Chapter Text
Chapter I: A Not-So-Cute but Very Much Hilarious Meet-Cute
Monday, December 15, 2025
Not even the classical music renditions of catchy Christmas pop songs being blasted all throughout the elegantly decorated tea room could distract her; she was so immersed in the task she currently had at hand that she failed to hear her name and order being called out.
“I have a matcha latte, a chocolate croissant, and a mini fruit salad for a Shinobu Kochou! I repeat, I have a matcha latte, a chocolate croissant, and a mini fruit salad for a Shinobu Kochou!”
Not once, not twice, not thrice, but four times did the tea room employee call for her. It wasn’t until she heard incoming stomping footsteps approaching did she looked up to find a scruffy-looking, lanky-figured older man, clad in full-sleeved navy blue coveralls, standing in front of her holding a silver tray with both of his hands.
She asks, “Oh, Mister Shabana, what are you doing here?” She eyed the silver tray he held before nodding her head approvingly.
One by one, he removed the items from the tray and placed them in front of her. Once he finished transferring all the contents from the tray to the wooden table where she sat, he sat opposite her. Never once did she take her eyes off him.
He took off his white cap, which had WORLD'S GREATEST JANITOR written on it, to reveal shaggy, long, dark hair that was tied up into a loose bun. Despite the many black spots on his grey and dull complexion, Shinobu still believed that if he polished himself just right, he would clean up fine enough.
With a sour scowl, he tells her, “How many times do I have to tell you not to call me by my surname for you to get it? It makes me feel old.”
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “Your younger sister’s my best friend, remember? Besides, you’re older than me by several years.”
“So?”
“It makes all the difference!” After taking a sip of her matcha latte, she continues, “You don’t hear Ume calling you Gyutaro, do you?”
“No.”
Dipping her chocolate croissant into her tea, she looks up at him with a smirk. “Exactly! I rest my case.”
Gyutaro sighs defeatedly, “I suppose you’re right, Miss Kochou.”
“I’m always right!” She stuck her tongue at him in jest.
“Oh, don’t I know it!”
Pointing to the sketchbook on the table, he asks, “So…What’s with all the drawing for? You got an art contest you’re competing in or something? Is that why you were too busy to hear that your order’s been ready?”
She shook her head side to side, waving him off. “No, no.” Pulling out a photograph from her sketchbook, she handed it to him. “This is why.”
With a frown, he rotated the picture he previously held in his hands vertically so that it was now horizontal.
“Just what is it that I’m looking at here?”
“It’s what Aoi’s wearing to her wedding this upcoming January.”
“Really, now?" Raising an eyebrow, he questions further, “The Miss Aoi Kanzaki’s actually wearing something like this to her very own wedding?”
“That’s what I was thinking, too. I was sketching out a bunch of dress designs for her to consider instead of whatever that monstrosity is.”
“What’s the point of getting married if you’re going to wear something as hideous as that? And, I know a thing or two about ugly things!”
Shinobu sighed dramatically. “I used to think true love was a myth for the rich and famous…I suppose Aoi is proof that’s not the case at all because her galiant groom-to-be isn’t exactly a domineering CEO.”
Snorting, Gyuato remarks, “Of course, you’d know all there is about domineering CEOs. After all, they are your specialty!”
Rolling her dark purple eyes at him, she argues, “I will have you know that it’s not my fault that they can’t keep it in their pants! Mind you, those pants cost more than a monthly mortgage in this part of town! Seriously, you’d think they’d do their best to keep their marriage intact since it’s way cheaper than getting a divorce and having their wives take half or more of everything they’ve got to their names!”
“What’s the point of getting married?”
With a scoff, she tells him, “You’re asking the wrong person here.”
“Trust me, I know.”
Actually, they both did, in fact, know.
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Tuesday, December 16, 2025
White was never Shinobu’s favorite color. That being said, she was rather fond of the way the vintage-style white lace veil looked draped on her head in a stylish manner suitable for a modern-day bride-to-be. Perhaps coming to a bridal shop wasn't so much of a waste of time as she expected it to be.
“Brace yourself, Older Sister Shinobu.”
From the full-length mirror, she saw a figure walking over to where she stood. Turning around, she was greeted by the sight of a young woman using both of her hands to lift the cupcake-shaped skirt of a white bridal lehenga that was at least three decades out of style and at least two dress sizes too big. As beautiful as the young woman was with her bright blue eyes, along with her long, dark blue hair that was tied into two high pigtails, and her clear, glossy lips, the outfit she wore did an absolute disservice to her beauty.
