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Chapter Text

Chapter II: A Snow Bride and the Bear Cub Who Loves Fruits

Friday, December 19, 2025

Light. She was light. She weighed less than the large burlap sacks of potatoes that came in bulk. She also happened to smell like mangoes. Not the raw, green ones, she was a freshly ripened mango. Tropical fruity sweetness was what she was. Thank goodness he had found her; otherwise, she would have turned into mango ice cream because of the harsh, cold weather of the snowy mountain.

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Based on what was told by the arrows of the old grandfather clock, the only clock there was in the caretaker's cabin, it is a quarter to seven AM, which means the young and beautiful snow bride he had brought home had been unconscious for the past ten hours. During those dreaded, terrifying ten hours, all he could do was pray for the best and wait for her to open her eyes. Since he didn't know when exactly Snow Bride would come back to him from her state of unconsciousness, he slept on the floor with the makeshift bed he had prepared for himself. Although beside his makeshift bed was a sofa that was big enough for him to sleep on, it was currently occupied by Snow Bride.

Snow Bride. These were the two words he decided to use to nickname the unidentified young woman he had found rolling down a hill and stopping to land at his feet. He doubted calling her "the woman" would be proper. Besides, it was true that she was a snow bride. She wore a bridal gown with a veil to complete the outfit, and she was in a mountain full of snow. She was a snow bride, his snow bride.

Attempting to climb up the sofa was a bear cub who looked up at him expectantly.

Sighing in defeat, he told the tiny brown creature, "Alright, I'll get you up. You watch my Snow Bride for me while I make breakfast for both of us. Does that work for you, Tanbearo Kumado?"

As he received several pettings, Tanbearo Kumado purred. Once he was on the sofa, by Snow Bride's feet, the young man went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for three because something told him it would be best if he had a meal ready for Snow Bride.

Busying himself in the kitchen, he allowed himself to entertain in his deepest, innermost thoughts regarding the whole situation he was in at the moment. Ten hours ago, he stumbled upon a snow bride. He already had a bear cub in the caretaker's cabin. What was the harm in having one more fairytale character to spend the remainder of his temporary stay at the caretaker's cabin?

If only he were a child instead of thirty-four years old, his childhood self up until the age of ten would have been over the moon if something like this had happened to him. Unfortunately, he was no longer ten and hasn't been for the past twenty-four years. Still, he allowed himself to reminisce about much simpler times, back when he was a young boy and his only concerns were whether or not his father would make salmon daikon for Christmas.

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Tuesday, December 19, 2003

Nine-year-old Giyuu Tomioka was never the type of child to ask for things that were beyond his parents ' means. Still, he was a young boy, and all children were allowed to dream big regardless of their current circumstances. With that in mind, he wrote down the last of the items on the list of things he would be asking Santa Claus for this upcoming Christmas.

Staring down at the sheet of lined paper, which he hastily wrote with pink crayon, he asked himself out loud, "What if it doesn't come true?"

His question elicited a response from another person. "Ah, but what if it does?"

Looking up, he was face-to-face with his older sister, who gave him a cheeky grin before singing out loud, "But the world is full of zanies and fools, who don't believe in sensible rules and won't believe what sensible people say! And because these daft and dewey-eyed dopes keep building up impossible hopes, impossible things are happening every day!"

Giyuu smiled upon hearing the lyrics his older sister had sung to him. "You went out to watch the Cinderella musical with him, didn't you?"

"Indeed, I did. You should've gone with us to see it, Giyuu!"

Giyuu shook his head. "No, thank you, Older Sister Tsutako. I don't want to be your third wheel!"

Tsutako Tomioka shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "Suit yourself. They're playing it again tomorrow…Maybe you'll come with me, then?"

Before Giyuu could tell her no once more, the sound of a woman's chuckle interrupted their conversation. Entering the living room space was a beautiful middle-aged woman who looked like Giyuu, albeit older, and her features being feminine and softer. Although Tsutako and Giyuu shared the same eye color and hair color, Tsutako's hair was curlier, and her eyes were oval-shaped. Like the woman in the room, Giyuu's eyes were sharper and slanted, and his hair was long, straight, and spiked.

At the sight of the third person, a grin emerged from Giyuu. With a pout, he says, "Mother, tell Older Sister Tsutako that if she wants me to go out with her, her fiancé can't come with us…All they do is act so silly together…I'd rather go to town alone than be their third wheel!"

"Is that so?" Their mother raised an eyebrow upon hearing Giyuu's statement. "Hmm…How about the four of us go see the Cinderella musical tomorrow instead?"

"Huh?"

Their mother clarified, "What I mean to say is your father should be home tonight."

Tsutako's eyes widened. "Really?"

Their mother nodded her head in answer. "Yes, really. I received word that his crew would be coming to town earlier than expected. Don't you two both want to see your father? I know I sure do!"

At once, Tsutako and Giyuu shouted at the same time, "Of course, we do!"

This elicited in their mother to chuckle once more. "That's great to hear."

In their excitement to see their father, Tsutako and Giyuu decided to further decorate the outside and inside of the small, plain-looking fishing cottage the Tomioka family has been residing in for the past one hundred years or so. Despite their home being so humble, Giyuu wouldn't trade it for the world. Besides, after adding more Christmas decorations, his home would most certainly look more polished from being accessorized.

