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“I just don't quite understand the purpose of this game.”
Herlock dropped his head, with a hint of despair.
“Lord van Zieks. It's the easiest thing in the world. You take a piece of paper out of this hat and read the name on it. And that person is the one you must give a gift to. Thus, we all make a gift and we all receive a gift. It is perfect!”
“But why complicate the act of giving Christmas gifts like this?” Barok insisted, frowning. “Why can't we just give each other presents?”
“Because not everyone has an income of 10 thousand pounds a year, van Zieks!” Kazuma suddenly burst out, surprising him. Herlock agreed.
“Exacty. Congratulations if you have enough money to buy yourself a pony every Christmas. But it is not our case.”
Gina put a hand to her chin, thinking.
“The truth is, Zieks has more money than all of us put together. Maybe he should buy all the gifts himself.”
"I like that idea," Kazuma scoffed. “Even more, he doesn’t even need a gift.”
“No!” Iris cried, as if those words had been a personal attack. “Everyone is going to have a gift. Come on, Hurley, pass the hat around.”
The first to pick up a piece of paper was Susato, who smiled softly as she read it. The next one was Ryunosuke.
"Guys," he said, "what do I do if I got my name?"
Susato sighed.
“Just put it back in and take out another one, Naruhodo-san.”
So he did. When he read the name on the paper, his eyes widened, and he had to press his lips together to keep his thoughts from escaping. There it was, written in Iris's beautiful handwriting, the name Van Zieks.
The deerstalker full of little pieces of paper kept moving through the room, until it reached the last participants. Kazuma chose one of the two papers that were left. His face remained calm as he read it.
It was Ryunosuke. That should be easy.
Barok was the last. He picked up the only piece of paper that was left. His face looked neutral as he looked at it. But the hand that held it crumpled the paper tightly.
Kazuma's name was written there.
He felt a wave of despair wash over him. He should have known that it was a bad idea. All of that. Why had he even agreed to celebrate Christmas at 221B…?
“It is done!” Iris said, taking the hat from his hands and putting him out of his thoughts. “See you all on Christmas Eve!”
He saw the girl's happy smile, and suddenly remembered. He was going to celebrate Christmas with them because Iris had asked him to. And Barok was totally incapable of saying no to Iris.
The girl began to pass a tray with sweets to all the guests. Barok picked up a mince pie, and chewed on it while he thought of some way to fix the mess he had gotten himself into.
***
It couldn't be that hard. Not really. Lately they had been…getting a little closer, right? They spent time together, even outside of court. They were even going to celebrate Christmas together.
That was what Ryunosuke said, trying to convince himself that he was going to be able to get Barok a good gift. He just…had to find something he liked. Something he didn't already have. Which was difficult considering that he was an aristocrat and that he seemed to have all the riches in the world. But... maybe, if he talked to him, he would find something...
His mind was revolving around these ideas while he kept moving from one side to another, at the door of the prosecutor's office. And he wasn't prepared at all when the door opened. He nearly jumped when he saw Barok.
"L-Lord van Zieks!" he exclaimed, straightening up. “Good morning!”
Barok looked at him for a few seconds, his eyebrows raised. Then, he replied: “Good morning.”
After the initial shock, Ryunosuke was able to focus on him a bit more. He saw that, in his arms, he was carrying a box that seemed to be full of books.
“Do you need help with that?”
“How can I help you?”
They both spoke at the same time. Then, they fell silent at the same time, avoiding each other's gaze.
“What is that?” Ryunosuke finally dared to ask.
“I was making some changes in the personal library in my office.”
“Oh. I see” he was silent for a few seconds. Then he added: “The box seems heavy. Can I… help somehow?”
Barok looked back at the office, where several boxes were piled up on his desk.
"Alright," he said, handing the box to Ryunosuke. The lawyer nearly doubled over carrying its weight. But he resisted the way to the library. He glanced at Barok, who was walking beside him, carrying a box in each arm. "Wow," he thought. Barok frowned at him, and Ryunosuke looked away.
