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A quiet tension filled Quartz's homeroom on a mid-December morning.
Kisa, Soshiro, and Suzu traded confused looks among themselves as they sat in the front desks, while Shirota, Kai, and Fumi dotted the back rows, each off in their own world of curiosity -- or perhaps annoyance -- under the hum of the freshly woken fluorescent lights.
Just when the silence and the waiting threatened to grow tedious, Neji burst out from behind Instructor Enishi's lectern with a flourish and a triumphal shout.
"Thank you all for attending Neji Kokuto's Impromptu Emergency Meeting on such short notice!" He adjusted his glasses and flashed a scholarly smile as he looked over his classmates, who were recovering from varying stages of shock. Poor Soshiro was still clutching his chest, while Shirota crossed his arms and sighed. "Now that we're all here, let's get right into it!"
"Kuro," came Fumi's voice from the back row, gentle but with an edge.
"Yes, Fuumin?"
"We're only a week out from the winter performance, you know."
"In other words, 'this better be important,' right? Well, I can assure you, it most certainly is! In fact, it's a time-honored technique for improving teamwork and building camaraderie! So, let's begin!" Neji stood akimbo, looking quite proud of what he was about to say next. "I want everyone to think of their favorite animal!"
The short period of silence that followed was broken by Suzu's confused gasp.
Then, Shirota's heavy sigh.
Soshiro let slip a nervous chuckle as he shifted in his seat.
But Neji plodded on without waiting for anyone to catch up, grabbing a stack of papers from the lectern and quickly handing them out. "When you've thought of one, draw it on your paper."
An acting exercise? Kisa perked up at the thought. With everyone having struggled with their characters for "Oh Rama Havenna," they hadn't had much time to get back to the basics. Maybe there would be something in this exercise she could use for Chicchi.
"Aren't you forgetting something?" Fumi asked as Neji returned to the lectern.
"Hm?"
"We need something to write with," Shirota said.
"Aha! But of course!" With a flick of his wrists, Neji produced exactly six pencils from somewhere amidst the depths of his sleeves, brandishing them like a ninja would throwing knives. Soshiro volunteered to hand them out, perhaps to save his class leader from the upperclassmen's wrath. "Let me know when you're done and we can move on to the next step. Oh! And don't show anyone what you're drawing."
Suzu needed only to think for a moment before starting to draw, while Soshiro gazed off into the unfocused distance as he thought it over.
Favorite animal, favorite animal...
Kisa's brow furrowed in concentration as she stared down at her blank paper.
Ah, of course -- Tummy!
Quickly, she set about sketching out the mischievous little weasel, capturing every detail, from his expressive whiskers to the golden crescent moon that spanned his tummy. Well, she only had the pencil to work with, so color was to be left by the wayside, but she did some shading here and there to bring the critter to life.
Having finished early, she retreated into her thoughts, wondering what sort of exercise this would be. Perhaps she'd have to act him out? Like charades? She didn't really know much about weasels, to be honest. Not to mention, Tummy was a special case. It might be hard for others to guess, but she'd just have to do her best.
"All finished? Good!" Neji's voice broke her from her mental dialogue. "Next, I want you to fold up your paper into quarters like so," he said, demonstrating with his own, "and hand it in to me."
"Wait, you're gonna look at these?" Suzu asked.
"Perhaps not me specifically, but someone here will!"
Kisa dutifully folded up her paper as indicated, even as her stomach sank.
Someone else... was going to see her drawing? She would've been a little less indulgent had she known that.
"Now, then!" Neji shuffled all the papers into a neat stack as he looked over his prey. "You've all heard of Secret Santa, right?"
"It's an anonymous Christmas gift exchange, right?" Soshiro ventured, recalling hearing about the practice being popular overseas. "Everyone puts their name in a hat, then draws one out. You have to get a gift for the person you drew."
"That's right! As expected of our Yonaga-kun," Neji said with an approving nod.