It was around nine o'clock when the two siblings and their mother heard the sound of loud footsteps made possible by thick and heavy boots approaching their front door. Giyuu might not have been the closest to the front door, but he was the fastest, and thus, it was he who was the first to greet his father.

"Welcome home, Father!" Instantly, he jumped up to hug his father, who spread his arms wide for Giyuu to give him a hug.

"Thank you, Giyuu! I sure am happy to be home," his father said, stroking Giyuu's hair delicately as if he were something precious and fragile.

Tsutako pouted at the sight of the loving embrace between the father and son. "Hey, I want to hug Father, too!"

"Come on, then! There's plenty of room."

"Alright. If you say so, Father." With a teasing smile on her face, Tsutako declared, "Just so you know, Father, I've missed you more than Giyuu and Mother did!"

Tsutako's statement resulted in both the mother and son saying together at once, "That's not true!"

In the end, a much-needed group hug happened. They stayed in their positions for at least five minutes before they broke apart because of the hissing sounds of a pot.

"Looks like the salmon daikon's ready," announced the mother.

Giyuu's eyes sparkled as he cheered, "Awesome!"

Perhaps it was due to his initial early childhood upbringing as the son of a fishing boat captain, but salmon daikon was Giyuu Tomioka's all-time favorite food. Although there were many different ways to prepare the dish, he much preferred his father's version, which his father supposedly got the recipe from a high school headmaster from a land far, far, far away. Despite Tsutako and Giyuu asking on numerous occasions for their father's secret recipe, their father would always insist they would have to wait until the time is right for the special salmon daikon they coveted to finally be revealed to them. In the meantime, they had their mother's salmon daikon recipe to use and follow through instead.

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

Giyuu looked up from his bowl of salmon daikon to see his father, smirking at him. Like Tsutako, his father had curly hair and oval-shaped eyes. Unlike Tsutako, he was tanned and muscular from being out in the sun and working on a fishing vessel that was far more sophisticated than the people of his hometown were used to.

Giyuu nodded his head, answering, "Yes, Father, you always make the best salmon daikon!"

His father beamed after hearing his answer. "I'm sure glad you think so, Giyuu!"

Once more, Giyuu's hair was stroked, but he didn't mind being petted as if he were a cat. It may be a peculiar trait of his father to pet his loved ones randomly like they were pet animals, but neither of the two Tomioka siblings nor their mother minded. With Captain Tomioka always away at sea, they were grateful for the times he was home, spending quality time with his wife and two children. Whenever he could, Captain Tomioka would whip up the salmon daikon as a way of showing his family he always loved and thought about them.

Even though he was old enough to read long chapter books that were part of a large book series all on his own, Giyuu did indulge in the occasional bedtime stories being read to him. There was something special about being read to sleep that you couldn't get from reading by yourself. Still, Giyuu insisted he was a big kid and grown enough to go to sleep without his mother or sister now. That never stopped either of them from hopping onto the bed to make sure he was falling asleep. Tonight happened to be one of those nights.

For the past month or so, the three of them had been sleeping on a large futon big enough for six people to comfortably sleep on and still have plenty of room to move around. The actual bed everyone slept on required repair, and despite being the captain's wife, Giyuu was well aware that his mother couldn't find any means to come up with the money for it. That being said, he didn't mind sleeping on the floor because as long as he was with his family, that's all that truly matters. The nightmares all go away with them around, and he could have the sweetest and most peaceful dreams with his mother, father, and older sister by his side.

Frowning at Tsutako, Giyuu asks her, "Why do you insist on having Father read to us? Can't you tell that he's tired? Besides, we're too old for bedtime stories, anyway!"

Tsutako was quick to respond with, "Because Giyuu! One of these days, we won't be fortunate enough to have the privilege of our parents reading us bedtime stories. It'll happen sooner than you think!"

Giyuu frowned once more, eyeing the simple vintage gold ring on Tsutako's right ring finger.

He remarked, "You'd make for the perfect snow bride!"

Tsutako grinned. "Well, I am hoping to get married in December three years from now, once I'm twenty!"

Tsutako may be only seventeen years old and recently engaged, but she still adored having her favorite bedtime read to her by her parents. Giyuu said and thought nothing when his parents took turns reading a story about a lone retired warrior who met a runaway snow bride and a talking snow cub. It wasn't until he was in his thirties did he realized not everyone grew up with the fairytale by name of The Lonesome Warrior, Snow Bride, and the Bear Cub Who Loved Fruits. Supposedly, this story is an obscure one that only people in his region knew about since the author of the story was originally from his hometown. Getting married and having children wasn't in the cards for him, but should that ever happen, he hopes he and his future wife, who'd also be the mother of his children, would take turns reading this fairytale to their children every night, whenever they could.

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Just as he was wondering about where Tsutako's old copy of the fairytale book might have been stored, a loud shriek was heard from the living room, which broke him out of his thoughts. Rushing to the living room, he was greeted by the sight of Snow Bride trembling in fear as she attempted to point at Tanbearo Kumado.

Their eyes met.

Still staring into his eyes, Snow Bride asks in a shaky voice, "What's a bear cub doing around these parts?"