“Oh, Aoi…You look—“
Aoi interrupted Shinobu to finish the sentence instead. “Like if a scoop of vanilla-flavored ice cream exploded!” Staring at her own reflection in the mirror, she sighed dejectedly, adding, “I’m literally a giant powdered sugar donut hole!”
Placing her arms in the air, Shinobu says, “You said it, not me!” Eyeing the outfit from head to toe, she offered, “You know what? We’ll fix it! It is okay. I’m sure there’s something we can do for it to all work out in the end!”
“I sure hope so!”
Walking over to Aoi, Shinobu attempted to pull the skirt so that it would tighten around Aoi’s lower body, accentuating the gentle curves she naturally possesses.
“You know, there are plenty of other wedding dresses you could have chosen for your big day.”
Aoi nods her head in agreement before sighing helplessly, “I know, but all of the women in Zenitsu’s family wore it, so I’m going to wear it as well.” Snatching the veil from Shinobu’s head, she started to arrange the draping of it on her head. “It’s a love tradition, and I’m going through with it!”
Shinobu pulled on Aoi’s veil, bringing it to the front. “Why?”
“Because I want to…By the way, Zenitsu’s older brother’s been asking about you.”
Shinobu raised an eyebrow at this. “Kaigaku Inadama’s been asking about me?”
Aoi nods her head in answer. “Yeah!”
“Why?”
Aoi shrugs her shoulders in answer. “Why not?”
“I thought Kanao was more of his type.”
“She is…But, he doesn’t mind going for an older woman.”
Aoi’s last sentence elicited Shinobu scrunching her nose in disgust. “Yeah, well, I don’t go for men younger than me. I only want someone the same age as me!”
“How about going older?”
“Just how much older are we talking about here?”
Aoi pondered for a minute before suggesting, “Maybe more than three?”
Widening her eyes, Shinobu remarked, “Three years is a lot! My parents are only three hours apart!”
Aoi frowned at the last sentence. “Yeah, but Auntie and Uncle Kochou also got married on the day after Christmas, so there’s that! I don’t blame you for being single your whole entire life, though, if your parents are the reason why you have such high, unrealistic standards for love!”
Shinobu shook her head. “That’s not it.”
“What about Kiyoshi?”
“Who?”
Aoi started explaining, “Kiyoshi Kurosaki, you know him. He was at the engagement party with his younger brother and sister. I asked Zenitsu, who says he’s the same age as you. He’s not that bad of a catch with him being a police officer, all that.”
Shinobu shook her head once more. “No, thank you. I much prefer his older cousin, Ichigo Kurosaki.”
“Ichigo Kurosaki’s happily married to banking heiress Rukia Kuchiki, though!”
“That’s true,” Shinobu acknowledged, “Still, at least Ichigo Kurosaki runs his family clinic, so I respect him for looking after his family. Older Sister Kanae married Older Brother Sanemi, who’s a captain now. We don’t need another police officer in the family. My parents already have him as their eldest son-in-law. If I am going to marry someone, he’d bring something substantial to the family.”
Aoi raised an eyebrow before questioning, “Like what?”
“To tell you the truth, I really don't know,” Shinobu confessed, pondering for a minute before clarifying, “But, he would be a great addition to the family, that’s for certain! If not, then I’m going to be unmarried for the rest of the family, and that’s alright wth me! Besides, I’m already married to my job as it is.”
Aoi rolled her eyes at this. “I really don’t understand why you still work for that gossip rag!”
“Well, the bills don’t pay themselves! Also, that gossip rag is the whole reason why I could even afford to buy those earrings I gifted you for your engagement in the first place. Twenty-two karat gold jewelry isn’t exactly budget-friendly.”
“I’m serious, though, Older Sister Shinobu! You graduated from Kimetsu University as the top student in your class. Not just anyone and everyone can do that, you know! You should be using your medical journalism degree for better things!”
Shinobu played around with the skirt of Aoi’s lehenga once more.
“Well, I happen to be quite good at reporting gossip for a famous trashy magazine. Besides, landing a prestigious job with a degree as niche as mine is as difficult as finding a decent man in this city!”
“Don’t be like that.”
“Oh, face it, it’s the truth, and you know it!”
“Smudge!”
“Huh?”
With shaken hands, Aoi pointed to the noticeable black smudge on the back of the skirt. “Smudge.”
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“We’ll have it out by the afternoon of the day after tomorrow. I hope that is alright with you, Miss Aoi Kanzaki,” was what the older employee at the bridal boutique's alteration station, Kotoha Hashibira, told them.