"But what does that have to do with the animals we just drew?" Suzu asked.
"Instead of picking names, we'll be picking animals, of course!"
"Don't tell me you're going to make us figure out who drew the animal," Shirota grumbled.
"Naturally! How else would you know who you're giving a gift to?"
"Jeez, seriously..."
"I dunno, sounds like it could be fun," Fumi said with an easy shrug.
"Fumi-san, you're encouraging him?"
"It might be good to take our minds off the performance for a bit," Kai added, earning a nod from his former partner.
"What good upperclassmen you two are, supporting your dear class leader," Neji said, shooting them both finger hearts.
Fumi swatted his away, which sent Neji clutching his chest and howling in pain. "Ouch ouch owie! So this is... what heartbreak... feels like... " He slumped onto the lectern with a thud.
"We should get on with it," Shirota said, sensing a lengthy skit on the horizon and wanting to abort as quickly as possible. His gaze darted to the clock that hung above the whiteboard. "Classes are going to start soon."
"What a beautiful segue, Mikki." Neji recovered from his wounds and unceremoniously dumped all the papers into a small box he'd procured from somewhere behind the lectern. He then gave the box a good shake. "Now, who wants to draw first?"
An awkward silence fell once more, only this time, even Suzu wasn't so quick to break it.
Just as Fumi was about to raise his hand to get things rolling again, Kai's hand went up -- much to Neji's delight.
"That's our man of Havenna!" he cried as Kai strolled towards him. "Set us off to a good start, please."
"I'll do my best," Kai said, casting his hand about inside the box for but a moment before drawing a paper.
"The paper is thin, and the lights are rather strong, so let's not open them until we're alone," Neji said in a stage whisper.
One by one, they drew their slips. After Kai came Shirota, then Fumi, then Suzu. Kisa went next, followed by Soshiro, and finally, Neji himself took the last slip.
"Kuro, when exactly are we going to find time to do the exchanging?" Fumi asked as he pocketed his.
"Unfortunately, Christmas is just over a week away, and since we have our performance the day before, I don't think we'll have time for a proper gathering, so let's just exchange our gifts on our own time, okay?" Neji peered around for any indication of dissent and found none. "Now, then! Any questions?"
Suzu's hand shot up.
"Yes, Orimaki-kun?"
"What if we mess up and give it to the wrong person?"
"Hmm... then I suppose someone will get two gifts, and someone will get none!"
"That's horrible," Soshiro muttered under his breath.
"That's ridiculous," Shirota huffed.
The melodic ding-dong of the school bell interrupted any further dissatisfaction from being voiced.
"And with that," Neji said, raising his hands as if officiating a particularly rowdy wrestling match, "class dismissed!"
While everyone was initially left befuddled when they first laid eyes upon the animal they drew, no one was moreso than Kisa.
Sometime between Instructor's Tancho's Beginner's Composition class and Instructor Tagane's Foundations of Theatre lesson, she found a spare moment to finally get a peek at her paper.
She unfolded it carefully under the pale winter sunlight that streamed in through the windows lining the long corridor, holding her breath as if even a sigh could stir the graphite from its paper. The murmur of other students passing by fell away from her ears as she beheld her quarry.
A bird stared back at her. Some sort of parrot, perhaps? At least that's what she thought, her eyes tracing the thick curve of its rounded beak. With two stripes of differing shades on its wings, and a face paler than the rest of its body, it seemed quite the colorful bird. Though sketched roughly in quick strokes, its eyes held an intelligent gleam, and overall, it gave a rather elegant impression. She couldn't help but lose herself for a moment, marveling at it.
Then, upon recalling the silly weasel she'd drawn, she immediately felt apologetic to whomever had drawn her.
The next morning, she sat quietly during homeroom, the image of the parrot burned well into her mind. The rowdy atmosphere of roll call provided her adequate cover as her gaze roved the room, on the prowl for her suspect.