"He's with me," was all Giyuu said in answer.

"Don't you know it's illegal to own a pet bear in these parts?"

"Not if you tell anyone."

Her eyes widened after hearing this.

"What?"

She looked at him with disbelief etched all over her face.

It was at this moment did Giyuu realized Snow Bride had opened her eyes, and she had the most striking sort of eyes ever. They were of a dark shade of purple, bug-like, and drooped downwards. Her lashes were short, thin, and straight, lying flat. Her thin black eyebrows were delicate and arched dramatically at him. She wore a nose stud in the design of a simple snowflake.

Her small, thin lips were chapped, and they formed a scowl as she asked, "What do you mean by not if you tell anyone?"

Calmly, he answered her question simply, "It's only illegal if I kept him and you were to report me. It doesn't matter anyway because the bear is just visiting. I don't know where his family is, but he will leave tonight because he only ever stays for a day or two."

If it were even possible, her eyes widened even more so. "This is crazy! You know that, right?"

"I know."

She frowned. "Good!"

Sitting down in front of the sofa where she sat upright, he tells her, "You should take it easy…You're doing okay, right?"

She nodded her head in answer. "I am."

Fighting back a smile, he informed her, "You almost died in a snowstorm, and the first thing you do is complain?"

"So?"

It was at this moment did she gasped at him, then she gaped at him.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Quickly, she answered, "Ugh…yeah, I am! Why?"

"Most people wouldn't be if they were in your shoes."

She raised an eyebrow once more. "Why is that?"

Glancing down at her state of appearance, he answered, "Judging by your outfit and lack of groom…You don't seem to be having a great day."

She faked a laugh. "About that…Yeah, no…It's not been a good day for me at all."

"Let me guess…You're a runaway bride?"

Immediately, she corrected him. "Runaway almost bride."

"What?"

"I can't talk about it… But I was almost a bride, so that makes me a runaway almost bride."

Pointing to her feet, which were covered by multiple blankets, he stated, "You definitely got the shoes for running."

She pulled all of the many layers of blankets away from her body to reveal a pair of bright red running shoes with bright yellow shoelaces. On each shoe, there was a circle containing a bright yellow lightning bolt. Surprisingly, her feet were significantly smaller than he remembered.

"Is he your favorite superhero?"

Snow Bride was quiet for a minute, contemplating his question before answering, "That is an inside joke between my fiancé and me…The Flash is his favorite, but I prefer Daredevil…I couldn't find any Daredevil shoes in my size."

"You'd have to go to the little boys' section to find those kinds of shoes."

As a consequence of saying such a bold statement, he received two kicks from her.

"So rude! I can't believe you'd say that to me! My fiancé would never!"

"You still left him."

"Yeah, because Gyutaro loves fancy schmancy running shoes and pistachio knafeh chocolates more than me!"

"I see."

She grimaced before apologizing, "Sorry for the trauma dumping."

"It's alright."

"You're right!" Looking down at her feet, she said to herself out loud, "It's okay. You know, everything is going to be just fine…In time."

"What's your name, Snow Bride?"

Immediately, she went back to looking up at him. "What did you just call me?"

"I asked for your name."

Frowning, she answered, "Shinobu Kochou-Kanzaki-Tsuyuri."

Giyuu raised an eyebrow. "Your surname is Kochou-Pazooki-Sueyou?"

"No, it's Kochou-Kanzaki-Tsuyuri."

"Wow."

She nodded her head in agreement. "I know."

"Where did that sort of surname come from?"

Wavering, she answers, "My grandmother remarried thrice."

"I see."

Nodding once more, she explained, "Yeah…Ye Old Grandmère Kochou-Kanzaki-Tsuyuri was something else! So…What's your name?"

"Giyuu."

With a small smile, she questions, "Just Giyuu?"

He nodded his head quickly. "Just Giyuu."

"Okay."

He decided to change the subject by pointing to Tanbearo Kumado, who was still on the sofa. "That's Tanbearo Kumado. He's friendly."

"Really?"

"Yes." To prove his point, he went to Tanbearo Kumado and petted him. "See, he doesn't bite."

"You might, though," was what she said before smiling sheepishly, and she attempted to pet Tanbearo Kumado, giggling when she saw how responsive the little bear cub was to her touch. "Aren't you a cutie? It's nice to meet you, Just Tanbearo Kumado." She blew him a kiss, cooing, "What a good boy, yes, you are!" Her curiosity got the best of her when she asked casually, "How old is he, anyway?"

"I think he's about one year old, you?"

Placing her hands on her hips, she went straight to scolding him, "Excuse me? You can't just ask a woman for her age, you know. It's improper. You should be old enough to know better!"

"Right…My apologies for offending you…How about I tell you my age instead? Thirty-four years old. Something tells me you're younger than me."

Smirking, she teased, "For all you know, I could be old enough to be your mother!"

"Are you, though?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm not. I'm thirty-one."

"Minus ten."

"Huh?"

"You look younger than your actual age."

"Thanks." She pointed to the hot pink landline cord phone. "So, um, Just Giyuu, do you think I could borrow your phone?"

"Sure. It doesn't work."

"And, why is that?"

