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Morning crept over the horizon, its soft light slowly filtering through the windows of Seiko’s living room. The house was unusually quiet, the faint crackle of the heater the only sound.
The mismatched group was still sprawled out from their late-night antics—Aira curled up on the floor with a blanket pulled over her head, Jiji snoring softly with one leg hanging off the couch, and Turbo Granny perched precariously on the armrest like some spectral gargoyle.
Okarun stirred first, his glasses slightly askew and his blanket half-slipping off his shoulder. He blinked groggily, taking a moment to remember where he was, and then his heart skipped as his gaze landed on Momo.
She was still nestled beside him, her head leaning against his shoulder, her face peaceful in the soft morning light.
His cheeks flared, and he froze, unsure of what to do. If he moved, he’d wake her, but if he stayed like this any longer, he was pretty sure his heart might give out.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Turbo Granny’s scratchy voice cut through the quiet like a wrecking ball.
“Merry Christmas, brats!” she croaked, her grin wide and unapologetic. “Now get up before I start unwrapping your presents myself.”
Momo stirred at the noise, blinking sleepily before sitting up and stretching, her hair falling in messy waves over her shoulders. “Morning already?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.
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 ,
“Technically, it’s been morning for a while,” Okarun said, his voice a little higher than usual as he scrambled to adjust his glasses.
“Christmas morning,” Aira groaned from beneath her blanket, peeking out with a dramatic sigh. “And I’m still exhausted. Whose idea was it to stay up all night?”
“Yours,” Jiji muttered, his voice muffled by a pillow.
Seiko strolled into the room, looking far too composed for someone who’d had to endure their late-night chaos. “You all look like you’ve been hit by a snowplow,” she said, setting down a tray with mugs of coffee and hot chocolate. “But at least you’re awake. Time to open presents before I start charging rent.”
That got everyone moving. Aira practically vaulted over the coffee table to claim a spot near the tree, her blanket trailing behind her like a cape. Turbo Granny floated down to hover beside the pile of gifts, her grin positively predatory.
“All right, who’s first?” Aira demanded, her eyes gleaming.
“We should take turns,” Momo said, sitting cross-legged by the tree and giving Aira a pointed look. “Otherwise, it’s just going to be chaos.”
“So, chaos,” Aira said, already reaching for the nearest gift.
Momo intercepted her, pulling the present out of her hands. “Not yet. Let’s do this properly.”
The first gift went to Jiji, a neatly wrapped package with slightly lopsided corners. He tore it open with a casual shrug, revealing a pair of thick, woolen gloves and a scarf that matched his favorite jacket.
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 ,
“Hey, this is nice,” he said, holding them up for everyone to see. “Thanks, whoever—” He paused, his gaze landing on Momo, who was doing her best to look innocent. “This was you, wasn’t it?”
Momo shrugged, but the faint smile tugging at her lips gave her away. “You’re always complaining about the cold,” she said. “Figured it might help.”
Jiji grinned, tossing the scarf around his neck. “Appreciated. Your turn, Okarun.”
Okarun blinked as a small, neatly wrapped box was handed to him. He hesitated for a moment, then carefully peeled back the paper to reveal a sleek, silver pen with intricate engravings along the barrel.
“It’s for your sketching,” Momo said softly, her voice barely audible over the rustle of wrapping paper. “I thought you might like something a little nicer.”
Okarun’s face turned a deep shade of red as he ran his fingers over the pen. “It’s… perfect,” he stammered, looking up at her with a shy smile. “Thank you.”
“Don’t get too emotional, shrimp,” Turbo Granny said, snatching a box from the pile and shaking it like a kid trying to guess what was inside.
The presents kept coming, each one sparking laughter, teasing, or genuine gratitude. Aira unwrapped a set of brightly colored nail polish that immediately earned a groan of envy from her.
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 ,
“Whoever picked this gets points,” she said, holding up the bottles like a trophy.
“That was me,” Jiji said, smirking. “Figured it matched your vibe.”
Momo opened a gift from Seiko—a small, intricately embroidered pouch that she immediately recognized as hand-stitched. “It’s beautiful,” she said, her fingers tracing the patterns. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” Seiko said, sipping her coffee. “I expect you to actually use it.”
Turbo Granny, much to everyone’s horror, received a bottle of extremely potent liquor, which she declared the best gift she’d gotten in years.
“You’re all a bunch of cheapskates,” she added, her grin sharp as she uncorked it and took a swig.
When it was Okarun’s turn to give his gift, he hesitated, clutching the small, wrapped box in his hands. He glanced nervously at Momo, who was watching him curiously, and took a deep breath before handing it to her.
“This… uh… this is for you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.
Momo raised an eyebrow but accepted the gift, her fingers brushing his briefly as she took it. She unwrapped it slowly, her expression softening as she revealed the crescent moon charm nestled in a velvet-lined box.
“It reminded me of you,” Okarun said quickly, before she could ask. “Not in a weird way! Just… you’re always looking out for everyone, and I thought…” He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck. “I don’t know. It just seemed right.”
Momo stared at the charm for a moment, her thumb brushing over its smooth surface. Then she looked up at him, her smile warmer than he’d ever seen it.
“Thank you,” she said softly. “It’s perfect.”
Okarun’s face was burning, but he managed a small smile in return.
As the last of the presents were unwrapped and the room filled with discarded paper and ribbons, the group settled back into their usual chaos.
Turbo Granny had already started a drinking game with her new liquor, Jiji and Aira were comparing their gifts, and Seiko was watching the scene unfold with a rare, almost fond expression.
Momo leaned closer to Okarun, the moon charm dangling from her fingers. “You know,” she said quietly, “this is probably the best Christmas I’ve had in a long time.”
Okarun blinked, caught off guard by her words. “Really?”
“Yeah,” she said, smiling. “Thanks for being part of it.”
He felt his heart stutter in his chest, but he managed to nod. “Yeah. Me too.”
As the morning stretched into day, the mismatched family laughed, teased, and celebrated together, the warmth of their shared joy filling the house as the snow fell softly outside.