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Arisu was going to kill whoever invented Secret Santa.
“I don't see what the problem is with you drawing Niragi,” Chishiya said from the kotatsu, eyes glued to the medical journal at hand while he paced their living room for the seventh time that evening. “Just get him a Steam gift card that he can use to buy more games. Problem solved.”
“A gift card!?” Arisu stopped short, staring at his boyfriend in mild horror. “Shun, that's so impersonal! What if he thinks I don't care enough about him?”
“He doesn't think, period.”
“But… what if he gets something really thoughtful for Secret Santa? That would make me an asshole, wouldn't it?”
Chishiya finally looked up at his question, one eyebrow raised. “Niragi. Thoughtful. Choose one.”
“He is capable of being thoughtful!” Arisu insisted. “Remember when he helped Karube pick out that espresso machine for Lucid?”
“He told Karube to ‘get the expensive one so people think his bar isn't shit.’” The older man shook his head with a huff. “I hardly believe it was out of thoughtfulness or anything sentimental.”
“… Okay, but the intention was there—”
“And it was to insult Karube's taste.”
Arisu groaned and rubbed his face in distress. “This is a disaster. What do you even get for someone who spends half his time insulting everyone and the other half playing violent video games?”
“A muzzle?”
“Shun!”
“I'm being helpful.” Chishiya turned a page without looking up. “Think of it as a public service.”
Arisu grabbed a throw pillow and launched it at his boyfriend's head. The man caught it without glancing away from his journal, which was honestly just showing off at this point.
“I hate your smug ass so much.”
“No you don't,” Chishiya said easily, nudging him with his foot. “Now sit down properly, I don't need you throwing your back out before you hit thirty.”
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
Meanwhile, Kuina was having the time of her life plotting chaos.
“I have the perfect idea,” she announced, bursting into the environmental nonprofit office where her lovely girlfriend was neck-deep in paperwork about coastal erosion. “It would make this Secret Santa so special for all of us.”
Usagi looked up from the screen then, eyes squinting. “Why do you have that look on your face?”
“What look?”
“The look that says you're about to cause problems on purpose.”
Kuina gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in mock offense. “I'd never! I'm just saying we should make it interesting, like… adding some stakes, probably.”
“No.”
“You haven't even heard my idea yet!”
“I don't need to.” Usagi turned back to her laptop, though the smile tugging at her lips gave her away. “The answer is still a solid no.”
“But what if, and this is purely hypothetical,” Kuina continued cheerfully, undeterred as she perched on the edge of her girlfriend's desk, “we made it so whoever gives the worst gift has to host New Year's?”
Usagi's fingers froze over her keyboard. “Hikari.”
“I'm just saying! It would motivate everyone to actually try instead of phoning it in.”
“You realize that means one of us is definitely hosting New Year's, right? We're part of this Secret Santa too.”
“Please.” Kuina examined her nails with exaggerated nonchalance. “I'm excellent at gift-giving. I have nothing to worry about.”
“Your confidence is both admirable and deeply concerning.”
“You love me anyway.”
“Unfortunately,” Usagi sighed, half-exasperated and half-fond. “Alright, we can do that, but if this backfires, you're handling the aftermath by yourself.”
“Deal!” Kuina beamed. “I need to text the group chat. Oh, and should we check in with Ann about whether she's cleared to come to the gift exchange?”
“I've already done that this morning,” Usagi said, reaching out to catch her hand and keep her from darting away. “Her doctor approved it as long as we keep it low-key and she has an out if she needs one.”
That made her excitement ease into something more gentler than before. “How's she doing so far?”
“Much better now that she's in outpatient care, and she's looking forward to seeing all of us at the party.”
“That's my girls.” Kuina leaned in to press a quick kiss to her girlfriend's cheek before bouncing toward the door. “I'll start dinner soon. Try not to stay late, okay?”
“Okay,” Usagi hummed, smiling as she turned back to her coastal erosion reports.
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
Karube stared at the name written in his paper slip like it had personally insulted his entire bloodline.
“No,” he said flatly.
“Yes,” Niragi said from the couch without looking up, the sharp staccato of gunfire and explosions from his Switch punctuating his amusement. By his side, Kuro was curling close, purring contently as she soaked up his warmth.
“I'm not doing this.”
“You literally have to.” The younger man paused his game long enough to look over with a menacing grin. “That's how Secret Santa works, Daikichi. You draw a name, you're stuck with them.”
Karube glared at the name again, hoping that it would magically change if he stared hard enough. “Chishiya. I drew Chishiya.”
“And?”
“And?! Suguru, he barely tolerates my existence on a good day! The only reason he puts up with me is because I'm friends with Arisu and he's dating him!”
“Pretty sure I'm in the same boat,” Niragi said with a shrug before getting right back to his game. “Anyway, just get him some fancy medical equipment that he can use to poke people all day or something. Doctors love that shit.”
