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Christmas. Its etymology, quite simply, stems from the words “Christ” and “mass” — a holiday, or mass, to celebrate Christ. The holiday is associated with snow and the winter season, but with the way the Earth turns, some Christmases end up in the summer on the other side of the world. There are different ways to celebrate such a holiday. Some go caroling with an assortment of Christmas songs, some deck the halls with boughs of holly, some set up trees big and small, some just hang up colorful lights and call it a day. Celebrations across cultures was something to be mindful of.
There’s a certain cheer and rejoicing that happens around the holiday itself, a certain aura that makes everyone consider the loved ones in their lives, full of cheer and smiles as gifts are exchanged and celebrations are prepared. No matter what, the word “Christmas” almost always invokes a warm feeling, something as sweet as hot chocolate in gloved hands. Nothing seems to go bad. It’s an extravagant time.
He’s experienced a multitude of Christmases — eighteen to be exact, though each one is not like the one before, each one with different memories held close to his heart. There’s memories of snow, ribbons, gift wrap, tinsel, berries that he can’t quite eat, even though he wants to try it, at least. There were variations in the way his scenery was decorated, from wreaths and tinsel to snow angels in the front lawn from when he landed in it. There’s also the occasional snowman he’d assemble that he’d fondly name Frosty. There’s memories of what gifts he received, and he appreciates them all, from a toy piano to the latest Cocona merchandise he’d been yearning for. And there is, of course, memories of who he spent Christmas with, the people that made it shine as brightly as the star on top of a Christmas tree.
A big occasion such as Christmas brought multitudes of people to his house bearing him gifts — a bit like Jesus Christ himself, except it didn’t consist of precious metals. Instead, they were most often greetings, wishing him a fulfilling life, sometimes candy, sometimes a simple toy, but hope nonetheless. He’s grateful for those wishes — right now, he thinks he’s attained the life they kept wishing for him. His nineteenth is his first with IDOLiSH7, and the prospect of new memories makes him hum in excitement.
He’s only ever seen Japanese Christmases through the lens of his anime and what he’s managed to gather from research to a simple word passed through the mouths of others that he’d just so happened to hear. This type of Christmas is a first as well, one where he spends it not as Nagi of Northmare, but as Nagi of IDOLiSH7. It’s surely a new experience alike for all newly-debuted idols, but it’s especially something new for him. He’s done work involving the winter holiday as part of his idol activities, but this Christmas celebration will be spent with just his members and company on his off time. Right now, he’s just Nagi Valhart von...just Nagi.
Nagi’s reminded of the presents he bought for the members — matching sweaters adorned with the face of his most precious shining diamond, Cocona. He’s already thinking of next year when they’ll be able to wear it, when they’ll surely wear it for group pictures, right?
IDOLiSH7 will be around next Christmas too, right?
There was a book he read in the past as a child in a language he had been learning at the time. Back then, the words were nothing but playful and whimsical to him, a story of a young prince who treads through space and meets different types of people before eventually landing on earth, befriending a fox and meeting the aviator before going back to his planet to reunite with his rose.
He was a prince, but IDOLiSH7 had made him feel like the fox. Si tu m’apprivoises, ma vie sera come ensoleillée — “if you tame me, my life will be bathed in sunlight.”
They’d given him sunlight. Will it remain until next winter, too? He doesn’t want it — doesn’t want them, doesn’t want the members — to drift away.
At the very least, it doesn’t seem as if they’ll drift away in the next hour or so, considering that they were holding a Christmas party together. Preparations were under way, and Yamato, Mitsuki, and Nagi had to pitch in their own efforts for the get-together. He doesn’t mind, of course — anything that makes the party more enjoyable is something he’s willing to provide for. (And Tsumugi’s bright smile...he definitely wants to see it tonight.)
The trio had been tasked with getting food for the event, and Nagi had learned quite recently that a certain fried chicken chain had an unbelievable popularity when it became Christmas time. Iori had saved up money in advance for this, even going as far as to obtain a jar to put the money in, but over time, the funds seemed to diminish.