"The landline's currently down, and there's no cell reception here either. With a storm like this? No one is going anywhere tonight."

Shinobu scrunched her nose. "This sucks…But, okay."

She started shivering.

"No change of clothes?"

"Nope."

"Thought so. Most people don't plan on packing a change of clothes before they run away from their own wedding."

Forcing herself to laugh, she admitted, "Yeah, you're right…Today's been one of those…You know, spur-of-the-moment, really weird kind of days."

"It looks that way."

She smiled sheepishly. "Yeah."

"Well. That's that." Eying her up and down, he adds, "I don't think we're exactly the same size, but...It's better than nothing."

He walked over to the dining table, where a set of dark green plaid flannel men's pajamas was draped over one of the chairs. Shinobu groaned, silently mouthing curses. Her hands were on her scalp as she eyed the outfit Giyuu held in his hands. Finally, she got off the sofa.

Holding the pajama set up to present them to her, he said, "Voila. The latest in lady lumberjack couture."

She attempted to walk in the heavy dress. Sighing in relief, she confesses, "I have never been so happy to see flannel."

Happy as she may be to see flannel. She was unhappy to see the disaster she had created with Aoi's wedding lehenga. In the privacy of her bathroom, she allowed herself to take her time to change out of the sullied outfit so that no further damages were made to it.

"I am so dead," she said on repeat.

Eventually, she finished changing. She wondered what to do with Aoi's wedding lehenga along with the Hello Kitty sleepwear she wore underneath it. Would there even be a laundry machine and dryer in this place?

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Walking over to the dining table, Giyuu set down two mugs with steaming hot liquid inside them.

"Is that mango I smell?"

At the sound of her voice, he looked up. From the very first second Shinobu Kochou-Kanzaki-Kochou entered the room, all of time came to a stop. There was no denying that his clothes had her drowning in them, but somehow, it looked quite endearing on her. Adorable would be the right word to describe how she looked right now. Her hair was no longer tied up into the tight bun she had previously, and instead, it was let loose, falling to her shoulders. In one of the breast pockets was the purple and green butterfly hairclip that once held her hair.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he said, "Uh, I hope you like mango green tea."

He handed her one of the mugs, which she graciously and readily accepted.

"Oh, yeah! Anything warm is welcome by me, especially if it's mango-flavored."

Secretly, he wondered if she tasted like mangoes, too. This was a curious thought he would never dare to entertain, though.

Pointing to the open door of the room where she last came from, he explained, "That's the guest room, it's yours for tonight. I'll see to it that we take care of your car in the morning."

Turning to him, she beamed as she said, "Thank you."

For once, she smiled, and it was a genuine one at that. Giyuu rather liked her smile. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but her smile was oddly yet pleasantly comforting.

"Sure."

With her free hand, she gestured to the space, "You, uh, have a lovely home." Looking back at him, she asks, "Is it just you?"

"There's Tanbearo Kumado." Pointing at her, he adds, "And, uh, now you."

"I guess so."

She took a sip of her mango green tea as she walked around, exploring more of the space.

One hand in his pocket, he confessed, "Actually, this is the caretaker's cabin; it's part of a bigger estate. Have you ever heard of the Urokodaki family?"

"Urokodaki family?" Shinobu pondered for a minute before answering, "Yeah, that name sounds familiar."

"Taro Urokodaki was a politician for many years; he changed positions in office a lot."

She snapped her fingers. "Yes! That's right! Of course."

"Actually, this was his retreat."

"But now this is the caretaker's cabin?"

He nods. "That's right." He points to the window. "The estate's a half mile up the road."

Walking over to him, she asks, "So what does that make you?"

"Your caretaker for the evening.

Their mugs clinked against each other.

"Well, all righty." She chuckles. Eying the open polka-dotted file folder on the table, which had typed papers on it, she reads through it, and she asks, "Hey, what's this?"

"Nothing." He closed the folder and pushed it towards him, taking it into his possession.

"Okay?" Chuckling, she says, "Well, nothing looks a whole lot like a scientific paper."

"Good night, Miss Kochou-Kanzaki-Tsuyuri."

That was all Giyuu said before going inside the only bedroom that wasn't the guest bedroom. Quietly, he closed the door.

"Oh. I see how it is."

Now, it was her turn to go inside the guest bedroom. Once she was sure the door was locked properly, she allowed herself to squeal to her heart's desire.

"I can't believe this is happening to me! Take that, Murata!"

Murata would have nothing on her. It's one thing to be a stalker. It's another thing to magically get up close and personal with your latest celebrity subject to report gossip about.

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Friday, December 19, 2025

Unlike last night, it was gently snowing outside. Shinobu was pacing back and forth in the dining area. She took an abrupt stop once the door opened, revealing Tanbearo Kumado, who walked over to her while Giyuu was behind the door, carrying logs of wood in one hand.

"Oh!" Shinobu beamed at Tanbearo Kumado, who hugged her leg. Glancing up at Giyuu, she says, "Good morning, Mister Just Giyuu and Just Tanbearo Kumado."

"Good morning, Miss Snow Bride." Giyuu then walked over to set the chopped logs of wood down.

His words elicited a chuckle from Shinobu, who raised her eyebrow, asking, "Miss Snow Bride?"