Soon, the three boxes had already been left at the door leading to the court library.
“Thank you for your help. I still have to put the new books on the shelf, if you don't mind.”
Ryunosuke, of course, went back to the office with him. They both stood in front of the bookshelf, which now had two empty shelves, and three boxes full of books.
Ryunosuke was curious about what books Barok had brought. They were probably law books, but he still wanted to take a look at them. He crouched down in front of the boxes, and picked up the first one he found.
“The adventures of H...”
"I-I'm trying to support Iris in her writing career!" Barok exclaimed suddenly, taking the book from his hands. Ryunosuke looked at him with a raised eyebrow, but Barok was already placing books on the shelf, his back to him.
He decided to focus on the books again. He took another, and not recognizing its title, he opened it.
A single glimpse of the interior was enough to surprise him. It didn't look like text. No, it was poetry.
Ryunosuke closed the book again, to reread the name on the cover.
“Oscar Wi…”
“Can you pass me the books and stop snooping?!” Barock cried. When Ryunosuke looked up, he was surprised when he seemed to see a shade of red on his cheeks.
Still too surprised by that image, Ryunosuke handed him the book without taking his eyes off him. He gave him one by one all the books. Barok would rearrange them on the bookshelf, until both shelves were full.
There was only one book left in the box, a particularly wide and old one. This time, Ryunosuke couldn't scape from his curiosity. He opened the cover of it, and when he did, a piece of paper fell out of it… No, a photograph.
He picked it up, curious, looking at the familiar face portrayed on it.
“Is this you?” he asked Barok. Then he took a better look. “No, wait. This is Klint, right? And this child?” He looked at the photographed little boy, and as his mind processed who he was, a tender sound escaped from his lips. “Aww, you were…”
Barok took the photograph and the book from him.
"I-It's a family photo album," he said under his breath. When Ryunosuke looked at him, he noticed that a blush had spread all over his face. And at the same time, his brows were furrowed. “Thank you for your help. You can go.”
The idea of Barok keeping a family photo album in his office felt interesting to Ryunosuke. Tender, even. His eyes went to the empty wall at the back of the room, where Klint's portrait had once stood. Was this a way to compensate for the removal of that portrait? A more intimate and subtle way of remembering him?
"I said you can go," Barok repeated. Despite everything, his voice still seemed a little shaky.
Ryunosuke rose to his feet, gave him a quick bow, and took his leave. Barok felt like he could only breathe again after the lawyer was gone.
He crouched down, picked up the photograph album, and stared at it for a few seconds. Looking at the photograph that Ryunosuke had found, from that afternoon that he and Klint had spent in the countryside. So many years ago.
He shook his head with a sigh. He tried not to let these memories overwhelm him. He put the album back on the shelf and focused on removing the now empty boxes.
As he went to stack the last box, he noticed that it was not empty. Half hidden between the joints of the wood, Barok found another photograph. Surprised, he gently took the corner of the paper and pulled it out.
He turned it over. And when he saw what it portrayed, his heart skipped a beat.
At first, he couldn't react. His fingers held the photograph tightly, so it wouldn't slip out of his hands. His eyes looked at it as if there was nothing else in the world.
"How…" he murmured, "could it have gotten here?"
He closed his eyes for an instant. He put the photograph down on the table, so he couldn't see it. Then, his eyes fell on the office door, where Ryunosuke had just left just a moment ago.
"Is this one of your eastern miracles, Naruhodo...?"
***
The galleries were full of people, visiting its stores, looking for the perfect Christmas gifts. Just like them.
And yet, Ryunosuke was still unsure.
He had agreed to go with Susato on that shopping afternoon. She was much more clear about what her gift for the secret santa was going to be.
“What do you think, Naruhodo-san?” she asked, showing him some lavender cloth, patterned with flowers.