And it seemed as if the members had gotten something new. Riku had gotten snacks from the vending machine — pretty normal, albeit a bit more frequently than before. Tamaki had gotten more pudding — also normal, but where did he get the sudden income for a good thirty of them? Yamato had gotten a new case of beer — he had nothing to say about that, but it was after a considerable and noticeable chunk had been taken out of the jar.
(And Nagi? He got a teeny, tiny bit. Enough to try his luck in the latest Cocona gacha toy machines. He got three of the twelve that he wanted.)
Even so, Iori had eventually taken notice, sighing as he held up the near-empty jar. “There’s still enough for chicken,” he said, “but not a lot. What are we going to do…?”
(Secretly wrapped in the Cocona sweater he had gotten him, Nagi had gotten Iori a jar with a passcode lock on the lid. With this in place for next year, there’ll be no sneaky hands going into the jar, and there’ll be enough money for the fried chicken.)
Next year — ?
“Looks like we’re going to have to wait,” Yamato says, snapping Nagi out of the trance he was in. To be honest, he hadn’t even realized that they’d gotten to the store. “That line looks like it stretches for a mile.”
The fried chicken they were to obtain was pre-ordered by Iori beforehand. That’s to be expected of him, and Nagi’s coming to terms more and more about the importance of fried chicken during the holidays, seeing as the line was just like what Yamato had described it. This store had a line looping around the building, and Iori had said this was the closest branch. This specific fried chicken franchise was pretty important, huh.
The festivities and the snow a few moments before reaching their destination had sent him to a planet not of this world for just a little bit. If he went by the book, who would he see on that planet? A king? A rose? An aviator? A prince like himself?
Right, the chicken.
“Let’s walk fast once we get the chicken,” Mitsuki chimes in, practically skipping to the end of the line. He finds his place behind the last person, huffing as IDOLiSH7 awaits their promised food. “It’s cold! We have to keep them warm so that the others can enjoy it at its best.”
“But of course, we can keep it in top condition with the warmth of our friendship, right~? Like a campfire?” Nagi gives the smaller one an enthusiastic thumbs up, adding in one of his sparkling smiles. Mitsuki raises an eyebrow.
“…Are you okay, Nagi?”
“What? Ce n’est pas vrai?”
“I…” Yamato shakes his head, shoving his hands in the pockets of his large coat. It really was cold. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
“It’s good — ‘it’s true, isn’t it?’” Nagi tilts his head with his mouth stretching into a now playful grin. It’s not like his broad mother tongue had confused the trio before, much less the others, but even the words he says in Japanese can be riddling. “Our friendship is hotter than day!”
“That’s quite the comparison, but if that makes you happy, then it sure is.” Mitsuki adjusts the scarf he has on, and so does Yamato. Unconsciously (perhaps consciously, so as not to be the odd one out), Nagi does the same, and he stares at the snow that’s piled up near his feet, the crunch a familiar sound to that back home.
From home to where he is now. He wouldn’t change that journey for a single thing, and he hopes the future doesn’t change, either. Be it the cold of winter or the daunting summer heat, time spent with them, with his members, was absolutely priceless. It was better than any gift he could ever receive.
“It’d make me happy if it could stay like this,” Nagi says into his own scarf, thinking that the words would be muffled enough through the cloth.
“The line? No thank you. I’d like the get the chicken as quickly as possible.” Yamato busies himself with counting the money now, making sure they had the correct amount — that they had enough, what with their fried chicken fund jar crimes.
(And even so, of course they would have enough money, because Iori made sure to get the bang for their buck with a bunch of deals and special offers.)
“I mean — it’d be nice if we could keep celebrating like this. If we could just be together for a long time.”
The two older boys turn to Nagi, whose face turns a red to match his scarf. He didn’t mean to blurt it out so suddenly — he didn’t mean to blurt it out at all. It was a thought meant for just Nagi Rokuya, but it seems as if his mouth had conspired with his thoughts to have those private ideations brought out.