“That's—” Karube paused. “Actually, that's not a terrible idea.”
“I know. I'm a genius.”
“You really aren't.”
“Says the guy who's been spiralling for five minutes straight over a Secret Santa draw.” Niragi shifted his bad leg with a wince, adjusting it on the pillows. The movement earned him an indignant meow from Kuro before she hopped off the couch entirely and padded toward her other human. “And for what it's worth, Chishiya might be an ass on a daily basis, but he'll behave when Arisu's around.”
Karube couldn't really argue with that.
“When did you become the voice of reason in this relationship?” he sighed, scooping the cat up as she passed and dropping onto the couch beside his boyfriend, settling her between them. “I swear that used to be my job not long ago.”
“Around the same time you stress-mixed five different cocktails because you couldn't decide on Lucid's holiday menu.” Niragi leaned into him slightly, which was about as affectionate as he got in broad daylight. “You'll figure it out, pretty boy. You always do.”
Karube pressed a quick kiss to his temple, earning an annoyed grunt that didn't quite mask the pleased tone underneath, while Kuro took the opportunity to get comfortable between her humans, curling in and promptly falling back asleep.
“So,” he said after a while. “Who did you get for Secret Santa?”
“Kuina.”
“Oh, you're fucked.”
“Why?”
“Because Kuina is terrifyingly good at gift-giving.” Karube responded, shaking his head. “Remember when she got Arisu that limited-edition puzzle game he'd been searching for months and just handed it to him on his birthday like it was nothing?”
“… Oh.”
“Yeah.”
Niragi sighed. “I'm fucked, aren't I?”
“Very much so.”
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
Ann sat in the common area of the outpatient facility, the slip of paper resting between her fingers as she regarded it with the kind of calmness she applied to most things these days.
Karube Daikichi.
She knew the name well enough, as Kuina and Usagi had talked about him often whenever they visited her: always as Arisu's close friend, as Niragi's partner, as someone who had come back from that place stable enough to open a bar and build a life that, from the outside, looked solid. From her point of view, Karube always looked alright — even when he had lost someone important too, just like the rest of them had.
The problem was, Ann didn't really know him, at least not personally. Their interactions had been limited to polite nods at group gatherings, the occasional comment about the weather or casual talks about drinks and food — which were all in the safe and non-threatening territory.
And gift-giving would require more than just... that.
She pulled out her phone, thumb hovering over Kuina's contact before she thought better of it. This wasn't something she could ask about directly — that would ruin the point of Secret Santa. Instead, she opened her notes app and began making a detailed list, trying to get as many crucial points as possible.
What I know about Karube Daikichi:
-
Owns a bar called Lucid
-
Dating Niragi
-
Close friends with Arisu since before… everything
-
Lost someone named Chota
The last point made her pause. Ann had heard this name before — once, maybe twice — slipping into conversations when Arisu visited. Each time, his voice had softened, grown careful and reverent, as he spoke about memories shared long before the Borderland took them away, before loss came crashing down and healing became a slow, uneven process that nearly broke them.
That was something she understood. She understood it in a way that tightened her chest and made it difficult to breathe if she thought about it for too long.
Blinking rapidly to clear the unshed tears that clung to her eyes, Ann stared at the note in hands before typing down one final line that came in her mind after what her thoughts had brought her.
-
Figure out how to honor a memory without making it hurt worse.
It was going to take some research. Good thing she had time.
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
Chishiya looked at the mess of flyers in front of him, then at Arisu, who was currently stress-eating his third onigiri while researching “gifts for people who enjoy violence as a hobby” on his laptop.
“You're overcomplicating this,” he said.
“I'm not overcomplicating anything!” His boyfriend shot back, mouth half-full. “I'm being thorough.”
“You've been ‘being thorough’ for two weeks. At this rate, you'll give Niragi a gift basket of your own anxiety.”
Arisu slumped over the kotatsu in defeat. “Why did I agree to this? Why do we even have friends?”
“Excellent question.” Chishiya pulled out his phone and opened a new note. “I drew Usagi, by the way.”
“Oh, that's easy! She loves anything related to environmental conservation or—”
“I know what she likes, Ryō. I'm not socially inept.”
“Debatable,” Arisu muttered under his breath.
Chishiya huffed and reached out to flick his boyfriend's ear.
“Ow— Hey!” The younger man yelped, scrambling back and trying — unsuccessfully — to dodge a second flick. “Okay, okay! You're socially competent and charming and—” He squirmed as his fingers hovered threateningly. “—a bully, apparently!”
“Better.” Chishiya leaned back against his cushion with the barest hint of a smile. “Though if it was Karube that I'd drawn for Secret Santa instead of Usagi, I would just wrap up a bottle of decent whiskey and called it a night.”
“You can't just default to alcohol for anything Karube-related like that!”
“Watch me.”
“Shun.”