“It's… it's beautiful. I'm sure Iris will love it," he replied. Susato smiled and went to pay it.
They went through many more stores, and Ryunosuke hoped that inspiration would strike at some point. It didn't. Towards the end of the afternoon, they went to a grocery store to buy dinner. There, Ryunosuke saw a shelf full of wines, and stopped to look at them.
He took a random bottle, among so many. He turned it over, looking at the picture on his label. Wondering if that was an option. Even if he didn't know anything about wine, maybe…
“Ryunosuke?”
The young man jumped.
“Kazuma!” He tried to put the bottle back on the shelf, but his hands didn't seem to cooperate.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was buying groceries.”
“Oh. Of course. Yes, Susato and I were doing the same…”
He looked behind him, but Susato wasn't there. He had lost her while he was distracted by the wines.
When he turned back to Kazuma, he found him looking at the wine rack, and the bottle in his hand, a curious look in his eyes.
“And what about that? Is it also for dinner?” he asked with a raised eyebrow.
Ryunosuke tried to stutter out some excuse. But in a flash, Kazuma's eyes widened in understanding.
“Oh. Don't tell me you have to give van Zieks a gift.”
Ryunosuke groaned in response, lowering his head.
“I thought that perhaps a wine would be a safe bet?” He heard Kazuma laugh.
“Absolutely not. I'm sorry, but don't even think about giving van Zieks a bottle of wine as a gift.”
“Why not?”
“He is very picky about his wines. He takes good care of each origin, each year of aging... He won't even let me touch the barrels in his office. Believe me, a wine from a grocery store will only displease him.”
The lawyer sighed desperately.
"I don't know what to do." He looked again at the cheap bottle in his hand. “Maybe something to drink? A… chalice or something?”
Kazuma cocked his lips.
“He's picky about that too. He only uses those made by a specific artisan family.”
Ryunosuke wanted to throw his hands in the air. He put the bottle back on the shelf with a sigh.
“But…” Kazuma added “those same artisans have a shop in these galleries.”
Ryunosuke looked up suddenly, his eyes shining.
“For real?” His companion nodded with a smile. “Kazuma, you're a lifesaver!”
He felt the urge to hug him. Instead, he took his arm, and began to walk beside him.
"Why don't you forget about grocery shopping and have dinner with us tonight?"
***
The prosecutor's office was full of silence. It was only broken by the sound of quills writing against paper. It was all Barok heard as he reviewed some documents from his upcoming trial. An irregular, tense sound.
He had been working with Kazuma for a long time, spending entire days like this, and he could notice the subtle details. The way the quill was pressed harder on the paper. When he would write quickly and carelessly and then suddenly go several seconds without writing at all. When he would hear a murmur and, immediately after, the sound of the quill scratching violently on the paper.
It was maddening. When enough time had passed, Barok got up from his desk, standing next to Kazuma.
“You are absent-minded.”
Kazuma immediately raised his head, looking at him with a frown.
“Pardon?”
“You're not concentrating on work. What is it that occupies so much your mind?”
Kazuma breathed out. In his eyes Barok could see the beginning of anger.
“Why is that any of your business?”
“This annoyance is stopping you from working properly. If there is anything I can do to remedy it, it is my duty as your master.”
“Well, there isn't! So let me deal with this by myself.”
Barok held back a sigh. It was never easy to deal with Kazuma when he was like this, so defensive. It was a situation he had already faced many times since he had become his apprentice.
Once again, he tried to handle it the best he could. He moved through the prosecutor's office, toward the coat rack by the entrance. He put on his own cape.
“We are not making progress in this situation. I'm going to take a break. Join me if you want to.”
Without waiting for Kazuma's response, he left the office. He moved through the corridors of the building until he reached a balcony, and went out there, to breathe some fresh air. From there he could see the gardens of a nearby park, and Barok thought it was a nice place. He always went there on his shortest breaks.