Aoi sighed dejectedly upon hearing this newfound information, “Oh, but I’m going to be so busy that day! After work tomorrow, I’ll be spending two nights and one day at my paternal grandparents’ house. My father’s mother is still upset over the fact that I chose to marry Zenitsu Agatsuma instead of some Tanjirou Kamado guy she’s been wanting to set up with for the past few years…She’s yet to forgive me, you know!”
“Okay, don’t stress…You still have the day after tomorrow," Shinobu points out.
Now, Aoi whines. “Don’t stress? How can you say that to me? You know that my wedding’s less than a month away! This is not an intimate little thing; one thousand people are showing up! I don't think I'll have the time to pick up this dress again!!!”
Shinobu whistled upon hearing the number of guests Aoi would be expecting. “Wow, and I thought Older Sister Kanae and Older Brother Sanemi’s wedding of five hundred people was a lot!”
Aoi could only sniffle.
Chuckling, Shinobu placed both of her hands on Aoi’s shoulders. “Okay, I’ll tell you what…Since you’re my favorite cousin and I love you so much, I’ll pick up the dress for you the day that it's ready. I'll go to the boutique right after I'm done with rock climbing. Don't you worry your pretty little head, I will totally keep it safe!"
With widened eyes, Aoi asks with uncertainty, "Really?"
"Yes."
Aoi asks once more, still unsure, "Really?"
"Yes!"
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" Aoi immediately pulled Shinobu into a tight embrace, which Shinobu readily accepted, hugging her younger cousin back.
Shinobu was not expecting quick kisses on the cheeks from Aoi either, but who was she to complain? Anything is better than having an anguished Aoi Kanzaki, soon-to-be Aoi Agatsuma, with her big day only days away.
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Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Despite the main office of Exposed Shadows! Magazine being in the midst of renovation, its employees still made due with the space currently available for use. That being said, must the company logo be plastered just about anywhere and everywhere?
"Wow," exclaimed the young and beautiful, blue-eyed woman whose long white hair was tied into a high bun, with a pair of white wireless headphones on her long and slender neck. She held a manila folder with both of her hands, which had a photograph of a bride-to-be in an unfashionable wedding dress on top of it.
Shinobu rotated the photograph and the manila folder. "Look at it this way now."
"Wow!"
Shinobu could not help but giggle in amusement at the younger woman's reaction. "I know, right? Zenitsu Agatsuma's one lucky groom-to-be if his bride-to-be's willing to wear that fashion disaster for him!"
The two of them walked further into the sea of cubicles, where various employees were engrossed with whatever tasks they were currently working on.
"My illusions of love…they're shattered."
"Just wait until you cover your first celebrity power couple."
"Forget about them, your cousin and her fiancé are the real power couple here. Celebrity couples have nothing on them!"
"Really?"
"Yes, I'm sure of it. What's the point of covering celebrity couples if most of them don't end with a happily ever after?"
"Ume, you know the deal: they sin, and we report. What's wrong with having the facts shared with the public? And, besides, we can't feel exactly bad about them! As soon as we start feeling bad for them, we can't write about them anymore. And, believe me when I say this: I've worked here long enough to know that these folks don't deserve our sympathy."
Ume frowned before relenting. "Alright. If you say so."
All of a sudden, an older man in a blue-colored collared dress shirt walked in between Shinobu and Ume, stopping in his path to say, "Hey, Kochou, good one on that article, Hyuugas Versus Uchihas: Which Clan to Marry Into?"
Shinobu faked a laugh, then said, "Oh, uh…Thanks, Kinoshita."
She waited until Kinoshita was out of the room before whispering into Ume's ear, "You didn't hear this from me, but I've seen him going through all of the communal iced tea."
Just as Ume was going to open her mouth to say something, someone else spoke instead, their voice booming all through the office space, "Kochou, Murata, in my office. Pronto!"
From where Shinobu stood, she could only see the shining bald head of her boss.
Turning to Ume, Shinobu asks, "Murata?" She then turned to the back, where she found a younger man walking over. Despite being of average build and height, Murata stood out with his plain black hair, parted down exactly in the middle, and plain black eyes that held something indecipherable within them. Turning to Ume once more, Shinobu leans in to ask, "What's he calling Marmot Murata for?"
Ume leaned further to whisper into Shinobu's ear, "I heard a rumor…"
Shinobu gasped once Ume finished explaining the rumor she had heard. "No way!"
"Yes way!"