“Ryō.”
They stared at each other for a long moment before Arisu sighed in defeat. “You're impossible.”
“And yet you keep me around.”
“Stockholm syndrome, probably.”
Chishiya's smile widened just a bit — which, for him, was practically a love confession — before he lifted his teacup. “You'll figure out Niragi's gift eventually, and if you don't,” he added, taking a sip, “I maintain that a muzzle is still on the table.”
“You're way too invested in that idea.”
“What can I say?” He hummed pleasantly. “It has merit.”
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
As someone who took a certain pride in looking intimidating — pierced, sharp-eyed, and just this side of being feral — Niragi had never imagined himself standing in a custom jewellery store, squinting at glass display cases and earnestly contemplating how to make a bracelet as colorful as humanly possible.
“So,” the jeweller — a middle-aged woman with kind eyes — said patiently, clearly used to indecisive customers, “you mentioned wanting something personalized?”
“Yeah. It's for… a friend.” Niragi nodded, shifting his grip on his cane and resisting the urge to cringe. Friend wasn't a word he used lightly, let alone in public, but the jeweller only smiled, clearly reading between the lines.
“I see,” she said gently. “What kind of things does your friend like?”
“She's into martial arts and currently running a dojo with her father.” Niragi shifted his weight, leaning more heavily on his cane. “She also loves fashion and always wears—”
He pulled out his phone and scrolled through his camera roll until he found a photo from the last group gathering: Kuina mid-laugh, wearing one of her signature colorful outfits, hands gesturing wildly as she told some story about her current life.
“—clothes like that,” he said, turning his phone around for the jeweller to see. “Everything she wears looks like a rainbow threw up on it, but… in a good way, I guess.”
The lady studied his photo for a while, her expression brightening. “Ah. I see exactly what you mean. So we're aiming for something vibrant and cheerful.” She tapped her pen thoughtfully. “Have you considered charms? A custom charm bracelet might be a good fit.”
“That's perfect.” The coil in his chest loosened at her easy acceptance; it was nice not to have to explain himself twice. “For the charms, do you have… I don't know, a karate gi for the martial arts thing and a butterfly for her vibe?”
“We do, actually, and I can add them on for you,” she said, already starting to sketch. “Anything else you'd like to include?”
Niragi thought for a moment, remembering conversations he had half-listened to while Kuina and Karube chatted at the bar. “A fan, maybe? She mentioned something about teaching traditional dance forms at the dojo. And…” He hesitated, squaring up. “Can you… add a small transgender flag charm as well? It's a part of her identity and I want to acknowledge that.”
“Of course.” The lady hummed, still sketching. “And the metal preference?”
“Silver, the best kind of silver you have here.” The answer came instantly before he could second-guess himself. “It's a Christmas gift and I… want it to be nice, at least.”
Twenty minutes and a significant dent in his bank account later, Niragi limped out of the jewellery store feeling oddly satisfied with himself. His phone buzzed when he was halfway home, and he couldn't help the smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth when he checked the messages sent to him.
old man (unfortunately): Did you seriously spend nearly an hour and a half at a jewellery store?
grumpy bastard: are you fucking stalking me
old man (unfortunately): You shared your location with me when you were drunk a few months ago.
old man (unfortunately): It comes with the territory.
grumpy bastard: i'll block your number
old man (unfortunately): You know you won't.
old man (unfortunately): So what did you get?
grumpy bastard: none of your business
old man (unfortunately): Kuina's going to love it, whatever it is.
Niragi stared at his phone, then at the jewellery store bag in his hand, then back at his phone with a sigh.
grumpy bastard: if she doesn't i'll throw it out
old man (unfortunately): Debatable.
old man (unfortunately): Anyway, anything you want for dinner?
old man (unfortunately): I can go grab them for you.
grumpy bastard: i don't care, something with chicken
old man (unfortunately): You literally always care.
grumpy bastard: fine
grumpy bastard: get the good chicken from that place near the station
grumpy bastard: and don't forget the spicy sauce this time
old man (unfortunately): Got it.
old man (unfortunately): I'll be home in a bit.
old man (unfortunately): Try not to get into trouble without me.
grumpy bastard: whatever
grumpy bastard: and don't get yourself killed
Niragi shoved his phone back into his pocket, fighting the urge to smile at how sappy they both were. When the hell had he become the kind of person who texted about dinner plans and spent obscene amounts of money on custom jewellery for friends?
Seemed like the Borderland had really fucked them all up in the strangest ways possible.
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
Usagi had a relatively easy time with the person she had drawn.
Arisu was… well, Arisu. She had known him long enough — first at the Borderland, then at the hospital while they recovered from the meteor strike, then throughout the months afterward watching him slowly piece himself back together — that choosing a gift for him shouldn't be challenging. He was the kind of person who appreciated thoughtfulness over expense, who would light up over something meaningful rather than flashy.