"Miss Kochou-Kanzaki-Tsuyuri sounded too formal."

"Yeah, I don't think I like having someone three years my senior be all formal with me, Mister Just Giyuu."

"I checked your car."

Giyuu handed Shinobu her smartphone, which was easy to spot with the pastel purple phone case that had glittering dark purple butterflies on it.

"Oh, thank you!"

"Good job with that."

He began to strip himself of his outerwear, with his coat being the first to go.

"Good job with what?"

He hung up his coat before saying, "Your car. It's not going anywhere. At least not until we get a tow truck up here."

Doubting him, she asks, "And how will we do that with no working phone?"

Over his coat, he hung up his scarf. "Um, I'm due up at the estate house. I can call from there."

Shinobu nodded her head in understanding. "I see."

"Are you hungry?"

She chuckled lightly. "A little bit."

"I'll see what I can scrape up."

Unfortunately, the fridge was basically empty. There were only very few items in the top freezer compartment.

Pulling out the only items in the fridge to showcase to Shinobu, Giyuu asks, "Hash browns and vegetable dumplings. Yes or no?"

Shinobu nods her head. "Sure."

"Good."

As he started cooking the frozen meals, he turned to her to ask, "What is it you do, exactly?"

Forcing a smile, she answered, "I'm...in flux."

"Yeah, especially after what happened yesterday."

"Huh? Oh, right, that!"

"How are you doing...With that?"

"It's like I feel nothing."

"I almost had a fiancée once. So, I know what you're going through."

"What happened?"

He whispered, "She was not what she appeared to be."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she whispered back.

There was a knock on the door, then another, and another.

"Uh...I should get that."

"I'll hide then."

Upon opening the door, an older man quickly rushed inside, his brown eyes scanning the room. "Oh. Oh." After blowing his hands for warmth, he then turned to Giyuu, saying, "Giyuukins, I appreciate that this super secret project of yours requires absolute solitude."

"It does."

Walking over to the landline, he says to Giyuu, "But I do wish for the landline to be reactivated." He picked up the phone as if there was something to be heard on the other line. He placed it to his ear for a dramatic effect before putting it back.

"Phones are a distraction," Giyuu stated.

The older man argued in return, "Phones allow communications over great distances." Pointing to himself, he adds, "It's much easier on men of a certain age who have to walk through the cold to relay an otherwise very...," he sighed dramatically before continuing, "very simple message."

He raised an eyebrow at the two mugs on the dining table.

Sighing, Giyuu apologized, "Sorry, Uncle Goto, but the quiet was helpful."

Clapping his hands together, Uncle Goto says, "Good. Now, your mother would like to know when you're going to be joining her and your brother for brunch."

"Is Sabito here?"

Uncle Goto answered, "He's on his way."

"Okay...I'll be up within the hour."

"Good. Oh, uh... There's an extra razor in the bathroom cabinet." He tapped on both of Giyuu's shoulders before opening the door.

"Thanks, Uncle Goto."

The door was already closed, and Uncle Goto had left long before he could hear Giyuu's thanks. Once the coast was cleared, Shinobu walked to the dining area, waiting for Giyuu to notice her. Giyuu did, in fact, notice her the second he turned around and his eyes met hers. He leaned back against the front door upon realizing Shinobu had caught him.

"Methinks Mister Just Giyuu is not the caretaker. Also, Giyuukins? That's a first!"

He nods in head in confirmation. "Technically, that would be Uncle Goto, who just left. Sometimes I borrow his place. Though, technically…It belongs to my family."

She walked over to the front door. "So, technically, that makes you…Who exactly?"

"Giyuu Tomioka, the adoptive son of the late Taro Urokodaki."

She whistled before exclaiming, "Wow!"

Walking over to her, he apologized, "Look, I'm sorry about misleading you." Gazing into her eyes, he confessed, "It was just nice being Just Giyuu for a while."

A small smile graced its way to Shinobu's face, but it didn't last long because the sound of the smoke alarm beeping ruined the moment. Shinobu gasped while Giyuu sighed.

Both of them rushed to the kitchen, where their breakfast was badly burnt.

"Well, so much for hash browns and vegetable dumplings."

Laughing, Shinobu says, "It's okay. I'm fine."

"If it were up to me, we'd be having salmon daikon and Earl Grey chiffon cake for breakfast."

Shinobu raised an eyebrow upon hearing Giyuu's choice of breakfast items. "Salmon daikon, really? What are you, my grandfather?"

"Which one?"

"Huh?"

"Didn't your grandmother marry thrice?"

"Yes, but that was my father's mother…My mother's mother only married one man; he was her one and only…Her first and her last love…He also happened to like his salmon daikon to be extra spicy and garlicky."

"You know what, you'll come up to the house with me. We'll get you fed, and I'll call the tow truck."

"I'd like that a lot."

As much as Shinobu enjoyed spending time alone with Giyuu Tomioka, she had yet to find any information about the rest of his family. It wouldn't hurt if she snooped around inside their private estate, right?

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All around a lavishly decorated, gigantic wooden cabin, birds chirped merrily. It was snowing gently outside.

