'Wasn't I supposed to be the one angry?'
'By now, there was no way I could still be upset!'
With a sigh, Kato said, "Akifumi, you're too sly."
"Now I have no reason to be angry, huh?" It felt like he was being unreasonable.
Akifumi smiled, "Kato, you never had a reason to be angry. If you didn't ask, how could I say anything?"
"Fine, I guess it's my fault." Kato's gaze then shifted to Mahiru.
"By the way, Mahiru seems happier lately, doesn't she? She looks more cheerful than before."
'In fact, she even seems more beautiful.'
'Is it just my imagination?'
'How is Kato so perceptive?' Akifumi felt a small jolt inside, but his face didn't betray him.
"She must've had something good happen to her."
"She's definitely been more cheerful lately."
"By the way, Christmas break is coming up after Friday, right? Have you got me a gift?" Kato's attention was immediately diverted. She sighed, helpless.
"Though I didn't want to prepare anything for the devious Akifumi, what can I do? You're my only friend."
"As expected of Kato! So thoughtful." Akifumi smiled.
"I wonder what kind of gift it'll beI'm really looking forward to it~"
"I'm curious too, about what kind of gift you'll give me, Akifumi."
"Just wait and see~"
Time passed, and it was now December 22.
With Christmas coming up on Monday, this was the last day before the break.
"Do you regret not thinking more carefully about your gift choice, Mugiho-kun?"
Mahiru, smiling and covering her mouth, looked at him playfully.
"This is the result of my careful consideration," Akifumi said.
"I just forgot how attention-grabbing something like this would be at school."
Even though they left earlier than usual, there were still quite a few students on the way.
With the giant iron-eating beast doll in his hands, Akifumi was definitely the center of attention.
"Hey, Mugi, Is that a christmas gift?"
Mashiro looked at the doll in Akifumi's hands, her eyes full of longing.
Though she liked the doll, what she really wanted was the "gift" itself!
"Santa gives presents to good children."
"Mugi, you're lying." Mashiro said flatly, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus."
(O_O)!!
She knows?!
"I'm usually very sharp."
Mahiru couldn't hold back her laughter. "Mugiho-kun, you tried to trick Mashiro, huh? Looks like that wasn't so easy."
"A child who doesn't believe in Santa can't meet him!" Akifumi was still holding onto his story.
Mashiro shrugged. "So, is Santa bringing me a gift on Christmas Eve?"
"Probably, as long as you sleep early and believe in Santa."
"I will, I'll go to bed early."
Mahiru kept smiling, beside her.
Akifumi shot a glare at her. "I'll deal with you later tonight."
Mahiru's smile froze, and her face flushed a little.
As they arrived at school,
"Why don't you guys head to class first?"
"I'll take this to Hiratsuka-sensei's desk."
"Okay." Mahiru and Mashiro went on ahead, while Akifumi headed for the teacher's office.
Though it was still a bit early, the door to the office was wide open.
But there wasn't a soul inside.
Not hesitating, Akifumi walked in, placing the iron-eating beast doll on Shizuka-sensei's desk.
Then he left without a word.
"I'm sure Hiratsuka-sensei will love this gift~" Just imagining the other teachers crowding around the giant doll made Akifumi want to laugh.
Clearly, he had forgotten all about how everyone had been staring at him like he was some kind of giant panda earlier.
Maybe this was one of those moments where he'd "damage himself to hurt the enemy"?
Returning to class,
Akifumi still had some gifts in hand, but nothing as eye-catching as the giant doll, so they didn't attract much attention.
Since he was early, there weren't many students in the classroom yet.
Surprisingly, Kato had already arrived.
She was talking to Mahiru, who had also just gotten there.
As Akifumi approached, he saw the two of them holding a gift box.
It looked like they had just exchanged gifts.
"Thank you, Kato."
"Didn't Shiina give me a gift too? No need to be so polite." Mahiru smiled bitterly.
"Compared to the gift you made yourself, Kato, mine feels so lacking in thought."
"A handmade gift is indeed precious, but the important thing is the thought behind it, not the gift itself, right?"
Akifumi spoke up, "So I don't think it matters that much. Right, Kato?"
"Exactly." Kato nodded. "So, Mahiru, you don't need to feel guilty."
"But when Akifumi says things like that, is it just for his own benefit?"
"Recently, Kato's been extra sharp!" Akifumi said with a sigh, hurriedly pulling out the Christmas gift he had prepared for Mahiru.
