' wishes to have her there with them. It was nice to see Makoto smiling and even laughing with her in the same room—something she didn't get many opportunities to witness. But, silently watching them be happy was deemed "awkward" by Akira, and that was something he could not allow. Without further ado, he fetched the final present from under the tree.

He handed it to Sae directly. "Merry Christmas, Sae-san."

"Thank you. Really though, you didn't have to," she said once more.

The bag itself was quite small and not particularly heavy. She had hoped whatever he'd gotten her wasn't too pricey or else it'd weigh even more on her conscience. The look he gave her was a mix of nervousness and eager observation as she reached between the tissue paper and pulled out a purple phial of nail polish.

The label read: "Plum Seduction."

Sae stared at it. Not a word passed her slightly parted lips.

Makoto could sense the anxiousness coming from her boyfriend. He stood holding his breath as he awaited the response he increasingly thought to be negative as more time passed.

"...How did you find my favorite nail polish?" Sae finally asked. "I thought they discontinued this brand..."

Hallelujah.

"S-So th-that's the right one?!" he asked, his voice noticeably shaky.

What a twist that Sae would reply with a soft chuckle. "Were you that nervous?"

"N-No, I was just worried that I got you something you didn't wan-"

Warmth.

She moved quickly and without warning. No objections or second thoughts were given quarter. Her hands rested gently on his back and his chin on her shoulder. The sensation of her chest touching his paralyzed him in the most awkward way possible. Neither he nor Makoto could process what they knew was happening and yet still could not believe.

"You gave me exactly what I wanted, Akira," Sae whispered in his ear.

She pulled away from his stiffened posture, finally noticing how utterly baffled he was by the first ever hug he'd received from her.

"...Was that too informal?" Sae asked.

Akira blinked as it all finally clicked into place. He spun around, feeling his back as if checking for something. "My back… is there a dagger in my back??"

Sae scoffed. "Oh honestly, Makoto. Just what have you told your boyfriend about me?"

"N-Nothing! Just that you're… a very serious, strong and driven woman and that he should never test your patience," she replied.

"Oh? So if I were to hug you right now, you would assume I'm trying kill you as well?"

"Of course not! I'd never- EEP! "

Sae plopped herself back down on the sofa in a very disgraceful manner next to Makoto. Her arm snaked around her back as she pulled her vulnerable little sister in for a long overdue hug. Much less formal than the one she just gave Akira. Makoto instinctively resisted the forced contact, but soon found herself sinking her face into her shoulder as she returned the hug.

Her sister felt warm. Not temperature wise. Well yes of course she was actually warm, but the warmth didn't come from her body. It came from her heart. Makoto knew Sae loved her, but very rarely did she get a physical reminder such as this.

"Merry Christmas, baby sis…"

Being called not just "sis" but with an added "baby" in front of it? Sae hadn't done that since Makoto was a little girl, long before they lost their father. Back when Sae was a loving older sister and the only woman in young Makoto's life. Back when they didn't need the excuse of a holiday to share a warming embrace. Hearing Sae say it now, it was like she was really trying to say: "I'm still here."

As expected, Makoto's grip tightened. Sae's shoulder was soon damp with tears as Makoto let loose the very last of her fears that her sister still held some animosity for her in her heart.

Akira smiled, nearly tearing up himself as he quietly began cleaning up all the wrapping paper around them. He thought it best to give them the moment.

Later that evening…

Makoto lay fast asleep, wrapped in her new officially licensed Buchimaru-kun bedspread, with her head on her boyfriend's lap. She insisted they watch something more Christmas appropriate, branching out from the usual violence-filled flicks they typically enjoyed together. The result was her falling asleep halfway through. Partly because Akira was rubbing her head but mostly because of the emotional day she had.

"...Is she asleep?" Sae asked leaning over the sofa.

"Yeah," Akira answered, still tracing gentle circles through her hair.

"Do you mind if I have a word with you? In private?"

"Not at all."

Sae stepped outside through the sliding doors leading to the balcony—the proper and severely underused locale for a private heart-to-heart. Akira gently lifted Makoto's head and replaced his thigh with a pillow. He gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before stepping out to join her sister.

It was quite chilly, as evident by the excessive amount of steam rising from the mug of coffee Sae held as she leaned over the railing. Perfect opportunity to wear the new jacket his girlfriend bought him. He leaned over the railing as well, both facing forward as they looked at the well-lit, decorated neighborhood.

Sae spoke up first. "...I wanted to say thank you."

"For the nail polish?" he asked.

"No-well, yes. Actually, where did you find it?"

"A foreign import store in Harujuku."

Sae rolled her eyes. "Of course, the last place I'd look… But no, that's not what I wanted to thank you for."

"Then what?" he asked.

Sae sipped her coffee, breathing in the steam as she pondered her words.

"...I wasn't always the best sister, as I'm sure you're well aware," she started. "I wasn't around much for Makoto after our father passed. For years, I shoved her away in some misguided attempt to...I'm not sure what exactly. Make her self-sufficient, I suppose? I was a fool-no, the better word is bitch. You could barely call us a family with the way I treated her."

Akira once again remained silent as a Niijima sister poured her heart out.

"Of course, I apologized for my actions after you and the Phantom Thieves helped me pull my head out of my ass. She said she forgave me for everything, we even hugged, like sisters do. But then everything just...continued on as normal. The new normal, not the normal from our childhood. I guess it was naive of me to presume everything would go back to the way things were. But then..."

She abruptly stopped talking and turned her head away from Akira.

" 'But then…?' " he coaxed.

"You came back," she said, "for college, for her. She's happier with you around. More approachable. It's infectious, really…"

"You mean…?"

"Yes, Akira. I'm thankful for you. I'm happy that you came into our lives. And I want you to remain a part of it so… Merry Christmas."

Sae reached out her hand to him and opened her palm. In it, was a key.

Akira couldn't speak, he couldn't breathe. His eyes darted between her hand and her face, trying to get a read on this unbelievable situation.

"Well…?" Sae asked, somewhat worried she had overwhelmed the young man.

"I…uhm…Yes, th-thank you. I accept. Erm, this is a key to this apartment, right? Not a key to the car you plan to drive me to the bottom of a lake in?"

Sae laughed, not a chuckle, she laughed.

"Yes, it's to our apartment," she said, still laughing. "Just until the two of you get your own. Makoto has the final say, but I absolutely doubt she'll object."

Akira cleared his throat. "Then I accept. Thank you, Sae-san."

"You can just call me Sae, I'm not your attorney anymore," she said.

"R-Right… Thank you, Sae."

They remained outside for a little longer, discussing the details of this will-be arrangement. All the while Akira burned every word into his memory. Not just because of the ground rules Sae was laying down, but also because this would be the first time he ever thought of Sae as a sister.