Opening the door, Giyuu called out, "Mommykins? Uncle Goto?" Walking around the space, he called out once more, "Hello!" Turning to Shinobu, he told her, "You know what, wait here while I go find them."

"Okay."

As Shinobu watched Giyuu leave the room, she thought of Tanbearo Kumado. If only he didn't have to leave so soon. She could've used having another familiar being by her side in this unfamiliar place. Since Giyuu left her alone, she took the time to look around, marveling at the grandeur of his home for the time being. She couldn't fathom being able to afford to live in such a place as this.

From further in the house, she could still hear Giyuu's voice as he called out, "Anybody?"

Finally, she left the front entrance and walked to the living room area, where, underneath the mounted large flatscreen television, she found several picture frames on top of a wooden sideboard. She picked up a picture frame that held a photograph of three people: Giyuu Tomioka in the middle, Sabito Hotachi in the right, and a vaguely familiar-looking older woman on the left.

Behind her, a feminine voice asked, "Excuse me, Miss."

Shinobu turned around to find the same woman in the photograph standing directly in front of her.

Shinobu was quick to place the picture frame back where it was originally before saying, "Uh...hi?"

"May I help you?"

Upon closer inspection, Shinobu realized just who exactly the woman standing in front of her was. She recognized that coiferre anywhere. Nobody else had their hair purposefully stylized as she did. The older woman had her hair in a voluminous, soft bouffant with a bun on top. There was a golden haircomb in the middle of the puffed-up front with several other sorts of hair sticks and hairpins on the left and right of the comb. Of course, there was not a single loose tendril on her face whatsoever. Her makeup was minimal. Only kohl lined her bronze-colored eyes, and red lipstick painted her small, delicate lips. Naturally, her eyebrows were small and delicate, too.

With widened eyes, Shinobu stated, "You're Koinatsu Urokodaki."

With a smile, Koinatsu Urokodaki acknowledged, "Yes, I am." Walking over to Shinobu, she asks, "Do you have something for me?"

"Have something?"

"A package for me, perhaps? Because all packages go through Goto."

Shinobu quickly shook her head no. "Oh, no, I…," she forces herself to chuckle as she thinks about what to say to explain why she is here. "Uh, right, Goto…I saw him sort of—"

Koinatsu raised an eyebrow at this. "Did Goto just leave you here? How unlike him."

"Mommykins!"

Walking down the stairs came Giyuu. Shinobu sighed in relief at the sight of him. At least she was free from explaining herself for now.

A grin broke out on Koinatsu's face as she called out, "Giyuu, my sweet boy!"

"Hey."

Immediately, Koinatsu rushed to pull her son into a warm and tight embrace, not caring if they weren't alone.

"Well, it's about time you came up from that lonely little cabin."

Finally, they pulled apart from their hug, and Koinatsu was quick to kiss both of his cheeks.

Giyuu smiled sheepishly, "Well—"

"And you shaved!" With her hands on both of his cheeks, she teased, "You don't look like a caveman anymore."

Shinobu smirked, hearing this. So what if he didn't shave? The stubble he had on him was rather sexy in her humble opinion. Though she wasn't into cavemen.

"Mommykins, don't embarrass me like that."

"Oh, of course I will! Speaking of embarrassment, your brother and his mystery guest will be here any minute."

Giyuu raised an eyebrow. "His mystery guest?"

"Yes, Sabito just called this morning and said that he's bringing a guest, and that we would be surprised."

Giyuu frowned. Before he could say anything, someone else spoke up for him instead.

Behind Shinobu was none other than Uncle Goto, who faked a cough before announcing, "Sabito and his guest have just pulled up."

With a teasing smile, Giyuu asks, "Is she a model or an actress? Maybe both?"

Koinatsu chuckled after hearing this.

Uncle Goto rolled his eyes before saying, "Giyuu, I, um, I think you—"

Uncle Goto did not have to say anymore because the front door opened and out came an excited speaker who declared, "Well, it looks like Christmas week can finally begin!"

From the front door came the very handsome and excited Sabito Hotachi, who brought a rolling suitcase inside. He was wearing a pair of red heart-shaped sunglasses.

Koinatsu walked up the stairs to greet her other son. "Sabito, my honey!"

Taking out his sunglasses, Sabito called out, "Mommykins."

He opened his arms for a hug, which Koinatsu readily accepted.

"Merry Christmas!"

"Oh, it's so great to see you." He broke out the hug to take a proper good look at his mother. "You look great. Look at you."

Koinatsu beamed. "Thank you."

Faking a fake posh aristocratic accent reminiscent of those old-school romantic period dramas bored housewives enjoyed watching, Sabito was quick to greet Uncle Goto. "Oh, Uncle Goto, how are you, my good sir? Good to see you."

Uncle Goto only nodded his head in acknowledgment to Sabito. Sabito then walked towards Giyuu, the two of them handshaking one another before embracing each other.

Slapping Sabito's back, Giyuu asks, "You good?"

"Good." Placing both of his hands on Giyuu's shoulders, Sabito said in a serious tone, "Giyuu, look…Um, I tried to call you. I wanted to talk to you, but, um, well, your phone was turned off."

Smiling, Giyuu asks, "Tell me what?"