The problem was that meaningful could be fifty different things where Arisu was concerned.
“You're overthinking this,” Kuina said from where she was sprawled on their couch, Thumper nestled contentedly in her lap. The rabbit's nose twitched as she stroked his soft fur.
“I'm not overthinking,” Usagi protested, pacing their living room with her laptop balanced on one arm. “I'm being thorough.”
“You've had seventeen tabs open for the past three days.” Her girlfriend pointed out with a sigh. “That's not thorough, that's spiralling.”
“I'm not spiralling—”
“You color-coded your gift spreadsheet ten minutes ago!”
Usagi paused mid-search, then looked at Kuina with a sheepish grin. “... In my defense, it was a very helpful spreadsheet.”
That was enough to make the girl snorted, earning an indignant thump from Thumper as her laughter jostled him. “Sorry cutie,” she murmured, rubbing behind his ears before turning her attention back to Usagi. “Baby. Love of my life. Light of my existence. You're shopping for Arisu, who'd once teared up over a small good luck charm made by Chishiya, so I'm sure anything that's related to his interests would be enough to make him thrilled.”
“But he might have those things in his possession already, and—”
“Yuzuha,” Kuina interrupted gently, patting the cushion beside her. “How about we go through your spreadsheet together? It would be helpful, wouldn't it?”
Usagi hesitated, then closed her laptop with a sigh and joined her girlfriend on the couch. Thumper immediately hopped over, pink nose bumping insistently against her hand until she gave him the attention he clearly felt entitled to.
“See?” Kuina leaned on her shoulder. “Everything's better with rabbit therapy.”
She couldn't help but snort at that, pressing a kiss against her girlfriend's cheek. “Silly.”
“Your silly, baby.”
Usagi hummed in agreement, smiling as she reopened her laptop, and this time the gift-hunting process felt a little less daunting with Kuina's warmth beside her and Thumper's soft weight settling across both their laps.
❝ ❞ ✧ ೃ༄
The day of the Secret Santa exchange arrived with all the chaos of a meteor strike and none of the amnesia to help them forget it afterward.
“Alright!” Kuina clapped her hands together, practically vibrating with excitement as everyone gathered at Lucid for this special day. “Everyone ready? Remember, worst gift hosts New Year's!”
“I still think that's a terrible idea,” Usagi muttered, though she was smiling as she adjusted the wrapped gift in her lap, while Ann nodded along in agreement from her spot on the couch Karube had prepared beforehand.
“I think it's a great idea,” Niragi said from where he was sprawled in one of the bar's corner booths, Kuro curled up beside him. “Means I get to watch someone else suffer for once.”
“We'll be hosting together if you get worst gift,” Karube pointed out, wiping down the bar counter even though it was already spotless. Nervous habit. “Which I'm fine with, but that would require you to be social and welcoming.”
“Fuck off.”
“See? You'd be terrible at it.”
“Before we get started with the drama,” Kuina announced, producing a Santa hat from seemingly nowhere, “we're doing this properly. Everyone's names go in the hat, and we draw for order.”
“Didn't we already do that?” Niragi asked, looking somewhat disgruntled. “Why are we picking names again?”
“That was for who we're buying for,” Kuina explained with exaggerated patience. “This is for who goes first in gifting their presents away. Keep up, Niragi.”
“I hate you.”
“No you don't.” She grinned and shook the hat. “Alright, who's brave enough to go first?”
“I'll do it,” Ann said quietly from her spot on the couch. She had been mostly observing until now, looking more relaxed than she had in months. Outpatient care was clearly doing her good.
She reached into the hat and pulled out a slip of paper. “Karube.”
“Oh, fuck,” Karube said eloquently.
“Such poetry,” Chishiya murmured, earning an elbow to the ribs from Arisu.
Karube set down his bar towel — finally — and retrieved a elegantly wrapped box from behind the counter. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he then walked toward his best friend's partner, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
“So,” he began, scratching the back of his neck, “I drew you, and to be honest, I panicked for… like… two weeks straight.”
“Riveting opening,” Chishiya said dryly, catlike eyes glinting with amusement.
That did not help. Karube flushed, shoved the gift into his hands, and bristled. “Just… open it, man.”
Chishiya unwrapped it carefully like a doctor performing his surgery, taking long enough that Arisu had to fight the urge to intervene — seriously, who opened presents like this? — but when the paper finally fell away, something like genuine surprise flickered across his face.
“It's got the best acoustic quality on the market,” Karube said quickly, words tumbling out in a rush while the man examined the stethoscope he just got. “And I know you work with kids, so I got these too—” He pulled out a second, smaller bag. “A good cover for it. They've got little cartoon characters on them. Thought it might help with the younger patients who get scared.”
Chishiya was quiet for a moment, turning the gift over in his hands. When he finally looked up, his expression had softened in a way that felt almost rare and painful to watch.
