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The morning of Christmas Eve arrived with a buzz of barely contained excitement, the crisp winter air slipping through the slightly cracked window in Seiko’s kitchen.
Aira had made the mistake of mentioning over breakfast that they hadn’t done any gift shopping yet, which prompted a round of groans, protests, and hastily formed plans to hit the local shops.
Seiko, of course, had already finished her shopping weeks ago and declared herself exempt from the last-minute chaos.
“Don’t drag me into your poor time management,” she said, smirking as she sipped her coffee. “You lot can figure it out yourselves. But if you’re not back by dinner, I’m locking the doors.”
It didn’t take long for everyone to bundle up in scarves, coats, and gloves, the mismatched group spilling out onto the snowy sidewalk like a small parade of holiday disarray.
Turbo Granny, as usual, perched smugly on Okarun’s back, her translucent body draped in a scarf that made her look more ridiculous than festive.
“You better keep me warm, boy,” she groused, adjusting her scarf. “If I catch a chill, I’m haunting you harder than usual.”
“You’re already dead,” Okarun muttered under his breath, earning a sharp smack on the back of his head from one of her spectral hands.
Momo rolled her eyes at their bickering and nudged Okarun forward. “Come on, we don’t have all day. The shops are going to be packed.”
Packed was an understatement. The streets were crowded with shoppers clutching bags and lists, their breath puffing out in frosty clouds as they darted from one store to the next.
The group huddled together just outside the first store, a small but bustling boutique with colorful displays in the windows.
D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E ,
“Here’s the deal,” Jiji said, tugging his scarf tighter around his neck. “We split up, buy our stuff, and meet back here in, what, an hour?”
“Sounds good,” Momo said, glancing at the others. “And no peeking at what anyone else is buying. Got it?”
“Why are you looking at me?” Aira asked, feigning innocence.
“Because you’re the most likely to snoop,” Momo shot back, grinning.
Aira gasped in mock outrage. “I’m offended. But also fair.”
With a flurry of agreement and muffled laughter, they scattered into the crowd, each determined to find something perfect without giving away the surprise.
Okarun found himself wandering through a small toy store, his glasses fogging up every time he stepped too close to the heater vents.
He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he figured it had to be something thoughtful—something that would make Momo smile. His stomach twisted at the thought, but he pushed it aside, focusing on the shelves.
Turbo Granny floated nearby, her beady eyes scanning the racks with disinterest. “What’s the holdup, kid? Pick something and let’s move.”
“It has to be perfect,” Okarun muttered, picking up a small snow globe before setting it back down. “This isn’t just some random present. It’s for—uh, I mean, it’s for someone important.”
“Oh, important, is it?” Turbo Granny teased, her grin widening. “You’re thinking about her, aren’t you?”
“No!” Okarun said quickly, his face flushing red. “I’m thinking about… everyone! All of them!”
“Sure you are,” she said, cackling.
D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E ,
Ignoring her, Okarun’s gaze landed on a small, hand-carved charm shaped like a crescent moon. It was simple, delicate, and strangely beautiful.
Something about it reminded him of Momo, though he couldn’t quite say why. He grabbed it, tucked it into his basket, and hurried to the register, hoping Turbo Granny wouldn’t announce his choice to the entire store.
Momo, meanwhile, was standing in the corner of a cozy bookstore, flipping through a small journal with a dark green cover. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was nearby before slipping it into her bag.
The store was quiet, the scent of old paper and pine candles filling the air, and for a moment, she let herself relax.
Her mind wandered to Okarun—how he always fumbled his words around her but never failed to make her laugh, how he was so sincere it was almost annoying.
She shook her head, brushing the thought away as she moved to the next shelf.
Aira and Jiji had taken a different approach, teaming up to tackle the biggest department store in town.
Aira was quick, darting between displays and snatching up anything that caught her eye, while Jiji lingered, carefully inspecting every item like he was assembling a puzzle.
“This is taking forever,” Aira groaned, holding up a pair of fuzzy socks. “These are good enough, right?”
“For who?” Jiji asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
Aira sighed, tossing the socks back onto the pile and moving on. “Fine. But if we’re late, I’m blaming you.”
By the time they regrouped outside the boutique, everyone was clutching bags stuffed with mysterious shapes, their expressions ranging from smug to slightly panicked.
D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E , D O N ' T C O P Y , D O N ' T R E P O S T , D O N ' T P L A G I A R I Z E , D O N ' T T R A N S L A T E ,
Momo glanced at Okarun’s bag, but he quickly pulled it behind his back, his cheeks turning pink.
“No peeking!” he said, his voice cracking slightly.
Momo smirked. “Relax, I wasn’t trying to look.”
“Good,” Okarun mumbled, though he didn’t meet her eyes.
“Is everyone ready?” Seiko asked, appearing out of nowhere with a thermos of coffee in hand. She gave them a once-over, her sharp eyes lingering on Aira’s overstuffed bag. “What did you even buy?”
“None of your business,” Aira said, sticking out her tongue.
With their shopping done, they headed back to Seiko’s house, where the challenge of wrapping the presents began.
Turbo Granny, to no one’s surprise, refused to help, instead lounging in the corner and offering unhelpful commentary.
“Kid, that looks like a blindfolded toddler wrapped it,” she said as Okarun fumbled with a roll of tape.
“Don’t you have anything better to do?” Okarun shot back, glaring at her.
“Nope.”
Momo, sitting cross-legged on the floor with scissors in hand, glanced at Okarun’s lopsided wrapping job and bit back a laugh. “Do you want help with that?”
“I’ve got it!” he said quickly, though the paper was already tearing in several places.
Aira and Jiji weren’t much better, their wrapping styles ranging from barely functional to outright disastrous.
Seiko sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose before grabbing a roll of ribbon and demonstrating the proper technique.
By the time they finished, the gifts were safely tucked under the tree, their mismatched wrapping and crooked bows only adding to the charm.
As the group settled into the living room, the air buzzed with the excitement of anticipation, the promise of Christmas morning hanging like a star over their heads.
And though no one dared say it aloud, they all shared the same thought: whatever lay beneath the paper, it would be a holiday to remember.