This time, he didn't need to rest. He needed Kazuma to accompany him. And in the end, the young man did. A few minutes passed, perhaps enough for him to calm down and accept his help, and Kazuma went with him to the balcony.
Barok received him in silence. And the same silence continued, with both of them leaning on the railing, contemplating the gardens.
After a few minutes, he heard Kazuma take a deep breath. His breath already felt calm. His voice still had a hint of bitterness.
“You're right. I was absent-minded. There are some absurd thoughts that I can't get out of my head.”
Barok nodded gently.
“You can share them if you want to.”
Those were a few courtesy words. He knew Kazuma didn't trust him enough for that kind of thing. He only wanted to show him some comfort and kindness.
And yet, he did.
“It's…it's Ryunosuke, okay?” Kazuma said, surprising Barok. He hadn't expected those words. Kazuma always had too many thoughts in his head for his own good, too many worries. But they were never about Ryunosuke. He always helped and comforted him, always brought him happiness. He was never the cause of his distress.
Barok knew it well, he could acknowledge it. Because Ryunosuke had the same effect on him.
“Last night, Ryunosuke invited me to have dinner at 221B with them. And… Susato and Iris had prepared dinner, and there was a lot of delicious food. There was a plate of shrimps. And I offered one to Ryunosuke.” Barok frowned, unable to guess where this story was heading. “And he told me that he didn't eat seafood anymore. Because it reminded him of his pet shrimp," he concluded with a sigh.
Barok frowned. At first, he had no idea of what to say.
“His pet shrimp?” he murmured. “Yes, he told me about it once.”
“Well, not to me!” Kazuma exclaimed suddenly. Immediately, he tried to take a breath and calm down again. “He had never told me about that pet. I had no idea that he no longer eats seafood. In… in Japan he liked it.”
Barok gave him a long look. He really wanted to understand and help him. But the situation was beyond him; he felt unable to understand anything.
“And... are you having this crisis because of shrimps?”
Kazuma sighed, a hand on his head.
"No, no, it's just…" he seemed unable to express himself clearly. Barok gave him all the time he needed. “Sometimes I feel that everything has changed too much…”
Barok's eyes widened in surprise. Suddenly the pieces began to fit together.
“Since you were in Japan?”
Kazuma sighed a "yes".
“At that time I felt that he knew him better than anyone. And he to me. But now…after that year we were apart… And after all this time in London… I don't know. I feel like everything is different.”
Barok looked at him. Though it was barely visible to others, understanding shone in his eyes.
“Too many things happened to you during that time. The fact that so much has changed in you is natural.”
“I'm not talking about me. I'm talking about Ryunosuke. He… he's different too.”
That was also the natural and expected, but Barok felt that those were not the right words.
“Before, you were willing to travel to England, away from him, who knows for how long. That was going to inevitably change your relationship.”
"I know," Kazuma whispered, running a hand over his face. “Maybe that's why I asked him to come with me… I didn't want to lose him. I didn't dare.”
“But you haven't lost him. He's still with you. That should be the most essential thing.”
“It should be, right?” Kazuma said, with a bitter smile. “Sometimes it's hard for me to stop and think about how much he has changed. There are times when we are talking, laughing, and everything seems to be like before. And there are times when I look at him and I feel that he has become a new man.”
Barok nodded gently.
“I know what you are talking about. I've seen him improve, since the first day he showed up at the old Bailey, with those nervous eyes, that innocent sparkle in his gaze. Until now, seeing the great lawyer he has become, the man capable of facing the entire British justice system. With that integrity, that sense of justice. And at the same time... that sparkle in his eyes hasn't left him.”
Despite everything, those words brought a soft smile to Kazuma's face. A small twinkle of admiration in his eyes.
“I know. I think… I see the same when I look at him.”
There were a few seconds of silence. The tension that was there before had left them. There was only complicity.