Suzu seemed like the type to like an animal majestic and striking, which parrots definitely were, but there was something off about the thought of him choosing a bird. Perhaps he seemed to suit something more formidable? Something more tangible, of the earth?
As for Soshiro -- well, it felt a bit like cheating, but Kisa'd known the parrot didn't belong to him right away. Not only was it not drawn in his hand, but racoons had been his favorite ever since they were kids.
Next was Shirota. While people often joked that he ate like a bird -- and sung like one as well -- other than that, there was nothing to connect the two. Since parrots were the chatty sort, he probably wouldn't appreciate their presence. Something less eye-catching and more lethargic would suit his tastes.
Of course, when it came to animals, Kai was always the first person to come to mind. Though, she felt he'd be more partial to something that could be found in the woods. Parrots felt a bit fancier than his usual tastes.
If her intuition was right, that left only Fumi and Neji.
At first glance, Neji seemed like the obvious answer. A smart and showy bird that easily draws attention to itself. Loud and colorful and with an unmistakable presence. It suited him perfectly.
It also suited Fumi, however, though in an entirely different way. Whereas Neji flew about the trees raucously, demanding attention through gaudy displays, Fumi sat on a branch off in the periphery, watching everything play out with a keen eye, drawing others' attention to his brilliance without so much as a word.
The more Kisa dwelt on the thought, the more excited she grew.
If she'd drawn Fumi, well, that'd be pretty nice.
She found her gaze wandering to the back of the room, where he currently sat near Kai, slouched back in his seat and twirling his pen as he spoke.
No sooner had she glimpsed him, his eyes immediately snapped over to her. He grinned and gave his pen another spin.
An onslaught of warmth bubbled up through her chest and heated her cheeks. She quickly turned back around in her seat, and somehow, even through the din of other students, heard him chuckle softly.
During her lunch break, she did some research into parrots -- scarlet macaws, specifically, which seemed to have a similar patterning to what had been drawn.
"Let's see, scarlet macaws," she mumbled to herself as she scrolled through photos and articles.
It was a beautiful large red bird with blue and yellow accents.
"Tends to hang out alone or in pairs rather than large flocks. Rarely seen on or near the ground, instead keeping to the high canopies. Intelligent and equipped with excellent problem-solving skills that help them navigate complex social structures... "
The more she read, the more it seemed to fit Fumi.
And so, that weekend, she set out into town for the first time in a long while.
A sky pale and heavy with clouds hung over Nakakoji as Kisa perused its cramped and narrow streets that weekend.
It seemed the perfect place to find something suited for Fumi's tastes. Though, that sentiment began to feel more and more overwhelming the longer she spent there.
The trouble was, she didn't understand traditional artisan goods the way he did. The origins of different styles, the meanings behind colors, the symbolism of patterns. She wanted to find something meaningful, but that felt a daunting task when she was so out of her depth.
She considered asking the shopkeepers. They knew Fumi well, after all, so their opinions would likely be spot on. But whether it was pride or something else, Kisa couldn't shake the feeling that she wanted to pick out the gift herself. She wanted it to be something that came from the heart.
And so, she ended up leaving Nakakoji empty-handed an hour later, setting her sights on Tamasaka Hills.
The main street was packed with shops, most of which she hadn't properly looked at since moving here nearly a year ago. She walked the street slowly now, combing over each sign, each display window. Up one side of the street, then down the other, she feared her search was fruitless until she came upon the mammoth department store building that loomed near Tamasakaza Station.
As she passed through its broad sliding doors, a curtain of warm air spewed from a unit above, loosening the stiffness from her muscles and knocking off the chill. Inside, the tantalizing smell of baked goods wafted up from downstairs while gentle music and bright lights welcomed her to the main floor.
It'd been ages since she last set foot into a department store. No doubt it was under her brother Tsuki's careful guidance. She still remembered the very first time she'd come to one of these -- it'd been his first time too, but that didn't stop him from taking her by the hand and finding the way, like a lighthouse guiding sailors to shore.