What Ume said shocked Shinobu to say the least. Who knew Murata had it in him to do such a thing?
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It should not be so daunting to be in the personal office of Gyokko, who looked more like a snake than he did a human, but even after working for Exposed Shadows! Magazine for the past five years, Shinobu Kochou knew better than to expect things to go through smoothly. Surely, there must be a reason as to why her boss called for both Shinobu and her rival of the past three years, right?
Walking over to where Shinobu and Murata sat in their seats, Gyokko announced, "Old Hantengu has left us."
Tilting her head in confusion, Shinobu asks, "For another magazine?"
Gyokko waved her off with his hand. "No, no! He finally decided to retire after saying he never would for the past fifteen years."
"Oh, I see."
"He shall be missed the most by me," declared Murata.
Shinobu frowned after hearing this. "Sure…If you say so."
Gyokko sighed deeply before explaining, "He was going to launch the Secret Shadows segment."
"We already have launched the Secret Shadows segment," Shinobu pointed out, "The content posted for that segment is our most popular content."
"No, you don't get it…We were planning on creating social media accounts, posting exclusively Secret Shadows content."
"You don't say."
"The thing is, we need a story for the launch of all these new accounts. It has to be exclusive, and it has to start the new year off with a bang! 2026 is going to be our year after this!" Beckoning Shinobu and Murata over with his finger, the old man waited for them to come closer for him to ask, "So, what do you two know about the Urokodaki Dynasty?"
"Huh?" Murata stared at Gyokko before turning to Shinobu, who smirked at him.
Faking a cough, Shinobu began, "The Urokodaki Dynasty refers to the Urokodaki family, who've played a major role in our country's politics for the past one hundred years…The late Taro Urokodaki was running for the presidency, but—"
Murata interrupted Shinobu to clarify, "But he died in a tragic car accident before his plans got off the ground.
Glaring at Murata, Shinobu informed, "His widow, the very much alive Koinatsu Urokodaki, is really into philanthropy, like go big or go home levels of big!"
"Two sons."
"Giyuu and Sabito, neither of them has the Urokodaki surname because they were adopted by the childless Taro and Koinatsu."
Murata glared at Shinobu before stating, "Most of the gossip for the past few years has been about Sabito, the handsome firefighter whose themed calendars that he's personally modeled for have sold out within hours of being in the market. All the proceeds from those sexy calendars of his go towards supporting foster children and ensuring they make it out of the foster care system standing on their own two feet."
"Though Giyuu did have that very ugly separation with that one socialite."
Muarata scoffs. "She was not just any socialite! She's Masako Ubuyashiki of the very same Ubuyashiki family, which does the most philanthropic work of any other family of the 0.01%."
"The separation happened last year, between Christmas and New Year's Eve."
"Nobody seems to know the exact details of when they ended things and why it even happened in the first place."
Shinobu scoffs. "Oh, please! I bet he wanted to marry her, and she realized her children wouldn't have the prestigious Urokodaki surname attached to their given names."
Slamming his fist on the table, Gyokko announced, "Look here, the Urokodaki family will be at their private estate in Shirokuma Mountain next week for Christmas. This will be the first Christmas since the late Taro Urokodaki's death. A most reputable source has told me one of the adoptive sons has brought an engagement ring costing more than a sports car."
Shiunobu pondered for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "Well, it has to be Giyuu. Sabito hasn't been in any romantic relationships long enough to justify him proposing with a shiny rock that costs hundreds of thousands!"
"Who's the woman?" Murata asks.
"That's what I want to know, too," Gyokko says, "And it's what you will find out for me. Plus anything else along the way."
"Which one of us do you want to find out about all that?"
"Whoever gets there first," Gyokko answers.
Shinobu smiled after hearing this. "That sounds like a challenge!"
"It is. You two are my best reporters." Snapping his fingers, Gyokko continued, "Whoever gets this story gets to run the Shadows Segment…I guess you can say you'll be promoted after this. Consider yourself a brand new social media manager for the new year."
There usually came a raise in salary with a promotion. For Shinobu, this new change in position would be especially beneficial! She just had to beat Murata to the story one way or another!
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Thirty-one-year-old Shinobu Kochou has seen plenty of handsome men in her lifetime. Still, she was rather partial to men with lighter-colored hair. The handsome young man whose many photos were plastered on the screen of her purple-colored laptop in front of her was no exception.