"I understand what you're feeling," Barok said. “I understand how overwhelming change can be, and believing that your best friend is a different person. But… you can appreciate those changes. You can allow yourself to meet that new person. And maybe it will surprise you, and you will like it.”
Kazuma closed his eyes for a moment. Those words were appreciated. He took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. When he opened his eyes, he looked at Barok.
“Alright. Let's go back to work.”
They walked back to the office in silence. A calm silence, so different from the one before.
Barok returned to his desk, without a word. Kazuma acted more slowly. He took off his cape, and with his hands still on the coat rack, he spoke.
"Thank you, lord van Zieks." Those words managed to surprise him more than anything all day. Barok raised his head, incredulity in his eyes. “I'm glad I spoke with you.”
Then he smiled at him. And his smile seemed so beautiful to Barok, perhaps because he rarely found it directed at him.
This time, he was speechless. He lowered his head back to his documents, and kept working.
The rest of the day, it was he the one who was absent-minded. That conversation did not leave his mind all day.
In the late afternoon, when Kazuma had already left, Barok turned to look at his bookshelf. He took the photograph that he had delicately kept in an envelope, inside a book. And he looked at it again.
***
Everything in that store was too luxurious, too shiny. As he looked at the window full of delicate handcrafted pieces, Ryunosuke could imagine the kind of customers they would have in that store. All aristocrats like Barok. No one like him.
He tried to straighten the wrinkles in his shirt and went inside. The shop assistant saw him and welcomed him.
That was progress. It looked like they weren't going to kick him out for looking too poor. Or too eastern. Or something like that.
Yet he kept feeling lost as he looked at the glasses, the plates, all the delicate pieces.
“Can I help you, sir?”
Ryunosuke felt surprised. But in the end, he went to the shop assistant. He really needed some help on that purchase.
“I was looking for a gift. For Christmas.”
“I can imagine it. Our works are very popular gifts. Do you have an idea in mind?”
"Any... chalice?"
The shop assistant seemed surprised, but he nodded, and went to look for it. He brought a box with several different glasses, all created by delicate goldsmith work, decorated with precious stones.
At each price the shop assistant said, Ryunosuke grew paler.
“…I see. Thanks a lot.”
His eyes dropped, then, to the counter. On that table, protected by glass, there were more objects. They were much smaller, and Ryunosuke expected them to be much cheaper.
“What is this?” Ryunosuke asked, pointing to one of the objects in the display case.
“A corkscrew, sir.”
He asked the price, and this time he was relieved. Maybe… maybe that could serve as a gift.
“And that? she asked, pointing to something to the side. A piece of metal, thinner and longer.”
“That's a bookmark.”
"Oh," Ryunosuke muttered. He looked at it for a few seconds and…just saw it. As if he suddenly he had found what he was looking for. “I would like to buy this.”
"Of course." The shop assistant opened the display case and took it out. “Do you want to engrave something on it?”
“Engrave?”
“Yes. A name, a phrase, whatever you want. It doesn't cost anything, it's a free gift from the store with every purchase.”
“Oh. Can I… can I think about it?”
“Of course.”
He handed him the bookmark, and Ryunosuke held it in his hands. He gazed at it, every detail, every precious stone. Looking for something to engrave in it. Something for Barok.
***
Kazuma kept looking around, drumming his fingers on the counter, while he waited.
There was no one else there. Just him and the clerk.
“Man. It's Christmas Eve,” he told him. “Don't you have a house to go to?”
“I have it. And I can't go without that telegram.”
He glanced at the clock high up on the wall. Its hands told him that he was already late.
A sigh from the clerk was heard. Then, the arrival of the telegram. Kazuma straightened as the worker picked it up.
“There you go.”
Kazuma immediately took it in his hands, and read it.
“Thank you!” he said, filled with an unexpected joy. He left there as if, suddenly, Christmas Eve had started in his heart.