“It's perfect,” he said simply. “Thank you, Karube.”
The sincerity in his voice made Karube blink in surprise. “Oh. Uh. You're welcome?”
“Aww,” Kuina cooed. “Look at you two bonding! Isn't that sweet?”
“We're not bonding!” They said in unison, then immediately looked annoyed at how synchronized they were, while Arisu nearly fell off his chair laughing at them.
The next name drawn from the hat was Niragi, and the room collectively held its breath.
“This should be fun,” Chishiya murmured, settling back against his boyfriend with his tea.
Niragi made a show of sighing dramatically before reaching for the small jewelry box he had placed on the table earlier, then limped over to where Kuina was standing and pushed the box into her hands unceremoniously.
“Here,” he grunted. “Don't make it weird.”
Kuina's eyes lit up immediately. “Oh my god, you got me jewelry? Niragi, you romantic—”
“Shut the fuck up and open it.”
She did, and the squeal that came out of her mouth was so high-pitched that Kuro's ears flattened against her head in protest.
“Oh my, this is— Wait, is that a karate gi? And a butterfly? And— oh my god, is that a fan?” Kuina's voice cracked slightly as she examined each charm. “And you even—” She paused, fingers trembling slightly as she touched the small transgender flag charm. “You even…”
“Yeah, well.” Niragi shifted uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at her face. “You never shut up about the dojo, and you're always wearing shit that looks like a Lisa Frank folder exploded, so I figured—”
He didn't get to finish because Kuina lunged forward and hugged him hard enough that he nearly lost his footing in the process.
“Jesus fuck—” Niragi tried to push her off, but his protests were half-hearted at best. “You're gonna break my other leg, get off—”
“I love it so much!” The girl pulled back to look at him with suspiciously shiny eyes. “Niragi, this is the most thoughtful gift I've ever gotten, I'm not even joking.”
“It's just a bracelet,” he muttered, ears turning red.
“It's a custom bracelet that shows you actually listen when people talk.” Kuina was already fastening it around her wrist. “Which is terrifying and sweet in equal measure.”
Usagi leaned over to examine it, her expression softening. “Niragi, this is beautiful work.”
“Yeah, yeah.” He waved them off, leaning onto his cane to stand more comfortably. “Next person go before I regret having feelings.”
“Too late,” Karube called out, grinning widely. “We all saw. You're officially soft now.”
“I will hobble over there and beat you with my cane.”
“Try it, pretty boy—”
“Anyway!” Kuina interrupted before they could start their usual bickering, pulling another name from the hat with her newly adorned bracelet. “Next up is… Usagi!”
Usagi stood gracefully, the gift she had been fussing with balanced in her hands, and crossed the bar towards Arisu with a pleased smile.
“I got you,” she said warmly. “And honestly, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.”
“Should I be worried?” Arisu accepted the gift, already grinning.
“Probably not.”
He tore into the wrapping paper with significantly less care than Chishiya had shown, revealing a customized Cyberdeck1 kit — the exact one he had mentioned months ago, offhanded, while they were all hanging out together at his place.
“Oh shit,” Arisu breathed, practically vibrating with joy as he turned the kit over. “Usagi, this is really hard to get! How did you—”
“I have my ways,” she said with a wink, then pulled out a second, smaller item. “And this is from Thumper, technically.”
It was a USB drive shaped like a carrot.
“I'm not gonna explain this to my coworkers,” Arisu said, already laughing. “They're going to think I've lost it.”
“Good,” Usagi declared. “You work from home anyway.”
“I have video calls!”
“Even better.” She returned to her spot next to Kuina, looking extremely satisfied with herself.
Chishiya leaned over to examine the carrot USB. “I'm keeping this.”
“Like hell you are,” Arisu clutched it protectively to his chest and glared at his boyfriend. “This is mine. Thumper gave it to me.”
“Thumper is a rabbit. He has no concept of ownership.”
“Neither do you, apparently—”
“Children,” Niragi called out. “Some of us would like to finish this before midnight.”
Kuina pulled the next name from the hat, her smile widening. “Chishiya! Your turn.”
Chishiya stood up calmly, holding a box in his hands, then walked toward where the three girls were sitting and extended his gift towards Usagi.
“Usagi,” he said simply. “Hope you enjoy your gift.”
She accepted it with a slightly wary expression. “Should I be concerned?”
“Good question,” Chishiya hummed, already settling back into his seat. “Open it and see.”
Usagi lifted the lid carefully and drew out a hardcover book, its cover featuring a striking photograph of a pristine coastline. Her eyes widened as she read the title aloud.
“‘Innovative Approaches to Coastal Ecosystem Restoration,’” she said, voice soft with surprise. “Chishiya, this is—”
“There's more,” he said, nodding toward the box.
She reached inside again and pulled out a certificate. It took only a second before a smile spread across her lovely face.