From his spiky peach-colored hair to his expressive pale lavender-colored eyes to the proud and warm, albeit knowing smile he always seems to wear in all of his photos, Sabito Hotachi was most certainly an attractive man, and he definitely is aware of his good looks with the confidence he possesses in all the photos he's posed for. Even the prominent scar underneath his left eye added to his allure. No wonder Shinobu's magazine has reported on everything and anything there is about him when it comes to his private, personal affairs.
Imitating the sort of wolf whistles she'd see men do in the media, Shinobu then purrs, "Hello, handsome. I can clearly understand why your calendars get sold out within minutes!"
The sound of a forced cough immediately resulted in Shinobu's admiration of Sabito coming to a halt. Turning around, she was greeted by the sight of a pleasantly surprised Ume Shabana, who gave her an amused smile.
Ume giggled at Shinobu before pointing out. "Sabito Hotachi isn't the only heir to the Urokodaki Dynasty, you know!"
Shinobu bit her lip, realization dawning upon her. "Oh, right, there's the other brother…Let's see what I can find." She started searching for his name online. On her laptop screen were various photos of a tall and handsome black-haired, blue-eyed young man who had not once smiled in any of the photos she could find of him. "Hmm…Well, I suppose a well-tailored suit makes all the difference for a man, especially if he's a stockbroker. As much as I prefer lighter-colored hair on a man, he's not that bad to look at…If only he smiled, though."
Ume giggled once more. "I'm Team Giyuu."
Shinobu rolls her eyes at Ume's statement. "Of course you are, Ume."
Shinobu was on nobody's team, especially not for the heirs to the Urokodaki Dynasty.
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Thursday, December 18, 2025
Although Shinobu was supposed to complete an hour of indoor rock climbing today, her local Outback Climbing Center called her earlier in the morning to inform her that all scheduled activities for the facility for the next three days would be canceled due to maintenance. As a result, she spent the morning and afternoon at home working remotely. She didn't end up being particularly productive, not when her younger twin cousins, Yuichirou and Muichirou Tokitou, bothered her whenever they found the opportunity to do so. Due to her constant annoyance from the twin brothers, it was no surprise that she was more than willing to drop them off at Uncle Obanai and Auntie Mitsuri's house after she received a last-minute phone call from them a few hours ago, requesting she bring the two over to sleep over at their place because they had planned an early Christmas surprise for them.
While driving to the mansion Uncle Obanai and Auntie Mitsuri called home, Shinobu had to deal with the twins' many complaints, the vast majority of which were in regards to Shinobu.
The older twin brother, Yuichirou Tokitou, sitting on the left side of the car's backseats, folded his arms across his chest, complaining, "Your car sucks!"
The younger twin brother, Muichirou Tokitou, who sat on the right side of the bar's backseats, copied his older brother's actions. He, too, complained, "Your driving sucks!"
At once, they shouted, "Your taste in music sucks the most!"
Since she was the one driving them to their designated destination, Shinobu could only shout back from the driver's seat, "No, it doesn't! You two don't have any taste, that's why you think badly of Huntrix!"
"Everyone and their mother and dogs keep on blasting Golden! We're sick and tired of it."
"Too bad for you two, this song's going to be a constant in my driving playlist!"
Yuichirou grumbled upon hearing this newfound information. "No wonder you've been single forever…Who'd ever marry you, let alone date you? Of course, everyone younger and prettier than you will be married before you do! No man's going to take you for his bride with music taste like this!"
Muichirou looked down, frowning at an all too familiar white bridal lehenga laid out on the laps of Yuichirou and Muichirou. "This wedding dress sucks. Zenitsu Agatsuma must have done some black magic on Older Sister Aoi to get her to wear this."
Shinobu sighed deeply in exasperation before saying, "You want to know what doesn't suck? Your Uncle Obanai and Auntie Mitsuri, who have all the furofuki daikon you two could ever wish for!"
It was Muichirou who asked, "Why do we have to call them Uncle Obanai and Auntie Mitsuri? Older Brother Sanemi and Older Sister Kanae are the same age as Uncle Obanai."
Sighing once more, Shinobu explained, "Because he's my uncle…He's my mother's cousin, I think? My brother-in-law and my older sister have to call him Uncle, too. Anyway, since he's related to me on my mother's side of the family and you two are my cousins from my father's side of the family, you have to call them what I call them since I'm the mutual cousin you two share with Obanai."
Yuichirou scrunched his nose at the explanation."Your mother's side of the family is crazy…Why do you have so many relatives that you're weirdly related and connected to?"
"I could say the same thing about my father's side of the family…"
Yuichirou huffed. "Whatever, we're the superior side of the family. After all, you have have us and Older Sister Aoi as your cousins."