"One is a drawing I did myself, and the other one I picked out. Now, there's nothing left to say, right?"
He had long anticipated that this might happen, so he had prepared two gifts for everyone!
One was the gift he bought while shopping at the mall with Mahiru over the weekend, and the other was a hand-drawn illustration he made for the girls in the world of anime.
Kato's face showed a hint of surprise.
"There are two gifts?"
"Well, drawing is pretty easy for me, so don't worry about it, Kato," he said casually.
"How could I not care about such a thoughtful gesture?"
Though Kato thought this to herself, she didn't say it out loud. She took out the gift she had prepared for Akifumi and handed it to him.
"This is for you, Akifumi."
The gift box was a little on the large side.
"What's inside?" Akifumi asked, curious.
"You'll find out if you open it," Kato replied with a smile.
"Well then, I won't be polite!" Akifumi eagerly opened the box.
Inside was a white scarf.
It wasn't too surprising, considering that this type of gift was typical for Kato's style.
Akifumi tried it on and found that it was of very high quality and nice and warm.
"Thanks, Kato."
"I'm glad you like it," Kato said, her usually neutral face briefly breaking into a smile.
"Don't you want to see what I got you?" he teased.
Kato shook her head. "No rush, we'll talk about it later."
"Well, if you're happy, that's all that matters."
The three of them chatted and laughed as the classroom gradually filled with more students.
Soon, the bell rang for the start of class.
The last period of the morning quickly ended.
"Akifumi, come to the office for a moment," came the call from Hiratsuka-sensei.
She walked out of the classroom with her usual neutral expression.
The teacher's office was nearly empty at lunchtime.
However, as soon as Akifumi entered, the few teachers in the room couldn't help but smile at the sight of him.
The reason was clear, though Akifumi didn't need to think much about it.
Of course, he still had to keep up appearances.
He sat down next to Hiratsuka-sensei, who gave him a questioning look.
"Akifumi, did you send this doll?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"Well, there's no need to think it over. Yes, this gift is from me!"
Akifumi spoke confidently. "I'm sure you're worried that it's too precious, but don't worry! You've been so kind to me, so I'm more than happy to give you something like this!"
Hiratsuka-sensei raised an eyebrow. 'Is this how you see me?'
Earlier in the morning, the colleagues' half-suppressed smiles had left her puzzled.
When she saw the doll on her desk, everything clicked.
At her age, enjoying such things as a stuffed animalwho would have thought?
But deep down, she was genuinely happy to receive a gift from one of her students, even if it made her feel a little embarrassed.
She cleared her throat, smiling at Akifumi. "Let's stop with that. The gift is great, and I really like it."
"I'm happy you like it, Sensei," Akifumi grinned back.
There was no resisting the charm of a national treasure. 'If there was, it would only be if the treasure wasn't big enough!
"Well, I actually wanted to see you for something else," Hiratsuka-sensei said, pulling out a beautifully wrapped gift from a drawer.
"Huh?" Akifumi was genuinely surprised.
"What's there to be surprised about?" Hiratsuka-sensei laughed. "It's only natural for me to return the favor after receiving such a thoughtful gift from you, right?"
"True, but this wrappingthis wasn't something you quickly put together at the last minute, was it?"
"It was prepared well in advance," she confirmed.
Akifumi felt a rush of emotion. "Thank you, Sensei."
"Aren't you going to open it?" she asked.
"Of course!" Akifumi didn't hesitate.
He tore off the wrapping to reveal a black box with "PILOT" written on it and a small logo.
Opening it, Akifumi saw a beautifully designed fountain pen, its body adorned with gold cherry blossomsonly one blossom was intact, while the others were missing petals, giving it a distinct look that symbolized the beauty of imperfection in Japanese culture.
The pen was mostly black with specks of gold inside, and the cherry blossoms looked almost like snowflakes.
It was stunning.
Though he didn't know much about pens, he could tell it was an expensive item.
Akifumi was a bit flustered. "Sensei, this is too much..."
"It's the thought that counts, not the price," she replied, dismissing his concerns.
"Besides, this pen isn't expensive at all. It's not even a fraction of what I spend on pocket money," she added.
Akifumi couldn't help but joke to himself, 'Even a year's worth of my salary wouldn't cover your pocket money, Sensei!'
"Still, I'll accept it with gratitude."