He hurried up to Baker Street, not wanting to get even more late.
When he arrived, Christmas Eve was already happening in that home. The fireplace was lit and various delicacies were on the table. Barok and Iris were sitting near the fire, a book in their hands. Susato was talking and laughing with Gina, by the christmas tree. Herlock could be heard busy in the kitchen. And Ryunosuke opened the door for him, and looked at him with a bright smile.
“Kazuma! Come in, come in. We were waiting for you.”
Kazuma smiled back.
“I brought the gift.”
“They are all there, under the tree.”
Kazuma went to put it down, stopping for a moment to contemplate the gifts, all wrapped in paper and ribbons, each with a label hanging from it.
He was still looking at them curiously when Ryunosuke touched his arm again.
“They're going to get the turkey. Shall we have dinner?” he said to him. “Oh, and I asked them to make some scrambled eggs for you.”
Kazuma could only smile at his words. He stood up and put an arm around Ryunosuke's shoulders.
“Let's go.”
There were seven people at the table, but the food that was there could have fed twice as many. There were so many portions, so many side dishes. Not even Kazuma, who didn't taste the turkey, came out of there without being satisfied.
During the instants of dinner, the gifts were forgotten under the tree. So they were during the following moments. When everyone gathered around the bonfire, to keep each other company on that special night.
They chatted, and laughed, sharing every little moment. When Kazuma told, between laughs, an anecdote of the last trial in which he had attended Barok, even though he tried to silence him. When Herlock took his violin and began to play what he claimed that were Christmas carols. When they read the telegram that Mikotoba had sent earlier that day to wish everyone a happy holiday. When Gina taught Kazuma and Barok her pickpocket tricks, tricks that everyone else present already knew. When Iris showed her manuscript and read aloud some fragments of the last story she had written.
It was she who, after finishing reading, announced that the time had come.
“It's almost midnight! It is time to open the presents.”
Herlock and she went to the tree, and took one of the first packages.
“Runo! This one has your name.”
Ryunosuke immediately got up and went to pick up the package. It was large, one of the largest under the tree. He shook it, listening to something move inside, and immediately stopped for fear of breaking it. Instead, he began to tear up the paper.
"It's… it's a briefcase," he announced to everyone. “Oh. I really needed one. Kazuma, I won't have to carry your old briefcase to the Old Bailey anymore.”
He ran his hands over it, with a smile. It was made of beautiful brown leather, and the kanji for his name were engraved on a golden plate.
Then, Kazuma cleared his throat.
“Why don't you look inside?”
Ryunosuke's eyes widened. With absolute delicacy, he opened the locks, and discovered what was inside it.
It was an armband. One very similar to the one he always wore on his arm. It was much newer though, and small differences could be seen. Ryunosuke took it in his hands, to observe it in detail. He soon realized that it had been sewn by hand. Everything looked handcrafted, even the gold insignia.
And inside, his name was embroidered.
Ryunosuke opened his mouth, searching for something to say, but couldn't find the words. Instead, he felt Kazuma's hand on his.
"I know that until now you have always been using my armband," said his partner. “And it honours me. But… since you came to London, since you started working as an attorney… you have improved so much, and you have become such a worthy lawyer… That's why you deserve your own.”
An excited smile appeared on his lips.
“Kazuma… Kazuma, it means so much to me… Since I started, I've been carrying your armband, even though I can't really use it, just as a symbol…”
"No…it's not just a symbol" Kazuma said, earning a surprised look from everyone. He took a telegram out of his pocket. “I have been sending telegrams, talking to people… And I have succeeded. It is official in the Japanese justice system. This badge... is yours, Ryunosuke.”
The lawyer put a hand to his lips, unable to find words to respond. He tried to stutter something, and when it didn't work, he simply held Kazuma in a tight hug.
Everyone loved that scene. Standing next to them, covering it with a sip from his glass, Barok smiled.
