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"Atsuta..." Mizuki interrupted Juuru's scribbling in the sketchbook at his desk. As he looked back up, she couldn't help but smile. "Juuru..." she had just started to call each other by their given names, and she wasn't quite used to it.
"What's up, Mizuki?" Juuru asked.
"You are still planning to have Christmas Eve dinner with me, right? You did promise."
"Of course. I can't wait," Juuru declared before looking back down at his current sketch.
Mizuki put her hand on the sketchbook, pushing it back on the table. "Listen, then! You can't just be messing around. You have some studying to catch up on, don't you? And I do, too! Let's stay and work together then."
"Alright," Juuru agreed with a nod.
That afternoon, they sat together in silence in the school library, books in front of them. They were able to get into them for a while before being interrupted by some ruckus outside. "What's with that," Mizuki muttered, getting up to yell at them to shut up.
"Oh! What's that?" Juuru had followed her, and went past her to see their classmates carrying various glittery objects.
One of the girls frowned, holding up some fraying blue garland. "Someone gave us things to decorate the club room for Christmas... But it's all a bunch of old junk," she said.
"Let me see, let me see!" Juuru looked into the box and at the broken items in his classmates' hands. "Kira-making!" he declared with a grin. "Hey, let us help with this! Please, won't you?"
"Us?" Mizuki repeated.
"It'll be fun," Juuru said.
"If Atsuta-senpai has an idea, that would be great," another person gushed.
"But we have to study," Mizuki said.
"Don't worry, Kaki- Mizuki, you're smart. I know you'll do well on any tests!" Juuru said.
Though she wanted to protest more, Mizuki was soon distracted by the members of the club showing her the various well worn Christmas decorations. When they got to the club room, Juuru used garland and other glittery broken decorations to fashion a Christmas tree on the back of an old poster board. The club members liked it, then started to make their own projects, offering Mizuki supplies to try for herself. It looked just a little fun, so she did. But could they stay caught up enough to really relax? Good grades weren't just a matter of just being smart, after all.
✨
Come Christmas Eve, Mizuki had managed to study to her satisfaction in between taking too much time considering what outfit looked best. The dress looked nice, but at the same time, nothing like she typically wore. How would Juuru react?
As she thought of him, about to step out the door, his name appeared on her phone screen. "Yeah?" Mizuki answered.
"I'm sorry!" Juuru's voice rang out. "Mizuki, I'm going to be late. I missed my stop... Someone showed me their Kiramager art... It gave me my own ideas, and I forgot where I was going. It'll just take me a while to double back."
"Oh. Okay," Mizuki said. What else was there to say?
"I'll be there in just a little bit," Juuru promised.
"Got it." Mizuki hung up, frowning. He'd better hurry up. This was really annoying, but shouldn't spoil their whole day.
✨
"Mizuki!" Juuru called from a small distance away, running to their designated meeting spot at a bench by a local park.
"Finally you got here," Mizuki said, turning away. She didn't want to sulk too long, and looked back Juuru's way as he approached. "I've been-" she began, then stopped as she saw the box in his hand. Did he bring a present? She hadn't been expecting that, and hadn't brought one herself. Before she could think about it too long, she noticed the familiar woman next to him.
"This is... Well, you remember her," Juuru said.
"Of course," Mizuki said. It was the famous doctor he battled with in Kiramager. "Good to see you again," she greeted politely, though she had trouble hiding her irritation. Why did it have to be tonight they ran into her?
"You as well," Dr. Oharu replied. "Now, I'm sure you have other things to do together, and if I could get my cake box back-" she began.
At least the doctor got it, though Juuru certainly didn't. "Oh, no, no, I promised I'd help," he said, walking forward with the box in hand, followed by both Mizuki and Dr. Oharu. "Look," he said, opening the box as they walked. "It was a chocolate one, but-"
"Now it just looks like a big pile of crap," Mizuki observed as she peeked in the box then glanced to Dr. Oharu as she realized what she'd said. "Um, you dropped it, right? It happens," she added.
"Oh, well." Juuru smiled widely. "I saw it and got a great idea."
"Kira-making, he said," Dr. Oharu informed. "You know how it goes."