“You adopted a sea turtle in my name?” She asked, her eyes softened. “That's really kind of you, Chishiya.”
“Technically, it's a sponsorship through a marine conservation program,” Chishiya corrected, looking pleased with himself, “but yes, I donated under your name, and they let me name it, so you now have a turtle named Rice Ball to match Thumper.”
“Rice Ball,” Usagi repeated, shaking her head fondly as she ran a thumb over the certificate. “You named a turtle Rice Ball.”
“Given that it is Arisu's snack of choice every time we visit you and Kuina,” Chishiya responded smoothly, “it felt appropriate to honor what appears to be a growing addiction.”
“Hey,” Arisu protested, “I'm not that addicted to rice balls.”
“Well,” he said with a shrug, “you are now.”
Usagi laughed as the familiar banter sparked up again, then looked back at Chishiya and nodded. “Thank you. I really love this.”
“You're welcome.”
Kuina pressed a quick kiss to her girlfriend's cheek before reaching for the hat again. “Alright, next is…” She opened the paper and grinned. “Arisu! C'mon, show us what you've got.”
Arisu stood, nerves clear in his smile as he approached Niragi with a gift bag clutched in his hands and stopped just a careful distance away before clearing his throat.
“Uh… hi,” he started. “I know you probably didn't expect me, but I pulled your name and—”
“Jesus,” Niragi snapped. “Get to the point.”
“Right. Sorry.” Arisu huffed out a small chuckle and held the bag out. “I know you're going to say something sarcastic, but just… try to keep an open mind?”
“That's a terrible opening. You've already lost.”
“Just open it!”
With an exaggerated sigh, Niragi grabbed the bag and shoved aside the tissue paper, then paused when his fingers brushed something smooth and angular. He pulled out a high-end drawing tablet, followed by a pair of noise-canceling headphones that he had read positive reviews about.
“What the fuck,” he said eloquently.
“There's a stylus too,” Arisu added quickly, gesturing to the bag. “And I, um— I know you do game dev like me, but I also remember you mentioning at Karube's bar that you used to draw quite a few character designs before you lost them all in the meteor incident, and I thought maybe…” He trailed off, scratching the back of his neck. “Maybe you'd want to get back into it?”
The silence stretched just long enough for Karube to start looking concerned.
“You remembered that?” Niragi asked eventually, voice flat.
“Well, yeah.” Arisu shifted his weight, looking nervous. “You only mentioned it once, but it seemed important to you, so…”
Niragi stared at the tablet, then at him, then back at the tablet. “This is expensive as fuck.”
“I mean, I got a decent bonus this quarter—”
“You're an idiot,” he grunted and set the tablet down carefully — almost reverently — before opening the headphone and putting it on. “But these are good enough to block out Karube's terrible music, so I guess I can't complain.”
“Hey!” Karube protested. “My music taste is excellent!”
“You listen to yacht rock, old man. That's an insult to my ears.”
“Yacht rock is relaxing!”
“Anyway,” Arisu spoke up before they could spiral into their usual bickering, “I'm glad you like it. Or, uh, don't hate it?”
Niragi hummed, adjusting the headphone with an approving nod. “Thanks.” He said, then paused before turning away with a slight flush on his cheeks, “This was… thoughtful.”
“Did hell just freeze over?” Chishiya murmured to no one in particular. “Should we check the weather forecast for the next few days?”
“Shut the fuck up,” Niragi shot back, but he was already examining the stylus with genuine delight. Kuro padded over to investigate, sniffing at the tablet box, then promptly decided it wasn't food and settled back beside him.
“That was sweet,” Usagi said softly, smiling at Arisu. “You did well.”
Arisu flushed under the praise and returned to his seat next to Chishiya, who immediately pulled him close and pressed a kiss to his temple, looking unmistakably proud.
Kuina reached for the hat once more. “And next we have…” She unfolded the paper and smiled. “Ann!”
Ann stood carefully, smoothing her sweater as she retrieved her gift next to her. She had wrapped it herself — folding paper again and again around these items had been oddly therapeutic — and now held it with both hands as she approached Karube.
“I drew you, and while I haven't known you for long…” She said quietly, almost hesitant. “I hope this is… appropriate.”
Karube accepted the gift with gentle hands, his usual easy confidence replaced by something more careful. Ann watched him unwrap it slowly, methodically, and she found herself holding her breath without meaning to.
The first item he pulled out was a vinyl record, the cover slightly faded but unmistakable. His hands froze for a moment at the gift.
“This is…” His voice caught.
“Arisu mentioned before that your friend, Chota, used to sing these songs at karaoke. I thought…” She paused, thinking for a moment before continuing, her voice softer than before. “I thought it might be nice to have something that reminded you of him in a way that wasn't painful, like… music you could play at the bar, so it feels like he's still… here, with you, through everything.”