The thought of another holiday season without him set her heart on edge, and she quickly pushed away the feelings before they could take root, instead forcing her attention to the signs and placards scattered about the vast but crowded aisles and displays.
Eventually, her wanderings brought her to a cologne display near the escalators to the fourth floor.
An array of beautiful glass bottles shaped with intricate angles like cut gems lined the table, catching the overhead lights and making their contents gleam.
Like a cat with its curiosity piqued, Kisa couldn't help but be drawn in.
Fumi always smelled nice, though she wasn't sure if it was cologne or a body wash. Either way, he seemed the type to appreciate a good fragrance. Perhaps she'd finally found what she was looking for.
After smelling the caps of a few scents, she picked two to sample, spritzing one on the inner of her left wrist, the other on her right.
She gave them both a sniff after a bit and found the one on the left smelled wonderful. There were delicate, fleeting notes of peach and bergamot, as well as jasmine, a hint of cedarwood, and something spicy yet fruity that she couldn't place.
Lovely though it was, it wasn't quite Fumi's style.
"Well, if it isn't Chicchi," a voice called out from behind her. "Scrambling now that Rukiora's nose is clearing up?"
She turned to see Fumi -- or Miguel, rather -- strolling over to her with an easy smile. Without thinking, she slipped right into her role as Chicchi, angling her hips and running her hand through her hair with a sigh as if tired from a long night's work. "Miguel, that's none of your business, you know."
"Oh, come on now. You know I'm a nosy person."
"Then you should put that nose to use and help me out."
"Gladly." He smiled his charming smile -- the one that had won him so many clients over the years, herself included.
Chicchi offered her wrists readily, without hesitation, while Kisa's heart began to pitter-patter hard through her veins. "I don't know how I feel about these scents," she heard Chicchi say, blunt and casual as always.
"Shall I, then?"
She nodded flippantly, though any veil of indifference melted away when he gently took her hands in his and drew them close. Chicchi faded away entirely as Kisa's heart lodged itself somewhere in her throat.
Fumi's fingers were warm as they cradled hers. He took his time smelling both, and she stifled the gasp that threatened to spill from her lips when her knuckle grazed his chin.
Perhaps carrying on so long as two denizens of the night wasn't the wisest of choices in such a public venue.
"Not sure about this one," Miguel said at last, dropping her right wrist, "but this one smells amazing on you," Fumi finished, giving her left wrist a tug before letting it go, too.
"Oh, well, this isn't for me. I mean, um... "
"Shopping for your mystery person?" he asked, and he was fully Fumi again, no longer slick and cajoling, but warm and friendly.
"In theory," she managed, collecting her nerves as she rolled down her sleeves -- but not before taking another whiff of her left wrist. It was quite a nice scent, after all.
"No luck so far?"
"I've been out all afternoon, but I haven't found anything good."
"Sounds like you're putting a lot of thought into it."
"Well, of course... " She clung to the sentence before letting it go unfinished, afraid speaking any more would give away the game.
He watched her, smiling softly when she fell into silence, then nodded. "You must be tired. Let's go grab something to eat. Maybe your brain needs some fuel."
She glanced around the store, worried she might be leaving that ever-elusive perfect gift behind. "I'm not sure I should... "
"Don't worry, I'll take you somewhere good. I always do, don't I?"
That, she couldn't argue with. "Okay!"
Before she knew it, they were back out on streets of Tamasaka.
The once white sky was now pitch black and half-veiled in the glow of streetlamps.
"Wow, it's gotten dark," she remarked as they walked in the chill evening air.
Without knowing where they were going, she simply followed him, like always.
"You were in there a while, weren't you?"
"I guess so."
The restaurant he led her to on Himehiko Way occupied the uppermost floor of an old traditional building that housed shops below. Coming up the stairs in the waitress' wake, she couldn't help but gasp at the beautiful view that lay beyond the wall of windows that skirted the room.