Shinobu rolled her eyes. "Sure, sure."
Shyly, Muichirou asks, "Did you ask Uncle Obanai if he's got any new snakes he's fostering?"
"Yes, I did. He said there are five new serpentine additions to the household."
For once, the twins had something nice to say, with gleeful voices, they cheered, "Awesome!"
"Well, boys, we're here!"
Finally, the car ride of excruciating pain came to an end. For two full days, Shinobu would be rid of the two identical-looking fourteen-year-old brothers who sometimes creeped her out when they tilted their heads, staring at her with their pale, misty greenish-blue eyes that looked like there were no thoughts to them whatsoever. On the bright side, Mitsuri would be the one to brush their long, wavy black hair, faded cyan at the ends, that always managed to escape whenever it was gelled or tied. Unlike Mitsuri, who was careful not to exert a lot of force when using a hairbrush, Shinobu combed their hair thoroughly despite all the complaints and cries that came from the twins.
A tap on the window snapped Shinobu out of her thoughts. From the other side of the car's window was a tall, curvaceous young woman with a head of thick hair, mostly bright pink with the ends being a lime green, equally parted into three braids. Her bright green eyes sparkled excitedly at the sight of Shinobu. Shinobu rolled down the window so that she could hear what the other woman, wearing an oversized Winnie the Pooh onesie, had to say.
"Hey Shinobu, how's my favorite niece by marriage for the past six years, who is also my best friend of the past twenty years, doing?"
Shinobu snorted. "I'm doing alright now that the little brats are off my hands and into yours instead. I don't know how you do it, Auntie Mitsuri."
With a pout, Mitsuri scolded Shinobu in jest, "Aww, don't talk badly about my nephews who are your little cousin brothers like that! It hurts me to hear such mean words from you." Pouting once more, she asks, "Aren't you going to step outside of the car and hug me? After all, I am your young and beautiful Auntie Mitsuri!"
Snorting once more, Shinobu answered, "I would, but I've got a wedding dress to deliver. Besides, I don't want to step outside and have your whole entire neighborhood see me in my Snoppy T-shirt and shorts sleepwear set…Nobody needs to know by seeing me that I still buy and wear clothing from the children's section."
With a knowing smile, Mitsuri teases, "Aren't those the ones I bought you?"
"Yeah, this set also happens to be the sleepwear the twins brought with them because our Auntie Mitsuri has a weird sense of humor and bought matching sets for the three of us!"
Mitsuri shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. "What can I say? I love buying everything in bulk; it's cheaper if you get everything wholesale. My parents had five children, with me being the oldest, of course, I'd be economical like them!" She pondered for a minute before asking, "Oh, this is Aoi's wedding dress, right? That's her dress that you have inside, no? I want to see it!"
From a distance, Yuichirou shouts out, "Don't bother, Auntie Mitsuri…It's ugly!"
Mitsuri frowned after hearing this statement. Turning to Shinobu, she asks, "It can't be that bad, right?"
This time, it was Muichirou who shouted, "Oh, but it is!"
Mitsuri bit her lip before saying, "I see…Good for Zenitsu, I guess?"
Shinobu nodded her head in agreement. "Hopefully, the bridesmaid dresses don't suck either."
As much as Shinobu would have liked to stay and catch up with her best-friend-turned-aunt, her phone's ringtone began playing from her car.
Grabbing Shinobu's arm, Mitsuri kissed each knuckle before letting it go. "I'll see you soon, okay? Don't be a stranger!"
"I will!"
With that, Shinobu drove off the distance. While driving, she conversed with the person on the other side of the line who was currently back at the office of Exposed Shadows! Magazine.
Shinobu began to ask the question that had been on her mind since the morning, "Hey, Ume, have you seen Murata? He didn't join the meeting we had online today, and he never misses a single meeting, be it digitally or in person! It's so strange! If you can, could you find out where he is?"
From her cubicle in the Exposed Shadows! Magazine's office, Ume answered, "Sure."
"I have some errands to run. Thanks."
"I'm on it, Bosswoman!"
Ume then ended the call. Exactly ten minutes later, Ume called Shinobu back.
Ume winced as she said, "Hey, Miss Shinobu…Please don't freak out, but Koinatsu Urokodaki arrived at Shirokuma Mountain yesterday!"
Shinobu's eyes widened upon hearing the newfound information she received. "Wait? What? Why? She wasn't supposed to head home until the twentieth of December!"
"I know…But, that's not all…Murata is already there."