Karube's hands started to tremble as he stared at the vinyl, and for a long moment, nobody spoke. Even Niragi had gone quiet, watching his boyfriend with an expression that was careful and concerned in equal measure.
“This is…” He tried again, voice rough. “Ann, this is—”
“There's something else,” she said gently, nodding toward the wrapping paper still in his lap.
He set the vinyl down carefully in response to that and pulled back the paper to reveal the second item of his gift: a leather-bound notebook with Lucid - Signature Cocktails embossed on the cover in gold lettering. When he opened it, he found the first few pages already filled with Chota's handwriting — or rather, copies of recipes his friend had apparently scribbled in margins of old notebooks, complete with little doodles and notes like Karube will hate this one because I request lemon in it (lol) or DO NOT let Karube add more whiskey into this; it's already too spicy as is.
“How did you—” His voice broke completely.
“Arisu helped,” Ann admitted. “He had some photos of Chota's old notebooks from before the Borderland. I had them printed and transcribed, and then I added blank pages after so you could… continue it — add your own recipes and keep building something that started with him.”
Karube stared down at the notebook as his shoulders began to shake. Niragi immediately shifted closer, his hand finding his knee and squeezing gently, while Arisu stood by his side, rubbing his shoulders.
“Fuck,” he rasped, wiping roughly at his eyes. “Sorry, I just— I need a minute.”
“Don't apologize,” Kuina said softly. “That's a beautiful gift.”
“… Ann,” Karube looked up at her once he had calmed down enough, eyes red but smiling. “This is the most thoughtful thing anyone's ever given me, so… thank you.”
Ann's expression softened, relief palpable in her voice. “I'm glad you like it. I wanted to… honor his memory without making it hurt worse.”
Karube took a deep breath, then crossed the room and pulled her into a hug. She stiffened for just a moment — physical affection was still something she was getting used to — before relaxing into it, returning the embrace with gentle pats.
“Seriously, thank you,” he repeated, hugging her tighter. “This means everything to me.”
When they finally pulled apart, Kuina was already dabbing at her eyes with a crumpled tissue, laughing weakly as she tried to get herself back under control.
“Okay—whew. I guess it's finally my turn.” She reached for her gift and crossed the room toward Ann, her smile softening with every step. “So,” she said, quieter now, “I drew you, and I'll admit… I was a little nervous about this one.”
“You?” Niragi called out from his spot by the bar. “Nervous? The woman who used Secret Santa as an excuse for everyone to emotionally implode?”
“Shut up, Niragi, I know you loved it,” Kuina shot back with a grin, then turned her attention back to Ann. “Anyway, I wanted to get you something that… well, I hope it means what I think it means.”
Ann accepted the gift and unwrapped it slowly, revealing an elegant leather journal with its cover running smooth beneath her fingers — and tucked into the first page of it was a bookmark of a pressed flower sealed with resin like time had frozen it in place.
“It's lovely,” Ann said softly, appreciating the gift. “Thank you, Kuina.”
“Check the inside pocket as well, Ann.” Usagi suggested gently from beside her. “There's more for you in there too.”
Ann opened the back cover of the journal and found a small envelope tucked inside. When she slid it out, a key dropped into her palm, catching the light of the bar as it settled there.
“That's a copy of our apartment key,” Kuina explained. “Yuzuha and I have been in the talk for a few months now, and we wanted you to know that… whenever you need a place that feels safe, you're welcome there at any time.”
Ann stared at the key with wonder in her eyes, fingers curling slowly around it. “You… You want me to live with you?”
“We want you to have a home with us when you're ready.” Usagi corrected gently, smiling as she reached for her hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. “Our home is yours too.”
“Yes, and the journal is for you to write in if you want,” Kuina added quickly, words tumbling out. “Your therapist mentioned journaling might help, and I— no pressure, obviously, you don't have to use it if you don't want to, I just thought—”
Ann cut her off by pulling both of them into a hug, arms embracing them tight. The three of them stayed like that for a while afterward — Kuina sniffling softly, overwhelmed, while Usagi rubbing slow circles into their backs and held on like the three of them were the only solid things left in this world.
“Thank you,” she whispered, voice muffled. “Thank you both. I… I'd like that very much.”
“Oh good,” Kuina chuckled wetly, pulling back to wipe at her eyes. “Because I already cleared out the spare room and Yuzuha bought new bedsheets and we may have gotten a little ahead of ourselves—”
“A little?” Usagi interjected, shoulders shaking with amusement. “Hikari, you've been planning this for several months.”
“I wanted it to be perfect!”
“It is perfect,” Ann said firmly, clutching the key in her palm. “All of it. Thank you.”
From across the room, Chishiya made a soft sound. “Well,” he said, voice strangely gentle, “I think we can safely say Kuina and Ann are tied for best gift.”
“Seconded,” Arisu agreed, still half-draped over his boyfriend and looking like he might start crying again himself.