Hiratsuka-sensei smiled. "A pen is meant to be used, not collected. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Keep working hard on your manga. Maybe try doing less depressing stuff like 'Your Lie in April'something more healing, right?"
[TL Note RUN!]
'Wait, will she be mad when she finds out the truth? Probably!'
It was almost New Year's, so it wouldn't be ideal to upset her now.
'I better keep the truth to myself.'
With a smile, Akifumi nodded. "I'll do my best."
"See you next year, Sensei."
"But you still have classes this afternoon, right?" Akifumi asked.
Hiratsuka-sensei laughed. "Ha, I guess I'll just say goodbye now, since I won't have another chance."
"Right, then see you next year!" Akifumi waved as he headed out.
As the final bell for the day rang, signaling the end of the school year, the students were free to relax for the holiday.
"See you next year, Akifumi, Shiina-san."
"See you next year!"
After watching Kato leave, Akifumi turned his attention back to the others.
"I feel like this moment has some kind of dj vu," he said.
"Eh?" Mahiru was surprised. "Hasn't summer vacation been quite a while ago?"
"Has it? Feels like it was just yesterday. Doesn't feel real!" Akifumi laughed.
Mahiru smiled. "I feel like it's been ages. So much has changed."
As they talked about everything that had happened over the past few months, Mahiru's eyes became thoughtful.
"Time seemed to fly by in the first half of the year. I can barely remember anything."
Akifumi smiled and shook his head, taking the pile of gifts Mahiru and Mashiro had prepared.
"Let's head home."
"Eh, didn't we plan to deliver gifts to the editors, Otosuna-san and Machida-san?" Mahiru asked.
"I didn't expect you all to get so many gifts!" Akifumi laughed, shaking the two large bags he was holding.
"By the way, did Mashiro give return gifts to everyone?"
"I did," Mashiro said.
"Oh?"
Mahiru noticed Akifumi's surprised gaze and smiled.
"Today, I gave away the last of the baumkuchen."
Both Akifumi and Mahiru blinked before bursting into laughter.
"Mashiro, that's amazing! You even gave away your favorite baumkuchen."
"Well, on the way back, let's stop by the supermarket and get more!" Mahiru suggested.
Mashiro's eyes lit up, and her nodded eagerly. "Yes!"
Despite the cold winter weather in Tokyo, where snowflakes seemed to be on the verge of falling at any moment, the warmth in their hearts this winter was unlike anything they'd ever felt.
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[142] Christmas Gift For The Fans
"Eh, I actually have a gift?" Mihari looked at the gift box in front of her, looking completely surprised.
"You haven't earned it yet, but you've worked me to the bone ... just a little joke, hope you won't be mad?"
Mihari rolled her eyes. "If I were that easy to anger, I would've quit long ago!"
"I've been taken care of by you all this time, so it's only natural for me to give you a Christmas gift, right?"
Mihari smiled: "It's hard to get a decent compliment out of you!"
"Thank you, this is my gift for you." Mihari reached into her desk and handed over a wrapped gift box.
"I was going to give it to you at the year-end party tomorrow, but I didn't expect you to give me your gift first."
"Well, I might be too busy tomorrow and forget, so it'd be a waste to have prepared this gift!" As Akifumi spoke, he was a bit surprised to see the gift from Mihari.
He hadn't expected her to prepare something for him.
After all, he had teased her quite a bit.
Seeing Akifumi's surprised expression, Mihari shrugged and said, "After all, I wouldn't be where I am now without Akifumi-sensei."
"Even though your teasing can be really irritating sometimes, I can't repay your kindness with just this cheap gift."
"Compared to your current salary, this gift seems a bit cheap, I hope you won't mind."
Akifumi smiled, "How could I hate a gift from you?"
"Then I'll accept it without hesitation. By the way, is Chief Matome at the company?"
"Chief Matome is with the editor-in-chief and others at the year-end party venue."
"Then could you please pass this gift to Chief Matome for me?"
"Sure."
"Then I'll rely on you for next year too."
"Actually, it's me who'll be relying on you, the more experienced one." As Mihari said this, she suddenly realized.
"Wait, it's only December 23rd. Isn't it a little early to say that?"
"Well, I can just say it again when we greet each other for New Year's, right?"
Mihari couldn't help but chuckle.
Afterward, Akifumi went to Fujimi's place and delivered the gift for Machida Sonoko.
As expected, he received a return gift.
"Well, there are only three gifts left to deliver." No rush on these four gifts.