"What? Murata is gonna get my story if we don't do anything about it!"
"What are you gonna do, then?"
"The only thing I can!" Shinobu ended the call. She allowed herself to take a deep breath before yelling out, "Not gonna get my story today, Murata!"
Not on her watch would Murata snatch her story and her promotion.
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Even though the car she had been driving since she was twenty-one was older than Kanae Shinazugawa the Older Sister of Shinobu, Sanemi Shinazugawa the Brother-in-law of Shinobu, and Obanai Iguro the Uncle of Shinobu, never once has her old car's navigation failed her. She honestly hoped that tonight would not be the day it fails, especially on a particularly dark and snowy night like this.
Driving through the mountain with a heavy reliance on her car's headlights and windshields to check out her surroundings, Shinobu stared at the path straight ahead of her, uncertainty etched on her face. "Are you sure that gave me the right address? All I see is snow."
"You're supposed to see snow; you're on a mountain."
"I know that…"
"Do you, though?"
"Forget it."
"What was the name of the last road that you passed?"
Quickly, Shinobu read the sign. "Uh, Pinetree Hill."
Back at the office, Ume tapped on her laptop screen, smiling as she said, "You should be getting close to the Urokodaki Estate, then."
"Great!"
Leaning back on her chair, Ume asks, "Miss Shinobu, did you, by some chance, pack anything suitable to wear for the weather conditions over there before you dashed off in a competitive fury?"
From the inside of her car, Shinobu shook her head in answer as she reasoned, "No…But, it's fine, though! I'll buy something when I'm up there. Time is of the essence. Murata absolutely cannot win. I won't have it!"
Ume frowned before asking, "Sure…And have you thought about where you're gonna stay?"
Shinobu raised an eyebrow. "Stay?"
"You know what I mean…Do you have any reservations anywhere, like a motel, hotel, cottage, or inn? I mean, it is the week before Christmas, so I doubt you'll find decent lodgings at this time."
Slapping her forehead, Shinobu confessed, "Oh, right…I forgot about that."
There was a sharp inhale of breath, then a deep exhale, followed by a sigh from Ume. "Madam Shinobu Kochou, whom I adore, I say this out of good intentions: This is not your clearest thought-out plan. I think it's best to come back, plot this correctly. Besides, won't your family miss you? I doubt it would be a proper Kochou Family Christmas if you're not there…"
"Well…I can't turn back now. Besides, my parents and I aren't on good terms as of the moment…Why do you think I'm staying with Auntie and Uncle Tokitou, huh? Ever since I told them how ugly Aoi's dress was, they've been hounding down on me as to why I'm not married yet…Why am I complaining about her dress when I'm older than her and have yet to have a man present in my romantic life…Can you believe that? After everything we've gone through because of my health?"
"I hear you. I can relate to some aspects."
All of a sudden, there was a silence.
"Ume?"
"Miss Shinobu?" Readjusting her wireless headphones, Ume called out from the other side, "Miss Shinobu, can you hear me?"
"Ume?" Frowning, Shinobu faked a cough before calling out, "Ume? Hello."
There was a clicking sound followed by a beep.
At her cubicle, Ume gasped, "Oh no!"
"No! This can't seriously can't be happening to me, especially not at a time like this!"
Although Shinobu was no longer connected to Ume, she still drove. Eventually, she stopped driving. However, much to her displeasure, there was a sign in front of her that read 'PRIVATE PROPERTY: NO TRESPASSING.' It was suspended on a white chain, serving as a barrier between outsiders from entering the private property.
As she attempted to turn around, the back of the car bumped into something.
"It's okay. It's okay. I've got this."
The wheels were spinning; however, the car did not move forward at all.
"Come on! Come on! Come on, Girl! You were a gift from Older Brother Sanemi! You can't betray me just yet! Not after everything we've been through together!"
Still, the car did not budge from where it was positioned on top of the snow.
"You know what? Maybe it just needs a little push?"
With this in mind, she stepped out of the car so that she could get it moving through another means. As she attempted to push the car, she ended up falling into the snow.
"Well, that did not work…"
Shivering, she walked back to the driver's seat to pull out her phone.
Holding it up in the air, she said to herself, "Surely, there would be a reception here, right?"
After running around in a circle for ten minutes straight, she realized this was not the case whatsoever.
"Oh, come on! You'd think there would be a reception up here!"
She headed back inside the car.
"SO COLD! Only idiots would want to live up here, where it's colder than my mommy's deep freezer. Thank you, modern-day technology, for inventing heating for cars."