The door opened, and Shinobu couldn't help but gasp at the sight of the new addition to the party. Still holding the door was none other than the young woman Shinobu had seen by Giyuu's side in old photos from last year and two years before that. Shinobu had to hand it to the other woman; she certainly was a beauty. Her strawberry blonde hair was tied into a simple put chic updo. Her minimal makeup was classy, not trashy. Her obvious eyelash extensions framed her pale blue eyes perfectly. Even her outfit was well-put together, and Shinobu knew that the little silk scarf tied around her neck probably cost more than what Shinobu made in a week. Eying the designer purse in the other woman's arm, Shinobu knew for a fact that the purse cost more than the average monthly salary of a journalist in the city.

Forcing a sweet smile, the other woman said, "Hi, Giyuu."

She closed the door, allowing Sabito to walk towards her. Nobody saw the frown on Koinatsu's face.

Quickly, Koinatsu put on a friendly smile as she said, "Masako Ubuyashiki, what a surprise to see you here again."

Masako nodded her head in agreement, fake smiling once more. "Always a pleasure, Auntie Koinatsu."

"How about you call me Madam Urokodaki instead?" Turning to Sabito, Koinatsu folded her arms across her chest as she asked, "I would like to know how this arrangement happened."

Sabito was quick to answer. "Uh, well, we…Um, we bumped into each other over Halloween."

Giyuu asked, "Halloween?"

Sabito nodded his head in answer. "Yeah, well, uh…Well, um, I was overseas for a conference…And, it was at Shoto Todoroki's Halloween party that he hosted with Izuku Midoriya, that I ran into her and, well—"

Masako was quick to interrupt Sabito to say, "Well, what Sabito is trying to say is that we're together."

Koinatsu couldn't help but question, "Together?"

"Yes, we're together. For obvious reasons, we wanted to wait and see where it develops before we told anyone. But I think…I think now we know."

Koinatsu sighed while Giyuu stayed silent. Meanwhile, Shinobu was having a field day with the sudden turn of events. She just couldn't wait until she could get her hands on an electronic device to type out all of this newfound information she had uncovered only seconds ago.

The last time she discovered the juiciest of celebrity gossip in real time was when she caught the Hyuuga heiress of the Hyuuga Conglomerate, Hinata Hyuuga, alone, having dinner with none other than her childhood best friend and commoner-born firefighter, Kiba Inuzuka. Of course, there was that one time she managed to stalk Princess Noelle Silva of the Kingdom of Clover at an abandoned bookstore with her bodyguards, Yuno and Asta. This secret hangout had people speculating which of her bodyguards she was dating. Shinobu was all for Noelle x Yuno, but Noelle ended up marrying Asta instead. Nobody would need to know that Shinobu was disappointed at the announcement of Noelle and Asta's marriage. Nobody needed to know that she actually wrote Noelle x Yuno fanfiction because she was a sucker for princess x knight romances. Nobody needed to know that she engaged in online social media warfare with the Noelle x Asta supporters. Of course, how could she forget about the time that she managed to chase after Lucy Heartfilia? Shinobu had stolen Murata's motorcycle to chase after Lucy Heartfilia, who had the infamous martial artist Natsu Dragneel in the back of her car, a victim who suffered from severe motion sickness. Shinobu got a promotion for being the first tabloid reporter to get the scoop on what's happening between bestselling bookseller Lucy Heartfilia and martial artist Natsu Dragneel. She really ought to give herself more credit. Newcomer Murata had nothing on her.

Sabito bit his lip before saying, "Um...Giyuu, listen, I, uh...," he stopped abruptly the second he noticed Shinobu. Pointing at Shinobu, he asked, "Who are you?"

Now, everyone turned to look at Shinobu.

Koinatsu spoke up, "Oh, yes, um, who are you? You never did say."

Forcing herself to laugh and smile, Shinobu answered, "Shinobu. Shinobu Kochou-Kanzaki-Tsuyuri." She cleared her throat before continuing, "And I am a—"

"My date for the weekend," Giyuu declared, finishing the sentence for her.

Now, all eyes were on Giyuu. Everyone else, especially Shinobu, was curious as to how and when Giyuu suddenly found someone to bring over to his family for the winter holiday season.

Again, Shinobu laughed and smiled. Internally, she was freaking out. Why did he have to say that? Things were already messy as it was. Must she have to get caught up in his family affairs, too? On the bright side, she could write that Masako Ubuyashiki was one hundred percent not a naturally strawberry blonde bombshell beauty as she claimed she was. Now, the only other supposedly natural strawberry blondes that Shinobu had to track down were makeup artist Rangiku Matsumoto, the Hitachiin twins, which consisted of Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin, and lastly, there was video gamer Asuna Yuuki.

 At the very least, Shinobu could enjoy the fine comforts of the Urokodaki's private estate for as long as she possibly can, as obviously, her stay has been extended.

.

.

.

In Giyuu's bedroom, Shinobu was pacing back and forth. Eventually, she came to a stop, and she decided it was high time to confront Giyuu on this newfound revelation that they were romantically involved with one another.

"What? What have you done?" She sighed in exasperation.

Giyuu answered honestly, "It was impulsive. I'm not impulsive. I am the opposite of impulsive."

Frowning, Shinobu points out, "Sure…But your brother brought home your ex-fiancée for Christmas without telling you first. So, I say he beats you first at being impulsive."