Juuru went into a convenience store, buying two packages of red candy. Outside, they found a spot to place the box, and Juuru opened it, starting to place the smaller red candies around the edge of the mussed frosting of the cake. "Oh, I see," Dr. Oharu began. "It's not professional, but I see how it'll look much better. She and then even Mizuki joined in, decorating the cake with a variety of patterns until it looked somewhat appetizing, though still rough.
"Thank you very much. Merry Christmas!" Dr. Oharu saw them off with a smile.
Mizuki grabbed onto Juuru's arm. So much had gotten in the way of their date, but now, at last, they could be alone.
✨
When they arrived at the restaurant, their reservation had expired. "I'm very sorry we can no longer accommodate," one of the employees said.
"Fine," Mizuki said before walking off. What else could go wrong? Her vision of enjoying a fancy meal with Juuru, sitting across from each other in a warm, relaxed, refined atmosphere wasn't going to happen.
"I'm sorry," Juuru said as he followed her. "I should have paid more attention to the time. Kira-making got hold of me."
"Can you get kira-making us some food?" Mizuki said. She'd been nervous and not eaten much that whole day. Tonight there might not be many openings.
"Look! No one's over getting any takoyaki!" Juuru pointed.
"It's something," Mizuki muttered as her boyfriend ran ahead.
"Kira-making!" Juuru shouted before she completely caught up. Mizuki sighed. What now? She dragged her feet to catch up with him.
Juuru spoke with the man running the stand as he nodded. Juuru reached his hand over, apparently adding something to the food with permission. He held out the box in front of her as she made it over. "Here!"
It was covered in the typical topping, but in a pattern that resembled a sparkling Christmas tree. "Hmph." Mizuki smirked. It might not be the meal she expected, but she couldn't hate it.
✨
"What now?" Mizuki frowned as she saw the snow falling, while they were still a few blocks away from the station. "Ugh."
"It's sparkling!" Juuru declared. Perhaps it was, very briefly, in the streetlight. Mizuki couldn't bring herself to try and see or care, brushing the snow from her hair. "Wait, wait," Juuru stopped her. "Kira-making! Just stand, right there."
Mizuki did so, scowling as Juuru stepped backward, only briefly checking to make sure he wasn't running into anyone. He then stared at her cold, sorry self as more and more snow piled on, seeming somewhat transfixed. Eventually, he spoke. "Kakihara-san- No, Mizuki," he began, briefly glancing away. "Your whole self is sparkling, and... your dress is nice. You really look amazing."
Even though she'd expected him to say something like this, especially after she'd spent so much time making sure she had on just the right outfit, Mizuki still felt embarrassed. Her face started to heat up and she stared back at him, their eyes locking before he finally approached her again. "You must be cold," he said, then took off his jacket, offering it. Mizuki put it on, then shuddered in surprise as Juuru put his arm around her.
"Sorry, is it fine?" Juuru asked.
"Yes," Mizuki answered, even if it was perhaps too quick. She liked the feeling of him so close, and she really was getting warmer. They continued together like that, at a slower pace. Even though she hated snow, she almost didn't want this moment walking in it with him to end.
"I had a great Christmas Eve," Juuru said as they waited to cross the street. "I'm so lucky to spend it with you. I wish we had longer."
Mizuki thought of how they'd bantered while eating their quickly decorated takoyaki, the interesting time they'd had decorating an otherwise ruined cake, all the fun she had around Juuru in general that she'd otherwise miss out on... There was really no one else she'd rather be around, either.
Juuru touched her nose, interrupting her thoughts. "What is it?" she asked.
He giggled. "It's red," he said.
"Well-" Mizuki stopped as his face moved close to her. She put her chin up and kissed him. As she pulled away, she saw his surprised expression. "Oh no," she groaned. Hadn't that been what he'd been going for?
As she looked away, Juuru just squeezed her closer. She got the message, he enjoyed the haphazard, somewhat accidental kiss. Maybe they could kiss again, on their next date. She would make sure to plan it to run perfectly next time. Maybe a schedule would be in order. Juuru was plenty capable of learning, so reviewing beforehand might help.
Then again, that seemed like too much work. Maybe she could just be sure to meet him by his place. Then they could follow the flow of insparkleration together.