"What a start," Herlock said, as he reached for the next gift. “Now... Iris! Here, dear.”
The gifts were opened, one by one. Gina yelled in excitement when she saw the book she had received. No one really knew what was in Herlock's gift, they only knew that his secret santa was Iris, and that it made him burst into tears as soon as he opened it.
When the atmosphere calmed down, the next gift was Barok's. When he received it, Ryunosuke tensed in such a way that no one had the slightest doubt that he was his secret santa.
Barok gently removed the paper, and looked at the small box in which the gift was kept. His eyes recognized the name of the store.
Carefully, he opened the box. Despite everyone looking at his face, he remained expressionless. But when his hands took out the bookmark, they held it gently, turning it between their fingers with the utmost admiration.
Until, finally, his eyes fell on the engraving. He looked at it, first strangely, then curiously.
“What does it say?” he asked, while his gaze studied each line of that Japanese writing.
Ryunosuke's shy voice was heard.
“It's a haiku.”
Barok looked at it again. His eyes moved over that engraving as if he could understand its symbols, its verses.
He asked Iris for one of her books, so he could place the bookmark, and check how it would look while performing its function.
Ryunosuke didn't stop looking at him as he watched it. And maybe he was just so experienced facing each other in court, but he thought he saw a sparkle in his eyes. And he thought that he had liked it. That idea brought a tingle to his heart.
The tender scene could not last much longer. Barok had taken care that his gift was well hidden under the tree. As if he didn't want it to be found. He still had doubts, he still feared that his heart had got too many hopes, and he had made the wrong decision.
When Iris said the name, and Kazuma took the gift in his hands, Barok looked away.
It was as if the candles that lit the room were suddenly blown out by a blow of wind. Kazuma had a curious smile as he opened the gift. As soon as he removed the paper, the smile faded. Any word died on his lips.
Between his hands he held an ornate picture frame. Inside, behind the glass, there was a photograph. Genshin Asogi's smiling face stared back at him, in black and white.
The hands that held the frame trembled.
In the first seconds, there was only silence. No one had seen the contents of the gift except Kazuma, but they could all sense that something was off. Gina was heard to mutter "What's wrong with him?" in Susato's ear.
Then, there was a hand on his shoulder. Ryunosuke.
“Kazuma, are you alright?”
That touch seemed to bring him back down to earth. He shook his head, got to his feet, all without letting go of the frame.
"I have… I need a moment," he said. He awkwardly tried to say goodbye, and then went to the balcony.
No one dared to follow him. Ryunosuke's hand was still stretched out in the air, as if he still wanted to grab him and hold him by his side. Barok's sad eyes kept looking at him through the balcony windows.
The silence continued until suddenly Herlock rose to his feet.
“For God's sake, van Zieks, what have you done to him?”
The prosecutor parted his lips, unable to find an answer, confused and overwhelmed by the situation.
Ryunosuke speaking next didn't help.
“Go to him.”
“What…?” Barok murmured. At that moment, Iris began to pull on his arm to lift him off the divan he was sitting on, and gave him a gentle push in the direction of the balcony door.
“Come on!”
He was still hesitating, and yet he couldn't back down. This whole situation was his fault.
On his way, he reached for the coat rack, and took two capes. He put his over his shoulders, and stepped out into the cold of the night.
Kazuma was leaning on the balcony railing. The photograph was in his hands, and he was looking at it as if there was nothing else in the world. A light snowfall hung in the air. The flakes flew, and some settled on his black hair. One of them fell onto the glass of the frame, and Kazuma gently brushed it away with his hand.
"It's a cold night," Barok dared to say, when the silence was too unbearable. “I have brought your cape.”
He expected Kazuma to reject him, to yell at him, angrily asking why he cared. However, there was no response. Not with words.
Kazuma straightened up a bit, widening his shoulders, so Barok could pull the cape over him. He did so.