"I'm sorry. I will explain why you can't stay."

Upon hearing this, Shinobu pulled him over to her. "Wait, no. No!"

"Why?"

"We're not letting them get away with this!"

"We?" Giyuu points at himself and then to Shinobu.

Shinobu nods her head in confirmation, "Yes, we. You saved my life. Helping you save face is the least I can do."

Giyuu frowned, shaking his head no. "We can't pull this off. Besides, you have a fiancé."

Shinobu whispers, "Ex-fiance. I can't talk about it." All of a sudden, she grinned as she said, "But I can talk about helping a fellow broken heart." She chuckled after saying that.

"I wouldn't go that far."

Shinobu rolled her eyes. "Okay, we are a new romance. We just need to work out the basics."

"The basics?"

Shinobu nods her head. "Basics." She pondered for a minute before saying, "I'm the middle child of three sisters. I don't live on my own; I live with my parents, but for the time being, I'm living with my aunt and uncle and their twin sons, who are a handful, by the way! I graduated from Kimetsu University with a bachelor's degree in medical journalism, plus a minor in culinary arts. I'm also a Pisces."

"I don't know what that last sentence means."

"I was born on February 24. When were you born?"

"February 8."

Shinobu's eyes widened after this. "Hey, we're both February-born people! You're an Aquarius, right?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm…They say that neighboring zodiac signs don't always work out as a couple…We can ignore that advice, though!"

"I don't even know much about horoscopes to begin with."

Shinobu waved him off. "That's fine! What's your favorite food?"

"Salmon daikon."

She rolled her eyes, groaning her complaints. "Come on, Grandpère, can't you find another favorite food to have? You might have the body of a thirty-four-year-old man, but you act like you're forty years older than what you actually are!"

"Earl Grey chiffon cake?"

"That's good, but I prefer rose roshomalai instead!"

"I like that, too."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Good because rose roshomalai rocks!"

With that, they high-fived one another. Of course, Shinobu's small, dainty hands were soft to the touch, and they smelled sweet, like ripe mangos, too. Giyuu totally did not become hyperaware of her just now.

Forcing a cough, Giyuu asks, "Okay, where, um, where did we meet?"

"At the parking lot of Sanji's six-starred restaurant, Savoring Sanji!" Noticing that Giyuu raised an eyebrow at her, she shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "What? I was never able to afford to eat there, and besides, it's so hard to get a reservation over there! I know Sanji's a big fat flirt, but it's not enough being as beautiful as I am to get free food!"

"Okay...Your car broke down over there, and I came to the rescue."

Shinobu said cheerfully, "Aww, that truly was so nice of you to do! I like that story! Great job at coming up with a good love story!"

"Oh, thanks. Allergies?"

"None. You?"

"Just younger brothers."

Shinobu giggled. "Oh, yeah, me too! My younger cousins, Yuichiro and Muichirou, are fourteen, and I swear, they're double trouble! I don't think there are any orphanages in the region for me to send them off to."

"Sabito's an adult, so I doubt they'd take him."

The two of them chuckled at this.

"Where'd you go to school?"

"I studied abroad. My parents sent me to boarding school for middle school and high school."

Shinobu scrunched her nose, rolling her eyes. "Of course you did! Did you play any sports?"

"I was captain of the badminton team."

"You're ridiculous. Badminton? That's such a lame sport!"

"I also played soccer. I still have a scar on my left shin from playing soccer. You can thank Megumi Fushiguro for that."

She whistled before saying, "I hope you got it disinfected. Also, did you say Megumi Fushiguro as in the international soccer superstar Megumi Fushiguro, who's happily married to his high school sweetheart, Yuuji Itadori, the world-famous runner?"

"They weren't famous when I met them. Back then, they were middle schoolers who wanted to play soccer with my team and me."

"And one more thing."

"What?"

Instead of telling him, she decided to show him. Grabbing his cheeks, she pulled him closer to her as she stood on her toes to plant a kiss on his chin.

Breaking apart from the kiss, she explains, "Fake dating at Christmas means chances are we'll find ourselves under mistletoe at some point…And if that was our first kiss, people would know. Luckily, we don't have to go for the lips since chin kisses are still enough, actually, they're guaranteed to make your ex-fiancée jealous and regretful! " She slapped both of his shoulders. "Now we're set."

Before Shinobu could run away from him, Giyuu told her, "I just want to go on record that I'm a much better kisser when I'm not ambushed."

Even though Shinobu couldn't see him, he knew she heard him because he could hear her giggles in the distance. Touching the part of his chin where she kissed him, he sniffed his fingers. Of course, the lip balm she wore was mango-scented. By accident, he had his fingers on his lips. Licking his lips, he was able to taste a faint hint of mango flavoring from her lip balm. He was right. She did, in fact, taste like mangos. His snow bride would be the death of him.

Thank goodness Granddaddy Sakonji Urokodaki wasn't present because otherwise, Giyuu, Shinobi, Sabito, and Masako would have to explain themselves to the old man. Giyuu groaned when he realized he hadn't prepared Shinobu to face the dragon: Grandaddy Sakonji. How could he forget about such an important detail?

To be continued…