Funny how these words just roll off his tongue.
The sun is setting in the distance, getting ready to coat the world into the gentle night. (The prince watched the sun set for forty-four days — right now, was he looking at it as sadly as in the book?) Space prepares the stars and the moon and everything in between, and as they shuffle forward, Nagi can’t help but try to lighten the mood just a bit, seeing how stiff the other two had become, and he flails his arms a bit in response. It’s his own doing, anyway, and he doesn’t want to cause them some sort of worry through his silence.
“Celebrations are usually a pretty nice time, that’s all!” He lifts his head, nodding quite vigorously. “Parties, all of that! Of course, someone like me enjoys such a thing. It’s an exciting environment, and there’s always something to look forward to!”
“What are you — of course there’ll be more stuff in the future.” Nagi blinks at Yamato’s words, hands paused in the middle of his frantic gesturing. “Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with us. We’ll definitely be celebrating more Christmases — I’ll make sure of it. Don’t think we’ll be gone so easily. We’re a bunch of fools that don’t know how to give up, and you’re obviously a part of it.”
“Yeah — don’t worry! IDOLiSH7 wouldn’t be the same without you.” Mitsuki adds this with a huff, giving the blonde a reassuring smile. “We’ll run to you without hesitation every Christmas season. That’s a promise!”
“Or you could just come with us,” Yamato interjects, looking a bit hesitant at the idea. “Running’s a bit…”
“Ah…” Nagi breathes a sigh of relief, and his smile this time around is genuine. Real. The smile one gets from the joy of Christmas season — from joy found in any season, really. This was an irreplaceable, special type of happiness.
It was a passing statement, but for the other two to reassure him was definitely the “warmth” he was talking about earlier. It was refreshing. He was thankful for their words, grateful that they were looking out for him. His heart tells him that he’s found the stars that would remind him of something warm and absolutely remarkable, like how the aviator looks up at the stars and was reminded of the little prince’s unforgettable laugh.
Again, he makes a memory under the name of Christmas, another one to keep close to his heart. It’s just as unforgettable.
IDOLiSH7 will celebrate his nineteenth Christmas, and the ones after that. He’ll really get to see them in the Cocona sweaters! He can see it forever if he takes a picture. He’ll get to enjoy a nice time with the members with the food the trio’s tasked to obtain and whatever else happens in the future winter seasons. He’ll be with them even with the passage of time.
On ne voit bien qu’avec le coeur; l’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux — “We can only see well with the heart; what is essential is invisible to the eyes.”
That was what the fox had told the little prince. The little prince had been tamed by the fox — by IDOLiSH7. That much is enough for him to give the biggest smile of the night, though once they get back to the others and get their party underway, it might be contested. They were such simple words, nothing lengthy like in the anime he would watch, but they were the most important words for him to hear. He knows that they care. He hopes they can see that he cares for them back. He’ll do what it takes to show that.
With those words, he can see into their hearts. He had arrived safely there.
“Thank you, thank you! We truly have a ‘warmth’ in our friendship. It’s wonderful! Please always be my friend~”
“Hey, let’s keep the line going,” the person behind them says, and the three shuffle forward. They reach the register a few minutes (read: a good thirty minutes in the winter cold, but nothing that the “warmth” of their unit couldn’t handle) after that, and they’re quick to give the name on reserve for their order. The cashier produces the buckets of fried chicken that had been ordered for the party, and the trio quickly make their way back to the rest of their members.
Their fried chicken comes back safely to the others, and when Nagi bites into it once the party’s started, it warms his whole body. He sees why this fried chicken tradition is important for such a cold season. Maybe they can take a picture with drumsticks in their Cocona sweaters if they have the time.
This warmth — what’s that phrase? Ah, that’s right.
La vie en rose. A rose-colored life.
With IDOLiSH7, he can surely have his own la vie en rose.
(It’s as bright as Cocona.)