"How about a window seat?" Fumi suggested upon seeing her reaction.
"Yes, please."
The waitress seated them by the window, tucked away in an alcove only gently touched by the light of the box lanterns that dotted the room.
On Fumi's recommendation, they ended up ordering the restaurant's specialty, oshiruko, a sweet bean soup made with red bean paste and served with mochi.
The waitress brought them each a cup of matcha to start, and while Kisa tucked into hers immediately, warming her hands on the thin ceramic, Fumi stopped short as he stared at the cup in his hand, a curious expression surfacing on his usually composed face.
"Is something wrong with your cup?" Kisa asked.
"No, just got lost in thought for a second," he replied with a quick smile, then took a drink.
Kisa looked at her own cup. On its side a beautiful wisteria tree filled with lavender blooms was painted in fine handiwork. "Does it remind you of something?"
Her question hung in the air longer than expected.
"The wisteria tree in the garden back home," he answered at last, a reluctance in his voice.
"Do you miss it?"
"Not really." He laughed wryly, then took another sip as he allowed his thoughts to delve deeper. "I never liked that tree."
With her curiosity stirred, she sat up straighter, gripping her cup tighter without realizing. "Why?"
"It always reminded me of 'The Wisteria Maiden.'"
"'The Wisteria Maiden?'"
"It's a dance in my family's repertoire. It's crazy popular with the public, so we perform it often. There's a lot of room for expression, but my old man had his own ideas of how it should be performed, so eventually it just felt like a chore." He turned the cup in his hands, his thumb tracing over the dark trunk and sweeping tendrils of flowers. "But when I saw this just now, I felt like I wanted to see it again."
"Fumi-san... Are you feeling homesick?"
"You know, I might be. A little bit, at least."
Before Kisa could ask if he was going home for New Year's, the waitress appeared with two bowls of oshiruko.
They arrived steaming hot, thick and molten and bursting with a sweetness that Kisa quickly fell prey to.
After she paid her compliments to his recommendation, they fell into a silence as they ate. He'd long since learned that her utter silence as she cutely munched away without a care in the world was the highest form of gratitude he could earn from her.
It was then that she turned her gaze to the view beyond the window -- Univeil glowing in the distance from its perch atop the hill at the foot of Mount Oodate.
"Oh, it's snowing!" she cried with a gasp before remembering herself. Her cheeks went the slightest bit pink as she placed her hand over her mouth apologetically, but her eyes never left the school.
Fumi smiled at her enthusiasm and didn't dare interrupt her vigil.
Thick, fluffy snowflakes drifted like notes in a sleepy lullaby.
Univeil had her under its spell once more -- not that she'd ever escaped it, of course.
And while she watched Univeil, Fumi watched her.
After several minutes of silent staring in awe, a breathless, "It's so beautiful," escaped her slightly parted lips.
Fumi slouched forward, resting his chin against his hand. "I wonder if there's room for anything else in there," he mused aloud, more to himself than anything.
"Hm?" Suddenly Kisa turned to him, eyes wide and curious.
"No, never mind." He downed the rest of his matcha.
Soon enough, her attention was captured by the view outside the window once more.
When they arrived back at Univeil, the lawn and cobblestones were coated in an ephemeral layer of white that was sure to melt away in the morning sun on the morrow.
"Sorry to take up your evening," Kisa said as they parted ways between the dorm and the school. "I'm sure you had other plans."
"No, it's fine. I ended up getting exactly what I needed."
"You did?"
"What about you? Did you get cheered up a little?"
She swallowed down her embarrassment at having been found out and gave a firm nod. "Thank you, Fumi-san."
His smile was soft. "Anytime, Kisa."
On the morning of Christmas Eve, before the campus had a chance to come to life, Kisa set out for the dance studio, gift in hand.
Though the aftermath of tonight's performance was yet to be known, at least she had an excuse to convey what he meant to her in this way.