Unfortunately for her, the car's fuel level gauge had its red needle pointed to zero. This resulted in her bumping her head against the steering wheel.
"What a lousy car this is! I'll have a word with you, Sanemi Shinazugawa! First, you steal my older sister away from me, now you steal my sanity with this beat-up car that's older than you, my sister, and my uncle!"
She took several deep breaths.
"I will not panic!"
All of a sudden, there was no sound coming from the car whatsoever.
"Oh, come on! Don't tell me the engine's dead like my love life!"
In a panic frenzy, she stepped outside to open the trunk of the car.
"I can't believe I'm resorting to this, but I'm left with no choice."
Pulling out the bridal lehenga, which she had left in the trunk, she attempted to place it on her petite, slender body.
.
.
.
The problem with wearing a wedding dress that was not meant for Shinobu was how unflattering it was on her and how unattractive she felt in it. With that in mind, Shinobu still chose to wear Aoi's wedding dress because it was either that or walking around Shirokuma Mountain wearing only a thin sleepwear set consisting of a t-shirt and shorts that was made for an eleven-year-old girl to wear, not a grown thirty-one-year-old woman with a bachelor's degree in medical journalism, in addition to a minor in fashion design. She should have been grateful that she placed the dress in the trunk of the car before she drove home, only to end up driving to Shirokuma Mountain, but she was not.
On the bright side, Aoi opted for a heavy, ornately decorated dupatta instead of a simple lace veil. This last-minute change allowed Shinobu to wrap the shawl around her head, neck, and shoulders, bringing warmth to the upper body. On the other hand, the skirt of the lehenga was heavy, and the many layers of petticoats worn underneath the skirt imposed a significant weight on her lower body.
To make matters worse, Aoi was curvier and taller than Shinobu, which meant Shinobu had to lift up the long skirts if she did not want to risk tripping. The dress was already two dress sizes too loose on Aoi, but on Shinobu, she practically drowned in the gown. Thankfully, this state of atitte she currently had going on was only temporary. She would never have to wear this outfit again once she was out of this disaster.
As she tied her shoelaces, she said out loud, "I am so sorry, Aoi, but my survival matters most. Besides, I have plenty of sketches of dress designs for you to consider should this dress not be salvageable by the end of this madness! I didn't minor in fashion design for nothing!"
Once her shoelaces were tied, she stood up, smoothing down the skirt.
"Okay." She nodded her head in approval. "I will thank you properly for choosing a dress that, surprisingly, is decent at keeping me warm in this cold weather when I am still a bridesmaid at the wedding. I don't mind if you make Kanao the maid of honor instead of me…She's way better a person than I'll ever be, that's a fact!"
She grunted as she attempted to walk to the sign that was supposed to prevent unwanted outsiders from trespassing.
Lifting the skirt even higher so that she could attempt to walk over the chain, she grumbled, "Oh, you must really love him. May this kind of love never find me because no man is ever worth getting all caught up in this mess again!"
The moment she placed one foot over the chain, she ended up tripping, resulting in her falling flat on her face on the snow. Naturally, she gasped in pain.
Quickly, she stood back up. "Okay...I'll just pretend that never happened."
It was easier said than done when she had to endure walking through multiple trees, which had branches that attacked her in all directions. Perhaps it would have been better if the trees had leaves on their branches, maybe it would have resulted in the leaves tickling her instead of her being scathed by the harsh bark.
She grunted once she got out of the patch of trees. However, instantly she realized that there was nowhere for her to go on the other side because she was at the edge of a hill. Her only choice was to go down the snowy hill, which she was not willing to do. Perhaps it was due to a badly taken step on her end, but she ended up rolling down the hill.
"Whoa!"
Naturally, her screams were loud enough to be heard in the far-off distance.
.
.
.
In a distance not so far away, a young man was collecting all the chopped wood he could possibly hold, but he dropped them the second he heard a series of screaming. Turning around, he was stunned to be greeted by the sight of an unconscious young woman in a soaked, stained, and scratched dirty wedding dress that had to be older than his age and the young woman's age combined.
Behind him, the cries of a baby bear could be heard.
"All right, come on. Come on." With a sigh, he continues by saying, "Tanbearo Kumado, what do I do next? I never thought I'd live to see a real-life Snow Bride straight out of a fairy tale come landing on my feet."
What could he possibly do in a situation like this? These sorts of scenarios should only happen in badly-acted, low-budget Christmas rom-com television movies intended to be played as background noise for the holidays. He was not made for such things. Or, was he?
To be continued…