“Thirded,” Karube added, voice rough as he held up the notebook Ann had given him. “Though I'm biased because mine made me lose my shit in front of everyone.”
That was enough to make everyone laugh, and the conversation became more upbeat as they chatted about plans for the holiday.
“So,” Niragi drawled, hand scratching gently behind Kuro's ears. “Who's hosting New Year's?”
“Well,” Kuina said cheerfully, the charm bracelet ringing with every movement of her hand, “according to our rules, it should be whoever got the worst gift.”
Hearing that, the friend group turned to look at each other with varying degrees of suspicion and amusement in their eyes.
“I think we could veto that rule,” Usagi suggested, her voice soft as always. “All the gifts tonight are incredible.”
“Agreed,” Arisu nodded, leaning further into Chishiya's side. “I don't think we can actually rank these. Niragi made Kuina cry—”
“Happy tears!” Kuina interjected.
“—Ann made Karube cry—”
“Also happy tears,” Karube muttered, ears red.
“—and Kuina and Usagi offered Ann their home.” Arisu gestured at all the gifts in everyone's hands. “How do you even rank that?”
“Well, we could always just declare Niragi the loser by default—” Chishiya suggested mildly. “—since he seemed very invested in watching someone else suffer for it.”
“Hey, fuck you,” Niragi shot back. “My gift is amazing and you're just jealous about it.”
“Of a custom bracelet? Hardly.”
“You're a doctor who got a stethoscope. I'm pretty sure that's the medical equivalent of getting socks for Christmas.”
“It's a high-quality stethoscope,” Chishiya corrected, looking mildly offended. “With cartoon covers for the kids. There's a difference.”
“Is there though?”
“Alright, ladies and gents,” Kuina interrupted, grinning despite herself. “Can we stop the argument for a second to figure out what our New Year's plan will be?”
“We can do it here,” Karube offered. “I mean, I already have the bar, the space, and—” He paused, holding up the vinyl Ann had given him. “—apparently a new playlist to debut.”
“Oh god,” Niragi groaned. “If you get emotional again while playing that record, I'm opting out.”
“Hell no, I won't get that sad—”
“You absolutely will,” Chishiya said with a shrug. “The first time you play that record, you'll last maybe thirty seconds before bawling your eyes out by the bar counter.”
“Why is everyone ganging up on me?” Karube lamented. “I give you a nice bar to hang out in, serve you drinks—”
“Overpriced drinks,” Niragi muttered, rolling his eyes.
“—create a welcoming atmosphere—”
“Debatable,” Chishiya added.
“—and this is the thanks I get?”
“We do love you though, Karube,” Usagi said sweetly, alleviating some of his anguish at his friends' betrayal. “And thank you for the offer, that's very kind of you.”
“Right?” The bar owner sighed in relief. “At least someone here appreciates me.”
Laughter rippled through their group again, easy and warm, and Karube seemed incredibly pleased as he basked in it.
“So it's settled then,” Kuina declared, clapping her hands together. “New Year's at Lucid!”
“I'm not cleaning up after you drunk idiots,” Niragi warned, setting Kuro down so she could wander back toward her other human. “Anyone throws up on the floor and I'm kicking you all out.”
“But… aren't you currently living with the owner of Lucid himself?” Arisu pointed out, voice hesitant. “How exactly would you kick him out?”
“… Shit.” Niragi scowled, somewhat annoyed with how he couldn't seem to find the right answer for his predicament. “Fine, I'll kick the rest of you out and make him clean it up.”
“Wow, so romantic,” Karube said dryly, though he was grinning as he leaned over to kiss his boyfriend's temple. “You really know how to sweet-talk a guy.”
“I contain multitudes.”
“You contain audacity.”
“Same thing.”
Chishiya stood then, stretching lazily before offering a hand to Arisu. ”Well, as entertaining as it is to watch you bicker, Ryō and I should probably head home before it gets too late.”
Arisu took his hand and let himself be pulled up. “Yeah, I have an early meeting tomorrow, so I should actually try sleeping for once.” He glanced around the room, smiling softly. “But this was really nice. Thanks for organizing it, Kuina.”
“Anytime!” Kuina beamed, helping Usagi gather their things while Ann tucked her new journal and key into her bag. “Same time next year?”
“Absolutely not,” Niragi said immediately. “I'm not emotionally equipped for annual breakdowns.”
“You made me cry first!”
“Happy tears don't count.”
“They absolutely do—”
“Children,” Chishiya interrupted mildly, already steering Arisu toward the door. “We're leaving before this deteriorates further.”
“Smart choice,” Arisu laughed, waving goodbye as they stepped out into the cool night air.
Behind them, Lucid stayed bright a little while longer.
╔══《✧》══╗
Footnotes:
- Cyberdeck: A portable DIY computer that can be customized and expanded with modular components, designed for hands-on coding and prototyping projects like game development. [ ▲ ]