She inched the dance studio door open just a crack and peeked inside.
Sure enough, Fumi was there, in the midst of his stretching routine.
Kisa wasn't sure why she didn't announce her presence right away. Maybe it was because today might be the last chance she had to stumble upon him like this.
Her grip tightened on the fabric wrapping of the gift she held. If today was to be where her dream ended -- if her Chicchi was so convincing it revealed her for the girl she truly was -- then she'd make sure she left with no regrets.
"If you wanna learn how to do the splits, I'd be more than happy to teach you, you know," Fumi's voice broke her from her thoughts.
It was only then she noticed he was staring at her. For how long, she wasn't sure. "N-No, I think I'll pass... "
He rolled out of his center split and got to his feet. "Are you here to tell me you're my Secret Santa?"
Panicked, she tried hiding the gift behind her, but realized the jig was long up. "I wasn't sure when to do it, but I thought now was the best time to find you."
"You're right on time. I saw Su giving his to Kai earlier. And Soshi to Mitsu." His eyes fell to the gift as she neared. "Although, I do wonder what makes you think you picked me."
"The scarlet macaw, right?"
"Sounds like you did some research."
"It took a bit. I was stuck between you and Neji-senpai for a bit."
"I'm not sure that's something I wanted to hear... "
Kisa giggled and handed the gift to him. "It was fun trying to figure it out, though."
"Was it? In that case, I'm glad." He looked over her careful wrapping, and she dearly hoped it wasn't obvious she'd had to watch a guide on how to do it properly. "Mind if I open it now?"
"Please do."
She held her breath as he unwrapped it, studying his expression, wanting to see the earliest sign of his verdict.
"Seriously?" He gave her an incredulous look as he peeled the fabric away, revealing the set of wisteria cups they'd used at the restaurant the other day. His face lit up as he drew one out to study under the lights. "And just how did you manage to get these?"
"The owner of the restaurant said he'd be willing to part with them, but only if they went together."
"A pair, hm? I'll have to invite you over for tea sometime, then."
Kisa glanced away to hide the redness that was creeping up past the collar of her uniform. "I'd like that."
"Thank you, Kisa," he said quietly, with such a tender softness she couldn't help but look at him again, despite the flushing. "You really knocked it out of the park."
"I'm glad you like it," she murmured when she could find her voice again.
"You wait here," he said, tousling her hair before walking off. "I've got your gift, too."
"Huh?" She tilted her head in confusion as she watched him swipe a small, exquisitely wrapped gift box from the counter near the stereo and come back over. "Wait... Did we really pick each other?"
"Yours was the weasel, right? With the crescent moon on its stomach."
"Y-Yes." Considering she still hadn't gotten over his reaction to her gift, she was ill-prepared for receiving one from him. Actually, she hadn't given any thought at all as to who'd drawn her in the exchange until now.
How on earth had he even figured it out? She was tempted to ask, but considering this was Fumi, perhaps she didn't want to know.
"Go ahead, open it."
"But it's so pretty."
"That bow's made to be undone."
She took a moment to admire the beautiful wrapping before acquiescing, unraveling the ribbon with jittery fingers and her heart dancing about her ribcage.
Lifting the lid away, she saw a familiar sight nestled within the velvety confines of the box.
It was the fragrance from the department store she'd so adored.
"It's perfect." She couldn't keep the ridiculous grin from spreading across her face. "Thank you, Fumi-san."
He laughed, obviously pleased with her reaction. "It suited you so well, I was surprised you didn't buy it yourself."
"...That never occurred to me."
"Good thing you have me around, then."
The intercom above the door suddenly clicked on and an announcement began to play: "All students, please report to Univeil Theater for your performance preparations. Repeat, all students, please report Univeil Theater immediately."
"That's us," Fumi said, taking a deep breath as if he too somehow understood the weight of tonight's performance. "Let's go."
Kisa nodded and followed after.