The silence returned. This time, it was Kazuma who broke it. He still had his back to Barok, he still had his eyes on his father's photograph.
"I didn't think you kept any of these photographs," he said. It was almost a whisper.
Barok took a breath, and the air came out as a white vapor from the cold. He couldn't tell Kazuma anything that wasn't the truth.
"I didn't," he confessed. “After the trial, I burned every memory. But a few days ago I found this one, among an old photograph album. It shouldn't be there. The fact that it survived, that I found it now… it's a miracle.”
Gently, Kazuma turned the frame over. He leaned it against the stone railing, running his hand around the back. So, he opened the frame, taking out the photograph.
“If it's a miracle that it has survived, why are you trying to hide half of it?”
Barok could not answer. He couldn't even watch, as Kazuma unfolded the photograph. So, he discovered the half that had been hidden inside the frame. Next to Genshin, just as smiling, there was a young Barok.
“I didn't think you wanted to have a picture of me. Let alone one next to him.”
Kazuma continued to gaze at it, his eyes softer and more wistful as his hands gently smoothed the photograph.
“You are the one who has allowed me to have this photograph, aren’t you?” His words to him were softer than Barok had expected.
He still hardly dared to speak to him, to look at him. But his feet moved one step closer.
"I only had a couple of photographs of him," Kazuma whispered. “The one at the wedding, and one with me, as a child, in the garden of our house. I did not bring them to England, I couldn’t.”
A moment of silence. A look at the snow falling. Two words.
“Thank you.”
Barok did not reply. But his heart was racing in his chest.
An instant later, the moment was interrupted.
“Hello. I just wanted to… check how everything was going” Ryunosuke said as he walked in. Barok and Kazuma turned to him. And at last, Kazuma smiled.
“Come here. Have a look at this.”
Ryunosuke walked over, standing next to him as Kazuma showed him the photograph. At first his eyes widened. But Kazuma gave him a gentle pat on the back, telling him that everything was fine.
As they both looked at the photograph, he felt a chill shake him, and Kazuma spread his cape so he could cover Ryunosuke as well. That made him smile softly. He leaned closer to him, seeking warmth from him, as the flakes kept falling.
"It's been a good Christmas," Ryunosuke whispered. “Don't you think?”
Barok smiled softly as he watched them, so close. So lucky to have each other. He knew how to recognize when somewhere was not his place. He stepped back, prepared to leave the balcony, go back into the house.
“Where are you going?” Ryunosuke said, turning around suddenly. Barok froze, his hand on the pommel.
"Come here," Kazuma said. And he could not refuse.
He approached them, cautiously. But Ryunosuke and Kazuma welcomed him. The three of them stayed close together in one of the corners of the balcony, keeping warm in the freezing night.
And Barok still flinched when Ryunosuke put a hand on his arm.
“Did you like the bookmark?” he asked him, with those big eyes and that nervous voice. He seemed the only one capable of making Barok smile.
"It was such a lovely detail," he replied. “The haiku… what does it say?”
Ryunosuke raised his head, his eyes on the night sky, as he recited the three-verse poem.
“The lamp once out, cool stars enter, the windown frame.”
The three of them were together, in that corner of the balcony, protecting themselves from the cold by the same cape. So close that they seemed to be one. And there were many eyes on them, from inside the house, that they had been unaware of for a long time.
Susato sighed softly, resting her cheek on her hand.
"It seems that Christmas Eve has ended well," she said tenderly.
"That's right," said Herlock, sitting beside her with his pipe in his mouth. “In the end, the little trick worked.”
Susato frowned, turning to Herlock.
“Pardon?”
“Miss Mikotoba, do you know how easy it is to trick those little pieces of paper, to change its results?”
She looked at him with wide eyes.
“But…”
"Look at them," Herlock insisted, pointing to the balcony. “Many walls have come down on this warm winter night. Isn’t Christmas beautiful?”